Welcome back to the “Saturday Sit-Down” series after several weeks off for the holidays. Feels good to be back at it! When I dreamed up this little series during Christmas Break 2016, I expected it to last maybe three months. Maybe. I was terrified that once I opened up the chance to be featured, crickets would chirp. Sure enough, here we are a full year later kicking off another year of getting to know wonderful creatives from around the world.
Meet Amanda! She blogs about a handful of different things, but something that jumps out to me from her content is her travel posts. They’re detailed and fun and make me feel like I’m exploring right along with her. I hope you enjoy getting to know her via a few questions below; Don’t forget to explore her posts she’s linked at the bottom! Her content is definitely worth popping over to!
Q: Hey Amanda! Please tell us briefly about who you are in three sentences or less.
A: Thanks for having me Erica! Hi, I’m Amanda or as my family likes to call me, Cupcake. I’m an entrepreneur at heart who spent 7 years as an actor in NYC & LA before moving back home to Upstate New York to be closer to family and start a new chapter. I’m enthusiastic about travel, health, beauty, football and comedy improv and like to think of myself as an independent extrovert. 🙂
Q: When and why did you start your blog, and what kinds of content do you cover?
A: I started my blog in February 2016 as a way to connect with the blogging community that I enjoyed following so much. I wanted to share my passions for all things travel & lifestyle too. I focus on accessible and experience travel as well as sharing my favorite things in health, beauty and style. I strive to make the places and things I’m dreaming about an every day reality!
Q: What are a couple of the reasons that you enjoying blogging the most?
A: First, I enjoy the connection with other bloggers. Most of them I have never met IRL, but I love getting their opinions on what to buy, what to wear and where to go and getting a glimpse into their everyday lives! I exchange ideas with these women more than my own friends sometimes lol. Second, I like having an outlet to share my experiences and thoughts on different places I’ve traveled to or products I’ve used. It’s a beautiful community to be apart of and I can’t wait to see where it goes next.
Q: So many people set fresh new goals for themselves each New Year, including bloggers when it comes to their sites. Do you have a single goal or multiple goals for your blog that you’ll be working toward this year?
A: Last year, I chose a word to keep at the center of my year and I’m happy to say it worked really well. I’m excited to continue with that method this year and the word I’ve chosen is, FOCUS! In terms of the blog, I want to FOCUS on useful and positive content while continuing to grow my audience. I hope to reach those struggling to add travel in their lives due to money or time. I’m focusing on domestic travel, especially since there are so many amazing places to visit here in the US.
Q: I got so sucked into your Instagram feed when I clicked over (definitely following you!). You seem to visit the neatest places and go on a lot of adventures. What are two of your favorites places around the US that you’d recommend everyone travel to?
A: Aw thank you so much! Out of all my travels last year, I was highly impressed with New Orleans, Louisiana and Portland, Maine. Some people find NOLA to be less than clean or too busy during Mardi Gras, but I fell in love with it’s southern charm and the people I encountered were so hospitable!! Portland is such an up and coming city and offered so many things to do during a summer visit. The beautiful New England beaches are 15-20 minutes away while the city boasts an awesome food/brewery scene. I love taking in all the different cultures this great country has to offer.
Q: What’s on your travel bucket list for 2018?
A: I was pleasantly surprised by my 2017 travels, as many of them weren’t planned. I hope to have a few unplanned ones this year as well since that’s half the fun right?! Although, I have a lot of weddings and bachelorette parties to attend this year so spontaneity might be hard. Luckily, I’m visiting some new places like Charleston, SC and Coeur d’Alene, Idaho! I also am celebrating my 30th birthday in April, in a big way, in a country I haven’t been to yet, so stay tuned… I have two travel goals at this point in life: get to all 50 states and every Caribbean island. 🙂 I’m at 35 states right now!
Q: Where can we find you in your spare time when you’re not traveling? What are some of your favorite things to routinely do?
A: I love to spend as much time as possible with my boyfriend, family and friends. I’m a diehard New England Patriots fan and my family has had season tickets for 20+ years, so I go to the games a lot. I also perform at a local comedy improv theater. I fell in love with this form of comedy while pursuing acting in Los Angeles. I recommend it to anyone looking to do something new in 2018!! I love to watch my favorite TV shows, read, workout and be outside as much as possible.
Where should new readers start on your site?
My 29th birthday post! I wrote 29 things you should know about me.
My Ultimate Guide to a Weekend in Nashville! I’ve got you covered on what to see and where to eat in Music City!
Dessert First: Los Angeles! I run a series called “Dessert First” on my blog to justify my ice cream habit. One of the best parts about traveling to new destinations is finding new dessert places to love.
Where can we connect with you on social media?
Instagram: @CupakeNDreams
Pinterest: @CupcakeNDreams
Twitter: @CupcakeNDreams
Bloglovin’: @CupcakeNDreams
And just for fun…
- Coffee or tea? Both! Coffee in the morning and green/peppermint tea in the afternoon.
- Early bird or night owl? Definitely early bird. I love getting up in the morning when it’s quiet and peaceful with some coffee.
- At-home or in-salon manicure? I like to paint my nails here and there, I pick colors based on what I’m feeling at the time and what name the polish has lol. I do salon manicures too.
- Dogs or cats? Unfortunately, I don’t have either a cat or dog. I do love my aunt’s maltese, Brady, though!
Thank you so much for having me Erica!!
Well thank YOU so much for being a part of this series, Amanda!
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Is this your first time to Whimsical September? Welcome!
Hello! I’m Erica, the blogger behind Whimsical September. I created the “The Saturday Sit-Down” series in January 2017 as a way to give back to the blogging community and link readers with new bloggers whom they may share similar interests with. Click here to discover more bloggers that have been featured on “The Saturday Sit-Down”. I promise you – there’s some GREAT ones!
Want to be featured in this series?
I have openings starting in the spring of 2018 and would love to feature you! Please fill out the form below and I’ll be in touch with you. It’s totally free and a fun way to bring new sets of eyes to your blog. <3
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Hi! I’m Erica, and I absolutely adore sharing my life on this website with you! I come here almost daily to blab about all of the things related to being a regular wife and mother in today’s ever-evolving society. I share about our new home, what’s on our kitchen table, what we’re hanging in our closets, where we’re traveling to next, my crazy 5 a.m. work outs, how I make time for girlfriends, our faith, and much more. We always have a lot of balls in the air and somewhat thrive on the chaos. I believe in the power of story-telling as a form of inspiration and entertainment, so I’m here to do both! I was born and raised in north Alabama and recently re-planted roots here again after my husband transitioned out of the Army (he is now in the Reserve and it’s going so well!) I’m a super proud mom to three little girls (ages 7, 4, and 1) who seem to be the stars of the show around here (for good reason – they’re pretty great!) I’m so glad you found me and are here reading! I hope we can get to know each other here on the blog as well as Facebook and/or Instagram. xoxo