Goals of 2015

I know I'm a little late on this but I thought I should share my goals of 2015. I feel if I put them out in the world then I will hold myself accountable for them throughout the year. When the new year approached, of course I was thinking of ways to improve my 2015. I thought of some goals that I could try and maintain throughout the entire year. I don't like resolutions but I felt like goals would be more obtainable and give me something to work toward. Here are my goals for 2015:

1.) Read 30 books: I love to read and in 2014 I read 36 books. Because of my busy college schedule, I don't have as much time to read as I would like. I feel like 30 is a number that I can reach, especially when I have free time in the summer

2.) Save money: I am a broke college student who loves to shop and is addicted to Starbucks. When my friends and I are bored on campus, we go into town and shop. I'm really going to make an effort to save money this year and only spend on things I truly need.

3.) Get healthy: This is the goal that almost everyone makes for themselves in the new year. I hate working out but I want to try getting back into it. I was a swimmer in high school and during those months, I was in the best shape of my life. Right now, I'm in a "gym" class at my college which is helping to motivate me to go to the gym. Also, summer vacation is right around the corner and I live about 5 minutes from the beach (:

4.) Stay organized: I go through spurts where for a few months I'll be super organized but then clothes will start to pile up on my floor and dishes will be left out. I want to truly put in an effort to be organized. I feel so much better when my life is in order and I can find everything.

5.) Use up products: I have a lot of products in my collection. Like I said before, I'm a shopaholic. If I see something I want, I tend to buy it. This year, I'm going to try and use up all of my stuff completely before going out and purchasing something new. This will also help with my other goal of saving money so it's a win win!

6.) Get rid of things I don't need: This goal goes along with my other goal of organizing. I need to declutter my life. I have clothing items in my closet that I haven't worn in years but just haven't made myself get rid of yet.

Those are my goals for 2015 and hopefully I can stick with them! It'll be tough but I'm really going to put in the effort. What are some of your goals for 2015?

Top Books of 2014

I know this is a little bit late but I thought that it would still be fun and interesting to share my favorite books of 2014. All of these I gave 4 or more stars to on my Goodreads account. The books that I've listed are in no particular order.

Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson: I read this book over the summer and absolutely fell in love with the story. After her father dies, Amy's mother decides to move across the country from California to Connecticut. It is Amy's job to get their car across the country. The only problem is that Amy refuses to drive. Her mother enlists the help of an old family friend to drive with Amy to Connecticut. Together, Amy and Roger embark on an epic road trip and along the way learn more about each other. It is a great story that includes adventure, romance, and heartwarming moments. Along with the awesome story, the book also includes playlists, receipts, and other mementos from Amy and Roger's trip.

A Year in Review

2014 was a crazy year. So much happened that I can't even begin to comprehend. It seems like it went by so quickly. Though it was full of ups and downs, overall it was a pretty great year. Here are some of my highlights.

Spring Break (April 2014): This was the first year that my family decided to go away for spring break. We ended up going to Nashville, TN for about four days. Even though the weather wasn't the greatest, I still had a blast. My favorite part was going to see Wicked. It was my first time and now I'm obsessed. I also loved that I was able to spend time with my family.

Prom (April 2014): Oh my goodness. Prom was one of the highlights of my senior year. I went with a big group of my friends and we had so much fun. We all got ready together, took pictures, and headed to the venue to dance the night away. There was a photo booth with props, good food, a koi pond, and really good music. Let's just say I had a great time :)

December Favorites

December was a great month. Not only did I finish my finals early, I was able to spend most of it at home with my family and friends. December is one of my favorite months because of the Christmas feeling that is all around. In my family, we start decorating right after Thanksgiving, so when I got home, my house had been turned into a Christmas wonderland. December was a fabulous month and was a great way to end 2014.

Some of my favorite things:

Once Upon a Time Mid-Season Finale: Oh. My. This was amazing. OUAT is my favorite show and I had been anticipating the very hyped finale the entire season. I am happy to say that I was not disappointed. I spent most of the season hating the Snow Queen, but soon grew to love her. The entire #OnceisFrozen arc was fantastic and I was sad to see Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff leave Storybrooke. Although they are gone, the Queens of Darkness have teamed up with the now banished Rumpelstiltskin and I can't wait to see the havoc they wreck on the citizens of Storybrooke (plus Captain Hook survived which mean more #CaptainSwan!!!)

Christmas: This year's Christmas was fantastic. I got to spend lots of time with my family and friends. My sister, best friend Ashley, and I had a Christmas party where we ate lots of food and watched movies all night. We exchanged presents and hung out. It was so much fun. My dad's side of the family came over for Christmas Eve and we had a gift exchange. On Christmas, we went to my grandparent's house, ate breakfast, and opened gifts. Everyone was so happy and it was a great time for my family to be together.

New Years Eve: I had a very full day on New Years Eve. First, I went to my friend Katie's birthday party. We went downtown and made candles at a local shop. We went around and smelled about 100 different candle scents and picked out our top ten. After we had our top scents picked out, the workers picked out three that would fit well together. We were able to test the different scents and make our candles. Mine was hot cocoa, cinnamon spice, and candy cane scented. After the party, I went out to dinner with my family and Ashley. We then went and saw Into the Woods (which was amazing btw). When we got home, we watched the ball drop and drank sparkling grape juice. My sister, Ashley, and I stayed up until about 2:30 a.m. watching The Other Woman, That's So Raven and Lizzie McGuire. It was a great way to ring in the new year.

December was a great month and I can't wait to see what's ahead.

Winter Break So Far

I have been on winter break for about 2 weeks. I actually finished my finals early so I was able to come home a lot sooner than I expected. So far, my break has been very busy. I've hung out with friends from high school, had holiday parties, finished Christmas shopping, baked cookies, and lots more. Being home for Christmas, I expected to be busy but I didn't realize how busy I would be. Being home is completely different than being away at college. At my school, I am so used to a routine and doing homework that I sometimes forget to have fun and do something that I enjoy. Even though I've been busy during break, I am so thankful for the things that I have been able to do.

Last Thursday, my best friend Parker and I visited our favorite high school English teacher. We brought her coffee and sat and chatted for over an hour. She asked us about life and how our school years were going but then we started talking about what we wanted to do later in life. I brought up that I would love to travel around the world (another thing that I've realized over break is that I want to travel as much as possible). She asked about study abroad opportunities and where I would like to go. As I listed the places, I felt myself grow more and more excited. She and Parker both said to go after it. If it is something that I really want to do, find a way to make it happen.

For the rest of break, I'm focusing on spending time with my family and friends. I love being home and plan to enjoy myself. Break is not going to slow down for me. I have things almost everyday but I plan to make the most of it.

I hope everyone has a great Christmas and a happy New Year!!

LD

Book Lover's Gift Guide

 Hey everyone!

With the holidays coming up, I thought it would be nice to create a quick list of books that I think would make perfect gifts for that book lover in your life. Personally, I love asking for books for Christmas (my family often asks if there is anything I want besides books). I love to read and find that books can be a very personal gift to give somebody. This list contains many of my favorites and possibly some of yours. If you don't get any of these for someone on your list, maybe treat yourself and pick up some of these recommendations!

1.) The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
This is one of my favorite books in the entire world. The night circus shows up without warning and is open from dusk until dawn. Inside, two magicians named Celia and Marco have been trained since their childhoods in order to compete against each other in a fight to the death. This book is filled with magic, mystery, and a slight romance that makes you feel like you are actually at the circus.

2.) His Fair Assassin Trilogy by Robin LaFevers 
This is a recently completed historical fiction trilogy that is filled with action, adventure, and romance. It follows assassin nuns. That's right. Assassin nuns. Each book follows a different assassin but characters from the previous book usually make an appearance. It is great to see how all of their stories intertwine and how all of the characters are connected. This trilogy consists of Grave Mercy, Dark Triumph, and Mortal Heart. 

3. Throne of Glass Series by Sarah J. Maas 
If you like kick-ass female protagonists, a great love triangle, assassins, and magic, then the Throne of Glass series is perfect for you. It follows a young assassin named Cealaena Sardothien who has just been taken out of prison camp to compete to be the King's Champion. As the King's Champion, she would earn her freedom and get paid to go around doing what she does best which is assassinating people. When she agrees to compete, she doesn't realize what she has gotten herself into and soon the adventure begins. This is a fantastic fantasy series and it is personally one of my favorite series of all time. Currently, the first three books are available (Throne of Glass, Crown of Midnight, and Heir of Fire).

4.) Stephanie Perkins Novels 
Stephanie Perkins is one of the queens of contemporary YA. If you know anyone who loves a cutesy love story, pick them up a Stephanie Perkins books. All of her books are full of romance and happiness and they are the perfect pick me up, especially if you need to get out of a reading slump. (: Stephanie's books include Anna and the French Kiss (my favorite), Lola and the Boy Next Door, Isla and the Happily Ever After, and My True Love Gave To Me (a collection of short stories by various authors but edited by Perkins).

5.) Just One Day/Just One Year by Gayle Forman 
This book is so much more than it seems. When I picked it up, I thought that it was going to be a cute love story but instead, I was met with a deeper story that focused more on self-discovery. In Just One Day, the main character Allyson meets a boy named Willem while on a school trip to Europe. The two spend the entire day together and Allyson begins to fall for Willem. They stay the night together but when she wakes up, she finds Willem gone with no idea why he left. The book then follows Allyson throughout the rest of the year and her journey to find Willem and discover what happened that night. Along the way, she finds things out about herself that she never knew. It is a great story and I would highly recommend it. Just One Year, on the other hand, the same story told from Willem's point of view and is just as good as the first one.

6.) Bookmarks 
I discovered this Etsy shop a couple weeks ago and I instantly fell in love with it. It is called Craftedvan and they sell magnetic bookmarks. When you get on the shop, you can see that they have a wide variety to choose from. They have different characters from Frozen, Game of Thrones, Doctor Who, Alice in Wonderland, and many, many more. They are so cute and I already have a wish list of ones that I want (the Peter Pan ones are at the very top of that list). These are perfect for any reader and would make a great Christmas gift!

Craftedvan Link to Etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/craftedvan

I hope you guys enjoyed my book lover's gift guide!

Have a great Christmas!

Lo

Girl Online Book Review

When I first heard that Zoe Sugg was coming out with a book, I was so excited, but also very nervous. Zoe is one of my favorite YouTubers to watch and I didn't want to be disappointed. My sister picked up a copy for the day it came out and I started it over my Thanksgiving break. I finished it around midnight last night and I absolutely loved it! I was thoroughly impressed by the writing and the character development. It was a very cute and quick read that immediately brought a smile to my face.

            Girl Online follows a fifteen-year-old girl named Penny Porter who writes a blog under the name Girl Online. After a mortifying event occurs at school and the video ends up all over the internet, Penny decides to go with her parents to New York for Christmas. Once she’s in New York, she meets Noah, a musician who immediately captures her heart. The two go on adventures together while Penny is in New York. When it comes time for her to leave, things start to get complicated.

           Girl Online was an incredibly fast-paced read that I loved. I give it a 5 out of 5 stars because of its ability to keep me entertained. It was the perfect read when I needed a break from finals. I found myself not being able to put it down and having the urge to read, something I haven’t felt since college. I loved this book and it has become one of my favorites.