Preppy Fashion Lover Gifts Guide

***Please note that this Preppy Fashion Lover Gifts Guide will be updated and recirculated periodically to reflect the most up-to-date information. This gift guide was most recently updated as of October 2025.***

Lilly Pulitzer, Vineyard Vines, J Crew, and Kate Spade, OH MY! As a self-proclaimed preppy fashion lover and grand millennial, I could not share some preppy fashion lover items for my Christmas Gift Guides. Today, I am rounding up all of the preppy fashion lover gift ideas to complete your preppy fashion wardrobe and for your preppy fashion lovers in your life all while at different price points. In the case that you’re interested in some of my other preppy fashion shopping guides, then look no further than my blog posts on a few brands to know like Lilly Pulitzer, Printfresh Pajamas Review, Hill House Nap Dress Dupe Shopping Guide, and more. Happy shopping!!!

*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 opinionInterested in getting the latest scoop on all the preppy + grand millennial fashion and decor (& more!) deals?!?! Be sure to join in on the fun over on Substack!  s are my own.*

 

Preppy Fashion Lover Gifts Guide

This Preppy Fashion Lover Gifts Guide will be divided into 5 sections based on price point: $25 and Under, $50 and Under, $100 and Under, $200 and Under, and $200+. That way, there’s a gift every preppy fashion lover in mind!

$25 and Under

$50 and Under

$100 and Under

$200 and Under

$200+

Happy holidays and happy shopping, preppies!

XOXO – Katie <3

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How To Launder Lilly Pulitzer

***Please note that this How To Launder Lilly Pulitzer guide will be updated and recirculated periodically to reflect the most up-to-date information. This guide was most recently updated as of July 2026.***

If you know me, then you know that Lilly Pulitzer is my favorite fashion brand! With its bright colors and prints coming in delicate fabrics, it may come as a challenge to launder your Lilly Pulitzer garments. As someone who values convenience over time most of the time, I am going to share some tips for taking your Lilly Pulitzer finds to the local laundromat or how to laundering Lilly Pulitzer yourself (which can even be a bonus when you are on the road!!!).

*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 sponsored, and all opinions are my own.*

For more preppy style & grand millennial home content, check out my Preppy Fashion & Grand Millennial Home page.

Interested in getting the latest scoop on all the preppy + grand millennial fashion and decor (& more!) deals?!?! Be sure to join in on the fun over on Substack!    

How To Launder Lilly Pulitzer

What I Regularly Use to Launder Lilly Pulitzer

To shop current Lilly Pulitzer products, look no further than the Lilly Pulitzer website using this link. 

Laundromats

Wherever you may be, locally-owned Laurdromats are probably near by. The majority of them are corn-operated, as seen in the movie’s. One of my latest and favorite laundromats is The Clothes Spin. The Clothes Spin is a laundromat that is based in Lynchburg, Virginia. Unlike the majority of laundromats, The Clothes Spin has 24/7 access for all of their customers. That being said, you can easily come in and launder your garments when it best fits for your schedule. The best part of it all?! This 24/7 laundromat located in Madison Heights allows you to pay for you to wash your clothing through an app rather than with change! I most definitely do not carry huge chunks of change in my pocket anymore, and I know many others who do not either.

Tips For Laundering Lilly Pulitzer

Whether or not you choose to go to a laundromat or launder your Lilly Pulitzer garments at home, there are quite a few do’s and don’t’s that will make it so much more helpful for you to take care of your garments to the best that you can. I have washed my Lilly Pulitzer and do pretty frequently. Knock on wood, I have not had that many issues with washing them, as I strictly follow these do’s and don’t’s as well as the tips that I also list below, too.

 

Do’s

  • Wash in cold water, in order to prevent shrinking and color run
  • Wash your white’s and colored clothing separately, in order to prevent color bleeding on your white garments (no one wants a white shirt to unintentionally become pink!)
  • Wash garments with embroidery inside out. Embroidery may include pom poms, sequins, or delicate buttons.
  • Hang or lay your Lilly Pulitzer to dry, rather than drying it! This will prevent your garments from shrinking. If the garment is 100% cotton, then most definitely be sure to lay or hang it to dry as it will shrink a size if put in the dryer!
  • Wash garments inside out, in order to prevent pilling

Don’t’s

  • Wash light-colored garments and dark-colored garments together. Darker colored clothing items can rinse into lighter colored clothing items, which can most definitely change their colors. Typically, I wash my whites separately from all of the other colored garments and have not had many issues.
  • Put 100% cotton, cashmere, sweaters, or other vulnerable garments into the dryer – they will shrink a size! It’s best to lie them flat to dry.
  • Hang popovers or Finn tees to dry. The shoulders will be stretched out. Rather, lay them flat to dry.

Detergent & Bleach

I am a loyal Tide user. Ever since I went off to college, I have used Tide detergent in the scent April Spring. To go with it, I use Febreeze Fabric Softener in the same exact scent. However, recently, I have used Kirkland’s detergents and fabric softeners from Costco that actually come in a similar scent. Personally, I am someone who is extremely particular about the way my clothing and things smell, so it works well for me. As for bleach, I find OxiClean, a classic soap and water combination (especially when traveling!), or Tide To Go to be one of the best out there! Not only does it do the job, but it does the job well!

When it comes to traveling, running around on the go, or being on a time crunch, having something such as Tide To Go and anti-wrinkle spray has been my best friend when I have either a stain, wrinkle, or both!

Regular Wash VS Delicate Wash

When washing Lilly Pulitzer garments, it varies per item which type of wash that you would want to do on your washing machine. For most garments, I use regular, however, for some I use the delicate wash. I have listed down below what type of wash I use for which Lilly Pulitzer styles that I own!

Regular Wash

  • Sophie shift
  • Mila shift
  • All Luxletic products
  • Delia shift
  • Ophelia shift
  • Kelly pants
  • Adalee shift
  • Skirts/skorts
  • Popovers
  • Cotton tops (including cotton Elsa’s, Essie’s, and Etta’s)

Delicate Wash

  • Elsa Tops (especially those coming in silk fabrics)
  • Anything with embroidery (i.e. pom poms, sequins, delicate buttons)
  • Anything that is cashmere
  • Scarfs or wraps

To shop current Lilly Pulitzer products, look no further than the Lilly Pulitzer website using this link. 

Wrap-Up

However you choose to launder your Lilly Pulitzer garments, the consistency that you choose to wash them is key. Over the years, I have remained consistent in my techniques for washing my Lilly, and it has worked. That being said, whatever works for you is what you should do!

XOXO – Katie <3

A special thank you to The Clothes Spin for sponsoring this blog post. Without their support, The Pink Chickadee wouldn’t be where it is today.

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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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Is Blogging a Good Side Hustle for You? Here are 11 Reasons Why!

The photos, the outfits, the reviews, and the products, oh my! When it comes to being a blogger, I have pretty much loved every minute of it all. On the same token, blogging isn’t an easy gig to get into especially when talking about making money and when it comes to the commitment that you have to invest in it. But, that all being said, blogging may still be a good side hustle for you. Today, I will be sharing 11 reasons why blogging may be a good side hustle for you.

Is Blogging a Good Side Hustle for You?

  1. You’re driven – To be a blogger, you have to be driven enough to be able to stick with it. Like picking your full time career, you decided that you wanted to do your full time job and you stuck with it. Similarly, deciding to start a blog is not something that you should think about overnight and then create the next day. It should be something that you think about overnight, sleep on, and then go from there. You should wake up in the morning and be ready to take on the world and your side hustle, too. The drive to start blogging is a good indicator that you know it would be a good side hustle for you.
  2. You have a passion that you want to share with others – Do you have a passion for fashion? Maybe you have a itch to travel and want to share your adventures and tips with others? Maybe you want to connect with others with your own personal experiences? Maybe you like to shop and want to help others shop, too? Perhaps, you’re a bargain hunter and want to help others find bargains too. And, maybe, it is all of the above in some capacity. Whatever the case may be, you have a passion and a strong one at that. My mother always said that people LOVE to talk about themselves. The same idea goes for our passions! That being said, if you have a passion and you want to talk about it with others, then blogging may be a good side hustle for you to do just that.
  3. You are willing to make the investment – Blogging IS an investment. Blogging is an investment of your time, energy, money, and a major commitment at that. They say with blogging that you have to spend money to make money and that is the truth. You HAVE TO be willing to invest monetarily in your blog before you ever make a profit from it. Some of the ways that you can invest in your blog is through purchasing your own website domain name, site features (I use WordPress), site logo, camera, tripod, light ring, and even photographer (however, I think that the website and logo should be your priority and photography should be a secondary priority that comes later on if you so desire and can afford it regularly). Whatever you choose to do to invest in your blog, know that it will be an investment of your own money before you yield money from elsewhere. Be prepared and willing to do just that, if you want to make blogging your side hustle.
  4. You’re realistic about it – Blogging takes realism. Let’s be realistic here for a second. You will NOT grow your blogging platform overnight – IT TAKES TIME. Being a new blogger on Instagram does not mean that you will have a following of 1,000+ overnight on a brand-new account. You just won’t. The same idea goes for your website viewers. It takes time. On the same token, blogging will 9 times out of 10 probably not become your full time gig. It probably won’t. While you may yield some money from it, you won’t right away and you probably won’t do it full time either. However, that is not to say that that won’t happen and could actually happen for you. A lot of people it doesn’t happen to. In fact 80%+ of bloggers make no money from their blogs ever. And that is OKAY! If you are considering making blogging your side hustle, then be realistic with yourself, in order to know if it is a good fit for you.
  5. You are willing to make the commitment – Blogging is a major commitment. It is a great commitment to make to yourself and to helping others, such as your readers. BUT, you have to be willing to make that commitment. There’s a lot of time, energy, to do lists, editorial calendars, writing sessions, brainstorming sessions, photoshoots, content planning, and much more that goes into blogging. For most of us, blogging involves many of these tasks being done on our own. My small business owner friend Holly of Glitter and Daisies (use my code PINK10 for 10% off your purchase) shared an Instagram Reel where she shares all of her staff who happened to be her playing a variety of different roles besides her cheerleader boyfriend who is a gem – whether it be shipping packer, content curator, etc. Just like Holly, bloggers experience the same exact thing. It takes A LOT of work, time, and commitment. Blogging will be a good side hustle for you, but only if you are willing to make that commitment.
  6. You have the time to make the commitment – Many times, I say I want to do something. However, 9 times out of 10, I do not do it. Reason being? I simply do not have the time to do it. That is OKAY! Time is limited. We need to make the time for our jobs, to make 3ish meals a day, for our families and potential partners, for our pets, and to simply be a sane human being (for me that is binge watching shows on Netflix!). The same idea goes for starting a blog. You NEED to make sure that you have the time to start a blog, stick with it, and be successful. When it comes to blogging especially while working full time, a lot of creative thinking and time that is invested into your blog is done after work hours and on the weekends. That’s the honest truth. If you do not think you are able to do that at this moment, then blogging may not be for you now. Though, that is not to say that your time may free up and blogging may be a good side hustle for you in the future!
  7. You are not just in it to make money – Although you will probably not make a bunch of money from blogging right away, you may make some money from it in the future. If you want blogging to be your side hustle, then make sure you are in it because you have the drive, passion, and the willingness to share that passion(s) of yours with others. You should NOT be in it just for the money and perks that come with it. Blog because YOU WANT TO and NOT because you want financial perks from it. There is so much more to blogging than meets the eye and there is so much reward within it. That’s the best part of it all. End of story.
  8. You want to establish a community of like-minded individuals – One of the BEST parts of blogging is the extraordinary community that I have gotten from it. There are so many people, influencers, bloggers, small business owners, and likeminded folks alike, that I have met and can proudly call my friend. These people live anywhere and everywhere and it is so cool. It’s a gift above all else and makes blogging a good side hustle for that, too.
  9. You want to help others – Above all else, when starting a blog, you should have a passion and a passion that you want to share. With your passion, you probably want to help others in some capacity. Whether it be sharing style inspiration, the latest sales, a new recipe, empowerment, personal experiences, travel tips, or tips on something else, your blog will impact others and hopefully impact them in a positive light. You must want to help others in some way, shape, or form, if you are considering making blogging your side hustle.
  10. You are willing to learn a bit throughout the process – NO blogger knows it all, especially when blogging regularly and even starting a blog. When blogging, you HAVE TO be willing to learn from others and grow as a blogger. There is no specific manual for starting a blog, but there are several podcasts, blog posts, and Youtube videos that can help you along the way. Remember that every blogger could learn something new and improve, no matter how long they have been blogging for. Simply being willing to learn and grow throughout the process of having a blog will make blogging a goof side hustle for you.
  11. You can trust the process – Whatever may happen throughout the blogging process, remember to trust the process of being a blogger. There will be times where you will feel great about your blogging platform and times where you won’t. It’s normal. My Aunt Amy is a blogger and has been much longer than I have and she says the best way to be successful with blogging is to keep keeping at it. At the same time, in the blogging world, slow and steady wins the race so be patient and your blogger world will be great – blogging side hustle and all!

Being a blogger has been the best side hustle for me, and I hope if you are considering becoming a blogger yourself that blogging will be the best side hustle for you, too!

XOXO – Katie <3

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How I Manage Blogging While Working Full Time

If you’re a blogger, then you know that there is much more work that goes into having a blog than what meets the common eye. Even if you’re not a blogger, then now you know this fact. Blogging is a lot and it’s a great side hustle of mine. Indeed, some folks blog full-time such as Kate from Lonestar Southern – a favorite of mine over the years. However, many of us bloggers do work full time jobs like myself and may not have a desire to pursue it full time. Today, I will be sharing how I manage blogging while working full time!

How I Manage Blogging While Working Full Time

  • Separating my “creative brain” and my “working brain” – This is something that I will admit that I work on everyday. One of the ways that I can be most successful with my blog is to separate what I like to call my working brain aka the brain and mindset that I put on when I am at my full time job and my creative brain or the mindset that I utilize for thinking creatively on this platform. In doing so, I am able to put my mind into a mode that is all in and focused on the task that I am performing and the objectives that I am striving to achieve, whatever it may be for. Being able to compartmentalize both of these mindsets has helped me to be successful in both my full time job and here on The Pink Chickadee.
  • Working 9 to 5 – *queues Dolly Parton!* Working the 9 to 5 lifestyle is definitely the way that we all are going for the most part when working full time. When working my full time job, I aim for 8-5 actually to be the hours that I focus solely on work and only work-related matters. During those hours, I specifically do not post on my blogging platforms, whether it be the actual blog or social media accounts. However, if I get off work early, then I may post a little bit earlier. Not posting on social media from 8-5 helps me to truly focus on my work and only my work. Moreover, it allows me to separate both of my commitments and prioritize things at different times.
  • Side Hustle Hours – The other week, I was listening to a podcast from Thrive – a company that solely focuses on empowering bloggers and their successes – featuring entrepreneur and a stationary-loving queen Erin Condren. In her interview, Condren stated that a lot of the time many of us with side hustles have to emphasize the focus on our creative thinkings during the weekends and at night time. As annoying and sometimes disappointing as that may sound to some, the focus on our full time jobs during the typical workday is vital to our successes, even within our side hustles, including our blogs!

The blogging world is a fun and exciting world filled with many commitments. But, so does the full time job world! The full time job world is just as fun and exciting and it allows us to fulfill our passions in other disciplines, too. The balance between blogging and working full-time is a challenge and something that I work on everyday in each, but it is so rewarding in the end.

XOXO – Katie <3

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How I Juggle College & Being a Blogger

College in itself can be a very stressful and busy time in itself. When you’re in college, it is hard enough to manage life in itself. With the social activities, extracurriculars, academics, and part time jobs, it is HARD. When you add a blog and becoming an influencer onto it all, who knows what else will get done?! Well, today, as an influencer and college student (soon-to-be-graduate!!!), I am here to tell you how I balance being a college student and a blogger.

Use a Planning System

Whether it be by paper and pen or digitally or a mix of the two, be sure to establish a planning system to aide in your blog planning. For me, I use spreadsheets to plan out my blog posts for the week, whether it be giveaways, collaborations, posts, stories, etc. and be sure to write down when to post them in my digital planning system. That way, I can successfully keep track of it all. Like college classes, your blog is a business that must be treated as such – it has deadlines, needs consistency in order to stay afloat, and a constant mode of flowing with the trends within our social media world today. What you put into your platform is what you will get out of it. The same goes for your college classes.

Plan, prepare, execute, and do it all over again, accordingly.

Have a Calendar

As an influencer, my calendar is my forever best friend. I can know where I have to be and when. I plan out my photoshoots for content, days that I am going to post them, and much more. Like you do for your college classes, plan out when you will focus on your blogging and execute.

Find Your Maximum Productivity Level for Academics & Influencing

To me, a maximum productivity level is the level at which you are most productive at something. For me, my maximum productivity level is different when I am focusing on academics than it is for influencing and blogging. In fact, I am more productive at my academic work in the afternoon. As for influencing and blogging, I am most productive after 10pm-early morning hours. Knowing that my maximum productivity levels are at different times for the different tasks that I have as a student and as a blogger, I can use that to my advantage and schedule when I work on what accordingly.

Make Sacrifices

When I chose to start my blog, I knew that I would have to make sacrifices. For me, that was spending more time on academics than I was on my blog. While I do have high ambitions for growing my platform here on The Pink Chickadee, in order to keep up with my classes, I have not been able to reach them yet. I plan to when I graduate, though. Yet, I have made the sacrifice to spend more time on academics that I have on my blog since starting it so that I can acquire my degree. At the same time, having a blog takes a lot of time, no matter how much time you choose to dedicate to it. You will most likely have to spend some late nights crafting posts and creating new content, especially with the robust social and academic world known as college. However, I have found it all to be so worth it in the end.

College Comes First

Above all else, your college career comes first. Although blogging is super fun and a great way to meet likeminded folks, it is not as important as your college career in retrospect. If you have a big test coming up, then your time should be dedicated towards that rather than curating a brand-new blog post or photo for your Instagram feed. The same goes for papers, assignments, etc. At the end of the day, your college career and GPA will get you your degree NOT your blog!

I most definitely do not regret starting my platform while in college. I have put many hours, blood, sweat, and tears into my blog all while being a college student. Although I have had many highs and lows since starting The Pink Chickadee, it has all been oh so worth it in the end. If you are ever considering starting a blog while in college, do it and do not look back. It will be the best decision that you ever made!

XOXO – Katie <3

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Tips for New Bloggers!

The blogging world is new, exciting, and also intimidating! When I first started blogging a little over a year ago, I had NO idea what I was getting into. I was extremely intimidated, nervous, and anxious. At the same time, I took a few breaks from blogging before restructuring and kickstarting The Pink Chickadee – all within the spam of a year. However, I have found a way that works for me and I have been super successful since my initial start. Today, I am sharing some tips for those who are looking to start their own blog!

Discover Your Niche

When creating your own blog, you most definitely need to discover what your blog’s niche will be. Need help finding what your blog’s niche is? Then, use these questions listed below to help you find out what your blog niche will be.

  • What is the ultimate purpose of your blog?
  • Who are you targeting to come and visit your site?
  • What type of content do you want to share?
  • What are the goals of your site?
  • What do you want to get out of starting your blog?
  • Is your blog personal (friends and family) or are you reaching a wider audience?

Once you have figured out the answer to these questions, then you will be better able to discover your blog’s niche and what content you want to share and how you want to reach others.

Get Inspired on Social Media

Once you have discovered your blog’s niche, then it’s time to hit your favorite social media platforms to get inspired by other bloggers who are in your niche. Even now, I love going through other influencers’ Instagram pages and saving their photos that inspire me into a gallery titled “Blog Inspiration”. I use my “Blog Inspiration” gallery as, essentially, my own Instagram Pinterest board. I use “Blog Inspiration” to see what content I like from other influencers, what content I would like to share myself in my own unique way, and what content they share in ways that have effectively reached their following. One of the ways that I have looked to other influencers is to see what hashtags they use – hashtags are an effective way on social media to reach and connect with other influencers, whether we realize it or not. Another way that I get inspired by others is to look for fun photo ideas to replicate in my own way. Looking to other influencers, I have been able to see what works for them and use their content ideas in similar ways on my platform. Overall, as a blogger, it is important to always be creating new and fresh content that will entice your readers and following.

Create Blog-Only Social Media Accounts

While this is a subject up for debate, I have found that creating your own blog-only social media accounts is the best way to go. Personally, I like to keep my personal social media accounts private and share more personal things on there that I may not want to share on my blog – like a ton of memes. On the same token, I know that many of my followers on my personal account may not be as interested in my blog content, since it is not of their interests which is OKAY. That being said, I have created a blog-only Instagram, Facebook page, and Pinterest accounts.

When creating your blog’s social media pages, it is important to have them be business profiles. Personally, I totally forgot how to do this – I did it once and never thought about it again! With a business profile, you are able to see insights on your blog’s accounts as it pertains to your followers, followers’ demographics, and your profile’s growth. Statistics are very important when it comes to blogging – whether we realize it or not!

Connect on Social Media

Once you have created your blog’s social media accounts, then it is time to have some fun! Social media is an excellent way to connect with others, especially those who are in your niche. Follow others in your niche and take the time to connect with them, whether it be commenting on their posts, replying to their stories, and interacting with their profiles as much as you can. I highly suggest interacting with your fellow blogger cohorts as much as possible! Through interacting with other influencers, I have been able to make many friends within my niche and beyond. Today, I definitely can say that I couldn’t imagine my life without my influencer friends – they’re the BEST!!!!

Be Consistent

However you choose to do it all, consistency is KEY! When I restructured my blog in July 2020, I decided to post content on my blog every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday (occasionally, I don’t post one of those days but it is rare). Each day that I post content on my blog, I advertise each post on my Instagram Story (with direct links via my Instagram bio) and as a Facebook post on my Facebook page. At the same time, I post content on Instagram daily and find ways to engage with my followers through icebreaker questions and ways to interact with my followers. Every Sunday, I share an icebreaker on my Instagram Story that’s a different question each week and share my followers’ responses. At the same time, everyone’s way of being consistent is not the same. Whatever works for you is what you should do!

The Website

There are several various ways to start your blog on a site. Personally, I have used WordPress and I have a plan where I purchased my own domain name and was able to code my site using CSS. There are other options out there, too. These options include Squarespace, Blogger, and Wix. Whether or not you choose to purchase your own domain name and code it yourself to your liking or select a free plan, as long as your site is made to your liking then that is ALL that matters. I know a lot of bloggers whose websites are not the fanciest on the block and that is OKAY. One of the reasons that I chose to recode my site using CSS is because I have acquired the skillset as a Website Development minor and have a passion for the subject. What matters is that your content is what your readers want to see and that your posts are consistent on social media and on the blog.

Schedule Content

With my constant mentioning of consistency, the best way to be consistent is to schedule your content in advance. I schedule my content for my blog a 3-6 weeks in advance and my Instagram content the week before. I use a spreadsheet to schedule all of my content in Google Sheets (I LOVE a good spreadsheet!!!). Whenever I take photos, I schedule the photo shoots that I take, too and make arrangements with others to take my photos if needed accordingly. My way of planning is all digital, but if you love a good planner or notebook or have another way of scheduling content, then do whatever works for you!

Be YOU & HAVE FUN!

Most importantly, it is important to remember to be yourself. Through it all, there is only ONE YOU – everyone else is taken! Be yourself and make yourself known in the most unique and you way that there is. Lastly, remember to HAVE FUN!!!!

Blogging is hard and it does take a while to get it all down, but remember to do it your way and have a blast!!!

XOXO – Katie <3

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The Pink Chickadee’s 2020 Reader/Follower Survey Findings & 2021 Blogger Goals

If you have been following me for a while, then you know that I hosted my first-ever annual reader/follower survey. This survey was inspired by the lovely Annaliese of Southern Belle In Training who has done these surveys each year for her own platform and shares her results publicly. As an aspiring Data Scientist, I just knew that I had to jump on the idea of doing my own reader/follower survey! Like Annaliese, I also want to share my survey results publicly along with my 2021 blogger goals, which are *of course* aligned with what my survey responses were.

2020 Reader/Follower Survey Results:

It is important to note that this survey includes my followers on social media, readers of the blog, and those who do both. This survey was also voluntary and all responses are anonymous upon submission.

Demographics:

The majority of my readers are within my similar age range of 18-24 (77% of of my readers are within this age range. I also have some readers who are within their mid-late 20’s and early 30’s. Like myself, most of my readers are female at 96%, leaving there to be approximately 4% male readers.

My readers mostly live in the Southeast of the United States, with North Carolina, Virginia, Florida, and Georgia being the most popular states. However, I did get very excited over a response from Scotland along with one from Colorado and another from Arizona. The most popular city that my readers reside in is Raleigh, North Carolina along with its surrounding area along with the Washington, DC metropolitan area.

The top influencers that y’all are big fans of alongside following The Pink Chickadee include: Angela at @thriftypineapple, Carly at @carly, Kate at @lonestarsouthern, Emily Ann at @everythingemilyann, and Kelly at @kellyinthecity.

Where They Follow Along:

The majority of y’all follow The Pink Chickadee on Instagram while some of them follow solely or additionally through Facebook, WordPress/subscribing to the site, or my weekly newsletter. 86% of my followers have read a blog post, but 15% have not, meanwhile, 98% of my followers follow me on social media in some aspect – an insight that shows the importance of The Pink Chickadee‘s social media amongst its followers.

Blog & Social Media Content:

In terms of blog posts, y’all really appeared to enjoy content on travel, personal experiences/life advice, cooking, and fashion. Luckily, these are all areas of content that I LOVE LOVE LOVE sharing, so I am super glad to hear that my readers enjoy them!

As for social media, y’all’s favorite aspects were my wardrobe, interaction, encouragement, and the positivity. These were some of my favorite quotes:

  • “I’m really loving how you’ve done your travel posts from the past, considering the circumstances, that is such a clever ideas!” – Fun fact: I got this idea from my good friend Hannah D who shared a dump of photos on her stories one day from her past trip to Paris. Hannah D is such a clever and fun friend of mine, that I totally took it all into my own hands. Y’all are the one’s who influence me!!!
  • “They’re so cute & colorful. I also love how authentic you are.” – Thank you! My colorful and bubbly style makes my life go round, and I am really glad that I am able to share it all with y’all! At the same time, I love that I can be someone who is a shining authentic light!
  • “You’re so natural with it and it doesn’t feel sales-y” – I’m glad, it’s easy as a blogger to make it seem like your feed is all for sales and show. However, as a blogger, I find it extremely important to stick to your own passions and align them with your readership. I am really glad and happy that I have been able to show my true self and have it seen on this platform.
  • “Your stories are always so fun! It’s just an encouragement to see such positivity” – I’m glad!!! Life is so crazy right now. It makes me extremely happy to hear that I am helping y’all as The Pink Chickadee and y’all help me so so so much <3

Moving forward, my readers have the highest interest in blog posts and social media topics that include mental health awareness, easy recipes to try from Pinterest (I hope to include these in my weekly menu round-up’s too!), makeup/haircare/nails, DIY, home decor, travel, holiday, outfit of the day, and preppy fashion. At the same time, y’all are very interested in hearing more about my exciting adventure into the dating world with my sweet Chickadee Maggie, ideas for pretty much anything, and personal stories. Each of these topics are things that I am really excited to bring to the table as a blogger moving forward.

Additionally, y’all shared with me the types of travel destinations that you’re most interested in hearing experiences about (the beach, the mountains, the city, Europe, and the East Coast were the top one’s!) along with your favorite places to shop (Target, Marshall’s, Lilly Pulitzer, and Bath & Body Works were y’all’s favorites!). I also learned about my readers’ favorite small businesses and there are oh so many that I need to follow still! These small businesses include: Marah Cotta Clay, Paintbase, The Local Squirrel, Mini & Me Boutique as well as local restaurants and cafes. Knowing each of my readers’ interests will help me best to achieve my 2021 blogger goals.

Last but not least, my readers left me some of the sweetest comments, my favorite of which, I am going to share below!

  • “Your blog is fabulous and I feel privileged to be apart of your journey :))) I wish do something like this – maybe one day!”
  • “You’re doing awesome things! Love your page and newsletter. You’re seriously goals!”
  • “You’re doing great & one of my fav IG friends”
  • “I love that you’re so creative and very fashionable! Also you’re a very down to earth person and when seeing your page I feel like your talking to me”
  • “It just makes me happy when I read it. It kinda helps with my day.”
  • “I love seeing your Instagram, and I can’t wait to see how you grow.”

2021 Blogger Goals

  • Emphasis on Small Businesses – With everything going in on 2020 that has jeopardized small businesses’ existence, I want to use 2021 to really emphasize the importance of shopping small. Not only will I be striving to shop small more so, but I want to promote shopping small and do more and more collaborations with small businesses.
  • Interviews – I love featuring my friends on The Pink Chickadee, but I also want to feature those beyond my friend and family circle on my platform. I would love to feature those with different styles and interests than my own and really truly broken my horizons.
  • Relationships & LGBTQ+ – Since sharing some excitement of me and my lovely Chickadee (girlfriend) Maggie on this platform has really helped me to come out of and expand my shell. This year, I hope to shed some light and share more about being LGBTQ+ as well as life in a relationship.
  • Giveaways – Yes! You heard me right – I am hoping to do some more giveaways with small businesses as well as other influencers AND featuring your favorite products!
  • Personal Stories – Since y’all really seemed to appreciate reading about my own and others’ personal stories, I plan to share a lot of content along the lines of pieces of advice, personal stories, as well as my own experiences. Luckily, these are the easiest posts to write too 🙂

I am so blessed that I have been able to grow The Pink Chickadee in ways like never before this past year. Without y’all’s input, I would not be able to grow my platform and expand it even more in 2021 and beyond. Here’s to a year full of lots and lots of growth!

XOXO – Katie <3

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My Fall 2020 Semester Reflections

Fall 2020 will be a semester for the books, not just because of Covid-19’s occurrence but because of the great memories that I made. Yes, this sentence that I just said may sound like a joke. However, it is all very very true. Fall 2020 was one of my best semesters at Meredith. Despite everything that has all happened and been cancelled this semester and year, I am still very grateful for the experiences that I have had and the opportunities that have and are to come. Fall 2020 may have “sucked” in some regards, but it is what it is and as humans we have to continuously adapt and make it work for us.

Flashback to Spring 2020. I was anxious, sad, angry, and mourning the loss of my remaining “normal” college semester. When I say “normal,” I mean a semester that is filled with all of the typical things that college students do, such as outings with friends, large scale gatherings, and in-person classes on a regular basis. I thrived off of the social aspect of college as well as the academic aspect – they went hand in hand with my successes at Meredith. I became depressed and spent my days looking at old pictures and wishing for the happy memories that I had had in early 2020 and before to come back again. I wanted to make more memories just the way they were before. In fact, I majorly desired for it to occur.

As we all know, life is meant to change – it is our only consistency. With the changes that come with the coronavirus pandemic come adaptation. And adaptation takes time – it is not an overnight thing. Nothing happens overnight, especially coping with and dealing with change. Summer 2020 was a summer filled with self growth, knowing my self worth, and making the best of all of the harsh changes since March 2020. At the same time, I used my platform here on The Pink Chickadee to connect with others who are also fellow preppy fashion and Lilly Pulitzer lovers. The network that I have made has since grown into such a great blessing in my life. The Pink Chickadee truly helped me break out of my shell and adapt to the continuing changes in our world that have occurred throughout 2020 along with discovering to love my own self.

As I got into my Fall 2020 semester, I was nervous for what was to come. Nothing was going to look the same at the sweet college that I call my second home – Meredith. Meredith College is filled with a ton of large scale events known as Traditions that are unique to it. Each of these Traditions is super special to me and to my classmates. To watch the social aspect of Meredith that I saw before March 2020 disappear before my eyes made me sad and sometimes even cry.

Although I love the Traditions that truly make Meredith College Meredith College, my shift and energy has changed on what Meredith College means to me. With the current Black Lives Matter movement and momentum for inclusion of everyone, the ways that Meredith has run pre-Covid have not been the most inclusive for students of all races, sexualities, ethnicities, gender identities, religions, socioeconomic backgrounds, etc. While I love Meredith Traditions and the memories that they have brought me, they have hurt so many of my classmates in the past. Knowing this information now helps me to realize that while I loved Traditions, they are not the best thing to have right now and that is okay. Currently, I am working to help my Class as Fundraising Chair, my Math and Computer Science Department as Canaday Math & Computer Science Club (CMCS) President, and Angels for Disability Advocacy (ADA) Vice President by providing all students with inclusive virtual opportunities to be present and involved on campus.

This semester, I have really been able to shine inside and outside of the classroom. The Pink Chickadee has not only flourished, but it has grown in ways like never before this semester. If I had been uber engaged in Meredith College social life, then I would not have had time to progress on my platform as much as I did. At the same time, I have truly been able to succeed inside the classroom. My interests within my Data Science, Statistics, and Website Development courses have ignited and shined now more than ever before. I am also working on my Honors Thesis this year and really enjoying working on my own research project independently while applying my skillset from within the classroom to grow as a future Data Scientist even more. At the same time, I also made the Dean’s List – a symbol of all of my hardwork and passion this semester from the classroom and The Pink Chickadee.

The biggest consistency in my Fall 2020 semester life, before, and after it has been my friends. Each of my friends and I have all gone through the same things this year and, while none of us like it, we are all in this together. My friends are the people that I can count on to be safe and for me to do the same for them. We truly have had each others’ backs since before the coronavirus pandemic hit and during. They have truly been such a blessing in my life, and the bond that I have with each of my friends is something that I will never ever take for granted.

Although Fall 2020 looked nothing like I had envisioned it to, I am still oh so grateful and blessed for the memories and bonds that I have made. Without this semester, I would not have been able to genuinely grow my platform on The Pink Chickadee and as a human being in the ways that I have. Here’s to a great but very different semester and one left to come!

XOXO – Katie <3

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The Magical Delaware Christmas Town

Love me a Christmas town! Last weekend, my family and I visited the tiny and charming town of Lewes, Delaware. This sweet little town has been decked out for Christmas for a while. Along with solely small businesses in town, Lewes also has its own historical significance too, as there are plaques commemorating its events over the centuries. Lewes is definitely a gem along the Delaware coastline!

Visiting Lewes was such a great experience. The town is so walkable and everywhere you turn there is something new and wonderful. It makes for an excellent day trip if you are in the Bethany Beach/Rehoboth Beach/Dewey Beach area. You will not regret it!!!

XOXO – Katie <3

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