Seven Years of Blogging {thank you, thank you}

June 1, 2015 Whitney Saxon

May marked seven years of blogging for me. Seven! I went back and read my first post the other day and had a good laugh.

So much has changed in my life since I shared those words. I was 21 at the time, interning for Atlanta magazine, living in Emory summer housing. I felt far from my sweet family and Indiana friends, but was falling in love with Atlanta at the same time.

My internship was unpaid and I remember calling my mom when my blow dryer broke. I cried and told her that making no money wasn’t fun. I look back on it now and am so grateful for that summer, when I couldn’t afford to replace my blow dryer and would cry on days I had to pay $5 to park because the Mart took over the city. On those nights when I’d choose froyo over dinner because I couldn’t afford both.

Chris laughs now because I have a whole host of budget hacks in Atlanta – things to do for free and ways adventure cheaper.

Those early days when you really don’t know if you’re going to make it to your next paycheck shape you and teach you to hustle and I couldn’t be more grateful for them now.

I also spent a lot of time alone that summer. I started dating someone pretty seriously, but I still had a lot of time in the evenings, when I’d go for walks solo, just soaking in the people and the fabric of Atlanta. I’d call all of my friends every night. Most of them were interning in new cities, too. We’d share tales of what we were learning and always end with how excited we were for August, when we’d be back at school for senior year.

That first summer here shaped my heart and, honestly, shaped a huge part of my future, as I sit here in this happy, humid city today. As I read that first post, I couldn’t help but smile because, a lot has changed, but, the thing that has stayed the same is that this little space on the internet is still where I come to be heard. It’s often the first place I process and main place I share.

And, after seven years, I couldn’t be more grateful for all of you who come back here to read, day after day.

For those of you who have been here since the beginning (hi, mom & dad!), I know it has changed a lot. Thank you for giving me the grace to not only let my blog change, but also let me change throughout my 20s.

I think we can do a lot to support one another in this crazy decade and one of the biggest things is letting one another grow into new and different people.

So thank you. For listening. For letting me change. And for reading my words each and every day over the last seven years. Your support means the world to me.

Five Facts from a Guy {about Girls}

May 29, 2015 Whitney Saxon

My dear friend Megan once told me that men are waffles and women are pancakes. When you pour syrup on waffles, it stays in each square; when you pour syrup on pancakes, it goes everywhere. In the same way, men compartmentalize their thoughts, feelings and emotions, which allows them a great ability to turn on and off life influences. On the other hand, for women, everything is connected and there is very limited compartmentalization.

The analogy made me feel like I instantly understood men better. So they can just switch squares? Just like that? Amazing.

It got me thinking about understanding men. I sometimes post things like 10 Things for Single Girls and 10 Things I Can Tell You About Your Husband, which are typically based on insight from Chris and my brothers. So, I thought, why not go straight to the source?

This week, I'm introducing Five Facts from a Guy Friday. I thought it would give all ye ladies the chance to get a little insight into the minds of men. Will their rules be hard and fast? Maybe not. But, I've said it once and I'll surely say it again: men aren't that complicated. They just seem confusing to us because we're living in a pancake world.

Kick-starting this is my kind, wonderful boyfriend, Chris. Here's what he has to say about girls. {Note: I didn't give him parameters or guide him. This is straight from the horse's mouth.}

1. Guys are meant to pursue – and we love it. Men were made to be chasers, pursuers and hunters when it comes to relationships. If you want to know if a guy is interested, be patient, be yourself and see if he opens up the pursuit. You will find out through his actions if he’s interested. I know a lot of guys who are thrown off when a girl pursues them first – it can be scary to have a girl trying to fill that role.

2. Wet hair and pajamas is the way to go. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve seen guys taken aback by a girl wearing too much makeup, but I’ve probably never heard “Man – if only she would wear makeup, she would be so much prettier.” We can feel a girl trying to be noticed and to be pursued. Dress comfortably and confidently– let the guy see you as you are. We love it when girls have the confidence to dress for themselves, not for others. Ultimately, that’s the version of you your husband will see the most anyway.

3. Keep embracing your own interests. If you don’t like sports, don’t fake it to watch the game with the guy. It’s usually a well-intended gesture, but if the guy knows you, he knows you aren’t interested and likely not enjoying yourself. If he wants to watch a game and you don’t, use that time to pursue your own interests. It’s OK to have separate interests – you each need your own space to pursue these. (But don’t be afraid to ask how our sports teams are doing….especially fantasy ones. We love that.)

4. Own your independence. One of the things I love about Whitney is how deeply she has invested herself in her faith, family, friends, health, blog, career and personal development to ultimately fulfill her. I don’t feel like she is depending on me to “complete” her. Rather, she wants me alongside as she pursues those passions. One my best friends once said he didn’t want to be any girl's “vessel to marriage”. When a girl is just looking for a guy to bring her the marriage/children/house that will then fulfill her, guys sense that, get overwhelmed and question the reason a girl loves them.

5. Challenge us to understand our emotions and feelings. From what I know (not much), girls are typically more in touch with their emotions than guys are. I think we, as males, often get uncomfortable becoming in touch with our emotions because we don’t understand them. We need some pushing here. When you get to a point in the relationship where it’s appropriate, ask the “why?” questions about his emotions. Recently, Whitney has done an unbelievable job of challenging me explore root causes on my feelings and emotions. It’s been fascinating to explore this and better understand myself in the process, and has enriched the way we are able to connect.

why don't we believe we are beautiful?

May 27, 2015 Whitney Saxon

This past weekend, I went home to Indiana for Memorial Day, which was the perfect way to spend the holiday. I returned to Atlanta feeling rested and refreshed - filled to the brim with love & contentment. There is something to be said for spending time with people you love outside the bustle of the city.

While I was there, I did a photography session with the very talented Sami Renee. As I continue to grow my coaching business, it feels important to have more professional pictures - instead of just cropping out my friends and a glass of wine from group photos.

I've been so excited this week to receive the photos from her, but, last night, as the email popped in my inbox that they were ready, my breath caught. I thought: what if I hate them? What if I don't look pretty in any of them? What if I wasted time and money and don't look good in any of the pictures and can't use them?

As I looked through the pictures, I found myself being critical first: my smile looks fake, my arms don't look good there, my face looks round.

My first thought was to pick myself apart, as opposed to see the beauty in them.

As I sorted through the pictures, I started wondering: what if these were of my sisters or mom? I wouldn't be critiquing them, but instead finding joy in the way her mouth opens as she laughs and proud that she is standing tall and confidently.

Why don't we choose to see ourselves through the eyes of love first? Why do we choose first to pick ourselves apart?

As we head into the beautiful, wonderful season that is summer, I'm making a promise to see myself with eyes of love first. Not to pick myself apart in a swimsuit or shorts. Not to hold on to a towel like a security blanket or fear beach weekends and pools. Not to examine myself with a critical eye, but instead one of love and confidence.

I'm making an effort to see my body as beautiful and able - not to give into the world's constant message that we should take up less space. I'm living wholly and fully in the body that the Lord gave me, for it is capable and strong.

Pre-workout Matcha Smoothie

May 25, 2015 Whitney Saxon

Happy Memorial Day beautiful people!

There's nothing like the unofficial start of summer to make me yearn for a cold smoothie in the morning. Lately I've been trying to master the perfect pre-workout option. I don't like to eat too much that early, but I'm not a fan of the fasted workout either. Smoothies are a good happy medium for me.

As I've tried to add more matcha and collagen into my diet, I've found smoothies to be the perfect way to do it. Matcha has been shown to help people burn 25% more body fat during exercise. And, with its energy-boosting capabilities, it's the perfect fuel for my workout.

Last week, I was out of bananas and thought I'd try throwing in strawberries in their place. I wasn't sure how berries would be in the mixture, but I ended up liking it even more than banana.

Here's how it went down: