Category Archives: Inspire

My Top 5 Inspiring Books

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When it comes to  my reading list, I always mix in an inspirational book every now and again. It’s a nice break between a novel or biography for me to learn a little something I can apply to my life. Here are my top 5 recommendations for inspiring reads. Any of these would be great to pick up and read over the holidays to give you a little boost for the new year!

  1. The Joy of Less:
    This book introduced me to the concept of minimalism. I’ve since read many more books on the topic but I will always credit this one as capturing my interest in the subject and encouraging me to clear the clutter.
  2. The Defining Decade:
    I would recommend picking this up if you’re in your early twenties. It emphasizes how important this decade of our lives can be and how you can make sure to make the most of it.
  3. The Happiness Project:
    This book made me realize that by focusing on one goal at a time and breaking it into smaller tasks I can accomplish the things that really matter to me and not get swept up in the busyness of the day to day. Honestly, the author of this book did start to annoy me after some time, but overall the growth I experienced after reading this book was well worth it.
  4. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up:
    There’s been a lot of buzz about this book lately and I’ve already written some of my thoughts in this blog post, but I wanted to mention it again here as it’s one of the most inspiring books I’ve read. I continue to apply lessons from this book to my life everyday.
  5. #GIRLBOSS:
    The main lesson I took from this book is that you really can be successful at something if you put your mind to it and you don’t necessarily have to follow the traditional path to get there. It really inspires you to go after your dreams no matter what your circumstances or experience.

The next few books on my inspiring reads list are: Big Magic, Rising Strong and The Confidence Code.

What are some of your favorite inspiring reads?

Things I’m Loving Lately

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  1. Ballet flats: I got these in nude and love that they dress up any outfit (and also make me feel like a ballerina ;). I ended up getting them in gold too for my wedding shoes!
  2. How to Get Away with Murder: The fiancé and I have been sick the last couple weeks (first me, then him once I finally started getting better) so we started watching this to get through the days spent sick on the couch. I’d never heard of it before so it was a pleasant surprise how good it is!
  3. Styled: Secrets for Arranging Rooms, from Tabletops to Bookshelves: My sister got me this book for my birthday and I’m loving it so far! It’s a fun easy read and has the same humor as Emily Henderson’s blog (which I find very funny). It starts off with a quiz to figure out your design style, and who doesn’t love a good quiz?!
  4. Cuyana laptop sleeve: I’ve had the same laptop sleeve since college so I thought it was time for a more adult upgrade. Cuyana is my go-to brand for any leather accessories and I can’t wait for this to arrive in the mail this week!

Morning Routines

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I’ve always been envious of the people that accomplish about 20 things in the morning before my alarm even goes off for the first time. I’ve been striving to get into a morning routine for a while and although now I no longer wake up with 20 minutes to get ready for work, I still don’t always have the productive mornings I would like. If only my bed was a little less comfortable… Anyways. Here’s what my perfect morning routine would look like to give me some inspiration to make it happen! And if anyone has any good tips on how to wake up earlier, please let me know!

6 am Wake up!
6-6:15 Meditate
6:15-6:50 Drink coffee and blog
6:50-7:20 Yoga/exercise
7:20-8 Shower and get ready for the day
8-8:20 Pack a healthy breakfast and lunch
8:20-8:40 Read or get a few things done around the house
8:40 Go to work!

Seems doable, right? What’s your morning routine?

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35 Ways to Be Inspired

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Sometimes I find I’m in a bit of a slump. Maybe I’m exhausted or stressed or work is crazy and all I want to do is sit on the couch and…. do absolutely nothing. Sound familiar? If so, here are a few ideas of activities that can help get you out of your slump and be inspired:

1. Take a walk

2. Read a magazine you don’t normally read

3. Make a list

4. Talk to a friend you haven’t talked to in a while

5. Read a book

6. Try a new recipe

7. Make a collage

8. Write in a journal

9. Write down short term goals

10. Write down long term goals

11. Give a piece of furniture an update

12. Watch a documentary

13. Discover a new restaurant

14. Listen to a mood playlist on Spotify

15. Go on Pinterest

16. Follow new Instagram accounts

17. Create a morning routine

18. Buy fresh flowers

19. Read blogs

20. Volunteer

21. Plant an herb garden

22. Go somewhere pretty and take pictures

23. Paint your nails a new color

24. Rearrange your room

25. Travel

26. Write a handwritten letter and send it

27. Create a mood board

28. Take a class

29. Clean out your closet

30. Take a bubble bath

31. Paint

32. Try a DIY project

33. Go to a park

34. Refresh your workspace

35. Scrapbook

What do you do to stay inspired?

You may also be interested in:
– My Top 5 Inspiring Books
– How to Relax After a Long Day
– 4 Ways to Stay Motivated at Work

 

Wedding Inspiration: Part 2

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I took a bit of a break from wedding planning for the past couple months since we got so much stuff done right after getting engaged. Now I’m getting back into it full force! I’m starting on some of the decorating and details of everything which is a lot of fun!. Hopefully I can get some more planning out of the way before we have to start the moving process (we finally found a house!). Naturally I’ve been pinning like crazy so I wanted to share some of my inspiration [see my first wedding inspiration post here] : d6cd83fe5e05f91a37d07fb8c489c944

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Summer Reading List

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As summer quickly approaches it seems like all I want to do is find a sunny spot to settle in with a good book! Here are my top 5 must reads on my summer reading list:

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The Silent Sister by Diane Chamberlain- This mystery novel has received great reviews and will be the perfect summer page turner!

“In The Silent Sister, Riley MacPherson has spent her entire life believing that her older sister Lisa committed suicide as a teenager. Now, over twenty years later, her father has passed away and she’s in New Bern, North Carolina cleaning out his house when she finds evidence to the contrary. Lisa is alive. Alive and living under a new identity. But why exactly was she on the run all those years ago, and what secrets are being kept now?”

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The Best Day of Someone Else’s Life by Kerry Reichs- Sometimes you just need a fun chick lit book to indulge in while laying on the beach and this one seems like a perfect choice!

“Eleven weddings in eighteen months would send any sane woman either over the edge or scurrying for the altar. But as reality separates from illusion, Vi learns that letting go of someone else’s story to write your own may be harder than buying the myth, but just might help her make the right choices for herself.”

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Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of our Everyday Lives by Gretchen Rubin – I always like to mix in an inspirational self help book and after reading one of Rubin’s other books, “The Happiness Project” I can’t wait to see what I can learn from this one!

“The author of the blockbuster New York Times bestsellers, The Happiness Project and Happier at Home, tackles the critical question: How do we change? Gretchen Rubin’s answer: through habits. Habits are the invisible architecture of everyday life. It takes work to make a habit, but once that habit is set, we can harness the energy of habits to build happier, stronger, more productive lives.”
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All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr – I’m a bit behind the curve with this one. If you’re like me and haven’t read this yet, you need to add this one to your list right now! This New York Times bestseller seems to be on all the must read lists!

“From the highly acclaimed, multiple award-winning Anthony Doerr, the beautiful, stunningly ambitious instant New York Times bestseller about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II.”

Any other summer reading recommendation?

How to relax after a long day

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Some days (or pretty much every day in my case) you come home from a long day and all you want to do is crawl under the covers and go to sleep. If you don’t actually want to go to bed at 6pm (although I admit this does happen every once in a while!) here are some other ideas of how to unwind after a long day:

– Yoga is one of my favorite ways to trick my body into exercising while also de-stressing and stretching. It feels great after sitting in the same spot all day and helps my body and mind get into relaxation mode. Check out the 30-day yoga challenge for a great place to start!
– Read a magazine about something that interests you, light a candle and put your feet up.  Some of my favorites include Real Simple, Elle, Elle Decor and Domino.
– Drink a cup of tea. Heat up some water and make yourself some chamomile or a nighttime blend of tea.
– Listen to music. When’s the last time you just listened to music and did nothing else?
– Go for a walk around your neighborhood, grab a friend to chat with or go alone to just think and spend some time with nature.
– Take a long bath, maybe bring that magazine, some candles and some good smelling body wash or bath bombs.
– Write lists, a blog, a journal entry, a short story or a poem. Whatever comes naturally.
– Call a friend. Preferably one that will make you laugh and put you in a good mood.
– Reading a book is definitely my go to after a long day!

How do you relax after a long day?

Wedding Inspiration

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Since wedding planning has taken over my life lately, I figured I’d do a post with some of the inspiration I’ve found! Although right now I’m working on getting some of the less fun stuff done (making all the big, important decisions) it’s always nice to take a break and jump on Pinterest to remember the other stuff that’s still to come (and a little more fun)! :)

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Week 3 Challenge: Make your bed

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readingI did a little better this week with reading every day but this whole wedding planning thing is taking a lot more of my time than I imagined. Not that I mind, I just need a few extra hours in my day ;) This week I’m going to keep it simple and attempt to make my bed everyday! I’ve been taught over and over growing up, you should always make your bed, not only because getting into a made bed is much more satisfying than a mess of sheets but also in case of unexpected guests coming to your house. As hard as my parents tried to make it a habit, it never stuck. I know I’m happier when my bed is made, so it’s my next challenge! Join me?