How to Have Better Mornings

I am not and will never be a morning person. Unfortunately, every day that alarm goes off in the morning and I have to get out of bed. Why is it that our bed becomes like a soft cloud in the morning making it impossible to get out of it when that morning alarm goes off? I hate getting out of bed in the morning, but I also know that I don’t work well being rushed in the morning so I like to give myself at least an hour before I leave the house in the morning.

Here are some ways I have better mornings….

  • Eat Breakfast Even if it is a cup of coffee and some fruit, I need to eat something before I start the day. I will sit at my vanity and scroll on Instagram while I do my makeup. But taking a little time out of my morning for some me time allows me to wake up at a slow pace.
  • Make A To Do List The worst thing is going to bed at night and feeling like you have accomplished nothing. While I eat my breakfast, I make to do lists of things I want to complete that day. It gives me purpose, helps me plan out my day and it feels so good at night crossing things off my list.
  • Look At Your Planner To See The Day/Week Ahead How many times do we forget someone’s birthday, forget about that hair appointment we scheduled a month ago, or you look like a slob at work the day you have an important meeting. It is a good idea to at least peak at your planner before you leave the house to see what you have that day. I keep mine in my car and look at it before I go into the house at night and before I head to work in the morning.
  • Having an Organized Closet I would not be able to get out of the house on time if I did not have an organized closet. I know people roll their eyes and laugh at how organized my bedroom and closet are. But I know that I can wake up and put an outfit together because I know where everything is in my bedroom. I know I will never be late for work because I couldn’t find my other shoe!
  • Wake Up To A Clean Kitchen Before I go to bed every night, I clean my kitchen, start my dishwasher, and pick out a cute coffee mug and a K Cup ready for the next day. Again, one of those silly things overlooked, but waking up to a clean house allows me to easily get ready and get out of the house one time.
  • Start Your Week With A Fridge Full of Food I will stand in front of my fridge and open and close it hoping that new food will appear. It never does, but those weeks I don’t go food shopping ruin my morning. I have nothing to pack for lunch and only have a cup of coffee for breakfast. I like to buy food that are pre-made meals so I can grab and go.
  • Sleep! Set that alarm on your phone that tells you to go to bed and actually go to bed at a normal hour. Your morning and day will be ruined if you are tired all day.

Hello, August

For me, once July is over I feel like summer ends with it. The Fourth of July feels like forever ago, but this month seemed to fly by. With fall hovering around the corner….Bath & Body Works has their fall candles out and the Nordstrom sale full of fall clothes are now in our closets…

The last few days have been chilly and I am not okay with leaving this hot weather. I want to soak up all of these sunny days we have left. I have bathing suits in my drawer that have not been worn yet and plenty of beach days I still need to enjoy. There is still plenty of summer to be had, but here are some of my favorite things from July.

  1. DSW
    I haven’t bought new shoes in months, but lately I have been buying new shoes every week. This habit definitely needs to stop, but it is so hard to talk myself out of buying new shoes when they are so affordable. This month I bought these, these and these. AND because I signed up for the rewards, I was able to use my points to get $30 off of these.DSW Shoes
  2. Lancome Mascara
    When I graduated from college, one of my goals was to invest in higher end makeup. For years I bought the $5 mascara from the drugstore, but once I started to use Lancome mascara I quickly learned I could never go back to drugstore mascara. Every year I pick up a new Lancome mascara to try, but got super excited when Influenster sent me the new Monsieur Big Mascara for free for testing purposes. This one is my new favorite.
    Lancome Monsieur Big.jpg
  3. Skincare
    In the summer months I like to spend more time on my skincare routine because that sun, sweat and off the shoulder tops really take a toll on the skin! I have been using my Olay body wash and a loofah everyday to make sure my skin stays soft. img_7366
  4. Netflix
    This month I finished watching the series Salem and I am catching up on Season 3 of Madame Secretary right now. I love watching an episode while I clean my room or wind down from the day before bed.Netflix_Logo_Print_FourColorCMYK
  5. End of Summer Season Sales
    Around this time, most stores start emptying their stores to make room for fall. Crazy, right?? I shared my J. Crew favorites here and my J. Crew Factory favorites earlier this month. Hurry and stock up on some cute things. img_7391

friday favorites

It has been a while since I wrote about my favorite things on the blog. While it is a great way for my readers to know about the best sales, some items I have purchased or a round up of my outfits that week, I also like to use this post to reflect on my life lately. The past few years I have tried to find beauty in the ordinary, and my weekly favorites post is a great way to remind myself of all of the beauty around me.

Work Favorites

img_7300Some friends from college wanted to come visit me and at first I said I couldn’t because I had work. I decided that work needed to come second and I needed to take some time out of my day to spend with my friends. As much as I got anxious about working a long day and then spending all of my free time with my friends that I usually spend sleeping, I realized that I need some girl time. After working a 9 hour day, my girlfriends and I headed off to a bar near me and we were out until 1am. I was exhausted, but I was happy to spend some time with the girls. A gentle reminder to make time for the people around you even if you have to be a walking zombie at work the next day.

What I’m Watching on Netflix

Salem

What I’m Wearing

You can shop all of these outfits here or by going to the Shop My Instagram tab on the blog!

Products I Love

favorite products

 

This Week on the Blog

add some sunshine to your closet with the J. Crew clearance sale

Beauty Favorites

J. Crew Factory Sales & Deals

J. Crew Factory Sale

Shop My Instagram

the perfect wear with anything shoe

As you go through life you’ll see there is so much that we don’t understand. And the only thing we know is things don’t always go the way we planned

getting that summer glow with Olay

 

add some sunshine to your closet with the J. Crew clearance sale

j. crew outfit

 

Do I have enough J. Crew in my closet to last a lifetime? Absolutely! But when the end of summer clearance is another 50% off, it is impossible not to browse! I picked up three items from my local J. Crew the other day and wore them that night. This yellow neck tie top was actually featured on the front of a J. Crew catalog. At first, I didn’t like that it was yellow. But the more I looked at it, the more I loved it! I wore it with navy blue scalloped shorts when we went out to eat with the family. The perfect and easy summer outfit! Everyone kept commenting on how dressed up I was, but that is what happens when you invest in good quality clothes. You always look put together! You can shop my full outfit here from the other night.
This tan color cardigan is also on major sale. It was around $25 and the perfect cardigan to wear to work for all seasons. If you ever see a J. Crew cardigan, buy it immediately. They are the closet classics that you need!
I have this side bow top in blue that I purchased a few weeks ago from J. Crew. I could only find the white version online, but in stores I found a yellow one and I knew I needed another one. This yellow top would look great for a casual look or with navy work pants. It is a shirt I will have my in my closet for years and will never go out of style. It is a great way to be girly but still be office appropriate. img_7273
If you haven’t shopped the J. Crew clearance sale yet, what are you waiting for?? Let me know what you pick up in the comments below.

J. Crew Factory Sales & Deals

Find all of my J. Crew Factory sales & deals HERE.

There are some sales too good not to share! Keep coming back to this page to get weekly updates about what is on sale at J. Crew Factory.