13 perfect Graduation Gifts

I came up with my top 13 graduation gifts as I was listening to our graduation playlist and the best graduation songs because it's 2013 and it just seemed like having 13 ideas was the perfect number of choices. Plus, I also had 13 ideas for the perfect graduation gifts, so it just kinda worked out that way!  

1 - Every grad will need coffee. It's just a fact they'll need to, ahem, study a little harder.

2 - Why would anyone want to look like a freshman on day 1? Give a grad a school tee or sweatshirt over the summer so they look like they've been at school for years.

3. I'm going to give you our favorite photo of all our friends, in this gorgeous frame so we all won't be too far from each other!

4. Who wouldn't love these earrings? And that touch of pink looks adorable with a cap and gown.

5. Classics never go out of style. But this tote expands for a long weekend, at home... or not.

6. A touch of home keeps the new grad from feeling homesick. Pillows are perfect for adding to the decor, keeping comfy, or throwing at annoying roommates.

7. Any cute cup will do, but this Vera Bradley one is extra cute.

8. Sunglasses protect eyes and skin, and from a multitude of sins, like late nights and early mornings.

9. J. Crew. 'nuff said.

10. Who can get enough of monograms? Probably not any grad and Bauble Bar has a whole slew of cute personalization options.

11. No matter what, she'll want to be fresh as a daisy. There are so many amazing perfumes, give her your favorite!

12. Ok, this is my must-have. Clear skin is a must. Clean skin is a must. Clarisonic is the ultimate. If she doesn't have one, she'll adore you if you buy her this. Trust me.

13. It looks like just a case, but it charges too. There are plenty of other cases you can customize on Cafe Press!

But wait, I have one more!! If your grad hasn't taken photos yet, then definitely treat her to some photos by a professional. I had a blast posing with PinkOwl Photography the other day. Being captured by a professional photographer is a gift not only a graduate will treasure, but is a present she can, in turn, share with everyone else creating memories for all :)

Congrats to all the seniors who are graduating! Wishing you all the success you dream....

xo ~chloe

3 Ideas for Blog Post Titles that get Clicks

Now that you know how to create irresistible blog post titles that will rank in SEO and get your readers clicking, how do you actually come up with a cool and catchy title? What if you aren't the creative type who can use a keyword and turn it into a title treasure (as suggested in step 5 here)? Here are a few tips to take the guesswork out of creating blog post titles:

1. Numbers rule!

Just make a list. Seriously, who doesn't love a list, unless it's a list of things you have to do around the house, or the bane of my existence, the grocery list.

Everybody responds to

• 5 Steps to ____
• 6 Killer Resources for ___
• 10 Surprising Secrets about ___
• 7 Ways to ____
• Top 10 lists

Your lists can be about anything, from fashion to ideas, to ways to wear something to brands you love, to reasons you should blog.

2. Lead the way

"How to" headlines have been some our most successful posts, such as "How to do a French Manicure Effortlessly", "How to shop for Vintage Clothes" and "Cake Pops - how to make the best ever". You see that a "how to" post or video can relate to almost any blog topic and can help a reader feel that you are on their side and we all face the same problems, which we do.

Examples include the basic How to, and progress to

• How to ___, even if (describe the obstacle)
• How to ____, like a (describe the goal) i.e., How to dress like Gwynneth Paltrow on a real girl's budget, or How to get in the college of your dreams with the SAT scores of your nightmares

These are posts where you are helping your reader solve a problem - we love these!

3. The Simple Life

Show your readers how your post is going to make their life more simple. Just think of the über-simplifier of them all: Real Simple magazine, which makes simple an art!

If you were writing about, let's say, blog writing, some topics might be:

• Simplify your blog writing process
• Take charge of your blog instead of it taking charge of you
• Shortcuts to blogging
• The Zen of Blogging
• The blog checklist: simplifying your blog writing process
• How to grow your blog audience in 5 minutes
• Blog hacks; The Blog Cheat Sheet

You could substitute motorcycle repair or getting your baby to sleep or making kale chips and these could all apply (with some tweaks, of course)!

Still stumped? These posts have some great blog post titles and ideas to overcome writers block:

SITS Girls logallot Michelle Shaeffer The Future Buzz

One last super-secret killer tip that works every time, for us: if you have more than one great idea for a title and can't decide which would be better for SEO, then use one as a title and use the other as a Meta Keyword! This way, you get the benefit of both!!  And if you don't know what a Meta Keyword is and you are on WordPress, ask me about WordPress SEO by Yoast. And no, they didn't pay me to say that.

Happy Writing! XO, Kim and Chloe

Happy Mother's Day!

via pinspire first seen on MaryFashionLove

Aaaah, Mother's Day, a day of pampering, breakfast in bed, lazing about, queen for a day. It's my annual request, dream, plea. No housework, or laundry, or cooking. I want the day "off." But this year is a bit different. I'm not thrilled about laundry or cooking, but I don't need the day off. Maybe I will at a later date, but today I'm celebrating my kids. It's just a different year and I'm going with the flow and this is what feels right to me. I hope they appreciate me. I hope they know how much I do for them, I hope they know how much I love them, but I'm not forcing the card, the gift, the breakfast in bed. Not this year.

All I want for Mother's Day is to be with my kids. Doing kid things. Not doing "Mother's Day" things, not being pampered, not having it being about me. Today is a different Mother's Day for me... I'm thankful we are together, thankful 3/4 of us are healthy.

Today is your day, kids, my day to you:

• my day to say thank you for making me who I am,
• for reminding me of what's important,
• for being so much more than I ever was at your age,
• for rising up to and conquering every challenge life throws at you,
• for making me so proud so often.

These are the gifts that mean so much to me. More than all the chocolate in the world... even, yes, even dark chocolate.

Thank you, kids, for being your unique, creative, beautiful selves. I wouldn't, and couldn't, have chosen any better yous to be you.

XOXO, Mama / Mommy / Mom / Mumsie