Wednesdays are always hard days for me. There’s something about them being smack dab in the middle of the week that I dislike them more than Mondays. I always try to make them a bit more relaxing than other days in order to keep me going until the end of the week. So here are five things to do today that can help you feel refreshed and ready to take on the rest of the week.
- Take time away from the screen. This is a really hard thing for a lot of people to do, especially if you have a computer/internet related job like I do. But getting away from screens for even just an hour can really help reset your focus.
- Put on some makeup. Not only is it great to have a little “me” time and take it slow putting on some makeup, there’s always something so confident-boosting about the whole process. My motto is “stressed, but well dressed” and makeup definitely makes that a truth.
- Organize something or clean up a space you spend a lot of time in. Having a clean living area can really boost your mood. Nothing is worse than coming home to a stack of dirty dishes or a kitchen table you can’t see under bills.
- Learn something new about a topic you’re interested in. Lately Alex and I have been watching a lot of design videos and learning more about the software we use on a daily basis. Learning new things just feels good.
- Make a list and get back on track for the rest of the week. I always tend to drift by Wednesday and a to do list makes it that much easier to focus and remember what I wanted to accomplish.
xoxo Kayla
After wrapping up our first pottery class last week, I couldn’t help but get a little nostalgic and think back on the entire process. It was loads of fun and definitely something we would do again. It was a ten week course for three hours every Saturday. We improved leaps and bounds by the last class, but my favorite part might just be what I learned about Alex and our relationship in the process.
- We work very differently, something I already knew quite well, but we worked very great together despite that. He was a very messy, all over the place kind of worker, but produced a lot of beautiful pieces quite quickly. I was all about precision and taking my time, which made me a great glazer to take all of our pieces to a great finished form.
- Our styles compliment each other in ways I never noticed before. Every single piece he created I loved and wanted to immediately keep for myself. He couldn’t get enough of all the bowls I was making. We created very different things but they worked so well together.
- Alex works incredibly hard to become good at something if at first it doesn’t really click. We found out a few classes in that Alex actually throws left-handed, but until that discovery moment he struggled along trying to throw right-handed. He kept working at it and didn’t get frustrated when it wasn’t going his way.
- We can be at different skill levels and it doesn’t affect anything. Because Alex had such a hard time starting out, I became better than him at the start. He didn’t pout and I didn’t boast. We encouraged each other to push ourselves without carrying who’s better or worse.
- We are a good team regardless of what we think sometimes. We rarely work together during the week days since we have such a different work style, but when we do work together, our two personalities really shine as one cohesive unit.
Beyond the fact that I loved getting out of the apartment for a few set hours each week, I really enjoyed watching Alex’s process and spending some time with him. Relationships are definitely ever-changing creatures, but I’m happy to say pottery definitely taught me a thing or two about mine.
xoxo Kayla
There’s just something about the evening that I can’t get enough of. I love the feeling of winding down and getting ready for a nice night of sleep. Everything feels cozy and warm. Yet the evening is an important time to bring in some good habits to make sure you’re getting the most out of the time right before bed.
- Read something. Anything really. Whether it’s a comic book or an article in a magazine, let yourself relax with something that isn’t technology based.
- Pamper yourself with a good skincare routine that also helps heal your skin throughout the night. Use an overnight mask that works while you sleep to make your skin look so much healthier and brighter in the morning.
- Give yourself 30 minutes without technology before heading to bed. This would be an awesome time to read and give your brain a break.
- Tidy up your place so when you wake up in the morning you aren’t faced with dirty dishes or a messy living room. Taking a few minutes to pick up can really improve your mood and make it easier to fall asleep.
- Keep a gratitude journal or at the very least reflect on the day that you’ve had. Thinking of all the positive things that happened can really improve your mood as you head to sleep and it’s always good to be thankful!
Now go cozy up with a good book and get into the habit of having an amazing evening, every evening.
xoxo Kayla
I’m definitely an on and off again morning person. I can go months with waking up super early and then suddenly can barely pull myself out of bed at a normal hour. I’ve found that these five morning habits help make every morning a good one and ultimately make me more productive throughout the day.
- Don’t start the day with social media, or checking your phone. Give yourself some time to wake up before diving straight into the internet/work load for the day. Bombarding yourself with so much information so early could easily start your day off on the wrong foot.
- Practice a morning skincare routine, even if it’s just a few steps. You’ll not only end up looking more awake, but you’ll feel better knowing your skin is clean and not starting the day of gunked up with makeup from the day before.
- Eat something for breakfast, even if it’s just something small. Starting your day off with a bit of food jump starts your metabolism and keeps you from becoming hangry.
- Drink a glass of water. Seriously.
- Give yourself time and don’t wake up with just enough minutes to rush through your morning routine and fly out the door. Even waking up just 15 minutes earlier can make a huge difference. If you start your day off calm, chances are the rest of the day will follow similarly. Why not try to give yourself the best possible advantage?
Mornings get a bad rep, but they can be great quiet times to reflect, focus, and prepare for the day. These five steps are just a few of the really easy ways to make your mornings start off better and get you in the perfect position to have an amazing day.
xoxo Kayla
So I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. This idea of “doing your own thing.” With a world that’s constantly connected it’s so easy to get swept up in the flurry of trying to keep up with the Joneses. Everyone and their brother is opening an Etsy shop selling stickers these days. I was definitely not the first and I’m sure dozens are still to follow. Is that a bad thing? I’m not sure. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t worrisome as we try to make a living off of an ever saturated market. We take a risk every day and whatever consequences that come with it are ours to bear. But beyond the economical implications I keep wondering if I’m just one of the herd and how to do my own thing and stay true to myself when everyone else has the same idea.
I know I’m just rambling really, but is it even possible to do your own thing anymore? What does that even mean? If an idea is a good one, does it become less as more and more people adopt it and put their own spin on it? It’s a good thing I wasn’t a philosophy major or I’d be in a world of trouble.
I guess what I’m trying to say is in a world were everything is so intertwined, it’s hard to do your own thing. It’s hard to feel unique and special and that your idea, or whatever it is that you’re doing, has merit and matters. Regardless of what you’re doing or how many other people are doing the same thing, constantly work towards doing your own thing. Every morning I wake up thinking about how I can just be myself and do what I love to do in the way I love to do it. It’s important to me. I base my self worth off of it (regardless of whether or not I should).
I don’t know if there’s an answer or an explanation to ease my mind. The only thing I can do it try every day to remain honest, humble, and myself. Maybe that’s how we can all do our own thing. By working every day to just be ourselves, no matter what that means.
xoxo Kayla
Time is a funny, funny thing. It has a way of mucking about with goals and plans and suddenly you find yourself a few years down the road with your mind all over the place and no real direction. I’ve been feeling like that a lot lately. This kind of lost sense of going through the motions. Specifically with this blog and my YouTube channel.
I’ve been blogging and making videos for so long that I’ve lost sight of why I started. It’s easy to do and it’s no one’s fault really. But through this loss of sight I realized others might be going through the same thing. So I thought I’d write about it.
It’s so easy to get caught up in the politics and the rat race. Trying to get followers, trying to write engaging posts that catch attention and gets views, to make catchy titles to attract people in. The list goes on and on and suddenly you’re where I’m at, trying to go back to the beginning. I never thought I’d be wildly successful on the internet. Sure, like anyone I hoped it would happen (people are lying if they say they’ve never thought about it). But after the first four years of YouTube and a year of the blog it really wasn’t about getting popular anymore because I honestly wasn’t. Which I’m really quite thankful now that my online presence is starting to get traction.
It’s because of those literally years of no feedback that I remained humble and honest to why I really started blogging and making videos. And more importantly why I kept making them and despite little to no response. I found myself blogging and making videos because I enjoyed it and I wanted to do it for myself. Ironically that’s when things started (slowly) happening. It’s because I remembered why I started, and why I kept going, that I found happiness in what I was doing. I think people can sense that. People can see from behind their computers that what you’re making is honestly just because you like doing it. That’s when the magic really happens.
So remember why you started doing whatever it is that you’ve lost sight of. It’ll likely boil down to passion. You enjoy doing it. And if you don’t, then stop doing it. It’s that simple really.
xoxo Kayla
