I’m lucky to do what I do. I have an amazing career at Adobe, I have a successful lifestyle blog and I love being a mom. One thing I’ve enjoyed about doing my blog on the side for the past 5 years is that I get to play in two completely different worlds. “My day job keeps me grounded,” I used to tell people when they’d ask if I ever wanted to blog full-time. The truth is, my life would be a lot simpler if I had just one job (+ mom life), but I really do think having priorities and deadlines outside of my blog has helped me stay objective. Being a blogger, and fashion blogger specifically, requires some pretty funny behaviors you wouldn’t otherwise find yourself doing.

Here are a few that make me chuckle inside…

1.Look at every outing or event as a content opportunity.

What has social media done to us? We go to great lengths to ensure we’re photo-ready, even if just heading to the grocery store. Running a successful real-time Instagram account is not for the faint of heart. Believe me, I’m still trying to figure out how people always have so many photos to post (and 3-4 times per day. Whew!). If your husband was forced into his role as “Instagram Husband” (whose isn’t these days?), just be kind and give him a heads up before you leave the house that you’re planning to capture some photos while you’re out. I learned this the hard way. 😉

2. Wear the sunnies. Rain or shine.

Just a few short months after starting my blog, I remember a friend posting a comment on my blog’s Facebook page that said something like, “Why do you always wear sunnies? Are you not allowed to show your face?” I’ll admit, I felt a bit defensive at first, but it is one of those strange things only fashion bloggers do. The sunnies are part of the outfit! Haha. Even after 5 years of blogging, I still love the way sunnies complete a look. It keeps the attention on the outfit, not my ever-evolving ‘Blue Steel’ pose that, let’s be honest, needs some serious coaching.

3. Annoy the post office with bulk return shipments. 

You see, when you start a fashion blog, you quickly realize there’s a constant pressure to keep a revolving inventory of new styles rolling in to your closet. Your relationship with clothes changes. The way you shop changes. You buy extra, try everything on at home, create your outfits and return the clothes that “didn’t make the cut” (be it different sizes, the same bag in multiple colors or a trendy piece that just wasn’t you). If you’re not ready to hire an assistant, now might be good time to tell your Instagram Husband about his promotion. The post office closes at 5.

4. Find your signature pose.

Do you know yours? How bout: knee bent + hand on hip + laughing face + head tilt? (This is how Matt impersonates girls posing for photos.) I think the most common poses by fashion bloggers would have to be The Leg Cross, The Hair Tuck and The Bashful Look Down. Oh and don’t forget to lean slightly at the hip.

I’m betting even if you’re not a fashion blogger, you’ve taken enough Instagram photos to know your preferences, “your good side,” and even your best lighting. There is something to be said for the experience you get from consistently having your picture taken. In fact, I saw this as an area for improvement when I started my blog—I wanted to feel more comfortable in front of the camera so it made sense that working on it regularly would help me gain confidence. I have come a long way, but I’ve also found that a signature pose can start to look stale if used too often. None of us is one dimensional, so the more we can share even our least favorite angles, the more “real” we look on social media.

5. Buy all the shoes.

You’ve seen that funny meme about chips and salsa? “So how do I stop eating chips and salsa? Do they run out, or do I die, or what?” I think the same could be said for purchasing shoes. Do I die or what? It’s no wonder you see a new blogger everyday sharing her closet reveal. Where do we put all the shoes?

Life is better when you’re laughing.

When your blog becomes your job, you do what you have to do to keep the business afloat. That’s something I’ve come to respect about my fellow fashion bloggers who’ve successfully turned their blogs into businesses—they’re willing to look foolish sometimes to get the job done. And when you pay close attention to your analytics and what’s working, you naturally create more of the content your readers are telling you that they like. I don’t think you truly understand it unless you’ve lived it. So here’s to keeping our heads on straight, giving our husbands lots of love for their patience, and not taking ourselves too seriously. I, for one, welcome every opportunity to have a good laugh.

WHAT I’M WEARING

ralph lauren top {old; similar here + $10 here via amazon + several similar styles in the widget below} | anthropologie jeans {old; identical style here + similar here for $30!} | marc fisher wedges | anthropologie bag {old; similar here + here} | free people sunnies {only $20!} | gorjana necklace | fitbit blaze band | mac lipstick in “saint germain”

Are you a blogger? Tell me the strangest or funniest thing you’ve done for your blog.

Special thanks to my Instagram Husband for taking my photos.