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Bloggers are a special breed of people. We write; we write often; and we write to open ourselves up for ourselves and for the world. And while it’s difficult to open yourself up to complete strangers; but the blogging community can be powerful! I’ve met so many awesome people — people who have become great friends! — all because of this community (I’m looking at you, @TracyTilly and @PoiseInParma!).
Which is why I’ve decided to dedicate a series of posts to meeting my fave local bloggers!
Meet Jessica from AnchoredInCLE.com! She’s from Northeast Ohio, is passionate about fitness, health, and fashion; AND everything CLE!
What made you decide to start your blog?
I’ve had a blog for as long as I can remember being on the internet (in some form or another). Whether it was a Xanga, a Tumblr, to my current WordPress blog… I’ve always loved capturing moments of my life through words and photos. I started getting into the marketing and advertising industry which is how I got introduced to today’s form of blogging and found it to be really interesting. I also realized that it would help my career in marketing so I created a blog but I let it sit for a few months without doing anything with it.
Finally, during my 2nd social media internship, I finally just sat down and created a blog design and thought up some post ideas. I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into but I knew I wanted to do it so I just did. It’s been over a year now and I’m amazed at how far my blog has come, all of the amazing people I’ve had the opportunity to meet, etc.
How would you describe Anchored In CLE to a complete stranger?
Oh goodness… most days, my blog is a jumbled mess of whatever my brain thinks up. It’s usually a mix of health & fitness, food, fashion, adventures in Northeast Ohio, and a few random thoughts and ideas along the way.
Can you give an example of one or two things that have happened as a result of blogging?
I think one of the coolest things to happen so far is getting chosen to guest blog for the 2014 Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon. I’ve also gotten to review products, attend events, and meet all kinds of people!
What do you do (for work/for fun) when you aren’t behind your computer writing for your blog?
By day, I work at an advertising agency in downtown Cleveland. Outside of blogging, I enjoy spending time with my boyfriend, my family, and my friends… I love exploring the many gems of Cleveland (I’m currently working on my CLE Bucket List!) and I also enjoy getting outdoors when the weather isn’t so crummy. I’m also training for my first 10K!
Walk me through a day in the life of Jessica!
I wake up between 7:15-8:00 depending on the day, get ready for work, put my lunch in my lunch bag, and head to work. I have a pretty short commute considering, so I usually get to work by 9-9:10am.
I spend most of my day at my desk, which is hard for someone who desires to be more active, so I try to get up every hour or two. Some days there are meetings with clients, other days I’m just chugging away at a spreadsheet or sending e-mails, etc. I have been really good about packing my lunch so I take an hour break to eat and catch up on some blog reading (I love you, Feedly). Then it’s back to work until the end of the day.
After work, I generally drive straight home, catch up with my boyfriend, then do some combination of the following: blog, work out, cook dinner, get ready for the next day, watch TV, make lunch for the next day, play with my 2 cats, shower, read, sleep. Most days it’s hard to do everything… especially when you add in dishes, laundry, cleaning… but I’m working on my time management so I can get the most out of my evenings.
That’s pretty much what a (week) day in my life looks like. Weekends are much more fun or relaxing 🙂
Share a favorite quote or saying and explain what makes it special.
This one’s a tough one. I love quotes so much – they are put so much more nicely than I ever could and say exactly what I would want to. I have been really into empowering quotes lately, especially for motivation with my health & fitness journey, but one that has always stuck with me (and is sort of my motto) is this:
“Healthy is Happy” – it’s so simple, but so true. Health and Happiness go hand in hand. I generally find when I’m not being healthy, my happiness starts to wear off as well. Being healthy is also about your mind as much as it is about your body.
What are a few of your favorite go-to places in Northeast Ohio?
You can’t go wrong with the MetroParks (please hurry up spring!)… I’m still discovering all the many places that Northeast Ohio has to offer though!
I’m looking for motivation — share a health and fitness tip from one friend to another!
Well, I’m currently participating in a 5 Day Water Challenge, so I’ve learned all the amazing benefits of drinking at least 8 glasses (8 oz each) of water a day. It helps curb your appetite which aids in weight loss, it aids in digestion, and so many other amazing benefits!
Keep in touch with Jessica here:
What a nice idea featuring local bloggers!
Good luck covering the marathon! You’ve now made me want to check to the 5 day water challenge too as I’ve been trying to drink more water.
Aww I love this, thank you so much for including me! Such a fun idea to feature other bloggers 🙂
What a great series! I am a new blogger and am looking forward to getting to know some new blogs through these posts.
Cheers,
Lisa @ welldressedpeanuts.com
Great post! You ladies are very inspiring.