Coffee Talk: September 2018 Edition

Happy Friday, y’all! We are hunkered down and waiting for Hurricane Florence today. I am really worried about eastern North Carolina since some places still haven’t fully recovered from Hurricane Matthew 2 years ago. However, I am so excited about our upcoming trip to New York City! I feel like I have a lot to do prior to our flight, but I am so, so thrilled to get back. I haven’t been since I was 21, so it’s been 10 years! I’d love to hear some of the things you’d recommend us doing while we’re there. But today, I am sharing my September 2018 edition of coffee talk.

Y’all, I love this article about teachers who are also influencers. While this started as a creative outlet for me, I am happy that I am able to help support my family through this space.

Speaking of influencing, have you checked out my Blogging FAQ series? I’ve posted Part 1 and Part 2, but one of the important pieces I want to point out is the small business aspect. I love supporting local businesses, but I am a small business, too. It takes a lot of time (and money) to curate content, pay a photographer, edit photos, and spend the time writing the story line. Nothing is more frustrating to creatives than when folks say “Gosh, maybe I should start a blog so I can do that (insert whatever it may be).” It’s not that easy. This is a second full time job for me, on top of my grad school. I make a point to say all of this because many pitches I get are from small businesses who tell me that they cannot pay me because they are a small, family-run business. My response these days is “So am I” which is often forgotten.

I am obsessed with these earrings for fall! I find that these are really unique styles and I get a lot of wear out of them. I particularly love the design on these with the mixed metal and the attention to detail.

David and I have been really being intentional about tracking where our money is going. We are also (always) looking for ways to save money. I drive a lot for work, so using the Get Upside app helps save money on gas. Sign up using my code, A4T5S and earn an extra 15 cents per gallon cash back, and I’ll earn a little extra, too.

Another way we are saving money is using the Albert app to help us analyze our spending and helps us achieve our savings goals. I am loving it and highly recommend it!

One of the reasons why we are trying to be more intentional with knowing where our money is going is because I am trying to avoid adding clutter to our homes. I have been purging our closets and cabinets and make three piles. One to toss, one to donate, and one to sell. I sell home items on our local Buy Sale Trade sites on Facebook and I sell my clothes on Poshmark and at a local consignment shop. It has felt so good to get rid of some of the extra “baggage” I’ve had cluttering our space. Have you used Poshmark? Use code MDB0112 to get $5 towards your first purchase!

I am most looking forward to fall so I can start burning fall fragrance candles in our house. I love Capri Blue fall fragrances and the beautiful jars that they come in. This spiced cider candle and the fall leaves candle are amazing! I like to burn one fragrance in the kitchen and the other in the living room to get a combined scent of the two.

Y’all, we are less than 60 days away from mid-term elections. Please, please, please be sure that you are registered to vote, know your polling place, what your state rules are about IDs, and most importantly, that you vote. This is an opportunity that not many places get, and every vote does matter.

I am loving this nail color for the upcoming fall and winter season. I have gotten in the past few times I’ve had a manicure. Stay tuned later this month for my favorite fall nail colors.

I am itching to get to the mountains for a weekend getaway this fall. I love leaf season in North Carolina and I have always wanted to go apple picking while visiting. Do you have a favorite spot to go? There are several towns on my “to visit” list, but some of our favorites are Blowing Rock, Bryson City, and Asheville.

I hope you have a great weekend and are safe with Hurricane Florence rapidly approaching. I hope you’ll follow along this weekend as I have one of my favorite types of weekends planned as long as the weather holds out.