HTC Happenings, Updates & Favorites // May
It’s been a while since I just sat down and shared what’s been going on in life and behind the scenes here at Hey There, Chelsie. Today I just wanted to chat about life lately, where my head’s been at in terms of my blog and share some of my favorite reads from the month! Thanks for being a pal and just catching up with me today!
Happenings:
// We’re finally getting used to Dustin’s job and the lifestyle that comes along with it. Although it’s been a huge adjustment to having a husband who is gone from 12-10:30 weekdays and 9-6 on Saturdays, the risks of leaving his other job and coming here is totally paying off. Dustin and I recently paid off ALL of our credit cards (they had crept up on us during our move,) paid off the rest of our car loan, invested almost 1K in the stock market, and built our savings account up to the most it’s ever been. In all three years of our marriage, we have never been this much in the positive and it’s been such a relief to finally feel like we are ahead of ourselves instead of working to make ends meet. I have never seen Dustin work so hard at something and I know that this job is one of the hardest jobs out there, but he’s been putting everything into this job and making our dreams come true. Future house and brand new car, here we come!
// Last Monday I woke up and decided that I was tired of feeling so crummy physically and emotionally in my body and decided to make a change. I had been waking up with headaches for almost two weeks straight and was just feeling so fatigued and wiped out. Chemotherapy did a toll on my immune system and I always struggle with stamina, but the last few weeks were a whole new level. So, I decided in an instant I was going to overhaul my eating habits and do a detox for the week. I wrote out a strict meal plan, went to the store and bought everything I needed and started my week. I mainly focused on cutting out sugary snacks, excess carbs, and sugary drinks and worked on eating more veggies throughout the day and staying more hydrated. By the end of the week, I was feeling AMAZING and had lost 6 pounds! And then….
// I got the cold from Hades and my immune system (which has the capacity of a teaspoon) failed me miserably and I crashed hard. I was so wiped out and miserable and ate a ton of soup, crackers and homemade rolls (thanks, Aubryanne!) We also ate out a ton because I just wasn’t up to cooking, like pizza and hamburgers. I’m still not feeling 100% but I once I am, I’ll be getting back on my healthy eating train!
// Any Bachelorette fans out there? I had some of the ADT wives over on Monday to watch the season premier with me and we ate chocolate cake, chocolate cookies, and chocolate covered mangos and couldn’t believe how many times Chad said “hey” like he was the greatest thing to happen since sliced bread. I already can’t stand him. I know that so many people are already smitten with Jordan, but Dustin actually went to high school with him and doesn’t have very fond memories so…we’ll see how it all plays out. But, JoJo is the perfect Bachelorette and I love having girlfriends to watch it with (and eat lots of fruit covered in sugar.) We can’t wait for the special two-nighter next week!
// Dustin and I officially had an authentic Louisiana experience this last weekend! We went to a Crawfish Boil with some of our good friends here and it was…an experience. Basically, it’s 2 pounds of crawfish, a 1/2 pound of shrimp, potatoes, corn, mushrooms all boiled with cajun spices and served in a big bowl. The tables have trashcans built into the middle of the table so you can just dump the crawfish into them when you’re done peeling and eating them. I’m not going to lie, it was a little creepy having a huge bowl of dead crawfish and then having to crack them open, but it was a definitely an experience.
// I recently discovered bullet journaling and finally feel like my organizational problems have been resolved. I’m still working on mine, but can’t wait to share it with you all soon!
Hey There, Chelsie Blog Updates:
I’ve already written several posts about how I’ve been struggling with my blog recently. I know that my move out to LA forced me to go on a huge two-week unplanned blogging break and ever since then, it has been a struggle to find a new blogging groove.
I went through an identity crisis soon after where I was trying to get back to my roots in blogging and not worry so much about the numbers or comparing myself to other successful bloggers. After launching my free blogging eCourse and doing a mentorship program for a couple of months, I realized that blogging about blogging was wearing me down. As much as I love sharing all my tips and tricks about blogging, I didn’t want to lose sight of writing about the things that I truly love, like beauty & style. I felt like I had cornered myself into a niche and was stressing myself out about not writing posts that fit it or were informative enough for my audience. I forgot that Lifestyle Blogs matter and totally lost my motivation.
After working through all those feelings, I still felt like I had a bit of an identity crisis with my blog. I wanted to bring it back to my roots and start to get a bit more personal again with some of my posts. After all, there is a human being behind this screen! But I kept questioning if what I had to say was important enough for others to read or if it even mattered. I finally decided that if I can help one person out there find a new favorite beauty product or be inspired to try something new, then it’s worth it!
So, it’s off to the races again. I’ve got a long list of post ideas that I want to write and share and I’m finally feeling motivated and inspired again. Also, I have decided to move forward and start a YouTube channel this next month! So, thanks for hanging in there and thanks for all the encouragement!
HTC Recent Reads:
// Top 10 Beauty Products under 10 Dollars
// Makeup Spending Freeze Update & Project Pan
// 7 Things I’m Taking Back from Arthritis
// 6 Reasons Why I Follow you on Instagram
// Worth the Hype? Too Faced Peanut Butter & Jelly Palette
Favorite Reads from my Blogging Community:
Why It’s Important to Care about your Personal Style // It’s Autumn “It’s important to care about your personal style because it has the power to make you a better person.”
What Do I Have to Say & Other Blog Identity Dilemmas // Oddly Lovely “Asking questions like, “what do I really have to say,” is not only inevitable, but forces me to try and answer that question, making my blog stronger for it.”
My Favorite Photo & Video Gear for Blogging & Youtube // Meg O on the Go “I want the experience on my blog and social media to be as professional as possible. I am really into getting the best gear for the price.”
The Best Cheap Face Masks // Making Mrs. M “None of these masks are over $12, either… #winning.”
Blogger to Blogger Etiquette // Coffee with Summer “While sure, there may be no set “rules” to blogging, there are a few set courtesies that everyone should already know.”
So, that’s where I’m at in life & in blogging. May has been a month of finding some balance between our new lifestyle, Dustin’s job, my feelings about my blog and my health. I’m excited to get back into the swing of things and can’t wait to see what June holds!
How’s life been like for you in May? Let me know below so we can catch up! 🙂
