Amanda Burnett

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Lifestyle

5 Ways To Overcome A Creative Block

     itsamandaburnett      41 Comments

If you’re a creative person like I am, then you’ve most likely experienced the dreaded creative block. One week, you have so many ideas for your blog. You have content planned for your Instagram. You have a strategy in mind and you’re on top of the world. Then all of a sudden, you have no idea what to do. Your mind is blank and you grow frustrated. You just want to get an idea to come out of the brain that once could come up with five in one minute. It’s one of the worst things that could happen when you genuinely love creating content. The past two weeks, I’ve been in dealing with this. I’ve dealt with it before though so I took these 5 steps and it’s safe to say, I’m back and my creativity has been restored!

Take a break

This is the first step I highly recommend. It’s also one that I hate but it actually works so hear me out. When you spend so much time planning and creating, your mind is working pretty hard. Us creative people are always thinking. There’s a reason why you can’t think of anything anymore, your brain is tired!

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

Taking a social media break isn’t bad. Will you get as many views as normal? Probably not. But you need to remember that taking a step back will do more good for you in the end.

Tip: When taking a break from creating new content, just edit and re-publish old blog posts! It’s called refurbishing and from experience, it can actually help your blog without too much effort on your part. Bring those posts from six months ago back to life!

Make Self-Care A Priority

When we’re so busy creating, we often neglect ourselves without even knowing it. You wake up super early so you can get work done on your blog before getting ready for your day job, sometimes forgetting to even eat or drink enough water. You get back from work and you waste no time working on your blog/social media again resulting in getting little sleep. Sound familiar? I know I’m not the only one guilty of this, guys!

Photo by Alisa Anton on Unsplash

While you take a step back, focus on yourself. How?

  • Make sure you’re getting enough sleep
  • Eat three meals a day and drink enough water
  • Read
  • Catch up on Netflix shows
  • Journal
  • Pamper yourself with a face mask and a bubble bath
  • Go out and be social

Keep A Notebook Nearby

Creative blocks don’t last forever and you will eventually get some ideas flowing again. The thing is, they may come at any random time and you don’t want to risk trying to remember them. Keep a notebook nearby so you can write an idea down right away when it comes to you. This may even mean bringing it in your car or to work with you!

Photo by Freshh Connection on Unsplash

This is a good tip to do at all times but especially when you’re going through a creative block!

Reorganize / Change Things Up

There’s a good chance your creative block is from things being a bit too repetitive or boring. I know I personally always feel more refreshed and motivated when I buy new home decor, rearrange my room, organize my makeup drawers, or even getting my hair done!

Photo by Alexandra Gorn on Unsplash

Here are some more ideas for you:

  • Buy new home decor
  • Rearrange your house
  • Change your look
  • Go shopping for a new outfit

Find Your Inspiration

Believe it or not, inspiration is right around the corner.

Photo by Katarzyna Grabowska on Unsplash
  • Look up inspirational quotes and write your favorites down
  • Check out the list of my favorite positive affirmations
  • Pick up a self-development book (I’m loving Girl Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis right now)
  • Read articles on successful bloggers and influencers. What are their secrets? Write down some ideas that you get!

It Doesn’t Last Forever

I’m going to end this blog post by reminding you that your creative block will not last forever. Try taking these 5 tips into consideration! I’m sure you’ll get that much closer to breaking free and getting your inspiration back.

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If you’ve experienced a creative block and you have a secret to getting out of it that I haven’t mentioned, let me know below!

Revel Nail Dip Powder / First Impression & Review

     itsamandaburnett      1 Comment

Revel Nail Blog Cover

Nail salons have been closed down in Washington State for a while now due to COVID 19 and even though I’m not one to get a mani at the salon done regularly, I was very frustrated with my at-home mani chipping within the hour. But the biggest thing that always prevents me from getting a professional gel manicure is the money. I tend to be very frugal most of the time.

When I started seeing ads for Revel Nail Dip Powders, I was intrigued. People were saying they were potentially saving hundreds of dollars by giving themselves acrylic and gel manicures that last up to 2 weeks from the comfort of home! It was truly a no brainer that I needed to try this.

Revel Nail has over 500 colors, although there’s a lot that aren’t currently available due to COVID 19. They’re also vegan & cruelty-free and made in the US. There’s also many dip powder brands but the reason why I chose Revel Nail was their outstanding reviews!

Starter Kits

If this is your first time trying dip powder nails, I recommend choosing one of their starter kits. There are one-color and four-color kits. Each kit comes with four liquids: Pro Base – step 1, Activator – step 2, Finish gel – step 3, then Gel Thinner – Prevents the liquids from getting thick and clumpy.

Pretty pink kit, liquids, and dip powder in Phoebe.

The kit that I chose was their 4 color kit, Pretty In Pink, because I really wanted some pink colors. I also really wanted a pretty sparkly silver color for an accent nail so I added a single dip powder, D167 Phoebe.

One of my favorite parts of the whole checking out process was you have access to AfterPay! Even though the price you pay is totally worth it, you have the option to break up your payments into 4 installments so it’s even more affordable.

How To Apply

Before I purchased this kit, I was pretty nervous and had to look up so many “how-to” video’s explaining the whole process. Even with seeing the process a bunch, when I finally got my package, I was still intimidated. It’s a lengthier process with more steps than your normal nail polish routine.

Note: practice makes perfect. After doing this and learning from the mistakes I made, I am way more confident in my dip powder application skills! It’s really not as intimidating as it seems once you get the feel of how all of the materials work.

1st step – Thin layer of pro base on your nails. (Do one hand at a time)

It’s important it’s not applied too thick or the powder (next step) will get very clumpy and you’ll have to file everything down.

2nd step – Dip your nails in the powder, tap off excess.

3rd step – Repeat step 1 & 2 one more time. You want two coats of the powder.

4th step – Apply a thin layer of Activator on all of your nails. Wait 2 minutes for it to dry.

5th step – File and shape your nails.

6th step – Apply another layer of activator. Wait another 2 minutes.

7th step – Apply a thin and quick layer of finish gel. You just want it to coat the majority of your nail but don’t focus on any details yet. Wait 2 minutes.

8th & final step – Apply a more generous and detailed coat of finish gel.

Ta-da!

Personal Results:

I absolutely love and recommend Revel Nail Dip Powder so much. After making the mistake of applying the pro base too thick and attempting to fix it, I realized how easy it’ll be next time around.

My nails.

Now I really wanted to see how long they lasted and what they could withstand. They lasted me about a week and a half without lifting or chipping! Although, I do think they started lifting because of how thick I applied the liquids. So if you’re careful not to make that mistake, these would easily last two weeks! Did I mention no chipping occurred? Pure magic, I think.

Removal:

Once you got your nails on, they stay solid and removal is a whole process! But it’s totally worth it. I’ll get into what Revel Nail reccomends vs what I did and why I don’t want you to follow in my foot steps on this step. You live and you learn, right?

Recommended:

  • File down the glossy top coat
  • Take acetone soaked cotton balls and wrap them with tinfoil on your nails. Let them sit for 5 minutes.
  • You should be able to wipe the gel away pretty easily.
  • If needed, repeat those two steps.

Another tip: You should always give your nails a break of at least a week before doing your nails again.

What NOT to do:

Do not soak your nails in acetone then proceed to lift off the nails where it’s starting to lift at the bottom. They won’t just pop right off. Well, some did but don’t do it anyway. Two nails were injured while doing this. Sigh. I make mistakes so you can learn from them, friends.

Since this was my very first impression, I will be updating this post after I apply these nails a second time!

Want 10% off your first Revel Nail order? Click here!

Until next time!

50 Ways To Keep Busy In Quarantine

     itsamandaburnett      4 Comments

Hey guys! I hope you all are doing well.

A majority of us all over the world are stuck inside our homes unless its to go out for essential reasons. It’s crazy to think that so many of us were wishing for more time in our lives and we got our wish under bad circumstances. I also know that there’s a lot of people who need to keep busy for their mental health. That’s where I hope this blog post can be helpful. So if you catch yourself saying, “I’m bored” try one or all of these things below!

Here are 50 things you can do to keep busy

  1. Start that book you haven’t picked up yet.
  2. Learn new recipes! Check Pinterest or ask a friend for their favorite.
  3. Do some crafts. Check Pinterest for ideas
  4. Learn a new language
  5. Start a blog. (I’m creating a course for beginners so keep an eye out!)
  6. Do some online shopping
  7. Ask people for show/movie suggestions
  8. Binge-watch Netflix (if you’re not already)
  9. Discover new music
  10. Rearrange your room
  11. Deep clean your house – one room at a time
  12. Go for a walk or multiple every day
  13. Create an indoor workout routine
  14. Start a puzzle
  15. Create an online course for something you’re an expert on
  16. Start a YouTube Channel
  17. Write a book
  18. Create digital content & sell it on Etsy for extra cash
  19. Join an online business
  20. Go through your closet and throw things you’ll never wear in a bag. Donate them when you can
  21. Have a photoshoot
  22. Take pictures for Instagram.
  23. Do a face mask
  24. Give yourself a manicure
  25. Do a hair oil treatment
  26. Join TikTok and learn some dances
  27. Play video games
  28. Call or Facetime your friends & family
  29. Cancel subscriptions you don’t use anymore
  30. Create a vision board
  31. Start a gratitude list
  32. Learn new hairstyles
  33. Play board games – Game night!
  34. Make some long term goals
  35. Order takeout from a local business – they need support right now
  36. Order gift cards from your usual places (hair salon, coffee shops, etc)
  37. Listen to a podcast
  38. Plan a vacation for when this is over
  39. Clean out your purse
  40. Build a fort
  41. Have an indoor picnic
  42. Give someone a makeover
  43. Go through your emails
  44. Do some karaoke
  45. Prank someone
  46. Go through photo albums
  47. Transfer photos from your phone to a USB (free some storage)
  48. Write a letter to your future self
  49. Wash your hands
  50. Subscribe to my blog for more content ♥

I hope these gave you some ideas on how you can keep busy!

Stay safe & healthy.

20 Ways To Spread Happiness

     itsamandaburnett      11 Comments

spread happiness banner

Despite the entire world being affected by the spread of COVID-19, there are still ways to spread happiness. Although, most of us are in quarantine and if we’re not, we are hopefully social distancing ourselves. So “give someone a high five!” will not be on the list.

These are all safe to do right now!

20 Ways To Spread Happiness

  1. Leave a nice comment on somebody’s Instagram.
  2. Share a friend’s blog post or business page.
  3. Call up a friend or family member.
  4. Leave a nice voicemail to whoever doesn’t answer.
  5. Write somebody a letter.
  6. Shout out your best friends on social media.
  7. Order some food then give a generous tip.
  8. Order your friend some food.
  9. Share a bunch of positive quotes.
  10. Go through your clothes & donate to a homeless shelter.
  11. Create a playlist & send it to your friends.
  12. Smile at a stranger.
  13. Compliment a stranger.
  14. Buy somebody a gift card.
  15. Offer a discount to any of your services.
  16. Say thank you to retail workers & any first responders you see.
  17. Share any great recipes you know.
  18. Leave kind notes around your town. (After washing your hands, of course)
  19. Share cute animal videos. (Makes anyone happy!)
  20. Recommend a great book you’ve read recently.

In the midst of chaos, let’s start spreading happiness right now. There are so many people that could use a smile. I’m thankful that even when a lot of us are confined to our homes, we are still able to spread some happiness.

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If you need some more positive vibes, I have a few blog posts to lift your spirits!

Blog Posts To Lift You Up:

Motivational Quotes

Positive Affirmations

Find yourself when you’re feeling lost

Overcome your creative block

Toxic things you need to stop telling yourself

If you have more ideas to spread some happiness, leave a comment down below. ♥