Chasing Cozy

by Leslie Claire

WORK

5 TIPS TO HELP YOU GET ACCEPTED TO REWARDSTYLE

Tips on applying to rewardstyle

When I first started blogging, I was embarrassed and was scared of what people would think. I then took a step back and organized my thought on WHY I actually wanted to blog.

I was constantly seeing all these beautiful homes on social media, and people made them out to be unattainable. This didn’t sit well with me. You don’t have to be some elite interior designer or celebrity to have a home you love and cherish.

I set out on my mission to show people that you can make your space yours with small improvements to your space. I took my Instagram off of private and went for it.

While blogging allowed me to do something I was extremely passionate about, I kept seeing other bloggers using an app called Like to Know It through RewardStyle and it seemed like a really powerful tool. It would allow me to link directly to items so people could shop if they liked something.

I searched high and low for ways to get accepted via different blog posts like the one I’m writing now. There wasn’t much out there, which is why I wanted to write this.

I was expecting to be rejected since I read that many bloggers were rejected after their first application. After following these steps, I was accepted on my first try with under 1,000 followers.

  1. Blog consistently for a few months. Quality content is more important than quantity. A solid foundation on your blog or Instagram is a must.
  2. Tag items accurately. Make sure to tag everything with the exact products when possible. I have lots of older clothes and will link their updated versions, but these never perform as well. People want to be able to shop your look, and may be disappointed to only find similar items.
  3. Engage with your followers. Your engagement rate and blog traffic is important, but interacting with your followers ranks right up there. Plus, it’s the only way to get to know your audience. You’ll thank yourself in the long run when you have a solid relationship with your audience.
  4. Clear images without heavy filters are best. Keeping the colors of products truly representative of the items will give people a clear idea. Plus, brands always want their products to be accurately represented. This will also be helpful later on when trying to land collaborations. It’s a best practice all around. Not every photo needs to be taken on a professional camera, iPhone will do as long as the images are clear.
  5. Reach out to other bloggers, even if you’ve never talked to them before or met them in real life. You’d be surprised as to how many are willing to give pointers, and you never know who you may end up friends with! Yes, there are some big name bloggers who tend to give the industry a bad name, but don’t let that set you astray from perusing you passion. Get out there (even in the digital world) and learn! There is room for everyone to share their unique voice.

TIP: Any of your blogger friends who are already part of
RewardStyle can give you a referral, which will increase your chances of
getting accepted. I didn’t have one when I applied, but I have given
several since then, and all those bloggers have been accepted.

I hope these pointers are helpful. I know I searched high and low for info like this when I first started, or someone who looked approachable, so I want to be that resource for all of you. Please reach out to me to chat or brainstorm any time!

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Tips on applying to rewardstyle

18 THINGS YOU CAN DO WHILE ON HOLD

18 things to do while on hold

Being on hold on your phone is the ultimate time waster. Frankly, there are few things more frustrating to be hit with in the middle of your busy day than “your current wait time is…35 minutes.”

Here are a few things you can do while on hold:

+ Chop and prep your vegetables- I made homemade home fries this morning with this recipe
+ Catch up on deleting your spam inbox
+ Clean your makeup brushes
+ Give yourself an at-home facial- I like to keep some of my masks and oils in my mini fridge
+ Organize your closet
+ Organize your fridge and wash the shelves
+ Wash your face- I’m a big fan of the Michael Todd Beauty Soniclear
+ Make a grocery list
+ Unsubscribe from spam email lists
+ Clean out your camera roll on your phone
+ Give yourself an at-home manicure- The secret is cuticle oil
+ Trim all your candle wicks- candle tips from an expert on this post
+ Brush your dog/snuggle
+ Get rid of expired cosmetics and goopy nail polishes
+ Sanitize/ wipe down your electronics
+ Prune your plants
+ Browse Pinterest- I update my account regularly with home decor and cute DIYs
+ Paint a denim jacket- DIY here

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18 things to do while you're on hold

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11 OF THE BEST TIPS FOR WORKING FROM HOME

Working from home Rose

A realistic subtitle for this article: How to Not Strangle Your Significant Other and How to Survive Working From Home for the First Time.

  1. Put on something other than the pajamas you slept in. Read as: “fresh sweatpants encouraged.” Even if you are working in your cozies, a fresh set of clothes after you roll out of bed will get you more motivated and in a productive mindset.
  2. Try to keep a routine. Wake up and walk the dog when you normally do, have your coffee, and start your day. Make sure you use a cue that leads you into your desk chair to start your day. For me, it’s after I finish my cup of coffee. I then move from the couch to my workspace.
  3. Eat a wholesome lunch. I find that I’m very productive when working from home and it’s easy to forget to eat when I’m on a roll. Breaks will actually increase your productivity and may help you build out ideas. AKA the best feeling ever.
  4. Set boundaries. Pop in your headphones or close your door to create the work environment you’re used to. Pup snuggles totally allowed and encouraged.
  5. Prioritize your tasks. The day before, write down your top five or six tasks, then a secondary list of six tasks you’d like to get done. On the day of, assign a time to each type of task, and batch work all of it into the one time block. When your timer goes off, move along. What you don’t finish goes on the list for the next day.
  6. Get some fresh air. Eat outside or take one of your fifteen minute breaks while walking your neighborhood. Fresh air can work wonders for clearing your brain.
  7. Set up your work environment or at-home office and only use it for work. You may use the same computer for work and personal, but when it’s at your desk, it’s work use only. When it’s in your lap and you’re sitting on the couch, it’s for personal use only.
  8. Take your sick days if you need to. If you’re a freelancer, it’s hard to get away from the mindset that “time is money”, but it’ll pay off in the long run when you take care of yourself.
  9. Over-communicate rather than under-communicate. Without a ton of face to face time, it’s important to make sure you’re communicating ideas thoroughly.
  10. Keep a positive tone to your communication. This ties in with the previous point. Be cognizant of the tone of you writing and phone communication and keep it positive. Coworkers will usually not have as much contact with you, and it’s easy for them to get the wrong impression.
  11. Just as you signaled the start of your working day with a routine, try to end it with one as well. This signal to yourself can be as simple as logging out of your work email, or taking 30 minutes to put your phone on “do not disturb” while you walk the dog. It’s necessary to set this type of boundary so you don’t get burnt out.

The short story is that I’m one of those people who has a hard time turning my brain off or switching channels when the work day is over. Sometimes that’s ok, but when working from home with James, it’s not great. I hope some of these tips will help separate your work day from your personal life so we can all stay happy, healthy and cozy in our own homes.

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11 Tips for Working From Home