travel blogger, lifestyle blogger, influencer, brand influencer, influencer instagram, fashion blogger

Lavender Festival

It’s that time again when one of my favorite festivals at Highland Springs Ranch is here, The Lavender Festival! I love that it’s a family friendly festival yet, it’s also great for a romantic date. We came on the first opening weekend and there were actually less people than we expected, so less crowds, better opps! 😉 The scenery was lovely per usual and this year we ate at the buffet dinner (make reservations here ahead of time) We came late because we were too busy taking picture at the lavender field and ended up sitting in the middle of everything and got our own sweet table. I loved the scenery and being surrounded with light and eating underneath tall trees. The food itself was just okay to me but I was obsessed with their lavender tea and lavender lemonade! I actually mix them together and it was amazing. We also visited a few shops before we had dinner and Eddie bought so much stuff for the kitchen. We are both obsessed with lavender honey and lavender mint tea! Here are few of the photos we took below. There’s also an afternoon tea which we missed this year but definitely would love to try next year!

Hope you guys get to go this year! It’s open till June 30. Don’t miss out and treat yourself with some lavender goodness!

XO,

Joy

Two Piece Set: Made by yours truly!

Shoes: TOMS

Bag: Wish

Ostrichland USA

Hi friends,

Have you ever been to an ostrich petting farm? I took my family to Ostrichland USA this weekend and made some new tall friends! To our surprise it was only 5 mins away from Solvang! It’s located at 610 E Hwy 246, Solvang, CA 93463. My family and I had so much fun! (even my grandparents actually) If you’re looking for a family friendly atmosphere, or even a cute date idea, Ostrichland USA is the way to go! Admission is free; however it costs $5 for each bowl of food when it comes to feeding them (totally worth it!)

TIP: Hold on to your handle very carefully and try not to get too close so the ostriches dont bite you (because they try) but also, don’t stand too close so they dont end up hurting their necks!

Here are a few of the pics that we took. They even had cute angel wings walls!

Let me know what you think about this blog post. Is this something you’d like to add on your places to visit list?

XO,

Joy

May 22, 2019May 22, 2019

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California Blooms

California is blooming and she is magnificent. I’m sure by now you’ve seen all the wildflowers everywhere. Spring has got to be one of my favorite seasons at all time. The other week ago, I finally got a chance to stop by and see the beautiful poppies in Lake Elsinore.

It was so relaxing to be surrounded by nature with thousands of poppies. I made this one shoulder floral dress for the beginning of the spring season. What do you like most about spring? Have you seen any of the super bloom yet?

XO,

Joy

April 9, 2019

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Hotel Z – Stay Pineapple

Hi Friends,

It feels like it’s been years since I last wrote a blog post… as life has been crazy and I had to take a break on blogging… the past month, a few things have changed and I finally caught my breath and I feel like I actually have a chance to get back to it! *squeals from excitement* Last week, Eddie and I went to San Diego and stayed at Hotel Z – Stay Pineapple and we absolutely loved it! It’s soo cute and it’s literally in the heart of Gaslamp! They also offer free shuttles anywhere in Downtown San Diego, Balboa Park and Little Italy.

They also have bikes that you can rent! We strolled all the way down Balboa Park and visited the cute little Spanish Village.

Each room is designed with pineapple – everything!

Even their bathrooms!

But one of my ultimate faves is the afternoon delights!!! They serve little pineapple cupcakes in their lobby around 3 pm with pineapple infused water!

Do you ever see yourself staying in one of the Pineapple Hotels? I definitely would love to come back at this sweet hotel! They are also pet friendly 🙂

Till our next adventure,

Joy

March 27, 2019March 27, 2019

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How Traveling Can Benefit Your Mental Health x Twenty Nine Palms Holiday Inn Express Review

Did you know that traveling can be a huge benefit for your mental health? And due to today’s Mental Health Awareness Day, I wanted to write a blog post dedicated to how travel can actually benefit your mental health.

What is mental health? It includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps how we determine how to handle stress, relate to others and make everyday choices. Today marks the start of mental health day. Sometimes the little things really do matter like helping a stranger, sharing a cup of coffee or simply having a chat can dramatically change a person’s day. I don’t claim to be an expert but I do know that sometimes listening is important so listen up, talk more, take a break and support each other.

Also, take a vacation, a change of scenery or even just a few hours down the road can magically improve your mental health. A lot of people normally ask me, as a designer – how do you manage to travel so much or go on many road trips on weekends? My answer is always because I absolutely need it. I’ve made traveling and adventuring become a part of my lifestyle because I truly believe that it heals me & it helps me keep my sanity & gives me that small break that I need. So here’s other few reasons why traveling is good for you.

It’s another form of stress relief except more fun – Traveling helps us take a break from our constant boring routine from our day to day lives. It helps us escape our responsibilities for a bit and our worries!
Excitement and happiness is boosted before you travel – Have you ever noticed how happy and excited you are right before your trip? Yes, that alone is healing to your body and mind. When we get so pumped about how much fun you’re going to have in your trip, that’s when you’re the happiest and when you’re actually doing what you had planned to do.
It enhances your creativity – Have you noticed that most artists, designers, writers get their inspiration from a place or their latest trip or vacation? Maybe it’s because when our mind is at rest – that’s when we learn and soak in as much knowledge and inspiration the most. Plus, seeing/experiencing things you’ve never done before is always a great tool how to see things in a different light.
It makes or break your relationships – Traveling helps you learn how you react with certain situations – it helps you as a person and how you adapt to certain unexpected scenarios and it also helps you learn what you can and cannot tolerate from another person. When put in a foreign country/place and you have a traveling buddy, it either strengthens your relationship or breaks it. Either way, it teaches you a lesson.
It’s just so much fun – When you feel happy, your brain is happy. You get to experience life and things you’ve never done or seen before and because of this you’re constantly adapting and becoming the person you’re meant to be.

Last weekend, my boyfriend and I stayed at Twenty Nine Palms Holiday Inn Express, which is situated along Highway 62 and provides easy access to area attractions. The hotel is located three miles from the Oasis Visitor Center and seven miles from Joshua Tree National Park.

This suite is pretty spacious and is perfect for busy bee business travelers. It has two TVs, a small kitchen with a sink, microwave, a fridge and coffee maker! We were surprised and happy to have all these features as we ended up using them more than we intended to. Also, there’s a free breakfast from 7 – 10 AM that has many options. They even had pancakes!

There is much to see and do in 29Palms. The hotel is seven miles from Joshua Tree National Park where you can hike, mountain bike, climb and more. If you know me, you probably notice that I’m in Joshua tree almost every other month. It’s honestly my favorite place to have photoshoots in, hike, de-stress (they have the most beautiful sunsets and if you’re lucky, you even get to see meteor showers) & they also have vintage thrift shops almost around every corner!

Thank you so much Twenty Nine Palms Holiday Inn Express for having us! We had a great stay for the weekend.

October 11, 2018October 12, 2018

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3 Reasons Why You Should Go To The Fair

When I think of fairs, it reminds me of my childhood – when my grandpa would take me and my cousins to the fair every summer in the Philippines. If you still haven’t gone to the fair – you definitely should & here’s three reasons why~

There’s animals & there’s a section that you can actually play with them!

2. Almost every corner is instaworthy – especially the rides! Go ride them ~

3. It’s pretty romantic. Go on a stroll with your significant other & enjoy the night. Also, there’s curly fries & never ending junk food!

And I’m not sure if they still have this on Groupon but they have a deal for 2 tickets + a parking space for $29 only. It’s such a steal.

Dress: www.urbanoutfitters.com

Jacket: Rosebowl Flea Market

Photos Taken By: Eduardo Salazar

September 18, 2018

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17th Annual Claremont Village Wine Walk x Charriol

It’s always wine o’ clock somewhere! Last weekend, I was invited to go to the 17th Annual Claremont Wine Walk and boy, was it so much fun! We started our walk with I Like Pie Bakeshop & not only did I fell in love with their Orange Moscato but oh my gosh, their Strawberry Rhubarb pie is to die for!!! Definitely coming back there whenever my sweet tooth starts kicking in.

We then kept going with our wine walk and had to stop by at this cute little alley and took a quick #ootd picture as I also made this two piece printed rose outfit just for this event!

As we kept going with our walk, we found more shops handing out yummy wine, food and saw some really cool artwork too!

Eddie and I also found this unique gift shop, Rio De Ojas! They have so many cute little things and decorations you can easily give to anybody, especially for halloween just around the corner!

We then hopped off to Noren’s Nursery, which is one of my favorite nurseries in Claremont! I want this to be my backyard someday with their little succulents! Just come check them out. They have some serious interior goals!!

Another shop I fell in love with is Speckled Hens. This store has a hand-selected, ever-changing merchandise, seasonal treasures and holiday displays, creating a unique shopping experience every time you visit.

And right next door is Linda Lloyd Antiques selling antiques & interiors! When I get my own house someday, definitely coming back to shop here for decors.

Another shop that’s worth the stop in Claremont is Amelie. It’s a cute little store that carries high end brands like Free People, 7 For All Mankind, and Lolli Swim.

And for our last stop, we had to end our night with ice cream from Bert and Rocky’s. I don’t even remember what we got (hence from drinking wine all night) but it tasted like premium strawberry ice cream mixed with fine wine and everything is made in their little shop!

Once again, thank you Claremont Village for sharing this wine-derful experience with me! Such an awesome way to end my summer!

Also, super in love with this dangling Marguerite Charriol necklace! It’s light, elegant, gorgeous & easily goes with any outfit/season inspired by the Daisy flower! I normally don’t like wearing jewelry as I easily get irritated and I dont like it when they’re super heavy and it hurts my neck but this one was just perfect.

We seriously didn’t want this night to end. Will I see you in the next wine walk? Dont forget to look out for the tickets next year as they sell out fast! Hope you babes had an amazing summer! Now who’s ready for fall?

Outfit: Made by yours truly <3

Necklace: Charriol

Photos: Eduardo Salazar

Xo,

Joy

September 12, 2018September 12, 2018

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How To Create Content + Make It Work With Your Lifestyle

A few of the questions people ask me are: how do you create content? how do you know what people like? or what will attract more followers?

So for today’s segment of thursday’s influencer tips & tricks, I wanted to share all the answers to those questions.

When creating content, I always go back to what I represent. So before you create your content ask yourself these few questions:

What is your blog about?
What is your niche? Have you found it yet? If not, it’s time to define it.
Who is your target market & why?
Why do you do what you do?
Are you willing to put in work and time to create brand new content all the time?

If I answered these questions, this would be my answers:

What is your blog about? Made With Joy is a fashion, lifestyle + adventure blog who features the latest fashion trends, travel destinations and insider influencer tips and tricks.
What is your niche? Have you found it yet? If not, it’s time to define it. My niche are millennials who love fashion, traveling and who just wants to live their best life. They like going to festivals, wine tasting, the newest adventure around the corner or going to road trips. They are very artsy and creative and love life and adventuring. They’re always looking for the next thing to do with their girl squad or with their significant other.
Who is your target market & why? My target market are females between ages 21 – 35 who wants to live their best life and are tired of their 9-5 job, that just wants to escape and create the most out everything. And I am here to teach them how they can achieve that and how it is possible to live that kind of lifestyle.
Why do you do what you do? I do what I do because I love girl power + female empowerment and how important it is to pursue our passion + also live our dreams out loud at the same time. I am here to inspire others that it’s possible and I may not be where I want to be yet but I’m on my way there.
Are you willing to put in work and time to create brand new content all the time? Yes, absolutely.

Now your turn! After you answered all those questions. It’s now time to jot down your plan of action. Let’s get to it.

Scheduling is key. What does your busy schedule look like? Are you super swamped that you don’t even have time to create anymore? Or be inspired? So get to scheduling. Schedule some “alone or me time” in your week. Then schedule your create content time, and your editing time and your having fun time and your family and friends time. Do what’s best for you and what will make you happy.
Start saying “NO” and mean it. Do you even sleep? And eat? Do you take care of your body? Your mental and emotional health? I’m here to remind you that an unhealthy body/mind is useless when it comes to creating. If you’re physically, emotionally, and mentally drained – how do you think you’ll have the time and energy to create? Maybe it’s time for you to start saying “no” to partying every friday night with your girls or brunch every sunday. I’m not saying to give up on your social life but definitely be smart about it and who you’re spending your time with and why.
Make creating content a part of your lifestyle. Once you have done those first two tips – it’s now time to look in your planner/calendar and start making creating content a part of your lifestyle. You almost have to live and breathe it. Always carry your camera with you or your phone. For example, I went to Vegas last weekend for my grandma’s 80th bday and while I was there I got to shoot for a beauty brand and a partnership with a hotel. Although, I still spent a lot of time with my family, I squeezed in a few photoshoot sessions (which by now my family has been very supportive of me and understanding) I used to be embarrassed when I was first starting but now it just comes naturally to me. I don’t even have second thoughts. I just do it. It’s all about changing your mindset, rewiring and training your brain and making it happen.
Be organized, resourceful and be bold. Jot down all your ideas and find a way to squeeze them in your everyday life. Be intentional about it. Are you a food blogger? Start making your portfolio and visit a few restaurants + cafes. Once you have enough content, maybe you can now start pitching. Are you a fashion influencer? Every time you go to an event that you have to dress up or just simply look pretty, wear a fabulous outfit and ask your friends or even strangers to take photos of you! (I’ve honestly done this and it paid off. The first time I visited NYC, I woke up early to adventure on my own and it started snowing!!! I have never seen snow fall from the sky before and I totally asked a stranger to take a video of me twirling!) Was I embarrassed? Not really. I hesitated at first but I did it anyways as I’m never going to see him again.
Get out of your comfort zone. Are you an introvert who’s afraid of what people will say or think about you? Let go of that mindset and do something new. Take risks. Talk to strangers. Ask for help. Until not caring so much of what other people think of you no longer bothers you. As an influencer, it is very important for us to try something new in order for us to influence others. Are you an extrovert who’s the life of the party and cant seem to get it together? You have so many ideas but you can never find time to make them happen. (This is me) So here’s my tip! Find your quiet place (whether you set some time aside like waking up an extra hour to plan your day or a beach day once a week) and write down your goals, ideas and plans and make them happen. Do the first 4 steps above and once you’ve done those – make things happen! Stop just talking about it and actually put in the work.

Was this helpful? Let me know your thoughts and drop a comment below.

XO,

Joy

September 6, 2018

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How To Have A Relaxing Vegas Trip In A Budget

I’ve spent the past two weeks in Sin City and I’ve spent them there very differently. Two weeks ago, I went there for my boyfriend’s birthday and we did the whole day club + night clubs + restaurants. For Labor Day weekend, my whole family and I went there for my grandma’s 80th birthday & boy, was it a different experience! And I ain’t even mad about it!

I’m not sure if it has anything to do with age (I’m currently in my late twenties) but I actually enjoyed my relaxing weekend and after analyzing, comparing and contrasting the my last two weekends, I would have to say that I prefer the latter one…

Here’s how I enjoyed my Vegas Weekend without spending too much as I did the weekend before:

See a concert or a show & buy them ahead of time.

We went to see Air Supply, my grandparents’ favorite band. The tickets were about $39.99 each and we actually got pretty good seats. Buying tickets at least a few months beforehand is always a great tip to get them in a good price. I surprisingly enjoyed the show and knew a few of their songs.

2. Go swimming in your hotel’s pool.

It’s part of the resort fee that you already paid for; so take advantage of it. We stayed in Bally’s but since it’s part of the Caesar’s Entertainment Hotels, we can hop around and we decided to go to Paris Las Vegas swimming pool. I absolutely loved the view and it wasn’t too crowded like the day clubs!

3. Purchase a 24 hour buffet wristband through Caesars Las Vegas Buffets.

How it works is instead of paying $25 – $40 each buffet per person, you pay $50 – $70 once and you can pretty much “buffet hop” and eat literally as much as you can (we were there on a holiday weekend, so we had to pay more). My top two favorite buffets are: Le Village Buffet & Carnival World Buffet I’ve never been to Paris but the buffet dining is in a French village with traditional meals from France. I also love Rio’s iconic buffet as it has hundred of global items plus the impressive array of seafood, my fave!

4. Seriously, relax!

After going swimming and hopping around at buffets, I took a hot shower and put on Alya Skin. This pink clay mask is my new obsession. It left my skin feeling like it was made out of roses and it cleared my pores & took out all the nasties from my skin.

5. Go hotel hopping & appreciate art.

Not sure if you’ve ever done this but Las Vegas Hotels are pretty much like museums! I wish I had more time to actually see more but I didn’t have much time as I was too busy eating!

September 5, 2018September 5, 2018

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How I Started Blogging & How To Become A Blogger

Hi Friends,

It’s Joy here! I often get asked how I became a blogger and how to become one; therefore, I’ve decided to make a blog post dedicated to just that.

Each month at Influencer Girl Gang, we will be featuring a new influencer and interview them so they can share about their journey with the hope of helping other aspiring bloggers and influencers start their dreams. So for our first post, I’ve decided to share my story. Let’s begin, shall we?

What do you do and how did you become a blogger/influencer?

I am a fashion designer and I’ve always been passionately in love with fashion. I love making outfits and dressing up. I also love being creative and expressive with everything I do but being in the corporate world for the past 6 years, it has been difficult for me to design whatever I wish as we, designers, have to design what will sell to the market as a whole; therefore, it led me to start my blog -> Made With Joy about two years ago. I’ve also always loved sewing and making DIY crafts and accessories; so on my spare time when I get off work or on weekends, you’ll normally find me glued on my sewing machine making a new outfit for my next adventure. And being the workaholic me, I also needed a creative outlet, that’s why I created a blog where I can go to different places and blog about the different outfits I made.

How do you manage how to continuously make your content? Any tips you can share?

I think as a blogger/influencer, before you even start creating content, it’s so important to sit down and ask yourself these three things below:

1. Who are you?

(What’s your story?)

2. What can you offer the world?

(What is something you’re really good at that people come to you for it?)

3. How will it serve others?

(Why would people need to keep coming back to your page, for what?)

Once you answer all these questions; jot them down and they should help you think and move forward on what kind of content that you can continuously make. For example, if I answered those questions, my answers would be:

My name is Joy and I’m a fashion designer who loves making my own outfits and taking photos on adventures everywhere I go.
I can show everyone the latest fashion trends and DIY hacks how to make something in a simpler way and I can also show people the coolest destinations they can go to with their friends or significant other.
It gives people the knowledge about the latest style trends + its saves people the time to look for awesome things to do or places to visit.

After knowing that, I continuously made content based on what I know I’m good at and what I can share and offer the world. Being genuine is the definite key and sharing what you love – because it definitely shows through you work.

Can you give us a step by step process on how to make a blog or start blogging?

Sure thing! I’d love to.

• Come up with a blog name. Find something that sticks with you and you’d like to keep attached with your name forever. Remember you have to live with it. Start a word brainstorm of topics you’d like to talk about in your blog.

Choose a hosting plan and platform. For beginners, I highly recommend starting with a Basic Plan – once you dip your toe in the water and have learned how to swim, you can easily go Pro or get a Business Plan. I personally use WordPress and know a lot of bloggers that do.

Purchase a domain for your blog. Once you have a platform for your blog, it’ll be time to move forward and have your own domain name. I used Go Daddy to purchased mine. BlueHost is also another popular one. If the first domain name is no longer available for you, don’t be discouraged. Be open and creative with it.

Design your blog/find your theme. Your theme/website should represent you. It should speak volumes on what you’re all about. It’s pretty much your online portfolio. Work on it until you’re in love with it.

Get ready to create some content. I would highly suggest creating a content calendar for yourself. Be organized. Buy a planner or use your phone calendar and find the days that you have free time and schedule ahead of time when to create content on those days. It is also important for you to choose your blogging frequency. Some bloggers post 3x a week where others post once a week. Pick something that works with your lifestyle and stay consistent.

Since you started blogging when and how did you start getting sponsored by different brands?

As my blogging progressed, I was fortunate enough to start getting approached by different companies and be sponsored. I honestly didn’t start getting noticed by brands until earlier this year. It took me about a year of just blogging about myself and what I love before I got sponsors. I made sure to include my email in my Instagram bio – which led to a lot of different brands reaching out to me for collabs and sponsorships. This is very important – I cannot express how important this is. Most business accounts on Instagram have the email button now, which is great, however, if you don’t have a business account, please include your email address in your bio.

Do you use any apps to get sponsorships?

I’ve used a few before but as my business grew, most companies just come to me and email me to create content for them or I also pitch and negotiate with the brands that I like to work with. The apps I’ve used from the past are: muses, heartbeat, collabr8. There’s also websites like AmbassadHer, Glambassador or Activate that connects you with different brands. Check them out!

How do you build engagement with your readers/followers?

I normally like to either ask questions, be personal with my posts, post something entertaining (can’t be too serious all the time) and also engage engage engage! People love authenticity and they love it when they can relate to you and you make them feel like you’re their sister from another mother – and that doesn’t mean only posting about the highlight reels of your life either! If you watch my insta stories, you’ll probably see me chilling with my roommates’ cat and how she attacks me as I sew or Coco wanting to get my attention all the time as I’m working.

Last but not the least, where we can we find you and how can we connect to you?

You can connect with me here on www.madewithjoy.co or follow me on instagram: @_madewithjoy or email me at info@madewithjoy.co

August 30, 2018August 31, 2018

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