Briana, I Am

via GIPHY It's that time of year again! Every year I am excited for Summer weather for about a moth and before I know it,  I am counting down to the days when I will be able to wear over-sized sweaters, eat bowls of warm goodness and watch the leaves go thru a dramatic change. It's safe to say I have had Fall Fever since about July 4th and boy am I ready for the season to take it's full affect. There are so many favorites that I have already started enjoying. Check them out below! Bowls of soup and chili via GIPHY Oh yes, soup! From chilli, to chicken noodle, broccoli cheddar and a spicy gumbo, I love a big bowl of comfort food. While one can eat soup in the summer months (I'm sure Panera Bread didn't miss a beat), nothing compares to soup in the fall. Kick off the season by dusting off the Crock Pot - or finally buying one - and trying out some amazingly easy recipes! This year I plan on mastering white bean chicken chilli. Yum! Boots via...

via GIPHY Positivity. The practice of being or the tendency to be positive or optimistic in attitude. In other words, the power of not allowing life's BS to get you down and keep you there. Let's face it, every day is not filled with rainbows and butterflies. Often times, it can feel like a dump truck came and dropped all of its...crap all over you and left you to deal with the mess. That mess can weigh you down, attract more mess, and before you know it you're buried in...crap, with no idea of how to get out of it or how it got there in the first place. via GIPHY So, how do you navigate through life without letting the bad bring you down and keep you in a funk? via GIPHY I have found many ways to not allow the bad in life over rule the good. These small practices help me stay positive, happy and optimistic even though the hardest situations. Check them out! Shift Your Focus via GIPHY Believe it or not, we have control over our thoughts, feelings ...

Glow Up. What does that mean? On this week’s episode of The Friend Zone ( @FriendZonePod , twitter), my favorite podcast hosts talked openly about what it means to glow up. It was a conversation that I wish I was present for because it is a topic that I am passionate about. Hell, one of the purposes of my blog is to encourage myself and others to grow and glow! But, what exactly does that mean? Fran (The Friend Zone & heyfranhey.com ) challenged listeners to think about and write down what it means to glow up and I was so excited to  take on this assignment, that I thought I’d share! To me, glowing up is about growth and how you feel inside. Yes, glowing up could be physical or financial – all of which Fran, Dustin and Assante mentioned (I was at my desk giving them high fives in my head lol) – but what good is having all of that if you don’t feel good on the inside? About two years ago I decided that I wanted to feel better. Not because I looked good, or had a man, o...

Cleaning. Doing chores. Tidying up. The one thing no one really likes to do but needs to do if they don't want critters, dirt and other scary things they can't see invading their space. It's usually last on our to do list and "put off" until the next day or the weekend, almost like a Saturday morning ritual: wake up, turn on some music, and let the scent of lemon, pine sol and happiness fill your home and lift you up! Cleaning the house does not have to be dreadful or put off until the last minute or right before company comes over. It doesn't have to be labeled "women's work" or frowned upon. Believe it or not, cleaning your space/home can be very therapeutic. Think about it - you're focused, working towards an end goal of clean and spotlessness, and, when done with intentions, you can clean your stress away as you move from one living area to the next! Here's how... Clean with a purpose. Of course the reason why we clean is to ma...

How do you prepare for your day? In my mind, I'd wake up bright eyed and bushy tailed, my outfit for the day would be waiting for me in the closet, breakfast hot and ready on the table and me walking out of the door in time to get a great parking spot at work rather than parking in the back of the lot and rushing to make it to my desk by 8:05am. In reality, I'm lucky if I make to my chair by 8:03am and have a full breakfast all without forgetting something on my dresser like my phone or my mind. Unfortunately, this happens more days than one and it throws my day completely off. My dream of being prepared for my day is actually obtainable, if I am willing to put in a little effort to prepare, plan and organize in advance! Check out these great tips to help you seize the day! Preparation is Key! via GIPHY Preparing for the day truly starts the night before. I know, that is easier said than done. Who wants to pick out clothes and pack the next day's lunch while wa...

Social. Media. The outlets that we use to connect, ( over )share, display and communicate with people - strangers and friends alike - on a daily basis. We share our highs and lows, our loved ones and our enemies ( discreetly, so we think ), our happiest moments and even the sad moments that make our followers wonder, how sad are they really if they are posting about it on IG live? via GIPHY Sharing on social media has become a huge part of life. And with sharing comes the one thing that we hardly ever ask for but always seem to get an abundance of.... Opinions! Ah, yes! Opinions. Those things that your friends give you when you tell them whats going on in your life and instead of truly listening to the agony on your voice they give you their opinion because they love you and gotta keep it real. And in that setting, it's acceptable because that's your friend and you know how they are - they just care. But, do you ever wish you could turn it off? Like, turn off...