What’s Inside the First Oh, Hello Box + WIN A BOX!

What’s Inside the First Oh, Hello Box + WIN A BOX!

What's Inside the First Oh, Hello Box
The day has finally arrived. And it can only be outdone by the actual box release date. I’ve somehow managed to keep my spoiler-loving butt from spilling ALL the secrets about the contents of the first #ohhellobox. That is, until now. So let’s dive into this packed box filled with items you won’t find anywhere else on OhHelloCo.com! 
When I decided to make the subscription box, I wanted it to be more than just stationery supplies. Sure I’ll be sure to include pens and notepads galore, but there’s also going to be a ton of lifestyle products coming your way. This first box is themed “Brunch Bunch” and has a gorgeous embroidered apron ($30) with adjustable neck and waist fabric. 
Each subscription box will contain an enamel pin ($7) designed exclusively for each box. So as you receive boxes, you’ll be able to collect enamel pins from each one. And I posted a handy DIY enamel pin frame tutorial on YouTube so you can get prepared.
What's Inside the First Oh, Hello Box
This box truly represents where Oh, Hello has been and where it’s going. I wanted to include a lot of products that represent who we are, but also start to shift to what I want Oh, Hello to become. So the stationery products are more abundant in this box, as a nod to Oh, Hello’s history.
There’s a pocket traveler’s notebook ($37) with an exclusive cover design as well as a pocket dot grid insert ($4). It wouldn’t be an Oh, Hello box without stickers! There are two custom sticker sheets ($6) as well as a bunch of die cuts ($4) of all the brunch bunch characters. 
On top of three sets of sticky notes ($9), you’ll also receive our first ever keychain ($8). In the shape of an egg. It’s keychain perfection.

What's Inside the First Oh, Hello Box
The first subscription box by me wouldn’t be complete without a squishy ($5)!! It had to happen. Nothing brought me more joy than when a giant box packed full of donut squishies landed on my doorstep. 
What's Inside the First Oh, Hello Box
So there you have it. The first box is officially out in the world and will be available for purchase on January 5th. Boxes will be $44.95 plus a flat shipping rate. And as a thank you for supporting me and Oh, Hello I’m giving away a box to one of you!  
Don’t forget to subscribe to the Oh, Hello Box Newsletter to stay up to date on launch dates and future boxes!

How I’m Preparing My Business for 2019

How I’m Preparing My Business for 2019

How I'm Preparing My Business for 2019
It’s very unlike me, but I’m eager for the new year to start. I’m excited. And I haven’t felt like that in a really long time. With so many projects and plans for the 2019, here’s how I’m preparing my business to start the new year off with a bang.
A few weeks ago I sat down and made a marketing plan for the entire year. I mapped out a year’s worth of sales, promotions, and sales goals. This really helped me to visualize the entire year at once. It became obvious that some months were heavier with sales than others. I spaced everything out and have a clear road map for the year ahead.
I’m terrible at this, but I’m trying to get better at delegating more. I have a small but mighty staff that I’ve been passing off more projects to so I can focus on big picture things like our subscription box I mentioned in my last blog post. Plus a big goal for 2019 is to get into retail!
Despite being excited for all the work things next year, I’m also scheduling time off for self care and travel. I want to make sure I have time to recharge, shake off an burned out feelings, and seek creative inspiration.
I’m brainstorming. A lot. Like writing down any possible idea that pops into my head. I always brainstorm best right before I fall asleep, so I keep a notepad by my bed for scribbles in the dark I have to try and decipher the next morning. I’ve mastered the ability to not accidentally write over other ideas in the dark. Do you think that’s a skill you can endorse on LinkedIn?
I’m also trying really hard to listen to ideas from other people. I know without a shadow of a doubt that I’m too close to my business. It’s so valuable to listen to new ideas because they’re seeing my business in a way that I physically can’t, from the outside.
But above all else, I’m celebrating the victories of this year. 2018 marked the year of trying to slow down and appreciate accomplishments more. Take a second to breathe, look around at how far we’ve come, before moving on. As the year comes to a close I’m proud of what I’ve done, but excited to see what’s next.
How I Rekindled My Passion for My Business

How I Rekindled My Passion for My Business

How I Rekindled My Passion for My Business
2018 has been a dozy of a year for me. From some serious highs to some even lower lows, the year has been one for the record books. And through it all I found myself to have fallen out of love with Oh, Hello. That truth made me miserable. Alex and I have worked tirelessly for over four years to craft our business and I just felt…exhausted. I started to question why I was even bothering. Things got pretty bleak there for a while, but luckily this is a happy story.
I went through a lot of personal mental health stuff in 2018. I want to dive into it in more detail later (because I think mental health deserves to be talked about no matter how good or bad), but it’s not really the point of this story and it always has a way of overshadowing things anyway. Luckily I found solutions and the help that I needed so that as we entered autumn, I had a new positive outlook on things. It wasn’t all doom and gloom. I had help both literally and metaphorically and I could finally breathe. I was ready to fall back in love with my business.
How I Rekindled My Passion for My Business
Alex and I have talked about doing a subscription box for years. It always felt too risky, too much work when we already felt drawn thin. But one morning I woke up and it felt like time. And then I didn’t sleep. For weeks. Every time I’d try a another idea would pop into my head, another box theme, another product. The idea storm became so bad that I sometimes crept into our guestroom to work in the middle of the night to let Alex sleep. I felt alive and invigorated for the first time since 2014 when I had the idea to start Oh, Hello. 

How I Rekindled My Passion for My Business
The Oh, Hello Box was born. A box dedicated to self care, self love, and some fun thrown in. With so many subscription boxes out there I didn’t want to just add to the noise. I wanted to create something simple, beautiful, and packed to the brim with high-quality products. Over $100 in lifestyle and planning items every month for under $50.

How I Rekindled My Passion for My Business
I haven’t felt this passionate about my business since its creation and I’m loving every thrilling and terrifying second of it. The first box launches on January 5th, and if you’d like to get more updates about the box there’s a newsletter you can sign up to. 
I cannot wait to continue to share my business journey with you as well as box themes and products. It’s going to be an amazing start to a new year.

How I Pack for Travel

How I Pack for Travel

How I Pack for Travel
2018 was the year of travel and we still have one last trip to go before ringing in 2019! After forgetting quite a few things during the first trip I vowed to get my shit together to not run out of clean underwear again. Here’s how I keep from under/over packing and forgetting things.
1. I made a list
It kinda seems like a no-brainer, but I needed a list I could revisit, revise, and reuse for each trip we went on. I used to just write things down fresh each time which led to a lot of mishaps and forgetting common things I thought for sure, “I wouldn’t forget.” 
So I opened up a word document, typed in all of the items Alex and I need to travel with. At the top of the list I put spaces to write where, when, and for how long we will be there. That way I can make sure to pack accurate amounts of clothing depending on trip length. Then I duplicated the list so there were two on the page. I printed it out on sticker paper and cut it out. Presto. Custom packing list I can put into whatever notebook I’m using at the time. I felt like a bloody genius and showed Alex the list way too many times. One time would have sufficed. But no. I kept shoving my creation in his face like a proud parent. But I digress….
2. I start early, but not TOO early
So the thing about me is I worry. Like a lot. I’m the type of person that’ll pack a suitcase two weeks in advance out of anxiety and have to keep going back into the suitcase to grab things I need. This ultimately leads to me thinking something’s in the suitcase when in fact I took it out five days ago and forgot. So I’ve trained myself to still pack early, but not so early that it causes issues. I try and start the initial packing stages about three days before we leave for a trip. That way  I can make sure I can clean anything I might need and have plenty of time.
3. I reference the list
I mean that’s what a list’s for, right? Since I do start packing a few days in advance, I can’t pack everything at once. So I make sure to check the list regularly to know what I still have left to pack. There are always those last minute items you throw into a suitcase right before you leave. The list is great at making sure those aren’t missed in the sleep-deprived early morning rush to get to the airport.
4. I bring the list for the return journey
Usually I’ll just use the same list to make sure we bring everything back home that we left with. No forgotten cell phone chargers in hotel rooms for us.
5. I update the list
I realize that the point of this post is to go on and on about this list I made, but seriously. It’s a huge help. Once we get back from a trip I’ll revise the list to remove anything we didn’t end up bringing and adding any items I hadn’t thought of previously. That way when the next trip rolls around, I’m more prepared than ever before and my anxiety is being well managed.
Even if it’s just a document you print off on computer paper and keep in a folder, having a regularly updated list can save you a lot of stress when it comes to packing for trips. Plus it’s a great way to help pack for other people. Alex is much more carefree about travel than I am, so I like to pack his things ahead of time for him. The list helps to make sure we’re both on the same page and I’m packing things I know he needs and he knows what’s going into the suitcase. 
How do you pack for travel? What’s your technique?
How I’ve Been Using My Rifle Paper Co. Planner

How I’ve Been Using My Rifle Paper Co. Planner

How I've Been Using My Rifle Paper Co. Planner
This wouldn’t be a planner, beauty, and lifestyle blog if I didn’t go through a bi-weekly planner crisis right? Today’s YouTube video goes into more detail about my current crisis and the planner setup I’m in, but a lot of the turmoil comes down to The Rifle Paper Co Planner putting a wrench in things again. 
I’ve used the Rifle Paper Co planners on and off for the past three years and they always seem to pop back into my life when I need it most. It’s such a simple layout for a planner, but it’s perfect if you have a ton of to do list items but not a lot of meetings or appointments. I had just started to feel at odds with my daily hourly layout when this gorgeous beauty landed on my doorstep. It was a like a sign from the gods that a planner shake-up was in order.
How I've Been Using My Rifle Paper Co. Planner
I’m currently using the planner similarly to how I have in the past, but I’ve added in some functional stickers to mark any timed events that I may have. Every Sunday I’ll sit down and space out any to do items I need to get done the next week. I love having the entire weekly view visible at one time so if one day seems particularly heavy with things, I can always move them around to another day. It’s also easy to see anything I missed from the day before that I still need to get done.

Check out today’s video if you fancy seeing what other planners are currently in rotation!