Just like we wish we could watch a show or listen to a song again for the first time, there are books I wish I could read again for the first time. Keep scrolling to relive memory lane with me!
Continue readingWhy Read When You Can Listen?
Hi everyone!
I have 2 words that explain why I haven’t posted in almost 2 months: writer’s block. One of my goals when I reinvented my blog was to post once a week, so it was disappointing and frustrating when I couldn’t think of anything to write. The letter board below accurately describes how I’ve been feeling the past few weeks. Hopefully I’ll be back to writing more regularly soon!
My Tips for Writing a Research Paper
With many college students bracing themselves for the end of the semester, I wanted to share some of my tips for writing a research paper! Keep in mind that while these tips helped me, they may not be as beneficial to everyone.
When you first start planning your paper, start broad with your topic. Chances are the research you’ll be doing will help give you ideas on different avenues you can take that will lead to more specific, concrete ideas.
Continue readingMy Recent Book Haul
A trip to Barnes and Noble almost always results in the purchase of a few books – even though I’m in the middle of reading one and I know I have quite a few at home I haven’t read yet. While there I bought a few books that were on my list and even added a few that I saw that peaked my interest.
The books I added to my list:
- Sunbelt Blues: Failure of American Housing by Andrew Ross
- Tainted Tap: Flint’s Journey from Crisis to Recovery by Katrinell Davis
- It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
A Different Kind of Writing
As the title suggests, I recently started learning a new kind of writing: calligraphy! I made it a goal for myself this year that I would learn it, and I started a really great online course earlier this month. How I stumbled upon the course is a funny story – I was looking at Instagram one day and someone asked what was something you spent money on that you regret. The answers varied from an Apple Watch to a wedding (yikes!) The comment that caught my attention was one about a calligraphy course. It got people talking about a course they had tried and really enjoyed called Show Me Your Drills. It’s a free course taught by Becca Courtice, aka The Happily Ever Crafter. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I had followed Becca on TikTok a few months ago after watching her decorate an envelope. I’ll admit that I fell down a rabbit hole and watched probably all her videos on TikTok and then followed her on Instagram.
Continue readingValentine’s Day Reading
Happy Valentine’s Day! Regardless if you think Valentine’s Day is just another Hallmark holiday or you go all out with plans, 5 Love Languages: The Secret To Love That Lasts by Dr. Gary Chapman is a tool that is beneficial for those who are single or in a relationship.
Before writing the book, Dr. Chapman spent years taking notes with couples he was counseling when he recognized a pattern. He realized that the couples were misunderstanding one another and each other’s needs. The basis of Chapman’s book is that different people with different personalities give and receive love in different ways. When you learn your own love language and your partner’s, you’ll be able to identify the roots of your conflicts, connect more deeply, and grow closer.
Continue readingMy Enneagram Type
Here’s my response to one of the journal prompts from my last post!
What is your Enneagram type? Does it accurately describe you?
Before I begin my response, here is a brief explanation of what an Enneagram is:
An Enneagram is a categorization system that describes human personality as a number of interconnected personality types. In simpler terms, the Enneagram number represents nine different personality types. According to verywellmind.com, “each of the nine personality types is characterized by a set of dominant behaviors, motivations, and fears.” Understanding your Enneagram type can help you realize your strengths and also weaknesses. It can also help you create successful personal and professional relationships.
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12 Writing Prompts to Help You Start Journaling
1. Read the last postcard, letter, or personal email you received, and start a story with the first sentence.
2. What color do you feel like today and why?
3. What was your best year ever so far in your life? Give a timeline of events and describe everything that made it great.
4. If you could “live” in any book you’ve ever read, what book would that be? Which character would you choose to be?
5. How do you relieve stress?
Continue readingJournaling 101
I bought my first journal a few years ago. Oddly enough I didn’t buy it with the intention of using it to jot down my feelings or write short stories. Rather, I bought it with the goal of tracking my spending. I was horrible at keeping up with it. There are so many budgeting apps available, so I often asked myself why was I making the task harder than it needed to be.
I got my second journal when I graduated college. It was a gift from my aunt and uncle that I started using to keep track of restaurants I wanted to try, books I wanted to read, ideas for this blog, and my goals/resolutions. It also was a space for me to jot down whatever feelings I was experiencing or things that were on my mind at the time. It was a mish-mash of things and wasn’t very organized, which started to bother me. I knew that if I wanted to create content on my blog more often I would have to get more specific with what I wrote about, and having my blog ideas mixed in with restaurants I wanted to try wasn’t going to be a recipe for success.
Continue readingMy Reading Goals for 2022 and The Books I Want to Read
My previous post was about the past and this one is about the future! I have quite a few goals for this year that revolve around my blog. I mentioned in my post New Year, New Blog that one of my main goals was to post content more frequently. A few more of my goals include having 100 followers and creating an Instagram account. A personal goal of mine that goes hand-in-hand with my blog is to read more. My goal is to read at least 10 books this year whether they are fiction, nonfiction, or another genre that catches my attention. Although my favorite genre is nonfiction, I’m always willing to read different genres that are recommended to me (except for science fiction – I could never get into those books).
Here are a few books I’m particularly looking forward to reading.
Continue readingMy Favorite Books I Read in 2021
I’m taking us back to 2021 for this one! Keep reading to see a brief summary about the books that were my favorite and why.
Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond
In his book, Desmond uses rigorous sociological research and ethnography to show the brutal truth of poverty in America. It is written so well and does a fantastic job of capturing the individual experiences of tenets and landlords while at the same time showing how their experiences and decisions are intertwined. The stories are so unbelievable that they almost read like fiction. Fortunately I live worlds away from what was described in these pages so the truth of it, the unforgiving honesty in the facts, was equal parts shocking and depressing.
Continue readingMy Favorite Genre of Books
Before I jump into a discussion about my favorite books, I wanted to share my favorite genres of books so you can get an idea about what I’ll be posting. When I was younger, I loved fiction books. I couldn’t get enough of the Pretty Little Liars series, the Twilight Saga series (I think I even had a “Team Edward” shirt), the Clique series, and the Hunger Games series. All of these books and more that I read when I was younger still take up an entire bookshelf in my house.
A few years ago, my genre preference shifted to nonfiction. I remember getting a book recommendation from a friend in college and I absolutely loved it (the book was Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital by Sheri Fink). My genre preference got more specific after I finished it – I began to look for books to read that were similar to this topic and writing style. Fink is a journalist, and her book was a great example of investigative journalism. I can’t exactly remember what led me to The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America, but once I started reading it I knew I needed to find similar books. I posted a photo of it on Instagram and that’s when Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City was recommended to me. Other books similar to these that I love include What the Eyes Don’t See: A Story of Crisis, Resistance, and Hope in an American City, The Other Side of the River, and Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors and the Drug Company that Addicted America. I’m currently reading Broke in America: Seeing, Understanding, and Ending U.S. Poverty. To me, all of these have the same style of writing as Fink’s and they cover actual events that have happened or are still happening. I’ve grown to be obsessed with these types of books.
Continue readingNew Year, New Blog
Happy New Year everyone!
Over the past few months, I’ve been thinking about the direction I want my blog to head. I knew I wanted to narrow it down to a specific topic, I just didn’t know what. One thing I did know was the topic had to be something I was passionate about, otherwise I wouldn’t be motivated to think of content.
Reading and writing have always been my two biggest passions for as long as I can remember. Journals I had to write in elementary school were always filled with long, detailed commentary of the book we were reading or what I did over the weekend, reading time was something I always looked forward to, I didn’t dread essays or small papers in middle or high school, and I took creative writing classes in both high school and college. My goal in life has always been to make a career out of writing.
The biggest goal for my blog is to create content more often, whether it’s an infographic, a long or short post, a photo of any recent book purchases with a short description, or tips for starting a research paper or writing a work email.
I know a blog about reading and writing isn’t for everyone, but I hope those who aren’t huge fans of reading or writing (or both) find value in some of my posts. Some things I plan on writing about include:
Continue reading10 Fun Things To Do in Metro Detroit
Below are some ideas for the holiday season and beyond!
1. The Rink at Campus Martius Park, Detroit
A family-friendly outdoor skating rink located in the heart of downtown Detroit on Woodward Avenue. The rink is open now until March 6th, and ticket prices are as follows:
- Adults: $11.00
- Children (12 & Under): $9.00
- Seniors (59 & Older): $9.00
- Military/First Responders: $8.00
Additionally, it costs $5 to rent a pair of skates. Below are the hours from now until March 6th:
December 13 – January 2
- Monday – Thursday: 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.
- Friday: 11 a.m. – midnight
- Saturday: 10 a.m. – midnight
- Sunday: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
- New Years Eve: 11 a.m. – midnight
January 4 – March 6
- Monday -Tuesday: 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
- Wednesday – Thursday: 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
- Friday: 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.
- Saturday: 10 a.m. – 11 p.m.
- Sunday: noon – 8 p.m.
OPI Fall Nail Polish Colors
Fall: the time of year where Bath and Body Works has the best scents, people are debating about whether or not it’s too early for Christmas decorations, and people (me included) begin to transition from bright “Summer” nail polish colors to darker “Fall” colors. Below are my recommendations for Fall polish colors.
Of course, these colors can be worn in the winter as well. To make any of these colors pop even more, add a coat of a glitter polish – either silver or gold.
I’ve also compiled a list of colors I feel are great for any holiday parties you may be attending this year.
Continue readingQuality Clothing on a Budget
If you’re looking for new clothes that won’t break the bank, keep reading to see some of my favorites that I’ve recently purchased.
Continue readingSpotify Podcasts and Playlists You Need to Listen To
The amount of playlists and podcasts on Spotify is never ending – and chances are there is a playlist or podcast out there for everyone. Below are a few of my favorite playlists and podcasts for when you want to dance in your room, sing in your car, or learn a few things.
Continue readingThree Hair Products I’m Currently Loving
Over the past few weeks, I have faithfully been using 3 products that have made a noticeable difference in my hair: Olaplex #3, Olaplex #6, and Moroccanoil. I saw the biggest difference after using Olaplex #3 (I seriously saw improvement overnight), but all of these products combined have helped my hair look and feel great between washes and hair appointments.
Continue readingCOVID-19 and Exercising: How I Made Working Out Work for Me
Happy Sunday, guys!
Since today is Sunday, it’s the end of my 3-day break from working out. Once the weather is consistently nice (consistent weather in Michigan is rare, but fingers crossed) I’ll probably go for a walk one day over the weekend, but for now I exercise on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. It’s a routine I started a few months ago, and I find it’s what works best for me. I enroll in programs on the CCFIT workout app, which helps me stick to the routine even more – the exercises are already planned which takes all the planning out and allows me to just jump into the workout.
Before COVID, I had begun to go to the gym and was feeling my way around and learning the equipment. I remember going one day with my friend and asking her what workout app she uses, and she recommended CCFIT. I went home and downloaded it and perused the different workout programs (at the time, they were almost all intended for the gym). I didn’t have any gym equipment at home, so once quarantine started I resorted to workout videos on YouTube. The one positive that has come from COVID and gyms being closed is the amount of home workout videos that surfaced. They were great options when going to the gym wasn’t an option, but they’re also good for people who are hesitant or uncomfortable to begin work out at a gym.
Continue readingProduct Reviews
Hi everyone! Over the past few months I’ve bought new products (thanks quarantine) and now that I’ve had them for a few months, I figured now would be a good time to review them.
Billie Razor: The concept of this razor is awesome – new razor blades are shipped to you for $9 depending on how often you shave. I shave every day, so 4 new blades are sent to me every month. Not only is this a great deal (I get 4 new razor blades for only $9) but I honestly think the blades have helped my leg hair either grow back slower or lighter. The only downside is that the blades are shipped via USPS so there may be some delay in receiving them.
Continue readingChristmas Gift Ideas Part 2
Target Finds
Time for part 2! All of these products can be found at Target.
First Row: Powerbeats Pro True Wireless In-Ear Earphones, Beats Studio3 Wireless Over-Ear Noise Canceling Headphones, Apple Watch Series 5, JBL Portable Waterproof Speaker Flip 5
Second Row: FitBit Versa 2 Smartwatch, Phillips Norelco Series 3600 Men’s Nose/Ear/Eyebrow Electric Trimmer, Apple AirPods with Wireless Charging Case, Revlon Salon One-Step Hair Dryer and Volumizer
Third Row: Amazon Echo Dot (3rd generation), Phillips Norelco Series 3000 Multigroom Men’s Rechargeable Electric Trimmer (13 pieces total!), Chi Digital Flat Iron, Apple AirPods Pro, Chi Digital Flat Iron, Keurig K-Mini Single-Serve K-Cup Pod Coffee Maker (perfect for a dorm room!)
Continue readingChristmas Gift Ideas Part 1
Makeup Lovers
Hi guys!
Over the next few days/weeks I’m planning on sharing some gift ideas for Christmas. I’m starting with some makeup that I really like and use- there’s a mix of drugstore and mid-end products such as Tarte, ColourPop. If you have a makeup-lover in your life (or you’re looking for some new makeup), below are some ideas.
Continue readingMy Skincare Routine and Products
*I do not get commission for purchases made through links in this post*
Hey guys!
A few months ago I wrote about my acne journey. I briefly talked about the products I used, but I didn’t go into much detail. I figured that because its been one year since I had my first dermatologist appointment now would be a good time to discuss the products I use more thoroughly. Two products I use are prescriptions (three if you count the medication I take) and two can be found at Target, Walmart, Walgreens, Meijer, or wherever you shop.
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Thoughts From A Lefty 