Month: January 2017

January Favorites

Published on by Alicia4 Comments

Hello all, I was going to do a 2016 favorite’s post to end Blogmas with, and then never did… typical Alicia. So, I’ve decided that I would write a list of some of my favorite products month or month (or knowing me 4 or 5 times a year). Let’s get started.

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Luseta Argan Oil Hair Masque- I got this in a giveaway a while ago and completely forgot about it. I used it at the beginning of the month and my hair was lusciously soft and shiny. It works well with color treated hair and I have since used it all up and need to buy a bigger version the next time I see it.

Coconut Face Mask: I got this mask for Christmas. It’s a really good moisturizing mask and it smells really good and is great for sensitive skin. I got another one (a charcoal one from the same brand) and it wasn’t as good, however, the coconut one brightened my skin and made it really soft.

Jouer “Frost Bite” Lip Topper: Jouer is a brand that I am absolutely in love with. They are known for their lip cremes, but they also have lip topper which you can wear alone or put on top of a matte liquid lipstick. They smell like birthday cake and are on the high end of my favorite lip products.

Colourpop Eyebrow Pencil: I love the Anastasia Brow Wiz just as much as the next brow junkie, but when you’re ballin’ on a budget like I am, the Colourpop eyebrow pencil definitely gets the job done. I’m a huge fan of this pencil and I use it almost daily. For those of you wondering (no one is wondering I know) I use either the “Dope Taupe” shade or the “Arched Auburn”  shade, depending on my hair color.

E.L.F. Liquid Liner: I was never a big makeup person, but last year I started to wear/experiment with makeup. I can honestly say I’m not perfect at applying liquid liner, but I don’t have 3 million Instagram followers so I don’t have to claim to be. Basically, I do a lot of practice with liner and I don’t want to spend $30 on a liner that I’m only going to wear in the comfort of my house. This E.L.F. liner is only $2, is cruelty-free, and lasts a long time. So, I can do a ton of practice for a cheap price.

There you have it folks, some of my favorite products from January 2017. I’m not promising on having another for a while because I am trying to not spend a cent in preparation for Peru (other than on hiking shoes and other Peru gear) so I might not have any new products to rave about, but I might accidentally splurge, so let’s just wait and see.

Alicia

¡Hasta Pronto Peru!

Published on by Alicia11 Comments

For those of you who don’t know your basic Spanish phrases, the title of this post is “See you soon Peru!”… meaning I convinced my father and mother and I am going to Peru! I leave for Peru March 31st and return home early morning on April 30th.

I will be volunteering in an orphanage in Lima, or just outside of Lima, and will be volunteering amongst others from across the world. I have begun prepping and planning and prepping some more. I have ordered my background check, started paying my fees, and have been on the lookout for the best shoes and packs that I will need. I have my doctors appointment set for receiving all of the necessary vaccinations.

To say I’m excited is an understatement. To say I’m nervous is also an understatement. I’ve never been out of the country, let alone out of the country by myself, however, after reading and watching so many other people’s stories about going on these ventures, I can only imagine that my nerves will subside upon getting settled.

Also, I started a little fund campaign for the trip, I’m not asking for anything, just a little boost for me and a little that I can give to the orphanage. So, if anyone can/wants to spare any money for me/the orphanage, click the link here. As mentioned on the website, any donation is dearly appreciated for not only me but the amazing children I will be volunteering with, whom I have no doubt you will be reading all about during April and beyond.

Can’t wait to embark on this adventure and share it with all of you

Alicia

500 followers!!

Published on by Alicia28 Comments

Good morning everyone, the other day I woke up to some notifications, not unusual, one of them being that I reached 500 followers.

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I was shocked and speechless by that notification. I can remember vividly when I reached 100 followers, even 10.

When I started this blog last October, I had assumed that I would end up with a follower or five, receive a like and a comment here or there, nothing more.

I never thought that I would attract an audience, let alone 500 people of all niches, who would read my writings. I never thought I would have people read, let alone like, comment, or reblog them. I never thought I would get nominated for awards, be tagged in tags, or anything of that nature.

It has been an interesting year or so blogging and I’m so happy with how my blog has been and how many people I have met because of it. Here’s to the next 500 😉

Alicia

Ringing in the New Year Tag

Published on by Alicia6 Comments

Hi everyone, I was just tagged this morning by Sophie from Blame Chocolate for the Ringing in the New Year tag. Now, I’m not really a book blog… I don’t think I’ve ever posted anything book related actually, however, I’m an avid reader and follow quite a few book blogs. So, I figured I’d give a whirl at this tag. Once again thanks to Sophie for the tag and don’t forget to give her blog a look.

Best book/series you’ve read in 2016?

I read the book The Girls by Emma Cline and I really loved it. It’s a book that takes place in the late 60s, about Evie Boyd and her friends. Evie becomes enthralled with a girl Suzanne and her friend group and drops everything to become as close to them as possible. Then shit gets real and I don’t want to spoil anything. I really loved that book and I hope to read more of Cline’s work this year.

Authors that you’ve recently found and would like to read more of in the new year

Emma Cline, as I just said haha.

Most anticipated book turned TV/Movie show

Technically I haven’t yet read the book either, however, a friend has recommended The Mountain Between Us and it is in my top 10 books to read this year. So, if the book does live up to my friend’s rave reviews then I would love to see the movie.

Name a character that you wouldn’t mind sharing a kiss with at midnight

I feel like every book I read, girls are main characters. Any guy in any book I almost ever read is a douche and I don’t want to kiss them, so shit, maybe Marley from Marley and Me is the only one I’d want to kiss.

What’s on my TBR for 2017?

Okay, I have 25 books that I own that I need to read, and then about 250 links bookmarked to books I need to buy. I don’t have a set list. Basically, I just pick up a book and start reading, so I don’t really have like a set TBR.

How many books do you plan to read in 2017?

My goal is 52, one a week, but I know that things happen where I won’t bring a book on vacation or once school starts up and I’m too busy studying. But for now, my goal is 52.

Will you participate in the Goodreads reading challenge or any other?

I’m participating in the Beat the Backlist challenge this year so I really don’t want to join a ton of challenges, but I would definitely join the Goodreads reading challenge in the future.

Any New Year’s resolutions (bookish, blogging, or otherwise)?

I have my New Year’s Resolutions post up so I have a few for all of those categories 🙂

Well, that tag was actually really fun and it makes me want to sit down and read. I’m not going to tag anyone because I have seen a few people do it and I don’t really know how many of my followers love reading and I don’t want to pressure anyone into doing this tag. So, if you want to have a go at the this tag, be my guest 🙂

Alicia

March on

Published on by Alicia16 Comments

Today was a pivotal day for me as a human being. Today, I attended the women’s march in Chicago with some of my family and friends. Besides the march in Washington D.C, Chicago had the largest turnout of any march across the world. I marched with around 250 thousand, yes 250 thousand men and women alike down the streets of Chicago.

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Some were young, some old. Some straight, some gay. Some black, some white. Some rich, some poor. Some abled, some disabled. And everyone in between. I met some amazing men and women of all backgrounds who met on the streets of Chicago for one reason: solidarity.

We marched to show our support for all of the nasty women across the nation. We marched to make sure our opinions were heard, by anyone and everyone. I marched so that my daughters and granddaughters won’t have to. I marched for equal pay, equal opportunity, and equal rights. I marched today so that no woman ever has to have a man tell her what to do with her body.

Today, I marched next to a month old baby (and her parents of course), next to an 81-year-old woman who has been working for women’s equality since she was a child. I marched next to dogs donning signs with “Even I know no means no,” “I march for my moms,” and so many others. While I didn’t get a chance to speak to every single person I crossed paths, these people whose pictures I took, who took my picture, who had to get past me to find their friends, were some of the kindest and polite people I have ever associated with.

Today was a day for love. It was a day for happiness. It was also a day for hope. It was a day that will be remembered by thousands forever. I have so many emotions in my heart and love, hope, and happiness are above at the top of that list. I love all of the people that came to march, I love Hillary Clinton, I love Barack Obama, and I love everyone who supported the march today. I am happy with today. I cried tears of joy, had goosebumps litter my body, and am just so content with the amount of support and presence that was present today. I am hopeful. I am hopeful for the future. I am hopeful for women of all kind. I am hopeful that today’s march and protests have set the pace for the next 4 years. I am hopeful that Donald Trump and friends know we are serious about our rights and have no plans on stopping until we get our way. I am full of love, happiness, and hope.

Today was one of the best days of my life and I know that despite our Commander-in-Chief, these next four years are going to be a full-fledged fight, that we will not give up on.

Just remember “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.”

A letter to President Obama

Published on by Alicia14 Comments

Dear Mr. Obama,

Today is your last day as the President of the United States. I can’t begin to wrap my head around that. That tomorrow, you, Michelle, Malia, Sasha, Bo, and Sunny will no longer be the first family and will no longer live in the White House.

I was 11 when you were elected. I sat on my couch, watching as the votes began to add up, as you took quite a lead over John McCain. My mother was walking around the house, excited, and my dad took no interest in the matter, typical.

I still have the newspaper from when they announced you as President. I’ll always keep it. You were the first black president, and dear lord I hope not the last. I remember going to school the next day and you being the talk of the town. Everyone was talking about you. You were everywhere. In my English class, in my social studies class, even in my science class. You were the shiny new toy everyone had to talk about.

I remember the day you were inaugurated. The 8th-grade social studies teacher invited the entire school into the auditorium to sit on the creaky, old, wooden, and broken seats, as he projected the inauguration onto the stage. I don’t remember what you said, I don’t remember what anyone said, but I remember that my heart fluttered when you said, “So help me God.” You became the 44th president of these United States that I had called home for the past 11 years. I didn’t know who you were, I didn’t know your policies, but I had an inkling that your time as president would be one for the books.

Flash forward to today. You have accomplished so much. After 8 years of this country crumbling to pieces, you had 8 years to fix a broken nation. A broken nation in need of dire help. You came in, picked up the pieces of the country you had called home for so long and began to rebuild. You began with reversing the Bush torture policies, which we all know desperately needed to be removed. You kept going with passing the Affordable Care Act and Wall Street reform. Not to mention repealing the “Don’t ask, Don’t tell” policy and ended the war in Iraq. You acknowledged that veterans are important and passed bills to help support every last one of them. You appointed the first ever Hispanic Supreme Court Justice and you were the first president in decades to completely avoid a scandal.

After your presidency Gay marriage is legal. The housing market is doing better, and you have begun aiding in combating global warming. You have done so much for this country and I am forever grateful for you and your time in office.

While there are many people that didn’t approve of you and are going to nitpick each and every move you or your family makes, there are so many that love you and so many that will be sad to see you go. I am one of those, One of those people who will be forever grateful for all you did for women, blacks, Hispanics, LGBTQIA+ and other minorities alike.

You have been a ray of sunshine in this dark dark time we live in and I am deeply saddened that you are leaving. I will miss your sense of humor and your love for not only the country but for your family and everyone you meet. I will miss you dearly but I know you have so many things left to accomplish in your lifetime.

Thank you Barack Obama, for giving me hope for the past 8 years and for years to come.

Change is good

Published on by Alicia11 Comments

Something I have tried pushing to the back, the far back, of my head, recently is that Obama will soon cease to be the president of the United States. But as I tearfully watched his final speech as president I really have to face reality. Donald Trump is our president-elect and soon, he will hold the highest position of power in the entire United States, and one of the top positions of power across the entire world.

It is gut-wrenching, frustrating, sickening, and all around unbelievable. Nonetheless, it is true. There are things Obama didn’t get right, but there are far more things he did get right.

Something I think about frequently, is what I would do had I been elected president, had I been in the position of trump. What things I would change about the nation I call home. While there are so many, there are a few that stand out among the rest. Here they are.

Preface: If any of you decide to disagree with my views, believe that Trump is a good fit for president, or just want to be an ass, keep your comments to yourselves. This is my blog and I can/ will post whatever the hell I want, and I can easily click the delete button on your comment without much thought. If you don’t want to read this post, click off. Easy as that.

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  1. Gun control: I live in a suburb of Chicago, a city with one of the largest gun deaths/casualties in the entire nation. There need to be harsher laws about owning a gun. Yes, I know people will be able to get black market guns, there really is nothing we can do about it now, however we will be able to control the amount of kids who find their parents’ guns and kill themselves or their family members, how many domestic disputes that end in a gun casualty, and so many other things. There are so many school/airport/ theater shootings recently (almost all of which the guns were legally bought) that could have been prevented had we had harsher laws on gun ownership.
  2. Better funding for education: Education is a necessity. Education helps us get jobs, which helps give back to society, which helps the country function. Once again, in Chicago, year after year, schools are being shut down because of lack of funding and it needs to stop. This is causing classrooms to be overfilled, or for students to have to drop out because the nearest school is not within reach. With better funding, children will be able to continue their educations so they too can give back to society.477703351922915034-party-logo-donkeyhotey-flickr.13.4.971.492.full.jpg
  3. No more political parties: The party system in the United States needs reworking or complete removal. People tend to vote with their parties despite their candidate’s views and that isn’t right. We should be educated on the candidates we vote for and vote for people based on their views on issues, not whether they stand in front of a poster with a donkey or an elephant on it.
  4. Rewrite the Constitution: When the Constitution was written, the founding fathers thought that the Constitution should be rewritten every 20 or so years. However, we have not done that in the 250 or so years we have been a country. People get so stuck on the 2nd amendment (right to bear arms) because when it was written, it was necessary; WE WERE BATTLING AT ALL TIMES. Which is also why the 3rd amendment (prohibits soldiers from temporarily residing in private homes during peace time without getting the permission and consent of the owner) was created. However, we no longer need soldiers to reside in private houses, so this amendment and quite a few other amendments/pieces of the constitution are null and void.img-plannedparenthood-logo
  5. Make it illegal to band funding to Planned Parenthood: Old white men seem to think that the only thing Planned Parenthood does are abortion procedures. Planned Parenthood funds so many other things from mammograms to STD testing. Planned Parenthood is a necessity to people across the US and it cannot be defunded. Also, what people seem to forget: Defunding Planned Parenthood will not eliminate abortions, it will eliminate safe and sanitary abortions!

Like I said, there are so many things that the United States needs to change, but these I feel are of the utmost importance. What would you like to see the US change?

Alicia

 

 

 

 

 

Blogger Recognition Award

Published on by Alicia17 Comments

Hi everyone, I was nominated by Jamie the other day for the Blogger Recognition award. Thank you so much for nominating me and I definitely recommend checking her blog out, it’s one of my favorites. Let’s get started.

Rules:

  • Thank the blogger who nominated you and provide a link to their blog.
  • Write a post to show your award.
  • Give a brief story of how your blog started.
  • Give two pieces of advice to new bloggers.
  • Select 15 other bloggers you want to give this award to.
  • Comment on each blog and let them know you have nominated them and provide the link to the post you created.

How I started blogging:

I have been blogging since I was 14. I stumbled upon someone’s summer bucket list blog and I decided that I wanted to make one as well. So, that summer and the summer after, my friend Molly and I made a summer bucket list blog. We are no longer friends, however, I wanted to continue blogging so I have made a few blogs over my lifetime to continue blogging, mainly just random writings and a bit of food tracking. However, last October, I decided that I wanted to document my time in college so that’s how I started this blog.

2 pieces of advice to new bloggers:

The biggest piece of advice I have is to be social. Follow people, like people’s posts, comment on posts, etc. With all of my other blogs I never did that, however, with this blog, I like, comment, and follow so many people’s blogs and have met so many awesome people because of it.

Another thing is to be consistent. If you’re going to post like once a month people really won’t follow you or keep up with you. I’m not saying you have to post daily, but make a schedule and try to stick with it. Yes, there will be times that you won’t be able to maintain it, say during finals or vacations, but definitely try your hardest to stick to a schedule that is pretty frequent.

I nominate:

Lu Reads       Blame Chocolate        Unexpected in Common Hours      Sit Back and Just Live

Fabled Haven       Renxkyoko’s Space          Pirate Patty         Beafree       PTContender

Kisses from Jess        Styled by Lauren        Idiot Views        A Dreamer’s Library

Mermaid Moon Child       Maggie’s Simple Life

 

Once again, thank you to Jamie for nominating me for this award and be sure to check out everyone that I nominated because they are definitely some of my favorite blogs to read!

Alicia

Pea protein? no whey

Published on by Alicia6 Comments

Hello everyone. Right now, I am sitting in front of my laptop, post workout, disgusted as I gulp down my protein smoothie. But wait: it’s full of fruits, vegetables, coconut milk yogurt, AND almond milk so how can I be disgusted you may be wondering?

It is filled with a minuscule amount of pea protein powder that gives off a chalky before, during, and aftertaste no matter how I incorporate it into my post workout drink. However, I put the last of my frozen fruit and yogurt into it, so I cannot make another.

Since going vegan, people I don’t even know have the audacity of asking me ‘Where do you get protein?’ to which I always roll my eyes and eat another crabless crabcake. Before I went vegan, I used whey protein in my smoothies and I couldn’t taste it. However, whey protein isn’t really an option for my plant-based self.

I am calling upon the vegan community (or hell just anyone who uses proteins that aren’t whey) to tell me what their favorite protein powder is. I would go out and buy all of the proteins and see what I like the most, however, protein powder is not by any means cheap and I don’t want my possible protein deficiency to break the bank.

I really do enjoy the benefits of protein powder, and especially since I have been working out a ton since the New Year I would like to have some protein to build muscles because I know there are days when I (everyone for that matter) is deficient on some of the key nutrients we need. However, I would like mine to never be protein so that the next time someone asks me about my protein consumption; I can spike their drinks with pea protein.

Please please please help me. I have resorted to plugging my nose while I drink my smoothie today and I need immediate assistance with the task at hand.

Until next time

Alicia

Pulchri-what?

Published on by Alicia5 Comments

I have officially forgotten how to blog. After two months of daily prompts thought up a month or so in advance and now moving to a fresh clean, promptless slate, I have forgotten how to blog. I have sat at my computer for 15 minutes because the only thing I wanted to write about was snow, candy canes, and Christmas.

So, until I regain the ability of blogging, I have decided to write a little blurb about how I chose the title of my blog (I mentioned it in an award post but I guarantee no one reads those so, I’m going to elaborate and write a new one).

Flashback to October 2015, when I first had the idea of creating a blog. After scouring the web for URL ideas, I decided on the URL buddhistvegann. I had originally planned on making my blog about transitioning into the vegan lifestyle and I wanted to talk about how I was following my the teachings of the buddha and things of that nature.

Fast forward to the beginning of June 2016, when I began my social media detox and decided to start a life I wanted to live. I created the name selflovinalicia, because I was, and still am on a journey of self-love. That name lasted for a few months but I soon decided I needed something else. I also didn’t want my name in my URL. No hate or anything to people who include their names in their URLs but it just wasn’t for me.

When I returned to social media in August or September or whenever, a friend of my mom’s commented on a photo (of my family) “What a pleasurable plethora of pulchritude.” Having never heard/seen that word I went and googled it (hoping he wasn’t calling us ugly or annoying) and I found out that pulchritude is defined as beauty. Live pulchritudinously meaning ‘live beautifully’ which is something I aspire to do on the daily, so I decided to change my blog URL to livepulchritudinously as a reminder to live a life full of pulchritude, and it’s a very good conversation starter.

So, there you have it, the reason behind my blog title.

Alicia