Top 5 Ways to Treat Yo' Self This Valentine's Day

I’m a firm believer that Valentine’s Day is not just about the couples. It’s about celebrating love of all kinds, including love for yourself, your friends, your family and everyone who brings joy into your life. I hope that no matter where you are on the 14th, you find time to celebrate yourself and show some love to the most important people (& pets) in your life.

If you are looking for a fun way to treat yourself this Valentine's Day (that doesn’t involve trying to make a dinner reservation on the 14th) check out my top 5 below.

5 WAYS TO TREAT YO' SELF THIS VALENTINE'S DAY

1. Lymphatic Draining Massage - I know, I know - treating yourself to a massage is not the most original idea, but hear me out. I tried it last year right before leaving for a trip to Greece, and I have to say, the results were insane! My whole body felt lighter and I think I peed out like 5 pounds of water weight haha. Click here for the before & afters! While my discount code was only active for 2023, mention my name when you book & Val will look after you! After the holiday season, this massage might be just what you need!
    

2. Happy Hour with your Gal Pals - Avoid the Valentine’s Day dinner rush and plan a fun happy hour with your gal pals on Galentine’s Day (the 13th). On my recent trip to New York, I planned a happy hour for our Gals Abroad Getaways community. Chatting with all these strong, independent women, really left me feeling so inspired. If you live in the Chicagoland area - here are some links to my favorite cocktail spots to grab a drink with your Gal Pal:
   
   Pigtail - They make the BEST espresso martini I have ever had & its not at all what you’d expect
   
   Le Colonial - This is my go to spot for impressing out of town guests. But the bar is SUCH a fab spot to enjoy a drink & the ONLY one I ever order is their lychee martini. It’s a problem how yummy they are haha
   
   Arbella - I love their globally inspired cocktail menu & their bar bites are SUPER yummy too!
    

3. Book a Photoshoot - Listen, there is something SO fabulous and self-indulgent about booking a photoshoot just for the hell of it. You get dressed up, maybe even get your hair and makeup done and pretend like you’re a supermodel (at least that sounds fun to me haha). I LOVE to use Flytographer to book photoshoots when I’m traveling (but they have tons of photographers in the US too!). Use code ALLE50 for $50 off your shoot. Or if you’re based in Chicago, The Studio Chicago is hosting their annual Valentine’s Day Mini Sessions on Feb 10 & 11 - and there are still spots available!
    

4. Upgrade Your Luggage - Investing in quality luggage is one of those gifts that keeps giving. If you have travel planned for 2024, treat yourself NOW to new luggage, so you aren’t forced to make it work with mediocre luggage later! I’ve tried several brands throughout the years, and I’ve found Away Luggage to be my tried and true. Mostly because of their unbeatable lifetime warranty (aka you break it, they replace it) & their functional design. These suitcases have been with me through nearly 30 countries in the last 4 years so…I’d say they hold up. They are dropping a Barbie Pink suitcase on Tuesday & I'm already drooling haha. Here’s $20 off your order!
    

5. Gals Abroad Getaways Trip - Shameless plug I know… but you have to admit, isn’t traveling the ultimate form of self care? We have so many exciting trips coming up in 2024, with registration opening for three European trips this month (including our Virgin Voyage to the South of France & Spain which launched this week!!) Be ready to “BOOK THE TRIP” and see the world in 2024 - in Gals Abroad Getaways style. If you are interested in traveling with independent, luxury loving women, make sure you are on our Gals Abroad Getaways newsletter list (if different than this one), where you will get exclusive news on upcoming trips and early bird pricing.

Gals Abroad Gatherings: Tarot & Treats

PURE MAGIC IS WITNESSING POWERFUL WOMEN CONNECT

As the founder of Gals Abroad Getaways, a company dedicated to connecting independent, travel-loving women & showing them dazzling destinations around the world, I have the immense privilege to witness this magic often.

I see it on the first day of all of our getaways when women from all around the world meet for the first time & giggle over welcome drinks and delicious dinners.

I see it mid-way through our trips when friendships have formed and we’re deep into exploring our destination.

And I see it at our farewell dinner when we’re doubled over laughing from our inside jokes & overwhelmed with joy and gratitude for the memories we’ve made.

THIS is what is so powerful about connecting with other like-minded women and why we take our role as the facilitator of these experiences & friendships so seriously. These connections can truly be life-changing.

After we ran our first two trips in 2022, one of the things I was hearing from our gals was that they wanted a sense of continued community after they returned home. I too was feeling like there had to be a way for our gals to connect on a more frequent and local level.

SO, WE CREATED GALS ABROAD GATHERINGS

These are intimate events for the Gals Abroad Getaways community to come together for a shared unique experience, mingle with other gals & support amazing local small (mostly) women-owned businesses.

Whether it's candle making, wine tasting, or a food tour in a city near you, our aim is to use these Gatherings as a way to give our gals a taste of what the Gals Abroad Getaways experience is all about in a city near you.

Our first gathering was at Frankfort Candle Company to celebrate Galentine’s Day.

And just this last week we hosted our second event: Tarot & Treats.

As someone who LIVES for autumn, I wanted to host an event that celebrated the change of seasons and was an excuse to pamper & treat our gals.

I discovered Annie Hex through a friend who gifted me one of her birthday tarot card readings. I’ve had a few tarot card readings over the years but NONE have been as impactful, fun and actionable as Annie’s was. Immediately after our reading I was like, “how can we work together"?!”.

And boom a few months later she’s giving personal readings to all our gals at this event.

The idea for a luxe picnic came about simply because I LOVED watching these companies pop up during the pandemic and I never got the chance to experience them for myself. I discovered Picnic Parlay was based just 1 town over from me and was thrilled to be supporting another woman-owned small biz.

Then truly everything else fell into place.

SHOUTOUT TO ALL THE INCREDIBLE SMALL BUSINESSES WE WORKED WITH

Let me take a quick moment to introduce you to the brands we worked with for this Gathering that I think you should know about. I am forever grateful to all the small businesses that always so generously gifted us with services and truly amazing goodies that brought the event to life.

ANNIE HEX - is a queer performance artist, poet, and tarot reader who curates her own events & hosts readings virtually or in her signature pink room. Seriously, her birthday readings make for the PERFECT b-day gift.

PICNIC PARLAY - creates these luxe picnic & event setups which were the perfect centerpiece for our gathering & elevated the whole experience

BELLYFULL BOARDS - curated the yummy individual cheese boards

CLOVE STUDIO - when the weather looked like it was taking a turn for the worse we scrambled to find a space that would be able to accommodate us last min. I’m SO grateful to have found this beautiful Ravenswood studio on @peerspace (ps - this is also a photography studio & they offer memberships for creators!)

HANNAH SCHWEISS - knocked it out of the park once again by capturing the event

FRANKFORT CANDLE COMPANY - is woman-owned small business that crafts one-of-a-kind clean burning candles in vintage antique vessels. Each vessel is totally unique and is displayed in this beautiful rainbow on the ever-evolving wall in the shop. Plus, they offer workshops to the general public! This would be such a fun event to do with your girlfriends, co-workers or family!

FLOWERS FOR DREAMS - Gifted our gals their own mini-fall bouquets for them to take home and enjoy. What I love most is that they donate a portion of the $$ from each bouquet to local charities

OLIVE & JUNE - they are an amazing woman-owned business & have some of the best nail polish colors & products out there!

I’m truly so honored to have the privilege to bring a community of like-minded, kind, traveling-loving women together. And even more excited to help facilitate amazing new connections and friendships.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO JOIN US FOR A FUTURE GATHERING MAKE SURE THAT YOU’RE SIGNED UP FOR OUR GALS ABROAD GETAWAYS NEWSLETTER.

This is of course where we announce future trips but also the place where you’ll get access to purchase tickets to future events before anyone else.

I would also LOVE to hear what you’re looking for from future events & if you have any requests or suggestions, please feel free to shoot us an email at galsabroadgetaways@gmail.com.

xx Alle

Gals Abroad Gatherings x Frankfort Candle Company

As the former social chair of my sorority, you could say I LOVE hosting events.

Not to brag but our sophomore year mom’s weekend where I hired a hypnotist & took our friend group out for an evening of mother-daughter karaoke is still spoken about in hushed reverent tones (lol).

In some ways, planning our Gals Abroad Getaways trips scratches that event planner itch in me (just on a much larger scale) but these trips only happen a few times a year (for now).

After we ran our first two trips in 2022, one of the things I was hearing from our gals was that they wanted a sense of continued community after they return home. I too was feeling like there had to be a way for our gals to connect more locally. And for new gals to join us and see what the Gals Abroad Getaways vibe is all about.

You know what the best thing about being your own boss is? You can add new and fun things to your business when you feel called to do so.

SO, I CREATED GALS ABROAD GATHERINGS

These are quarterly events starting in Chicago but eventually growing to other cities where the Gals Abroad Getaways community can come together for a shared unique experience, mingle with other gals & support amazing local small (mostly) women-owned businesses.

Whether it's candle making, wine tasting, or a food tour in a city near you, my aim is to use these Gatherings as a way to give our gals a taste of what the Gals Abroad Getaways experience is all about in a city near you.

WE HOSTED OUR FIRST GATHERING AT FRANKFORT CANDLE COMPANY AND IT WAS A MASSIVE HIT (in my humble opinion but also via the gals who attended haha).

Galentine’s Day will always be a special holiday for our business, one because of the name (duh) but also because it represents what we as a business are all about: honoring and cherishing the special women in our lives.

So it felt right that our first event would be in honor of Galentine’s Day. And we couldn’t have found a more PERFECT place to host our gathering.

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A post shared by Alle Abroad | Travel + Lifestyle Expert (@allepierce)

LET ME INTRODUCE YOU TO THE MAGIC THAT IS FRANKFORT CANDLE COMPANY & ITS OWNER MELISSA.

Frankfort Candle Company is a woman-owned small business that crafts one-of-a-kind clean burning candles in vintage antique vessels. Each vessel is totally unique and is displayed in this beautiful rainbow on the ever-evolving wall in the shop.

Here’s what I love so much about what Melissa - who is the coolest creative human ever - has created with her business.

After you're finished burning your candle, you can either use the vessel in your home as decor or send it back to be refilled with a different scent. Melissa even offers options for you to bring in your treasured antiques and heirlooms and turn those into candles too.

Melissa started this business out of her kitchen during the pandemic and officially launched her shop in 2022 (the same year as Gals Abroad Getaways). I love how sustainable her business is & that a portion of its proceeds are donated to local charitable causes.

ON THE DAY OF THE EVENT, I WAS SO CALM AND OVERWHELMED WITH HOW MANY PEOPLE CAME TOGETHER TO HELP ME PULL THIS OFF (in less than a few weeks).

The idea to host a candle-making workshop came out of a dinner with my dear friend Amy, who just so happens to run the PR of Frankfort Candle Company. Actually, it came out of the candle that Amy & Melissa so generously sent to me last year to introduce me to Frankfort Candle Company. Needless to say, it couldn’t have been a more perfect fit.

Amy represents so many amazing local Chicago businesses that I’ve been lucky enough to get to know and love and working with her on this event couldn’t have been more aligned.

Before our gals arrived I had Linda, Melissa, Amy and my amazing gal pal Neha helping me set up. There’s truly a special place for women who just get sh*t done and help when needed without needing to be told exactly what to do.

From there, my bestie Lexi showed up to help me capture all the photos from the day that you see featured in this post and I truly could not be more grateful to have these memories captured.

Not only that but I am forever grateful to all the small businesses that generously gifted us some amazing items that truly brought the event to life.

SPECIAL SHOUTOUTS

Let me take a quick moment to introduce you to the brands we worked with for this Gathering that I think you should know about.

FRANKFORT CANDLE COMPANY - As I mentioned earlier, we are so aligned with this company. Plus, they offer workshops to the general public! This would be such a fun event to do with your girlfriends, co-workers or family!

CHI-CUTERIE - I recently was introduced to this amazing small business that’s actually right in my own backyard (Geneva). Chi-cuterie made the most stunning cheese board filled with locally sourced meats and cheeses (they offer cheese board-making workshops and I'm thinking that might be our next Gathering location!)

FLOWERS FOR DREAMS - All the beautiful bouquets on the table were created by this small Chicago-based biz. What I love most is that they donate a portion of the $$ from each bouquet to local charities

UVINA SKIN - A small local woman-owned business that curates the most simple and clean skincare routine (GALSABROAD gets you 20% off)

FARMER'S FRIDGE - You'll find these fridges all over Chicago but I LOVE that they are in airports across America and that's my go-to spot for healthy airport food on the go! (you have a gift card!)

BARRYS - If you're looking to get your body moving and grooving in 2023 - you’ve gotta check out their amazing repertoire of classes.

OLIVE & JUNE - they are an amazing woman-owned business & have some of the best nail polish colors & products out there!

TUBBY'S TASTE - I’m not kidding, these are the most delicious vegan cookies that everyone loved!

AGED & INFUSED - this company makes these amazing infusions that you can add alcohol to or make a delicious mocktail with. They truly make creating cocktails for events SO easy!

AND CAN WE JUST HAVE A MOMENT FOR THE EVENT ITSELF?

I always like to start out every Gals Abroad Getaway & Gathering with a little get-to-know-you circle. As so many of the women who join us are coming solo, I feel like a fun icebreaker is always the perfect way for everyone to get a little more comfortable around each other and learn about all the things they have in common.

While it wasn’t a question that was asked, many of the women shared why they were interested in joining us on a future trip. Their answers ranged from wanting some time just for themselves, meeting new travel-loving gal pals and of course because many of them were tired of waiting for their friends to commit to a trip (we all know how that goes).

I’m truly so honored to have the privilege to bring a community of like-minded, kind, traveling-loving women together. And even more excited to help facilitate amazing new connections and friendships.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO JOIN US FOR A FUTURE GATHERING MAKE SURE THAT YOU’RE SIGNED UP FOR OUR GALS ABROAD GETAWAYS NEWSLETTER.

This is of course where we announce future trips but also the place where you’ll get access to purchase tickets to future events before anyone else.

I would also LOVE to hear what you’re looking for from future events & if you have any requests or suggestions, please feel free to shoot us an email at galsabroadgetaways@gmail.com.

xx Alle

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Gals Abroad Getaways X @AllePierce (@galsabroadgetaways) • Instagram photos and videos

My 14+ Steps to Help You Plan Your Most Successful Year Yet

call me crazy but I LOVE THE START OF THE NEW YEAR

January needs a re-brand.

So often I feel like we’re so focused on the holidays being over & the daunting feeling of returning to our inbox that the beauty of this time of year is overshadowed.

This is the perfect time to go deep, get serious about your biggest hopes and dreams and set intentions for the year ahead. But sometimes the process of intention setting can feel a little daunting. I vividly remember a few years back googling “how to set goals” which I’m sure I’m not alone in doing.

Since then I’ve read countless books, listened to allllllll the career podcasts & cherry picked my favorite tools to help me set myself up for success for the year ahead.

Whether you’re reading this in January, in the middle of the summer or at the holidays I’m a firm believer that goals and intentions can be set at any time of year (but I prefer to start my year focused so I do this in January).

Here are the 14 steps I take to start my year on the right foot.

**I am by no means an expert and this list may not work for everyone. Take the parts of the list that work for you and tweak the other parts that don’t. I’m just sharing my process and hopefully, there’s something that can help you!**

STEP 1: CLEAN & DECLUTTER YOUR MOST LIVED-IN SPACES

I truly don’t feel like I can do my best work or feel on top of my life if my space is cluttered. So one of the first things I do before I set goals or intentions is a DEEP clean of all my spaces. This can often take a few days so I suggest tackling a different area each day to avoid burnout.

If you’re looking for a step-by-step guide on how to get your house in order I recommend this book. I personally aspire to have my life and home as organized as anyone who is a practitioner of the Home Edit and if you are someone who likes a little guidance, I love their workbook to get you started.

Here are the places I clean to give you an idea of where to begin:

1. My closet - which allows me to look at the items I’ve worn over the past year and determine if there’s anything I can donate, sell in a live sale or list on my Poshmark. While my closet is NOT nearly where I’d like it to be, my best tips are using bookshelves like this one for shoe storage & I swear by these hangers to maximize space on my racks.

2. My bathroom - I go through my drawers, toss old products, and clean out my linen closet which becomes a pit of things I’ve tossed in there just to get them out of sight. A few years ago I bought this stacking acrylic thing to organize my makeup, this fancy lazy Susan for my skincare & these dividers to keep my drawers organized.

3. My room - I clean out my dresser (I love these for my undies & sock drawer), I clean out my nightstand drawer & use this to keep the top of my nightstand organized.

4. My office - I dust my shelves, clean out my desk drawers (I used these organizers), organize my business cards & use this to keep the top of my desk clean. I also like this for my pens.

5. My car - this is the easiest to clean. I like to make sure i have all my reusable bags in one neat spot in my trunk and clean out the dreaded center console.

PS while I’m doing all of this I like to listen to an audiobook that I listen to every year. Some of my top choices are linked below.

STEP 2: MAKE TIME TO GET QUIET

With all the chaos of our day-to-day lives, no matter when you do this practice, finding some time to remove distractions while you do the next few steps is key. I suggest doing this on your days off in a quiet place in your home & letting anyone you live with know what you’ll be up to.

If you want to take this a step further you can book a Getaway House. These are tiny cabins located about 2 hours from most major cities. They are designed to be retreats for travelers looking to disconnect from their phones, and inbox, and get back to nature and away from distractions.

I use my Getaway to read, escape my inbox for a few days, turn off social media & set intentions for the year ahead (this has quickly become my secret to success for the year ahead).

CLICK HERE AND USE MY CODE ALLEPIERCE FOR $25 OFF YOUR STAY.

This video dives deep into what Getaway House is all about.

STEP 3: READ YOUR JOURNALS, NOTEBOOKS AND PLANNERS

Before you can plan for the year ahead, you have to know where you started from. If you keep a planner or notebook or even a journal, take some time to look back on the previous year. You’ll get some great insight into where your head was at, highlights and lowlights & some ideas on what you can work on in the coming year.

This is my favorite planner, use code ALLEABROAD10 (10% off entire purchase, expires 3/31/23)

STEP 4: DO AN AUDIT OF YOUR PAST YEAR

This was something I started doing in 2021 and I really love this practice. The questions I ask have morphed over the year and come from a wide range of sources but the concept is what’s important. I find it really helpful to look back on the past year and honestly evaluate the different areas of my life.

I don’t feel like I can accurately set intentions or goals for the year ahead without understanding where I’m starting from.

I bust out my journal, put on some peaceful music, and let my pen flow (again I usually do this when I’m in my Getaway House to avoid any distractions).

Here are some of the questions I ask myself in my annual audit:

• YEARLY OVERVIEW: I always start with a general reflection on the year, any overarching feelings, things I want to remember, highs, lows & BIG wins. I just write for as long as I feel like it.

• EMOTIONAL CHECK-IN:

  • How did you feel at the top of the year?

  • How did you feel during the year?

  • How did you feel at the end of the year?

  • In one word how did you feel about the year?

  • In one word how do you want to feel about the year ahead?

• KEY MOMENTS:

  • I write down any big wins or key dates from the past year in a bullet list so that I can remember

  • I also write down important people from the past year and how they impacted my year

• GOALS:

  • I write down all of the big goals or intentions I hit

  • Then I write down the goals I didn’t hit and put stars next to the ones that I’m still working towards and release any that aren’t in alignment anymore

• TRAVEL AUDIT:

  • I go through each destination/trip I took and give it a rating out of 10 & write down what I loved about the trip and what I didn’t love.

STEP 5: REFLECT ON YOUR WINS & THINGS YOU’RE STILL WORKING ON

After you finish your audit, take some time to read it & reflect on where you’re at. Are there any goals/intentions you want to still work towards in the new year? Anything you want to let go of? Take some time to really feel good about all the previous wins of the year before.

PRO TIP: Something I do throughout the year is write down my wins on a tiny piece of paper and toss them in a jar. Then at the end of the year (or when I need a confidence boost) I read over all the things I wrote down. This is also helpful for this end-of-year reflection practice.

STEP 6: SET INTENTIONS FOR EACH AREA OF YOUR LIFE

I like to let this flow freely. I do a bullet list of all the goals, ideas and intentions I have for the new year.

Some of mine for 2023 include:

• Hiring someone to help with Gals Abroad Getaways administrative work

• Make progress pitching my TV pilot

• Make time for adventure & fun each week

• Live abroad for 1 month this summer with friends

• Offer quarterly Gals Abroad Getaways meetups

You get the point.

After I have my list, I like to organize these intentions into the different categories of my life: health, career, personal, fun, travel, finance, etc.

You’ll come back to this list in step 8 & it will be helpful for the next step.

STEP 7: LET GO

I started a new ritual this year. I initially heard about this practice on a podcast and then I kinda made my own version of it (after consulting google too haha). I’ve heard many people do this and I gotta say I felt totally witchy doing it lol.

I write down a list of all the things I want to let go of in the new year & all the things I want to call in. This year I did 23 of each because 2023. I make two separate lists, put each thing on its own piece of paper and then place all the things I want to release in one bowl & all the things I want to call in in another.

I start with the things I want to release and one by one set them on fire (PLEASE DO THIS IN A SAFE PLACE). I was at my Getaway Cabin which comes with its own outdoor fire pit so I bundled up and sat outside while I did this ritual. As I individually dropped each paper into the fire I took a moment to think about the energy I was releasing.

Then I took the items that I wanted to call in & did the same thing. But this time I really tried to feel what it would be like if that were my reality.

This is the blog post I used as a reference & you might find it helpful too!

PRO TIP - write these on a separate list to reference later in the year.

STEP 8: TIME TO GET CRAFTY

IT’S FINALLY TIME FOR THE VISION BOARD.

You’re probably thinking FINALLY…. but here’s the thing, if you want to set realistic intentions that will actually become your reality, searching random photos in magazines and on Pinterest just ain’t gonna cut it boo boo.

So, here’s my step by step process for making a vision board.

Here’s what you’ll need:

1. A board - this is the one I use, it comes in a pack of 5 so you’ll be good for the next five years (lol)

2. scissors - I like these gold ones cause I’m boujee

3. Your cut-out images - (we’ll get into those below)

4. Glue - I use a glue stick lol

5. An uplifting playlist

6. Light a candle to get you in the mood or if you’re witchy some palo santo for calling in positive energy

HERE’S MY STEP BY STEP VISION BOARD GUIDE:

1. Use the intentions you set to help guide you on your image search - I mostly use Pinterest for this

2. Take the photos you collect from Pinterest and put them into a black Canva doc.

3. If there are certain works or specific goals you don’t have images for, use the tools in Canva to make text boxes and incorporate those into your pages

4. I neatly organize everything in college form and then email the doc to my local FedEx to have them printed on nice paper (this is extra but I find the quality and color better than my printer at home).

5. BONUS STEP - you can take some of those images you collected and make a background for your desktop that you can look at each day (an example is the image above)

6. Cut out your images and start to arrange them on your board. I kinda try to group mine but also just go with what I feel looks best.

7. Glue your pieces on the board.

8. MOST IMPORTANT STEP - put this board somewhere you are going to see it every day. It doesn’t help if you make the board and forget about it. You need to see it every day. I have mine just above my desk so I can glance it at every day when I’m working.

STEP 9: USE A HABIT TRACKER

One of the new tools I’m implementing this year is a habit tracker. I’m trying out a few different versions to see which is easiest for me to record.

Boiled down, habit tracking is keeping track of patterns and checking off a time you completed a new habit.

Studies show that people who track their habits successfully build new habits because the more they repeated that new behavior the more motivated they are to stick to their goals.

1. I’m testing out a new productivity planner that has its own habit tracker page - LOVING this planner.

2. If you’re more into sticky notes I’m also trying to put these in the places where I’m doing the habit to check off

3. And if you’re looking for an app on your phone - I really like this one.

STEP 10: CREATE AN ACTION PLAN FOR ACHIEVING YOUR GOALS

"A goal without a plan is just a wish." Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

BOOM - THAT’S THE TRUTH RIGHT THERE.

Now, I’ll admit that this is an area I have yet to master. I’m the queen of trying to do too many things with to-do lists miles long.

That said, what’s been helping me, is coming up with monthly goals in the various areas of my life and working backward.

To help me organize this I like to put them into Google docs with a checklist that I can reference and add to as the year goes on. This is good for those who don’t have an office and are on the go constantly.

For those that have a physical office - I LOVE using a GIANT two-sided whiteboard (shoutout to Glo Atanmo for introducing me to this). I divide the board into 6 squares one for each part of my life: Gals Abroad Getaways, Hosting, Social Media, Admin, etc., and write down the big goals I have for myself that month. This way those are staring me straight in the face each and every day I walk into my office.

STEP 11: GET A FANCY PLANNER

There is no way that I would be able to keep track of ALL THE THINGS if it wasn’t for a planner. I’ve been a planner gal since my High School days and I have to admit there is such a giddy feeling that I get each and every time I get to pick out my planner for the year.

Call me old fashioned but I don’t like to keep a digital planner (I have appointments on google cal but it’s not my fav). Instead, I write down my daily tasks, and appointments and schedule out my physical planner.

Also, I find that if I love the design, look and feel of my planner I will be excited to look at and write in it lol.

This is my favorite planner, use code ALLEABROAD10 (10% off your entire purchase, expires 3/31/23)

If you are more of a digital person - you do you - I do not have any good tips for you though haha. Google will be your BFF on that one.

STEP 12: GET INSPIRED & FIND A GURU

Wow, you’ve done a lot…haha. Planning out your wildest dreams is a lot of work, isn’t it?! But this should be SO fun.

That said, all these goals, intentions, and new habits can be DAUNTING. This means if you don’t have a plan to stay inspired or keep going, getting off track can be really easy.

So I suggest finding your “guru”. By that I mean, someone you find inspiring who can help guide you on your journey. There are an infinite number of options when it comes to coaches on the internet and I will say a few things about this.

1. Proceed with caution. I find that often times these self-help gurus can feel like they’re collecting a paycheck and getting you to sign up for x, y and z and before you know it you’re caught in an MLM scheme.

2. Try out a few before you commit or invest

3. Take their advice with a grain of salt unless you are working with them on a one-on-one basis and they have intimate insight into your life, goals and business.

The number one coach I recommend time and time again because I have personally taken her classes, downloaded her books and been coached by here one on one is Glo Atanmo. NO ONE can compete with the amount of time, energy, and love Glo pours into her students. I know her personally and can 100% say she is THE REAL DEAL.

STEP 13: CREATE A DAILY GRATITUDE AND MANIFESTATION PRACTICE

This was a big unlock for me during the pandemic when I had plenty of time and seemingly not a lot to be grateful for. I was VERY wrong.

The act of writing out what you are grateful for at the start of every day is such a powerful mindset tool. It can instantly shift your mood and remind you of all that you have in your life even in the darkest moments.

The journal I used when I started my practice is this one. I like how straight to the point it is and makes starting this new habit easy to keep up with. (It’s also made by the same company as my productivity planner).

When it comes to manifestation - my guru is Gabby Bernstein. I’m currently doing her 21-day manifestation challenge and love the little daily actions she gives you. If you’re new to manifestation I suggest reading this book.

STEP 14: SCHEDULE A TIME TO REVIEW YOUR GOALS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR

THIS IS SOOOOOOO IMPORTANT AND WHERE MANY OF US FALL SHORT.

At the start of any year, we are all so motivated to do ALL THE THINGS and crush our goals. But then come June, where do we stand…? How many of us actually take the time to check in on our goals and review how we’re doing? Probably not often enough…

I’ll be honest, I just started a quarterly goal check in practice last year and it was pretty sobering.

That said it’s a lot easier to course correct on a goal in June than on December 30th.

So set a plan for yourself to check in on your goals. I’d like to get to a point where the last day of each month I do a check-in with myself. Check-in on how I’m feeling about my goals, what I need to work on etc. Maybe you do this weekly, bi-weekly, monthly or quarterly. Just find time to check in with yourself.

I like to give myself a letter grade for how I’m doing in each area of my life that I set goals and come up with a plan on how to improve moving forward.

BONUS - CREATE YOUR YEARLY BUCKET LIST

THIS IS ANOTHER FUN ONE!

I actually call mine my adventure list. This is where you write down all the fun and random things you’d like to do this year. This is purely for funsies and a good way to keep track of how much fun you’re having in the year to come.

If you’re looking for ideas, here are a few:

• Any restaurants you want to try

• Travel plans

• A Getaway House

• A big purchase you’re saving for

• A spa treatment

• A new town near you that you’ve been looking to explore

• A road trip with your besties

• Treating your loved ones to a nice dinner

The world is your oyster - WRITE IT ALL DOWN!

Something fun I plan to do this year with my list is print out each item on a little piece of paper, crumple it up and put it into a jar. Then at the beginning of each week, I’ll pull out a piece of paper and that will be my adventure day activity for the week.

WOW, THAT WAS A LOT, HOW ARE WE FEELING?!

I know I hit you with A LOT haha but this is truly the process I take each and every year and I LOVE doing it. I hope that you’ve found some helpful ideas to help you plan your most successful year yet. And if you have, please let me know in the comments below!

XX ALLECAT

What I packed: Argentina

HOW WE FEELIN FRIENDS?! READY FOR THE WEEKEND?

I can’t believe it’s already summer, how did this year go by so fast? Crazy town! I’m writing this post from the BEAUTIFUL Samode Palace hotel in Jaipur, India. And while I seem to be traveling at the speed of light this year, I’m trying to make sure to keep up with the blog at the same time (easier said than done).

ANYWAYS, I wanted to share some of the things I packed on my recent trip to Argentina. Let me start by saying this was by far the hardest trip to pack for, for a few reasons. First of all, we experienced 3 drastically different climates while traveling through the country. Since Argentina is such a massive country the climate ranges from a sub tropical zone near the Brazilian boarder to a subpolar area in the extreme south. We experienced both. As you can imagine this made packing difficult.

If you find yourself traveling to this EPIC country, here’s a few things I recommend to make packing easier.

• Try to pack in one color palate. That will make picking shoes, accessories and bags easier because they will match everything.

• Invest in a lightweight down jacket (if visiting Patagonia). These are SUPER easy to pack and as the name suggests, light weight…

• Layers layers layers

• Argentinian style is chic but casual. Don’t feel like you need to dress up too much, especially if you’re in Patagonia

Here’s a look at some of my favorite pieces I rented and bought for this trip! You can find all the details for each outfit beneath each photo. Or if you like to look at things all in one place there’s a little boutique of all my pieces at the bottom of the post.

xx, Alle

Dress: Rent the Runway // Hat: Lack of Color // Shoes: Similar // Backpack: Day and Mood

For $50 off your first 2 months of Rent the Runway Unlimited use code: APIERCE100

Hat: Lack of Color // Gold Duster: ASTR // Jeans: Pistola // Shoes: Similar

Jumpsuit: Similar // Shoes: Similar

Hat: Similar // Coat: Similar // Hiking Boots: Danner Adrika Hiker // Backpack: Similar

Dress: Rent the Runway // Hat: Lack of Color // Shoes: Similar

Sunglasses: MVMT // Sweater: Line + Dot // Jeans: Pistola // Shoes: Similar

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Dress: Rent the Runway // Hat: Lack of Color // Shoes: Similar // Scarf: Similar

Jacket: Blank NYC // Dress: Similar // Shoes: Similar // Hat: Lack of Color

Top: Zara // Pants: Similar // Boots: Similar