Busy Season

Most people have a “busy season” for work… A time when you barely have a minute to go to the bathroom, let alone take a lunch break. For accountants, it’s in March and April. If you’re in sales, it’s probably the end of each month. For bloggers, it’s usually September-December (or SOND as a friend recently called it).

Brands start wanting to promote their products for back to school shopping and for holiday sales. And as someone who worked in marketing for years, I can tell you that marketing and PR budgets are usually much bigger in Q4 for that reason! Influencer relations is usually a part of that spend.

So why am I telling you this?

Because every year around this time, you probably notice a spike in sponsored posts on Instagram and your favorite blogs. Now that I mention it, you definitely notice it right? You’ve probably even noticed it on mine!

SOND is when I usually make 75% of my income for the entire year through affiliate links and sponsored posts. To read more about how sponsored posts work at Lemon Stripes, you can read this post I wrote last year with a few edits that I added in yesterday. Side bar, I love seeing my little prego belly in the photo there. I can’t believe there was ever a time when I didn’t know Amalia! So crazy…

Also around this time every year, my blogger pals and I start taking some heat for taking on sponsored content which always feels like a big blow.

Because of sponsored posts, I’m able to create the content I love year-round and keep this site afloat.

I know sometimes it’s not fun to see a ton of it happening and sometimes it can feel disingenuous. Trust me, I get it. I try hard to make sure that when I have a brand paying me to write about it, that I include other helpful content instead of a straight product review (for example with Crest last week). Sometimes brands request full on reviews (Like with this stroller review) but I always tell them that I’m going to be 100% honest and list negative aspects if there are any before we sign any contracts. I also try not to take on more than 2-3 of those posts a year and make sure it’s only for products that I’m really obsessed with.

So the point of this post is to let you know that you may be seeing more sponsored content coming down the pipe on Lemon Stripes over the next three months. Nothing too crazy, but just expect it here and more so on Instagram.

Now on to a (not sponsored but gifted) note on my new Barbour jacket! I’ve always been a Barbour kind of gal, but somehow have never owned a classic quilted one. Since I was a teenager, I’ve worn waxed Barbours in the fall and spring. The smell of them makes me feel at home. That might sound weird but my dad always had a bunch of them which gave our mudroom growing up that waxed smell and it always makes me feel nostalgic.

But Tuckernuck sent me my first quilted Barbour and I love it. It’s so classic and great for this season where it’s not too cold but you need an extra layer. I didn’t even realize this until I started writing this post, but they actually have an entire (amazing) Barbour editorial on their site right now too. First time Barbour-buyers always ask me if they’re worth the high price point and my answer is always yes.

The quality is unbeatable, they just get better with age, and their customer service is incredible. Anel had a huge rip in his, and when he sent his to get re-waxed (we send ours every 2-3 years), they patched it up for him for under $50 (I can’t remember the exact price). Now it looks even cooler than when it was new!

Sadly they sent me this stuff a while ago and the sweater is now sold out in most sizes but I found this similar one at a fraction of the cost. Whenever I post these jeans on social, people say they’re the perfect cut and color and I agree! They are great for people with shorter legs because they’re ankle jeans (which fit like regular jeans for me). PS they look a little loose in these photos because I realized I had to size down. I have since exchanged them for a smaller size and they fit a lot better (seen here). They’re super stretchy so I recommend sizing down for sure.

Turtleneck Sweater / Barbour Jacket / Tortoise Earrings / 7 For All Mankind Jeans / Suede Slides / All products gifted by Tuckernuck.