Natalie Andrews: September 2016

Blog-tember Day 30 - Friday Favorites

Friday, September 30, 2016

Blog-tember Day 30 - Friday Favorites

Happy Friday y'all! I have loved following the Blog-tember prompts this month, they have seriously given me the push to get this blog up and running. At the same time, I'm excited to start next month with my own post ideas! Hopefully you all will love them too and it will give us all an opportunity to get to know each other better!

Now, onto my current favorites ...

Thursday, September 29, 2016

Blog-tember Day 29 - Five Favorite Blogs

I, obviously, love reading blogs! There are a lot of blogs I read but these are my top 5 that I look at every day and get super excited when I see updates! Two of them are the same as my favorite instagrammers but their blogs are also so good that they have to be mentioned! You cannot only follow them on Insta!

Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Blog-tember Day 28 - Five Pictures that Describe My Year

our wedding / #sweet16 / moving / work life / nephews

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Blog-tember Day 27 - Something That Made Me Laugh & Cry

So I remember until college I never cried, then I guess I got some emotions and now I cry all the time! haha Not literally all the time but I cry at commercials, TV shows I've only watched once, movie trailers ... I cry pretty easily! Most recently I cried while watching the pilot of "This Is Us".

Monday, September 26, 2016

Blog-tember Day 26 - Guest Post (Lara Casey)

I am really excited about today's post! When I read Bailey's Blog-tember prompts today's post stood out to me. I just started blogging this month and I don't really have any blogger friends yet. Then I started thinking about my favorite bloggers and if I could ask anyone to write a guest post who would I choose? Without a doubt the blogger who has had the biggest impact on my life and whose posts I've reread the most is Lara Casey. She is encouraging, challenging and authentic on her blog. I knew there was no way she'd say yes if I asked her to guest blog but what did I have to lose!? She is all about believing in what you can accomplish. So I sent her an e-mail and guess what!?! She said yes! I was floored by her generosity in writing this post and I couldn't believe she said yes!

Thank you Lara! You are such an encouragement to me! Thank you for taking the time to write this post! I asked her to share her top blogging tips. I found them very valuable and I hope you will too!

Friday, September 23, 2016

Blog-tember Day 23 - Family Recipes

my mama is the sweetest

I all honesty I have never made this recipe before, but I am very excited to make it once the cold weather hits. My mom makes this at least once a winter and I looove it! The flavor is great and it's so good leftover too! I'm not sure where the original recipe is from because I don't think it's our families. It may be McCormick? I promise it will not disappoint!

My Mom's Beef Stew Recipe ...

Thursday, September 22, 2016

Blog-tember Day 22 - Fall Favorites

Starbucks

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Blog-tember Day 21 - Why I Started a Blog

I started my blog this month and I have been thinking Why. Why did I start this blog? What am I hoping to get out of it? I wanted to get some thoughts out here and hopefully this initial brain dump will help give me more direction with the blog.

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Blog-tember Day 20 - Something I Wish More People Believed

Monday, September 19, 2016

Blog-tember Day 19 - Weekend Wrap-up

I have been blogging for less than a month so all my favorite blog posts you have read within the last few days. This past weekend was fun and full and I wanted to remember all the Baltimore-loving things we did! Summer don't leave!

All the crabs!

Sunday, September 18, 2016

Blog-tember Day 18 - Products that Simplify My Life

HelloWallet // Kindle // Curlers // Face Oil

My favorite part of my job is process improvements, that is taking current processes and simplifying them. I sometimes feel like I am constantly reorganizing my personal life and trying to figure out what systems work best for me (and now Sam and I). The top 4 products make my daily routines easier and I have been, mostly, using them for at least a few months if not year.

Saturday, September 17, 2016

Blog-tember Day 17 - Vlog #1

Blog-tember Day 16 - How Do I Relax

Friday, September 16, 2016

Blog-Tember Day 17 - How do I De-Stress?

I strongly dislike stress. I don't think anyone would say they like stress but I really don't like it. Granted, tight deadlines definitely help to get my butt moving, but I think generally I am good at making myself de-stress... Or maybe I am just a lazy person? Who knows!? Above I have gathered some Instagrams of my favorite ways to relax and say no to stress!

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Blog-tember Day 14 - Mood Board

the highlands // our wedding party // coffee & fall // cozy bedroom //

gallery wall over TV // gallery wall with wooden headboard

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Blog-tember Day 13 - If I Could Switch Lives with Anyone...

This is a tie between two people and I do not think it will be much of a surprise...

Monday, September 12, 2016

Blog-tember Day 12 - Three Books

Honeymooners & their Kindles

My 2016 goal is to read 25 books. This was my goal last year but I did not meet it. Last year I tried to push myself to read a variety of books, but this year I just want to read 25 books. Currently, I'm only at 15 so I am a little behind. A few years ago my parents gave me a Kindle, which at first I was not super excited about as I love buying and borrowing books and I was sad to no longer be holding a real book. But... the Kindle has changed my life. Seriously! That sounds dramatic but I read so much more with my Kindle! It is incredibly easy to borrow books from the library, you never accidentally pay overdue fees and you can bring numerous books with you on vacation without wasting space in your suitcase. I love my Kindle. Sam started reading the Harry Potter books on our Honeymoon (best Honeymoon "gift" ever) and we never put down our Kindles. I am hoping Amazon/Kindle will get wind of my Kindle obsession and I will become a Kindle model #dreamjob. Seriously I love Kindles just ask me so I can talk about it more! haha

Sunday, September 11, 2016

Blog-tember Day 11 - Favorite Instagrammers

I love Instagram! It is, without a doubt, my favorite social media platform. I am pretty sure it is the first thing I look at in the morning. #badhabits I love seeing pictures and I know it's why I don't really like twitter ... because pictures are so much more fun right!? I hope I am able to introduce y'all to some great people to follow!

Saturday, September 10, 2016

Blog-tember Day 10 - A Day in the Life

I was so excited for today because this is one of my favorites types of posts to read from other bloggers. It is so interesting to see what someone's day actually looks like hour by hour. I think it builds bloggers' authenticity and shows that no one's life is perfect and glamorous, but instead most lives are pretty normal. My favorite posts like these are Shay's.

I took pictures on a Friday so my post would be ready for the 10th. I think it's a little boring because I spent 9 hours at the office but these posts will be so interesting to compare as the years go on! Today I literally set the timer on my phone for every hour so I would remember to take pictures! Is that too excessive!?

Friday, September 9, 2016

Blog-tember Day 9 - If I Could Travel Anywhere...

waiting for my train to Rome

I love to travel. I spend a lot of time thinking and planning theoretical trips that never happen. But I love all the excitement and anticipation around exploring new places and seeing new things. I really love my family and one thing that's made us so close is the trips we have gone on together. I want travel to be something I never stop doing!

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

Blog-tember Day 7 - Five Things of Joy

So. Much. Joy!!!

Tuesday, September 6, 2016

Blog-tember Day 6 - Create a Playlist

I honestly don't listen to music that often - except when I am driving. But when I'm at work, in long car rides or running I like to listen to podcasts or books on tape! Maybe that's weird but I get tired of music and podcasts and books keep me more interested. I especially love saving books I'm really enjoying for my runs. It makes the time go by so much faster!

Monday, September 5, 2016

Blog-tember Day 5 - Most Memorable Birthday

our tour guide insisted on the peace signs. we could not stop laughing.

Blog-tember Day 4 - Currently

Blog-tember Day 4 - Currently

our first selfie on our rooftop deck!

Saturday, September 3, 2016

Blog-tember Day 3 - Summer Favorites

I never want summer to end. I think that is possibly the best thing about being an "adult" (aka not a student) because summer does not have to end until it is too cold to go to the pool. So I like to think that now summer doesn't really start until mid-October. However, it's hard to argue that the Pumpkin Spice Latte release does not signify the start of fall.

I think it's safe to say this summer has been the BEST EVER. I am not sure we will ever be able to beat it, but I am okay with that. Now onto the top 5 best things that happened this summer -

best summer & best wedding party

Friday, September 2, 2016

Blog-tember Day 2 - Current Goals

This post will be somewhat vague because I've been wanting to sit down with my Powersheets to really dig into this month's goals. We are moving into our first home and I'm hoping really settle into a routine. But I always have some big, general goals (that my Powersheets usually focus around) so I can definitely share those now (in no particular order).

Thursday, September 1, 2016

Blog-tember Day 1 - An Introduction

I have thought about starting a blog for the past few months and I thought Bailey's Blog-tember would be a great month to start since it's full of prompts! The first day is an introduction of me which is 1 easy and 2 perfect for a first blog post.

alright let's laugh together ...