Top 5: August 2019

I'm here to admit something: Top 5 posts are no longer doing so well on this blog. People tell me how much they love this 'series' but they don't ever read them apparently (according to my stats page). I think I'm still going to continue them because I, MYSELF, like to look back on what I liked in the past. And I like writing them, so there's that aspect, too.

So before I say more, there is an affiliate link on this page. I actually love the website and love what I bought from it before, so I'm really excited.

1) Guest Posting. You all know I love writing (hence this blog...and my book...) and I've always enjoyed writing things for other blogs too. Which is slightly weird because why wouldn't I just write it on my own blog? I think it's because I like getting a topic to write about that I didn't think of before, if that makes sense. I've only written a guest post for 2 sites so far and I'm working on 1 right now but I really enjoy sharing my stories to different audiences.

2) Skinnydip London. Oh boy, do I love this site. I've followed them on Instagram for years and I finally bought my first items from their site recently. They really do have everything: clothing, sunglasses, bags, accessories, ect. They don't have plus size clothing, which is a bummer, but I just bought a backpack for my vacation this October and it's BEAUTIFUL. I got it on sale for $15 and when it came in the mail, it came in a cute pink colored bag and I was so happy that it was a sturdy backpack. I also ordered a choker that was a little small (I added a chain to make it bigger) but after that it fit perfectly! (I added a picture of the backpack below)

Click this banner to visit Skinnydip London! Their sale section is on FIRE right now!

3) BLOW by Ed Sheeran feat. Chris Stapleton and Bruno Mars.

This song does NOT sound like an Ed Sheeran song but it's amazing nonetheless. It's definitely a rock/pop vibe and I crank it so loud in my car. 

4) Rice Bowls. So here I am, in the grocery store part of my work, wanting something quick to eat on my break. I'm roaming the frozen isle and there I see it, something I've never seen before: a garlic butter and shrimp rice bowl. I had no one what it was but it sounded great so I bought it. I heated it up in the break room (it only took 4 minutes) and holy cow I was obsessed. It tasted so good that I'm going to try and make a homemade one sometime. 

Here's the link if you want more information: XX

5) Yungblud Concerts. Yungblud is a singer, not a 5 Seconds of Summer song that's all over the radio. Long story short, Yungblud is pop/rock, a little vulgar, and puts on one heck of a concert. I've been to 2 Yungblud concerts in July and he has SO much energy that you won't ever be bored. You'll always be jumping and singing along. I missed meeting him both times (and I'm devastated because we were SO close!) but one day I will! I swear it!! 

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Cheers to the Adult Years

When I was little, I loved my birthday: presents, cake, and friends. What more could you ask for? I turned into a young adult and starting hating my birthday because I was TIRED of being alive and TIRED of getting older.

I was 21 when I started to really despise my birthday.

I remember crying in group therapy because that year was suppose to be my last year on Earth and I was still here. I felt like a failure and hated that I had to keep living. For the next couple years, I blew  out my birthday candles with a smile that I didn't mean. 

Every year that I could remember, no matter what I was going through on my birthday, my birthday wish was "to be happy". Even though I was hoping to die, I had SOME hope, it turns out. 

When I turned 24 years old, I had a new job and on a whim, invited my coworkers to my birthday breakfast. Just my new coworkers and I. And 99% of them showed up. I couldn't believe it. People who barely knew me showed up at 7 am (even though some people had to work later that day!) to celebrate ME. Someone brought me a cake and then someone came in with balloons. I was overwhelmed. I then went to see a movie later that night with some different friends and people drove far, just to see a movie that turned out to be awful, because it was my birthday. I still can't wrap my head around it. I started to really like my birthday. 

My birthday that just happened on July 25th 2019, I turned 26 years old. For those of you who've seen me, whether it be in person or in pictures, I'm seriously 26, not 17 (I SWEAR! I JUST LOOK YOUNG!!) I decided to have a birthday party at my house and invited a bunch of people. It was kind of just a thrown together kind of party, with mix matched napkins, and balloons that didn't go with a color scheme. 

Now, I've thrown a couple parties this year and only a few people came. I had one random party earlier this year where I spent a TON of money and invited SO many people and only 2 people showed up. I cried and was sadder than I thought I would be. So when it came to my birthday this year, I was hoping people would show up.

Many people cancelled. Many people didn't even acknowledge that I invited them. I was a little heartbroken but they didn't realize how important that day was for me. The people who DID show up were people I could always count on in my life and who love me, and that's who I really wanted to celebrate with. 

Why was my birthday so important to me now? It's because it's a day about me. To show people I've made it. I'm ALIVE. It was this year when I realized that birthdays are something to celebrate, not mourn. 

People like to always say "I hate birthdays because I hate getting older" and trust me, I've been there, I get it. But getting older is inevitable and getting older gives you more time to LIVE. To discover yourself. To find out what you like, what you're good at. You have more time to love. More time to start new friendships.  

On your next birthday, just know that I'll be cheering you on. Why? Because you're still here and you deserve to be celebrated. 

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Top 5: June 2019

               For this top 5, there are some affiliate links, but I only work with people and brands that I like and that I would, myself, use. I would never lead you astray!!! Now let’s talk about my favorite things this month!

1) Book Outlet. I’ve seen #BookOutletHaul hastags on Instagram and as a reader, I was interested. Instagram users were taking pictures of piles of books and it looked beautiful. I decided to order a book I’ve always wanted: It by Alexa Chung. I ended up loving the book and loving the company. They have SO many books for a lower price. They have books 50%-90% of their list price! I got my book for $5.50 instead of $18.00. I was so happy. Click the banner below to check out Book Outlet and shop! 

2) Simple Syrup. I've been making syrups this summer like crazy. Mint and Lavender are my specialties. I've been selling them too and people really like them. You can use them in tea, lemonade, coffee, and cocktails. Or other things that you can think of! I don't want to give away MY recipe, but you can find other recipes on Pinterest!

3) Mother's Daughter by Miley Cyrus. This song is not for everyone but I think it's really catchy. Her new EP, in my opinion, was more than terrible. Just...so bad. This is the only redeeming song. I play it all the time.

4) Connecting with Creative People. I'm the worst at keeping secrets when it comes to myself. I'm darn good at keeping other people's secrets, though. But I'm usually doing things and little projects by myself, which I really like. I have a new project coming up where I asked a friend to help me out a bit. It was really cool to partner with someone! I'm still doing it mostly by myself since she's all the way across the ocean, but it was still fun to talk creatively. 

5) Chinese Food. Yes, my taste buds are finally liking Chinese food and yes, I'm late in the game. My favorite is honey chicken from my local Chinese takeout right in front of my house. I also love crab Rangoons but I just had some last night with so many onions in it that I was turned off. It was a new place I tried and it WASN'T WORTH IT!! 

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Java House and Daily Buzz

              I go to Wisconsin, not a whole lot, but more than some people. I have a grandma who lives there, some friends, concerts are held in good venues there, and vacation spots are all around. Maybe I’ll do a post sometime on good spots in Wisconsin...ANYWAY, I decided to go on a mini solo road trip to visit my friend in Green Bay and then visit my grandma on the way, in Cedarburg. And surprise! I stopped at some coffee shops. It’s my THING these days, coffee shop hopping. But I did some reviews on 2 places I visited and wanted to share them with you! So if you’re in either of these areas, both of these shops are worth it!

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Java House

Cedarburg is a historic city with an even more historic downtown. It has all kinds of festivals and the winery there is a staple. Whenever I go there, I go to my favorite coffee, either when I get there or when I leave. Or, honestly,

sometimes both. I went the other day when I was on my road trip and I learned it was under new management. It’s still the same place I love, but I wanted to share my review of it for others to see!

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Pros: 

* My go-to drink, the peppermint patty mocha, is made all year long, it’s not seasonal!

* A large is 5.20 which I always get because it’s so darn delicious

* They have SUCH a variety of things in this little shop. Everything from foods like breakfast sandwiches with Canadian bacon to Italian soda. 

* All the drinks on my menu are under $6. But that doesn’t include things you add, so take that into consideration!

* Even though staff come and go, they are great at hiring. I have always had the friendliest interactions with the

employees!

* The decor is cozy yet rustic. By rustic I mean, the walls are peeling. BUT BUT BUT: the new owner is doing something about it and it’s going to be great (I overheard her conversation about her future plans...) There’s also a lot of worn looking wood that adds such a good touch to the vibe.

* This needs it’s own bullet point: I don’t know if they’ll keep all the furniture, but the Java House has always had these 2 sets of arm chairs that you literally sink into, they’re so comfortable. I hope they DO keep them!

* Gluten free options!

* They roast their own coffee and you can buy one of there bags of coffee (which I’ve never bought but want to!)

* It’s located in a very old and historic building which is always cool to visit. 

* The owner, who’s name is Lisa (I believe that’s what I overheard...?!), talked to me briefly and I loved her

personality so much that it made me want live closer so I could work there! She’s very bubbly and I predict that she and the Java House will thrive.

Cons:

(My least favorite part)

* My bagel was pretty dry, but really, it’s not a big deal. I had cream cheese on it, so I definitely still ate it. 

* Very small and can feel cramped at times. No one’s fault for that, just wanted to point it out so people with

claustrophobia don’t go during busy times.

Other things I want to point out:

* Java House is located on the main street of Downtown Cedarburg. The noise of the cars aren’t loud per say, but you can still hear the roar of engines or honking. This coffee shop isn’t a place to “relax”, there are always people talking or laughing (which I love), but it’s not my first choice for a place to bring my laptop to and get some work done. It has more of a jaunty atmosphere!

Location:

W63N653 Washington Ave

Cedarburg, Wisconsin

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Daily Buzz Espresso Bar

I've never been to something labeled as an "espresso bar" and I was real intrigued. I love coffee and I am always ready to try new things. It was in downtown Green Bay and it was pretty near my friend's place (where I was staying for the weekend). I didn't get to wear my "going out" outfit during this trip, so I put on my sparkly pants and gold eye shadow and went on down to downtown.


Daily Buzz is in a building that shares it's occupancy with a bar-type of place, but you know right away which way is in and out. It's more long than it is wide but it has many seats. So I ordered and sat right down! Here's my review!




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Pros:

* I ordered 2 drinks: The honey and lavender latte and later on, the Cupid's Matcha (which was matcha, honey and rose). I loved both but I loved the Cupid's Matcha the most. My friend thought it was way too floral-y, but I love the flower taste and it was right up my ally. If you want something funky and it's still around, Cupid's Matcha should be on your radar. 

* I really loved the decor in this place because of it being cliche and being "rustic", like what is very popular these days, it's more industrial. It was metal around the lights and metal/glass decor on a table. It has a black and white theme with cute little plants in all the right places.

* They have outlets everywhere! PERFECT FOR ME! My laptop doesn't work without an outlet because of the old battery and they literally have a little bar with outlets lining the top of it. Plus if you want to sit on the couch instead, there's a plug right next to it (which is where I am right at this second)

*They have a little table in the back where there are games you can play and there's some books you can read. It's super cute and fun!

*They have coat hooks. Thank heavens. A lot of coffee places don't!

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Cons:

* The staff was very monotone with me. There were a couple people working but I kept getting a barista who wouldn't smile, even when I was very bubbly to her. She could have definitely been tired AND she makes really good coffee, so I let it go. 

*The vegan brownie was...interesting. They have a bin where you can buy day old pastries for $1 and I think this brownie should have been in that bin. BUT, I usually don't eat vegan food so I don't actually know if the dryness was suppose to be acceptable with vegan food? I DON'T KNOW!!!





Location:

130 E Walnut St

Green Bay, Wisconsin

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Review: Tanologist Self Tan Water

I would like to just come out and say it: I have never tanned before. Except when I went to Miami in 2018 and my body burned so badly that I still have a line from my bathing suit a year later. Other than that, not a drop of tanner has touched my ghost-colored body. Why haven't I even tried before? I really have no idea. 

But all that has changed. 

I follow Lottie Tomlinson on social media and have for years. I have always loved seeing her endeavors and admired her beauty, inside and out. So when she came out with self tanning products, I of course wanted to support her. Since I'm from the US, I knew she recently launched some of the line at Target so I went right away to get what I could.

The face drops were already sold out and so was the mousse and I really didn't want to wait for a restock, so I grabbed the light tanning water and checked out. I went home right away, shaved my legs (because that needed to be done probably 3 months ago...don't judge me...), and then read the back of the Tanologist bottle because I had no idea what I was doing. 

It said to spray onto dry skin, use a tanning mitt to rub it on with circular motions, then shower 1-4 hours after application. 

I took a before picture of my legs (to let you know, I didn't paint my toenails and I'm allergic to mosquitos so my foot is red from a bite. I'M SORRY.) (These pictures aren't really aesthetically nice and I apologize, but they are real).

I sprayed a good amount on my legs until it was dripping a bit then started  to rub my legs in circles. The bad part was, Target doesn't sell tanning mitts so I used my hand. I know, not the smartest. The other dumb thing I did? I didn't rub any water on the tops of my feet...I DIDN'T KNOW. Make sure you include the tops of your feet! 

I waited 15 minutes until I laid on my bed and waited. And waited. After 4 hours passed, no color showed. I was confused. I DM'd Tanologist on Instagram and asked what I should do. Should I have gotten a darker color of water? Or should I wait longer? They didn't respond before I went to bed (which I get because they're in England. Time zones are different!) and my mom said to sleep with it on. So I did. 

When I woke up, I was surprised at my legs. I saw some color but lots of patches. Checked my phone and Tanologist responded and said to keep it on overnight for more color. So I was set. I took a shower right after, hoping to get rid of the really dark patches. I then noticed the back of my ankle. It looked like streaks ran down my legs. But I know I rubbed it in and I waited a while until it dried. Not sure what happened and it didn't come all the way off in the shower, just the surface of it did. 

Other than that, color definitely showed up on my legs! Some people couldn't really see it as much as I could, but then I pointed out the line on my feet and THEN they saw it. But my legs were no longer blinding! It was such a subtle difference, but I noticed. 

(OMG LOOK HOW WHITE MY FEET ARE!! But it shows that I got color!)

I decided to make some bullet points of things I've learned from all of this:

* Tanologist water smells AMAZING. It just smells so...clean. 10/10 on the smell department. 

* The water is definitely a build-able product. If I kept it up, the color would show even more (they say it lasts about 5 days and every 3 days to put more on to upkeep it!)

* 2 days after having it on, it was a nice color. The patches on my knees were gone and it was very smooth looking

*It says to wash your hands right after application, but to be honest, it wasn't messy! I of course washed my hands, and the little bit on my hands came right off!

*Check out the Tanologist Instagram! It gives you everything you need to know about the product and I wish I checked it out first. Even for newbies, they tell you it all!

All in all, I really enjoyed this product. I would love to try the mousse version, too! The parts that went wrong could definitely be on my part, since I was so new to it. Every time I contacted them, they really were SO nice, which always makes me feel good about buying a product! I'm going to put links below to Tanologist, which I think tanning enthusiasts should 10000% try!

Tanologist Instagram: XX

Tanologist Website: XX

Tanologist products on Target.com: XX

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Top 5 of May 2019

              I first have to say sorry because I haven’t been on the blog for a short minute. My current computer is about to reach the end of it’s rope and I’m not financially in a state to purchase a new one. BUT I turned it on today and decided to write some posts! I haven’t done a Top 5 in a while (even though my blog is too full of Top 5’s...) and I decided to do a round up of both April and May. So here it goes!

1) Lizzo. She’s a singer and a good one. She’s kind of R&B and pop mixed together but she really makes some feel good music, especially for the woman of the world. I’m dying to see her Summerfest this year, but we’ll see! I have many songs of her’s I like (Good as Hell, Juice, Tempo) but I’m going to post my current favorite, Truth Hurts.

2) After the movie. I know most people didn’t like it as a movie, but I really did. I’ve said before how the After book series is my absolute favorite but I am a realist, and if I didn’t like the movie, I’d say it. It was very censored compared to the books, but I still though the story line was cute. GOOD NEWS: there’s going to be a second movie and it’ll be more like the books (or so we have been promised). I’m SUPER excited because I really enjoyed the cast chemistry, too.

3) How to Be Interesting (in 10 Simple Steps) by Jessica Hagy. I saw this book at Target and didn’t want to buy it because it was a LITTLE pricey for me but I really wanted it after I flipped through it a bit. I unfortunately walked away from it then went to Half Priced Books. And there it was, right in the self help section, for a great price. It was meant to be. As a book, it really inspired me to do more with my life. It’s an easy read, with tips on how to enhance your life a little bit. For example, on one page, it talks about ‘having a cause’ and then on another it talks about ‘reaching out’ to others. Like I said, an easy read and really gets you thinking about your life (in a good way!)

4) Doing something creative. Now, this is pretty vague, but let me explain. My job is not creative at all. I sometimes feel like I’m not doing enough in my life because my creative mind is dying to GET OUT. I started a new Instagram page (I’ll write a whole post on that later) and I really enjoy it because it gives me creative freedom to dress how I want, to go where I want, caption it how I want. I always suggest doing something creative outside of work if you’re stuck in a non-creative job-rut. Whether it be arts and crafts, writing, or Instagram, make sure you have a healthy

release once in a while.

5) Mama June: From Hot to Not. Okay, I rarely watch television and I certainly don’t watch reality shows (Botched in my guilty pleasure though...) But my mother had this show on the other day and I was hooked. I used to watch the Honey Boo-Boo show years ago, so I knew the family but Mama June is going through a train wreck of a time and I hate to say this, but it’s keeping me watching. Her intervention was crazy. The whole time, I’m hoping she gets the help she needs (spoiler alert: she doesn’t). I need to go back to not watching TV....

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Review: Conscious Cup & Smoothology

              

I HAVE TWO REVIEWS IN ONE POST! ENJOY!
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  Conscious Cup is a coffee shop that is known around my town, even though it’s not even LOCATED in my town. Their headline on their website is “Great coffee, grown and roasted by people who care about quality, community, and environment.”. That really draws me in right away (they did a good job on that). So I grabbed a friend and finally went to this magical place that I’ve only heard about. 

              We found it easily as it was situated on a main road. I walked in and immediately noticed a sign on my right that said something along the lines of “Only roasters can enter” and right next to the sign was a pretty big area where they most likely roast the coffee (I never actually asked if it was for decoration or not but according to that sign, I don’t think it was). I thought it was really cool. My friend and I ordered and put together a list of what we liked and what we didn’t like as much. So here you guys go!

Conscious Cup Coffee Roasters 

Pros:

* Nice decor. Very rustic vibe with wood signs. 

* They have a drive-thru! I think that’s amazing for a place with only 2 locations. I bet that drives business WAY up! 

* They have cute things for sale like a coffee drip or a cold brew machine. It’s not in your face “BUY THIS STUFF”, but it’s placed strategically where people pass by and look (like I did). 

* They sell their own coffee and hot chocolate! They have a salted caramel hot chocolate that I ALMOST bought but didn’t because I had to save as much money as I could for my coffee shop hopping. 

* They serve the coffee in a cup with no lid. There are lids next to the counter that you can take, but it’s super eco-friendly not to take a lid and I applaud them for that.

* Friendly baristas. I told the employee that I was new there and she gave me her recommendations and the specials and gave me a punch card (which I can’t wait to use).

* Their food is great. Simple and some less simple items are on the menu. I ordered Baba Eggs (which is one egg, ham, and cheese on an English muffin) and I was obsessed with it.

Cons:

* My friend was confused on where to throw things away and put his plate. I wasn’t AS confused, but I wanted to voice his opinion!

* The drink, Sweet Honey Bee, is apparently popular. It’s a latte with honey and lavender, which is everything I love. I didn’t completely love the drink, though. I didn’t know what to expect, so next time I go, I’ll ask for extra lavender! 

* A little pricey. I got a large latte and a sandwich and that together was almost $15. But the sandwich was WORTH IT!

Other things I want to point out:

* My friend recommends the caramel vanilla latte! It was foamy with a sweet taste of espresso.

Thank you for reading my review! I believe everyone should enjoy this place if they can! Their website offers things too!

Website

Instagram

Location:

Crystal Lake
5005 Northwest Highway
Crystal Lake, IL 60014

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Smoothology Smoothie Cafe

I heard about Smoothology opening up because a friend of mine landed a job there. I was on my way to another store when lo-and-behold, I pass Smoothology. I just HAD to try it.

Now, I'm not huge into smoothies, but sometimes I can find something I like. I walked in and the first thing I noticed was the menu on the wall behind the counter. Its main colors were pink and white and it was SO NICE. It took me some time to find out what I wanted, but when I did, I was not disappointed. 

Pros:

* I have never had lavender lemonade before. And now, I'm obsessed, thanks to Smoothology. It's VERY sweet and if you don't like that, skip it. But I promise you won't be disappointed. If you don't like lavender (like my mom), just get their plain lemonade and you'll be just as satisfied!

* I got their Chicken Cesar wrap without tomatoes. Fantastic. They don't drench their dressing and they have the perfect amount of chicken. It's really big too, so more bang for your buck.

*Nice decor with pictures of painted fruit and a hidden room with neon lights (see the picture below!) I thought the room was a bathroom until I went to get some napkins and looked inside. So cool .

* It's right across the train station, so a good location. 

Cons:
* Not tons of plain yogurt smoothies. I have a thing for oreo yogurt smoothies but I understand, that's not the healthiest.

* They're only open until 2 pm on Sunday, which I found a little saddening because I went in a 1 pm on Sunday when I was done meeting with a friend and I really didn't want to be that person who's in there at the last second, so I got my stuff to go. (UPDATE: the door said 2 pm but their social media says 4 pm. Not sure which is true!)

Other things I want to point out:

* It's kid friendly! They have high chairs in the corner for you to use if you have a little one!

* I, to be completely honest, don't remember the exact price. But I DO remember that it was cheaper then I expected!

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Location:

67 east woodstock st

Crystal Lake, Illinois

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