Sorry for the radio silence, but it's been one of those time when I've been at a loss for blog content. And the longer I go without writing a post, the more I convince myself that I will never write another post again. So instead of coming up with topics to write about, here is a list of things you will never find on Stamp in My Passport. I stole the idea from Kasi (who was also spending more time on Netflix than blogging). 

1. Les Enfants You do not have to fear this space turning into a "mommy blog" for an extremely long time. Until that time comes, I will continue to share photos of Dixie instead. New moms may not appreciate this comparison, but from what I know about infants, it's not much different than taking care of a puppy. Eat, sleep, go to the bathroom, wake up at all hours of the night, and then once they start moving around, will eat/put in their mouth anything that is left on the floor.

2. #OOTD I have an array of pencil skirt/cardigan/flowy top/flats combinations that are rotated fairly frequently by day at work and by night and weekend, you will find me in skinny jeans and a striped tee. And lather, rinse, repeat. Despite the copious amount of items sitting in virtual shopping carts across the Internet, I rarely venture out of my style comfort zone. I know what looks good on me and I'm going to stick to it. And while it may make me feel good, it would be quite dull on the blog day in and day out.

3. Negative comments, whether about fellow bloggers or people I know This goes for life in general, but especially on the web, where words last for eternity and can never be taken back. Blogging is a community to build others up, not tear them down. And as much as I would love to think that no one I know in real life reads this space, it does happen, and sometimes I have to remember that this is not simply a cathartic outlet to release all of my thoughts.

4. Hair and makeup tutorials I can count on a single hand the number of ways I wear my hair. I am always skeptical of tutorial videos that are sped-up to show you a braided up-do in under two minutes.

5. Experiences of a small business owner I love how many bloggers have gone on to start small businesses because they don't feel satisfied unless they are doing something that they absolutely love and can call the shots. I wish you all the best! It takes a great amount of courage to not only identify your strengths and passions, but to take a leap of faith and pursue them. 

6. Work Going along with not sharing small business advice, I also do not need my blog to promote my 9-5 job. It can take some time for bloggers to find a balance between sharing their online life and their real life. In most cases, sharing details about your employment crosses that line. 

7. Financial advice I don't pretend to have any secrets on how to pay off your student loans, or the fastest way to save up an emergency fund.You won't find financial advice here, but I would encourage you to seek out twenty-somethings who have the knowledge and are also in the same stage of life as you, whether in their first post-grad job or buying their first  home. 

Whether in work or in your personal life, the feeling of listlessness and lack of motivation can spiral out of control. It can quickly turn into a "everything is meaningless" mentality and a pity party of one. Perhaps you are striving for goals or a promotion at work. Perhaps you hold each other accountable to live healthier or they are a constant reminder to look for ways to give back and have an outward focus. What motivates your decisions?

Competition With Others 

Using friends and coworkers as a benchmark to continue pushing yourself to become better can be both good and bad. On one hand, you can constantly use each other to strive to make improvements, whether it's professionally or personally. However, there is a fine line when competition can quickly turn into jealousy. Perhaps in your mind, they have the perfect wardrobe, home, job and all around life in general. It's important to recognize that we all have our own strengths and just because someone else excels in one area, doesn't necessarily make them better.

Personal Goals/Competition With Yourself

Like a runner, you may work best competing against your personal bests and continue to raise the bar to continue improving. Typically this is a byproduct of incredible determination and inner drive. Setting your own goals allows you to work at your own pace depending on if you are a slow and steady person, or know that you are ready to kick it into high gear.

Paycheck

Never underestimate the power money and being able to pay rent has. Working solely for a paycheck will quickly lead to burnout. If you find yourself in a job that you feel doesn't make use of your talents and abilities, find a hobby or activity outside of work you truly enjoy.

Making a difference

For many, simply having a job is not enough. I am always drawn to companies that make social responsibility a part of their business plan. Becoming involved with a charity or organization is the best way to take a step back, gain perspective and to avoid becoming wrapped up involved in our own problems and struggles. Knowing that you helped make someone else's life just a little better brings fulfillment. 

Summer from Coffee With Summer

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A little about myself:

Hi there, I'm Summer and I blog over at Coffee With Summer! I'm a twenty-something INFP who loves God, people and coffee. I was brought up in Webster, Massachusetts but right now I'm currently residing in a town outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I am engaged to the most wonderful and loving man in the world, and we'll become husband and wife this June. One of my deepest passions is authenticity. Coffee With Summer is a lifestyle blog focused around living an authentic and transparent lifestyle, while encouraging others to join along.

Favorite ways to spend a snow day:

My favorite way to spend a snow day is to stay indoors and sip some fresh coffee made from my Chemex, while cuddling with my darling fiancé and catching up on our favorite shows. Snow days are also the perfect days to be productive and to buckle down and get things down, whether it be blogging, editing or for now, wedding planning. Even though I'm from New England, I am not a snow person one bit. 

Have I read any good books recently:

To be honest, I am not a reader at all. I have never found much enjoyment from it, plus the pages always felt funny on my fingers (weird, I know). With that being said, I am more of an article/blog reader. Whereas someone could spend all day curled up with a book, I could spend all day reading articles and stretching myself that way. This past Christmas I received the book "365 Blog Topic Ideas: For the Lifestyle Blogger Who Has Nothing to Write About," by Dana Fox. This book has led me to some great ideas when I become crippled by writer's block. This book is a must for lifestyle bloggers!

Cleaning/decluttering tips:

This spring I want to clean out my closet and donate what I don't wear. Every time I go through my closet I end up keeping items that I think I'll wear someday and then I never actually wear it…ever. So, my advice to everyone is to clean out your closet FOR REAL this spring. Donate to a local homeless shelter, Goodwill or another thrift store in your area.

There are hundreds of posts on the Internet with a list of tools you will need to join the ranks of bloggers all over the world. Although a DSLR, Photoshop, an editorial calendar, and a plethora of social media apps are all well and good, for whatever reason the following items are game changers if you want to take your blog to the next level.

Macbook

It's not that bloggers are anti-PC, it's jus that Mackbooks look so much better in photographs. And they sync perfectly with all of your other iDevices.

Wordpress

This one is fairly serious if you want more flexibility in your design, SEO plug-ins and would like to own your own content. As you can see from my URL, I have not made the switch

Starbucks gold card

Go ahead and invest in the Starbucks gold card. You will want to have a venti Starbucks drink in every Instagram you post so you might as well receive all of the benefits and free drinks.

Every shade of Essie and/or OPI nail polish known to womankind

Your nails must look their best holding previous Starbucks cup. Personally, Essie polish does not last long enough without chipping, but maybe that is part of their strategy to make you buy more. My current favorite OPI colors: bubble bath and the thrill of brazil.

An endless supply of peonies

I'll give everyone this one. Because fresh flowers make a whole space better.

Weekends not filled with Netflix marathons

Because constantly talking about your queue and taking photos of you on your couch is what everyone else does. They turn to lifestyle bloggers for inspiration of the things they should be doing on the weekends.

A constant companion to take your photos (or a tripod)

Or a selfie stick. Which I got for my birthday. #noshameinmygame If selfie sticks aren't your thing, then appoint one of your friends as blog picture taker. Their skills must include: shooting in manual mode, making your driveway/backyard look fabulous and a copious amount of patience. 

2014 was an exciting year on Stamp in My Passport. I splurged on a custom blog design from The Suitcase Designs and couldn't be more happier with it. I surpassed 500 followers on Bloglovin and made so many friends through hosting the Tourist in Your Hometown series (plus I learned of so many things to eat, see and do when traveling across the country.) I absolutely cannot wait to see what 2015 has in store for this blog! For now, here is a look at my favorite posts from this year.

Travel

Harry Potter: Living Out My 11 y/o Self's Dream

Language Barriers When Traveling 

7 Reasons I Prefer to Travel With Friends

Travel Light, Travel Smart

Stress-free Travel Tips

Airbnb: Live Like a Local When You Travel

DIY World Map

Blogging

How to Beat Summer Blogging Burnout

Blogging: Staying True to You

Beating Writer's Block

Think Before You Post

Etc.

Has Taylor Swift Made Awkward Dancing Socially Acceptable?

10 Reasons I Think All Offices Should Have a Designated Nap Area

Maximize Your Time: In The Morning

Last-Minute Birthday Gift Ideas

7 Lessons We Can Learn From Olympians

Friday Favorites: Brunch

Dos an Don'ts of Online Shopping

My two year blogiversary was this month. I've learned a lot over these two years and now I'm passing some of my not-so-sage wisdom on to you. For starters, I wish that I would have told my younger self how to format verticle pictures to be the width of the blog. It's now a pet peeve of mine and the reason that I prefer not to read through my archives. What would you like to tell yourself when you started blogging?

1. Everyone has a point of view and something to share with the world. Don't feel the need to copy everyone else or only write what you think others will want to read. 

2. You can make friends online without it being creepy.

3. Strangers will want to read what you have to say. Sometimes it's easier to write knowing that people you don't know are reading and won't read into every cryptic comment and vague reference to your real life that you make.

4. Numbers don't matter. Nothing is a killjoy like checking your pageviews or followers every hour. 

5. Invest in lattes, peonies and a lifetime supply of nail polish. They are the staples of every successful blogger. And don't forget to Instagram them constantly so everyone knows.

6. If you don't Instagram it, it didn't happen (see number five for reference).

7. Blogging can help you land a job and show off your creativity to future employers. 

8. You don't have to box yourself into a niche if you don't want to. People have multiple interests so it's safe to say that you shouldn't have to only write about food, or interior design, or cats if you don't want to .

9. Observe everything around you. It will make for great writing material and sharing funny, true stories from the day are some of my favorite posts to read. 

10. The more you write and brainstorm, the easier it will get.

I would like to start this post, by saying that this is written mainly for myself, and in the event that it helps others, well then all the better. I haven't been making an appearance around these parts very much last week. I've been completely wrapped up reading the Outlander series and I have forced myself to take a little break from it. Am I the only one that becomes all-consumed with a book series (especially one that has already been published in its entirety) and won't do anything else until all of the books have been read, typically in a manner of weeks? 

So unless I wanted to discuss the pros and cons of 18th century Jacobite politics (although the fact that I was reading the books while Scotland was much more peaceably looking to break away from England was not lost on me), I was facing an acute case of writer's block when I sat down behind the computer screen last night. The mild fear that comes with the blinking cursor almost made me want to call it quits. Multiple times.

Then I flipped through the journal where I jot down ideas for blog posts, and what do you know I found? A list of ways to beat writer's block that I must have written at a time when the words and ideas for sharing on the Internet were plenty. 

And now I'll share the same advice that I am taking myself in order to overcome the singular fear that all writer's fear the most: a blank screen (or page, if we're going old school.)

Take a walk. 

And no I don't mean on the elliptical while you catch up on all 153 episodes of Gilmore Girls soon to be on Netflix. The temperatures are slowly dropping so it is the perfect time to take advantage of the fresh air. It's good not only for your waistline, but also for your creativity. 

Jot down all half-thought out ideas you have and revisit them later. 

Some will be absolutely horrible. Or may be better as a witty tweet rather than an entire blog post. However, some will be gems. Write everything down, no matter how trivial because perhaps in a few days or weeks, you will have new experiences or new thoughts to expand on the initial thought. Mull them over, discard the ones that don't interest you anymore and save the rest for a rainy day. 

Find beauty in the ordinary.

One of the first lessons you are taught when writing is to write about what you know. This is why novels often have the note in the front: Any character resemblance to a person is purely coincidental. Start with writing what you know, even if it seems quite ordinary and dull to you. It might strike a chord with someone else, you never know. 

What do you do to beat writer's block or a lack of inspiration?

The lovely Caity of Where the Heart is and  Monica of The Travel Hack nominated to take part in this blog hop, and I rarely ever turn down a writing prompt handed to me. It's a chance to share a behind the scenes look at where the blogging magic happens. Although I don't have a cute fur baby like Monica to grace the my workspace, I'll go ahead and share it anyways. 

Q1. What am I currently working on/writing?

I'm not going to lie, this space has not bee one of my top priorities lately, but that is going to change. I've missed it. Between writing for work and for this space, sometimes it feels like I have used up my word limit for the day by the time I make it home. Am I the only one that feels this way? 

There are a few trips on the horizon to Orlando with Samantha (T-minus six days until your newsfeeds blow up with dozens of photos of me drinking butterbeer. Still working on a hashtag for the trip...any suggestions?) and then to the beach later in September after the crowds have calmed down, but before the madness that is Georgia-Florida weekend at St. Simons.

Q2. How does my work/writing differ from others of its genre?

This is a great question! The hilarious part is that I'm not quite sure what genre Stamp in my Passport falls into besides the general "lifestyle" category. I wouldn't say that this blog has gone though a slight identity crisis, but it has been an adjustment. The bank account doesn't want to keep up with all of the travels I want to take to have something to write about. To supplement that, I fill the space with snapshots of my life and my sometimes off-the-wall take on situations. 

Is it a travel blog? No. It's more of a stream-of-consciousness blog. Some people like it, some don't. I share what I love and what inspires me. And sometimes that is all over the place. But since this is first and foremost for me, I'm ok with that. And I hope you are, too. 

Q3. Why do I write what I do?

I touched on it in the previous answer, I write about what inspires me and is at the front of my mind. Time and time again, I am amazed that complete strangers from all over the world choose to read what I have to write. Thank you for that! 

Don't let the desk fool you, I mainly work from my couch or bed.

Q4. How does my writing process work?

I was tagged in this blog hop a while ago and focused on this question and described my writing process as "typing away in semi-coherent sentences." I keep a journal with me almost all of the time to jot down post ideas as they come to me. Sometimes I will flesh the ideas out, and sometimes I simply leave the topic to elaborate on once I sit down behind the computer when the pressure is on. Then I like to spend part of the weekend while watching Netflix to finalize which post ideas I want to include in the upcoming week. If I'm feeling really ambitious, I will also take photos to go along with them. If not, it's to the archives or Death to Stock Photo for me. Finally, either on the weekend or sometimes the night before I will put my fingers to the keyboard and type to my heart's content. And voila! I hit publish. And hope that people will read it. 

To continue on with the fun, I nominate: 

Sara of Bristol in My Pocket She's a Texan living in England. Feel free to join me in living vicariously through her posts.

Christina of Route Bliss I never tire of Christina's mix of posts on travel, photography and real life. 

Aubrey of Adventures in Aubreyland I think the reason that I love Aubrey's blog can be summed up in her page titles: Travel, My Cats and Where to Eat. These are three of my favorite things too.

I've rarely (if ever) shared advice or thoughts on blogging. This is partly because I know that I am still figuring it all out, even after almost two years. But one thing that I do know, and if you read a lot of other advice posts, is that the most important thing to remember is to stay true to yourself. In your topics, writing style and design. The fastest way to burn out with blogging is to feel like you are being something you aren't on your corner of the Internet.

Staying true to yourself extends into the decision of whether or not to write sponsored content or accepting products. If you have been blogging for a while, you have probably received emails from companies, organizations or brands. These can range from writing about them or their new product, hosting a giveaway (sometimes for free) and receiving a product to write a review. The pros and cons of the last option have been debated by bloggers over and over. 

I wanted to focus on making the decision to write about a brand for free. The ones who have done their job (or have hired a pr firm who does their job right) will know exactly what you write about and what your niche is. They will address you by name in the email and will reference a recent post you wrote. This is a good sign. The others will send out a mass email to hundreds of bloggers hoping that a few of them will respond. If you are a food blogger who shares her favorite recipes, they will ask you to write about finance and budgeting.I've been contacted to review small business loans (I don't own a shop) and gift packages for men (I'm single).

The main things to consider are: 

1. Does the content fit with what you write about? Is it something that you would normally buy or look into in real life? 

2. Can you fit it seamlessly into any posts you have in the works? What you want (and ultimately what the brand wants) is coverage that doesn't sound like a used car salesman.

3. Do you want to be told what to write? If you are blogging solely as a hobby and are not looking to make any money off of it, then you have complete control over your content. It gets a little diecy if you want to blog part-time or full-time because then you may jump at every opportunity that presents itself to make money. 

The bottom line is to decide ahead of time how you want to handle requests to write content. If it is something you want to do, always consider it on a case by case basis and never feel pressured to tell someone that you don't think it is a good fit. You know yourself and your readers and the last thing you want to do to create a relationship with them is to constantly write  content.

Leave your thoughts in the comments section. I would love to hear how you handle these requests.

Whether you have been blogging since the days when of Live Journal and Xanga, or if you are new to the online community, you will inevitably find yourself suffering from summer blogging burnout. During the summer you want to do anything else but sit behind a computer screen. You will either be too busy to keep up, or you read about everyone else's vacations and compare yours (or lack thereof) to theirs. It happens. So what can you do about it? 

Go on a hiatus. 

It's ok to take a blogging summer vacation. Enjoy yourself, collect your thoughts, make memories and come back fresh in September with the perfect "What did you do this summer?" post or series, just like when you were in school. If you choose this option, just let the world know and don't go MIA. Taking a break is better than thinking you should feel guilty for ignoring your corner of the internet. 

Write about a new hobby. 

Have you taken up cooking? Graphic design? Knitting? Is this what has consumed all of your energy and excitement? Share it with the world. Chances are there is someone else out there with the same interests and will benefit from the information. Share how-tos along the way as you learn. 

You don't have to have scheduled during your vacation. 

Don't feel like you have to pre-write posts to fill the void while you are off galavanting with friends and family. And definitely don't feel obligated to spending your nights in the hotel room frantically typing. If you don't want radio silence, reach out to other bloggers to guest post. Especially if you are new, this is a great way to make new friends.

Writing Prompts and Ideas

Psssst. This post came from a series of writing prompts. If you need more ideas to jump start your creative process, you can get started here and here as well.

Don't lose sight of why you started blogging.

The moment blogging becomes a chore or something that you feel like you have to get done or you just want to check it off your list for the day, then it's time to take a break because you are doing it wrong. Your readers can tell when your heart isn't in it anymore. Whether as a creative outlet, a way to work on your marketing and social media skills or to share knowledge of a topic, you probably had some reason behind hitting publish the first time. Don't loose sight of that. And just have fun with it.