Endless Bliss | Happy Lifestyle Blog: April 2015

My Journey to the (Nosebleed Section of the) ACM Awards!

I suppose I'll start from the beginning. Why did I even buy a ticket to the Academy of Country Music Awards? Remember when I worked in Las Colinas for a week? Well, I supposed to do that again during the same week of the ACMs, so I was trying to figure out what the heck I was going to do to entertain myself while I was there. And then I thought, why not attend one of the most prestigious country music award shows ever? So I bought a ticket (just for one, please. I was going on a work trip, and I didn't want to make anyone drive up just for one night), and then later found out I wouldn't need to work. That didn't stop me though. I made the three-hour drive to Dallas, and I had a blast at the ACMs (with just a few hiccups along the way. Texas streets and I don't get along.).

Dress | Forever 21

I know what you're thinking. Is it possible to have fun at an awards show by yourself? The answer, my friend, is yes indeed, you can have a blast. I know I did. I talked to random people. Live tweeted and snapchatted most of the show. Jammed out to all of the amazing artists. Cheered on the winners (extra loud for my girl, Taylor Swift). I had so much fun in my nosebleed (yes, that's section 447) seats.
Unfortunately, I couldn't bring my nice camera in with me (or my small clutch. I literally had to stuff everything in my boots because my clutch was too long apparently), so all I had was my phone. Sad day. I still managed to catch some footage before my phone died. You can watch my full journey below:

Have you ever attended an awards show?

Meet Kate from Creative House Blog

Hi I’m Kate Danielle the girl behind the Creative House Blog. I started this blog to share my creative mind and relate to other creatives. Creativity is all around us in the way we live, dress, cook, raise kids and in the more obvious things like crafts and diy projects. Creative House Blog touches a little bit of all those aspects, but first here is a little more background info about me. I am a wife to an amazing husband, Chris, who has supported me and all my crazy ideas for 5+ years, a mom to a beautiful, spunky baby girl and a sweet dog, and a wedding photographer.

Get your feet wet with these posts:

DIY Audrey Hepburn Baby Halloween Costume

Throw Pillows made Unique with Silhouette Heat Transfer Material

How to Sew a Minky and Cotton Blanket with a Satin Ruffle

Initial This! Personalized Coffee Mugs

What 3 words describe you?

Creative, Shy, Spunky

What's your favorite part about blogging?

I love sharing my ideas and connecting with others. I started Creative House Blog when I was pregnant (now my baby is 1) and it has been a place for my to have a voice, interact with others and something that is for me. I love being a mom but we all need our own thing sometimes.

What have been some of your favorite DIY projects?

One of my favorite DIY projects was creating Ali’s Nursery, especially the q uilt I made her, I had never made a quilt before but quilting is something I watched my grammy do growing up and I was happy to make something special for my daughter. I also love my family throw pillows that feature my dog and Ali’s handprint.

What's something you love about spring?

I love breaking out spring clothes! Scarfs, Maxi Dresses, Jean Jackets, Oh My!

What are three things you want to accomplish in 2015?

My Blog to exceed 10,000 monthly page views , Grow my Etsy Shop, Create a Digital Magazine

What song are you currently obsessed with?

Home by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

What's your favorite book?

I am a huge Harry Potter Fan! The books are just so good, I love the movies too but when I went to the park I felt as though I stepped into my own imagination. I even keep Tales of Beedle the Bard on the nursery bookshelf and I am excited to share the book with my daughter one day.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

This is so hard to pick, I would love to travel around Europe but I love animals so I would also love to do an African Safari.

If you could live a day in the life of anyone, dead or alive, who would you choose and why?

I never have an answer to this question and I feel like I should. For the totally selfish reasons of wanting to know what it is like to be famous I might be a musician who actor for a day.

Where is your happy place?

As much as I love to be adventurous I really am happy at home with my family having down time.

Name 5 things that make you happy.

My Loved Ones, My Golden-Collie, Good Books, Popcorn and Movies, Being Creative

For more from Kate Danielle, check out these links:

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Google+ | Bloglovin

Snapchat: kate.creativehouse

I Was Here by Gayle Forman | Book Review

I Was Here follows a girl named Cody whose best friend, Meg, committed suicide. She always thought of Meg as her bubbly, happy go lucky best friend, and she's left feeling a huge sense of loss and confusion after her death. At the request of Meg's parents, Cody travels to Meg's apartment to collect her belongings where she finds several things about Meg that she doesn't quite understand, particularly an encrypted file and a guy named Ben McAllister who Meg briefly described to Cody in past emails. When Cody dives deeper into this side of Meg that she hardly knows about, she starts to question whether she knew her best friend at all.
I was immediately drawn to Cody because I could feel her loss. I sympathized with her when she really started questioning whether or not she really knew her best friend. Even though I liked most things about Cody, she almost left me with a ton of frustration. I just thought she was pretty selfish because in the book it describes how Meg would reach out to her to come and visit her at school, but Cody would just make open-ended promises with no intention of actually making it there, and that just really upset me. She just wasn't a good best friend at times, and it was almost like she was trying to justify it by diving deeper into Meg's suicide, which is understandable. I loved Cody, and I think the only reason I got so frustrated with her is because she was such a believable character.
I loved the development between Cody and her mom. One thing I love about YA novels is that there's usually the main character and their best friend with some kind of conflict aside from what the plot actually is, but in this case, since the best friend was dead, Gayle Forman still brought that element into it but made it with Cody's mom instead. This was an element of the book that was so relatable to me, and I loved how Gayle made their relationship progress throughout the novel in small ways.
Of course, it wouldn't be a Gayle Forman novel without a bit of romance, right? I really loved Ben as a character. In fact, I think it's safe to say that he was my favorite character. That being said, I wasn't a huge fan of Cody and Ben together. At times, it was okay, but at other times, it just seemed forced. Their lives were kind of thrown together accidentally because of Meg's death, but I feel like they chose the wrong people to lean on in this tragedy. I think if the novel were written with them just as friends and not romantically entangled, I would have enjoyed their relationship a lot more. I also didn't like the blase mention of Ben and Meg's former "relationship," and it was just weird how they came together in that way.

Overall, I give this book a 3.5 out of 5. It wasn't my favorite by Gayle Forman, but I definitely still enjoyed it!

I WENT SKYDIVING!

Yesterday, I was able to cross something off of my bucket list. I WENT SKYDIVING! My friend, Jimi, and I skydived with Skydive Louisiana, and holy crap. What an amazing experience. I didn't get nervous until I was about to jump out of the plane!

It was all fun and games until we started to spin! Like an idiot, I didn't eat anything besides part of an apple before I took the jump. I was too nervous to have a real meal, and all of that adrenaline mixed in with a stomach full of nothing just didn't work out for me.
Luckily, I had a blast during the free fall. That was definitely my favorite part. I felt like I was flying, which was just an absolutely incredible feeling. When the parachute opened, I screamed "OH MY GOSH!" and then the camera man just fell away. And I know it may seem impossible to look cute while you're falling at 120 mph, but I somehow managed to put my best face forward and look adorable in all of my pictures.

I was fine during the first few spins. We pulled on the strings together and we spun around three times. When we spun the other way four times, my head just wasn't having it. I got the worst headache of my life, it seemed. Thankfully, I was till able to enjoy the rest of the skydive because the instructor loosened the straps a little and he let me put my arms to the side so I could rest a bit. At the end, I started coughing, and I thought I was going to throw up. Not kidding. I held it all in though, and I had an awesome landing!

Afterward, Jon was so sweet to me and made me a chicken salad sandwich before I passed out for several hours because my head was just aching so bad.
You can watch my skydive adventure below. Just prepare yourself for a lot of super cute facial expressions and bright pink shoes. And the answer is no, I don't know what I'm doing with my hands the whole time.

Have you ever been skydiving? Is it on your bucket list?

Eating My Way Through Las Colinas, Texas

For those of you that didn't know, I spent a few days in Las Colinas, Texas for work. I was filling in for the director of sales at a hotel up there, but of course, I had to plan out a few activities to do on my own. I thought that I was going to spend a little extra time sleeping too, but I actually probably got less sleep than usual. It was totally worth it though.
After checking in to my hotel room, my first stop was In-N-Out Burger. I find it necessary to make a stop there every time I go to Texas. It was delicious as usual. The night after my first day of work was pretty chill, other than getting lost on the way to dinner. So typical. I literally have no sense of direction, and I always get lost in Texas. It never fails.
I was trying to go to a restaurant called Fish City Grill, but I took a wrong turn and ended up in a not so great part of town. I was sketched out. I did end up finding the restaurant, and I had an amazing meal. I was really craving some oysters, so I had to get a few of those. I also got some shrimp and grits which were absolutely incredible. I love shrimp and grits, but this one had bacon and extra yummy-ness built in. And duh I had wine.

The next day, I got lunch to go from this little French restaurant called La Madeline's. It was suggested to me by the people I was working with, and holy cow, it was amazing! I had a chicken salad sandwich with French onion soup and some pasta with a fruit tart and lemon tart for dessert.

After work, I went to dinner at The Blue Fish, and they had happy hour sushi at the bar, so duh I was all over that! I had a glass of wine with a California roll and a spicy salmon roll along with crab potstickers (which were surprisingly good). I practically inhaled that so I wouldn't be late for my movie, which was a good 45 minutes away (not counting the time I had been lost on the way there, because of course I was bound to get lost)!

I went to see Home at the Coyote Drive-In movie theater. It wasn't my first choice for a movie, but it was still cool to go to my first drive-in movie! It was on my bucket list, so I finally got to cross that off. The reason I went to see that particular movie was because they only had three screens - one was showing Fast and Furious 7, which I didn't want to see; one was showing Insurgent, which I had already seen, and the other was showing Home, so of course, I went to see that. It wasn't very good, but oh well. I still had an awesome time and even enjoyed a cup (not a glass) of wine while watching the movie.
The following day, I ate lunch at this new restaurant called Sprout, which is an Asian BBQ restaurant that I will definitely go back to every time I go to Las Colinas. My favorite was the spring roll. The workers were so incredibly nice, which is why I ended up going back the next day, but we'll get to that later.

After work, I got ready for a little drive to Dallas so I could go to the Matt Hires concert at the Prophet Bar. I had only known two songs by him, but it was a $10 show, and I love shows at bars, so I knew I was going to have a good time.
When I got there, I embarrassed myself and handed my ticket to this girl who was waiting outside. Unfortunately, she did not work there. It was all kinds of awkward, but it ended up okay, because both of us were there by ourselves, and we ended up hanging out. She fangirled as much as I did, and we had fun meeting the musicians.
Ty Mayfield opened up the show, and he was incredible. I'm seriously so obsessed with his music, and his latest CD has been playing nonstop in my car. I keep telling Jon that I want to have him play at our wedding, and I'm so serious about it. I met him after the show, and he was so nice. I bought some merch from his wife, who was also super sweet.

The duo that played after Ty was called Mankind Forever. I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about them because they were acting a bit crazy, but they were pretty hilarious and actually pretty good. They ended their set with a cover of "500 Miles" by The Proclaimers, and it was so fun to sing along.

I was so excited when Matt Hires hit the stage. I met him a few times before he went on, and it was so neat just chatting with him. I tried not to fangirl too much, but it's me we're talking about, so I was all sorts of awkward.
Matt was so, so incredible. I was thrilled that I was actually able to sing along to a few of his songs. He took requests from the audience, and at the end of his set, he sang a completely acoustic version of "Hang Up My Rock and Roll Shoes" that was beautiful. Well, actually, he tried to end his set with that, but then someone requested his song "Forever," because he hadn't sang it, so he ended up singing that acoustic too, which was so lovely.

The next day, which was my last day in Las Colinas, I woke up feeling like a million pounds. I was exhausted from staying out late, drinking a couple drinks, and driving thirty or so minutes back to the hotel. Plus, I had to shower, which made my night extend a bit longer. So needless to say, I was not feeling it.
I ended up finishing up all the work assigned to me before lunch, and then I went to Sprout to get a light lunch before I left. I didn't get a full meal this time and ended up just eating two spring rolls, because those things are seriously it. I want to eat them all the time. I would love to learn how to make them.
I had so much fun on my little Texas adventure. I think any trip is successful when you can cross something off of your bucket list. I can't wait to go to the area again, mostly so I can eat at Sprout again (not gonna lie).
You can also recount my Las Colinas trip in my travel vlog below:

Have you ever visited Texas before?

When Famous People Tweet You Back | Part 2

I feel like it's a little victory every time a verified person on Twitter interacts with me. I seriously get a little thrill and screenshot it. It doesn't matter if it's a favorite, retweet or reply, I get embarrassingly excited.
I already shared a few times famous people have showed me some love on Twitter, so you can check that out here.
ACTORS/ACTRESSES Shane West I had just gotten my "Hello Boys" shirt from Mark Sheppard's Represent campaign. Jon ordered it for me because he loves me. I put it on and tweeted out a pic because I thought it was ironic that I was wearing a picture depicting Supernatural's King of Hell on Easter, so of course I tweeted it out, mentioned feeling like a heathen and justified my shirt choice with it being Salem Sunday! Then Shane West retweeted me, and I literally squealed (Jon as my witness).

Looking like a heathen with my @Mark_Sheppard shirt on, but it's k cause it's #SalemSunday 😈 #Supernatural @shanewest pic.twitter.com/Ou021gdTLN
— Tiffany Khyla (@tiffanykhyla) April 5, 2015

James Phelps As I mentioned in my Dallas ComicCon post, James Phelps tweeted me TWICE!

@tiffanykhyla thanks
— James Phelps (@James_Phelps) October 20, 2014

@tiffanykhyla =D
— James Phelps (@James_Phelps) October 20, 2014

Claire Coffee
I don't know about you, but I love when celebrities take the time to blog. I have to admit that Claire was never my favorite person, because Adelind drives me crazy on Grimm, but after reading her blog and looking at her Instagram, I just started to adore her so much. Now I follow her on Twitter, and she literally cracks me up, and I love when she live tweets the show.

@tiffanykhyla It’s mutual, Tiffany!! Thank you!
— Claire Coffee (@clairecoffee) November 17, 2014

Ellen DeGeneres
Okay, so Ellen's never actually tweeted me or interacted with any of my tweets or anything, but she is following me, so I feel like that's the first step in us becoming BFFs.

MUSICIANS Matt Hires While I was in Las Colinas, TX for work, I decided to make the most of my time near Dallas and fit as many activities in as possible. My favorite night was when I went to see Matt Hires perform at The Prophet Bar. The day of the show, I was listening to his album nonstop, and in my excitement, I decided to tweet about it. I was pumped when he tweeted me back!

@tiffanykhyla See you soon!
— matthires (@matthires) April 8, 2015

Ty Mayfield Ty Mayfield was the opening act for Matt Hires, and holy cow, he was amazing. I don't know how people aren't talking about him all the time, because he was so talented. I've been listening to his albums so much, and I can't get enough. After his performance, I tweeted about him, and he favorited it.

Officially obsessed with @TyMayfieldMusic! #amazing 🎶🎶🎶
— Tiffany Khyla (@tiffanykhyla) April 9, 2015

Sheppard
After I discovered "Geronimo" for the first time last November, I pretty much had it on repeat for about a week. I loved it so much! After tweeting about my obsession, they favorited it.

#onrepeat today: Geronimo by @wearesheppard
— Tiffany Khyla (@tiffanykhyla) November 13, 2014

Caroline Glaser
I really think Caroline should've won the fourth season of The Voice. I was so mad at Adam for kicking her off. Of course, I'm still a fan of hers, and I've been loving her EPs. When I tweeted about it last September, she was kind enough to favorite it.

Listening to @CarolineGlaser's new EP, Better Days, Vol. 2, on repeat today. It so beautiful! #nowplaying #betterdays #onrepeat
— Tiffany Khyla (@tiffanykhyla) September 18, 2014

Xenia
Xenia was another contestant on The Voice that I loved. She was on season 1, and she was incredible. I love a lot of the songs she's put out, and I'm especially in love with the song "Hiding Places." When I tweeted out about it, she retweeted me.

"Hiding Places" by @Xenia is the perfect song to fall asleep to 🎧
— Tiffany Khyla (@tiffanykhyla) October 25, 2014

John King John is an up-and-comer in the country music scene. After hearing his collab with Cimorelli, I became obsessed, so of course I had to tweet about it. I was so happy when he replied!

@tiffanykhyla @Cimorelliband Haha so glad you like it Tiffany!!!
— John King (@johnkingcountry) March 2, 2015

AUTHORS Jodi Picoult
As soon as I read in Jodi's newsletter that there was going to be a companion novel to Between the Lines, I was so excited that I had to tweet about it, and then I was even more excited when she retweeted me!

There's going to be a sequel to Between the Lines! The #bookworm inside me is squealing with excitement! @jodipicoult http://t.co/Z0s1zeI393
— Tiffany Khyla (@tiffanykhyla) November 5, 2014

Sarah Dessen While reading Sarah Dessen's new novel, Saint Anything, I tweeted quite a few times, and Sarah Dessen was sweet enough to show me some love with a few favorites.

Reading @sarahdessen's new book, Saint Anything, while I wait for #Insurgent to start #YAcentral pic.twitter.com/YOP6kybKcU
— Tiffany Khyla (@tiffanykhyla) March 20, 2015

Layla eats French fries and Pop-Tarts, so I ate French fries and Pop-Tarts...for dinner...last night #SaintAnything @sarahdessen
— Tiffany Khyla (@tiffanykhyla) March 24, 2015

Rainbow Rowell
I became such a fan of Rainbow after reading Eleanor & Park and Fangirl, and she showed me some love by favoriting my tweets.

Losing sleep to finish Eleanor & Park by @rainbowrowell. Worth it. #bookwormprobs
— Tiffany Khyla (@tiffanykhyla) March 17, 2014

@rainbowrowell just continues to amaze me. I loved her book, #Fangirl. Reviewing it on the blog! #bookreview http://t.co/YtVd080seR
— Tiffany Khyla (@tiffanykhyla) July 18, 2014

Marissa Meyer
During NaNoWriMo, I was obsessed with reading through tips from Marissa, because she started out writing with NaNoWriMo before she was published, and that just really motivated me. Plus, Marissa is just an awesome person, and she had tweeted me in the past, but these ones were extra special because during most of 2014, I was trying to plan out my novel, and she's one of the main reasons I decided to participate in NaNo in the first place.

@tiffanykhyla Aw, thanks! If you ever have any specific questions I can try to work them into a blog post. :)
— Marissa Meyer (@marissa_meyer) July 18, 2014

@tiffanykhyla Best. Compliment. EVER. <3
— Marissa Meyer (@marissa_meyer) September 12, 2014

E. Lockhart
After reading We Were Liars, I became a huge fan of E. Lockhart. This book hooks you from the beginning, and it's this crazy mystery with a mind-blowing ending, and it's just incredible. I was so grateful that she took the time to thank me TWICE after tweeting out about how much I loved her book.

I don't know how I'm going to live a normal life after reading 'We Were Liars' by @elockhart #sobs #depressed #didntseethatcoming
— Tiffany Khyla (@tiffanykhyla) December 2, 2014

Reviewing 'We Were Liars' by @elockhart. Spoiler alert: I gave it a 5/5. #WeWereLiars #bookreview http://t.co/PxiOYU7yUY
— Tiffany Khyla (@tiffanykhyla) December 5, 2014

Jennifer Niven
While I was nearing the end of All the Bright Places, I realized that it was almost 1 am, but I was so close to the end, that I decided to just go ahead and finish it. I tweeted out my thoughts, and Jennifer was kind enough to show me some love with a retweet.

Who needs sleep when you're at the end of a really good book? #AllTheBrightPlaces #bookwormproblems @jenniferniven 📖😨
— Tiffany Khyla (@tiffanykhyla) April 10, 2015

Suzanne Young
I was pretty enthusiastic about finishing The Program (though sadly I still haven't read The Treatment), and I think this tweet that Suzanne favorited pretty much says it all.

Holy crap! 'The Program' by @suzanne_young was so incredible. I need to get my hands on 'The Treatment' ASAP! #theprogram
— Tiffany Khyla (@tiffanykhyla) December 5, 2014

Leila Sales
I adore Leila Sales, and she's tweeted me back before, but every time she interacts with me is exciting. She tweeted about the book cover for her new book, and I tweeted her back saying I loved it, because I do. It's freaking precious. You can look at it here. Then she favorited my tweet.

@LeilaSalesBooks the cover looks beautiful! I love it and can't wait to read it!
— Tiffany Khyla (@tiffanykhyla) November 19, 2014

Sharing a few books I'd like to see as movies by authors such as @marissa_meyer @LeilaSalesBooks @allycondie & more! http://t.co/UJnHqjjmoJ
— Tiffany Khyla (@tiffanykhyla) September 26, 2014

Frank Portman
When I was at Texas Teen Book Festival, I had an awesome little chat with Frank Portman while I was waiting in the book buying line, and he was peacing out. During one of the activities, I tweeted about the song he sang, which I still love, and he retweeted me!

Can't get "Cinthya with a Y" out of my head @frankportman #TTBF14
— Tiffany Khyla (@tiffanykhyla) October 18, 2014

Leila Howland
I discovered Leila's book when I went to the Austin Teen Book Festival, but I never met her because I didn't buy the book at the festival. I later read it and loved it. She was sweet enough to favorite the tweet I published about reading her book, Nantucket Blue, and then she replied to a later tweet to thank me for reviewing it.

@tiffanykhyla Thanks for the review Tiffany!
— Leila Howland (@leilahowland) September 2, 2014

I love when well-known people interact with me on Twitter, whether it's a celebrity, an author or even a well-known blogger or YouTuber. My dream tweet backs would be Emma Watson, Kristen Bell, Taylor Swift, Zac Efron, JK Rowling, Jared Padalecki, Misha Collins and Zoe Sugg.

Have any famous or well-known people tweeted you? What famous people do you wish would tweet you back?

Becoming Bliss | Stress Less

I don't know about y'all, but it feels like spring has been taking a toll on me. Between working full-time, keeping up with my blog and the Blogging Elite, filming and editing videos for my YouTube channel, working on a special project, and attempting to have a social life, it's like I don't even know the meaning of the words "free time" anymore. I'm about ready to pull out my hair (and maybe I should because it's been growing a lot lately - hellooooo split ends).
When I have too much on my plate, it's hard for me to let any of it go. I run around like a chicken with it's head cutoff (and I think we all know that's not a pretty sight). Luckily, I've come up with a few ways to help me stress a little less.
WRITE IT ALL DOWN I've always been a very visual person, so if I see a list of all the things that I need to do written down in front of me, I can immediately feel a little more calm. Seeing it all laid out allows me to look at each thing I need to do, prioritize by what's most important and cross things off when I finish them. It gives me a sense of accomplishment because I can actually see my list getting shorter as I finish each task.
GET AWAY Sometimes when it all seems like to much, the best thing for you to do is step away from all of it. Instead of mentally replaying all of the things you need to accomplish in your head, get out and do something that has nothing to do with anything that you need to get down. If you're an athletic person, you could go for a run. If you're a writer, you could go old school with a paper and pen and go to town. If you're a reader, crack open a book (this one is my favorite). You could even just turn on Netflix and enjoy an episode of your favorite show. Giving your brain a break may be exactly what you need to do in order to re-energize and refocus.
BLAST SOME MUSIC Music has such an effect on me. If I'm listening to sad music, I'm instantly put in a sad mood. If I'm listening to dance music, I usually want to get up and dance. If I'm listening to happy music, you bet I'll be smiling by the end of the song. No matter what music you're into, it can really help to put your mind in a better place and really just help you loosen up and let your mind wander elsewhere. If you're anything like me, you'll end up dancing by yourself in your living room. Alternatively, you could go for a drive and blast the music to help clear your head a bit.
TAKE A BUBBLE BATH There's not much I enjoy more than soaking in a steaming hot bubble bath with my tablet next to me with Netflix on and a glass of wine nearby. It really is my own personal paradise. Even if you're like Chandler Bing and don't appreciate the greatness of a good bubble bath, you could also just take a hot shower and give your brain time to rest before you get back to the grind.
CALL SOMEONE UP Sometimes when you have a lot of stuff going on, what you really need is a friend, someone to listen to you and talk you and help you through all of the stress. Sometimes talking it out is the best thing you can do for yourself. Next time you're stressed, dial your best friend or closest relative and let the rant session begin.
BREAK A SWEAT I know when I'm working out or physically exerting myself in any way, I'm usually focused on my body and my breathing, not my endless to-do list. Go for a run, do some yoga, lift some weights, do some push-ups, get out in the sunshine!
LAUGH I am a wholehearted believer in that laughter really is the best medicine. Laughter pulls me out of the foulest of moods. Call up a friend ask them to tell you a funny story. Go on YouTube and watch a series of hilarious videos. Watch your favorite comedy show on Netflix. Whatever you do, just laugh your little heart out.
DRINK SOME WINE This may not be backed by scientific fact, but I know that when I drink a glass of wine (or even take a shot if I'm feeling extra classy), it instantly relaxes me. I think I've mentioned a time or two that my love affair with wine is so real, and just taking a few minutes to enjoy a glass helps take my mind off of the many things I need to get done.
What are your favorite ways to de-stress? Share it in a blog post, and link it up below!

A Day in the Life of My Lenovo Yoga 2 Tablet Pro.

I was always one of those people that said I didn't have a need for a tablet because what could a tablet do that my phone and/or my laptop couldn't? Of course, that's before I discovered the Lenovo Yoga 2 Tablet Pro. It isn't like most tablets, and I've found a way to ease it into my everyday life. It has features that many other tablets can only dream about.
The tablet was designed by Ashton Kutcher, who is Lenovo's product engineer and was hands-on in the concept and development of the product. I think we all know how hectic Ashton's life can be, so if this Lenovo tablet can keep him organized, that I think it can definitely work for anyone, no matter what your lifestyle may be.
As a full-time sales coordinator in hospitality, a blogger, YouTuber, a wannabe author, and a dog mom, life can get pretty hectic sometimes, but my tablet keeps me from going insane, especially when it comes to my writing.
This is what a typical day looks like with the use of my Lenovo Yoga 2 Tablet Pro:
MORNING I use my tablet as my alarm in the morning, and I like to set it across the room so it forces me to get up and turn it off. Sometimes, I'm guilty of falling back asleep, which is why I have a second alarm just in case. I also use it as an alarm to let me know it's time to leave for work and make sure I'm not running late.

Before I leave for work, I like to check the weather and help that determine what my outfit will be for the day. It's handy to know if it's going to rain so I don't wear white or anything sheer or if it's going to be a little chilly, I can quickly grab a jacket.
While I'm at work, I look at my calendar to see if I have any appointments or engagements for the day. I also use it to keep track of birthdays, lunch dates, and for any plans I may have after work.

I use the Evernote app to keep track of my tasks for that day. I'm a big believer in lists, and I love being able to check things off of my to-do list. I love Evernote because you can set reminders for yourself or share the note with others and collaborate.
AFTERNOON During my lunch break, I like to get a little blogging time in. I use the Facebook app to keep up with The Blogging Elite, a Facebook blogging community that I created with the help of my friend, Nina. I also use Evernote to see if there are any blog tasks I can quickly get done while I'm off the clock. I use the Inbox by Gmail app to keep up with my emails, including any comments that anyone may have left on my blog posts, inquiries about collaboration posts with brands or bloggers, and anything else that may come through.

Throughout the day, I'll use Evernote to keep up with any ideas that may come through my head, whether it's an idea for a blog post, YouTube video, a character or plot for a book I may write one day, etc. I really love having Evernote close by me at all times, and I love that it syncs between my Lenovo tablet, my phone, and my laptop.

Another frequently used app on my Lenovo tablet is Google Drive. You'd be surprised by how many documents I've created with it. I use it for my blog for giveaways, keeping up with sponsorships, documenting my blog earnings, etc. I also use it for The Blogging Elite, so my co-founder and I can easily edit documents, share ideas, and collaborate. For real life, I use it to keep up with my movie and book collections, planning future vacations, expenses, an ongoing list of wines I've tried, and so much more.
EVENING I'm a big fan of multi-tasking, and that's one of the things that the Lenovo Yoga 2 Tablet Pro helps most with. While I'm on my laptop writing or editing a blog post, I can catch up on YouTube videos or even start binge-watching a Netflix show. It has a little stand in the back which makes it easy for me to set it on my night stand or even next to me in bed while I use my laptop to catch up on work for my blog, YouTube channel, or my first book that I'm currently in the middle of editing.

Before we go to bed, Jon and I often like to watch a bit of TV, but we don't have the cable hooked up in our room. While the tablet screen is plenty big for us to be comfortable watching it together, we do like to take advantage of the one blank wall we have in our bedroom. My favorite feature of this Lenovo tablet is the Pico projector. We literally use it on a daily basis to watch TV together (right now, we're currently rewatching every episode of Friends). It's also perfect if we want to have friends over for a movie night or practice a presentation for work.

A few of my favorite features of the Lenovo Yoga 2 Tablet Pro: // Versatility: I can use it like a typical tablet or I can use the stand to prop it up. I can also put out the stand and flip it to the top and use it at a tilt. I could even hang it on the wall using the hole in the stand. I love that there are so many ways for me to use it.

// Long-lasting battery: It's crazy how long the battery on this tablet lasts. Jon and I can watch several episodes of Friends (or any other TV show for that matter) and the tablet just can't stop, won't stop.
//Pico projecter: Like I mentioned earlier, this is probably my favorite feature of the tablet. I've always wanted to get a projector, but I think having this tablet is even better than just having a projector because I also get so many other awesome things rather than just one.
As you can probably tell, I'm in love with my Lenovo Yoga 2 Tablet Pro, and I really have found a way to incorporate it into all aspects of my life. I'm officially a believer in owning a tablet, but only if it's this one. I love that it's lightweight, and I can use it anywhere, and I've taken it with me on numerous leisure and work trips. I've also purchased a case for it (found here) so it can better fit my personality and of course also protect and prolong its beauty. You can also see the journeys of many other Lenovo Yoga 2 Tablet Pros by clicking here.
Are you a fan of using tablets?
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

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