Splurge vs. Save

Happy Wednesday everyone!! I'm so sorry I've been MIA this past week on the blog. I had to retake one of the CSET's for my teaching credential program yesterday, so for the past couple of weeks I've been hunkered down studying not thinking about anything other than Calculus! :) But don't worry, I'm back and I've got a great Splurge vs. Save for you today! I actually just saw these lovely Sole Society booties on Twitter today and I knew I had to share!

And in case you've been living under a rock, the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is still going on and even though these are a splurge, they are on sale!!

Cole Haan - #NSale: $184.90 | After #NSale: $278.00

Hayes Bootie

Sole Society - $89.95

Romy 

Both of these options are perfect as you transition from summer to fall! Which will you do...splurge or save??

"Life is an adventure in forgiveness." - Norman Cousins

Choose More, Lose More

Happy Monday!! I know this post is a little late, but I was honestly debating on whether or not I wanted to share this part of my life. As you can see, I've decided to share. This is a long post, so if you don't feel like reading, close the page now! But I hope you will join me on this personal journey to find a healthy and happy life.

A little backstory...I have always been the chubby kid. I never got teased when I was younger or anything like that, but I have always struggled with my weight. When I was 10 I was also diagnosed with hypothyroidism. Luckily for the past 14 years I have managed my condition and I've never had any horrible struggles like I know some people have. Even though I was on the heavier side, I was a pretty active kid. From the ages of 5 to about 14, both my sister and I danced competitively. We were at the dance studio 6 days a week and that was our lives. But I was always bigger than the other girls and that weighed me down - physically and emotionally.

I continued to struggle with my weight into high school until about the end of my freshman year when my mom stepped in and signed me up for LA Weight Loss. Through that program I lost over 50 pounds and it is the best I have ever looked and felt. Unfortunately for me the weight didn't stay off.

Since high school I have put on all the weight I have lost. I attribute this to "life happening." I will openly admit that I am a stress eater. When things get tough, I eat. That has always been the way I am. Food for me equals comfort. Now with that being said, I don't eat that terribly bad, but the pounds add up. My other downfall, other than stress eating, is boredom snacking. The minute I get bored, I tend to look to food to fill that void. Both of these are horrible habits and that's why I've decided to make the change.

Today is Day 1 of my Choose More, Lose More journey. If you don't know who Chris and Heidi Powell are, you're missing out! Every Tuesday on ABC they transform peoples life and today I have taken the first step to transform mine. This is my transformation!

I've decided that I don't want to share my numbers quite yet, because honestly I'm just not ready. But I am here and I'm doing this. I will be posting occasional updates to let everyone know how everything is going and have you be a part of my journey.

If you're in the same boat that I am and am changing your life, or even just looking to make some changes, I want to talk to you! Please reach out on social media @KindlyWithK or shoot me an email - kindlywithk@gmail.com!! Let's do this together!

"Yesterday's the past, tomorrow's the future, but today is a gift. That's why it's called the present." - Bil Keane

Friday Favorites

TGIF! Enjoy your weekend!

1. Cheat Sheet: Summer Season. (careercontessa.com)
2. Simple Separates. (coralsandcognacs.com)
3. Summer Styles Under $20. (pennypincherfashion.com)
4. What I Should Have Registered For. (cupcakesandcashmere.com)
5. Hello, Working Girl: Lauren McGoodwin of Career Contessa. (thatworkinggirl.com)

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi

Beach Ready

So now that summer is in full swing, it's time to get beach ready! What are some of your essentials when you're hitting the beach??

Are you beach ready?

"From what we get, we can make a living; what we give, however, makes a life." - Arthur Ashe

Becoming a High School Teacher

You may or may not remember that back in March I announced that I was going back to school to become a high school math teacher. You can read all about that here! It has been a whirlwind couple of months with getting my schooling set up to getting placed in a high school to student teach to meeting with my mentor teacher for next year. With all the craziness, I really have realized that this is truly what I am meant to be doing with my life. Not that I have to justify my decisions to anyone, I wanted to share with you why I am becoming a teacher! Because just maybe somebody will read this post and realize that they want to teach as well!

Here are 5 reasons why I'm becoming a teacher:

1. My Future Students. There is nothing like the feeling of having students that rely and look to you for advice. Not only do I want to be their teacher, but I want to be able to be a person they can go to for anything and everything. My students will always be my number one priority.

2. Making a Difference. When I think about being a teacher, I think about the impact that I will have on the future generations. I will be helping to shape the minds of our youth and I can only hope that they will use the knowledge they have learned in my class to go out and make their own impact on our world.

3. Sharing My Knowledge. One thing I hope to be able to pass onto my students is the life lessons that I have learned. Being able to share my experiences in life will hopefully allow my students to not only not make the same mistakes that I have, but see that it is ok to fall as long as you pick yourself back up and keep moving forward!

4. No Day Is The Same. I cannot wait for the daily interaction with my students and to see how my student/teacher relationships develop. The best part, for me, about being in a classroom is the unknown and never knowing what type of situation I will be put into or what a student will have to say to me.

5. Making Math Fun. For too many people math is always a dreaded subject. I want to be able to bring the fun into learning once again and show kids that math doesn't have to be boring!

My reasons for teaching may be different than another person's, but what I know is that I was put on this Earth to be a teacher! I might have taken a detour on my path to get into the classroom, but I'm on the right road now and I can't wait to embark on this next part of my journey! What are your passions?

If you have any questions on teaching or why I've decided to become a teacher, I'd love to chat. Feel free to email me at kindlywithk@gmail.com or send me a message on social media @KindlyWithK!

"It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are." - e. e. cummings

Adoration Studios | Custom Blog Design

You may or may not have noticed, but a few weeks ago Kindly With K got a major face lift. I wish I could take credit for the amazing design, but all the credit and accolades go to Lauryn from Adoration Studios. After connecting on Twitter, we struck up a conversation about how I wanted a new look for my blog and the rest is history!

Without further ado, let me introduce you to Adoration Studios!

Adoration Studios is web design business that wants people to walk out of their experience and say, "That was fast, easy, and fun!". They provide pre-made templates in their Etsy shop and also are available for custom blog design as well. What is so great about Adoration Studios? Not only are their prices affordable, but they really strive for people to be proud of their design and walk away being able to call their design their own! Adoration Studios always produces top quality templates that make your blog look professional, chic, and gorgeous all at the same time!

Take a look at some of their amazing pre-made templates available for purchase right here. And don't worry if you don't know how to install it yourself. For just a small extra fee, they will take care of all the behind the scenes work for you!

Those are just a taste of what they can create! Don't see anything you like in their shop, well they do custom designs as well. Lauryn really takes the time to get to know you and understand your vision so that she can truly make your vision into a reality with your blog. After all, it is your blog!

Now a little bit about Lauryn! She is from Toronto Canada and got married October 24th, 2014. She is currently a web design major at Brigham Young University - Idaho. Her web design interest started when she was about 10 after her dad stuck her with one of those instruction books and told her to make him a website. Working with design and computers runs in the family as her father is a computer programmer. Lauryn loves the front end design of things and just making things pretty! And she does a pretty darn good job at it!

Lauryn is AMAZING! From day one I felt like I was her number one concern and she was more than happy to accommodate everything that I was asking for. She tackled everything with enthusiasm, insight, and expertise. Her response time and follow up was immediate! It seemed as though Lauryn was responding to my numerous daily emails before I even hit send :) I could not be more happy with the way my site redesign turned out and that is all thanks to Lauryn and Adoration Studios! I could not have picked a better web designer!

If you are even thinking about doing a redesign or starting a blog, Adoration Studios should be your first stop! I highly recommend their services and Kindly With K definitely would not be where it's at today if it wasn't for them! Stay tuned next week for a more in depth look at Lauryn McBride when I spotlight her in my Career series!

"It's never what you say, but how you make it sound sincere." - Marya Mannes

K's Dating Tips: First Impressions

Back in January (I know that seems like forever ago) I wrote a dating tips post on how to go from friends to lovers. If you're interested, you can read that here. Well I thought it was time that I should continue my "K's Dating Tips" series. What do you think? Is that something you would like to read on a regular basis? Let me know!

This month I thought I would talk about first impressions on a first date and how to make a good one! With it being summer a lot of us have a little extra time to spend on dating and if you're like me it can be super awkward on first dates. I've put together some ways for you to make first dates a little less painful and get your first impressions spot on!

1. Relax. Don't put so much pressure on the date itself. Make sure that you're just being yourself. After all that is what your date is looking for!

2. Dress comfortably. You don't want to be the girl that half way through the date can't walk because she wore too high of heels and now her feet her. If you're comfortable in jeans and a t-shirt, then wear jeans and a t-shirt and maybe spruce it up with fun accessories. Be you!

3. Be decisive. Don't say stuff like "I don't know, what do you think?" or "It's up to you" constantly. You're on this date just as much as he is. Pick something that you would actually enjoy!

4. Get closer. If you're having dinner or drinks, sit next to each other instead of across the table. When you're sitting together, position your bodies so that they are touching or nearly touching. The same goes for when you're walking. If you treat each other like strangers, you will feel like strangers.

5. Be present. Show interest in your date and be an active listener. Don’t let it be all about you.

6. But don't forget to Tell Him About Yourself. Don't just ask him questions all night. Tell him some funny stories, be (reasonably) open about yourself, and joke around. In the end, he will remember the conversations that he had with you!

First dates shouldn't be scary, but we make them. Really it's all about the connection you have with the other person and seeing if there is a future relationship in the making. Make a good first impression and go from there!

Do you have any first date horror stories or any tips that you have for going on first dates? I want to hear from you! Email me at kindlywithk@gmail.com with your first date memories!

"The love of liberty is the love of others; the love of power is the love of ourselves." - William Hazlitt