My Blogiversary: Everyday with Madi Rae Turns 2!

Everyday with Madi Rae turns 2!! Today I’m celebrating the 2nd anniversary of my life + wellness blog, Everyday with Madi Rae. Including a Q&A series!

Wow, wow, wow, Everyday with Madi Rae turns 2 today!! I seriously can’t believe it’s been that long already! This blog is seriously my pride & joy, it makes me SO beyond happy to share everything that I do, with all of you, who take precious time out of your day to stop by & read my work, my suggestions, my advice, make my recipes, & buy something I recommend! It’s crazy to think that I’ve been able to build this little community here, on my email list, & over on my Instagram, with people who CARE, & for that, I’m SO grateful!

Now with just under 150 blog posts published, it’s only the beginning. I have SO much more to share & I’m so looking forward to everything Year 3 has to offer. But first, above all, I have to thank you, because without your support, I wouldn’t be able to do what I LOVE doing, every single day! I appreciate you, I appreciate the time you spend consuming my content, & I appreciate your feedback, always!

I know that every blog post might not resonate with everyone. If you can take something small from each post, that’s amazing, but I know that’s not always the case. I hope I can continue to provide you with insights, experience, research, knowledge, & amazing suggestions that contribute to you life, your health, & your overall well being, because THAT is my goal here. Take what you love from what I share & leave what you don’t!

So without rambling on too much, let’s get to the yearly Q+A!

Want to check out last year’s Q+A? You can here!

Q & A

Q: Most exciting milestone of the year?

Wow, it was such a great year. There was so much growth, SO much continuous learning, & so many steps in the right direction. I think the most exciting milestone was being accepting into the adidas Bloggers Community back in August. Just being accepted alone was so exciting! And I actually just completed my first sponsored post with adidas earlier this month, you can check out that post here! Also, it’s been really exciting to see my hard work paying off through an huge increase in blog traffic this year.

Q: What made you go vegan?

I’m coming up on 1 year being vegan – honestly I can’t believe it’s been a year already! I’m planning to do a whole post about veganism & my decision to transition to a plant based diet in a dedicated blog post after the new year, but for now, I’ll leave you with this…I went vegan in an attempt to better my health & digestion, which I’ve struggled immensely with over the past like 5 years. In short, my digestion has gotten SO much better it’s crazy, but going vegan kinda opened my eyes to a lot of things, which I share more of in this post!

Q: Can we expect more recipes in 2020?

YES! More vegan & gluten free recipes for sure!!

Q: How did you learn how to cook vegan?

I watched a TON of YouTube videos on how to put together full vegan meals that won’t leave you hungry 15 minutes after you eat! Like anything, it takes time & practice to get good at something. Now a year in, I feel very confident in my plant based meals & cooking & I LOVE pinning plant based meals I want to make – you can follow my Pinterest Plant Based Recipe board here!

Q: Why Beautycounter?

Beautycounter is seriously incredible. I was first introduced to the brand a few years ago & more recently, back in August, was re-introduced & starting using a TON of their products. After getting to know the products & trying so many, I fell in love & the decision to become a consultant just made sense. As a brand, they align with my values about safe ingredients, they have banned over 1,500+ harmful ingredients, & they rigorously screen their ingredients so nothing is put into products that isn’t deemed safe – which is amazing & it’s something that I SO appreciate! Also, it doesn’t hurt that their products are absolutely amazing & I’ll even go ahead & say, they have THE BEST skincare I’ve ever used/tried. I became a Beautycounter consultant the day after my 25 birthday & it was an addition to my own personal brand that I’ve been thrilled to welcome on! Want to check out Beautycounter? You can shop here!

Q: Holy grail product at the moment?

100% the Beautycounter Overnight Resurfacing Peel – no doubt! This product has been pretty much transformative for my skin, for healing my acne scarring, & minimizing my breakouts. I absolutely love it & can never see myself not using it!

Q: Why are you passionate about clean beauty/clean products?

There hasn’t been a law passed banning harmful ingredients since 1938 – in my eyes that is a MAJOR problem. The US has only banned 30 harmful ingredients, while over in Europe, they’ve banned over 1,400. Again, that’s another problem that just isn’t talked about as frequently as it should. I believe that our health is a direct reflection of our environment, the food we eat, & the products we use. I think there’s a huge lack of information & communication regarding clean & safe beauty in all forms.

Q: Any hair secrets?

Definitely the most asked question I get is how I curl my hair! I’ve always used a straightener to curl my hair. The straightener I use is one from Hot Tools. And my second hair secret would be learning to oil train my hair – you can read all about oil training here.

Q: Favorite workout & why?

I exclusively do Melissa Wood Health at-home workouts & my own yoga flows! Want to see how I get the most out of my at-home workout routine? Be sure to check out this post!

Q: What are 3 things you’ve been obsessed with lately?

1. The Skinny Confidential Him & Her Podcast – seriously SO good!
2. Garden of Life Magnesium Supplement – I currently take it every morning.
3. Scrunchies – my friend Meg makes the cutest ones!

Q: How do you edit your IG photos?

I use Lightroom to edit all of the photos I post on IG & almost all of the photos I use here on the blog. I purchased & have used Presets by Claire for over a year now! Working with presets takes some practice, but once you get the hang of them, they’re super easy & can really transform a photo!

Q: Favorite people to follow on IG?

• @melissawoodhealth
• @paytonsartain
• @lilsipper

Q: What are the benefits of your spirulina smoothie? I see you post about it often.

I seriously cannot live without my spirulina smoothie – dramatic? yes, but the benefits to this smoothie are incredible! Did you know that spirulina is the highest form of plant based protein that you could possibly get? You definitely want to make sure you are using a high quality spirulina though, the brand I use & love is called SoulFresh Proteins. Want to read the full benefits & see the recipe? Check out this post – Why I Love To Start My Day With A Spirulina Smoothie

Q: Favorite part of having a blog?

I love the creative process behind each post & I love sharing my life/advice/ & experience with those who read my blog, it makes me so happy!

Q: Favorite TV show you’ve watched this year?

Other than the Kardashians & The Bachelor franchise, I think my favorite show I’ve watched this year would have to be either Animal Kingdom or Schitt’s Creek – I watched both while in Canada!

Q: What keeps you motivated?

I have to say, even when I was young, I was always extremely motivated. As an athlete, I always had a continuous drive in me to keeping improving & that has 100% carried through into the rest of my life. I find motivation from within, & I think that’s where it has to come from if you want to be successful at anything. No one can create motivation or drive for you. So I’d say my desire to become better in all aspects of my life keeps me motivated.

Q: Favorite blog post of 2019?

This is a tough one, maybe because I know how much work goes into each post, & I would never post something I wasn’t 100% proud of, so can I say them all? haha!! I really loved doing the post on how to welcome more self love into your life, I was really happy with how my photos turned out for The Organic Skin Co. review, & I loved putting together my first Beautycounter post.

Q: Do you blog full time?

I’ve worked this entire year full time, while also blogging full time. I actually left my job last week because I wanted to spend a good chunk of time with my family this holiday season & then go visit Devin, my fiancé, who is currently playing basketball in Indonesia. By the end of my travels, it’s my goal to not return back to work & blog full time.

Q: Best advice for someone feeling stuck?

Keep on going.. that’s the only thing you can do. A good reminder is that everything is temporary & that each season of life has an end to it, you just have to keep pushing forward!

Q: What are you looking forward to most in 2020?

Ugh, SO SO much. I’m looking forward to traveling, I’m looking forward to expanding both my blog & my business with Beautycounter, I’m excited to continue to share things here on the blog, on my Instagram, & on my email list – BTW, are you signed up for my weekly clean beauty emails? I have so many blog related & personal goals that I cannot wait to explore & share with all of YOU! And maybe I’ll choose a wedding date…finally 🙂

Top 10 Blog Posts of 2019

1. 2019 Reading List – 50 Books to Help Inspire Any Woman
2. What’s Your Enneagram
3. Here’s Why You Might Need An Armpit Detox
4. Almond Coconut Granola – GF & Vegan
5. 4 Ingredient High Nutrient Bone Broth Bread
6. 50 Healthy Gluten Free & Vegan Thanksgiving Day Recipes
7. How Norwex is Changing the Way I Clean
8. Chaga Skincare – 5 Ways the Chaga Mushroom Can Benefit Your Skin
9. 30 Free & Easy Ways to Practice Self Care
10. 5 Key Takeaways from the Magic

So again, THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart & I hope you choose to stick around for everything to come in 2020!

Sending you all, so much love!