Weekly Finds // 12

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1. Check out these 5 essential oils that are pretty essential to your life. Heh, puns.
2. Lend small business owners around the world a small amount of $25 to help them achieve their goals!
3. Having a case of the January blues? Try these tips to stay positive during the gloom.
4. Feeling stuck and totally drained of all inspiration? Check out Inspiyr. It's literally so uplifting.
5. I found this all-natural alternative for petroleum jelly called Waxelene. It seriously sounds so worth the investment!
6. Why you should be using Greek olive oil...
7. I really wouldn't mind if someone got me this matcha set. I've been dying to try some matcha and quite frankly there's no Starbucks near us (I'm not even sure if Starbucks does matcha). Although I could go to Teavana.

I'm Rebranding My Blog!

Hey there, everyone. So as you may notice, my blog is looking a bit rough right now. This is because I'm totally rebranding my whole site! There's a few things I'd really like to change.

VISUALS
So my visuals have been so weird and wacky since the very beginning. I haven't had a clear idea on how I want my images to look in my blog posts and the layout has most definitely been extremely inconsistent. Not a fan, right? Right. It looks messy and doesn't really go with the aesthetic that I'm aiming for. I will be changing the layout of the blog posts, which in turn will make me come up with a new color palette to work from. Also my header image needs work. I like it...but I don't, if you know what I mean. It looks good, just not what I'm wanting.

PLATFORM
Guys. And gals, of course. Blogger has been so friendly and it's super easy to use. BUT. It's really not cutting it anymore. Like sure, I could find themes that would look better, but I would still have the lack of plugins and still be wasting soooooo much time trying to find different codes for different things that Wordpress plugins can easily add into my coding. Like the Jetpack plugin for Wordpress? It does nearly everything, omg. I gonna test out Squarespace with the free trial and see if I can get a feel for it, but I have a feeling I'll ultimately be transferring to Wordpress (self-hosted, obviously). I'm not really worried about SEO because my whole entire blog topic is so freaking vague and I will never reach the top result on Google, let's be real here. Wordpress just seems so much easier. One drawback -- money. It's gonna take me at least 3-4 months at the very least to get transferred and set up properly. I can easily buy the hosting, no problem. But I will have to buy the Genesis Framework with one check and a child theme with another. And my fiance gets paid biweekly, and every other check goes to bills, so yeah. First check, Bluehost. Then I have to wait four more weeks to buy the framework, then four more weeks to buy the child theme. So that's at least three months, guys. Not to mention actually transferring the posts over and trying to match everything up to brand it with how I'm rebranding.

CONTENT
Okay this one is tricky. This one is actually the super hard one. Like mega hard. Extremely hard. Since the aim isn't so clear at this point, I'd like to let you know what my blog's about. My content is supposed to represent incorporating nature into everyday living. No this isn't saying you have to be vegan or eat only plants and use only essential oils for healing. Those things are great! But, that's not what I'm about. I'm about incorporating the tiniest amount of nature into something each day, even if it's opening a window and breathing fresh air to calm down from a screaming child. That's my whole point. Or even taking pictures of a blade of grass as you grow as a photographer. How about using a pomegranate for red/pink and a blueberry for blue/purple watercolor painting for your child instead of using toxic paints? Anything to help incorporate nature. Why? Because without nature, we literally wouldn't exist. We'd have no food, no air, no water, and so on. I wanna incorporate that into the simple things in life. Point is, my content has been nowhere near clear. I also plan on being a bit more organized with my Weekly Finds posts. I mean, they are supposed to be random, but I'd still like to keep it somewhat general to the focus of my blog if I can.

Keep in mind, the completion of this rebrand won't be done for a few months at the least, so bear with the lack of posts. I'll be posting once a week at least. Along the way, feel free to leave comments with feedback below - opinions, advice, or general chat.

Weekly Finds // 11

*This post contains affiliate links. I will be compensated for any purchase made after clicking the link.

I am so sorry that I skipped last week's finds. I've been extremely busy with my Business of Photography class, webinars, extra credit programs, and simply just trying to get everything together. I'm also working on rebranding, so it's been a struggle juggling it all. But anyways, here are some things I found this week!

1. This vegan matcha smoothie sounds so healthy and delicious!
2. Kick stress in the butt this way after trying that smoothie.
3. Here's some ways to get motivated in the morning. I know I have trouble with it so bad.
4. Have a small kitchen? Here's the essentials.
5. Join Regina's free branding course. It's literally epic.
6. Okay guys, I seriously hate what MTV has turned into since the 90s, but if you haven't given The Shannara Chronicles a chance, you're missing out. It's got Elves, guys. I mean, c'mon.
7. Want tomorrow to be awesome?! Try these relaxing bedtime routines. Make it a habit!
8. Lastly, and seriously, go buy Jordanna's Passion Project E-Book*. It's seriously a lifesaver if you're trying to come up with creative content.

Weekly Finds // 10

1. I absolutely love, love, love AirBnB.com when it comes to finding places to stay for traveling. I never get to travel because the lack of money, but looking at the places can be super inspirational for when I plan later down the road. Here's their top places to stay.
2. This blog right here. 'Nuff said.
3. Wanna earn extra money? This is a way to do it creatively.
4. Enjoy some music while sipping some of your favorite tea!
5. Here's some housework you can hire others to do for you, if you're not up for getting down and dirty.
6. I'm seriously thinking about rebranding and coming up with a better content focus while still staying nature-based. If I do, I'm totally using this template. It's seriously spectacularly gorgeous!
7. Here are some really good photography tips. You can never go wrong with them, seriously.
8. If you follow along with  my Weekly Finds posts, then you most definitely know that I absolutely adore Half Baked Harvest. So here you go, have this amazing post on healthy yummy smoothies. The matcha one sounds so heavenly!

Weekly Finds // 09

1. Having a hard time coming up with your own resolutions this year? Try these ones.
2. I hate cauliflower, but this roasted cauliflower and quinoa salad looks pretty damn yummy (and healthy!)
3. I'm a huge fan of Baby Einstein, and my absolute favorite is Baby Monet because the puppets are adorable and it teaches your little ones about the seasons while using art as the key.
4. I am a pizza lover. I always have been. So have this yeast-free gluten-free pizza recipe.
5. I'm dying for a mini zen garden. I could use some serenity im my life right about now.
6. I want one of each color! Mugs are the best.
7. Here are some New Year's traditions that are from around the globe!
8. Have the Wonder Forest's best blogging tips of 2015!
9. Looking to start 2016 with an oriental meal? Try this Vietnamese noodle soup!

My 2016 New Year's Goals

Get more motivated

I'm gonna get real with this post. Very real. I've always been a sort of lazy, sluggish person until this year. I've been motivated time to time, but on average, I used to sit at my laptop and play games and deal with social media all the time. Then I got pregnant, and of course I knew I had to grow up. Since then, I've definitely improved, but not as much as I'd like. I don't get near as much done as some of my friends that have kids. I have one friend who I graduated high school with that has two kids, a dog, does the grocery shopping, cleans every day, maintains perfect hygiene, and still has the time to parent her kids perfectly, all while her husband is at work. I can barely go to the bathroom without screaming. I mean, of course, having a little one is going to impact you, but I feel like I should be doing more than I do. And this also comes along with the environment I live in. Everyone is negative, there's no natural lighting hardly, no room for anything, and that's just a few of the stronger points. In the new year, I'd like to become more motivated, whatever it takes.

- Related Post: New Feature Series: Small Changes -

Get my blog more organized
This one is easier. Well, sort of. I can easily organize my blog more, but it's the aesthetic I'm worried about. I want to keep my blog branded properly while maintaining organization and that in itself, can be a bit difficult. If you look at my blog now, I'd say it's pretty organized, but there's something just not right with it, besides the lack of many things. What is there isn't quite my cup of tea and I'd like to improve upon this in the new year.

Spend more quality time with my family
This one really is a personal one. A very personal one. I'm a beginner at blogging, and I'm a student in an online art school. So while maintaining those two alone, it can be busy. But I also have a fiance and a gorgeous baby boy that need tending to. I can't neglect them just because of blogging and school. But I also want to blog because it's an outlet and I've come across so many inspirational people. And school...I can't just drop out. It's something I need to stick to. What the real problem is though, is that when I do have time to play with the baby, it's not like I should. Because of all the things I juggle, the baby hasn't had tummy time like he should (don't worry he's not behind - he can roll onto his back and push his arms, just not straight up yet). I do play with him, but I see other parent bloggers that show their family time and I'm nowhere even close to fulfilling that amount or activities, and this bothers me.

Plan things out
This one's really pretty simple and straightforward. I'm unorganized. In this house, it's almost impossible to be organized. That said, I hope to find a way in the new year to stay a bit more organized, with everything. Bills. Medical records. Blogging. School assignments. Doctor appointments. Literally everything. I have a purse calendar and a wall calendar. The purse calendar keeps track of my weekly posts, but that's about it. I need to schedule and plan out ALL of my posts. My wall calendar only keeps track of holidays, doctor appointments, and school assignments - and sometimes birthdays. It's not big enough to keep track of everything though. I'd like to buy this bulletin board to keep things organized, but with how old the house is, it won't nail into the wall properly.

Eat healthier
This one probably won't happen until we move out because there are people in the house that eat literally everything. That said, I only eat maybe twice a day on the average day. I eat best at holidays, but on normal, regular days, I eat something a few hours after I wake up and dinner. That's literally all I can find to eat is for two small meals.

Graduate successfully
My estimated graduation for my Associates Degree in Photography is in the Fall of 2016. Let's hope for this to happen with great grades and hopefully I can get recommendations upon graduation. I also currently have a GPA of 3.6, but would like to get it back up to a 4.0 by then.

Get our own car and/or home
We. Need. A. Car. This is so important. Obviously we need to get enough money first to get the car, but with a 5 month old baby, we need a car. A new home would be nice because of so many personal reasons along with the things I mentioned in my first goal.

Start getting my career going
Once I graduate in the Fall, I'm hoping to get my pictures into galleries and stock photo websites. I'd like to also sell prints via Etsy. I'd like to make my photos into pillow cases and other novelties as well.

Declutter everything
When I say everything, I mean everything. I need to get rid of sooooo many clothes. Not just the ones that are too small but the ones that I no longer like. I have clothes from when I was 18 that I technically still fit into. I'd also like to define a minimalist style for myself and keep any clothes that fit that style as well as buy clothes that will add to it, while getting rid of everything else for the most part. I also need to clean the whole house that has any part of my own things in it. I need to go through everything and get rid of what I don't need. Same with my storage unit. I'd like to get to where I don't need a storage unit.

Make money and spend it
Lastly, I need money. Like I need it. Badly. My fiance has a job, but it's minimum wage and almost always less than 30 hours a week. That's partially why I looked into blogging. I know I won't make money right away. I'm much too amateur for it still, but over the next year I hope to gain experience enough to join bloggers to be able to make a career out of my photography and make money that way. Then once we can get a few extra bucks, I'd love to buy clothes for my little man to dress him up so adorably! It would be so cute to have him in minimalist clothing as well.

What are your New Year's Goals for 2016?

Leave your goals below!

Small Changes: Browser Background

If you don't know yet, I'm starting a Small Changes series about how to get my behind motivated. The first thing I changed, almost immediately, was my Chrome background theme. I mean, c'mon, there's a huge difference here.

The PROBLEM:

First of all, I love doctor who. So at one point I thought, "Why not just get a 'who' theme? It will literally make me so much happier!" Well, it did for awhile, but since I've started my blogging, it's not the most motivational. While it holds tons of contrast, it's also very dark. I already live in a dark home with minimal sunlight (trust me, this isn't my choice), so the last thing I need is to add more darkness on top of that. What also really bothered me is that I couldn't see darker favicons because they blended in with the tabs. You also can hardly see the close button for each tab with this theme and sometimes I'd prefer to close a tab I know I'm not going to be looking at, rather than accidentally clicking on the whole tab and switching over.

THE SOLUTION:

Notice how much brighter the marble theme is? It may not hold the contrast that the doctor who theme holds, but for me, the brightness keeps me a tad bit more awake and motivated than before. Brightness just all around gets me in a happier, more uplifted mood, so this is just a small step to take to get things going in the right direction. Not to mention that the favicons and close buttons are very easy to see with this theme.

Next I need to work on cleaning up the tabs and stop opening so many!

Do you think this is a good first step for a blogger to get inspired?

Share your thoughts int he comments below.

Weekly Finds // 08

*This posts contains affiliate links. If you decide to make a purchase after clinking the link, I will be compensated.

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday-filled week, regardless of which holidays you celebrate. It's been hectic for me this week. I hope everyone else has had it pretty calm. I'm also sooooo sorry that there's more in this list than usual. (not really, honestly). I just couldn't help myself! There were soooo many finds this week that I couldn't leave out.

1. I am seriously wanting this cookbook* so bad. Not only do the recipes sound absolutely delicious but the whole thing is just so aesthetically pleasing to the eyes.
2. Speaking of cookbooks, here's another one that even Elijah Wood recommends*. If an actor that portrays a hobbit recommends something, you know it's damn-near irresistible. (but I mean, let's be real here, look at the name of the book...it was totally written for hobbits)
3. If you read my about page and my Small Changes introduction, then you know how badly I want a house with white walls. This post is the most inspirational one I've seen so far about simple white living.
4. I'm literally a mushroom fanatic. These sausage-stuffed mushrooms look so heavenly!
5. I found the cutest baby clothing at this site I came across. (I believe I found it through Bleubird, but I can't remember for sure)
6. Christmas may be over, but Winter has just begun. Here's an article on how to beat the Winter blues.
7. I've been holding on to this one for awhile, but it's so worth sharing. It's an article on the best VSCO Cam filters, though I personally only use a6, f1, and f2.
8. So now that Christmas is over, you can enjoy New Year's Eve/Day with this gluten-free rum cake! Know what would go good with it? Wine. Or rum. Or in my case, Welch's Sparkling White Grape Juice. (I'm literally not anti-alcohol, just a tradition since I was little and it's stuck with me)
9. I'm dying to try this gingerbread latte.
10. And this veggie soup, omg.

What was your favorite find this week?

Share something you came across in the comments below.

Weekly Finds // 07

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1. I came across this super adorable + inspirational southern recipe blog. Seriously the colors and pictures are so pretty and consistent.
2. More Lord of the Rings Online stuff - YULE FESTIVAL IS HERE!
3. Payless has a Christmas sale going on - go get them shoes, girls!
4. I absolutely adore this backpack!
5. If only I had an iPhone, I'd get this marble case.
6. According to my dad, when I was little I watched TMNT over and over. I don't remember this but my little one loves the new series on Nickelodeon, so in a year or two, these ornaments may be worth making.
7. Minted has some really pretty New Year's cards. Definitely thinking about buying some.

New Feature Series: Small Changes

If you've read my about page, then you know I don't have the easiest, or most luxurious, life. I struggle to stay motivated because of the lack of room in this house, the darkness from not having many windows, the clutter with nowhere to put it; the list goes on. I'm just not motivated. I see these bloggers that have everything. They have room for their lighting kits to make wonderful images for their posts. They have iPhones that can hold every app needed to run their blog. They have money to buy the cutest minimalist clothing for their kids. I want to live like that. I want to at least be able to bring in income where I can improve my blog. I love simplicity, but I feel like there's so much missing because of money limitations. But you have to start somewhere. I know that it's not a great idea to compare yourself to bloggers that have been at it for awhile, but a few examples of how I'd like to improve on everything (not just blogging) include Bleubird, Going Home to Roost, and House of Muses. I'm inspired by many more blogs, but these are just a few. The point is, I'm starting to make these small changes to improve my blog as well as my life. As I improve on things, there will be a post to go with it explaining what change is made and how it makes things better. So buckle up and get prepared for the small things in life that can easily be improved.

Weekly Finds // 06

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1. You wouldn't want to be stuck at these three airports this winter.
2. This tree spinning top set would be the perfect stocking stuffer.
3. I'd love to have this font for making Christmas cards and tags.
4. I've never heard of an iced matcha before (in fact, I'm just now currently learning about matcha).
5. If you play Lord of the Rings Online, you can get a free sturdy steel key to open any one lootbox until Thursday (12/17). {Trust me this is worth mentioning!}
6. This zodiac shirt is perfect for lounging around.
7. I absolutely adore this fabric pattern. Cacti are one of my favorite types of plants!

Let me know in the comments below if there's a find that you'd like me to feature!

Weekly Finds // 05

1. These bathrooms found on instagram are absolutely gorgeous.
2. This rustic wedding ring is absolutely perfect for you outdoorsy women!
3. Looking for portrait locations outdoors? Here is an article about the easiest way to find those locations.
4. This war on wolves in Idaho is getting really ridiculous. This page also has a call to action.
5. These eggnog scented sugar cookies sound amazing.
6. The interactive multiplayer online game of Lord of the Rings (not a recent find, but had to share!)
7. This list of jobs you can do from home without using a phone seems very useful.

A Sale for Creatives That You Won't Want to Miss!

This post contains affiliate links. When you make a purchase from clicking on my link, I will get compensation from your purchase.

I absolutely love when I find a good sale, especially when it can help in so many ways. If you're a designer, or even a blogger with only a hint of design on your blog, you've probably heard of Creative Market. If not, let me fill you in. Creative Market is pretty much, in my opinion of course, the #1 place to go for all your designing needs. They have stock photos, vectors, psd's, overlays, lightroom presets, photoshop actions, fonts, and literally so much more. You can buy things as low as $2! How great is that!? There are usually bundles that can even be as low as $40 for over 100 pictures/presets/actions/etc. I mean it's really great! But to the sale. Until Monday (12/7/2015), select items are 30% off. That's actually pretty decent if you're looking at the more expensive items.  

LOOKING FOR STYLED STOCK PHOTOS?

Styled stock photos are definitely the way to go when blogging, especially if you aren't photography-savvy. These styled photos can help in so many ways. You can spice up your blog posts by using images that go with your branding by including text, designs, photos, and more on these premade images. They are so helpful and on Creative Market, many times they pop up in the Free Goods of the week. May favorite from the sale is this one from White Heart Design Co. It's super stylish and great for practically any season, in my opinion.

MAYBE SOME FONTS?

Fonts can help you out like you wouldn't believe! (Re)Branding your blog? Making a graphic? Making holiday cards/tags? The list is infinite on what you could use fonts for. Fonts are almost always on the weekly Free Goods on Creative Market and so you should grab it while it's there! There's actually many fonts in this sale, but why not try this super fancy one by mycandythemes?

OR SOME GRAPHICS?

These can be used for literally anything. I mean anything. Cards, logos, branding, calendars, you name it. I mean I can't even make this a long paragraph because of how many things you can do with graphics. But I can show you my favorite graphic set in this sale! It's by Glanz there on Creative Market, and the amount of graphics in this really cheap set are outstanding! It's a holiday collection -- just in time for the winter holidays!

I just seriously cannot believe some of the things they have in this sale. It's so worth checking out, so check out it here now!

Weekly Finds // 04

I found these things pretty fascinating this week!

1. Want to keep your home pretty during the cold months? Here is how to decorate with succulents.
2. Maybe #1 can contribute to making your blog/work space pinnable!
3. What better way to enjoy your day and newly organized succulent work space with some brewed tea from Teapigs?!
4. These beautiful Thanksgiving recipes sounds so worth trying next year!
5. Not getting enough sleep? Try these tips.
6. Looking to make a boarded background for your photography? Here's a tutorial on how to break down a pallet.
7. How to make a watercolor camo design.

Are You Spending Thanksgiving Alone This Year?

image from unsplash

Many times, there are reasons why a person could be alone on a holiday. They could be a newly adjusting adult moving into their own apartment, their family could be out of town while they are stuck working, the reasons are endless really. Or perhaps, you're even celebrating with one other person. But you don't wanna go buy a huge turkey just for one or two people, right? These following recipes I found are perfect for a small Thanksgiving meal.

1. Chipotle Dijon Turkey Meatballs
2. Crockpot French Onion Soup with Cheesy French Toast -- paired with the meatballs, this would be even better!
3. Herbed Sweet Potato Mash -- this would make a small and light, but savoury side dish.
4. Caramelized Condensed Milk Mini Apple Pies -- these are perfect bite-sized desserts for you and your partner (or just you if you're alone...or an apple pie fan. just don't let your partner know you made them) ;)
5. And to top it all off, why not have a Coconut Pumpkin Spice Latte to settle in the food.