Amanda Alvarado

No comments

Now that all of the fun of the hot summer days are over and your travel schedule is probably starting to wind down, we can start looking forward to the best season ever - fall!

I am so excited for the cool and crisp days, the apple picking, and the spooky season! Fall, for me, at least, also means a chance to clean out and start over. That’s why today, I want to share a few tips to slay your fall cleaning, especially if you are a busy individual like myself!

To be honest, it is very hard for me to find the time and the motivation to get my much needed fall cleaning done, but I try my best to make it work. When I get home after a long day, all I want to do is lay back on the couch and watch my favorite TV shows, but coming home to a messy and cluttered home is stressful and I am sure most of you feel me on that. So, let’s knock out our fall cleaning! Here are a few tips to help you slay it:

Survey Your Home

Before you get started, you need to survey and take note of your home. Take a moment to look around, see what needs to be done, and then figure out your goals for this fall cleaning session. Do you want to cover your entire home, or do you want to limit your cleaning to just a few areas in and out of your home? Don’t forget the exterior, as well! That is just as, if not, more important because if you do not keep up with it, it could lead to costly repairs down the road.

Make A List

Once you survey your home and figure out your priorities, make a list and timeline. When do you want to have all of this done? Organize your thoughts on paper so that you can stay organized. If you chose a few specific areas, write down what needs to be done in those areas. Also, make sure to mark what is most important to you. Start with your must-do tasks and work your way down your list. By setting up a list of tasks for each room, hopefully you will not get so overwhelmed. In fact, you might even find joy in checking off your tasks like I do!

Set Aside Time

This is the hard part - setting aside time. It is way too easy to come home and relax, like I mentioned above, but fall cleaning needs to be a priority on your list if you want to make it happen. Look at your calendar and figure out a good day to get it all done. Or, alternatively, you could set aside an hour a day for a couple of days. You know yourself best - choose what works for yourself specifically!

Remember That It’s Not A Sprint

One important thing to remember is that this is not a sprint. It does not have to be done in a few hours, or even in one day. If you expect too much of yourself, you are just gearing up for a lot of pressure and stress. Give yourself grace and let yourself have some time to get it all done. You’ve got this - just follow these steps and you will succeed in the end, without all of the extra stress of having to get it done asap.

Hire Help

Last but not least, hire help. This could be help in the form of an organization company to show you what to do, or this could be someone completely taking over a job for you. For example, if you want to work on the exterior of your home, once you figure out what needs to do, hire professionals that will do jobs that either A) stress you out, B) do it better than you would, or C) save you time.

For example, when it comes to your exterior, you need to make sure that it looks its best. One of the ways to make this happen is by pressure washing, but a lot of people do not know how to properly pressure wash their home without causing damage. This is just one of the many reasons why you need to hire professionals to do the work for you such as Peach State Pressure Wash. Serving the Intown and Metro-Atlanta area, Peach State Pressure Washing serves both residential and commercial customers. They strive to make each customers day just a little smoother and the world a bit better. This veteran-owned (and locally-owned, as well!) company is dedicated to high-quality and consistent service. They pay attention to the small details so that you do not have to. Remember when we talked about how it was easy to forget about your fall cleaning because of having a lack of time (or motivation)? Well, Peach State Pressure Washing is there to help you save time. They offer many services that can help with your fall cleaning and also offer regular maintenance cleaning service that eliminates your need to worry about exterior cleaning services such as pressure washing, gutter cleaning, window washing year-round.

Let's get to fall cleaning, shall we? I find that after doing some good cleaning, I just feel so much better. You know what I mean?

What are you most excited for this fall?

xx,
Amanda

2 comments

We're talking business today!

I've been running this blog for a while and working in radio and freelancing has really helped me pick up some different business strategies along the way. For all your business owners, this is for you! We're talking marketing.

Marketing is extremely important when it comes to every business’s survival and as a small business owner, you probably already have a small business marketing strategy and tactics that you use, but one aspect of marketing that you need to know is that it is always evolving and as it evolves, you need to evolve, as well in order to stay current with the most updated of trends so that your marketing strategies do not go stale.

In order to do this, I always recommend to stay up to date with the latest marketing trends and also watch your competitors. Since your competitors are trying to reach the same group of people (or close to, at least), their marketing tactics may work for you, as well, so keep an eye out and watch what is working for them...and then do it better. In addition to watching your competitors, these four business marketing strategies may also work for you.

Printed Marketing Materials

Printed marketing materials are crucial when it comes to making a good impression. In many cases, your printed materials are the first interaction your customers will have with your company and as they say, first impressions are everything! If your printed marketing materials are low quality, the people who receive them will assume that your products or services are, as well. This is why it is very important to take the time to invest in your marketing materials by hiring a professional company such as BuckBlue to help you out.

BuckBlue’s mission is to provide technically innovative, highest-quality printing that sets the standard for the industry. They are committed to maintaining their reputation for excellence in every way, delivering each job in a timely and cost-effective manner, giving their employees the training, support, and rewards that enable them to exceed their clients' expectations, and conducting their business in an environmentally responsible manner.

They are your go-to for full service digital print services in Georgia. When you work with them for your printed marketing materials, you can expect a flawless end product for your business applications with precise measurements, high-quality paper, and vibrant colors. This is because BuckBlue has state of the art laser printers where they print an exact replica of quality from your images, directly to the medium source. They have been serving the Metro-Atlanta area since 1987 providing fast online printing for both homes and businesses alike. They provide high-quality business cards, postcards, flyers, brochures, stationary, and other premium online print products for all of your business marketing needs.

Get Testimonials

Testimonials are key. Before people buy something or use a specific service, they often look for reviews and testimonials to confirm that it is a good buy. This is where some companies, such as Happiest Baby, have become marketing genius’. Not only do they have great reviews all over the web, but they also have a cult-like following on Instagram that gives testimonials daily. Follow their Instagram Stories to see pictures of cute babies yawning, or their tagged photos to hear about how The Snoo is the world’s best invention ever. Real testimonials such as these is what takes your business from just okay to top notch. Honestly, though - go follow Happiest Baby and see how they are doing it because they are somehow selling $1,200 bassinets (that only last until your baby is 6 months) with ease and I definitely think that it is due to their testimonials.

Become The Go-To Expert

Let other people do your marketing for you. Word of mouth marketing is the best of the best because people trust their friends. If you become an expert in whatever you are selling, people are bound to talk. For example, let’s look at the Chick-fil-A and Popeye’s situation that we had a couple of weeks ago. Everyone knows that Chick-fil-A is the expert when it comes to fried chicken sandwiches, so when Popeye’s threw a little competition their way, the crowd went wild. Now, people are talking about both Chick-fil-A and Popeyes and it turned out to be a great marketing tactic for not just Popeyes, but Chick-fil-A, as well.

Popeye’s basically told the world that they were the expert when it comes to chicken (no matter if they actually are or not) and now, they are back on the radar of many eyes, which (in my opinion) was not the case before their chicken war. Was this marketing tactic planned? Who knows. But, we now know that people go crazy for Popeye’s chicken, they are open on Sunday, and Chick-fil-A does not ever sell out of chicken. Who really won the battle in the end? In my eyes, both of them.

Collaboration

Collaborating with businesses that are in the same niche as you is a game changer. For example, host a giveaway on Instagram and ask other businesses with similar brands to join in. Now, the key to this is to include other businesses that are similar, but not a direct competitor of yours. So, if you are a real estate company, you would possibly find other real estate businesses such as home inspectors, closing attorney’s, etc. instead of finding other realtors. This way, their followers get a chance to “meet” you and vise versa for them.

I hope these little tips help you in marketing your business! Brag on your business and tell us all about what you do in a comment! I want to stalk you. That's cool, right? Haha!

xx,

Amanda

No comments

Improving your self-esteem isn’t as simple as clicking your fingers and magically changing your perspective. Nonetheless, with a little bit of time and perseverance, you can start to appreciate yourself. These are some small ways to start gaining body confidence.

Take care of your hair.

While your hair might not feel as important to your overall body confidence as the size of your waist or the quality of your skin, for instance, it plays a big part in your physical appearance. If you want to start gaining body confidence, then you should start by taking care of your hair. Nobody has the privilege of choosing the hair they get at birth. Whether you are brunette or redheaded and whether you have straight hair or frizzy hair, you have to learn to love what you’ve got.

Most importantly, you have to look after what you’ve got. Go easy on the hair products; some are better than others, but you don’t want to damage your hair. Don’t dye your luscious locks too often, and try to avoid drying your hair too vigorously (or at all) with a towel or a hairdryer. Of course, if you’re self-conscious about your appearance because of hair loss, then you might want to find a specialist who offers a hair transplant for women. That way, you can start to regain your body confidence by learning to love your hair again. If you want to feel comfortable in your own skin and appreciate your appearance, then you have to be brave enough to take bold steps in the right direction. Remember that you’re worth it.

Make sure you stay healthy.

If you’re worried that you’re too skinny or too curvaceous, then stop. That’s not a healthy way to view your body. In fact, the only thing that really matters is staying healthy. Forget about the pictures you see on Instagram of models with unattainable bodies (remember, Photoshop is a powerful tool). Forget about the contradictory beauty standards set by the media. You’ll always be too thin or too fat if you listen to that noise. All that really matters is keeping your body healthy.

If you’re naturally skinny or naturally curvaceous, then embrace your beauty. As long as you’re eating nutritious meals and staying physically active, then you’re treating your body as well as possible. This will also improve your mental health, and that’ll help to make you feel more confident, too. Forget fad diets because they won’t give you the sustenance you need. And forget the waist trainers; just make sure you keep your body moving. An active lifestyle and a good diet will work wonders for your physical wellbeing and, as a result, your emotional wellbeing.

Be kind to yourself.

If you really want to start gaining body confidence, then you need to be kind to yourself. It’s as simple as that. Nobody else would be as rude to you as you are to yourself. Think of it that way. It’s time to start standing in front of the mirror and coming up with positive things to say. Start making a list of the things you like about your appearance. Once you start focusing on your beautiful body, you’ll slowly start to appreciate yourself. At the end of the day, your opinion on your body is the only one that matters. So, stop being your own worst critic. Be your own best friend.

xx,

Amanda

No comments

Follow Me

Topics

Get My Planner

Popular Posts

A Note To You