The tech revolution has made it to the fashion world and suddenly everywhere you look, there are tech accessories to be had. Wearable tech is a brilliant way to show off your fashion sense while living in true 21st Century style.
If there’s one way you can update your wardrobe right now, it’s with wearable tech accessories. The future isn’t just coming, it’s already here. And, as more and more brands jump into collaborations, a whole new area of fashion is emerging.
So, what could you be wearing and how should you wear it?
Think Practically
The tech world is just like the fashion world: fast-moving, quick to develop new things and always changing. This means that you need to think practically when you buy into any new tech. Some technologies will only work with some systems, which is why so many people have ended up siding with Apple or Microsoft out of convenience!
Linking up what you have can be frustrating but there are plenty of guides online for when Bluetooth is not available on Mac or you are having trouble getting your devices to work together. If you’re in doubt about whether something will work, don’t spend your money until you are assured it will!
Match Your Wardrobe
Early wearable tech all looked techy and cool but didn’t really fit with most wardrobe choices. Now, smart watches are on the market that look much more in keeping with the fashion world, mainly through collaborations between companies like Apply and Hermes. These watches are much more beautiful and easy to match with the rest of your wardrobe for any occasion.
Another funky design comes from Bose which now offers sunglasses. Admittedly, the arms are a little on the chunky side but if headphones aren’t for you, they could be a fun fashion choice that lets you listen to music and even take phone calls on the go.
But watches and sunglasses are the tip of the iceberg. You can get everything from rings to belt buckles that do all kinds of cool techy things and look awesome too. The real change in the market is the shift from practical plastics to more beautiful materials, including bamboo and titanium.
Have Fun!
The best thing about wearable tech is that it can be really fun. Technology has already freed us to do things on the move, now that freedom is being augmented to give us the joys of tech without having to carry a million different devices and have wires coming out of every pocket. There are some wonderfully weird wearables on the market so there really is something for everyone and their dog!
Fashion and tech are both about having fun and playing with new ideas. It makes sense for these two massive industries to finally come together and begin to shape how we live and how we look while we do it. So, the only question is: which wearable are you going to invest in first?
A road trip around Europe is one of those adventures that people dream about all their lives, but road-tripping around the UK and Ireland comes a close second.
A campervan gives a traveler tremendous freedom and independence when exploring a country, letting you move at your own pace instead of having your day planned for you by strict check-in times for hotels and resorts. Taking a campervan on any road trip is something of an adventure itself, and the experience of travelling the British Isles could only be made more fun by the quirks and idiosyncrasies of a campervan.
Britain is a great country to explore by road, though getting to and through London can take some time. Getting around the rest of the UK is pretty simple, with a good network of motorways connecting the country letting you get from one end to the other in a day.
Scotland and Wales offer some of the most picturesque scenery in Europe, and are full of unique campsites that often have a great view to wake up to in the morning.
Cross the Sea in Your Camper!
The North of England and the coasts of Scotland and Wales also have car ferry services to Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. These are two countries that have a lot to offer a campervan traveller – the West coast of the Republic of Ireland, in particular, has a well-beaten trail along the coastline that thousands of people a year visit in campervans and recreational vehicles.
Road tripping in a campervan does take a lot of planning and preparation but is worth the extra homework. Remember that you are going to need space for your supplies for the trip, as well as your belongings.
Make Sure You Insure
While campervans are often surprisingly costly to buy, they should be seen as an investment – after all, you won’t have to pay for hotels or flights during your trip, and the more often you travel the more you could save.
You’ll need to insure your campervan, of course, but fortunately there are price comparison services in the UK that can help you compare campervan insurance from a range of providers in just a few minutes, meaning you could save both time and money.
Pick Some Destinations and Plan Your Route
With the campervan and the insurance dealt with, you need to start planning your route. A good, old fashioned map is a great way to start planning which way to go, but you are always best backing yourself up with some GPS navigation. You don’t always need to buy a specific device to get a good GPS service; the chances are there is a good map app available for your smartphone.
I’ve been quiet for a while if you’ve noticed… Things have been beyond crazy behind the scenes of life lately and I’m excited to announce that I’ve…
ACCEPTED a new part-time job with a law firm in downtown Boston right by the Boston Harbor. I’m across the street (less than a few steps) from the New England Aquarium and am so excited for this new opportunity. I am living out the true Boston Legal life, just for you Pops (my FIL (father-in-law)! 😉 ) JK but honestly I feel like the stars aligned perfectly because I could not be more excited about this opportunity.
When we moved to New England in April, I was pursing my blog full-time. It has been so much fun but also taught me a lot more than I ever expected to learn about myself. Here are some of the things I learned:
A. I need face-to-face, in-person collaboration. Not only am I extroverted, but I would say I’m truly an extroverted extrovert haha. I literally thrive and get my energy from being around people. It’s not that there aren’t opportunities for in-person interaction when blogging full-time, but there’s a lot less of it. Most business is done via email, over the phone and maybe via Skype. There are sometimes in-store events and other blogger meetups, but many of my sponsorship collaborations are negotiated and done over email. I missed collaborating in person with co-workers and being able to gain knowledge from the people around me in an office environment. I am SO excited to be going into the office setting three days a week and working face-to-face with people again!
B. I love structure and I missed having the daily routine of getting up, getting ready, going to work, etc. I know some people THRIVE on the full flexibility but I guess I’ve learned I struggled with it more than I’d like to admit. When you blog full-time you can literally do so many different things, you can reach out to brands and pitch collaborations, you can spend time growing your social media accounts (especially Instagram), do photoshoots, revamp old blog posts, optimize old posts for SEO, reach out to collaborate with other bloggers, shop for try-on sessions, look for sales to share, etc. You also don’t have to be anywhere at a certain time, you don’t have to abide by dress code – and I actually missed those things! Of course, you can make your own daily routine, and I give soooo many props to all the bloggers and other full-time entrepreneurs who have figured out what works for them. I struggled to find the right daily routine and found myself getting into a creative rut trying to balance all the things I mentioned above. I think having a structured schedule three days a week will be the perfect balance for me.
C. Without the balance of another job, as I mentioned above, I was finding myself getting into a creative rut. It is so easy to visit other blogs, listen to podcasts, try to educate yourself more on various things, share sales, share new clothing, share new beauty trends – but I found myself comparing and feeling like what I was sharing wasn’t helpful or good enough. I honestly rarely felt this way when I was balancing the blog with a job. I think it’s because I have so many diverse interests that by having various things to focus on keeps the creative wheel spinning! Plus, I’ve also learned throughout my career that I have been able to apply things I’ve learned in my marketing roles to the blog and new things I’ve learned from blogging to my job. I look forward to doing this again.
D. This probably doesn’t just apply to me, but a consistent paycheck is ALWAYS nice. It gives peace of mind and helps me budget (a lot better) for monthly expenses. The unfortunate part of making money blogging is that you can put hours and hours of work upfront on a sponsored post or sponsored social post but usually won’t see a payout for 60 to 90 days. There are some companies that payout immediately, but I would say in my experience that’s pretty rare. Additionally, affiliate commissions are paid out on a similar timeline. If you were to make a purchase from one of my affiliate links, I would see the commission show up on my dashboard, but wouldn’t be paid on it for 90 days. This is because of the different rules for returning items at various retailers. If you decided to return the item you purchased from my link, then that commission would be removed. Again, there are plenty of boss babes out there who have this figured out and I’m sure to have an amazing cash flow going and large savings to help for the times of year that are slower or waiting on that 90-day payment, but I’m not quite there. You don’t necessarily need a lot of cash flow or money to get started in blogging or maintain a blog, however, as a fashion and beauty blogger, I find it to be extremely important in order to buy new clothes to review/create new outfits or to test out new beauty products. Long story short, It will be so nice to have a consistent paycheck every other week!
E. I missed using my full skill set and I CANNOT STATE MY EXCITEMENT ENOUGH TO have taken a job as a Marketing Coordinator at a law firm. I am going to learn so much, and learning is one of my favorite things. I will be surrounded by some wicked smaaht people (see, I’m slowly becoming a Bostonian 🙂 ) and can’t wait to learn from them and grow in my career. Seriously though, I will be working with an extremely intelligent group of people and attorneys. I also am excited to take my skill set of content creation, public relations, event planning, etc. and apply it in a new way. There will definitely be a lot for me to learn but I’m excited to be in a new industry and becoming a legal marketer!
Where I work
View of my work building at night! (Insert heart eyes!)
So what does this mean? This means I will be going into work three days a week (Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays) but will also still get to give half my attention to my blog, which was my ideal scenario going into the job search. I didn’t want to go back to a full-time job necessarily and feel like I was completely neglecting RLB again. This space has so much of my heart and soul and I want to keep giving it the attention I’ve been giving (just on a different level now). Again, I really do believe my creativity will be re-sparked with this job!
I just feel so fortunate and lucky to be in this position. Things honestly have. There are SO many marketing opportunities in the Boston area and I was almost overwhelmed by it all. When I applied to this Marketing Coordinator role, I just had that amazing gut feeling. Again, I cannot express how happy I am! In the chaos of job searching, I sometimes felt like I didn’t even know what I was doing or what I wanted. Well, all my prayers were answered and answered in the most amazing way!
My new desk space
Also a HUGE shoutout to my support network – family, friends, past co-workers who have not only shaped me but supported me in getting to this point. I would not be in this position without you!
Oh and one more random thing, I literally grew up dreaming of commuting to work on the subway/train, which here is called the T. I LITERALLY GET TO COMMUTE TO WORK ON THE T and it makes my heart so happy. I love public transportation! I also have the option to commute to work by ferry – HOW COOL IS THAT? Minus the fact that I sweat profusely on the way home today (um, there is NO air movement on the Red Line apparently), but I still LOVED the hustle and bustle of people coming and going from work today. I’m now a part of it! Tomorrow I’ll take off my suit jacket prior to getting on the T 🙂 OH, and I now pack my heels and wear commuter shoes. Life is pretty epic currently!
