Y'all, doesn't it feel like April was gone in the blink of an eye?!? I don't know about you, but that was the fast feeling month EVER. It moved so stinkin' fast that it has me wanting to take a hot sec and reminisce on some of the top posts and what I loved in April:

Organization

Okay, I knowwww I said organization was what I loved in March, but since it's my guiding word of the year, it only makes sense that I am working on falling in love and implementing it with each passing month, amiright?!?

This month I decided to tackle my desk! It's amazing the amount of dust, dirt, and junk that can accumulate on that baby! Check out my 5 Steps To Organizing Your Office!

Speaking of dust…

Cleaning

Spring cleaning is starting in our house! Even with just moving in a month ago, things are getting dusty and dirty! I learned that I had been using my Swiffer Sweeper wrong all of these years (#truestory) and shared my Cleaning Hacks For Tackling Dust & The Floors! What room should I tackle next?

Instagram

REAL TALK: I fell SO out of love with Instagram – like SO out of love with it. If you've been a reader for a while, you probably noticed my photography skills getting way better since creating a better at home photography studio – I was beyond excited to start sharing all my new skills on the ‘gram. My intern and I worked on implementing a new strategy and things were starting to look up for my growth and engagement there.  Only to get shadow banned. YUP, shadow banned. I was SO frustrated, hurt, and upset. I deleted the app. Many of you joined me on Snapchat after my announcement (username:rrrachelrr). Then, in the ninth hour, when I was ready to give up on it all, the ban was lifted!

Not totally sure why it happened (I don't use bots, unauthorized third party softwares, do f/uf, or anything spammy), but basically traced it down to one of two things: using a banned hashtag OR engaging a little too hard one morning. I read this REALLY good thread on Quora, that brought an interesting (read: scary) perspective to the shadow ban and influencers. You can checkout Akin's theory here. For those who don't want to read, it's basically hypothesizing IG/FB could be testing some new things in order to control influencers ability to earn money from the platform, since brands are putting their money towards influencers on the platform more often than ads/sponsored posts. IG wants their $$$, is basically the takeaway. AGAIN IT'S JUST A THEORY.

After all this bad stuff, how did I fall in love with the platform again? Well I am excited about my feed again/still. I am also excited about the new strategy we are implementing that's going to get things back to true connection and what I did in the olden days. I'm also just so dang happy I'm not shadow banned, which is enough to fall in love with the platform again!

[RELATED] Tips For Taking Instagram Photos That WOW!

 

PUPPY!!!

YASSSS! Last month we finally got puppy! I couldn't be more happy about our new addition! He is my light, my love, my everything! Even though I am totally smitten, it still was a major adjustment. Which is why I was excited to share a little more about our puppy journey + tips for dealing with major life transitions.

Advocating For Myself

Over the years, I've struggled to quit anything. I stayed in a job I hated because of bad excuses, never broke up with boyfriends, and generally had hard time doing anything that potentially could disappoint someone. I was a people pleaser at my own expense. The last 10 years I've worked really hard to let go of those old habits and feel so free that I can finally advocate for my wants and needs in personal and professional relationships.

New Mattress

After so many years on terrible mattresses, I took the research for a new on super seriously. We were fortunate to have Nest Bedding gift us their Alexander Signature bed which is a dream! It's like sleeping on a supportive cloud. The best of both worlds! Buying a mattress online can feel overwhelming, so be sure to check out my tips!

Getting Paid

The question of how to price yourself and ask for payment, is always a tricky one. Over the last couple of months though, I feel like I've really hit my stride. I've been turning down a lot of offers that would zap my energy and take my focus away from larger business goals. Even with turning things down, I've still been seeing all the dolla dolla bills roll in, and it feels oh so good.

Spa Nights

All the stress of the move and new pup definitely required a little extra R&R this month! I tried out Gwen Lewis' Cheap & Easy At Home Spa Hacks and let me tell you, they work! Ughhh there is nothing quite like a relaxing bath, luxurious hair treatment, or rejuvenating face mask, amiright?

Cacti

But like for real. Who doesn't want all the cacti right now!? Nothing screams trendy or summer ready than a desert plant 😉

Jungalow Vibes

I just learned what jungalow decor is and am obsessed. So obsessed, that I decided to make it my office theme! Let the decor vision boarding begin!! Have you ever heard of jungalow??

What did you love about April?