Weekly Menu Round-Up: January 31-February 4

New week, new weekly menu! I’ve recently noticed that y’all have loved following along with my weekly menus and it makes me happy, too. They’re so much fun to post about and share what I make on my Instagram stories, too (follow me @_thepinkchickadee!). When getting into this week’s menu, I want to paraphrase something: things NEVER go as planned. This past week, I did not make my menu according to plan AND that is OKAY! My week did not go as expected – I had some mental struggles and that is all normal and okay. Just a reminder to y’all! Now, let’s get cooking, with HelloFresh of course 🙂

Meal 1: One-Pan Trattoria Tortellini Bake. Initially, I was going to bake this last week, BUT plans changed and that is okay. I am excited to try this recipe, as it feels like a delicious and simple yet comforting food staple. ALSO, it takes only 25 minutes to bake and my excitement is over the moon. Just like last week’s plan, I am going to serve this pasta deliciousness with Caesar salad.

Meal 2: Middle Eastern Salmon & Chickpea Bowls with Spiced Basmati Rice & Garlicky White Sauce. Very very very excited for this creation. I have always loved Middle Eastern cuisine and fell in love with it when I went to Bulgaria and Greece in June/July 2017 and frequented a Middle Eastern local joint right by Meredith College while in Raleigh during my college days. While I have yet to try salmon in a Middle Eastern cuisine dish, I am SO SO SO excited to be able to!

Meal 3: Sun-Dried Tomato Spaghetti with Fresh Herbs, Almonds, and Parmesan. This dish feels SO unique yet SO healthy and delicious at the same time. Very few times have I had a pasta dish with a nut of any kind in it and every time I do, it is AMAZING! I am oh so excited to try another pasta dish with nuts in it, especially right in my own kitchen. I will probably pair this dish with a salad of sorts, BUT knowing me: Caesar salad!

Meal 4: Sizzlin’ Hoisin Shrimp with Ginger Scallion Rice and Roasted Green Beans. Ever since I started using HelloFresh regularly, I have started to cook Asian cuisines at home. Let me tell y’all, the Asian dishes that I have whipped up in my own kitchen thanks to HelloFresh have been my favorites! My mouth is ALREADY watering from looking at photos and HelloFresh’s Instagram posts about this dish!

Meal 5: Charred Tomato & Ricotta Toasts with Walnuts, Chili Flakes, & Balsamic Glaze. While easy and simple, I am so so so excited to be able to try this dish. It comes with two servings, meaning I get two lunches out of it. And, y’all I am over the moon excited to try this dish out!

Meal 6: Shrimp & Mushroom Po’boys with Boardwalk Fries. While at college, I went to this pub regularly that was located right across the street from my apartment. Every time I went, I ALWAYS ordered the Shrimp Po’boy with French fries. AHHHH, y’all, I am CRAVING it right as I write this! Enough said.

This week’s menu excites me so so so much. Here’s to another great week for me and YOU!

XOXO – Katie <3

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The Importance of Self Love During Valentine’s Day

Once upon a time, I was 5 years old watching Cinderella and all of a sudden she finds her Prince Charming and they live happily ever after. I, then, dream of the same day myself, knowing my Prince Charming will come someday. It is 2004. Life is good. Little did I know, it would be 2022 and I am a 22 year old woman in the verge of kickstarting her career. Yet, she I have already started my career and am looking to progress even more in it and within my company. At the same time, I am also praying to find true love someday, with whomever God has set aside for me for when the timing is perfectly right. When Valentine’s Day comes around, being that it is the season of love, couples are ALWAYS highlighted. However, it is important to emphasize the love within yourself, too.

While it is human nature to want to be curious about and look around us for who may be our perfect match, we can also work to be our imperfect selves and love ourselves, too. Our future partners will be imperfect just like ourselves. Why not love our imperfectness just like we love and will love our future and/or current partners?!

Recently, I’ve become OBSESSED with a YouTuber named Mickey – a therapist who reacts to content from Christian fundamentalists and even Dr. Phil and many others, too. If you didn’t know, I am also a major fan of learning about Christian fundamentalism, BUT don’t worry I am not being a Christian fundamentalist (I am a practicing Christian, though) over here as I simply find the subject fascinating yet insane. Mickey provides a real life look into the realities of self love and having a peace with one’s self, too. Everyone’s self love journey is different, BUT it is key to remember that it is a very very very important one. Having peace with one’s self allows each and every single one of us to love ourselves as we do others.

I find it REALLY important to be able to love ourselves and work on loving ourselves. I am personally always working on my self love journey and firmly believe that one’s self love journey is ever-evolving. There are some times where we feel at peace with ourselves and others where we don’t and that is OKAY. I always find it important to love others for who they are, even though we find it SO hard to love ourselves within that mix at times, especially when others may make us feel less than our true potential. BUT, through it all and all of the ups and downs in this so-called thing known as life, we always have ourselves.

It’s important to remember that we’re each perfectly flawed and perfectly imperfect. As we love each and every single one of our friends and family members, remember to love yourself this Valentine’s Day – imperfect and perfectly flawed.

XOXO – Katie <3

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6 Things I Learned from 6 Months in the Workforce 

So, I have now been in the workforce for 6 months! Since starting my job, it has been a whirlwind of excitement and growth and learning that I am excited to see where I grow since starting my job. I really love the company that I work for and hope to stay there and expand my career there, too. While I am in the data analytics subject area in my day to day job, I want to share lessons that I have learned that will help people in ANY subject area or industry in Entry-Level roles and/or simply starting out in the workforce within their day to day life – you can also follow me on Instagram (@_thepinkchickadee) to see my daily work outfits.

  1. Your coworkers will come from all walks of life and that’s an AMAZING thing – The workforce is MUCH different from college life. You are working with people of ALL ages and ALL different backgrounds. As someone who has always had a passion for learning about others and their lives and backgrounds, I find this to be such a great thing and a lifelong skill – learning from others’ experiences and growing from it all. The MORE we learn about others and their experiences that aren’t our own, the more we grow as people from what we learn. Trust me, it’s a beautiful thing and you’ll love that aspect of the workforce as time goes on!
  2. You will learn valuable skills that you will use in many different ways – Whether you realize it or not, your job will teach you valuable skills that you will apply in many different ways, whether it be in your career now, down the road, or other aspects of your life. For example, I have ALWAYS been afraid to ask for help, as I have continuously seen myself as someone who wants to do it all on her own. BUT, being in the workforce has made me realize that in life, it DOES take a tribe. Your coworkers will want to help you 9 times out of 10 and are happy to, even when the question may feel “stupid” or “dumb” to you. The same concept goes for planning a dinner party for 10 of your friends and family on your own where everyone brings a dish to share. No one should do it on their own. Whatever the skills may be for you, you will learn some valuable skills from your job, both in your industry and area of expertise and simply life skills. Be thankful for that, too.
  3. Don’t be afraid to introduce yourself to someone new – Being in the workforce is not just about what you know but who you know. When starting a brand-new job and entering into the workforce, there are going to be a LOT of new faces. I have always made an effort to introduce myself to someone new within my company or industry, no matter how nervous I may feel about it. While it is daunting at first, 9 times out of 10, people are EXCITED to meet you too. People are typically touched to be able to meet someone new and know that you took the time to introduce yourself to them and that you want to know them too. It may be nerve-wracking and overwhelming at first, but it WILL be worth it in the long run. And, perhaps, you may make a new friend or two too!
  4. Take time outside of work to learn your role – As an entry-level employee, I find it REALLY valuable to take the time to LEARN your role and the ropes of my role and simply being in the workforce. Simply putting it, along with doing your job and getting the job done (because, yes, people aka your coworkers and boss ARE relying on you to get the job done), it’s also your job to LEARN while on the job. Taking the time to simply learn new things while on the job WILL take much effort on your part – it may mean taking some time outside of your job to learn it all too. Jobs are ALL about learning and growing while getting paid to do so, unlike college!
  5. Set some goals but be REALISTIC – Having goals professionally is SO important. But, it is also important to ensure that your goals are concise and realistic. That being said, if you have 10 professional goals, that may be exciting and enthralling, but it also may not be realistic to achieve them all within 6 months or even a year. And, perhaps, you may be able to combine 1-2 of your goals into one big goal. Goals are an excellent way to aim for something exciting and bigger within your professional role and life. Goals will help you to be able to discover your passions and work towards something that will lead to a stronger and healthier professional life for yourself in the long run. Not only will you be able to work professionally through setting goals, but also personally. Though, through it all, it’s important to remember that goals can and will change over time and that is OKAY. Life may take its toll and your perceptions of your initial goals may change. Be sure to be flexible and adapt through the goal getter process!
  6. Above all else, remember to make time for YOU! – While the hustle is the name of the game of the workforce, it is also just as important to take some time away from the hustle for yourself. Be sure to take breaks – maybe go for a walk, go to the gym, go to the grocery store, get coffee with friends, or even take a nap. Perhaps, you can EVEN focus on your own passions outside of work, whether that be a side hustle, your pet(s), cooking, outdoor activities, or something else. If we work too much, then we loose ourselves from within. We NEED to take time for ourselves and even take days off for ourselves, simply on a trip, staycation, or just to nap and watch TV. Above all else, it is OKAY to take breaks, even when work may feel overwhelming. Remember that.

The workforce may define our lives on a daily basis, BUT we must take time to personally succeed and grow, too. Above all else, being in the workforce will shape you into the person that you are meant to become. Trust the process of it all.

XOXO – Katie <3

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Weekly Menu Round-Up: January 24-30

On the daily – well, at least when I cook – I post on Instagram (follow my @_thepinkchickadee) the meals that I cook on my stories. About two weeks ago, I got my first-ever Hello Fresh box and have been LOVING it ever since I started. Just like last week’s menu, this week’s menu is ALL things Hello Fresh (read last week’s menu here!). Now, let’s get into the menu!!

Meal 1: Steakhouse Mushroom Salad. This is a vegetarian salad dish that is notoriously for its great pairing with steak. Although I am mostly on a pescatarian diet (I eat other meats on occasion), I am very excited about this veggie packed salad and will be pairing it with foil baked shrimp and Air Fryer baked potatoes along with sea salt and melted butter. I am most definitely making this recipe into my own meal that screams Katie, but without the steak (though, I will say that I eat steak on very rare occasions)!

Meal 2: One Pan Trattoria Tortellini Bake. I have always loved a good pasta bake; I mean, who doesn’t?! The best part about this pasta bake is that the tortellini is made from a wheat base and is portioned to only two servings, so I get that pasta greatness and deliciousness but within moderation. I plan to serve this delicious creation with a Giant grocery store-branded Caesar salad that I tried and LOVED last week.

Meal 3: Crunchy Curried Chickpea Bowls. This dish reminds me of a veggie bowl at Cava but make it home cooked! Personally, I have always loved Cava – it is healthy and low calorie compared to the rest of the takeout world’s dishes yet it’s still just as great as the rest of the takeout world. I usually get a side of naan when I go to Cava, so I plan to eat this Cave-Like veggie bowl with toasted garlic naan.

Meal 4: Trout in Dijon Sauce with Balsamic Greens, Walnuts and Grapes PLUS Garlic Bread. This dish feels fancy restaurant good but healthy and well-balanced. Initially, this dish had pork as its protein, but I was able to swap it out for trout which I am *VERY* excited about! I am always down to try a delicious-looking seafood dish like this one and I am super excited to do so.

Meal 5: Proscuitto Caprese Sandwiches with Pesto Mayo. I LOVED getting to try the Pesto Caprese Sandwiches with Almond-Studded Green Salad last week (I am STILL craving that salad!), so I am super excited to get to try this similar variation of last week’s dish. Just like last week’s sandwiches, they are also on a ciabatta roll, which I think is perfect for Caprese-like sandwiches. Through it all, I am able to get a simple taste of Italy (I studied abroad in Tuscany in June 2018) while at home and probably working while I eat it!

Meal 6: Garlic Bread & Sweet Kale Salad. My Mom always bought and served the sweet kale salad from Costco and I LOVE it. So, I am excited to try Hello Fresh’s Sweet Kale Salad, too. Needless to say, I am ALWAYS looking for a delicious Sweet Kale Salad to try! Sweet Kale Salads are healthy, sweet, and delicious in all different ways. I plan to serve it with crab cakes, since I love how it balances out the sweetness of the salad.

Here’s to another great week with even greater meals!!

XOXO – Katie <3

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How I Stay Connected to my College as a College Alumnae

They say that college is the best 4 years of your life. While that may be true for some (it felt that way to me at some points!), however your college experience was for you, I see staying connected to your sweet college alma mater is an important part of adulthood. Since graduating from college 8 months ago, I find it tough to keep connectivity with my sweet alma mater, especially when living in a different city. However, I have been able to maintain a strong connection with my sweet college and now alma mater – Meredith College – since graduation! So, I am listing some of the ways that I stayed connected and maintain my connection!

  1. Join an Alumnae Facebook Group – This has been a groundbreaking way for me to stay connected to other Meredith College Alumnae of ALL ages. Meredith College has a private, Alumnae-only Facebook Group where Alumnae of all ages, backgrounds, and generations share job opportunities, photos of old and new Meredith College memories, and hear about the latest and greatest within the Meredith College world and Meredith College Alumnae world. Needless to say, I LOVE interacting with Alumnae of all ages and living all around the world who share their Meredith College Pride with me.
  2. Be sure to keep up to date with your college’s Alumnae email lists – One of the first things that I did when I graduated from Meredith was to add my email to the Meredith College Alumnae email list. I simply went to Meredith’s website and typed in “alumnae” in the search bar. I, then, found where I could sign up for email updates on ALL things Alumnae. Meredith even has an Alumnae-specific online shop called the Meredith Market owned by the Meredith College Alumnae House, where Alumnae can purchase some super adorable merchandise (new every season and certain events on campus, too!). At the same time, I get updates on current happenings and events on campus, Alumnae-specific events, and much more!
  3. Attend Alumnae Reunion Weekends – If you are able to, Alumnae Reunion Weekends are THE BEST! I find these a great way to get connected to people of all ages who happen to be alumnae at your college. They’re also an excellent way to revisit your college campus and relive some of the many amazing memories you may have made there. At the same time, you can reconnect and connect with people you knew during your college years and people you may have not, alike. Either way, you’ll probably make many many more memories on your sweet college campus!
  4. Connect with Alumnae in your area – Many college Alumnae Houses and Associations have Chapters specific to cities where their Alumnae may live. For instance, Meredith College has a Washington, DC Alumnae event that they host every year or more, to connect Alumnae within the Washington, DC area. The same goes for Charlotte, North Carolina and many more cities where Meredith College Alumnae may live. My Big Sis from Meredith actually lives not that far from me – also in the Washington, DC area so I’m glad I have one Meredith connection here and hope to make more as I attend more Meredith College Alumnae via events in Washington, DC!
  5. Make an effort to keep in touch and check in on your college friends every so often – THIS is VITAL to staying connected to your college alma mater. Making sure to stay connected to your friends from college is an important way to feel a connection to your alma mater. I ALWAYS try to reach out to my college friends every so often. Whether you call them, FaceTime them, grab some coffee or dinner, or simply shoot them a text, a nice check in with a good college friend is ALWAYS good for the soul. Life can and will get busy for us ALL, so a simple reaching out to your college friends is always nice – for you and for them. It most definitely is a two way street when coming to reaching out to your college friends or vice versa – both parties have to put in some effort. BUT, if you both make the effort, then that is a friendship that you will have for live!
  6. Support small businesses owned by Alumnae and current students at your alma mater – Personally, I am a sucker for small businesses! I know many of y’all are too. I think it’s fun to support small businesses run by current students and Alumnae of your alma mater, if you can somehow figure out where they went to school. BUT, I will say that simply searching for your college’s name on Etsy is a great place to start, since many small businesses house their sales on Etsy. Another way to search for small businesses run by people from your alma mater is to simply ask around, whether it be on social media or a basic Google search.
  7. Donate to your alma mater (if you’re financially able to!) – One way to make an impact on your alma mater is to give back. Though, I will say that this option is NOT for everyone, whether it be their financial priorities, where they choose to spend their money, or something else and that is all OKAY. Personally, I give back to Meredith College to a department within the college that made a strong impact on me monthly. I am apart of a donor society that’s based on how much many someone donates per month/year and get invited to specific donor events and all through that, too, which is fun. Giving back to Meredith College allows me to leave a mark on my sweet alma mater from afar while knowing that I’m doing something great and still feeling a piece of connection.
  8. Volunteer to help out at events with current students – There are ALWAYS ways for Alumnae to volunteer to help current students at your alma mater. I have helped out with Mock Interview Week at Meredith College and that was really rewarding, especially when I received some sweet notes including a handwritten card from a lovely student and now friend of mine. I also sit on the Honors Program Committee known as the Honors Committee at Meredith as an Alumnae Representative, where I get to interact with current Meredith College students and professors, even many that I knew while at Meredith! Each of these ways of volunteering have kept me connected to Meredith, especially as I have volunteered virtually and sitting right at my desk with my dog for them all.
  9. Attend other Alumnae-related events, especially one’s that may be in your area – Going off of the idea of connecting with other fellow alma mater Alumnae, attending Alumnae events especially in your area is a great thing to do. Not only will you stay connected to your alma mater, but you will also probably find others who share the same love for their college experience that you do too.
  10. Reach out to staff members and professors (if any) still at your alma mater and/or that you want to keep in touch with every so often – Just like reaching out to your college friends, reaching out to your fellow staff members and professors at your alma mater is an excellent way to still feel connected to your alma mater. Meredith College professors and staff LOVE to hear from Alumnae, especially those that they knew while at Meredith and I am pretty sure that other professors and staff at other schools feel the same exact way, too. Not only will you put a smile on those who impacted you while at college’s faces, but you will also put a smile on your own.
  11. Be PROUD of the education and experience that your alma mater provided you with! – Above all else, be PROUD of the time that you spent at your sweet sweet alma mater. Whether you like it or not, it shaped you into the person that you are today and that is something to be proud of. Having that pride for your alma mater will carry over into passion which will enlighten your connectivity to that special alma mater of yours, too.

Now, let’s get to some connecting!!

XOXO – Katie <3

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My First Week of Hello Fresh!

On my Instagram (follow along @_thepinkchickadee), I have been sharing my ratings and meals via Hello Fresh. Last week was my first-ever week of Hello Fresh – a subscription service that brings healthy meals for every type of diet right to your doorstep. While I do know that Hello Fresh is not for everybody or every budget, I have personally really enjoyed it along with its several customization options and several ways for me to cook in my kitchen like never before. So, today, I am going to be sharing my experiences with my first-ever week of Hello Fresh!

How do you get free Hello Fresh meals? Get $120 off your first Hello Fresh box(es) when your order using this link: https://www.hellofresh.com/pages/share?c=HS-7N1HD4BXO&utm_campaign=clipboard&utm_couponvalue=120&utm_invitername=Kate&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=raf-share

*Disclaimer: Now, before I get into the meat of this post, it is in NO way being sponsored by Hello Fresh.*

*Disclaimer: Please note that this post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase through one of my links, then I will receive a small commission. This commission is at no extra cost to you. Additionally, this post is not sponsored, and all opinions are my own.*

Hello Fresh offers several different plans for for 2+ meals/week and with 2-4 servings (I think – I know 2 servings is the smallest offered) and including ALL diets, including vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, and all the meats. You can select your dieting preferences upon creating your account. At the same time, Hello Fresh also offers add-on’s each week, ranging from lunch staples like soup, sandwiches, salads, oatmeal, and even Oat Latte’s. The best part?! The meals and add-on’s vary week per week AND you get to choose which meals and add on’s (if any) you would like. You can also skip a box each week or donate one if you’re going out of town. Personally, I went with 4 meals/week for 2 servings along with a few add-on’s and it solidifies all of my at-home food intake for the week.

When I first opened my Hello Fresh package, I was in AWE! The packaging is beautiful AND the packaging is all done within a sustainable manner. My favorite part was opening up my box to beautifully put together and visually-appealing recipes for each of the 4 meals that I chose. Each meal is arranged with its own special packaging and labelled accordingly. And, everything is contained well with a HUGE ice pack to keep it all cool until its arrival at your home. Overall, I can truly say that Hello Fresh’s packaging was the icing on the top of the cake!

As I got into the meat of the week being the cooking, I found their recipes to be beautifully put together – both visually and directionally. I was able to successfully cook all of my meals and be a bit more adventurous than my usual dump and go sheet pan recipes. Cooking has been a stress relief for me, too. BUT, when it came to the end product aka the meals, I was WOWed! I felt as if I was eating takeout, but thinking much more consciously health-wise and wayyy more delicious.

Personally, I am now HOOKED on the Hello Fresh train and don’t plan to get off of it anytime soon. I am really excited to continue to use it over the next few weeks and potentially months. While it does come at a hefty price tag, the convenience of getting the majority of my groceries delivered right to my doorstep while maintaining healthy eating habits is golden for me and worth the price tag.

XOXO – Katie <3

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My 2022 Blogger Reader Survey Results & Goals

New year, new survey! Every year, I do a Blogger Reader Survey and share the results with y’all (check out last week’s reader survey results here!). This is my second year hosting a reader survey, along with a $25 Target Gift Card Giveaway (winner to be announced later this week!). As someone who works in data analytics within her full time job, I definitely see the importance on a daily basis with my work and any endeavor that I or someone else may pursue. Like last year, I plan to publicly share my results with y’all along with some of my 2022 blogger goals!

Survey Results

Before digging into my survey results, it’s important to note that this survey includes my followers on social media, readers of the blog, and those who may do both. This survey was also voluntary and all responses are anonymous upon submission and will remain anonymous.

Demographics:

90.6% of my readers are women and 9.4% of my readers are men. The majority of my readers (93%) are under the age of 35. Most of my readers live in the United States within the regions of the South, Mid-Atlantic, and Midwest, which I guess most Lilly Pulitzer and/or Preppy Fashion Lovers live – LOL! My respondents came from all cities across these 3 main regions, with the most popular being within the Washington, DC metropolitan area, the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Philadelphia metropolitan area. Last year, most of my readers were from the South, so I’m excited to see my following expand up North and a bit West!

Unlike last year, this year’s survey included A TON of influencers from a variety of niches, but there were no repeats of influencers shared amongst different responses. Most of my readers follow fellow Preppy Fashion influencers including my friend Julie of @julies_colorful_life, Michelle of @michelles_lilly and the founder of Friends that Lilly, and Katie of @hellokatiegirlblog. Though not mentioned as an influencer per-say, many of my responders do not follow any other influencers besides my page or they are following my page along with influencers in other niches, including makeup artist Jeffree Star, travel couple Kara and Nate, and LGBTQ+ couple Allie and Sam. Overall, this insight was super neat to me, as I was anticipating a lot of similar responses when it came to influencers, BUT y’all always open my eyes to some new and exciting pages that I didn’t previously know about to follow.

Where They Follow Along & Posts Preferences:

Most of y’all follow along on either Instagram (71.9%) or Facebook (50%) or both. 93.8% of y’all have read a blog post on the site, whether or not your primary following of me on my platforms is on social media. At the same time, I was VERY excited to see that (25%) of y’all follow my site through subscribing to it via my site. To me, out of all of my site reach on social media, it’s so great to see that 1/4 of my reach comes from directly through my site alone. That being said, I am LOVING seeing my blog posts’ readership grow over this past year!

As we all know, Instagram Reels and Tok Tok’s have taken off like never before. Although Reels and Tok Tok’s are essentially the new black, only 43.8% of y’all said that they are your favorite type of posts. Meanwhile, the classic photos only Instagram and/or Facebook posts were everyone’s favorite – ranking out the reigns at 90.6%. At the same time, 46.9% of y’all love following along with my stories on Instagram and/or Facebook. And, lastly, my ShopLTK posts on the ShopLTK app are loved by 9.4% of y’all! Although I don’t post on the ShopLTK platform as consistently as I could, I am still super happy that my shopping looks and style inspiration posts there are loved by some of y’all!

Blog & Social Media Content:

In terms of blog and social media content, y’all appeared to like a variety of content that makes me me. More specifically, y’all’s favorite posts on the blog appear to be personal experiences of all kinds, whether it be my weekly menus, Relationship Sunday’s, or something else. As for social media, y’all LOVED seeing all of my outfits and watching me snap photos of different pieces from my closet – SAME! The following topics are what came up the most amongst y’all’s responses:

  • Travel
  • Personal Experiences
  • Tips
  • Outfits (especially outfit of the day)
  • Preppy Fashion
  • Home Decor
  • Financial Tips
  • Postgraduate Life
  • Affordable Fashion
  • Bargain hunting (e.g. The Dollar Tree, Great Deals, & Thrifting)
  • Shopping Guides
  • Food/Cooking (especially my Weekly Menu Round-Up’s)
  • Mental Health Awareness
  • Makeup/Beauty Products

Overall, y’all LOVED topics that involved fashion – more specifically outfits of the day and preppy fashion -, finding a great deal especially at The Dollar Tree and thrifting amongst many other places, home decor, and affordable AND healthy meals. Y’all also love finding great deals at places such as thrift stores, Marshall’s, Home Goods, TJ Maxx, Ross, and The Dollar Tree. While, at the same time, enjoy shopping at Target, Amazon, Walmart, Lilly Pulitzer, Belk, and Kohl’s. Y’all are also major fans of Kate Spade! Overall, I definitely found that y’all’s preferences to shop aligned with your content desires – preppy and/or affordable fashion.

I always like to ask about y’all’s favorite small businesses as I LOVE finding new small business owners to support! I was so so so happy to see my friend Holly of Glitter & Daisies (check out her interview on the blog here!) show up as one of y’all’s favorites. Other favorites of y’all include: Evelyn Henson, Mell’s Trinkets, The Happy Headband Co, Knotties, thrift stores local to y’all’s own areas, and many more. Above all else, there were SO many small businesses that I saw that I had yet to learn of which for me means EXCITEMENT!

Now, for my favorite part, y’all aka my readers ALWAYS leave some super sweet comments. My favorites are shared below!

  • Thank you for being my friend <3
  • Your style, vibes, and the variety of content you share! I also love how genuine you are!
  • I enjoy everything about it! I just discovered this business, and I can’t wait to learn more and follow along!
  • I want to sign up for your newsletter!!! I enjoy your consistency and kind heart
  • Love your bright Sunny vibes and style and that you also share great advice & tips!
  • Pics of your outfits are fun! #Katie’s Confetti Adventure
  • You have a beautiful feed. Nice to see you go places to visit for others to see
  • I love your closet
  • I used to love reading your college updates, now love watching you enjoy life as a new grad in DC!!

2022 Blogger Goals

  • Explore the DMV more & share local favorites with y’all – There is SO much to see right here in the DMV aka the Washington, DC-Maryland-Virginia tristate area. I’ve been following A LOT of other fellow DMV area bloggers and I get SO much inspiration simply from looking at their feeds and regular posts on my own feed. So, I want to get out there and explore my own hometown this year!
  • Network with other influencers – This year WILL be the year that I meet fellow influencers in real life! These past 2 years have been great blogging years for me, but I would love to meet others who also blog and/or are influencers. Luckily, I think/hope that the pandemic will die down this year a bit more, so I am hoping that I can meet others and have MANY opportunities to do so, whether it be at events such as Friends That Lilly, The Blogger Union, or simply made independently of other events.
  • Share MORE bargains – Going along with y’all’s responses in my survey, I definitely want to share with y’all more bargains, whether it be from the thrift store, Marshall’s/TJ Maxx/Home Goods/Ross, The Dollar Tree, a grand markdown, or somewhere else. Bargains are ALWAYS fun and they consistently get me going and excited, so I am excited to share them with y’all too!

If you made it to the bottom of this post, THANK YOU for reading!! Here’s to a great 2022!

XOXO – Katie <3

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Weekly Menu Round-Up: January 17-21

I haven’t done a weekly menu in a while, so I feel that it is time for another! Coincidentally, this is the first time that I am crafting a weekly menu based off of the meals that I get via Hello Fresh. Just last week, I had my first week of Hello Fresh (I get my box every Monday and order 4 meals for 2 people/week in case you’re wondering!) and for the foreseen future will continue to keep my subscription going strong. This week’s menu includes mostly Hello Fresh meals with menu items curated surrounding them. Now, let’s get our taste buds craving something yummy!!

Meal 1: Frijoles Fresca Bowls with Tomato and Pepper Jack. I am REALLY excited about this meal! It is noted as a Hall of Fame recipe on Hello Fresh, and I am super excited to try it. Essentially, to me, it feels like a healthier version of a Chipotle’s vegetarian version of their burrito bowls aka my staple order there. Along with my vegetarian burrito bowl, I ALWAYS order chips at Chipotle to use the bowl as its dip. So, I am doing the same with this recipe using Wegman’s-branded tortilla chips.

Meal 2: Blackened Salmon Penne with Charred Poblano and Monterey Jack Cheese. This is a recipe that I would have NEVER thought to have made this on my own and even think of such a delicious sounding meal! So, when I saw this magnificent creation, I knew that I needed to try it. I will probably serve this pasta on its own or with some leftover tortilla chips.

Meal 3: Creamy Ricotta Tomato Ravioli with Kale and Lemony Tuscan Sauce. I have always LOVED pasta, so whenever I see a vegetarian pasta recipe pop up as a potential meal for me on Hello Fresh, then I WILL 9 times out of 10 add it to my meal plan. What I LOVE about this recipe is that I get ALLLL the benefits of a delicious pasta dish, but with NONE of the health-wise guilt that typical pasta dishes bring me. I plan to serve this dish with a side salad, too!

Meal 4: Mustard Soy Salmon with Pickled Scallions, Ginger Rice, and Zesty Carrots. Personally, salmon has always been one of my all-time favorite fishes. I am, in fact, a HUGE fish fan, but salmon is a very very dear favorite of mine. So, this recipe was a must-try for me. It added that Asian cuisine feel to me, but with all of the benefits of a healthy meal.

Meal 5: Pesto Caprese Sandwiches with Almond-Studded Green Salad. Ever since I studied abroad in Tuscany, Italy, I have missed enjoying Caprese sandwiches in general, as it was indeed a staple of my diet then. I LOVE that this recipe gives all of the healthy benefits with a simple taste of Italy right here in Northern Virginia, especially with the side salad that it comes with.

Meal 6: Grilled Cheese with Truffle Butter and Wegman’s’ freshly made Chicken Noodle Soup or Tomato Bisque. A comfort food at its finest – enough said!

This week’s menu has me super uber-excited. Here’s to eating healthy AND enjoying what I eat, too!

XOXO – Katie <3

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2 Years of The Pink Chickadee!

2 years a blogger! It’s oh so crazy how time flies since starting a blog. It, indeed, feels like yesterday when I was sitting in my apartment with all of my friends waiting for my site’s first-ever blog post (check that out here!) to launch. I had a launch party for The Pink Chickadee when it launched in my sweet college apartment right before the pandemic hit (read more about that here!) with some of my many college friends. Some of my best memories have come from creating my sweet spot here on the Internet and I’m ALWAYS grateful that I am able to share my story with y’all here.

When starting my platform, I knew that I wanted to start a blog months before in the Fall of 2019. It was the Fall 2019 semester aka my Junior year of college. Being in North Carolina then, so many people are in committed relationships by the time they reach their Junior year of college or even in their Senior year of college. Needless to say, many many people were in relationships then that are some of my good friends, classmates, and others within my college community and North Carolina area. I, then, became pretty discouraged by it all, as a single woman in what I felt was a couple’s world. It was then that I had actually realized that I wanted something for me and only me. And, that is how The Pink Chickadee was born.

Since starting The Pink Chickadee, I have made countless connections and even friends with several fellow influencers, small business owners, and Lilly Pulitzer lovers alike. I have been able to work with brands, including Panera Bread, Peet’s Coffee, Ouges, and Glitter and Daisies. I was accepted to become a Shop LTK influencer and have since enjoyed sharing all of my favorite finds on that fun platform, too. I have seriously found such an incredible community within the blogging world! At the same time, I have made the big move from Raleigh, North Carolina to the nation’s capital of Washington, DC and currently reside in the Virginia suburbs. I graduated from college with a Bachelor’s degree and a triple minor with Honors. I have started a brand-new full-time job at a great company in the Washington, DC area that I have been at for 6 months. I have adopted a Shepherd-Chihuahua mix – a rescue pup- out of ALL the breeds named Rosie. And, through it all, I have shopped WAYYYY too many Lilly Pulitzer sales, drank a TON of coffee, and enjoyed many nights getting to create the amazing community on my corner of the internet. That all being said, I am OH SO grateful to be able to write here and share my story with y’all here at The Pink Chickadee!

From 2 years and onwards, I look forward to many more years here at The Pink Chickadee!!

XOXO – Katie <3

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Tips for Networking Virtually!

Career development and networking are some of the key parts to a successful career path. BUT, the COVID-19 pandemic has made it much more challenging to network with others in the ways that we used to. Although networking events that are in-person are coming back into the mix, virtual work and networking events will still remain prevalent moving forward. Personally, I see benefits to both in-person networking and virtual networking and both will be here to stay in the coming weeks, months, and years. Today, I am going to share some tips for networking virtually, tips that I used to help land me my job post-college and continue to develop professionally.

  • Use LinkedIn every day that is a workday – Thinking of your 9-5 job as a Monday-Friday reporting for duty role, you can also think of your presence on LinkedIn as the same thing. Even if you simply log onto LinkedIn and scroll through your feed and messages, you will get A LOT out of the platform. You will learn a lot about your company (which you should be regularly following on the site), your colleagues (same idea as your company – CONNECT with them!), and network beyond your day to day folks from simply logging onto LinkedIn. There are so many articles shared on a consistent basis about industry news, your colleagues, empowerment, and others in your network. It is really important to stay up to date on it all and simply making using LinkedIn as apart of your regular routine will help you do just that!
  • Be attentive and intentional when using your LinkedIn – When using LinkedIn, pay attention to what posts you like and what links form postings you decide to read. Make sure that, 1, the posts you like are of interest to you, and/or are postings from people in your network that you enjoyed connecting with and want to continue to connect with, whether they be colleagues (ALWAYS interact with colleagues), people in your network who you LOVE to see succeed, or people you would like to expand your network with with having them in it. One cool piece of advice that I got in college was to like and comment on LinkedIn posts from people that you really want to impress and leave a lasting impression on, whether it be working at their company some day, or just knowing that you care about what they’ve been up to professionally. Above all else, remember that a simple like or comment on LinkedIn goes a LONG WAY.
  • Use LinkedIn’s search tools to find new connections – Y’all, LinkedIn has some REALLY cool, yet underrated features and tools that you can use to network. One of my favorite tools that I used in college was the tool that presents to you people who have either worked or attended an institution that you either attended or worked/are working at, or are hoping to work at someday. Using this tool, you can filter out people based on their college degree(s), job role, location, and much more. This tool can help you when figuring out what types of jobs people with your degree from your college or company are working in, where these people may live, and what they have been doing since. You can, then, click on the people who may be of interest to your own network’s profiles and can give request to connect with them and reach out to them yourselves. It’s such a great way to network with others and expand your network!
  • Search for virtual and in-person conferences and strive to attend – One of the BEST ways to network with others is to attend conferences within your industry. Whether virtual or in-person, conferences are an amazing way to be able to network with others in your industry and learn something super cool and handy in your job, too. Usually, conferences touch on major industry trends and have major industry leaders attending and presenting as well. It’s a great way to be able to connect with others, as both virtual and in-person conferences offer networking opportunities for everyone who attends. And, if not, then most presentations have the presenters’ names and emails on it, with opportunities to contact them with questions or simply connect via email or LinkedIn after their presentation. The best way to find a conference is to Google “your industry” and “conference” and ask colleagues which they have considered attending. Before searching for a potential conference to attend, be mindful that conferences can be expensive to attend, especially if you’re funding it on your own.
  • Find virtual professional development sessions, too – Like conferences, there are ALWAYS virtual professional development sessions and webinars given by industry experts. Some webinars and development sessions may come at an extra cost, which is important to note when looking for one. Podcasts are out there for every industry, too, and an awesome budget-friendly option for ANYBODY. Look them up, follow them, and attend/listen regularly (regularly being a term used in retrospect as it can mean once or twice a month, weekly, daily, etc. – whatever YOU CAN manage).
  • Perhaps, even join a professional society relevant to your career field – Professional societies are an EXCELLENT way to be able to network with others from potentially across the country and globe. Many professional societies offer conferences, professional sessions, networking events, committees, special interest groups, and much more! I am apart of a professional society that has its own podcast as well. The best way to join one is to ask which one’s your colleagues are apart of and simply research them!
  • Learn more about your coworkers via LinkedIn and on your company’s website and ask them about it! – This one goes along with making LinkedIn apart of your weekday workday routine. As you regularly check your LinkedIn, you learn more about your fellow coworkers and can even get links on your company’s website to learn more about what they’ve done. At the same time, one of the BEST ways to make yourself known when it comes to networking is to simply ask your colleagues about their work, what they’ve done, and show your interest. When you present your colleagues with interest in their work, then they will see it and be touched that you cared to ask and want to learn more about them. Perhaps, they may even show it in return someday, too, or someone else will with you down the road!
  • Make an effort to connect with someone new often – Whether it be within your company, in your network, or beyond, making a sustained effort to connect with someone new every week, two weeks, month, or however you see as fit will help you network effectively. Many of my tips that were previously noted will be GREAT for helping you do just that! Networking takes ALL kinds and shows up in several different ways and it’s always fun to reach out and meet somebody new. Not only does it help you, but it benefits someone else – someone new in your network.
  • Make an effort to maintain your current connections regularly – One of the BEST pieces of advice that I received while networking was to each week shoot a message or share your support for someone within your network. Let them know that beyond your few interactions plus some that you want to still keep them within your network. Networking is ALL about maintaining your connections beyond your encounters from the start. Keep them going and going strong and you’ll be SET!

When networking, it’s important to make a consistent effort with it all. The hard work that you put in will pay off in the long run, if not right now, then down the road – TRUST ME!

XOXO – Katie <3

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