Why I call Michigan home

If you’ve been reading my blog long enough, you know what a HUGE fan of Michigan I am. I grew up here, my entire family is here, I went to college here, found my career here, and plan to live here for the rest of my life! This is home to me. I couldn’t imagine being away from the Great Lakes, all the lighthouses I love, our little big city of Grand Rapids I’ve called home for the past decade, or my beautiful historic neighborhood of Heritage Hill. One of my favorite things to do is to walk with Winny to look at the beautiful houses – and dream of someday buying a house here! That’s why I’m excited to partner with MSHDA to talk about homeownership and the resources and programs they provide to help you achieve homeownership.

This post is sponsored by MSHDA. All opinions are my own.

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5 cleaning routine tips I use at home

I absolutely love a clean home… who doesn’t right? It just makes your house feel so much more cozy, welcoming, and relaxing. I’m also one of those people, though, who loves to clean. There are limits of course, but it’s sort of my “quiet” time to just sort of zone out and relax. I tend to clean when I’m stressed or overwhelmed. I’m the type of person who makes the bed first thing in the morning, who puts away clothes instead of throwing them on the floor, who will never go to bed with dishes in the sink, or leave laundry sitting in the dryer overnight. I recently have been trying out a new line of cleaning products – the Home Made Simple collection you can pick up at Meijer. I love that they’re plant-based, really work, and unlike most plant-based cleaners out there, they’re biodegradable, USDA certified, and free from phosphates, gluten, parabens, and phthalates. Plus, I love the scents available too – rosemary, lemon, and lavender. Keep reading for a few of my cleaning tips that I use at home!

This post is sponsored by Home Made Simple, but all opinions are my own.

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Brunch in Santa Rosa Beach

Hello… from Florida still! Well, I’m back in Michigan of course, but I have a few more posts coming at ya from our vacation to Santa Rosa Beach, Florida! We had such a great time on our trip! On this particular day, we woke up, and headed over to the main area for brunch at The Perfect Pig, which was one of our favorite restaurants on this trip! So good. Eric and I both had their endless mimosa bar and I ordered the benedict and Eric got a skillet. Everything everyone else got looked delicious too. I’m starting to forget all the details of our trip — so I need to make sure I blog everything before I forget! But I’m pretty sure after brunch, we headed back to our cottage to change, and hit up the pool and beach for the day. Any sunny day we had, we tried to take advantage of being around water!

Outfit details:

Levi’s Wedgie Fit Jeans via Zappos
H&M Striped Top
H&M Sunglasses (similar)
Madewell The Transport Tote
Fudge from the Fair Flat c/o ModCloth (similar)

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travel, outfitsTieka Knightspring, floridaComment
Coastal paradise
Coastal paradise

Hello again! We’re back from our trip to Santa Rosa Beach, Florida! We had a great time, and I really loved getting the chance to explore and experience a new town. Especially one I had never even heard of a few months ago! Our friends (and Eric’s bandmates) invited us on their annual vacation over spring break, so we happily obliged! It’s very rare I ever take a week off, especially during Michigan’s crummy weather, so it was a really nice escape. I usually spend all of my vacation days as long weekends in the summer, so it was fun to try something new! I’ll be back with a few more posts from Florida, so stay tuned!

Outfit details:

Madewell Wide-Leg Crop Jeans in Finney Wash
Altar'd State Sunset Horizons Top (similar)
Madewell Shapes Statement Earrings
St. Armands Designs Capri Crossbody
Madewell Boardwalk Sandals (similar)

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outfits, travelTieka Knightspring, floridaComment
Making money as an influencer

So I’ve been blogging for almost 10 years — and what started as a fun hobby and creative outlet has also turned into a pretty legit side hustle for me! I didn’t start my blog or Instagram with even the slightest idea that I could make money from it. It wasn’t until I had been blogging for about a year that brands started to reach out about working together. At that time, I was starting to use affiliate networks and sidebar ads, but what I make most of my money from now is… collaborations + sponsored posts! I get a lot of those opportunities from working with with networks like Find Your Influence. They are all about influencer marketing, connecting you with bigger brands to get paid to do what you love!

This post is sponsored by Find Your Influence. All opinions are mine!

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Back at the beach

Happy spring! I’m so excited this season is finally here. And we’ve actually been seeing some decent spring temperatures and sunshine! Last weekend, it was pretty nice outside and the sun peeked out… and I just felt like heading to Grand Haven to take in some new (well, old haha) scenery. Sometimes I forget that we live so close to the beach, to lighthouses, to Lake Michigan. I grew up in Muskegon, lived in Grand Haven for several years, and sort of just miss living so close to the lake. But living in Grand Rapids, I do live close to the lake… and I can go any day I want. So here’s to more adventuring this summer, especially in west Michigan. And not feeling like I have to “plan a trip” to take in some different sights. It’s all right here.

Outfit details:

Madewell Cali Demi-Boot Jeans (similar)
Madewell Wrap Top in Gingham Check
Madewell Indio Sunglasses
MIA Elva Clogs in Luggage

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