In vs. Out Link Up

Hey y'all! I can't believe it's already the last Friday of October! This month has absolutely flown by and I'm happy to be celebrating with another In vs Out link up with Allison. In case you missed my last post, Allison does a weekly round up of what's "in" and "out" in her life. I just love it and am so excited to join in! I will again be doing a monthly round up since I do not participate weekly. Here's what's been in and out with me for October!

IN:
My new mixer. Did you see my Instagram photo? I have been dreaming of owning one of these for years and finally took the leap. It's a beautiful white mixer and will fit perfectly in my future all white kitchen one day.

Mattel's new Barbie commercial. Have you seen this? I'm just floored by how adorable this is! I love the little business lady and the teacher! They just say the cutest things.

Seasonal Kettle Corn. One of my friends recently introduced me to candy corn popcorn.. it's exactly what it sounds like. Totally something out of a dream! I love kettle corn as it is, and the drizzled flavor of the candy corn makes it even better! I tried the Book Chicka Pop brand and think you should too!

Visitors. I love hosting people, and had the opportunity to host several people this month. Recently, my sister visited last weekend! I loved spending time with her and showing her around my new home. I'm also hosting a friend this weekend and look forward to running around with her as well!

Blogging Courses. I purchased my first blogging course and couldn't be more excited! It's been going well so far and I really feel like I'm learning a lot of valuable information. Learning is a passion of mine and I'm excited to have invested in myself instead of some more stuff this past month. I'm hoping to get some great results and I hope you enjoy them as well. Interested in trying out the course I'm in? Check out Quit Your Job To Blog here!

OUT:
Rain. Y'all, I'm totally over wet weather. It makes my job really miserable. Although as soon as it starts to snow I'll be missing the rain.. but for now it stinks. I featured my rainy work day essentials yesterday, be sure to check them out!

Spreading myself too thin. I love to be busy and involved, but I also like to give 100% when I put my name on something. Lately, I've been involved in tons of different things and feel as though I'm spread so thin I'm not able to do my best at each individual item. I need to do a better job of assessing my commitments and saying no when needed.

Cold feet. Not the emotional kind.. the literal kind. I haven't quite transitioned over to close-toed shoes during work and keep ending up with freezing toes!

Stomach Aches. I've had a really stressful month and I often manifest stress in my body. I don't think that it's something that I can control, but I get physically ill after I reach a certain stress level. This has meant stomach aches for me lately. I'm OVER it.

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In case you've missed them, here were my favorite posts in the month of October:
7 Bible Verses to Ease Anxiety
2 Podcasts You Need to Listen to
My First Blogiversary!
5 Packing Tips for Business Trips
Great Hair Days with Hask Hair Care

What are your ins and outs for the month? What was your favorite post from October?

Gear to Survive a Rainy Work Day

Hey y'all! I hope you're having a wonderful week so far- we are so close to the weekend! Mine has been great, however we've had wet weather all week. YUCK. For most people, rain stinks- but they go inside for their job all day and only deal with the weather when arriving and leaving. For me, rain is TERRIBLE (almost as bad as snow!) because I of the nature of my job. I'm in and out of the car all day. So, rain is basically my enemy. I've always struggled over what to wear to work on a wet days and have come up with my essential rainy day gear through trial and error over the past few years. I wanted to share these fabulous items with y'all so you too can survive a rainy work day!

Water Proof Trench. I absolutely love my London Fog trench coat. It's the perfect color khaki and has a flattering silhouette. It's great to wear with pants or dresses, and keeps my outfits dry on rainy days. I purchased the coat with a detachable liner that really comes in handy on cold, wet days!

Stylish Rain Boots. A pair of cute rain boots are a must! I love the bow detailing on the back of these, especially in comparison to my plain black pair! I love that these look like riding boots and could be worn in a professional setting.

Umbrella. This is a must- no one likes to wear wet hair to work!

Travel Mug. Rainy days call for an extra cup of coffee or tea to keep you warm. Obviously, this is another opportunity for stylish accessories. I typically use Tervis cups but this Kate Spade mug is adorable!

Scarf. If your rainy day comes with wind or cold temperatures, adding in a scarf will help keep you dry! I think few things are more miserable than we clothing.

Boot Socks. I don't have Hunter boots, but I love how these look! They have an assortment of colors that look absolutely adorable in a rain boot. They definitely keep your feet warm and dry on dreary days!

What are your rainy day essentials?

Great Hair Days with Hask Hair Care

Hey lovelies! I'm super excited to be sharing today's post with y'all. Do you have hair envy like I do for the girls who appear to have perfectly coiffed manes 24/7? As I've shared before, I have thick hair that can be unruly at times. This has lead me on an interesting but tiring journey of finding the perfect hair routine to tame my locks and give me perfect hair days every day. I was given the opportunity to try out the Argan Oil Hair Care line from Hask and think I may have found what I've been searching for! Helllooooo gorgeous hair!

This line features a repairing shampoo and conditioner, repairing deep conditioner, and a shine oil (all packaged up in the cutest little bag!). All of the products are free of sulfates, parabens, phthalates, gluten, drying alcohol and artificial colors! The potent ingredient in all of the products is Moroccan Argan oil- which works to repair, strengthen, and moisturize your hair while adding amazing shine. Hask Beauty's products combine high quality ingredients and amazing fragrances with bright packaging to deliver real results. They truly speak for themselves!

I have coarse naturally curly hair and struggle with frizz on a regular basis. Combating these problems usually requires goopy serums and thick creams that leave my hair weighed down and don't always fix my problems. Thankfully, I have found real solutions with Hask. For me, the most miraculous part of this product line is how light and soft my hair feels after use. No heavy products or extra weight to worry about. Which is awesome.

Thus far, I've used the shampoo and conditioner every other day (my hair gets cranky if I wash it every day), the shine oil on my ends every day, and the deep conditioner once a week. They all share a fresh citrus scent that stays with me all day! I just love it and find it extra luxurious while in the shower. Used together, the products provide softness I've rarely experienced and certainly have not found at this price point.

All-in-all, the Hask Argan Oil Hair Care line has been the start of my great hair days lately and I couldn't be happier with my results. If you're interested in prepping your hair for great hair days, check out their website here.

Full Disclosure: I received a complimentary product sample from Hask Beauty to review honestly. As always, all opinions and words are my own. Thank you for supporting brands that support A Peachy Sonder!

5 Packing Tips for Business Trips

Hi hi! Today I wanted to talk to y'all about a small, but important part of my job- business trips. More specifically, I want to talk about packing for one! Week-long business trips are something that I do 2-3 times a year. So pretty rarely. But one of the biggest challenges I've run into is how to pack for the meetings. We usually head out to attraction destinations- I've attended meetings in Las Vegas, Orlando, and Scottsdale. These locations are mainly warm, so packing for the trip can be a little tricky.

Layers are key. For those of you who haven't been to a corporate meeting hosted at a hotel, let me set the scene for you. You are bustling around with hundreds of other people packed into conference rooms chattering all day. You may or may not change rooms depending on your meeting agenda. Hotels see large groups of people and decide to BLAST you with air conditioning, regardless of the temperature outside. I understand that it would be terrible in the rooms without the flow of the air. However, I am cold-natured and this is my worse nightmare. I pack plenty of layers that can be worn in different combinations to keep warm through the meetings.

Bring conservative post-meeting attire. While it's absolutely necessary to let loose after meetings end for the day, executives are also going to be around the hotel. I recommend either wearing your meeting outfit to the evening activities or packing something more comfortable yet still conservative for the evening. At my company meetings, everyone generally hangs around the hotel bars and it is a wonderful time to network. Be comfortable yet still try to look professional! You never know who you might run into!

Travel in style. In my experience with business trips, we are expected to fly in on the morning of our first meeting day. This means that we will be seeing people in the arriving airport to get transported to the hotel and be expected to sit in meetings after lunch. For my first trip, I traveled in the outfit I wanted to wear for the day but planned to shower at the hotel before our meetings. Big mistake. I didn't know that everyone would be completely done up even though they got to the airport at 5AM! Since my first mistake, I shower the night before and wear light make-up for my flight. I will typically wear my glasses on the plane so I can sleep (don't forget your travel pillow!) but fully ready myself in all other aspects! In addition to feeling more put together at the airport, I have enjoyed having the extra time to rest or get settled into my hotel before my meetings instead of frantically getting myself ready upon arrival. 

Create a packing list. This is huge for me. I have always suffered from over-packing when I travel, even when I was a little girl. Due to the clothing that I bring for work and the length of my stay, I need as much room as possible in my suitcase! Writing a packing list (and sticking to it!) helps me ensure that I'm bringing exactly what I need and helps me leave what I don't need at home. I've also found that preparing a list helps me create outfits with pieces that I can mix and match. I think that's truly my trick to packing less! I've also found that if I make my list a few days in advance, it is more reasonable. Without the pressure of a time crunch, I can make a well-thought out list that covers all of my bases.

Bring all of your chargers. While this should be a no-brainer, the last thing you want to do is show up to a company meeting with uncharged technology (especially if you were enjoying some in-flight entertainment). I have a laptop, iPad, and phone for work- so I need to make sure that I have the right chargers! I think that while chargers are important, they are easily forgotten. Make sure you add them onto your packing list!

While these ideas just scratch the surface, I find them to be helpful when planning my trips. I hope they help you pack for your next business trip too!

  
***This post is linked up with Tutu Tuesdays! Check out more great posts here!***

What are your travel secrets? How do you keep from over-packing? Do you have any travel essentials?

My First Blogiversary!

It completely snuck up on me, but I'm excited to share that today is my little blog's 1st birthday! I can't believe it's been a year since I took the plunge to start blogging. Honestly, I didn't have a vision when I sat down and wrote that first post, but I couldn't be happier with where I am now! I've had the opportunity to work with some amazing brands, interact with inspirational bloggers, have some awesome readers stumble across my blog, and learn so much about all aspects of blogging.

I've been so lucky to connect with so many sweet people and I honestly can't believe that I've had so many kind responses to my posts. Who knew anyone would care about what I have to say?! I set out to have a place to express myself and my thoughts- this blog has been a therapeutic outlet for me and I've really enjoyed writing each post that I've shared so far.

Some of my most popular posts from the last year are:
My Lilly for Target Experience
How to Appear Confident (even when you don't feel it!)
My Fall Bucket List
French Toast for One
How to Save Money in Your Twenties

I'm so excited for what the future of this little blog holds and want to sincerely thank everyone who has had a hand in my experience so far. Cheers to you! xox.

The Versatile Blogger Award

It's no secret that I've become friends with the best people possible in the blogging community. I was lucky enough to be nominated by not one but two of my lovely blogging friends, Brittany and Nicole, for the Versatile Blogger Award! Thanks ladies!

 

This is my first time participating in one of these award posts and I'm excited for y'all to learn a little more about the girl behind the blog! As a blog reader, these types of posts are so interesting to me and I love hearing more about each of you. Here’s how it works:

• Thank the person who nominated you.
• Include a link to their blog.
• Write seven facts about yourself.
• Nominate fifteen bloggers to pass the award along to.

Here we go!

1. I'm a Georgia girl currently living up in Northern VA.
2. I love salt water taffy, Twizzlers, and Reese's cups.
3. I'm an optimist and always strive to keep my life bursting with positivity.
4. I love cooking and baking.
5. Reality tv is my guilty pleasure.
6. My day job is in medical sales.
7. I'm extra happy anywhere I can curl up with a book and a good cup of coffee.

My Nominees:
Kourtney of Kindly with K
Sarah of Sarah in the Glasses
Alix of The Handicapped Prep
Brooke of LookBrooke
Christina of The Social Butterfly Gal
Allie of Little Random Discoveries
Morgan of Timeless Taste
Tracy of Tracy's Notebook of Style
Emma of Seeking the South
Katelyn of The Simple Southport Pearl
Sabrina Renee of The Golden Speck
Allison of Because I Said So
Kenzie of Sincerely Kenz
Emily of Emily Raine
Ally of Preppy Little Lesbian

These girls all have amazing blogs and I hope you find someone new to love from my list! I can't wait to read your posts.

2 Podcasts You Need to Listen to

Hi guys! I just had the best weekend out in Dallas, although I did manage to come home with a cold. Hopefully it will pass soon! But until then, this girl is going on the chicken noodle soup diet (chicken and stars to be exact because I am a child). One of my favorite recent discoveries, especially for traveling, has got to be the Podcast app. I have heard so many people talk about it, but just recently hopped on the bandwagon.

My favorite part so far has got to be the simplicity of it all. You just need to make sure that you download enough episodes for the duration of your travel while you still have a WIFI connection- as some of the files are too large to do over your regular network. Once downloaded, prepare to sit back and enjoy your ride! As I've mentioned, I'm new to the Podcast world, but I'd love to share my 2 favorites so far. And PLEASE if you have any that you love, let me know about it in the comments! I'm almost caught up on my current podcast and will have to wait for the more recent installments to be finished up!

First, one word. Serial. The first season of this series absolutely sucked me in! I have always been a fan of Law and Order/ Criminal Minds type shows, so this was a great first Podcast series for me. I am so thankful that I came into it after the series was completed, because I don't think I could stand to wait in between episodes! I was a little disappointed with the ending, (don't worry, no spoilers here!) but partially expected it due to the nature of the case. In addition to the story, the show is well-written and nicely produced. I'm really excited for the second season to come out and am curious about which case with be selected. You can read more about the series on their website.

My next recommendation- and current obsession- is Disney Story Origins. As a serious Disney fan, this was an excellent discovery for me!! The show takes the familiar Disney stories we grew up with (and the newer ones) and explores them side-by-side with the myths that inspired them. If you have ever found yourself humming "Colors of the Wind" or "I'll Make a Man Out of You", this is for you. There is usually one episode per movie but sometimes, for the more in-depth stories, they are split into multiple. I honestly have a hard time picking a favorite, but I really enjoyed "Aladdin" and am loving "Alice in Wonderland" right now. You can read more about the series on their website as well.

I absolutely love having something to listen to in the airport or during my flight. I love to read during trips as well, but it's always nice to switch things up. As I mentioned, I'm almost caught up to the DSO podcast and welcome any recommendations you may have. Please leave them below!

Do you listen to Podcasts? Which is your favorite? Have you listened to either of these?

My Fall Bucket List

Happy Monday!! I'm super excited for this week because it's going to be a short one for me- I'm taking Friday off. I'm headed to Dallas for a girls' weekend and I couldn't be happier! I've only been to Texas once but never to Dallas. And, I can't wait to see my friends! So it's a win all around. I always seem to be busy during the fall, there's just so much to do during this glorious time of year. In an effort to make sure I don't miss out on any fall fun, I've put together a fall bucket list!

I know that fall has already begun, but I think that I have enough great activities to get me through to winter in the remaining time. I've included all of my favorite activities- from Salted Caramel Lattes to lounging by the fire place- and a few of these can already be crossed off! I've already burned one of my new fall candles, my fall soap is situated by the sink, I've had my inaugural SCM latte, and have already enjoyed some candy corn! I have already started thinking of some Halloween costumes, but I haven't decided yet! I always have a hard time picking something out to wear. It will be preeeetty cold by the time Halloween gets here and I don't want to be miserable. I know I'll be attending the UGA vs GT game after Thanksgiving, so I will be able to get that one taken care of as well. Honestly, I'm just looking forward to completing this entire list! I realize that I probably won't get everything checked off but I'll try. Check out my fall activity bucket list below!

Quick story time- when I was growing up, I absolutely hated scooping out the "pumpkin guts" when carving my pumpkin. My parents would always take care of it for me, and clean up the seeds before we seasoned them to roast. When I went off to college, I somehow managed to have someone else do it every year. I made it all the way until my first Halloween after college without having to scoop out my own pumpkin innards! Talk about some good luck. And talk about a rude awakening when I finally had to do it! I carved pumpkins with my co-workers and did my best to keep the squealing to a minimum.. but a girl can only contain so much. It was so gross! Last year, I opted to keep my pumpkin in-tact and may do the same this year. They can be pretty cute in their natural state if you pick out a nice one!

Thanks for reading, I'd love to hear what's on your fall bucket list! Leave me a comment below and share your favorite fall activities!

7 Bible Verses to Ease Anxiety

Hey y'all! Sorry for the silence over the past week- I was out of town at a work conference and picked up a little bit of a bug. I'm still recovering and sure am thankful for the weekend! I've had a ton going on lately, and have been on quite the emotional roller coaster this year. I'll spare you many of the details, but one of the biggest things that has beat me down this year has been the resurfacing of my struggle with anxiety. I've always been an anxious person. Ever since I can remember, I've worried about something. I don't look back unhappily on my experience growing up, but I have wondered what could have become of me if I worried about fewer (or maybe just different) things. I know that I have let fear and worry hold me back from potential life experiences- and that makes me sad.

As I've gotten older, I've had all kinds of ups and downs with respect to the severity of my anxiety. I've experienced everything from everyday anxious feelings to landing myself in a hospital bed thanks to a severe panic attack. Unfortunately, I've had the latter occur multiples times in my life, with the most recent happening earlier this year while I was driving around town for work. Talk about scary! The bad times are really discouraging to me and make me feel like a slave to my anxiety/emotions.

One of the things that really helps me get through those tough times is my faith. I feel very blessed to be able to seek refuge in scripture and prayer. It doesn't make everything better but I know wholeheartedly that God sees me through. Regardless of whether you do or don't struggle with anxiety like I do, I wanted to share some of my favorite uplifting Bible verses for when I am feeling unsettled. I hope you enjoy!

Philippians 4:8. "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."

1 Peter 5:6-7. "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you."

Proverbs 12:25. "Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad."

Matthew 7:25-31. "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they never toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'"

Philippians 4:6. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."

Romans 15:13. "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope."

Colossians 3:15. "And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful."

Do you have a favorite bible verse or quote that comforts you during difficult times?