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What I Love Wednesday: January 8th

Happy Wednesday everyone! This is the first What I Love Wednesday of 2020, and I am so excited to dive into my favorites of the week. Since I didn’t do a What I Love Wednesday last week, I decided to add a few extras this week. Anyways, without further a due, here are my favorites of this week:

Books Unbound:

I found this podcast during a book tube binge watching session. I love this podcast, because it talks about books. I’ve already listened to half of the ten episodes, and I am obsessed with listening to this. If you love books, then this is the perfect podcast for you.

Modern Love:

I saw this book in the book store, and I read the synopsis of this show/book. It’s basically based on the column in the New York Times, and shows everyone’s love stories. I’ve already binge-watched all of the episodes, and I am obsessed.

Curious? Well heres a summary of the first few episodes. The first episode is about the relationship between a doorman and a tenant who essentially becomes a father figure in the woman’s life. The second is about the one who got away, and talks about finding a lost love. Both are excellent. I’m definitely going to continue watching it throughout the week, but it’s a swoon-worthy show that makes me tear up.

Bullet Journal:

I recently discovered this while going through the sale section of Barnes and Noble. I found a cheaper one, so I decided to try it. And, I love it. I love it, because it’s a mixture of everything. You can write down your goals for the week, you can write down the things you need to remember, and your to-do lists. I love it, because it’s a great way to also write down ideas before you forget about them.

I’ve been doing it since New Year’s Day, and it’s been helpful. Once I get the hang of it, I do plan to write a blog posts of ways to organize your bullet journal, as a way to help those who want to get started with it. After all, getting started is the hardest part.

Amazon Smart Plugs:

I recently purchased these with Kohl’s Cash for a few lamps in my house, and I am obsessed with them. I love them, because if I’m coming home later on in the day, I can use the app to turn them on. Furthermore, I like them because I can instruct Alexa to turn the lights on in different rooms — something that is super helpful in the morning so I can multi-task.

After Series:

I am obsessed with this series. Before Christmas, I watched the movie and loved it (although I hope that they make the sequel, because the ending was such a cliff hanger). I knew I had to pick up the book, as it’s a series. Last week, I started to read After and became engrossed in. The characters are infuriating, and Hardin is definitely more abusive in the book than in the movie. However, I just can’t put it down. It’s my guilty pleasure, what can I say?

I’m just starting After We Collided, and I am so excited to see what happens next in the series.

Micheal Kors Griffin Handbag:

For Christmas this year, I got a ton of TJ Maxx gift cards. So, I decided to use some of it to purchase some items for my house, and to look at their purses, since they have great deals on purses. I found this Micheal Kors purse, originally $298, marked to $79. My gift card covered it. I was so excited and loved it. I changed it that night, and have been using it ever since.

This is different than all of my standard tote bags that I’ve been using lately, and I am okay with it. After all, sometimes you just need to shake up your style, right?

Tiffany Bean Necklace:

In my Christmas wishlist, I said that I wanted this necklace. As the holiday got closer, I knew that it was going to be a hard holiday. Therefore, I wanted to get myself a little something to open on Christmas Day. So, I purchased this necklace. And, I haven’t taken it off pretty much since.

It’s a bit shorter than the necklaces than I am used to wearing, but I love it. It’s light and I can barely feel it on. It’s also really good for layering, which is cool to pair with my longer necklaces.

SV Decker Beaded Bracelets:

I’ve mentioned in a few different posts that I love SV Decker’s jewelry. Lately, I’ve been wearing a stack of her gemstone bracelets — pyrite, amethyst, and quartz. All of these are supposed to mean different things. I love them because they give me serenity (amethyst) or abundance (pyrite). And, they look good with sweaters, which is a bonus because it’s cold where I live.

What have you been loving? Let me know in the comments below.

Book Vs. Movie: The Kissing Booth

Whenever a book is turned into a movie, I usually read a book and forget about the movie. Case in point, The Sun Is Also A Star. However, here’s an instance when I actually watched the movie prior to reading the book. Actually, I watched the movie while reading the book – not at the same time, but you know what I mean.

This book is The Kissing Booth by Beth Reekles. Last year, it was made into a movie onto Netflix, and I decided to give it a try. I decided to post about this one, because the sequel of the book is about to come out and I’m super excited to read it.

Summary:

The Kissing Booth is about Rochelle “Elle” who harbors a crush on her best friend’s brother, Noah aka Flynn to their high school crowd. Flynn is the typical bad boy – you know, the type to get into fights, and has a reputation for being a bit of a player. He is forbidden for Elle to date.

However, Elle soon learns that her crush is not one sided at the school’s carnival’s kissing booth, where they share a dynamic kiss. They soon enter in a relationship that they keep a secret from everyone that they know – including Elle’s best friend Lee.

Once the cat gets out of the bag, the two have to figure out whether the risk of being criticized is worth it.

Differences:

So, the biggest one is that the relationship is more forbidden in the movie than in the book. In the movie, there was a list of rules that Lee and Elle created. One of the biggest? The whole dating Noah thing. Once Lee did find out, he was much more upset about it in the movie than in the book.

Furthermore, another big difference is that you can see how Noah is more of a violent person in the book. He gets into a lot of fights, and the scenes are actually shown in the book. The movie doesn’t show it as much. You can also see how Noah is protective of Elle more in the book as well, especially as she goes out on several dates with different guys – something that isn’t shown in the movie.

In addition, the book and movie have a few differences in the smaller details department. One of them. Is how Elle’s mom died. In the movie, she died of cancer. In the book, she died in a car crash.

Overall:

So, which one did I like better? I definitely enjoyed the book. While I thought the movie was really well done, and I did enjoy it, the book’s many different sub plots that weren’t in the movie were definitely more interesting and wasn’t just a romantic moment after another.

I also liked some of the scenes in the book that weren’t featured in the movie, such as when Noah takes Elle to a candy shop as part of her birthday present. I loved that scene in the book, because it really shows how much Noah loves Elle. I definitely wish that was something that was in the movie.

Finally, what I loved about the story was the ending. So many romance novels – especially teen ones – show a couple with an endless happy ending. In this book (spoiler), Elle isn’t sure about her future with Noah. I think that is more realistic than many of the other novels on the market. This is something that I liked, because it doesn’t have the standard cookie cutter happy ending that you see in many novels.

Therefore, if you are looking for a swoon worthy book or movie, be sure to check this one out.

December 2019 Reading Wrap Up

Happy New Year! I rounded out this year by reading 98 books. This December, I read a grand total of nine books. Many of them were the warm and fuzzy holiday rom com reads. But, I did have a few others in there.

Curious?

Well, check out my list, and find out:

Christmas Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella: Five stars
We Met in December by Rosie Curtis: Five stars
I Love You So Mochi by Sarah Kuhn: Three stars
Snow in Love by Various Authors: Three Stars
10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston: Five stars
25 Days ‘Til Christmas by Poppy Alexander: Four Stars
The Hell With the Hustle by Jefferson Bethke: Five Stars
Seven Days of Us by Francesca Hornak: Four stars
Hearts, Strings, and Other Breakable Things by Jacqueline Firkins: Five stars

What did you read in the last month of 2019? Let me know in the comments below.

Books I Want to Read in 2020

There are so many books that I want to read this year. Some are books that have been on my TBR (to be read) list for a while. Others have been books I’ve been discovering lately. That said, this year I am going to read them.

Curious? Here’s the list:

After series by Anna Todd
Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
China Rich Girlfriend and Rich People Problems by Kevin Kwan
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
I Owe You One by Sophia Kinsella
Meg and Jo by Virginia Kantra
The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory
American Royals by Katherine McGee
The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abby Waxman

Have you read any of these? Please let me know in the comments below.

Goals For 2020

Happy New Year and Happy 2020! I know. I still can’t believe that we are in 2020.

Like many of you out there, I have come up with a list of resolutions that I want to complete this year. This year, I want to focus on trying to create new, healthy habits versus punishing myself for a habit. I want to take 2020 as a year to grow. Therefore, here are my goals for the upcoming year. Well, some of them. There are a few that I want to keep for myself for personal reasons:

Doing Workouts That I Love: I’ve done Jillian Micheals so many times. To me, it’s more like a punishment than a workout, which is something that I don’t like about exercise. Add in the fact that I’ve hurt myself, and it’s something that I really want to stop doing. I’ve found that I love kickboxing, yoga, and Zumba a lot to the point where I actually enjoy working out. Therefore, I want to instead of doing workouts that are painful, doing something that I enjoy.
To Watch More TV Shows/Movies: I am the worst at binge watching tv shows because it is so hard for me to sit down and actually watch them. That, and I had crappy WiFi. However, this year I began to watch a lot more shows and movies than ever before. I have Disney Plus, Prime TV, and of course, Netflix. My goals are to watch some Disney Channel (you know the old school ones like Lizzie McGuire and Hannah Montana) and the Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. I also can’t wait for P.S I Still Love You, so I am going to binge watch that with To All of the Boys I Loved Before. Needless to say, I’m going to have a lot more to watch this year.
Read 52 Books: Every year, I always implement a reading challenge. And, every year, I always exceed the amount of books that I read. This year, I want to try to read one book a week at least. I have a bookstagram, so that always serves as a motivation to read. However, I want to slow down and smell the roses when it comes to reading. I want to read books and savor them just a bit more. And, I noticed that at the end of this year, I’ve been reading less. Therefore, one book a week is an easy goal to achieve.
Write in my Journal More: I want to really begin to make journaling a regular habit of mine, because it’s really helpful as an outlet. Furthermore, I just want to write more creatively as a whole. I want to write more fiction and poetry as well, because writing is a great way to relieve stress.
Declutter/Get Organized: Reorganizing my house is a huge priority of mine. I have so much clutter that it’s not even funny. One of my goals is to clean out and get rid of as much junk as possible, especially since I am planning to move in the next few years. Having less clutter is something that will take a while, so if I take it off piece by piece, it’s something that could be done.
Save More Money: In the past year, I’ve learned so much about money. I’ve learned how to save and am trying to limit my spending. In the new year, I want to add to my savings, and just try to be more frugal.
Blog: This last one is just me trying to grow my blog, meet bloggers, and just try to have a larger following.

What are your resolutions? Let me know in the comments below.

Sometimes, The Grieving Need Space

Without a doubt, this was one of the worst Christmases that I had. It wasn’t because of anyone, no event, nor was it because I was not without a place to go and presents under the tree. It was because it was the first without my mother.

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about the grieving and mourning process. Holiday time is the worst time for grieving. It is a time to be happy, yet you are clouded with memories with your deceased, which turns a good occasion into a painful one.

This Christmas, I kept busy. I spent it with family and I made the effort to show up for them. However, I know many people who are grieving that are choosing to spend the holidays away from people — which is something that I can see.

Honestly, I wish that there was more understanding about grief and how everyone grieves. Some people want to spend their holidays with their loved ones, and that’s truly great. Others would rather be alone. Both are okay.

Have you ever had someone try to just belittle you for grieving? For instance, if you express repeatedly that it’s something that you may not want to do or are uncomfortable doing, only to be greeted with a well, we still want to see you, or don’t you want to spend it with family.

Sure, it’s nice to be invited somewhere. That is something that is so awesome. But, I hate that people put pressure on those who are grieving to attend and be okay. Newsflash: it won’t ever be the same for them again. And, they may fall apart. In my case, it’s because my mother passed away practically overnight. In others, it’s saying goodbye to a sibling or a spouse. Whatever the case may be, it’s a process. Everyone grieves differently. Sometimes, it’s just giving yourself the space to grieve.

And, you have to be okay with that.

I spent the holidays with people, and I will say this: it is pretty hard to try to be happy. When I’m with people, I constantly feel a pressure to put on a smile and be sociable even though it was killing me to do so. Sure, this is strength. And, I know that if I chose to spend the holiday in my bed, it still wouldn’t change the fact that my mother is deceased. I know my mom wouldn’t want me in bed, but that’s where I wanted to be.

However, I want to keep it real here. No one should ever critique someone for simply trying to do what’s best for them. No one should call them selfish by trying to put their needs first. No one should try to make them do something they are not ready to do. It’s self care, damn it. And, it’s definitely not selfish.

I’m not trying to say that you are not being helpful. But, I wish that we can change the dialogue that we have with each other to be more focused on the individual’s needs and to let the grieving just be.

So, if you know someone who is grieving, here’s a tip: try to be more understanding. Listen to their needs. Sure, it’s awkward for you, but they are trying to be honest — which is a hard thing to do. What you can do in return is try to meet them in the middle.

Blogmas 25: What I Love About Christmas

Merry Christmas readers! I still can’t believe I completed all 25 days of Blogmas! I hope that whoever is reading this is having an awesome Christmas! Here’s what I love about Christmas:

Cookies:

This goes without saying — the best part about the holiday is the Christmas cookies. For me, just one bit instantly puts me into the Christmas spirit. Everyone has their favorite, but mine is either gingerbread or those Pillsbury printed ones.

Holiday books:

I love reading holiday themed books throughout the month of December, because they instantly put me into the holiday mood. For me, they are like Hallmark Channel movies. I am currently on my last one, and I’m loving them.

Holiday movies:

This year I have not watched that many holiday movies other than the Charlie Brown Christmas special which is a given at my house. I do love holiday movies, because they give me the warm and fuzzy feeling of the holidays. My goal is of course to watch a few of the holiday movies before December 31st.

That said, I also have been watching the Great Christmas Light Fight all holiday season — which is one of my favorites.

Decorating the Christmas Tree:

This is my favorite part of the season, because I love looking at all of the ornaments and thinking about the memories associated with them. This year, I decorated three: my own, my boyfriend’s, and my father’s tree.

Of course, this one is one that I will always remember my mom loving. One year, she stayed up all night trying to decorate the tree for me. She was particular about the beads, and she always made sure that it was perfect. When I put up my tree this year, it was one of the most emotional things I did during this holiday season. However, getting the opportunity to decorate my own tree was something special as well.

The Music:

For the month of December, I am jamming. From Band-Aid, to Mariah Carey, to She and Him, I am listening to Christmas music. I have a playlist on Spotify with my favorite songs that I have linked above.

Starbucks Holiday Drinks:

I wish that they can serve peppermint mochas, gingerbread lattes, and all of the holiday menu at Starbucks all year long. To quote Ryan Reynolds in the Proposal, it’s like Christmas in a cup. And, I agree. Starbucks seems to taste better during the holiday season. Therefore, these are my favorite part of the holiday season.

What are your favorite parts about the holiday? Let me know in the comments below.

Blogmas Day 24: Traveling for the Holiday? Here are Some Tips to Make It Easier On Your Dog

Dogs are a part of the family. Therefore, you bet they are a part of your holiday celebration — whether they are going to grandma’s the next town over or in the next state.

However, having a dog around can be a bit stressful — on you and the dog. So, here are some tips to make it easier on your puppy:

Bring the essentials: This goes without saying — make sure your pup has their food, medications if they need any, water bowls, and treats. However, you may also want to pack a few other important items in the bag. This includes: their favorite toys, their bed, and their blanket. The more familiarity, the better off you are.
Make sure they get enough walks: I have a Jackabee, and she has a lot of energy. Therefore, make sure that you walk your dog and that you make sure that they have adequate amount of exercise. Actually, one thing that I would suggest is make sure that you go out for a longer walk than needed. That way, they’ll be calmer, and not bouncing around the car.
Keep their routine (as much as possible): Being in a new environment is super overwhelming for them. Therefore, make sure that they keep their routine. Do they eat at 7 a.m.? Make sure to feed them. Do you go for a walk at 9 a.m.? Do the same. The more routine you keep, the better off you are.
Communicate: This is key. For instance, make sure that everyone knows that you are bringing your dog. Make sure that they know not to feed her chocolate. Also, one of the biggest things that you can do is make sure that everyone knows how your dog behaves. For instance, I let everyone who Lucy encounters — especially those who actually don’t have dogs — that she is super jumpy. That way, they know what to expect.
Don’t give them these: I think that we all can agree not to give your puppy chocolate. But, be sure to keep poinsettias away too. My dog is curious and gets into pretty much everything. Therefore, make sure that everyone knows to tell the puppy to stay away from these items.
Make sure you stop: Finally, if you’re traveling more than a few hours, make sure you stop to both walk them and make sure they use the bathroom. They will appreciate it!

Blogmas Day 23: A Little Message About Holidays and Significant Others

“Where’s Eric?”

“Why couldn’t Eric make it?”

“Does Eric not like us?”

Those are just a few of the many things that I have been asked about during holiday family gatherings during the two years that I’ve been dating my boyfriend. To be honest, I feel as though that’s something that we honestly don’t talk about balancing every family gathering during the holiday season. Honestly though, it’s super overwhelming.

First and foremost, let’s focus on the positive. It’s really great that people want our significant others are welcome to our family gatherings. It’s really great that they care about them, and their whereabouts to, because it shows that they care that they have a place to go during the holiday season.

That said, we’re going to be honest here — it’s pretty overwhelming.

We all have a lot of family — mom’s side, dad’s side, etc. Since my parents are divorced, for me there are two separate celebrations. My boyfriend has a lot of family gatherings as well since he has a big family. Needless to say, there are a lot of holiday parties to hit. And since many of us can’t be in the same place at the same time, it means that sometimes that we have to miss a celebration. And sometimes, this means that we have to go to things separate.

After all, everyone has their own traditions.

Let’s just make this clear right now: he is not obligated to go to every family function. And, that’s perfectly okay.

So, while my boyfriend may not be attending every single gathering, you bet that he will be there as much as he can. And, vice versa. Family is a crucial part of the holidays and sometimes as much as we would like it that they are there with us, it’s okay to miss somethings.

It’s not a snub. It just means that we’re balancing the best ways that we can. And, while he may not be there in person, please note that he is still giving you holiday wishes from wherever he is.