write – Ampersand

10 things I’ve learned in quarantine so far:

How to perfect the top knot
I don’t really like sheet masks
Tostito’s chips are my quarantine snack of choice
Cut your buttermilk biscuits bigger otherwise you’ll end up with tiny baby biscuits (still good just sorta small!)
Meditation is actually cool if you do it often enough
Way more people have instant coffee on hand than I thought (@ everyone making whipped coffee right now & I’m jealous)
Boxed wine > bottles of wine
My apartment gets really nice morning sun
Anthropologie candles are the best candles & last FOREVER (this one is my fave)
Journaling actually keeps you sane. For real.

Number 10 isn’t really really a surprise to me–I’ve been a writer as long as I can remember. I have at least twelve volumes of childhood diaries, a handful of journals of poetry (High school Kasia was a poet–fun fact!), this blog (duh), and no less than 5 current journals that all have different purposes depending on what I’m writing. Writing is the #1 way I process emotions (my therapist can verify) and I 10/10 recommend it to anyone, ESPECIALLY during this weird/crazy time.

But I get that not everyone is a natural writer & staring at a blank page to be filled with your deepest emotions~ can be daunting. So I put together some of my favorite journal prompts (that are not cheesy or LAME) for non-journalers who may want to become one. Remember–no one’s going to see your journal except you so feel free to let it all out.

Continue reading →

For the most part, blogging is really fun. I personally don’t blog full time (I have a regular old 9-to-5 job that I absolutely love) & I blog on the side as a hobby. Even though it’s a hobby, I do spend a significant amount of time writing, taking pictures, posting on social media, etc. etc. And like I said, most of the time being a blogger is really fun, but sometimes it’s really hard work. (I can’t even imagine what it’s like to be a full-time blogger–kudos to you guys).

My friend/fellow blogger Sam (check her out at F-perfection.com!) and I have this joke that bloggers never sleep. Every time we’re brainstorming new posts or thinking of yet another Instagram caption, we say “well, bloggers never sleep.” Being a blogger is about sharing your life with your readers, and to some extent, it’s always in the back of your mind. I can’t tell you how many notes I have on my phone about blog post ideas or how many lattes have gotten cold because I have to get the perfect picture (ugh I know, I hate that I get caught up in “do it for the Insta,” too). That said, I’ve tried to strike a balance between just living and putting more effort into blogging. It’s always a process.

Thankfully for all us bloggers out there, there are lots of apps/tools that make this whole “being a blogger” thing easier so our entire life isn’t consumed by blank WordPress templates & the never-ending blackhole of Pinterest (unless you want that, then you do you). Here are some of my favorite apps that making blogging a little easier.