Spring has arrived! (even if according to the calendar, there are still a few more days of "winter", but that is neither here nor there.) And with the warmer temperatures, shedding layers of clothing, opting for sandals as my only footwear, and drinking an endless supply of passion tea lemondades, my mind always returns to Paris. 

I mean, April in Paris is so perfect they even wrote a song about it. Boquets of flowers sold at every corner market, a rainbow assortment of Laduree macarons, fields of lavender and colorful cafes are enough to make a girl swoon and book a one-way ticket. 

Whether stateside or abroad, a few of my favorite moments in spring are: 

1. Floral dresses for every day of the week

2. To match said floral dresses, fresh flowers at home

3. Eating breakfast on the patio

4. Beach trips

5. Roadside produce stands and homemade peach ice cream

Spring has arrived in Florida, and with it humidity and pollen in full force. There is not a worse combination than big, frizzy hair and sounding like you have been smoking a pack a day. But the days are long and I can finally hose off my porch and take advantage of it. For those of you in the midwest, I'm sure above-freezing temps are on their way, if they haven't made an appearance yet. 

These tech items for designers and bloggers have me wanting to make a large Amazon order asap. I love handlettering and would love to incorporate it digitally but it's such a complicated process without a wacom tablet or a decent scanner. le sigh. One day though.

The next time I'm in Paris, I'm staying in this Airbnb apartment in Montmartre. Oh the views, and the TWO balconies. It would be would be worth the long trek into town to see the sights to be able to wake up and overlook quaint Parisian rooftops.

And while I'm in Europe, I might as well hop over to my next favorite city, Edinburgh. 

Sit behind a desk all day? Try these yoga poses you can do at your desk. Don't worry, the strange looks from your cubemates are just because they are stressed because they haven't done desk yoga yet.

Lauren Conrad's new collection for Kohl's has my name written all over it. Give me all of the floral dresses.

Confession time. Making friends after college in a new town is hard. I wish I would have had these tips a year ago. Gone are the days of having a building and class full of instant friends and people to hang out with 24-7.

I personally loved my experience as an only child. I think it made me much more independent and I'm always interested to find out how other people enjoyed growing up without siblings constantly creating chaos. 

Stop what you're doing and watch the Friskee's "Dear Kitten" video series. It is advertising gold. Who can resist cat videos? Cold, heartless people, that's who. 

At some point in your life you will experience a flight delay or cancellation. Be it mother nature or the airlines who constantly overbook flights, you will face hours in an airport terminal left with the task of entertaining yourself for hours on end. 

For the lucky ones, you will catch the next flight of the day and make it to your destination, or will be put up in one of the classy airport hotels. And those of you whose luck has run out, you will put all of your Girl Scout training to good use and fashion a cot out of a bench of seats.

Whether you are spending an extended layover in the terminal or if the Departures board is filled with cancellations, here are a few of my must have items to pass the time. Because we all know they inflate the prices of books, magazines, gum and Advil in the airport because they know you have no where to buy life's necessities. 

Mine includes a lip balm/cuticle salve, phone charger, refillable water bottle, back issues of magazines I've been meaning to read, snacks (luna bars are the best!), a laptop filled with movies and my Starbucks gold card (because if you must pay $5 for a latte, you might as well get rewards for it; or better yet, save your free drink for when you are in the airport!)

And if you tire of people watching, here are 101 things to do to fill your time. Some of them are pretty hilarious and only for those with an adventurous spirit. 

Hi everyone! This is Jackie from York Avenue and I'm thrilled to be here on Jess's blog today, sharing  some of the places that I love in my current hometown of NYC. Ever since moving here almost five years ago, I've had a blast searching out restaurants, shops, and things to do, while documenting my favorites on my blog. I feel so lucky to live in New York City because it seems I could live here for my whole life and never be bored. There are always new places to discover and tons of things to do, even if it's something as simple as taking a stroll in Central Park or trying a new bakery. While I would love to travel to various places in the future, like Paris, London, or Italy, I have a hard time working up the motivation to plan trips because I'm so content to just explore NYC! Here are some of the places that keep me enjoying my city:

The West Village is one of my favorite neighborhoods in New York City. I live on the Upper East Side, and while I wouldn't trade that for anything, I love getting the chance to go downtown on the weekends and explore. The West Village has a charm and character all its own, and is also home to some of my favorite bookstores, restaurants, and sweet shops.

Speaking of bookstores, the Strand inside the Club Monaco flagship on Fifth Avenue is always a favorite spot to pop into. The little shop-in-shop has a wonderfully curated selection and decor that makes me want to move right in! 

Also inside the Club Monaco flagship on Fifth Avenue is Toby's Estate Flatiron, one of my favorite coffee shops in the city. They have great lattes, gorgeous decor, and they also stock Doughnut Plant doughnuts (another NYC favorite!). You can see my full post on Toby's Flatiron here. 

Another New York City favorite is, of course, Central Park. However, my very favorite place in the Park is the lesser populated Conservatory Garden, all the way uptown. This is the only "quiet zone" in the Park and is truly a peaceful, serene, and beautiful place to walk around, in all seasons. You can see my full post on the Conservatory Garden here. 

I'm a total sucker for a bright and colorful candy shop, and NYC keeps me well-supplied in that area! Sockerbit's bright and happy Swedish candies are always a delicious little Scandanavian treat, and I can't help but stop in whenever I find myself in the West Village! 

New York City never gets boring because you just never know what new shop is going to open. Case in point: Stick With Me Sweets, a new chocolate shop downtown which really just blew me out of the water. The bonbons are little works of art which are hand-crafted out of the finest quality ingredients. They're truly some of the most delicious chocolates that I've ever had the pleasure of tasting. See my full post on this amazing shop here. 

Last but not least, you just really can't beat springtime in New York City! I'm certainly looking forward to it after surviving this extra brutal winter that we're in the midst of currently. 

Thank you so much to Jess for having me today! For more NYC favorites be sure to check out my blog, York Avenue, where I'm always sharing my newest finds and favorites. Have a great week!

all photos by Jacqueline Clair

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.

My goal to read at least 24 books this year is off to a smooth start, although my list of must-reads is growing faster than I can read them. But such is life. 

The Opposite of Loneliness - I wrote a full review of this book because it is just that good. I highly recommend the collection of short stories for everyone to read. Marina writes with a fresh style that feels like you are listening to your best friend, one who is much wiser than you and can more eloquently describe the situations you are going through. 

Let's Pretend This Never Happened - This is a complete 180 from The Opposite of Loneliness. Another memoir/collection of short stories of sorts that chronicles all of the painfully and hilariously funny awkward moments that make up Jenny Lawson's life. You will laugh so much while reading this that it will give you an ab workout as an added bonus (true story). I thought that I was an awkward person, but reading about Jenny's life made me feel a lot better about myself. Also, you have to read the book to understand why there is a mouse dressed as Hamlet on the cover. 

The Group - Truth be told, I wasn't a fan of this book. It follows the lives of a group of college friends in the 1930s as they navigate life after college as they enter marriage and motherhood. It was difficult to keep up with all of the storilines because each character has their own nickname and I kept getting confused about who is who.

The Lowland - This is the story of two brothers who are inseparable in childhood, but who follow two drastically different paths in life. Lahiri is an expert at crafting vivid, real characters who are three dimensional, including the secondary characters. Family dynamics are never simple and Lahiri flawlessly depicts the relationships of parents, children, in-laws, siblings and the differences between India and America.

What are you reading right now?

This week Kendall is sharing about life in the City of Brotherly Love. After reading her recommendations, I now know there is much more to Philadelphia than the liberty bell or a boxing legend. Plus, there is a Rodin museum, which I think is worth a trip in itself since a plane ticket to Paris might be seen as a little extreme.

Hello! I'm Kendall and I write about personal style, travel, and everything in between over at buttons and blossoms. I'm so happy to be here on Stamp in My Passport to share some great places in one of my favorite cities: Philadelphia. I am a born and bred Jersey girl but I've always been in love with the big city. My hometown is smack dab between two major northeast cities: New York City and Philadelphia. I grew up taking the train to New York City to the north but didn't really appreciate Philly to my south until I met my fiance. He grew up in the city before moving to the suburbs but his big family still lives in many of the diverse neighborhoods. We fell in love exploring this city of history and fell in love here. Now there's rarely a weekend that passes by without us heading in to one of our favorite spots. If you know anything about Philadelphia, it's probably either it's status as one of America's most historic cities or home to Rocky. Yes, you can run up "the Rocky steps" at Philly's world famous art museum and pose with the statue at the bottom. You can also see the liberty bell up close or stand in the place where the founding fathers signed the Declaration of Independence. But there is so much more to Philadelphia than what you read in history books or see in the movies. 

Philly's neighborhoods: Like most major cities, Philadelphia is made up of many different neighborhoods and each has it's own unique flavor. Most tourists spend their time in Old City, where the historic sites are, and Center City, where there's lots of restaurants and shopping. But Philly is the fifth largest city based on population and those people are spread out all over the city. One of my favorite neighborhoods to take a stroll through is Society Hill. This neighborhood is made up of tree-lined streets, brick rowhomes, and hidden cobblestone alleys; it's the real history of Philadelphia. My engagement photos were even taken there! Another neighborhood worth exploring is South Philly. Philly doesn't need a dedicated "Little Italy" because Italian food is a way of life here. You can find great Italian food all over the city but South Philly is where it's most authentic. The Italian Market on Ninth Street is a great place to wander and find great food products, especially cheese. My favorite South Philly spot is Termini Brothers Bakery on 8th and 15th. There are many great Italian bakeries peddling cannolis and amaretti cookies but if you go at just the right time there will be a small string band of Italian grandpas and uncles playing in the corner and you can get your cannolis filled on the spot.

  Rodin Museum: Philly isn't known for it's museums like New York or L.A. but the city's museums are top-notch. If you have kids, there's the Please Touch Museum where kids use their imagination in a "supermarket" complete with a checkout line. Love science? You need to climb through the giant heart at the Franklin Institute (yes, adults are allowed to). But one of my favorite museums that's pretty hidden is the Rodin Museum. This museum dedicated to the work of the French sculptor Auguste Rodin and features his most amazing work, the Gates of Hell, which took him almost 40 years to complete. The museum itself is a gorgeous piece of architecture with gardens that you can enjoy even now in the dead of winter.

  Eastern State Penitentiary: Ever wanted to go to prison without committing a crime? Then Philly's the place for you. Philadelphia is home to the Eastern State Penitentiary, a former prison in the middle of the city that was home to Al Capone for eight months. Depending on when you go it can be eerily quiet and calm and a great place to take creepy pictures. If you happen to be visiting around Halloween, you can get scared one night at their Terror Behind the Walls program. I prefer to watch the screaming line outside the prison walls while having a drink at the bars across the street.

  Grab a drink: My love of craft beer emerged from the great beer scene here in Philadelphia. Even if you're not really into beer, taking a brewery tour (or two) is a fun way to spend the day in the city. You'll meet people who are passionate about beer and many times there is a great story behind the brewery location. My personal favorites are Philadelphia Brewing Company, Yards, and Victory (which is just outside of the city in Downingtown). Even having lived near and played in Philadelphia for so many years, I'm still finding new things to do every weekend. Have you ever visited Philly?