Austin is one of our favorite day trips to take. It’s a short drive from San Antonio. So it’s very easy to go for the day and come back home. Staying in one of their posh hotels is always an option. But for me, I love sleeping in my own bed. I don’t have to worry about when the sheets were washed, who laid in the bed before me, bed bugs, dirty sinks or anything else that makes me anxious about a hotel. So, if going home to sleep in my bed is an option, that’s what I’m doing.
With that being said, we went to Austin for the weekend. Lets say the weekend days because we went home each night to sleep.
Ladybird Trail isn’t new to us. Although, it’s been a while since we ran on the trails there. It’s always nice but since Summer is gone and Fall has arrived. It’s even better! The weather was perfect. The fall colors made it even more beautiful and the peaceful lake made it feel like we were in an entirely new place.
Day 1
Day 2
Drop some of your favorite places to run, jog, or walk in the comments.
This past Saturday was extra special because my husband didn’t have to work. On days like this, we always try to make the most of our day.
We started off with a good breakfast. My son and I have been ADDICTED to protein waffles for the last month. So we’ve been eating them every, single morning. He’s upgraded to eating two each morning. Which really surprises me cause he’s so small. But I’m often reminded that he’s growing. So I guess it’s fine.
After letting our food settle, our first stop was was the park. We’ve extended our runs to 4 miles a few times a week. So, that’s what we did on Saturday. Although, we ended up walking most of the last mile. We did much better than I expected.
After the park, we changed out of our sweaty shirts and headed to the flea market. It is one of our favorite places to go on the weekend. Because you never know what you’re gonna find. It’s the ultimate treasure hunt!
I’ve also been looking for some flower pots for a DIY project I’m working on. And the flea market is a great place to find some unique ones. Plus, my son gets a chance to ride a carousel or get a toy so he always enjoys it too. Luckily, I found one pot that was small enough for what I was looking for. (More on my DIY project later.)
Check out the prices of the small pots. You can’t beat that!
What are some of your favorite things to do on the weekends? Let me know in the comments…
Not everyone has an innate sense of style. Some people have to learn how to be stylish. If this sounds like you, then you have nothing to worry about. There are many things you can do to try and turn things around and if you follow this guide, you’ll find that it is easier than ever for you to get the results you’re looking for.
Stop Waiting
If you always procrastinate about trying to reach atarget weight or even getting your dream job then you will never end up achieving what you want in life. Make sure that you do not put your style on hold, and instead, invest the time that you have now. You will feel instantly better about yourself, and this can have a huge impact on your confidence. Remember if you don’t feel good, you’ll never think you look good, so this is a crucial step in your journey.
Separating your Body Issues
A great body doesn’t equal a great style. Style is never limited to a certain size or shape. You need to try and accept the parts of your body that you do like as well as the parts that you don’t. Don’t let them hinder the development of your style either. It is more than possible for you to work with your perceived flaws, and still be stylish at the end of the day. There are many tricks that you can use to try and detract from the problem areas you may feel as though you have, so make sure that you play up to your best features, and then go from there. Remember, if you aren’t happy with your smile then it is possible for you to seek help from anorthodontic care specialist.
Ditch What Makes you Feel Bad
Ditch any clothes that happen to make you feel bad, or that do not flatter you. The same applies to baggy clothes too. A lot of people have the tendency to hang on to clothes that fit them during their more youthful years, hoping that one day they will be able to fit back into them. This won’t do you any favours, in fact, it will actually end up instilling a sense of failure. If you have to keep items, then pack them away and put them in your attic, or in a suitcase. Everything in your wardrobe should spark a sense of joy.
Practice Approval
Take a bit of time to think about the clothes that make youhappy, and why this is the case. It doesn’t matter whether it is a set color, an outfit, or anything else. You need to look at why you are wearing that particular piece, and what it is you enjoy about it. If you wear something because it makes you feel confident, then use this as a building block and then try to hone your style. If you can do this, then you will soon find that it is easier for you to feel your best every single day.
Over time lots of little bumps of happiness can turn into a happier you overall! Great news. In a busy, fast, and demanding world, it is important to find happiness where you can. But what if you could create your own?
Sometimes it is the little activities that can make you happy; it doesn’t have to be big grand gestures.
So, what type of things can you do to give you those little bumps of joy and happiness?
Basics
It should be as simple as – when you are thirsty, you drink, and when you are tired, you sleep. But most of the time, we push back by not taking a drink, will ignore how tired we are, and doing other things that we know mean we aren’t meeting our basic requirements to feel okay.
When you feel a little bit low, ask yourself, have you been meeting your most basic needs? If the answer is no, then make a point to do so over the next few days. Most of the time, we will feel much better.
If you can seem to shake the low feeling after a few days of proper care, then it might be time to consider talking to someone by finding your local top mental health treatment centers.
Gratitude
There have been more studies into gratitude than ever before – and some of the findings are very interesting. They state that when we actively practice gratitude, our brains start to react differently. The easiest way to start with gratitude is to try to make sure you point out at least one thing each morning for which you are grateful.
The more you do it, the more you will notice everything that you have. A gratitude journal is a great way to catalog all of the stuff you have that can make you feel great.
Research shows that after 14 days of practice, you will feel a boost of satisfaction that will lead to those happy emotions.
Nature
Humans are meant to be outside, although that can be harder and harder to do in this modern technology-based world. Spending time outside in the sunshine (or any weather) in the woods, green fields, or near water is great for us. People who spend time in nature have a much lower level of depression than those who don’t.
Going for long walks in nature might not be for you… but you don’t know unless you try! Grab some walking boots and head outside. Keep doing it daily or every few days, and see how you feel.
Create
When we were children, some of the stuff we would do to have fun was color, draw and read. Over time we stop doing those fun activities and replace them with the everyday busyness of life.
Think about the last time you got to do something creative – with no other reason but just to do it. If it was a while ago, maybe it is time to think about what you might want to do. Creating with your hands can make a huge difference to our mood. And, as an added bonus, hobbies make us happier and more confident! The more we do it, the more we get of both.
Whether you’re running a blog, launching a business, or trying to get some more attention on an operation you’ve been running for a while, there’s no denying the importance of getting your brand recognized. Sometimes, all you really need is to make sure that the brand gets enough exposure to stick in the minds of people you meet. Trade shows, networking events, sales events, and other conferences can be a great opportunity to do just that. But how do you make sure that you get your brand the attention that it needs?
Have a branded space
If you’re renting out any space or have been invited to take up some space, then it’s important that you make good use of it to make a big impression on the people who come to see you. To that end, you should look into how you can add your look to your booth. Sometimes, a basic printed banner and table settings will do just fine. If you have the room, the budget, and the potential to make some very profitable connections, then you can look into setting up some fitting A/V for the event, as well. It’s important that you judge this based on how likely you are to get the attention to justify whatever you invest into your booth space.
Don’t neglect to give some freebies
It might sound like a cheap trick and, let’s be honest, it is. However, the reason that people keep investing in and giving out branded swag at events is because of the fact that they work. If you choose your item well, invest in quality, and feature your branding in the right way, you can guarantee that some of your attendees are going to be coming face to face with your brand on a regular basis. It’s best to choose things that have some utility and that attendees might not mind getting more than one of (since it’s truly difficult to choose unique trade show swag.) This can include things like USB pens, mugs, and, increasingly as of late, things like metal water bottles.
Brand your look
Aside from branding your space and the items that you might give away, you should also be looking at what you can do to bring some brand power to your own appearance. Aside from wearing appropriate and professional gear for the space, you can quite literally add your brand to what you’re wearing. One of the most versatile and cost-effective ways to do this is to invest in polo shirt embroidery for you and any staff that you might have to attend with you. Not only does it offer brand exposure, but it also sets you and your trade show team as being apart from the other attendees. This is going to make people more likely to come up and talk to you since you look like you’re part of the show, not just another person wandering the space.
Use your digital platforms
Digital marketing is always going to play a big part in helping you get your brand out there, even when it comes to making use of a physical event. Event organizers, as well as other attendees, exhibitors, and publications/influencers in the industry, are all going to be promotion-happy leading up to an event on social media. Building buzz around other attendees also builds buzz for the event which benefits them. Aside from taking the opportunity for some organic cross-promotion and highlighting what you’re going to be doing at the show, you should make sure that you’re live-posting during the event, as well. Other attendees are more likely to share your posts as the draw of signal boosting a shared experience can be very powerful, indeed.
Follow up
You might think that having made a good impression at your trade show or conference is enough and you can rest easy once you get back home. However, you want to make sure that the experience attached to your brand is as positive as possible and, for that reason, you’re going to want to follow up on the encounters that you had. See if the people that you talk to are willing to swap numbers, emails, socials, or business cards. Don’t be pushy. Those who are interested will do so without needing to be prodded. Once they do, make sure that you follow up with them.
In simple terms, the better your brand exposure, the more likely you are to experience better brand awareness and recognition, as well. Those two are critical factors for getting more people to take the next step in engaging with your brand.
If fashion is your passion, you might be wondering how you can turn it into a career. There are, of course, a lot of options from being a fashion designer to becoming a professional model, but one of the easiest careers to get started in is that of a fashion blogger.
Anyone with a few dollars and something to say can start their own fashion blog, and although you might never be as famous as Chiara Ferragni or Lydia Rose (although there is no reason why you could not be) if you create interesting content regularly, you could earn a living writing about your number one passion: fashion.
If that sound like something you would like to do, here are some tips to help you become a successful fashion blogger starting right now:
Choose your niche
If you want to be a fashion blogger, it is a really good idea to specialize in one area of fashion such as plus size fashion or alternative fashion, than it is to be a generalist. Why? Because it is easier to corner a niche market than it is to get your voice heard in a general one.
So take some time to think about which niches you have a particular interest in, and choose one area of fashion that you know you can write about with confidence.
Build a beautiful blog
People who are into fashion like things to look good, so if you want to succeed as a fashion blogger, you need an attractive blog. If you build with WordPress, there are so many free and paid-for templates that look good and do not require any web design skills which will make your life easier. If you do use WordPress, we suggest Nestify for hosting as the pair work well together to deliver style and performance.
Create killer content
Now for the hard part. If you want to be a successful fashion blogger, you need to create killer content that people will want to read. How you do this is up to you, but think about the kind of things people will search for like “how to wear jeans well” or “Ways to wear a silk scarf” and start there.
Ideally, you should create lots of different forms of content from fashion news and reviews to reports on ethical fashion and lists of the top 10 designers at London Fashion Week. The more variety you have in your content, within your niche, the more hits you are likely to get.
Of course, you should not just create content by numbers; you should always have something to say and you should have your own unique way of saying it, or why would anyone bother to read your blog over the hundreds of others?
Market it
Now, all that remains is to post links to your blog on social media, other fashion blogs, and anywhere else your target audience may be reading.
As you can see, starting out as a fashion blogger is not so difficult, and if you have passion and drive, there is no reason why you cannot succeed. So, what are you waiting for?
Tanya Regan is a speaker, creator, and filmmaker in Mandurah Western Australia. She uses her art of storytelling to teach, heal, connect, and inspire.
I reached out to Tanya about sharing her fearless journey and sent her some questions so that we can get all up in her fearless living business. This is what she said…
1. Tell us what life was like before you began your fearless journey into making short social impact documentaries?
In late 2016 I was heavily pregnant with my third child and my mental health was not in a good place.
I was having a baby girl and I wanted to show her what a strong woman looked like…. AND I DID NOT FEEL LIKE A STRONG WOMAN.
I spent my days counting down the clock to when my husband would get home from work. We had only recently moved to a new town, where I did not know anyone. I was isolated and lonely. I never felt like I was doing a decent job as a mum. I felt like I did not know what I was doing. I poured all of myself into my children and there was nothing left for me.
Going into 2017 I made a new year resolution to be more creative. It was my attempt to fill my cup and do something for me, but I also did not know where to start with creativity. Just after my baby was born, I started developing myself as a creative person by doing a self-guided course in creative recovery called The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron.
Every morning I would breastfeed my baby until she fell asleep and then I held her for a couple of hours while I worked through the exercises in the book. I was scared my baby would wake up if I put her in her cot, so I just kept holding her all through her nap while I worked on ‘me’.
My creativity started to open and how I saw the world changed. I realized that creativity was not something that I had to magic from nothing, but it was an energy that I could learn how to tap into. By the time my baby was one year old I was so creatively inspired that I was making my first short film.
When I made that film, I did not even have a camera, so I borrowed my dad’s old handy cam. I used what I had, borrowed what I did not have, and I just made it work. That film was a finalist in a film festival and played in a local movie theatre on the big screen.
I knew that I had to find a way to fill my own cup again.
2. What made you want to take the leap and start your company?
It was in the process of making that first film that I was able to re-create my identity. I had lost myself in being a mum but then I found myself through being creative.
I have now made ten short documentaries. My films are about the themes of creativity, connection, and nature. It is an art for me and a way that I express myself.
3. What have you learned about yourself during this journey?
I have learned that wherever you are in your personal life story you can always choose to be your own hero.
I was a lonely and sad, 37-year-old, stay at home mum when I made my first short film. I did not own a camera. I was new in my country town and did not even know anyone who I could interview.
Working on myself and connecting with my creativity empowered my inner magic.
4. What would you do over again before you took the leap? (If anything)
If I could do it all over again, I would have started sooner. I lost time doubting myself.
5. What is life like since you have taken the leap into fearless living?
I feel like me again, but a better version of me because I am doing fulfilling work now. My biggest challenge now is balancing being a mum of three children who are still young, with being a filmmaker and creative person.
6. Tell us about your films.
My films are 2 to 5 minutes long and are all human stories with a social impact message. I believe that creativity, connection, and nature have been devalued by our society and so those are the messages that play throughout my films.
7. What is one useful tip you would share about how to juggle motherhood with all the other things you are doing in life?
My biggest tip for other women juggling motherhood with all the other things we are meant to do is to know your season.
It would not have been possible for me to make a film when my baby was a newborn, however, I could breastfeed her while I developed my own creativity.
Even now, I would love to be working on a feature film, but my children are still young and of course demanding. I do not want to miss that so for me it is about finding a balance and that balance is constantly changing.
The key for me to be a good mum is to fill my cup. Creativity is one of the ways I do that, but I have also found other ways now too.
8. What has been the most difficult part of your journey?
When I have mum life and filmmaker life in balance, I am great. When I am out of balance, which is what happened for me again at the beginning of the pandemic, it all goes a bit pear shaped.
Celebrate yourself for your own baby steps, for your own progress and know what your own limits are.
9. What has been the most rewarding part of your journey?
The most amazing part of the creative journey is when that creative spark first hits you. There is an excitement and aliveness of making something that does not yet exist and bringing it into form. Receiving feedback from people that they feel “seen and heard” in my films as they connect to the messages, that is the cherry on the top for me.
10. How do you stay motivated when things get tough?
(laughs) I usually have a temporary breakdown, I might cry for a bit, I let myself feel the tough feelings. Then I dust myself, take a deep breath and work with what I have.
11. Share something about your journey that you feel is important that we have addressed.
If it feels good, do it.
If it feels heavy, put it down.
Excitement and fear can sometimes feel remarkably similar. Feel into the difference and then take inspired action.
Then take one intuitive step after the other and if things mess up be kind to yourself, be ok with mistakes, and then take another step.
One foot in front of the other, one step at a time, that is how we move forward.
Andy Kahl says she wouldn’t call herself totally fearless but I certainly would! This drag racing, cancer survivor is living fearlessy and helping people along the way.
