3.01.2021

After the Historic Winter Storm | Update

hey hey hey y'all! I'm baaaaaaack. I've had such a turbulent couple of weeks and it's shown because I've been MIA on the blog. I feel like I haven't talked to you guys in ages!

Soooo... my laptop broke the day right after Valentine's day and then a day after that, we lost power due to a huge winter storm. We didn't get power back for 8 days y'all. It got so bad that we had to go stay with my parents for the week because it was that cold in our house. At one point, it was colder inside than it was outside.

When we finally got power back, we came home and spent the remainder of the week cleaning out our freezer and fridge, trying to restock it, tidying up the house, doing laundry, and unpacking before my husband had to start working again.

It's been a wild ride, but things are finally back to normal, so I thought I'd share some pictures of our snowy weekend. Going forward, I'm hoping to go back to one post per week if not more. Oh, and happy March first y'all! Is spring here yet? Because after all that snow, we are so ready for consistent bouts of sunshine!

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2.15.2021

The Blog Hotline: 3 Instagram Story Hacks

Hiiiiiii loves! A few months ago, I shared an Instagram story hack that helps spike up profile views --I've linked that post here if you're interested in giving that a read! It got amazing feedback and I was so happy to hear that a lot of you found it useful! That's exactly why I started this mini-series: to help you become the boss babe you were always meant to be! So, with that being said, I wanted to write a little more about Instagram Stories from a creative creator perspective and share some fun little hacks + tips.

Stories are the perfect way to engage your audience and keep them coming back for more! Now I have a confession to make -- as an influencer and an introverted personality, I find a hard time when it comes to stories. I want to share my life, but have a hard time consoling the idea that sharing isn't oversharing.

While I love influencing, I am just not the type of person to just blab to my phone for the views. There are several amazing influencers that I look up to that have this gift of getting on their stories and making ramen sound like gold. It's a gift that I wish I had, but I don't and I have to force myself to show my face.

This is where influencing gets "hard" for me, so I do what I love most and try and make the stories pretty because graphic design is where I geek out. I love making them pretty and neat, hoping it keeps y'all coming back to watch.

My Favorite Apps For Editing Instagram Stories

Here's a little list of some of my favorite apps to help me edit stories and make them look a little pretty. Some of these are now apps that you have to subscribe to because they've become so popular. They have a few free features to them, but the prettier you want to make it, it ends up costing a $20 a year fee to use all the features. In my opinion, it's worth it, but it's up to you if you want to invest in the subscription!

Story Templates

▸ Unfold
▸ MADE
▸ Over
▸ Canva
▸ Mojo
▸ Tezza
▸ Story Luxe
▸ Dazzle
▸ StoryArt
▸ StoryChic
▸ Instastories

Adding Text To Your Slides / Photos

▸ A Design Story
▸ Word Swag
▸ Story Swag
▸ Phonto
▸ Hype Type
▸ Type Art
▸ InFont
▸ Typorama

Cool Instagram Built-In Features

If you're not into having a bunch of apps on your phone and spending a ton of time going from app to app, here are small things you can do to make your stories in the app. I'm going to make these tips pinnable sheets, so you can save them to your phone and have a step by step guide at your fingertips.

Feel free to share these tips via pinning them on Pinterest or sharing them on your own IG stories to spread the word -- but please tag me if you do share! I'm @mainlymarta on all social media platforms.

Copying Photos From Photo Album and Pasting Them to Your Story

This is a perfect way to make collages without using any other apps besides Instagram! Another feature I really love is that you can do so much with colors in stories!

See How Many People Reshared Your Post On Their Story

Change Background Color of Stories

want a better color selection? I got you...

so these are three little hacks that I use all the time. I have a few more tips up my sleeve that I will share with you all because it makes me so happy when you guys reach out and let me know you're using my tips or respond to a sticker asking me to cover a certain topic. I know that some people charge for this info and keep it secret, but I'm out here trying to be the change. I really believe that there is room at the table for everyone to succeed and am honored to be able to be a helping part of your story. I really appreciate the DMs, emails, and messages you send my way. thank you so much for being part of my little community.

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2.09.2021

Last Minute Valentine's Day Basket

Y'all Valentine's day is on Sunday and if you're anything like me, you're scrambling. Maybe it's been the never-ending quarantine and all this social distancing, but my usual on top of everything self has been procrastinating to the point where it's less than a week and I'm here writing this at midnight. Trying to find things that will arrive in time and that everyone will love is the goal.

My rushed brainstorming session is telling me to go simple this year -- the baskets will consist of books, pajamas, candy, toys for the boys. I'm getting them all the same things, but catered to the stage their in, if that makes sense. When it comes to my husband, he's getting some snacks, self-care items, a glass tumbler, and a love note because that will have to suffice. I'm not trying to be too fancy, just thoughtful with these baskets.

I'll be linking the items below, so ya'll know where to go to find them if you want to go shop and make your own basket -- hint, hint, it's Amazon Prime and Target.

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DEAL ALERT

target currently has a buy two get one free deal for board games, activity & craft kits, puzzles, video games, movies, music & books annnnnd you can mix and match, so there really is something for everyone. I grabbed several books for the boy's basket and for our homeschool studies.

deal expires on 02.13.2021

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shop the baskets

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2.01.2021

Bohemian Home | Inspo / Mood Board

y'all it's feburary and that means it's basically spring. if you're like me, you're looking for any reason to update, rearrange, or refresh any space in your home. nothing makes me happier than dreaming up spaces and then seeing them to life -- in my home or on the blog in my mini mood board / inspo series. I love browsing the web and looking at furniture and home decor elements, putting them together, and sharing them with you. so, to ring in the new month, I thought it'd be fun to dream up some room round-ups for a bohemian styled home.

The Living Room

rattan diffuser

faux rubber plant

terra cotta speckled vase

rattan serving tray

natural himalayan pink salt candle holder

round jute rug

set of velvet pillow covers

leaf trinket dish

farmhouse bead garland

rattan basket

pouf

wooden candle holders

macrame wall hanging mirror

desk lamp

leaf stems in glass vase

The Bedroom

wood and gold hanging

The Kitchen

black and white canisters

sun plate

stoneware black plate

seagrass coasters

woven grass vase

catus cookie jar

glass / pour over coffee maker

modern slate board set

stoneware baker

hobnail drinking glass

wooden cooking utensils

gold smock

waffle weave kitchen towel

More Decor

Happy New Year | Goals + Updates

Happy New Year! I know I am really late with this one, but in all honesty, I have avoided the blog this month because it's been hard to sit down and write. My husband picked up another 12-hour shift at work each week, so there goes a day of content creation. When he gets home, I have no more energy to write. Between errands, raising three boys, trying to keep up with the current world events, tending to the home, and other social media channels, I was feeling really burnt out.

Soooo, I did what I needed to do -- take a step back, reevaluate, plan. Feeling refreshed and ready, I am back, hopefully to posting at least once a week.

Updates

► I'm back on tiktok -- mainlymarta on there. I left earlier this year, but a lot of brands are asking for content creation via tiktok and so, I decided to hop back on the bandwagon. It's gonna be a baking, home decor, amazon finds, hacks, diy, and homeschool kinda space, so if any that is of interest to you, find me there.

► We've adopted an unschooling approach to homeschool. I wrote about it on Instagram (linking that post belo} and if you're interested in learning more about it, feel free to reach out, but I will be sharing more via the blog and basically everywhere I can.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by marta | motherhood+homeschool (@mainlymarta)

► I'm starting up a mini giveaway page on Instagram -- more details on this soon as it is still a work in progress,

annnnnnd, that's about the only updates that I have. I really have been laying low these days. But, rest assured I'm about to drop some goals for this year because I want to write them out so I can refer back to them.

Goals for 2021

► lose weight -- this is such a typical one and I feel like I say this every year. but this one is hard for me. honestly, I didn't really struggle with weight growing up, I was extremely skinny and I loved my body. I was confident, I liked me, who I was. But now, I do not like my body, I hate the way I look, I avoid mirrors and pictures at all costs. It's super hard to admit that I am fat. It's a struggle because I didn't sit around and eat my way to this weight. I had babies, three of them back to back. I gained weight when breastfeeding, embarked on losing weight, stopped, and started again and again. I am tired of feeling gross. buuuuut, enough is enough. this is my year. I will shed the weight. I can do this. I will get to a place where I feel like my old self again. I turned 29 this month and by 30 I want to be at or super near my goal weight of 145 pounds.

► be healthier -- this piggybacks off of my last one, but it's not just limited to weight loss. I want to cultivate good habits. eating cleaner and being active / exercising at least 4 times a week. implementing more structure and routines, getting more sleep, drinking more water, investing a good skin routine are just some of the things that want to do for me.

► build + focus on my brand as a whole -- really wanting to up my blogging game. I'm gonna attempt monthly newsletters, SEO, affiliate links, more blog posts, pins, ads. basically implementing alllll the things because I've been primarily attached to Instagram when I could be doing so much more.

► earn passive income in the process -- currently subscribe to young living and am a beauty counter consultant. I want to get out of my comfort zone and share more about these things on all my spaces. I want to not only earn passive income with this, but I want to be a genuine resource for anyone who wants to try these products. I also want to update and focus on my Etsy shop as well.

► get out of my comfort zone -- sharing more on insta-stories, being more vulnerable, and trying things that make me nervous are things I want to do. I'm always so super nervous about over-sharing and being annoying, or stepping on toes that I don't share at all.

Soooo, yah. there is my shortlist of goals that currently feels very overwhelming. Here's to getting all these things done in 2021.

K, logging off for tonight

but, I'm gonna end this post with an updated list of my links just in case anyone needs them. I always appreciate every single like, comment, purchase, support, etc. So thankful for my little online community and readers across the interweb.

or find me as a consultant when you check out my search "marta varan"

Beauty Counter also has a great rewards system in place -- read how to sign up by clicking here.

Young Living

or use my enrolled / sponsor ID when you sign up "17521891"

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12.10.2020

My Wish List

It's my last gift guide and this one of mostly for my husband -- as my birthday is next month too. He always asks me what I want and then I feel put on the spot. So, here's to publishing this blog post and hoping he takes a peek at my blog this month.

soooo, yah!

here's what I've been eyeing this year and hoping to add to my collection of stuff throughout 2020.