Being Broken

Ever feel like no matter what you do, you just feel stuck. Almost like you are sinking in quick sand and can’t move? Everyone around you is watching but has no idea whats actually going on. You know you are stuck but have NO idea how to get out or even where to start?

Well, I have been feeling this way for while. Stuck. No physically but mentally my mind is just stuck. I don’t know where to go but standing still is only making me sink. I have stood still for so long that dragging my feet outta the sand nearly feelings impossible because I am currently “comfortable” as most people would call it. But living your life in comfort isn’t really living. Think about it, if you live your life day by day feeling “comfortable” in everything you do, never risking anything, your life becomes a boring routine in which you will grow to hate (at least I did). For me being comfortable in life means never moving forward and I’d be damn if I didn’t grow from where I’m at now.

I am in full realization that I was scared of what was next but I am understanding that the longer I stay still the deeper I will sink and the harder it will for be for me to just TAKE THE DAMN RISK.

So my curent advice to myself and others feeling the way I am currently is to just DO IT. There is no waiting for Monday, or I’ll start tomorrow. Nope, not allowed, in order to succeed we must START NOW.

For me starting includes finding where my next move should lead me, hopefully out-of-state and into more audition rooms.

Yours may be different from mine and that is totally fine but it is now that I want you take out a pen and paper and write down what truly is your next move. Do you know what the next step is? If not write down 3 things that you aren’t happy about in your current life, then next to them write 1 way you can fix each of them.

For example,

I am not happy with my currently living situation – look into moving out

I don’t like my job – apply to new jobs/ work on a resume

I am not physically happy with my appearance – start going to the gym

Writing down simple things like these will help you realize what actually needs to be done. For some reason when our brain sees them written down it starts to believe you are really interested in taking action on doing these things, rather than it just be another “idea” running through your head.

SO, here’s to the next 6 days of grinding really hard to MAKE things happen.

Remember, write them down.

NO IDEA IS A BAD IDEA,

XOXO LAUR

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Welcome Back

Well, seeing its been a few months since I’ve been actively blogging (My bad). I guess I should give you a run down of where I’m at.

I currently have been traveling as much as possible,

I’ve been to Nashville, St.louis, New York City, Bahamas, and in a week I will be in Florida.

I currently have 4 jobs, so managing time in-between all of them and still trying to have a social life is a little hectic lol

BUT, I have decided that my next big step will be moving. I am giving myself until September 1st to get some things in line.

I am looking towards California, but I am not 100% sure where I will end up.

I want to travel as much as a I can while I am still young will little worries.

I WILL be posting on YouTube religiously again starting this week! So be sure to check that out as well.

But as of now I am starting to work more on myself and focus less and less on what people think of me. It’s crazy how easily it is to get distracted especially this generation. But I guess those who find a way to get back on track succeed in the end.

So I guess I’ve learned its better to come back to something that has been unfinished then to just give it up.

Quote of the day: Note to self, GO HARDER 

XOXO LAUR

 

21 DAY CUT

AHHHHHHH.

Who else murdered their diet during Easter weekend?
I know I cant be the only one…. (lol)

Well, here’s to the next 21 days of cutting.

I personally have been vegetarian for about 7 months now and I have decided I am going to attempt a vegan diet.

It will probably take me a few weeks to be 100% vegan but for now I am going to try my hardest.

The next 21 days I will be following a STRICT meal plan as well as a STRICT workout plan. I will be following like I said a mainly plant-based diet which I will share below. I will also be following Laura Coppersmith workout routine I got for free over the weekend (one month free trial). Along with incorporating some of the workouts from the app called “better me”.

Day 1 

April 2nd

Today’s workout:

Cardio:

20 minutes on the elliptical (cardio button)

25 minutes on the treadmill (incline 10) (speed 3.0)

Weights:

Deadlift (with dumbbells) 4 sets of 12

Dumbbell bent over row 4 sets of 12

Seated cable rows 4 sets of 12

Cable pulldown 4 set of 12

Reverse close grip pull down 4 sets of 12

Better Me App:

15 crunches

30 second arm plank with knee dip

15 reverse crunch straight

Today’s Diet: (intermittent fasting) 

Smoothie at 1:00 pm

Bowl with quinoa, vegan meat and some vegetables

Protein bar

Rice cake

READY TO GET FIT. SUMMER IS ALMOST UPON US.

Quote of the day: “The body achieves what the mind believes” 

XOXO LAUR

NYC Weekend Getaway

NYC was insane this weekend! Tons of people made their way into the city to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Let me tell you this, not even everyone made it to the city lol, had a few people who hopped off the train on our way to Manhattan because they were already that drunk. Crazy right? While sucks for them because they missed out on one hell of a day.

Starting at 47th and 6 avenue, where we got a decent view of some of the parade. Although we didn’t stay for the whole thing because the crowd was getting a little to hectic where we were but, what we seen was pretty interesting.

Then we made our way to a nearby restaurant of our choice, Chevy’s. Where we stayed for quite a while because happy hour of course. (lol) If you are underage in the city, (I get lucky because I look older) but a lot of the times places in little italy will serve you without any questions asked. Although my friend I was with ordered her drank and kindly enough our server asked if I wanted the same so of course I had too! But if you do take advantage of this advice just don’t be stupid. Drink responsibly. This is a source to have a casual drink at dinner. (not to get drunk, don’t ruin it for the rest of us)

P.S. the Chevy’s I got served at was in Time Square 259 W 42nd street New York, NY

ALSO, for those of you who aren’t familiar with NYC probably have only heard of the very popular tourist sites. But if you are trying to see something new I highly recommend checking out Soho, Little Italy, Dumbo and the Brooklyn bridge. 

Soho is filled with brick streets, cute shops and tons of little Instagram worthy places to grab a bite to eat.

We ate at Cafe Select for our first brunch in the city. It was good and fairly average prices. The menu is a little weird though, I highly encourage you to check all the menus before sitting down.

212 Lafayette st New York, NY

I got the caprese, it was decent, the bread was a little hard and the sandwich its self was a little dry but the chips it came with were AMAZING.

Little Italy offers a wide range of amazing pasta at reasonable prices. Make sure you get the LOWEST price or snag a free pitcher of sangria because oddly enough they have people standing outside their restaurants bargaining prices with you just so you will eat there. I know odd right? BUT, use it to your advantage and get some good deals. Little Italy is also filled with TONS of cannolis and many different italian desserts. Don’t pass them up. As well as the year round christmas store and of course tons of little pop ups as well as your typical “I LOVE NY” stores.

Be sure to grab a cannoli at Ferrara Bakery and Cafe. BEST EVER, HANDS DOWN.

195 Grand street New York, NY

I personally am not a fan of China Town so be careful when walking around Little Italy because it leads right into China Town where you will be hounded to buy things left in right by sketchy looking people. I recommend staying far away from there.

Dumbo is another town filled with brick streets, good pizza, and a great opportunity to snap those Instagram photos you are looking for.

Front Street Pizza is a great place to grab a quick bite to eat (I know lots of food lol) Good luck trying to diet in NYC, it never works.

80 Front St, Brooklyn, NY

Brooklyn Bridge has the most WONDERFUL view of the city. In order to get to the view you must cross the bridge and walk down a few flights of stairs and BOOM. There is a breath-taking view as well as an opportunity to rent bikes, eat pizza or ice cream, look in some shops and enjoy some live music (in the summer). Brooklyn is definitely a popping place to visit when it starts to get warmer outside!

Be sure to let me know how you feel about this post.

I will be posting more now!

(I promise)

Quote of the day: “Sometimes the right path is not the easiest one”

You all rock,

xoxo laur

Life Update

Hola folks, and those of you who are new to my page hello, my name is Lauren Rhodes and I am a life enthusiast. (no really I am) hahaha well that’s what I call myself anyway. I feel as though I was put on this earth to do something extraordinary to not only change my life but alter those around me to view life as something much greater than most value it. I am sure for those of you whole have been following my page since I started it, you know how passionate I am for motivational speeches and personal perseverance. But to those of you who are new, I’d like to welcome you to my journey through life.

I know I haven’t posted in two weeks (shame on me) I have ZERO excuse after starting to read the book “I am that girl” but IM BACK. (p.s. It’s a really good book)

This time I am here to tell you that I have recently got the opportunity to shoot with some amazing talent this past weekend to create some awesome “fashion photos”.

I am extremely excited to share those with you guys when I receive them back fully edited, but for now I just wanted to give you guys a little update as in how my goals are going so far in 2018.

January was GREAT.

I pinned up in my room some small goals I have accomplished in such a short amount of time in January.

Goals Crushed In January:

1. Read 2 books
2. Made my bed daily
3. Kept room and bathroom clean
4. Started working out on a regular day basis
5. Maintained a healthy diet
6. Kept a positive mind
7. Stayed focus

I’d say this is a pretty solid list that I made happen in 31 days. Crazy right?

Well now February is upon us and nearly halfway over and I felt like I got stuck in a root. But I figured out I just needed to focus on the things that truly mattered and put my happiness first (as you all should).

So here’s to a great rest of February,

xoxo laur

Jelly Bean Challenge

xoxo laur

NEW YOUTUBE VIDEO ***BOOK REVIEW***

52 ways to live a KICK-ASS life

Andrea Owen

xoxo laur

52 ways to live a KICK-ASS life

ATTENTION LADIES. I just completed the book 52 ways to live a kick-ass life and man do I truly believe every women across the world should read it at least ONCE. This book is not only inspiring but shows you ways to go about life differently in order to live your true potential. It will help you grow in all areas of your life.

I believe everyone has a purpose here on earth and it is your job to find it. Most of us get lost on the road to finding our purpose and get stuck living the “mediocre life”. I’d be damned if I ever let myself drift down that path (which I’m sure we all have for a little bit) but the important part is to be able to reevaluate and get back on your path to awesomeness. I believe Andrea Owen does a wonderful job of explaining how to live YOUR kick-ass life. She offers so many tips and tricks, which include new ways of thinking or doing things. In my words, she offers a helping hand full of wisdom in which every girl needs to hear. Her story will leave you broken at first but by the end you will be praising her because damn did she kick some ass during her life. (goal wise lol)

I have taken so many important things out of her book and applied them to my day-to-day life to insure I too can live a KICK-ASS LIFE. So I will now leave you some of the quotes within her book and what they mean to me. But trust me, you don’t want to muss out on this book, such an inspirational read.

1.  “Don’t let lingering negative feelings about what happened to you in the past limit who you can be in the future”. I took this quote and engraved it on my heart. Don’t let anyone or anything that has happened to you in the past determine your future. It’s so true. So I now leave by the “5 by 5 rule” if it doesn’t matter in 5 years don’t spend more than 5 minutes stressing about it. Leave the past in the PAST.
2. “Other people’s negative thoughts about you are simply reflections of themselves”. Ever think like that? If you havent that’s okay, but really think about that quote. I mean come on we all have at least one person who despise us for no reason and guess what, THAT’S FINE. You are not here to make anyone but yourself happy. So let them think what they want, because at the end of the day it only reflects what kind of person they are.
3. “Trust that you were meant for and are capable of greatness”. What a deep statement. We all lose trust in ourselves when we fail. We tend to rush into what makes us feel comfortable and get scared to step foot outside of our own bubble again. This is where you must learn to confine in yourself that you are CAPABLE OF GREATNESS. You my friend can have everything and anything on this planet if you can just, trust yourself.

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE 52 WAYS TO LIVE A KICK-ASS LIFE 

xoxo laur

Doubt

The biggest dream killer of man kind. Doubt. We tend to let our brains take over and allow ourselves to get lost in the though of doubt. Ever have a dream so big it scares you? GREAT. That means you are doing something right. But have you pushed that dream off due to “what ifs”? Such as “what if I fail trying”, “what if I wasn’t suppose to take that career path”, “what if people judge me”, the list goes on and on FOREVER. Your brain will think of every possible way NOT to start so you can stay in your comfort zone and not experience pain or failure. Truth is, WE ALL FAIL. If you don’t fail at least once on your path to greatness you haven’t tried hard enough. Trust me no one who is sitting on 6 figures got there over night without a pinch of stress or failure behind them. So whats keeping you from achieving your greatness?

Step back and look at your life and answer these three questions. If you answer no to any of them I want you to reread the paragraph above and figure out where it is you want to go.

Are you where you want to be in your life?

 

If you died tomorrow would you be satisfied with your life?

 

Are you living your purpose?

 

Remember, do what makes YOU happy, not others.

xoxo laur

 

Daily Must-Do’s

As we all think about our day-to-day lives we are constantly looking for new things to try, or do. (I know I am at least) We get tired of our every day rituals, so somethings we tend to lose focus on the important things and start focusing on how much we resent our lives. We can all as human, hope, pray and beg for success, but until we take action some things will NEVER change. I am a firm believer in the word “manifest” if you can see it clearly in your own mind, you can make it happen. But instead of viewing your goal as a huge mountain, view them as a set of stairs. Each step holds an important part of your journey so there is no need to jump ahead and try to race to the finish line because I promise you will only get pushed back down to start all over.

TAKE YOUR TIME.

People don’t just wake up one morning and BAM they are billionaires (well unless they won the lottery lol) but you get what I’m trying to say here. You must hustle but never blame yourself for not being an overnight hit, because THOSE DONT EXIST. Justin Bieber was my ALL time favorite as a child and still to this day he remains a phenomenal artist. Most people think “he was lucky” or “he was an overnight hit” or “he was born with talent”. Truth is? He didn’t get lucky, he worked his ass off, singing in front of hundreds of people, sitting outside of theaters in Canada singing with his suitcase open hoping for a dollar, he was on his grind my friends. He didn’t succeed overnight, sure his video on YouTube got scouted and that’s how he signed his first deal. But he didn’t just sing once and post a video and BAM he was famous. WRONG. He had been singing and playing instruments for YEARS. He taught himself many skills growing up which lead him to his successful future now. So I want you to think to yourself right now. Are you constantly doing what makes you happy? Are you grinding every day? Do you think you can compare your hustle to Justin’s? If not, something is wrong and you need to step back and evaluate your life. Don’t tell me you “don’t have time” because that is a LIE. Do you work a job 24 hours a day 7 days a week. NOPE, no one does. So guess what that means, YOU have time. You just aren’t utilizing it to your advantage. I don’t care if that means you wake up 10 minutes earlier before you go to work and you spend that 10 minutes doing what you love, because guess what, at the end of the week you will now have 70 minutes of grind time that you never had before! I promise you will inch yourself that much closer to achieve your dream if you just simply,

Save the excuses. It’s not about “having” time. It’s about making time. If it matters. You will make time.

So why not be a little selfish and make time for YOUR goals and YOUR future, rather than slaving away for a cooperation, complaining about your job, yet you don’t allow yourself to make time to build your own empire.

Learn to reevaluate whats important in your life.

xoxo laur

Greatest Lesson Of 2018 (Bahamas)

Hey guys and welcome back, this time I am writing you from what feels like a whole new me. I have recently gained an eminence amount of self-confidence and motivation. I am determined this year will be MY YEAR. (I’m not kidding) But anyway, FIRST VACATION of 2018 was a huge success. My sister and I took our first trip ALONE. It was crazy. Her just turning 25 years old a week ago (Happy Birthday sis) and myself being 19 it was incredible. We got to take on the world by ourselves and see things through our own prospective. I mean what a better way to start 2018 than in the Bahamas with your sister? Come on, it’s a no brainer lol. But I learned so much in just 5 short days of being on the resort called “Bahama Breeze”.

Lessons learned while in the Bahamas:

1. So the first night of our vacation my sister and I got all dressed up and went out to dinner. While after taking our seat a man who worked at the resort came up to us and asked politely if he may sit with us. Of course we let him and right away the conversations had begun. He started in by asking us what we wanted to do when we were older, I told him I was going into the entertainment industry pushing to be an actress. Then the next few sentences that came out of his mouth will stick with me forever. He said, “Never try to be anyone but yourself” he then continued on with “you will be very successful in life if you remain loyal to yourself and never want to be anyone but you.” It was like god had sent down an angel to tell me what needed to be done and then we never spoke the rest of the vacation.
2. Two days into the trip we met an amazing group of people all in their 40’s and 50’s, but we immediately became friends with them. They were such great people. After learning that two of the ladies we were friends with had just recently fought breast cancer, it was sad, but proof that you never know what someones going through until you truly sit down and get to know someone. They were such strong women, I am glad they are healthy and kicking cancers ass. But one of those ladies left me with some words I needed to hear that day. She told me “How I should never settle for anything less than I deserve” She went on saying “No one deserves to be treated badly, everyone deserves to be treated like a queen”. The last little bit has truly made a HUGE impact on my life this week. Simply because it has led me to this saying…. “Love will find you, but you must love yourself first”.
3. After having a wonderful time in the Bahamas, I was looking at my phone just scrolling through Instagram when this quote that I will now be living by popped up on my screen, “She is at a place in her life where peace is her priority and negativity cannot exist”. When I read that quote I felt like it was placed on my timeline for a specific reason as though god had one last piece of advice for me before I returned home. Trust me it worked, I feel so new. I am at the beginning of my best life and I cannot wait to share it with you.

Besides the lessons I learned, I just overall became so much more aware and thankful of things that I use to take for granted in the past. It’s crazy how unaware you can become when you are blinded by something that you had no idea that was toxic to your life in the first place. But from here on out I have made a pack to myself to focus on MYSELF. Yes people, be selfish, its okay I promise. Because when you’re not, life tends to pass you by and you become less concerned about your own problems and more worried about the situations others are going through. I am not sitting here writing this to tell you to become heartless (because that’s not the case) I am simply telling you its okay to do things because YOU want to. It is okay to do things that make YOU happy even if that means not everyone agrees with you. The simple way of saying this is, it is okay for you to remain you. In fact it is important.

So if you have someone or something that is dragging you down and controlling YOUR life. Get rid of it. Take the pen out of their hand and write your own damn story, because trust me if you don’t do it now 10 years from now you might be filled with regret wondering why you didn’t make the decision sooner.

Quote of the day: “Be better than you’ve ever been before”

xoxo laur

MUST WATCH (SUCCEED IN 2018)

XOXO LAUR

How To Succeed In 2018

This is OUR year. The year that we live our BEST life. Forget the past, you can’t change it, instead look towards the future and learn to shape your dreams NOW. There is no going back in time, so why focus all of you energy on negative things that have happened IN THE PAST, leave them there. From this very moment on I want you to completely forget about all things “negative” in your life. All of those things happened for a reason to help mold you into the person you are today, but if you let that negative energy continually drag you down, you will end up getting suck and living an AVERAGE life. Scary, right?

You are reading this post for a reason, rather you are looking to be successful in your career, your life, your relationship or your happiness, it doesn’t matter it all starts with one thing.

       POSITIVITY. If you were to wake up tomorrow and completely change your mindset to look at the world in a most positive way I guarantee you, you have officially made one of the hardest steps towards being successful and that my friends is the very FIRST step. Once you have altered your mind to think positively the rest will start to flow naturally, but it is cruel to keep your mind focused on positive energy. Knock down any negative energy that comes your way and you will be in the clear.

SELF LOVE. Behind every successful person is someone who believed enough in themselves to make them succeed. They were passionate not only about their dream but about THEMSELVES. If you want to succeed, you must learn to love yourself. Whats going to happen if you get a call for the job of you dreams, but you hate yourself so much the tiny voice in your head talks you out of going, or makes up excuses why you aren’t good enough. NO. Step up to the plate and learn to love yourself. If you are busy focusing on your flaws opportunities will fly right by you and you will be too nervous to reach out and try to achieve them. Stop worrying about failure, YOU CAN DO THIS.

 IMAGINATION. Odd, I know. But how on earth can we keep pushing towards a dream we can’t see? That’s insane, so I highly encourage to crack open your 6-year-old self and imagine what it would be life if you were living your dream. Really think about it. Close your eyes and picture yourself the CEO of your own company, or the nurse you’ve always wanted to become, see yourself as that successful doctor. You must see it in order to be able to achieve it. Now that you have visualised what it is like to imagine yourself living your dream. I want you to visualize that same picture that came to mind EVERY time you lose hope. Take a step back and really see what your life COULD be like if you just keep going.

DONT RELY ON OTHER. This is huge. People are constantly blame others for their lack of success in life due to their own laziness. No one is holding you back from being successful but yourself. You can’t sit here and say while “this person was supposed to do this, that’s why our company fell through” okay and so maybe that is true. But it’s not their fault, its your own. You can not rely on others to help you succeed, you must create your own path. This world is a viscous place, everyone is constantly trying to knock you off your game so they can take your place on the road to success. DONT let them do that. Hold your ground and stay loyal to yourself.

OPEN MIND. You must stay open-minded throughout the whole ride to becoming successful, because the minute you become close minded, is the minute your thoughts take a turn for the worst. So what if you have to start as an intern doing the peasant work. MAJORITY of successful people start from little to nothing. So you must constantly be open to new experiences and opportunities, because you never know, you could start working for a company and end up the CEO. So breathe in the positive energy, open your mind and try new things.

MAKE HABITS/ BECOME OBSESSED. I already know what you are thinking “obsessed omg your crazy” and you are right, I am. But let me tell you a quick story. I become infatuated with the gym, where I would wake up early get a good workout in and then maybe even do a small workout in my room later that day. I was obsessed, my parents started to notice this and would tell me “you are so obsessed, missing a day is okay” and after a while of hearing this I started to believe it and then 3 months later I wasnt going to the gym. Why? Because I let my obsession die out. You must be obsessed with want you want and do it RELIGIOUSLY. The second some one tells you “omg stop, you are so obsessed” look at them and say “your right” and KEEP GOING. Dont ever stop. It’s okay to become obsessed with a dream of your, in fact I encourage you to become obsessed with your dream. Make it a habit, become obsessed, then you shall succeed.

GRIND. Now last but not least, the final step in accomplishing all of your goals in 2018. THE GRIND. If you have made it this far DONT stop. Keep grinding. Turn all the steps above into the final action but don’t get discouraged, you may be in this phase for a month, 6 months, or even 2 years. This phase is on going so it is very important you keep your motivation high and you KEEP GRINDING. Don’t stop when you have achieved your goal. Set another one and follow the same steps and crush yet another goal of yours you once though would be impossible. It is so important to keep growing and learning along your journey. Don’t forget no matter how successful you are, there is always something new to learn.

You have officially received the knowledge to make 2018 the best year of your life. Time to take action.

Remember “the only thing keeping you from getting what you want in life in life is the story you keep telling yourself about why you don’t have it. divorce your story and marry the truth”

xoxo laur

 

 

2018 GOALS

New year, New me. Ya, ya you’ve heard it all before. But I’ve never been one to completely understand this till now. Last year I felt myself drifting thought the motions and that has officially came to an END. I am ready for a year of nonstop hustle and grind. My goals may be big but trust me they are NOT impossible.

By the end of this year I will be able to say…  “I Made It”

Crushing all my goals will be hard but I am ready to take on every optical that comes my way. I will give this year my all. 2018 IS MY YEAR.

              GOALS 

1. Move to a new locations before I turn 20 (7 months) hoping its California
2. Be the healthiest I’ve ever been/ get fit
3. Brand myself through my blog, instagram and YouTube
4. Find an agent
5. Self love/ confidence
6. DO WHAT YOU LOVE, audition more, go to school, do you

Now that you’ve seen my goals, I’d love to learn about your goals for this New Year or even your thoughts on my goals! Be sure to comment below.

I can’t wait to see you all CRUSHING your goals this year.

Heres to a successful 2018

xoxo laur

Quote of the day: “Set some goals, then demolish them”

 

Lost Motivation?

Feel like your living day in and day out doing the same thing, just dragging your feet through the sand to get to work, to come home go to bed and do it all over again, just to make ends meet? Feel like your stuck and in a root, doing the same thing every day?

Well if you aren’t I am. I found myself drifting through life without really taking a look at my dream every day. I kind of let my dream slip out of my fingers for a little bit because I became what most humans become and started just going through the motions rather than really living it up and putting my all into everything I do. I truly believe that you must work hard at every aspect of your life in order to succeed and that my friends was exactly what I was lacking. Self Motivation. If you don’t know what that is, its time to learn. You MUST have self motivation in order to become the best version of yourself you could ever be. I don’t care if that means you tell yourself your going to lose that 5 lbs or you are going to go apply to a new job. STOP WAITING AROUND AND DO IT. We all like to talk things up so highly but never take action (I’ve done it as well) and its an awful thing to do. So rather than tell the world word you need to lose the weight GO DO IT then show them once your done.

Remember to “work hard in silence, let the success make the noise”.

So keep on grinding out your dreams and focusing on what truly makes you happy because life can easily through in a curve ball to distract you. DONT LET IT. Catch it and throw it back. Thank god every morning you woke up today, then decide why you did. What were you put on this planet to do? Once you’ve decided, GO AFTER IT. No looking because you’re not going that way.

xoxo laur

 

Holiday Gift Guide For Her

Christmas is right around the corner. This time of the year can be extremely frustrating trying to figure out the PERFECT gift for a special someone. But have no fear, the gift guide for her, is here! See something you like? Just simply chick on the link above the image and you are ready to rock and roll right through this holiday season!

1. Make up mirror

2. Michael Kors Boots

3. Phone case 

4. Winter PJ’s

5. Polaroid Camera 

6. Kate Spade Gloves

7. Bath Bomb Set

8. Fitness Journal

9. Women’s Coat

10. Body Boss Workout Book

 

That is it for this quick little “Holiday Gift Guide”. If you would like a more in-depth list of things/ different list, comment below and let me know!

Thanks you guys rock,

xoxo laur

 

 

CANCUN CEO

 

Hey guys, WELCOME BACK. I know this weekend is a little hectic with all the festivities going on around us, but if you have just a few minutes of free time to vote for my sister and I to be the next “Cancun Ceo” (to take over their social media), I WOULD HIGHLY APPRECIATE that, everyone is allowed to vote ONCE a day, so if you could come back for the next 27 days and CLICK VOTE, I’d appreciate that tremendously, but one time is greatly appreciated as well. You guys are awesome! Please help us become Cancun’s next CEO!

There are 2 simple steps in voting:

1. Click on the link attached
2. Click VOTE

xoxo laur

https://ceo.cancun.com/profile/lauren-rhodes

Turkey Day 2017

Hey y’all, I hope you are enjoying your Thanksgiving! Be sure to get your fat pants ready and your bib in hand, because we are all about to tear up some food tomorrow, am I right?

But before we stuff our faces until we can’t breathe (food coma) we should remember what Thanksgiving is ALL about. It’s not just about the food, as much as I know we all cherish being able to full up are stomachs, we need to take time to step back and realize what we are TRULY thankful for.

What I am thankful for this Thanksgiving:

1. Family. Personally, I think the holidays are a perfect time to cherish the family you have. I have been blessed with such a wonderful, caring, hardworking family. Honestly, I think I would be lost without them. They show me the way when I am lost and motivate me when I am down.
2. Friends. I have many friends near and far which all mean the world to me. I am thankful I have had the opportunity to meet all of my wonderful friends during my past 19 years on this planet. I’ve met some amazing people, with such drive and dedication to accomplish so many goals in life and honestly that is the one thing I love about ALL of my friends, is their desire to work 10x harder even when everything seems to be going wrong. They are constantly inspiring me to do better and achieve more. I couldn’t be more thankful for the positivity I have surrounding me because of them (so thanks guys, you rock)
3. Life. Yes, I am thankful I have got to spend 19 incredible years on this talent so far. Many people view life as just something that is going to be given to us EVERY day, but that is SO wrong. Life is a gift itself. We all should thank god that we are healthy, happy, and get to see another day on the wonderful planet. If you haven’t yet take time to remind yourself how LUCKY you are to be enduring another day on this planet. I know sometimes things get rough but PLEASE remember someone else would LOVE to be living freely just as you are today.
4. My parents. I know this kinda ties into the “family” category but I wanted to branch out and take a little extra time to remind myself just how lucky I am to have the parents I do. For me and the career path I have chosen, it is extremely hard for me to find people who value my career as an actually career, rather than something that will “never happen” in most people’s brains. I am extremely thankful for all the things they have done for me. Not only have they given me a roof of my head, but they have MOTIVED me to look past my haters and let them be the fire that ignites my fame. They have given me strength when I was on the brink of giving up. Needless to say they have done, seen, and been through it all with me and I am so grateful they have done so. I wouldn’t change anything. (thanks for being awesome parents)
5. The soldiers. I feel as though this is probably the MOST important thing we ALL should be thankful for on Thanksgiving. Our soldiers. Not only have they been putting they lives on the line for millions of people they don’t even know, but they might not be home this holiday because they will spend it protecting us. So I would like everyone to please say a quick prayer for them, as well as their families. ” Happy Thanksgiving, I am thankful all the soldiers who keep the country I love so deeply free and safe. Your sacrifices and courage, whether unspoken or spoken is always in the heart of Americans. GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS.” May you all return home safely. I will continue to pray and keep you close to my heart.

Alright that is a VERY short list of the millions of things I am thankful for on a daily basis not just one day. But I do agree that sometimes we tend to overlook these things as more of something that will “always be there” but unfortunately they won’t. So we need to be conscious about remembering to be thankful and not forgetting what America stands for: FREEDOM

Quote of the day: “Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our Thanksgiving”

xoxo laur

 

Tips To Succeeding

Trying to succeed but no matter what you do you always feel drained and like you haven’t put in enough effort? Well, the number one reason humans fall behind or lose focus on their dream is due to comparing themselves to other people. Before I go further into deal lets start the list of

TIPS TO SUCCEEDING:

1. NEVER COMPARE YOURSELF TO OTHERS. I know that I mentioned this above but it is VERY important. But from time to time I have caught myself comparing myself to others, rather that’s on their successes or by looks, whatever it is NO ONE will ever compare to you. You are a unique individual and by comparing yourself to others you start to lose your importance. You need to stay loyal to yourself by giving yourself daily reminders about why you are the way you are and how successful you can be if you just keep PUSHING. Overnight success isn’t a real thing, you must work for it. So enough comparing and more ENCOURAGING.
2. MAKE GOALS. This one seems pretty common, but a lot people forget about it. Enough with making 5 goals that you wont achieve for years and start creating REALISTIC goals you can crush in a week or two that will bring you closer to your 5 main goals. That’s the problem with todays society’s is we lack the steps between average and awesome. We tend to think that as long as we have a few major goals out there we will some day reach them. WRONG, if you aren’t taking baby steps along the way, then how are you move any closer to achieving your true dream? Your not, so write those down but underneath chose 5 goals you can meet every week to get you a STEP closer to your main focus. Try and keep weekly, monthly and yearly goals! You will be amazed at what you can achieve.
3. GET UP EARLIER. Getting out of bed earlier then we have to? Ew, why? (was exactly my reaction) But after getting myself up earlier I have noticed I am LESS tired and more likely to be more productive. It’s weird how over sleeping can make you feel exhausted but waking up early can actually be REFRESHING. I can’t promise that you will spring out of bed the second your alarm goes off (I sure don’t lol) but I promise you will begin to notice positive changes in your mood and behavior.
4. STAY ORGANIZE. Yes, I know, the thought of being organized constantly is stressful, but trust me it will help more than you think. I am not very good at staying organized but when I do, I notice such a huge difference in the amount of things I get accomplished. This could be as small as just making your bed every morning. For me the though of making my bed EVERY morning was just a waste of time for me. But then I realized, if the space around me is clean I worry less about that and more about the things I need to accomplish that day.
5. WORKOUT. You may ask, what does working out have anything to do with being successful. Well, by working out you not only increase your mood but your overall health which carries over into how productive you are through out your day. Say you start your day with an hour workout, that not only wakes you up but it gets your blood flowing as well as your metabolism moving. So don’t think you have to workout to get “fit”. Workout to be successful.

Alright guys so those are some of the quick tips I have for you to the start of a SUCCESSFUL lifestyle. If you would like me to expand on to this post and turn it into a YouTube video, let me know!

Thanks you guys are awesome,

Quote of the day: Success isn’t just about what you accomplish in your life, it’s about what your INSPIRE others to do

xoxo laur

 

HOLIDAY VIDEO

Hey guys, here is my HOLIDAY video! I apologize about the delay, I had some computer problems, but everything is good now. I hope you enjoy it, be sure to let me know what you think. Thanks again, you guys rock,

 xoxo laur

Hoodie Allen Concert

Concert season is HERE, while it’s always here, but you know what I mean. The rap concerts have arrived in the CITY! Attended Hoodie Allen last night and man was it LIT. If you don’t know who he is, check him out, he is such an amazing artist, and he runs his own show. That’s right, just him. No stage manager or record deal, he does it all. So if that doesn’t make you like him I promise his music never fails as well as his genuinely nice personality. How many concerts have you been to that the artist actually crowd surf’s, for me NONE. Hoodie made the concert so personal, it was amazing. I personally attended his concert at the Vic Theater in Chicago. I would definitely return there again, the venue was the perfect size. We also didn’t have to wait in a huge line (although he did post a huge line at a few of his venues) so we got lucky and only had to wait about 30 minutes. When we got inside Hoodie was in the lobby signing and selling his wear, so causally it was almost as though he wasn’t famous. I mean there was a huge line, but the relaxation and trust he has in his fans is truly amazing. He never fails to put a personal touch on his work. The concert was breath-taking, starting with a fake money gun, then to cake being thrown, to water being splashed, then last but not least crowd surfing. Whats better than that? If you are interested in attending one of his upcoming concerts click the link below!

—> He has just begun his Hype Tour, so I’m sure he will be in your area soon, be sure to check him out, and get you tickets while they’re still available! <—

Also, if you’re attending rap concerts don’t forget to spice up your outfit little bit,

For me personally I did boyfriend jeans from Love Culture, sheer shirt with crop top and choker from Charlotte Russe, Booties from Kmart

Be sure to put together the PERFECT outfit, because its important to feel bad and boujee

Quote of the day: Life is a highway without a test drive” – Hoodie Allen

 

xoxo laur

 

How To Save?

Hey guys welcome back to my blog, I apologize for being away for a while. I have been putting my focus towards my YouTube channel these last two weeks to make sure I can build a solid foundation for my channel. BUT IM BACK, and that my friends is the important part. So speaking of my Youtube channel, I am actually releasing my THIRD YouTube video this Thursday on the subject “Holiday”. I know that word is a little vague so I wanted to give you guys, (my awesome fellow bloggers) a quick in site into what my video will actually be about! So for the first half there will be a quick round of Christmas questions with a special guest, then we will be moving on to a DIY Christmas project. Sounds intriguing right? Well don’t forget to stop by my channel and check it out this Thursday, November 16th 2017!

Here is the link to last weeks video “how to save”

enjoy,

xoxo laur

p.s. thank you so much for all of your support this far, you guys rock and never fail to amaze me, keep on rockin’

CLOTHING HAUL

Hey guys, welcome back! Only this time things are a little different. I decided to change gears and keep you guys up to date with the latest fashion! So this video is my very first clothing haul on the store Love Culture! I hope you guys enjoy it and if you did please be sure to give me a thumbs up, if you didn’t leave a comment to let me know what I can fix. Please subscribe!!

thanks,
you guys rock,
xoxo laur

Also don’t forget to check out the amazing deal at Love Culture: http://www.loveculture.com/sale

November 1st (means christmas time)

AHHHHH, welcome back to my blog, I apologize I haven’t posted in a few days I’ve been extremely busy with some new things I am taking on in my life, but anyway. WELCOME BACK, but this time its Christmas time! YAY! Christmas is my all time FAVORITE holiday, I am extremely excited to start decorating as well as begin my christmas shopping. I know it was just Halloween yesterday, but can you blame me, Christmas is the most magical time of the year!

Bringing it back to Halloween for a quick second, how was your day spent? I attended a haunted house with a few people in my cast the night before Halloween! We went to the Statesville Haunted Prison in Lockport, IL. Honestly I was extremely nervous before going in but after we went through the first half it wasn’t nearly as scary as I expected it to be. They lacked actors which made it less interesting because the one actor in the room would scare the people in front of you and then you would see it coming. Not to mention every like 3 rooms you go in they stop you and make you re-line up, which also takes away from the thrill. Oh ya, and while we were in the haunted house they puffed a huge cloud of smoke at us in one of the rooms so we couldn’t see which way to go so we ACCIDENTALLY went down the wrong path and the guard cussed us out saying we are no longer allowed to go through the haunted house, but then oddly enough she let us finish it. But personally I was going to go anyway I paid $30 to get in there! So overall I recommend avoiding that haunted house!

But then on Halloween we did a small family gathering at my aunts and watched all the trick-or-treaters get their candy, while we ate our soup! Not to mention I may or may not have taken down a while bag of candy within like 5 minutes… (lol) whoops.

I hope your Halloween was spooky and filled with family fun!

also just a quick p.s. Wal-Mart has warm Christmas leggings for $6

can’t beat that, so get them while they are still available,

anyway,

Happy (late) Halloween,

and cheers to CHRISTMAS,

xoxo laur

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shopping Spree (tips to keep you on budget)

Hey guys, welcome back, this post is about the tips and ticks I use to help keep me on budget while I do some damage shopping (it gets risky lol). So on Wednesday I took on a little shopping and ended up with some GREAT deals. Now for those of you who aren’t bargain hunters and tend to go for the “name brands” and most “expensive” item, this post probably isn’t for you. But if you’d love to learn my tips and tricks to shopping on budget, then stick around! I personally think everything over $10 is expensive (some of you might think I’m crazy) but I tend to buy clothes $10 and under, the best deal I got on my last shopping spree was a $3 shirt! SUCH A STEAL. Alright so here are my tips to a successfully CHEAP shopping spree:

1. GO STRAIGHT TO THE SALE RACK. No I’m not talking about the “20% off this $90 shirt” I’m talking about the SALE rack, the one in the way back of the store, hidden, with shirts as cheap as a dollar. Now that you are there DIG, I understand some times this can get very tedious and annoying but I’d personally rather spend 10 mixtures digging than pick up a $50 shirt and purchase it (I’m all about deals lol). tip: keep digging, there’s always a good deal in that crazy mess
2. NEVER CHECK OUT WITHOUT A COUPON. You may think that sounds ridiculous but you don’t understand how much money you can save by simply going to “retailmenot.com” and searching the store you are in to pull up a coupon, BAM, just as easy as that. I personally am a HUGE fan of their website, they have saved me hundreds of dollars. Also if you can’t find a coupon as the person who is checking you out if they have any coupons available you can use (most of the time they do) tip: coupons are key
3. ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, TRY YOUR CLOTHES ON. Yes, I know this isn’t always the ideally thing you want to do while shopping but if you want to assure yourself the piece of clothing you are about to purchase fits exactly how you want it to, then TRY IT ON. Also most things on the clearance rack are FINAL SALE, even though its cheap there is no point in wasting $10 for a clothing item you aren’t going to wear. tip: always try on, just because it looks cute on the hanger

Okay, so I hope those small tips help you get the most out of your next shopping trip,

also I am thinking about making a clothing haul,

what do you think? leave a comments below with your thoughts,

(I really appreciate it)

thanks again, you guys rock,

Quote of the day: “Shopping is the best medicine”

xoxo laur

Weekend Fun

Welcome back friends, how was your weekend? Mine was great! Friday night I attended a local spook hike (which I posted about) then Saturday I spend 5 hours filming for the new upcoming series I am in. Then attend lunch with my cast (exciting) and ended my Saturday with a Halloween movie night with my boyfriend. p.s. if you don’t remember that’s another thing checked off my fall bucket list. ekkkkk. Anyway making my way to Sunday, my boyfriend and I took a stroll through a local park were he was able to capture some awesome footage on his new camera (as well as take a few pictures of me lol) after that we were off to pick out our pumpkins then head over to my aunt’s house for a family dinner. After stuffing out faces full of delicious home cooked food, we all took on the “pumpkin carving challenge.” It was a blast, we ended our night at Madea’s Halloween (I highly recommend). The movie was hilarious, Tyler Perry never fails to impress me.

Can’t belive Halloween is next Tuesday, ahhhh

I’ve been prolonging getting my costume so I am currently in panic mode (its fine lol) I am terrible about waiting till last-minute for my Halloween costumes. Any good DIY cute Halloween costumes? I was thinking about a Mermaid?

What are you going to be for Halloween? Drop a comment below about ideas, or what you decided to be this year.

Quote of the day: “When black cats prowl and pumpkins gleam, may luck be yours on Halloween”

xoxo laur

 

 

VLOG #2

Here is the link to my vlog of NYC, hope you enjoy it,

xoxo laur

Haunted House

Alright guys, I keep on checking things off my bucket list, and tonight the haunted house one has been completed. (yaaaay) I went to the local spook hike in my town, done by our lions club and it was GREAT. Such good detail as well as some good actors, they never fail to impress. Anyway while I was there I noticed the fear in many people’s eyes (even my own) that couldn’t be shaken. What were we afraid of? Why are humans naturally afraid of the dark? Why do we run from fear? Well truth is, there is no “real” answer but I learned that instead of running, its important to face your fears. The minute you acted scared in the haunted house the actors were all over you, but if you heal your head high and kept cool they most likely left you alone. Why is this you may ask? Well because the minute someone knows they are getting to you they will keep poking until you finally give in or you have been pushed to far. That’s when its important to FACE your fears, not run. Stop being scared to follow your dreams because of “failure” or you simply “can’t”” do it. WRONG. I am a strong believer the word can’t shouldn’t exist. Its called try. If you fail that’s fine, try again, but never belittle yourself by telling someone you can’t do something. Not only have you let them win but you have now given them the power. YOU CAN DO ANYTHING YOU PUT YOUR MIND TO. Stop letting people tell you differently. You have so much potential, use it. Don’t let fear eat you alive, instead stomp it to the ground and keep traveling down your path to success.

Quote of the day: “What you are afraid to do is a clear indication of the next thing you need to do”

Hope you are all enjoying your Friday night,

xoxo laur

NYC VLOG

Hey guys welcome back, I am so excited to announce I have officially finished editing my second vlog. WOAHHHH! Can’t wait to share it with the world tonight. You can find the link to the video in my instagram bio at about 8pm tonight. Yay, I’ve never been so excited. So a little glimpse about what you will be seeing in my 2nd vlog. As you know this past weekend I was in NYC visiting my sister, while I was there I decided it would be a perfect opportunity to create my 2nd vlog, in which I did. Anyway, I captured various shots around NYC including, Time Square, Greenwich Village, Brooklyn, NYC art, Washington Square park, Rockefeller Center, 9/11 Museum, The Oculus, The Skyline, and many more.

Can’t wait to hear your thoughts of my vlog, be sure to stay tuned.

P.S. I look forward to hearing constructive criticism as well. I am looking to expand my vlogging potential and hearing your thoughts will help me a tremendous amount, thank you, I am so grateful for all your support.

I hope you all have a rockin’ day,

Quote Of The Day: “Every Accomplishment Starts With The Decision To TRY.”

xoxo laur

 

Chicago Bloggers

Hey guys, thank you so much for all the support on my blog, you all mean so much to me. I am currently looking for some local bloggers to meet up with and do a collab! Looking to do some trade work as well as make friendships. It’s important we all support each other on our journey so I feel as though a meet up would be a great opportunity to help one another grow.

I am located in the Chicago area,

if you are interested in doing a collab or meeting up leave a comment blow, or follow me on instagram and shoot me a DM.

feel free to email me as well: laurenrhodes04@gmail.com

I look forward to meeting up soon.

xoxo laur