31 Signs Spring is On its Way

For this post I’m working with 31bits, a socially conscious jewelry company that gives displaced women in Northern Uganda an opportunity to combat poverty through fashion. All of their pieces are handmade using “bits” of paper, and the ladies who make them are part of a 5-year program that teaches the skills they need to begin their own businesses. I absolutely love this company, both for their look and mission, and I hope you check them out!

This is the time of year when I get extra anxious about the arrival of spring. Anybody else? I’m eagerly monitoring every sign of birds chirping, blossoms blooming, and things growing. The good news is my favorite season isn't too far off! Here are a few signs spring is on the way:

1. The groundhog said it was going to be on time this year (finally!)

2. You’re painting your fingernails every bright color you can get ahold of

3. ...and you finally remembered to paint your toenails

4. People care about college basketball for one month, and one month only

5. You’re trying to memorize choral music for a Good Friday service (just me?)

6. You just looked up a recipe for detox water (#beachbody)

7. And Peeps are finally on sale

8. ...but you can’t eat them because they’re not part of your Lent diet
9. This week’s forecast shows rain 6/7 days

10. You just got a great deal on snow boots, and you can’t decide if you hope it snows so you get to wear them, or if you’d rather it never. snow. ever. again.

11. Sunrise is at 6:33 a.m.

12. ...but you can’t decide if you’re happier the sun is out or if you resent it waking you up before your alarm

13. You shaved your legs for the first time in 4 months

14. You make an excuse to go to the greenhouse every weekend just to soak in the vitamin D

15. Your boyfriend thought it would be a good idea to try out Whole30

16. ...and you’re ecstatic that you can still eat deviled eggs for Easter

17. You can’t decide if you’d rather spend your hard-earned cash on new clothes for cold weather or new clothes for warm weather

18. If you live in the Midwest, you know tornado season is on its way

19. It’s about to be prime petting zoo season (BABY ANIMALS, PEOPLE)

20. Pastel season is officially upon us — although that’s all year this year

21. You’re sick of wearing all the sweaters in your closet

22. ...but most days, you still need a sweater

23. So you google “transitional weather outfit ideas,” and buy jewelry instead.

24. You might be taking a spring break trip

25. ...or you might be watching Snapchats of your college-aged friends taking spring break trips and sighing to yourself as you slave your days away inside working a 9-to-5 job

26. You reminisce on every vacation you’ve ever had and begin to plan your next

27. You can finally cancel that gym membership you never used and go for outdoor bike rides

28. You have an unexplainable craving for Skittles (again, just me?)

29. You’re feeling inexplicably happier and a little less SAD

30. Your playlist instantly switches from Bon Iver to Spice Girls, or something equally embarrassing

31. Daylight Savings Time is less than a week away — YOU CAN MAKE IT!

Let me know what you’re doing to celebrate the beginning of spring! The official start is only 11 days away, yesssss.

Photos by Austin Elliott of Locke + Stache Media.

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You Should Go and Love Yourself

Got big Valentine’s Day plans? It’s just around the corner, so naturally there are a zillion resources available to you on topics such as “The 10 Sweetest Valentine's Day Dates of All Time.” Others will mourn the yearly rotation of “Singles Awareness Day” — it's OK, I've been there too. Regardless of whether V-Day marks your one-year anniversary with a special someone, your 8-year anniversary of never going on a date, or something in between, we would all do well to give ourselves a little attention this season.

Self-care can be both physical and psychological in nature, and I think both are essential to maintaining a healthy livelihood. It can be easy if (or when) you enter a relationship to neglect “you” time — but you have to both know and care for yourself before you can show the same attention to another person. Here’s a few suggestions for how to care for yourself this Valentine’s Day, whether you plan on spending the day alone or with a date.

1. Cut the Chocolate

It seems counterintuitive to say “cut the chocolate” in a Valentine’s Day post, but it’s more of an everyday suggestion. An essential part of self care is considering your health — it affects so many other parts of your life. So while eating 12 boxes of Russell Stover might sound like a great idea at the time, prioritize your long-term health in your daily decisions (easier said than done, I know).

2. Journal

I’ve written about the benefits of journaling here, but if you’re not into pouring your feelings out to a piece of paper, at least confide in a good friend. If you’re single, you’ll need a good sounding board — we weren’t meant to do life alone. And if you’re in a relationship, your boyfriend or girlfriend shouldn’t be the only person you’re vulnerable with. Should you trust them? Of course. So much that theirs is the only name in your email inbox or message queue? Not at all.

3. Schedule a hair appointment

Or, y’know, go for a long drive. Get your nails done. Take one of those trendy bubble baths all the Instagram girls can’t get enough of. Adopt a kitten. Read a book. Get a massage. The theme here is treat yo self. Whether you’re in a relationship or not, you should treat yourself kindly. Small mood-boosters can go a long way to ensure proper self care and self image. You deserve it!

4. Unplug

If Instagram is a competition, Valentine’s Day might be the playoffs. Women and men alike post photos of significant others, romantic date nights and extravagant gifts — and that’s ok. But if come February 14 you find yourself alone (or not alone, but feeling jealous), it might be hard to scroll by dozens of roses and teddy bears. And that’s OK, too. There is nothing that says you have to engage in social media, and if seeing others’ posts dampens your spirits, feel free to unplug for the night.

Sometimes self care sounds selfish because it’s so focused on our own wants and needs. But as we learn to treat ourselves well (it’s a process!), it enables us to make even more of the time we spend with others. Go and love yourself — even if that means spinning guilty-pleasure pop music, like Justin Beiber or something…

You won’t regret it.

Photos of my BFF/college roommate taken by me and Austin Elliott of Locke + Stache Media.

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On Setting Simple Goals

Confession time: I've never been a very big "goal setter". Until recently, that is. In school, the highly motivated teacher's-pet type people always had very clear goals for what they wanted to do in the next 5 minutes, 5 months, 5 years, etc. Not me! I've tended to be a little more loosey-goosey about how I go about my days. (Think "Type B Personality").

So, in an effort to be more "Type A," because I guess that's a good thing, I've decided to do more goal-setting. A wise individual once said "your dreams become goals when you write them down", and I think there's some truth to that. So this year, instead of being well-intended and buying an agenda, I've been well-intended AND even written some things down!

It turns out there's research to support writing down goals. This book, What They Don't Teach You at Harvard Business School, says in 1979, only three percent of the Harvard business grad students had set clear goals for their future and written them down. Another 13 percent had goals that they hadn't put on paper, and 84 percent didn't have any specific goals. That's mind-blowing to me because I thought Harvard business students were supposed to have stuff together. It's also encouraging that I'm not alone here (and I'm with the majority of Harvard, alriiiiiiight.)

Ten years later, those who had goals were making twice as much as the other group. What's even crazier is the ones who had written down their goals were making TEN TIMES MORE than the rest of the group.

So I guess the takeaway is goals are good. I haven't made any crazy-huge goals yet like invent the first hovercraft à la Back to the Future Part II. At the moment, I'm mostly writing down things I have to do (like renew the tags on my car) and rewarding myself when I get 'er done. I don't reward myself with anything big — it could be a latté that I would have bought anyway, but somehow it tastes sweeter if you feel like you've earned it.

No word on whether "renew the tags on your car" will make me earn ten times more in my mid-thirties, but I'm willing to give it a shot. And research also says that writing things down helps you to remember them, so, y'know, I remember to renew my tags. Or I'll be more likely to remember my long-term goals.

Any goal-setters out there? If so, let's become friends so you can rub off on me.

Photos by Austin Elliott of Locke + Stache Media.

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