Lifestyle + Personal

ChelsChats: Life & Blog Update, Things in my Shopping Cart, and Low-Carb Eating

It’s the beginning of February and I’m already freaking out about how fast this year is going by. I figured it was time I sat down and did a little life update (for anyone who is curious) and chat about where I’ve been in life and blogging (and shopping, of course.)

Life Updates:

• At the end of November, I was given the opportunity to turn my part-time gig as a corporate recruiting coordinator into a full-time recruiting and office coordinator position. I felt like the opportunity was coming at such a unique time in my life since I was still trying to cope with the fresh and raw pain of our miscarriage and found myself wondering what my next step was. So, I decided to take the offer and I started working full time on January 1st. It’s been a bit of an adjustment for me in regards to scheduling and planning, but all-in-all, it’s been a really good move for me. It’s kept me busy, given me opportunities to grow in my career, and has actually given me more motivation to stay on top of my blog because my time is more limited for working on it.
• We hosted my whole family for Christmas in December and it was even more magical than I could possibly dream it to be. It was EXACTLY what I needed, after everything that we went through in October and November. My parents came out for a whole week and all of my siblings and their spouses came to stay with us. We filled the week with events and memories, including going to see the Utah Symphony perform the soundtrack to Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, seeing the Lights at Temple Square, seeing both Star Wars and Jumanji, eating at Tucanos, and watching a LOT of football. Mom spoiled us by making all of our favorite foods, like monkey bread, egg cups, and coffee cake. Dad treated us to homemade brunch with Texas French Toast on Christmas Eve. We laughed, we cried, and we ate so much food. It was exactly what my soul needed and even though I was sad they all left, I felt so refreshed and ready to take on the new year.

• We FINALLY finished transforming our front living room. It’s the only room in the house that is totally done (at least, in my eyes) and it took a lot of work, but I couldn’t be happier with it. I feel like I somehow achieved the perfect cozy coastal vibes and spend as much time as I can in that space. I’m saving up to finish our Master and my Office next before we tackle our kitchen reno (which won’t happen until next year, let’s be real, because that is EXPENSIVE STUFF!)
• We’re getting our Jeep ready for a long weekend adventure in Moab for President’s Day weekend and we couldn’t be MORE excited! Both of my sisters (and their husbands) are coming with us in their Jeeps and we’ll be spending three days crawling, wheeling, and exploring Southern Utah. It’s been so fun to have a hobby that both Dustin and I enjoy – even though I’m not much help when it comes to fixing the Jeep, I love talking about the different upgrades we’re making and learning how to navigate her over different obstacles.
• Dustin and I have been following a low-carb/keto eating plan for over a month now and I’m LOVING it (about 90%) of the time. I have lost about 7 pounds so far and generally feel really good. It’s definitely an adjustment, but it has been easier than I thought it would be. I’ve found a lot of easy go-to recipes and after discovering fat bombs, I’m convinced that I never have to eat an m&m again. (Actually, that’s a lie, but fat bombs do make it easy to avoid all the temptations.) If you are interested in what we’ve been doing, let me know! I’ll put together some recipes and information.

Currently in my Shopping Cart:

Sweet Dreams are Made of Cheese Sweatshirt – Because literally ALL of my dreams are made of cheese. I love cheese so much. Every Wednesday, Dustin and I pick out some fancy cheese from Whole Foods or Harmons and have a cheese night while catching up on the Bachelor. Last week we tried the most amazing soft cheddar smoked with maple and bacon and it was DI.VINE. So I really think I need this sweatshirt to wear on Wednesdays for fancy cheese night.

Ardell Magnetic Lashes – If you’ve been following the saga on Instagram stories, you’ll know that I have been putting a pair of Magnetic Lashes through EVERY type of test possible. As of now, I think I’m a fan of them – or at least, I like them enough to go back and by the more natural style of them. If you’re interested in how these lashes have been wearing, I saved all my stories under the beauty tab on my Instagram highlights!

Huda Beauty Desert Dusk Eyeshadow Palette – I know, I know, I reallllly don’t need another eyeshadow palette and this one is expensive as all get out. But, it’s SO pretty and Meg O. on the Go did a beautiful look with it the other day and it made me have all the heart eyes for it. I promptly put it in my cart on the Sephora website, where it is sitting until I decide not to spend the money on it or until I have a moment of weakness and hit the checkout button.

Bose SoundLink Around-Ear Wireless Headphones – I’ve been super consistent in making it to the gym at least twice a week (trying to get there 3X) and am currently using a pair of Beats headphones. The wire is driving me INSANE. I really, REALLY want a pair of wireless/Bluetooth headphones for my birthday, but I’m considering buying them myself because I’m not sure if I can wait until the end of March for them. I also don’t think I want Beats because the ones I have hurt my jaw. Strange, I know, but that’s what hurts! This pair was recommended to me and they have great reviews and they aren’t as expensive as Beats. Plus, Bose is a great brand.

Ragnar Upholstered Panel Headboard – Now that we have our front living room finished, I’ve decided that our Master Bedroom is my next project. We’ve already painted one wall. but the other walls could use a new coat of white paint because it’s pretty dirty and dinged up. I also want to replace our headboard with something a little more modern, sleek, and comfortable. It’s been hard to find a headboard that both Dustin and I could agree on, though. He doesn’t like the “girly dots” (aka, nails) and I don’t want to deal with the dust that collects on tufted headboards. I finally found this simple, but modern and classic headboard on Wayfair and I think this is the one we’re going to go with. What do you think?

Blog Updates:

• I decided at the end of 2017 that I would truly truly throw myself back into my blog for the year and give it everything that I could and try to get it back on track. Blogging used to be such a huge source of joy for me, but over the 2017, it felt like a chore and I lost a lot of joy in it. I often wondered what the point was in writing when it felt like no one read it. But, I decided to try to find the joy in my blog again and seriously commit to it for 2018. So, I’ve been working hard behind the scenes, making some things happen in my blog world.
• I signed a year-long contract with my photographer, Sadie (who has become such an amazing friend to me, too!) She’s SUPER talented and we have some amazing projects planned for this year. It’s amazing how much faster photos go with someone on the other end (swatch photos have never been so easy!) It’s forcing me to stay ahead of the game and I already have all of my content for February planned AND photographed.
• I just signed off on the mock-ups for my CUSTOM site redesign! I knew I was at the point where I had to either make a change for my site to take it to the next level or leave it as is and keep it as a hobby. So, I bit the bullet and decided to reach out to a designer and start the process. I cannot wait to unveil the new look for HTC – it’s everything I could ever want and really think it will help me (and others) take my blog seriously as a business.
• I hit my pageview goals I set for April at the end of January and I’m feeling really positive and hopeful about what’s to come this year.
• I launched my first Facebook group a couple weeks ago called the #yearofme. I was really worried that no one would join, but I’ve got almost 50 members already! It’s been so exciting to talk about the different things we’re working on in 2018 and to encourage one another to make changes and chase our goals. If you’re looking for a community of women to cheer you on while you make 2018 the #yearofme, you are welcome to join.

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Okay so, that’s where I’m at in blogging and life and shopping. I’d love to catch up with you – so shoot me an email or a comment or a dm and let me know what’s going on in your life.