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Sincerely, Ashlea

The Midwest — Home Sweet Home

The Midwest

Growing up in the St. Louis area and attending college not too far away in Columbia, the Midwest was “home” for me. But it wasn’t until years after moving away that it became “home sweet home.” 

There are usually two types of people that live in the Midwest — ones that absolutely love it and can’t see themselves living anywhere else. And then there are the ones who hate it and swear they’ll leave and never look back the first chance they get. I was the latter. 

But after moving away from home in my early 20s — first temporarily to Fort Lee, VA for a 4-month military training and then to Seattle, WA in 2020 (just because I wanted to escape to the West Coast) — I finally have a better appreciation for the Midwest. To be more specific, I was born in St. Louis and then raised in what was back then a quaint little town surrounded by cornfields called Edwardsville, IL. It has since blossomed into a booming suburb. 

For my parents, it was an ideal and safe place to raise a family, which meant for myself as a teenager it was boring as hell. 

Fast forward to 2015, I moved to Columbia, MO (aka COMO), just an hour and a half away, to attend Columbia College — the best private school in a super cute but totally wild party town — as well as Mizzou and Stephens College  Yes, I attended all three schools in town, and not because I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life, but more because I thoroughly enjoyed school and wanted to take advantage of all the opportunities I could get. 

CC was my school full-time with smaller classes that allowed for developing closer relationships with your professors and be involved in a lot of different groups — shout-out to the best Communication and English departments that literally became my family; Mizzou was where I took my Army ROTC classes (lots of horrid memories there lol, but that’s a story for another time) and played violin in the University Philharmonic Orchestra; and Stephen’s was where I dabbled in film classes back when my dream was to be a screenwriter and director before horribly bombing my interview with the UCLA Film Directing Graduate Program. 

Looking back on it all, I had a hell of a time. I just didn’t see myself living there after college and finding a job that was actually interesting.               

The Midwest — Columbia MO
Shakespeare’s Pizza in Downtown COMO
The Midwest — St. Louis MO
The Fabulous Fox Theater in Downtown STL
The Midwest — Columbia MO
Missouri Theatre in Downtown COMO
The Midwest — Columbia MO
Columbia College Cougar Village Apartments
The Midwest — Columbia MO
Brookside Apartments Rooftop Pool in Downtown COMO
The Midwest — Columbia MO
Columbia College Campus
The Midwest — Columbia MO
Faurot Field at Mizzou
Columbia College Campus

The Midwest — Columbia MO
International Tap House in Downtown COMO
The Midwest — Columbia MO
The Quad at Mizzou
The Midwest — Columbia MO
Shot Bar in Downtown COMO
The Midwest — Columbia MO
Missouri Theatre in Downtown COMO
The Midwest — Columbia MO
Mizzou Army ROTC Crowder Hall
The Midwest — Columbia MO
The Quad at Mizzou
The Roof at Broadway Hotel in Downtown COMO
The Midwest — Columbia MO
St. Louis Art Museum

The Midwest — Edwardsville, IL
Oak Brook Golf Club in Edwardsville, IL
Mizzou Army ROTC Crowder Hall
The Midwest — Edwardsville, IL
Oak Brook Golf Club in Edwardsville, IL
Someone’s college apartment at Mizzou
Tiger Hotel in Downtown COMO
Sophia’s Restaurant in COMO West Side
Ballpark Village in Downtown STL
The Quad at Mizzou

But enough backstory on my college years…

Despite how lifeless St. Louis can seem compared to other cities, it actually has some pretty cool neighborhoods and things to do if you know the right places to go. 

Since moving to Seattle, one of my first trips back home was on a little “book tour” where my family and I went around to about 20 different incredible bookstores and sold my fiction novel — and I’ll definitely have to post a separate blog on this because there are some little-known bookstores you just have to visit in St. Louis that I went my entire life not knowing about until coming back. 

During that trip, I had a book signing at the Barnes & Noble in Fenton and it was also the first time I had taken my boyfriend back home with me. Because my boyfriend had never been to St. Louis before, this forced me to put aside my distaste towards the place I grew up (and swore I’d never come back to) and do all the touristy things you can do in three days. 

From attending a Blues hockey game to downing the absolute freshest beer on a beer tour at the Anheuser-Busch Brewery, eating Imo’s pizza and exploring the beautiful Forest Park, we actually had a ton of fun! 

On another hand, I knew I missed my college town of Columbia, MO the moment I moved out to Seattle, WA. Don’t get me wrong, the PNW has its perks, but finding quaint little coffee shops you can walk to without worrying about crime or paying $8 for a latte is near impossible out in this bustling West Coast city.  

And I’m totally not saying I would ever want to move back to COMO just for a cozy coffee shop or an affordable, crime-free (sort of) downtown, but I definitely get nostalgic thinking about all the many restaurants, bars, clubs, and shops that my friends and I enjoyed quite thoroughly on the daily basis. 

Oh yeah, and I just recently moved back to the Midwest in September 2022! Not by choice exactly…my boyfriend just landed a new job that has brought us to Chicago, IL, which I’m so excited to explore more of. 

But enough said — hop in and enjoy the blog to discover my favorite places in the Midwest!   

Explore the Midwest
The Midwest

My boyfriend Aidan and I at a St. Louis Blues hockey game

angel_ashlea

Author 🤓📚 SHE THAT BRAVES THE PAGE. ✍🏽 Content Creation, Beauty + Wellness, & Style ✨ Multipassionate #entrepreneur 🛩🌏👠🎻🎹🍵⛳️ Sincerely, Ashlea 💋 #lifestyleblogger 💋 www.aehearn.com

angel_ashlea
For the past three months I’ve literally become For the past three months I’ve literally become so OBSESSED with the Peloton that I had to blog about it as the best at-home workout. 🤪 @onepeloton seriously has me addicted to working out, like I have NEVER been willing to exercise more than once a day or more than an hour at a time until I discovered this magical bike, and I’ve officially hit 50+ rides since October!

Head to the link in my bio to read my newest post “A Fun Workout Class You’ll Become Totally Obsessed With: The Peloton Bike” that includes...

 🚲 All the iconic and personable trainers you never knew you needed (including my all-time favorite baddie @fitxkendall who slays me in shape every single day and pushes me so hard in her metal and punk rock rides to break my own records! And my other favorites SO FAR ➡️ @robinnyc @codyrigsby @alextoussaint25 @milamariana)

🚲 My favorite playlists (with everything from metal, to club bangers, hip hop and pop, throwbacks, and artist highlights like @linkinpark and @badbunnypr)

🚲 Thousands of classes to give riders so much variety

🚲 Plus my experience of actually getting way stronger, unlike typical cardio workouts

Grab a Peloton or a find a new apartment building with a Peloton (like I did on accident when I moved to Chicago) and add me as a friend @ Ashlea777 😝

Happy riding! 

#peloton #onepeloton #pelotonstrength #pelotonweightloss #pelotonbike #athomeworkout #cycling #spinclass #bike #bikelife #bikelovers #pelotoncommunity #pelotonfamily
The tea has officially been served! ☕ For my St. The tea has officially been served! ☕ For my St. Louis friends or those visiting, I want to take a minute to rave about my amazing Afternoon Tea experience on NYE at @chouquettestl — a beloved neighborhood bakery in Tower Grove with French pastries and a New Orleans twist that has captured both my heart and my stomach. 

Head to the link in my bio and read my new blog, "La Patisserie Chouquette: A Must-Visit Boutique Bakery in St. Louis" for all the yummy details on...

🫖 Afternoon Tea
🍰 Stunning custom cakes
🍪 So many colorful macarons (plus a monthly subscription for my macaron fiends)
🧁🧋 Other yummy desserts & drinks

Be sure to visit their recent posts or the link in their bio to check out the special menu for their next Afternoon Tea that will have you saying, "cucumber sandwiches, who?" (Although I adore a good cucumber sandwich). 

Chicago friends and visitors, I'll be bringing you a detailed review of Afternoon Tea at @thedrakechicago very soon — so stay tuned for more tea time! 🍵 #afternoontea #teatime #tealover #lapatisseriechouquette #stlouis #tea #explorestlouis #bakery #lapatisserie #frenchpastry #neworleansstyle #neworleansfood
You will never catch me without a carb 🍔🍽️ You will never catch me without a carb 🍔🍽️ I exaggerate for effect LOL — I'm no stranger to a carb-less meal but completely cutting them out? No, thank you.

It’s the first week of the year which means not only are a lot of people crowding the gyms but they're trying out new "diets." One in particular I’ve been hearing about a lot is the Keto Diet and using it for weight loss, so I decided to do some of my own research and share my findings about Keto, how it works, and also some of the downsides most people don’t understand before actually trying it. 

✨ Check out my new blog, “Weight Loss & Keto - What They Don't Tell You About This Low-Carb Diet”

For me, the key to eating healthy (and enjoying life) is all about balance, and the BEST way to approach weight loss in general is simply being calorie deficit combined with being somewhat active. So I’m not a fan of this diet or its harsh restrictions, which a lot of people are finding isn't very sustainable or realistic and has even been said to make them sick. 

But I’m curious though — have you tried the Keto Diet and found that it actually worked with lasting results?? And if it did work, what happened when you finally reached your goal and stopped using the diet plan altogether? Let me know in the comments below. 👇🏽

#ketodiet #ketoweightloss #keto #newyear #2023 #newyearnewme #diet #fitness #fitnessgoal #healthyeating #lifestyleblogger #healthblogger
Showing up for 2023 wearing pops of pink and busin Showing up for 2023 wearing pops of pink and business suit-powerful 😝👠💋 #2023
Playing Betty Crocker the baker this morning 🍪 Playing Betty Crocker the baker this morning 🍪 Our Angel gingerbread cookies may have turned out to look more like lumpy Halloween ghosts but the Christmas spirit is still alive! 🎄🎁 #merrychristmas #gingerbreadcookies #bakingtime
Christmas in Chicago is officially LIT thanks to o Christmas in Chicago is officially LIT thanks to our first day of actual snow today and holiday displays like this one! 🎄❄️🎁 Just be sure if you’re visiting @jackfrostwinterfest that you bring hand warmers!!! ⛄️ #chicago #jackfrost #christmastime #christmasinchicago #decemeber #winter #holidaypopup #iceskating #holidaylights #holidayspirit
Anyone who's known me over the last couple years k Anyone who's known me over the last couple years knows how absolutely OBSESSED I am with @orangetheory and consider myself an avid Orangetheorist! So it was about time that I finally got around to writing about how incredibly life-changing this gym has been for me, teaching me to appreciate and genuinely love working out. 

The OTF fam provides so many perks such as...

🧡 1,357 locations around the U.S.
🧡 A fun group workout environment with awesome trainers
🧡 BOMB music and playlists that make you feel like you're in the hottest club
🧡 A well-rounded, full-body workout instead of a "death by cardio" concept
🧡 In-house competitions for both hardcore gym nuts and beginners 
🧡 And community bonding!

Head to my NEW BLOG "Learning to Love Working Out with Orangetheory Fitness" using the link in my bio for details on my experience over the years and how you can try it for free and revamp your exercise routine.

And shout-out to my Washington State studios who welcomed me in like family — I will totally miss you guys!!! 🔥 @otf_laketapps 🔥@otf_southhill 🔥

#orangetheory #orangetheoryfitness #orangetheorynation #workingout #fitness #fitnessjourney #fitnessmotivation #workoutroutine #workoutfamily #wellness #wellnessjourney #wellnesswednesday #lifestyle #lifestyleblogger
Luxury furniture meets modern art at 3 Arts Club C Luxury furniture meets modern art at 3 Arts Club Café and RH Chicago - also known as Restoration Hardware, an upscale American home-furnishing company. 

This has easily become one of my fave new places in Gold Coast for a few reasons:

🍷 The wine vault (yes, you read that right)
🌲 An ambiance that feels like you’re dining in a garden surrounded by olive trees
🖼️ And interior design as a total art form

Read all about this chic experience in my newest blog at the link in bio 🍵 #chicago #goldcoast #visitchicagoland #visitchicago #furniturelovers #interiordesign #artgallery #artlovers #chic #cafe #artandwine #winelover
Fellow foodies, look no further for a reason to bo Fellow foodies, look no further for a reason to book your cruise aboard Radiance of the Seas with @royalcaribbean and read all about my experience on-board the ship in my new blog “Radiance of the Seas, An Alaskan Cruise for Foodies and Families.”

You’ll find all the details on:

💰Ticket sales
🎭 Planning your itinerary 
⛳️ Ship amenities
🧖🏾‍♀️ The spa
🛏️ Rooms with major views
🍽️ And all-you-can-eat decadent meals and desserts

Stay tuned for future blogs on all the fun things I did in Alaska and experiences you’ll want to book for your trip too! 🌊

#royalcaribbean #radianceoftheseas #cruise #cruiseship #alaskancruise #foodies #allinclusive #planyourtrip #vacay #travelblog #foodblog
She’s perky, she’s fun, and now she’s number She’s perky, she’s fun, and now she’s number one, k-kick it Torence, T-t-t-torence 📣 #bringiton #halloween
Love coming to Free Enterprise Summit each year an Love coming to Free Enterprise Summit each year and hearing from so many generations of successful entrepreneurs from all across the country, including my own business mentors! What a time to be alive. If you’re not making money 24 hours a day, you’re doing it wrong baby 😝🔥 #freeenterprise #denver #entrepreneurship
We definitely got the look wrong for an 80s-themed We definitely got the look wrong for an 80s-themed ski bar…⛷️🌃 #chicago
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