Tuesday, August 20, 2019

August Q&A

Happy Tuesday! I’m still trying to wrap my head around how quickly August is progressing and couldn’t let it move any further along without posting my monthly Q&A. As usual, I took to Instagram to have y’ all ask me questions to be answered in this post, and you didn’t disappoint. There were a lot of creative questions this round that hopefully y’ all enjoy reading my answers to! 



Q: Aside from meal prep, what do you do on a Sunday to get ready for the week?
I love this question so much that Thursday’s blog post is actually semi based around it. I like to use my Sunday’s to make sure I’m completely ready for the week ahead, which definitely means meal prepping lunches and dinners for the week. In addition to that, I try to get all of my laundry done and put away, do a general clean up of my room, pack my gym and work bags, and get in bed a little bit earlier than normal. 

Q: What’s your favorite skincare/beauty products of the moment?
If I had to choose one favorite product of the summer, it would undoubtedly be Coola’s Sunless Tan Serum. I wasn’t fully convinced it was working until multiple people told me that my face looked glowy and tan after I hadn’t been in the sun for a while. Now, whenever I am looking for a little extra color on my face without skipping the SPF, this is what I use. 

Q: What jacket/shawl do you wear inside the office? 
Our office is always FREEZING so I’m glad that this seems to be something other people deal with as well. My go-to summer jacket has been this white jean jacket, but I don’t always have it with me in the office. Most of the people I work with have blankets at their desk, and we all wrap up in them when it’s especially cold. I know it’s not chic or professional, but it’s cozy, and no one seems to mind. I’d love to hear other people’s suggestions on this though! 

Q: How do you keep yourself so well disciplined between blogging/gym/balanced diet? 
I feel lucky to be pretty good at time management. It took time to develop the skill but since I always had to work hard to get grades, liked the opportunity to be involved with clubs and sports, and took up blogging at a young(ish) age I had to learn how to balance it all. What has worked most effectively for me is using my planner to visually block off the time I have for different things. I typically have it written into the time slots of my day when I will be at work, when I’ll be working out after work, and then the time I’ll have at the end of the day to do other tasks. Knowing what my week is going to look at in advance helps to motivate me to get ahead on the weekend so that social activities don’t have to suffer and neither does my work.

When it comes to working out and eating relatively well, that also is something I find to be easier to do when I plan ahead. I try to cook all of my meals for the week on Sunday and stick to relatively healthy recipes. I know that I’ll probably be too lazy at night to cook something else so I, in turn, reach for the healthy meal I already made once I get home from the gym. My take is everything (well most things) in moderation so if I want to eat something unhealthy or skip a workout then that’s fine too.

Q: How do you organize/schedule blog posts?
I’m old school and will always gravitate toward a paper planner or calendar. I’ve gotten into the habit of printing out monthly calendars and filling them in with my post ideas for about a month out. While not all of those will be posted, it’s nice to have a game plan so that when I do have time to sit down and write I’m not at a loss for ideas. I write out all of my posts in word (the ideal would be to be working at least a week ahead, but that doesn’t always happen) and then schedule them into the platform. I also try to work ahead on the photos I need so that I don’t have to worry about that the night before and instead am set with photos for the blog and social in advance.

Q: What’s your hidden talent?
I always joke that if I ever had to do something that involved a stage talent, I wouldn’t be able to do it because I don’t have one. I’m not musically inclined in the slightest, and while I was good at soccer in high school I’m a bit rusty now, and that’s not something that could be done on a stage. If I had to come up with a hidden talent, I’d say making guacamole which is really lame and wouldn’t be entertaining to others unless they got to eat it. I’ll keep brainstorming on this for y’ all though. 

Q: What has been your favorite blog collaboration?
This is a tough one. I only accept collaborations that I’m really excited about and see a good fit for so I feel like any of them could be the answer. A few that I was particularly excited for and enjoyed working on include: PB Teen, Michele Watches, Walmart, Barbour (and this one), and I'm sure I'm forgetting a few. 

Q: What’s your favorite mascara? 
I love L’oreal’s Lash Paradise mascara and haven’t tried anything else since my friend Ellison (whose mascara always looks amazing) introduced me to it over a year ago. 

Q: What are your best productivity tips for school?
Is it nerdy to say that sometimes I miss being a student? When it comes to being productive, I think the best things you can do is to find a place where you know you work well and go there to get your assignments done. Put your phone far away (or on do not disturb) and go at a time when you know you’re focused. Setting yourself up to be productive is essential when you’re hoping to actually get things done, and while I know there are more fun things to be doing than work, eliminating distractions will help you to finish things more efficiently. 

Q: Any dating updates? Do you use dating apps? 
It never fails for me to get multiple questions on this topic for monthly Q&As. I think I addressed it back in this post, but while I do share a lot of my life with y’ all there are some aspects that I don’t feel the need to dive into quite as often. Dating is one of those topics since it involves another person. I’ve mentioned it before, but if you consistently read Step Into My Week posts it probably isn’t too tricky to pick up on when I’ve gone on dates (hint: dinner with a friend when the friend isn’t specified by name is a good tip-off…) I’m not encouraging you to read between the lines in an attempt to make something out of nothing, but I’m also not trying to keep y’ all entirely out of the loop. In general, I am a very private person. Even my parents and friends have to essentially pry information about dates out of me. I have a select few friends who get the full run down and even then, they have to ask questions to get answers, so I promise it’s not just y’ all! 

This summer has been a lot of fun, and I feel like I’ve met some great new people, which is awesome. I’m not saying that I am necessarily going to date any of them, but I have been on some dates. I take a long time to make a decision and am not interested in rushing into something. Right now, I’m more focused on friends and having a good time, so if something happens great and if something doesn’t, that’s also great. I feel lucky to be surrounded by such awesome groups of friends and have been having a blast, especially this summer, so I’m happy to say dating or not I’m very happy with where I’m at. To address the dating app part of the question, no, I am not on any dating apps and haven’t been. I would prefer to meet someone more organically but am not really seeking it out, so I don’t feel the need to be on them, but that’s personal preference. All in all, I am very content with where I’m at!  

Q: Do you find it is easier to work out in the morning or after work?
I find it easier to work out after work only because I get to work at 7:00 and having time to get in a good workout, shower and get ready, and make it to work on time is nearly impossible. I do love that on Friday mornings I don’t have to be at work until 8:00 so I can get in an earlier workout then. I wish I could always get in a workout before work but think that going straight from the office to the gym is a great way to decompress and unwind after being at the office! 

Q: What are your favorite places to shop for cute work, affordable clothes?
I’m all about finding deals on cute clothing, especially those items that are worn to work. I have found the best place to find pieces that fit this bill are Old Navy, H&M, Target, Amazon (specifically this brand), Mango, Tuckernuck (can be a bit pricier but has good sales), and Nordstrom.

Q: Any tips for styling to make an outfit cute but still professional for work?
I’m lucky given that my office’s dress code is pretty casual. I’ve never had to invest in an overly professional wardrobe for a business setting and am not sure if I ever will. There are some days where I dress up more than others and a lot of times I am opting for basic pieces with a fun accessory such as earrings or a silk scarf. I think shoes are another great way to mix things up and love this leopard pair! 

Q: Do you miss teaching?
Nope. 

Q: How do you like your Dapper Desk planner? Would you still recommend it? 
I really like it! It looks more professional than my Day Designer and still has many of the same features. I think I’ll have a hard time choosing between another Dapper Desk or going back to a Day Designer come January but will definitely keep y’ all updated. 

If you ever want to be included in the next month’s version of this Q&A, then be sure to follow along with me on Instagram and stay on the lookout for my question request in my stories. 

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