Thoughtless spending. I do it all of the time. Grabbing a coffee on my way to work when I have a perfectly good Keurig at home AND at work. Getting groceries (that I actually need) at Target and adding on a pair of jeans and a cute mug. Stopping for food on the way home from spin class when I have a refrigerator at home filled with healthy, yummy food. Watching a YouTube video and buying some beauty gadget that I REALLY don’t need from Amazon just because it is the latest and greatest.
Any of this ring a bell? Just me?
I have decided to put a hold on my spending for the month of February. I have recently noticed myself being extra caught up in the more, more, more atmosphere that can come from social media, our culture, and being inundated with ads and products all day long. Never being satisfied. Always needing something NEW.
The second I decided to really monitor and diminish thoughtless spending, I realized how many parts of my day were consumed by thoughtless spending, that I wasn’t even aware of. The worst part of it all is that I already have so much STUFF. Stuff that I don’t use. Clothes that I fold up and forget about. Beauty products that I push to the back of my shelves underneath my counter. And I still want more.
We all get into creative ruts as bloggers or entrepreneurs. It’s hard to continue creating new content when things in your life are off or you’re just not feeling it. SO, this is my go-to list. I love to write and sometimes I just need a little push in the creative direction. Follow me on Instagram for more day-to-day creativity tips and to see what I’m up to – @MadisonCrowley.
★ Go to spin class.
Are we surprised this is my first response? Nope! Spin class is my go-to for endorphins and a high. I am always ready to conquer the day after spin class.
★ Get off of Facebook. Go to Pinterest and search something SPECIFIC that you want to learn or write about.
For me lately, I have been searching “branding”. I love learning about the branding process and how I can take details of my brand to every aspect of my blog and Instagram or YouTube. I like learning about new fonts. I like seeing new color palettes. That gets me inspired to finish writing a blog post that I have been saving as a draft, and working hard so that I can expand my brand.
★ Go back to the page/website/person/Instagram/whatever that made you want to start blogging. For me, this is reading Payton Sartain’s blog or watching her YouTube videos.
I gain a lot of inspiration from other people. I think that if you want to learn how to be great at something, study other people who are succeeding in the area that you are trying to succeed in yourself. Take notes. Watch how they interact. How they post and when they post. If they are killing it, chances are you can learn from them. NOTE: This does not mean copy. Don’t plagiarize. Don’t steal people’s ideas. Don’t copy their outfits. Don’t make your blog or vlog the same as theirs. Simply gather ideas, see if you could do a similar post in your own voice that will speak to your own personal audience. And then remember why you’re doing that you are doing. Write down what you take from their blog. Write down how it makes you feel. Not figure out how to make your audience feel that.
★ Watch Danielle Carolan’s YouTube videos.
I have been watching Danielle Carolan’s videos for a while now and they bring so much light into my life!!! I love that she is in Athens and I get to reminisce about my days at UGA but I also just love her hustle. She inspires me to get my butt up and go after what I want. It’s not going to just be handed to you!!! I think what I love most about her vlogs and Insta is that it’s literally just her life. Payton’s life is kinda dreamy, like a goal or farfetched at times. Danielle is just a college gal living her life on trend and with passion. Kinda how I want to live my life. We can’t all be glamorous all of the time ( not that Payton claims to be, it’s just sometimes the pressure that I put on myself as a blogger ) and I think it’s important to not lose that.
★ Read The Skinny Confidentialor listen to The Him and Her Podcast. Lauryn Evarts is SO INSPIRING. Like everything that she does. Google her blog and podcast. You won’t regret it.
★ Go to a coffee shop.
Pretty sure nothing inspires me as much as going to a coffee shop. If you know me and have been following me for a while, you know that one of my favorite things to do is to find new, cute coffee shops. Coffee shops have an atmosphere that promotes hard work and the coolest vibes. I write some of my best posts and short stories in coffee shops.
Hi! So excited you decided to stop by V&L today. How ya doin? Hope you’re well and your day includes something you love.
I am sitting here with a tallll glass of ice water with a drop of lemon essential oil in it, and I am here to chat about blowouts. We all love ’em, we all need ’em, and sometimes we can’t afford ’em, which totally sucks. Honestly a picturesque morning for me starts with blowouts at Drybar and iced lattes from Nordstrom followed by wandering through the displays gathering ideas and inspo. Sounds ideal. Blowouts make me feel like a boss babe and I wanted to get all of the details on how to get the perfect blowout at home during those weeks we can’t make it to the salon.
I sat down with hairstylist Emma Weber for a trim and a blowout and asked her allll the juicy details about blowouts and what the perfect recipe for an at-home blowout is, all while sipping a venti iced caramel macchiato ( with soy of course ) and documenting the process with pics.
Today I am bringing you my weekend morning routine thanks to Wantable, the easiest clothing delivery service for unique and trendy pieces.
I love weekends. I get to sleep in, go to workout classes, drink iced lattes, and spend quality time with my friends, exploring Atlanta and trying new places. You know what goes perfect with these plans? Versatile fitness outfits! (from Wantable, of course.) My mornings during the weekend are one of my favorite parts because slow mornings are my jam. During the week I get up extra early just so I don’t have to rush all around in order to get to the office at a decent hour.
I normally start my mornings checking up on Instagram and making sure I didn’t miss any activity on my feed since staying engaged and up-to-date is kinda my job. I try to make sure that before I open up my phone I take Boston out and read the Bible verse of the day so that my mind is in the right place before heading over to my social feeds.
After I check up on socials and respond to any texts that I have gotten from friends over the night (west coast bff probs), I head to the kitchen to make my morning cup of coffee that often motivates me to get my butt out of bed. I love dark roast with a little bit of dairy free creamer when I am making coffee for myself. After sipping my coffee and enjoying my nice slow morning, I normally open up my computer and do a little social engaging or content planning for the week! During the weekends I try to photograph outfits for my week since I am so busy during the weekdays. I also write up blog posts or edit photos that I haven’t looked at yet.
After I have taken care of business, I get ready for a workout class! As you guys know, I am obsessed with spin class and go 4-5 times a week. On the weekends, if I can, I try to scope out a new workout spot and try it out in order to build on my series that I am releasing very shortly!! It is going to sum up all of the cool new workout spots in ATL that everyone has been dying to try. This past weekend I tried Fit 9 and I am obsessssed. Such a hard work out but so worth it.
I wash my face every morning and take my vitamins for the day before I hit the road for my workout class. Also, an interesting part of my day as a blogger is sharing my outfit. Whether it is in a post, on a story, or even a post about an outfit that I wore that weekend/earlier that week. I looooove my mirror from from Ikea for just this reason! I placed it near my window so that I can have the natural light for my pics. If you look at my Instagram (@MadisonCrowley), you will see mirror pics peppered into my feed because I truly l love this mirror.
After I get back from my workout class, I hop into a less sweaty workout outfit and plan the rest of my day! Wantable makes it SO easy to have lots of different fitness clothes that I can workout in, or just wear around for the weekend. The Wantable process is amazing and SO simple. The first step is taking the Fitness Edit quiz, which took a unique stab at figuring out what my favorite ways to workout were and what pieces I was interested in receiving in my box. I was able to specify that I really like high-waisted leggings and that the sports bras that they were going to send me needed to be extra supportive! They also have a Style Edit that allows you to take a fun quiz and give them a feel for what your style is, and they will send you 7 pieces that they think you will love.
Once you receive your box, you can try on all of the items and decide which items you want to keep! You can sign up for Wantable with 50% off of your styling fee by clicking here!
Items I got in my Wantable box:
– 2 pairs of high-waisted leggings, black and multi-color ( kept the multicolor)
– 2 super supportive sports bras, white and grey (I kept both)
– A white tank top
– A black workout top
– Good Hyouman sweatshirt
Once you’re done and ready to send the other clothes back, you pack it up in the pre-paid envelope they send you in the box and drop it off at your nearest post office! It is that easy. One. Stop. Shop.!!!
Well there yea have it guys, my weekend morning routine including the ease of not having to search through my clothes for the perfect, comfy outfit. I didn’t include the hair/face products that I use in the morning as I figure I can make another post (or even a video!) about this, when I get the chance. Thanks for reading guys!! I would love to hear your feedback on Wantable, if you try it or if you have previously tried it! As always, follow on social media for day-to-day happenings!
Welcome back to FaF and happy first day of Spring!!!
Daylight savings occurred a couple weekends ago and let me tell you I am feeling the loss of that hour. My body needs 8 hours to function properly/not get sick and I am playing major catch up. Along with catching up on sleep, I am working out like a crazy woman and working on Forge A Frenzy in every spare moment.
THIS WEEKEND:Caroline (of Life With Lina) and I have a super excited Palm Springs getaway planned filled with Coachella and festival inspired wear as festival season is underway. We have partnered with hotels, boutiques, and restaurants to give you guys a dreamy desert experience. We are super excited.
ALSO I am trying something fun and new with this post… scroll to the bottom for more details.
Happy day back from the long weekend, everyone! Coming back from 4 days off to work and to-do lists and schedules isn’t ideal, but when you love what you do, it’s a little bit easier.
Welcome back and Happy Valentines Day (or Galentines Day in my case)!! I am here to chat about gal-pals and their importance as well as open up about how long distance relationships with your bffs are incredibly hard, but incredibly worth it.
** very important PS at the bottom of this post **
Last weekend, some friends and I ventured down to San Diego to explore and meet up with some friends who were Airbnb-ing a beach house. The people part definitely didn’t go as planned (real life people really DO do cocaine), but the exploring part was even better than we anticipated.
On our way back the morning after an awesome turned horrible night, we stopped in La Jolla because one of my friends that I was with, Kayla, she rocks, mentioned that she had heard about a store that you could enter and it was like a little gift shop and then you pay $5 to walk down stairs and into a cave! I loooooove caves and secret staircases and hidden gems so this was like music to my ears. We put it in the GPS and headed to La Jolla from Pacific Beach.
