2022 is a special year because of my love for the number 22; as you all may know, the number 22 is very meaningful to me because it appears so often throughout my life. My birthday is on the 22nd of August, my mom's birthday is on the 22nd of July, and my oldest sister has a birthday on January 22nd.  On top of all of this, Dimitar and I had our first date on October 22nd.

*This post is not sponsored.

    Today's post isn't about birthdays though, but about a special surprise getaway that Dimitar planned for the two of us. He sure loves his surprises and made sure that I had nothing planned for that day. Can you guess what day it was? Tuesday, February 22, 2022. So on Monday afternoon - the day before - we both packed and I did my best to get as much information out of Dimitar as I could. The idea of not being prepared for a special moment really drives me crazy! All he told me though was this; bring nice clothes, a bathing suite, your pajamas, and anything girl related...

    After making sure the guinea pigs had plenty of hay and were comfortable - we'd be gone for a day after all - we hopped in the car and Dimitar turned on the GPS. Once I saw the directions, I realized that wherever we were going was about 4 hours away! I hadn't mentally prepared myself for a long trip, and yes I even complained a bit, but we both settled into the ride and began chatting about life. 

    Fast forwarding 4 hours later, it was about 9pm at night and we finally arrived in a small town in Pennsylvania called East Stroudsburg. We couldn't see much of our surroundings because it was so dark and foggy, but we drove down a private driveway where our destination was said to be. We came across a heart shaped sign that said, "You are now entering a land of love," which then led us to a resort looking place. Dimitar parked his car in front of the main building called Pocono Palace and said he had to take care of some paperwork before he disappeared into the building. 

Pocono Palace of Pennsylvania

    With the lights turned on, I saw we were in a two level suite. The ceiling itself was at least 20ft tall and there were Roman Pillars along the walls too that were equally as tall. Mirrors were lined against the right side of the room, opening the space up even more than it already was. In the center of the room, there was also a huge martini glass structure that connected to the second level of the suite, something I had no idea what was for. From the first floor I noticed a loft too; a feature I adored and secretly wanted in my next apartment or home. 

    The entire theme of the room was romantic with colors of red, pink, gold, and white. I absolutely loved it! There was also a retro vibe to the room too going from the furniture accents to the red carpets that had gold designs on them. Dimitar and I were both amazed by how beautiful the suite itself was - there was so much for us to take in that we both acted like little children who were just dropped off at the playground. 

Roman Tower Suite Pocono Palace Goodies

Red accents & roman features

View of loft above

    As we made our way up the stairs to the second floor, I nearly choked out of excitement; there was a room to our left with a pool inside of it! Not just any kind of pool either, but a heart shaped one! This completely explained the chlorine smell that I first noticed when I entered the room. At this point, I was too excited to focus on vlogging properly so I really hope the footage that I do have, is decent...If the heart shaped pool couldn't top it off, it turns out that right next to the pool, there was a sauna too!

Heart shaped pool

Rose petal covered stairs

    To the left of the stairs was the bathroom where majority of the bathroom amenities were gold plated. I really loved the retro vibe the bathroom gave off; it was like taking a dip back in time, something I wish I could do more of these days. Moving over to the loft area, the lighting was dim, but intentional. Above the circular bed was a reflective ceiling with led lighting inside of it to look like stars.

    The next day, since it was raining outside and our trip was only for one day, we decided to visit the Recreation Room. It turns out, we were actually at a couples retreat which made so much sense! Once at the main building, I realized the retreat had more to it than I thought; everything from an indoor pool, a gym, lounge area, bar, it's own restaurant and café, and a gift shop even. The resort also had plenty of activities to do outside too but with the weather being a bit wet, we weren't able to get to those; definitely next time though!

    Once we got to the recreation room, to our surprise, we had it all to ourselves!

Recreation Room

    After playing miniature golf, we then moved onto Ping Pong. We didn't keep track or anything like that, but we did set challenges for us to complete; for example, getting to 22 hits without dropping the ball. I don't think I've played Ping Pong much when I was little but I found that once you get into the momentum of it, it's quite relaxing, especially the sound of the ball hitting the paddles. 

    When we finished several rounds of Ping Pong, we then moved onto playing Pool. When I was little, I used to go to a Recreation Center that was part of our school and I remember playing pool often. Now, if I was good or not is a blur, but I do know I enjoyed playing it. I actually almost won my first round of Pool until I hit the eight ball. After that, Dimitar won and by the third game, I almost won again until I hit the eight ball... again...wow.

    Since the recreation room was connected to a basketball court, we shot a few hoops together afterwards to burn off steam from playing pool. I didn't want to sweat too much though so I left Dimitar to enjoy himself. We spent a good two hours there in total and before we left, we took photos inside a photo boot - something we had never done before. It made us both feel like we were in High School all over again!

Taking pictures

    After two hours or so, we both were hungry so we went back to the hotel room to freshen up. We had plans to get a massage afterwards but for some odd reason, they weren't taking appointments even though we had a voucher for one.  It was disappointing but we were still happy just to have a pool and sauna to ourselves.

    Before doing anything else though, Dimitar kept checking the time to make sure it wasn't 2:22pm yet. When it was close to it though, he finally told me that he wanted to give me something and asked me to hold out my hands. I did and just as I did, he placed a small red box in the center of my hands. I had no idea what to expect, so I opened the small red box, and saw a gold diamond ring. I was shocked!

    He helped me put the ring on and I was amazed by how beautiful it was - seeing a diamond up close is mesmerizing! The ring had a Rose Gold band that had an infinity loop on it. At exactly 2:22, Dimitar then pulled out a piece of paper and read to me an intimate letter that I will forever cherish and hold dear to me. Since it was an intimate moment between us, I wont share what the letter said, but it was the start of a new beginning for both of us.

    

Diamond ring by Diamondere

Infinity Loop Diamond Promise Ring

     We spent some time talking to one another where Dimitar opened up on how he spent months planning the entire trip. He then told me about the ring and how it was custom made for me - the diamond was his birthstone to symbolize a piece of him that would always be with me. I came to admire him so much more for his dedication to create such an amazing experience for both of us and it only made our trip so much more memorable. I also suck at surprises too so to see him so successful with each one is truly respectable. 

    We later went out to eat at Spooners Cafe and I of course could not stop eyeing my ring. I've always been nervous to wear pretty rings because I have always ended up losing them in the past. This time though I would be extra careful to make sure it was well looked after. We took our time eating and conversating because we really wanted to enjoy each moment. 

Our late lunch

    After we ate, we played a couple of rounds of backgammon before heading back to the Recreation Room to play some more pool. I still didn't win and once again, I managed to hit the eight ball! That eight ball was really out to get me... We went back to our hotel room and spent the remainder of the evening relaxing in the pool, the sauna, and the jacuzzi. Just thinking about leaving made me sad, but I knew we'd come back during the Spring time. 

     Even though our trip was just for a day, it was a day that I will forever remember. I think all couples should take time off to spend it with their significant other and resorts like the Poconos Palace really make it possible to do so. Whether you're a new couple, or a couple who has been together for quite some time, never skimp out on bonding with one another. I look forward to returning to the Pocono Palace and I highly recommend other couples' to visit as well!

Until next time! xoxo - Sarah

    Have you heard? Soufflé pancakes are getting all the rage today. Even if they weren't, I have found myself lately stuck on YouTube watching Japanese and Korean street cuisine and it's absolutely  torture. Where I live, there aren't many oriental cafes which is such a bummer because I love trying foods from different cultures. If you aren't sure what a Soufflé pancake is, all it takes is a quick web search to fall in love with these fluffy, delicious, pancakes!

    After watching enough videos to stir up my own appetite - and on my day off with Dimitar - I found a recipe on YouTube and gathered up all of my baking ingredients. Now, I've mentioned before how baking in a small kitchen is the hardest thing to do and unfortunately, my kitchen hasn't grown since then. It's still small and it's still a pain to cook and bake in. It is a kitchen though after all and I do need my Soufflé pancakes.

    Also, this is my second attempt trying to make Soufflé pancakes. The first time I made them, I only made two pancakes (recipe was for 3 really, but 1 pancake didn't make it *sad face*) and I didn't record myself making them either. The first recipe I used was great too but I didn't save it or remember it *sad face again* so I decided to try a new one. 

My Ingredients

Separate yolks from eggs whites

Add milk to egg yolks

    With cold milk, I added a few tablespoons of it to my egg yolks and stirred. Many people use regular milk for the fat content, but since I don't drink regular milk, all I had was Almond milk. It's still very tasty to me though since it has vanilla in it, but I would love to try making Soufflé pancakes with regular milk to see if there is a difference in taste or looks. Let me know if there is!

Add in flour

    Soufflé pancakes are unique because they require very little flour for them to rise - this is why the merengue is so important. While merengue is hard to perfect, it's the key step to getting big, fluffy pancakes. To get the best pancakes, it's also important to measure out your flour the correct way which is usually done with a scale. I don't have one though but I definitely plan on getting one soon.

Add vanilla

    This part is optional but I find that adding vanilla extract compliments the faint eggy taste of these pancakes. Plus, whenever I am baking, I always add vanilla just out of habit. You can leave it out if you don't like vanilla or add in other flavors like matcha green tea powder or even cocoa powder. Once I get the hang of making regular Soufflé pancakes though, I plan on experimenting. Put this mixture to the side until we're ready for it later. This is also a good time to start heating your stovetop on the lowest setting possible;  if you have an electric stove top or even a griddle with a lid, your pancakes should come out nicely.

Preparing the merengue

Merengue is starting to thicken up

Stiff peaks

Add merengue to egg yolk mixture

        My bowl was a mess at this point, but I was doing my best to work fast; merengue works best if used ASAP.  At this point, I started heating my frying pan on the lowest heat setting possible. Since I have a stove with burners, I waited until the last minute to start heating my pan up. I also wiped oil onto it to prevent sticking - you really don't need a lot either!

    I add only a 1/3 of the merengue into my egg yolk mixture and mix it gently. Once mixed, I then add the remaining merengue to it, and fold it into the egg yolks. If you mix too fast, you can break the merengue, so really be gentle here and treat it like it's your baby. Mix only until incorporated.

Using a 1/4 scoop

     

Create circle for a nice shape

Cover with lid - or anything you have that's heat proof :)

     Since I don't have a big scooper, I decided to use one of my measure cups - the 1/4 scoop. Scooping a good amount, I plopped as much as I could onto the pan, being sure to create a circle with the back of my measuring cup. I then added a dash of water to the pan which will prevent our pancakes from cracking and drying out on us. Cover your pancake with a lid and let cook for 3-4 minutes; I don't have a lid for my pan so I used one of my Pyrex bowls instead and it worked like a charm.

Add more batter on top for taller pancakes

My baby Soufflé pancake

    And there you go! It's not as big as most Soufflés pancakes are, but I think if I had a bigger scoop, I could achieve just that. After this point, you just rinse and repeat the steps until you use up all of your batter. Since Soufflé pancakes are tall because of the heat being held within them, it's a good idea to consume these right away - as if that's an issue for me!

First pancake

My tower of Soufflé Pancakes

So delicious and worth perfecting!

    I hope you give these pancakes a try. It may take much more effort than your usual pancakes but they're totally worth it. They're fluffy, sweet, and such a nice treat if you want something new. Eating them made me feel like I was in Japan - without actually being there. How cool is that?

    Have you tried making Soufflé pancakes before? How many attempts did it take you?

Until next time! xoxo - Sarah

    As a YouTuber myself who has received collaboration offers from brands, I know how exciting it can be when you're first approached. To think that a company wants to send you free products in exchange for a review - who could pass on that? Well...you'd be surprised. As tempting as it may be to accept every offer that comes your way, you need to do so with your best interests in mind.

    When a brand reaches out to you asking for a collaboration, this is what that email will typically look like:

"Hi Sarah! My name is (blank) and I am the Marketing Director for (Companies Name w/links). We love your work and think you're a great fit for our brand. We would love to collaborate with you by sending you (products name) in exchange for a review for your audience. This product has a value of (product's price) and we believe you and your audience will love it. We look forward to your response!"  

    Now, before we jump into analyzing this email, it's important to know one thing. When I first started accepting free products in exchange for reviews on my YouTube channel, I did so because I knew I needed the credibility. I wanted to give the company the confidence they needed to know that I was able to follow through on my end and at the same time, build up my collaboration portfolio. Depending on your situation, you may or may not be in the same boat. 

    I personally think if you have no experience with collaborating with brands, it's worth getting the free products at first. After you have a few collaborations in your portfolio, you can then start charging companies. I say all of this now because many influencers are afraid to put a price on their time because they think working with big brands is enough - sorry to break it to ya', but enough doesn't pay the bills! 

    Now, another thing I want to say before we dive deeper into this, is that if you don't have a Media Kit  - you need one ASAP! Media Kits are like resumes in the Influencer world that will give potential brands a better understanding of your style, your audience and your rates. I created a Media Kit using Canva - which is free -  and every six months I make changes to it if needed. If you want to take your business as an Influencer seriously and get the best sponsorships, you need a Media Kit. 

    Now that this has all been establish - lets go back to that email and dissect it to see if it's worth our time.

1. DOES THE EMAIL ADDRESS YOU?

    You would think that it's basic courtesy for a business email to address you, right? Well, it's not. I've received so many collaboration emails where whoever was writing to me, didn't even take the time to type my name in. RED FLAG. If a company doesn't take the time to address you by your name -  which if they found your email, they surely came across it - I would move on to the next. 

    Remember, as an Influencer, your job is to create content and it's important that companies treat you as a professional. After all, this is a Business Proposal we're talking about! Raise the bar high from the very start so that companies do not take advantage of you.

2. HAVE THEY RESEARCHED YOU?

    For a company to want to work with you - it's 100% considered an investment. They are using their own resources and time for you to market their product with their goals being either more exposure or sales. The same can be said on the flip side;  if you're marketing for a company, you're investing your time away from your regular content so that you can market their brand to your audience - an audience they currently don't have. 

    For a company to want to work with you, it's only necessary that they research you - after all, you wouldn't buy a car if you didn't have it thoroughly inspected, would you? Exactly. If you received an email from a company and they don't even mention any of your social media handles or your work even - odds are this company is simply looking for a quick collaboration, or they're spam.

3. IS THE PRODUCT RELEVANT?

    I think as an Influencer, trying a range of products is great - but only if it's relevant to your content and/or if you're genuinely passionate about the product itself. You don't want to be that Influencer who makes content on Beauty hacks but you're promoting a Home Improvement brand. 

    It's not exactly bad if you can present in a way that isn't too commercial like, but it won't look great. Just because a company is offering you a free product and great money with it doesn't mean you have to accept it.  Doing so could lead to your audience losing trust in you and you losing your credibility as an Influencer. 

4. DO THEY MENTION A BUDGET?

    A budget is a companies ability to financially compensate you for the work you do for them. If anywhere in the email budget is not mentioned; bring it up. Influencers should never shy away from the money talk because this is business after all. Remember, you're a professional with a business to maintain so compensation needs to be discussed. Something like this will work nicely:

"Hello (blank), thank you so much for reaching out to me with this lovely opportunity! Is there a budget for a project like this? I am currently only providing my services for paid collaborations only."

    While you're at it, throw in your Media Kit too and briefly explain what they can expect by working with you:

"Hello (blank), thank you so much for reaching out to me with this lovely opportunity! Is there a budget for a project like this? I am currently only providing my services for paid collaborations only. I offer a range of services including (list your services) that your company can choose from to fit your needs. I have also attached my Media Kit to this email where you will find more information on my brand, my channel analytics, collaboration history, and my rates/packages. I look forward to your response and thank you again for reaching out to me!"

    Keep it simple but straight to the point. By mentioning a budget first hand, you sift out the proposals that don't fit. If a company has a budget, all you have to do is negotiate with them. If all goes well, both parties should sign a contract (yes, as an Influencer, you need your own contract!) that finalizes the agreement. Now there are tons of resources out there that help you determine what you should set your prices at, but my favorite is a post from Tinuiti.

    If they agree to your asking price - wonderful! You're on your way to a great collaboration that works for both parties. However, be prepared for a lot of companies that will try to low-ball you. I was appalled when a company told me flat out that they didn't think I was worth my asking price - um, EXCUSE ME? Yes, you guessed it - NEXT. 

    Don't let big companies fool you into thinking that they can't pay you - they have employees of their own, all of who perform work and get paid at the end of the day.  So, why should you be viewed as being any different when you're marketing them? The only time I accepted an offer that couldn't pay me was when it was for a product that I genuinely wanted and I was excited just to have it.

5. DON'T BE PRESSURED

    Do not be pressured into doing anything that makes you cringe on first impressions. A business proposal should feel exciting, professional, and worth while. If at first you're given bad vibes or the company shows signs that you're just another Influencer to mooch off of, don't accept it. 

    Remember, you're the one with the audience that they want to be put in front of. They're asking you because they want something from you. You've already proven that you have what it takes to be successful and your hand-crafted platform can back you up on this. 

    Think about it this way. Lets say you were to accept a business proposal where the company refused to pay you what you wanted. Here is everything you would most likely end up doing for them, while you walk away tired and unappreciated:

1. Spend hours researching their brand and products
2. Spend hours if not days recording content - using your own equipment
3. Spend hours taking social media pictures - using your own equipment
4. Spend hours or days editing your videos and picking music that you will most likely need to buy
5. Spend hours typing up a blog post that has back-links, personalized photos, and embedded videos
6. Spend days away from uploading content you normally upload
7. Spend hours sifting through the right photos and editing them for social media
8. Spend hours cross promoting any videos or pictures for your post 
9. Spend hours traveling if traveling is required
10. Holding off on other paid collaborations as you dedicate your time on one campaign that isn't paying you what you want

"You're not big enough...your views are low...we're offering you exposure...you can join our affiliate program...if all goes well, we'll pay you for future campaigns...your prices are too high...we can pay you but you will need to work more for us...blah, blah, blah."

   The first paid collaboration I did went smoothly. They responded to me and liked my idea, then asked me how much I charged. I told them my price and they agreed to it; no excuses, no extra questions or having to go back and forth. Any company that tries to fight how much you should be compensated is a company you will regret working with later on. 

    If you're a bigger Influencer, you most likely have a Manager who is responsible for handling all of your collaboration offers - but majority of us don't and we're forced to learn on our own. To save yourself so many headaches, do everything proper the first time, and it's only a matter of time before the right opportunities land in your lap. Stay true to yourself though no matter how much a company tries to "buy" you.

    Do you have stories to share about your collaborations with brands? What did you do to improve your chances of finding the perfect collab for you?

Until next time! xoxo - Sarah