Stop…Drop..and Follow

With sooooo many Instagram accounts out there, here are a few I really enjoy and hope you will too! I’m sure that I am not making front page news headlines when I say that  Instagram

With sooooo many Instagram accounts out there, here are a few I really enjoy and hope you will too!

I’m sure that I am not making front page news headlines when I say that  Instagram isn’t just any ol’ platform. If used right, it can be a great marketing tool, a way to express your artistic side, to share moments with friends and family and to connect with virtual strangers.  

Did you know that there are over a Billion Instagram accounts out there? Is it just me, or is that just cray-cray? (Yup I said Cray-Cray… that’s to ensure that I connect with GenX and Yers and that they can follow along.. Hehe.)

Anywayyyyyyy…I started doing some research on the current state of social media and it was truly mind boggling to see the growth of the various platforms over the past ten years. Remember when the internet was dial up and no one could use the phone if you wanted to “Surf the Web”?  (WEEEE-WOOOOOOONNNNNGGG GURGLE GURGLE) Ahhh.. we have come a long way! I won’t bore you with all the details, although if you are a child of the 60’s – 80’s – actually nix that. If you are anyone that was born BEFORE the 2000’s, then you will likely also find it fascinating when you find all the stats on our current social media all in one place (not here… sorry I am trying to stick to one topic!) Just for fun though….According to OmnicoreAgency there are 4.2 billion “liked” posts per day, more than 100 million videos and photos uploaded per day, and the most liked photo on Instagram is the picture of an egg with 54.2 million likes. Who knew it was that easy to get that many likes??? But wait, before you run off to take your egg carton out of the fridge for a photo shoot, here’s one last fun stat for you, Photos With Faces Get 38% More Likes. (Maybe people saw a face in the egg???) 

Anyway, as usual, I digress. The point of this post is not to cram you with useless facts (but feel free to use these at your next social event!) but to introduce you to 5 Instagram accounts I think you should add to your following list.   

I’m not gonna lie, I may never have made a connection ( long lasting…hehe) on any dating apps, but I have made some really great friends on Instagram! I’ve met women that were once complete strangers, and for some hashtag or another, we connected, and now they have become great supporters to me and my life. #womensupportingwomen  

I picked these gals because the energy they exude just jumps from the screen. I scrolled through a myriad of instagram accounts and did a deep dive into various bloggers to find you some top notch women that are a must add to Insta or your email accounts! 

Whether through image, caption, or storytelling, these women are sharing their day to day with us. Their struggles, their triumphs, their savvy business sense, or just their amazing decor or sense of fashion! 

In any case, I like these gals, because through one or more of them on any given day, I can totally relate, and I think you will too. If you like this type of post, let me know and I will find more bad-ass women for you to follow!!

Whether through image, caption, or storytelling, these women are sharing their day to day with us. Their struggles, their triumphs, their savvy business sense, or just their amazing decor or sense of fashion! 

In any case, I like these gals, because through one or more of them on any given day, I can totally relate, and I think you will too. If you like this type of post, let me know and I will find more bad-ass women for you to follow!!

Kristen Gottwald 

Top Knot and  Double Shot – Torontonian Kristen Gottwald shows you the good, the bad and the ugly of being a mom. And she does it unapologetically. Her posts vary from sweet family moments, real mom situations,  to self love advocacy.  Why can we relate? Because we are tired too. We will be up all night with our little loves if they are sick, and still splash water on our faces at 6 am, when the other kids wake up and want to be fed. Momlife never ends and she is there with you every step of the way! We are all insecure with one or two areas on our body (or all of it!) and following her stories makes you realize that you are not alone. She’s sassy, witty and real. She offers some great opinions on her product reviews, and has her own apparel line, There is a sweater on there that has my name on it! You can check it out here; www.topknotanddoubleshot.com  

Instagram Handle https://www.instagram.com/topknotanddoubleshot/

Facebook Page  https://www.facebook.com/pg/topknotanddoubleshot/videos/?ref=page_internal

Samantha Regimbal

This little gem is from Montreal that has been making waves in the Entrepreneurial sector since 2015. She makes the term “go getter” seem meek compared to what she has accomplished at such a young age. At the age of 17 she started developing body skincare products, at 18 she was managing 22 employees at a retail store, in 2013 she left the corporate world and started her own body skin care company called Samantha with Love Inc.  As if that wasn’t enough to keep her busy full time, she used her experience in the marketing world to create What’s Up West-Island?; A facebook page geared towards connecting local companies to potential customers.By 2017 she was a veritable influencer and spent a year travelling and blogging. The What’s UP concept was getting attention from other communities and that grew into a new direction and WhatsUpWorld.net was created.  Thanks to her relentless tenacity, and affinity to staying true to what she loved, in 2018, she won an award from StartUP Canada for Female entrepreneur of the year for her creation of “What’s up World”. 

Seeing everything she has accomplished, at such a young age, is definitely inspiring to me, and I think it will be to you too! She just exudes positivity and if you follow along, you will want to get that dream project started ASAP. She even has her own blogging page, where she offers up advice and different editorials on living the entrepreneurial life. I’ve subscribed, and so should you 🙂 Check it out; It’s called www.bossydiaries.com 

Instagram Handle https://www.instagram.com/samantharegimbal/

Amy Thompson

She is a mom, an influencer, a fashion finder, and entrepreneur.  Although she is a mortgage broker by trade, she became a perpetual philanthropist for women in business when she and a friend decided to put together a “trade show” with local small businesses to get to know their own community a bit better. Their event was such a hit that they decided to expand the idea to other communities and cities.  This led them to become the co-founders of the @themommarket_which is a “curated vendor market showcasing local small businesses” she says. As a working mom, she was well aware of the struggles associated with building a business while taking care of little ones. Through this platform, women in business can get better known while networking with peers at the same time! If you are interested in learning more about The mom market and either want to shop local or become a vendor you can click the link above! 

I highly suggest following her on Instagram too, she posts some pretty cool fashion pieces that are not only affordable but totally pieces that anyone working from home, chasing around after kids or looking for something comfy but stylish to wear over a weekend will appreciate! She uses the “LiketoKnowit” app which will link you directly to the product! 

Instagram Handle https://www.instagram.com/theworkingmomdiary/ 

Audree Rose

This is someone I found by happenstance, and I have to say that she is probably one of my faves cuz she is so motivational. Her Insta handle is TheRelentlessRose; and if you follow her you will see why.  Her posts are multidimensional and challenging, in the best way possible.

I have been following her journey on working to become her best self, including weight loss after c-sections, juggling work with two young kids and running a household. Umm yea.. I can relate!  

Through her pictures, posts, videos, and stories, you’ll see a young mom consistently getting her workouts in – with the kids running around behind her. You will see how she, “the house chef ” takes a day out of each week to plan the family menu AND meal prep.  

DREAM FRIDGE PLACEMENT

What keeps me interested in her feed is seeing her consistently “show up” for herself.   Oh, and her Fridge. See the pic – this girl is no joke! And no, she didn’t just tidy her fridge for an episode of “Cribs” – Ya’ll in your thirties will know what I’m talking about! I am ridiculously envious of her fridge. Bust mostly I am envious of the time she takes to make her life easier. I still struggle to get to her level, but I am seriously working on it so that once I get back to work full time, my family’s meals and snacks will be readily available without the usual hassle. 

This girl is all about balance and getting healthy from the inside out. She has some fantastic tips and tricks on how to achieve your goals; whether it be weight loss, more time with your family or healthier eating habits. At such a young age, this girl has got it figured out and is looking to share it with you. I say let her in, it’ll only be good!  Her light shines so bright, you can feel the warmth she is sending out to the world, and you will want to be in her orbit. 

I am hoping that through sheer virtual osmosis I will wake up tomorrow and my fridge will look like hers…but if it doesn’t I know who to ask if I need help!   Instagram https://www.instagram.com/therelentlessrose/Blog www.TheRelentlessRose.com 

Jessyka

I was first drawn into this gals picturesque backdrop of the Western Canadian Rockies within her posts. I’ve been to Banff and Lake Louise, and she reignited my memories of how gorgeous our country truly is. But what kept me “latched”, was her content. On the surface you see a cool, adventurous women, with a beautiful family. But when you dig a bit deeper and follow her along her journey, you see that she is raw, articulate and honest about her struggles with anxiety. Brutally honest; and it’s refreshing. Social media has become such an important platform, and as much as it can be a fun and silly passtime for some, it can also be detrimental to our well being. If you already suffer from a form of mental illness, seeing the “fake fairytale” life, as I like to call it, as others may try to make you believe through pictures and stories, on the hand, it could also set you off into a deep abyss of depression and anxiety. 

Seeing the realness of another human, experiencing feelings and thoughts that you may also be feeling and thinking – this is the true gift that social media can offer.  Jessyka, through her Milkstains and Meltdowns blog, posts and cold hard truths, has been sharing her own darkest thoughts, and has likely been helping many others that have been holding back from talking to friends or family about how they feel. She is provinces away, I have never met her, yet some of her words resonate with me, and they provide comfort. A virtual hug from a stranger. 

Besides the solace her openness provides, on a lighter and different note, her Instagram feed also features the great beauty of our Western Canadian Provinces, and links to her blog. Within her Milkstains&Meltdown blog you will find engaging stories about mommyhood and marriage, product reviews, and travel pieces. A fun read (when you are OBVIOUSLY done reading mine :)) Instagram https://www.instagram.com/milkstainsandmeltdowns/ Blog www.milkstainsandmeltdowns.ca

Happy Scrolling, Reading and Discovering!!!

Lilly XOXO