As I’m rounding off this journey of this blog (not saying that happylittleshoppingsecret will no longer exist, but it will definitely be evolving).. I have been thinking a lot about this post. I wish someone would have told me these things before I started this blog a long time ago. I wish someone would have sat me down and explained these 5 things…

5. Your inbox will never be the same.

As a deal blogger, my inbox has never recovered. I even set up an entirely new account that is just for all the deal emails that I have to try and filter through for you little darlings. It is entirely worth it. It isn’t the only way that I retrieve deals (I’ve been wanting to do a post to show you how I get deals at a later date anyway, so stay posted!!) Back to the point… I literally can’t get the said inbox down to zero. You are welcome!!

4. People will hate you for no reason. 

I have heard this, but never believed it. I still find this hard to believe… but it honestly has happened. They weren’t like my best friends in the entire world, but it still is sad. Because of the constant posting and putting your life on various social media platforms, people will assume that A. you think your life is perfect (even if you don’t and tell them that it isn’t) and B. think that you are an idiot for having a blog. Even if the truth is that you are just a crazy ginger gal who needed a blog for a school project, THEY WON’T BELIEVE YOU. sorry. It just comes with the territory. I believe that I would be the exception, I wasn’t. Chin up ,soldier. Believe in what you are doing and you can be successful. Everyday isn’t perfect, but just remember T-Swift and shake off the haters!!!

3. You will have more support than you even realize. 

I remember the exact moment I made it. We were talking to one of my husband’s best friends and he said, “Hey, I saw your blog the other day.” Yes, I understand that isn’t what you expected. It was the most extraordinary moment. To reach someone who wasn’t in my target audience was totally moving for me!! It wasn’t about money or clothes, but mostly about the reach I had. I like when individuals come up to me and tell me that they enjoy reading my blog, or that they can find great clothing pieces because of deals I post. That is the sole purpose of this little project. I have the most darling friends and family who are always coming up with business ideas and social media projects for me to tackle for HLSS. Not to mention photographers, youtube channel friends, other bloggers,etc. who are all willing to collab with me to make my blog so much more than it was/is! (Even the churro makers were my pals!! I spoke my little spanish to them!)

2. THE CLOTHES

Clothing is a huge deal. I remember when I first began writing (let me save you the trouble, here). I thought that I could get by without ever being in the photos. I was nervous about people hating me or thinking that I thought I was some kind of model (LOLZZZ I don’t) so basically refer back to number 4. After further review, and based on analytics, I came to realization that it was way better for the blog for me to buy from some of my deals and post about them. I set aside a budget each month to make this happen. CJ is supportive of this, and later on actually began helping to take photos. SO, while clothing is magical and fun… right now it is like a job!! Kind of weird right? I still love it though, don’t misquote me. Especially in this post, as well as this one.

1. Don’t quit.

 A lot of my friends that start blogs that don’t immediately get 10,000 followers in a few months stop writing so quickly. I’m sort of a weirdo. As I began this for a class, I try to do a lot of research about blogs on the side. I literally listen to bloggers who do Periscopes on making successful blogs, I read articles, etc. I think it’s important to be committed. I don’t know if I can continue this forever at the same pace, but I would like to continue for awhile. Maybe you aren’t doing a blog right now, but maybe you are toying with the idea. If you start, don’t quit. I was reading posts last week from my old blog that I since have given up on. I felt a little sad about it. It was sweet reading my thoughts and feelings from back then. Try and keep up with it, even if it’s weekly.

Don’t worry, I’ll make this wordy post worth your while! Here’s some deals I’ve been keeping up with:

H&M Mid-season sale: Up to 60% off

GAP: 40% off everything use code GAPWOW 

Old Navy: 35% off today, 30% tomorrow, no code. 

I hope this has been an insightful look into my current life! use these codes. I’ll be on the lookout for more as they come. Be sure to check me out on instagram as well!

happy shopping,

Cortney