My 2019 Christmas Break TBR List // Books I’ll be Reading in December

Hey everyone!

As I’m sure you’re all aware, Christmas break is just around the corner! Mine starts on Wednesday, and while I’ll still be working on some school-related projects (looking at you, ACT), I can’t wait to spend some time this Christmas catching up on my reading! I’ve been swamped with assigned reading this semester, so I’m very excited to have the time to check some books off my TBR list! So, without further ado, here is my official 2019 Christmas break TBR list!

Giving Thanks // 50 Things I’m Grateful for this Holiday Season

^^If turkeys had blogs

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! :) I hope you all are having a wonderful holiday!

Thanksgiving is a day celebrated by virtually everyone in America as a day to eat good food, watch football, and celebrate with family. This annual tradition began wayyy back in 1621, when the Pilgrims celebrated their first successful harvest with the Native Americans in the New World. The traditions and events of the day have evolved drastically over the years, but one thing remains the same – the thankfulness behind the celebration.

I love Thanksgiving, not only because of the food and special events, but because of how people purposefully take the time to reflect on all the blessings God has given them. We all have so much to be thankful for, as we are surrounded by abundance and prosperity in this great country. I believe we should all do our best to count our blessings everyday, and not just on Thanksgiving. But today, in the spirit of the holiday, I’ll be sharing 50 things I am especially thankful for this year.

6 Study Tips to ACE Your Finals // Stay Productive and Focused

Like this post? Save it on Pinterest!

Hey y’all!

Thanksgiving is coming up soon, which means that finals aren’t far behind. I’m taking my exams next week, which means that for the next several days, I’ll be reading, writing, memorizing, reviewing, and studying as much as I can to prepare. If you’re like me and are aiming to get good grades on your upcoming exams, then you’re in the right place, my friend. Today, I’m going to be sharing my 6 favorite study tips and tricks to help you stay productive, focused, and most importantly, ace your finals. Let’s get into it, shall we?

Have The Courage to be Kind

Hey y’all!

I’ve been thinking a lot about kindness recently. How one small gesture can make a persons day. How just a few words can lift someone up. How being kind can break down walls and melt even the coldest of hearts.

Over the past few years, I’ve learned a lot about kindness. I’ve had some experiences that have made me think a lot about the positive effects that a small act, a few words, or even a friendly smile could have on someone. You never know what someone is going through, what kinds of things have happened to them, or what has impacted who they are. Cinderella’s mother was right when she told her to “have courage and be kind.”

A Wintery Post // It’s Snowing Outside and Seasons are Changing

It’s snowing, y’all.

It started out as just a few flurries, but now it’s really coming down outside my bedroom window. Fall is over, winter is coming, and there’s nothing we can do to stop it – the seasons must change.

Life is pretty similar, ya know? As much as we may want to remain in one season of our lives, there is no “pause” button to keep the future from approaching. We just have to go with the flow, and when winter comes, we must pull out our warm clothes to face it. We can equip ourselves with the necessary things to help us brave the new seasons in our lives, as well as the changing of the weather.

What I Loathed About the Lord of the Rings // A Book Series Review – Part 2

*Sighs.* So many people are going to be mad at me because of this.

Last week, I explained what I loved about the Lord of the Rings trilogy by J. R. R. Tolkien. (Check out Part 1 of this book review here!) In that post, I mentioned that I disliked the series as a whole, and today I’m going to tell you why. If you are a die-hard LotR fan, then I’d recommend clicking off this post right now because I am going to give you the brutal and honest truth of what I truly thought of this series. And I have a feeling that my opinion will upset quite a few people. All things mentioned in this post are my own thoughts and opinions about the series, and I apologize if I offend anyone by them. And now, buckle up because I have a lot to say.

What I Loved About the Lord of the Rings // A Book Series Review – Part 1

My Mom had been wanting to watch the Lord of the Rings movies for a very long time, and every time she mentioned it, I would respond with something like “But we can’t watch them yet, I haven’t read the books!” (If you have been acquainted with me for any amount of time, you would know that I will not watch a movie before I read the book.) My Mom finally got tired of this answer, and threatened me by essentially saying that if I didn’t have them read by the end of the summer, she would watch the movies anyway whether I liked it or not. And this, my friends, is how I embarked on the almost 4 month long journey of slogging through the Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien. While there were a few things I enjoyed throughout the books, I strongly disliked the series as a whole for several reasons. However, today we are focusing on the positive aspects of the trilogy, because I believe that this 2-part review should start on a high note. So without further ado, here are the things I loved about the Lord of the Rings series.

The Day I Took a One-Way Flight Home // Life Update

Hello all! It’s been quite a while, hasn’t it?

After my last post, I decided to take a short break from blogging until after most of the chaos from our move home was behind me. Over a month has passed since then, and I’m very happy to report that we made it safely back to Missouri, and I am sitting in my old bedroom as I write this! Since it’s been a while since you last heard from me, I decided I owe you all an update on the past couple crazy weeks of my life, including the day I flew home for good.

The End of an Adventure // My Story + 5 Lessons I Learned Living in Canada

Wow. I have so much to say about the past couple years, but I hardly know where to start. The more I think about it, I realize that I haven’t written much about my Canadian experience on this blog, and I don’t mean traveling – I’ve written plenty about that. I mean the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of this journey. How the past 2-and-a-half years have challenged me, pushed me, strengthened me, and rewarded me. There’s a lot to say, and this post is gonna be long, so pull up a chair and get comfortable. I think I’ll start at the beginning, which I’ve heard is a very good place to start.

My Sweet 16 // Riding Crazy Roller Coasters at Canada’s Wonderland!

 Hey everyone!

Since the beginning of the school year, my high school co-op class has been talking about taking a trip to Canada’s Wonderland. (In case you’re unfamiliar with Canada’s Wonderland, it’s a super fun amusement park located near Toronto with great roller coasters and rides.) We had been wanting to go for so long, so when my 16th birthday rolled around on August 17th, I thought it would be a great way to celebrate! The plans were made, and last week the 5 of us girls headed to the park where we spent the entire day riding crazy roller coasters, screaming, and smiling. Oh, and laughing. A lot. :)