This felt like a very long month with many ups and downs. It might've been the most difficult month for me since quarantine started and I'm happy that it's over. I'm also excited for Fall, obviously but because August was so difficult, I'm finding it hard to get into the fall spirit. I realized a lot this month and I'm hoping that I could make the changes I need to make to be who I want to be.

We're entering my favorite time of the year and even with all the bad stuff that has happened this year, I really want to try to find a way to enjoy it all. We shall see how that goes! 

For now, I want to get into my favorites of the month; some might seem random but they're all my favorites.

 What a week! I say that every Friday but this week was extra long. I feel like August itself has been extremely long and weird. There is so much happening in the world and this week it got to me. I was completely overwhelmed with grief and sadness. Mentally, I cannot handle the over-stimulation of the bad news happening all over, and I don't know how to focus on the positive.

That was the theme this week and I know I am not alone. There is some comfort in that... knowing that there are people who are feeling the same things I do. All we can do right now is register to vote, donate to organizations that matter and find the silver linings in all aspects of life. This too shall pass. 

All of that being said, I'm off from work today, going to get my first ever massage and might treat myself to the first Pumpkin Spice Latte of the season, even if it is 85 degrees in New York. 

Etsy has always been one of my favorite places to shop. It has everything you could ever want or need, whether it's a piece of jewelry, home decor, or notebooks. When you shop at Etsy, the possibilities are truly endless.

Sometimes when I have something in my head, it can be difficult to figure out what kind of retailer would have that... but Etsy always delivers. You want a fancy, printable bookmark? Etsy has it. You want memorial jewelry? Etsy has it. Whatever you want, there's an Esty shop that caters to that specific item. It's pretty intense. 

Create and Cultivate is a career website and resource, catered to women but advice for all. They host conferences, they have a podcast, the founder has written a book, and now they have an entire online community dedicated to helping women create and cultivate the life of their dreams. 

I've been following the company for a while and I really admire it. I've gotten great advice from them, devoured the book, and am constantly consuming their content. It's a must-visit website if you're a business owner, a person making a career change, or trying to find your way in life. 

Create & Cultivate isn't just career advice but wellness, money, and other life issues. It's your one-stop-shop and if you can't tell, I'm a little obsessed.

This isn't the point of the post though... within the past year, the company launched a paid membership called "Insiders" and you get exclusive invites and discounts to conferences, events, and other content. The membership didn't seem like anything until Covid hit and the brand changed everything to be digital. 

One of the biggest features of Create & Cultivate is their conferences so with Covid, that is obviously impossible. As a C&C Insider, you get exclusive access to conferences before the public, you *might* get a discount (I'm not 100% sure) and you get more exclusivity at the event itself. 

Now, with digital conferences, as an Insider, you get FREE access to all the digital conferences they put on. That, to me, is the best part of being an Insider. 

What Is a Digital Conference?

Since April,  Create & Cultivate has put on around 4 or 5 digital conferences with a huge lineup of incredible speakers, fun activities, and a Slack channel so you can communicate with everyone attending the conference. There are channels for every individual event, for different industries, and for networking. Over Slack, I've talked and met some incredible ladies so that the networking aspect of the conference is still there. 

Plus, who doesn't want to attend a virtual conference from the comfort of their own bed? There's no travel, no small talk with people you don't know, and you can attend every single panel instead of choosing which you want.

If you're not an insider, you can still purchase tickets to the conference and attend just like everyone else. You can also watch the videos for a few days afterward, but as an Insider, you get to forever access to the videos from the conference.

Other Benefits of C&C Insider

This was quite the week and I was noticeably quiet on the blog. I've been open about my anxiety on the blog over the years and I never want to stop that. I switched to a new medication this week and the side effects were outrageous. I'm finally feeling a little more like myself and ready to get back to the grind.

You also might notice that the blog is looking a little different today... I switched up my layout, again. I know it's not traditional or maybe 'best practice' to change your layout so frequently but I get so bored of the same layout for too long. 

I'm also really happy with this one because it has the bar at the top to show off my most recent posts. It just is visually appealing to me and I'm excited. I hope you guys like it too! 

I have an easy weekend planned for myself and I'm looking forward to maybe trying to rest and recharge so I'm in a better headspace for next week. 

If I'm being honest, the Nordstrom sale this year seems like a mess and a half. It went live for exclusive tiers at the beginning of the month and there was hardly anything left when Early Access started last week. I'm writing this post a few days before the sale actually goes live so we'll see if things are still in stock.

I shop at Nordstrom a lot. It is probably my go-to retailer so I have a lot of essentials and I always try to stock up during the sale and buy one or two new things. That's my game plan for this year too and the entire point of this post. 

Hi, my name is Briana and I'm addicted to TikTok. The obsession started shortly after Christmas and has only become more rampant during the quarantine. I mean, there's not much else to do other than sit on TikTok for hours. 

My obsession got so bad at one point that I had to set a time limit on the app. I allowed myself one hour of TikTok every day because if I didn't, I would be up till 4 AM scrolling. That went out the window once Coronavirus hit and I haven't looked back. 

TikTok is an amazing place for creators but that's not what this post is about. 

Even if you aren't on TikTok you have probably heard of Charli D'Amelio, the 16-year-old who is the most followed person on the app. I love her and need her protected at all costs. She is just... it's unreal the level of fame she has accumulated in such a short time but the appeal is there: young, pretty, talented, and very innocent & sweet. She is shy, humble, and comes across as a very normal girl on the app.