Blogmas photo set

Good morning friends (if I ever get good enough wifi to post this), I am with my family and a friend up in Wisconsin to ring in the New Year but I still have time to blog, considering only my mother, dog and I awake right now. I’ve decided I wanted to document Blogmas in photo form. I write day in and day out on this blog and I wanted to switch it up by just showing my entire month of Blogmas in photos (and captions of course…alas… I am still a writer) Let’s get to it.


That was Blogmas.
Alicia

17 in 2017

Hi everyone, something I always struggle with are new years resolutions. Everyone always makes them, follows them for a week, and then make the same resolution the year after. When I used to go to the gym right by my house, my dad and I would go the weekend on New Years and there would be so many people you couldn’t get a machine. January 5th came, and the gym was basically empty again. However, I do have a few goals for not only myself but my blog in 2017 and I thought I would share them with you all. Let’s get started.

  1. Blog consistently: Last year started out rough, there were some months that I had 16 posts and other that I had only 1. Hopefully after doing NaBloPoMo AND Blogmas, the art of consistency will stay with me.
  2. End the year with at least double the amount of posts I have now. As of me righting this post I have 143 blog posts in 2016. I would like to end the year with writing at least 143 more, maybe even more than that. I know it will be easy for the first half of the year with no school and such, but I will persevere to the end of the year. Maybe I’ll start writing 2017’s Blogmas posts now 😉
  3. Connect with more Bloggers: I always go through my Reader and read and like people’s posts but I really want to comment on more and connect with more of the people I follow.
  4. Take quality pictures: I always talk about things while I’m writing but am running behind on posting (last night for example and my 11:13pm post time) so I forget to take pictures. I just got an iPhone 7 (hello fab camera quality) so I’m going to work on taking all my own pictures and posting them mainly because it’s nice to have your own content on your website, but also because it probably takes more time finding a photo in good lighting, good background, etc than it does to get my item and take it.
  5. Read: I have so many books just waiting from to read them in my room and I have so many books I want to read and have yet to buy
  6. Learn something new: I don’t know what and I don’t know when; but I want to learn how to do something
  7. Move into the basement: I was supposed to move into the basement in August but my basement is a mess so I tentatively will be moving into the basement in January but I’m not sure.
  8. Volunteer: Something I really want to do is volunteer abroad. I am trying to go to Lima, Peru for 4 or 5 weeks. I am totally going to fund it myself… I just have to convince my dad. Since I want to teach English abroad when I’m older,  I really want to test it out by going abroad and seeing if I like it  before I devote my life to something. Because if for some reason I hat traveling abroad or something I would like to know before I major in it.
  9. Create a budget for myself: If I want to go to Peru, and I also want to visit some of my college friends, I need to stop spending money on lipsticks and food and create a monthly or weekly budget for spending so I can do the things I really want to.
  10. Choose a college: Obvious reasons for this haha
  11. Get a job: I need money and to get that, I need a job. Depending on if/when I volunteer will dictate what sort of job I get, so we’ll see.
  12. Clean: Since I am home daily, I sometimes spend the day sleeping or watching TV, when I could be cleaning all the dishes i don’t use. I also need to keep my bedroom clean. Right now it’s a mess because I am going through everything I own in preparation for moving to the basement but once I get a new and bigger room, I will maintain a clean room.
  13. Get on a solid sleep schedule: Nighttime is when I spend my time writing blog posts, reading blog posts, etc. So, when it’s all of a sudden 3 am… oops. Just because I’m home doesn’t mean I can be nocturnal. I need to develop a solid sleep schedule and put my electronics down, which is a lot easier said than done.
  14. Exercise: I am planning on starting Insanity when I get home from Wisconsin. Something to keep me active and exercising does help maintain a solid sleep schedule.
  15. Create a skincare routine: I have had eczema my whole life, and sensitive skin to top that off, so my skin hates me. I need to develop a skincare routine so my skin can love me again. Also one that isn’t uber expensive and easy(ish) to maintain.
  16. Be one of ‘those vegans’: I drink a solid one kale smoothie a week. When I have a mid life crisis at 2 am and decide I need to get my life together, which lasts about 2 days until my next one the following Sunday. I am trying to be one of those vegans who drinks kale smoothies and posts acai bowl photos on Tumblr… Okay not that extreme but I don’t want to be a vegan who eats a row of Oreos and a bag of popcorn for dinner.
  17. Drink more water: water is literally the holy grail of our body. We are over 75% water and how much we drink makes or breaks us. I have a 40 oz water bottle and some days I drink 2 of them but also some days I fall behind on my water consumption and I really can’t do that.I’m being very hopeful with these resolutions and I know some of them might not come true, but here are my aspirations for the year 2017, I’ll check back in 6 months.

    Alicia

What I got for Christmas

Hi everyone, I hope your Christmas was good/ your Hanukkah is going well/ whatever holiday you do or don’t celebrate has been phenomenal. I have seen a ton of people on here showcase a few items that they got for Christmas, and I’ve decided to do the same. I am so thankful for everything I was given this year, and can’t wait to use everything I was given. Let’s get to it, shall we?


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  1. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath- While I only mentioned wanting Eat, Pray, Love in My Christmas Wish List post, this was another book I desperately wanted. I was super pumped about receiving it, and can’t wait to read it.
  2. Urban Decay “Vice” Lipstick Palette- After receiving this palette and a ton of other lippies, I will never need to buy lipstick again. I am absolutely in love with this palette and haven’t even used every color. There are so many amazing colors, a nice brush, and a really cute palette cover which says ‘lipstick is my vice.” The colors are super creamy and not drying and I love the ones I have used.
  3. Makeup mirror- I don’t wear makeup often, but when I do, I am propped in front of my closet mirror, which consists of poor lighting and a possible terrible outcome. This year, Santa brought both my sister and I a makeup mirror, and I can safely say, I have used it so much in the 5 days I have had it.
  4. Eyebrow sculpting kit- Something I take very seriously are my eyebrows. If I leave the house with only one piece of makeup on, it’s on my brows. I got some eyebrow brushes, tweezers, and a cute little carrying bag for all of my eyebrow needs.
  5. Some shirts- I didn’t get all the feminist shirts I mentioned in my post that I wanted but I did get some other very cool shirts that I also really wanted. From my grandpa and grandma, I got an olive green shirt that says “MAGNOLIA” on it. It is from the show “Fixer Upper, which I am obsessed with. I also got a shirt that says “Meowsterwives” on it next to a kitten. One of my favorite bands are the Misterwives and to pair that band with cats, what could be better? Being the vegan that I am, I also asked for a few vegan shirts and received one that says “Be nice to animals.” It’s white, which will be an issue since I can’t eat or drink anything without spilling on myself, but I’ll manage.
  6. Soy sauce- Alright, alright, alright. So, it was Christmas Eve Eve at dinner, and my grandparents didn’t want to cook since they would be cooking nonstop for the next few days, so we ordered Chinese take-out. When the food arrived, I put some soy sauce on my vegetable lo mein and remarked that we needed to buy more soy sauce because we were running low at my house. My aunt retorted with “Christmas is coming.” The next night, while opening Christmas gifts, I opened an amazon box, to find none other than a half gallon of soy sauce. My aunt and mom had gone to Costco that morning and happened to stumble on the sauce so that had to buy it and put it under the tree.

Those were some of my favorite things I got for Christmas. What did you get for whatever winter holiday you celebrate?

Alicia

Blogmas wrap-up post of sorts

Hi everyone, I realized I never really reflected on Blogmas, or even did a ceremonial extinguishing of the Blogmas torch. I have been so busy with family and friends and stuff I have had no time. I know I said I wanted to post every day during December but honestly, that wasn’t realistic. On the 24th, 25th, and 26th, I basically woke up, had breakfast, got ready, and left my house for the entire day, so there has been no time to do much of anything, let alone writing.So, I do have a few year-end posts but other than that Blogmas and Blogging in general for 2016 is done.

I’m honestly really proud of myself for blogging for 24 days in a row (especially since I had done NaBloPoMo which was every day during November and I was sort of blogged out). My initial plans were to blog every day in December like I said, but honestly, I’d much rather see friends and family than be glued to my computer for an hour or more each day. Basically, I’m pretty proud of Blogmas, and basically the entire latter for 2016 in blogging terms. I’ve been consistent, and obviously, I won’t be blogging daily in 2017, but more consistently than 1-5 times a month.

Basically, this is a total shout out to me post, toot my own horn, pat myself on the back, for not sucking at Blogmas like I initially thought I would. So, there may be another post today, there may be one tomorrow, I’m not quite sure. But I do want to make a post sharing a couple of my fave things I got for Christmas and then some 2017 goals and things you know, making resolutions that everyone and their mother know won’t happen.

Until my next post, whenever that may be.

Alicia

Waking up on Christmas

8:09 am: my door cracks open, letting in a line of light directly hitting my face, awakening me from my slumber

8:10 am: my sister coughs and mumbles something along the lines of “It’s Christmas come on.”

8:10 am: I jolt out of bed, wiping the sleep from my eyes, putting on my new bathrobe, pulling her into a Christmas hug as we descend down the stairs to our living room

8:15 am: Hannah Montana plays in the background (A Christmas tradition) as my sister and I peek in our stockings, hers revealing a new beauty blender and some anime figurines, and mine revealing the same beauty blender and some Play-Doh.

8:17 am: As my dog hears us ruffling through our stockings, she senses the possibility of some left over paper she can eat, and tramples down the stairs to see what all the ruckus is about. Despite her being sick she still has some pep in her step and tons of kisses to dish out.

8:30 am: I hear my mom cough and I immediately call up to her seeing if she is awake, to which I receive a heavy groan followed by a hmph

8:47 am: My father returns from Dunkin Donuts carting in a tray full of drinks for the four of us and some donuts for the three of them

9:00 am: My mother mopes downstairs finally after smelling the sweet iced coffee calling her name.

9:05 am: I am situated in front of the tree as everyone takes their seats on our furniture and my dog on my lap, I begin my role as Santa and begin to pass out presents.

9:45 am: Presents are unwrapped, coffee has been drunk, wrapping paper litters the floor, and smiles are all around.

Real Neat Blog Award

Hi everyone, this morning I received a nomination from rniks24I14 for the Real Neat Blog Award. So thank you so much for the nomination and I can’t wait to complete this award. Let’s get started.

The Rules:

  • Put the award logo on your blog.
  • Answer 7 questions asked by the person who nominated you.
  • Thank the people who nominated you, linking to their blogs.
  • Nominate any number of bloggers you like, linking to their blogs.
  • Let them know you nominated them

My Answers:

  1. Why did you start Blogging? I wanted a way to put my feelings and life down and in words so I figured why have a 30 page google doc when I could have a blog?
  2. Who do you love a lot in your Life? This is really lame but my dog.
  3. Who is your oldest friend with whom you wanna spend maximum time? My friend Cassie. She is about a year younger than me and I’ve known her since she was born
  4. What are your extracurricular activities? I used to play a lot of sports like golf, basketball, badminton, and water polo. Right now I just like to write, exercise, read, listen to music, take photos, things like that
  5. What country would you love to live in? Finland
  6. What are some words for this world’s behavior for female gender? I don’t really understand this question. I think women’s words for the female gender would be empowered, feminist, inspiring. However I think men’s words would be slutty, conceited, weak

My Questions:

  1. How long have you been blogging?
  2. What type of phone do you have?
  3. Do you have any pets? If so, what are they?
  4. Do you watch YouTube videos? If so, who are your favorite Youtubers?
  5. Are you excited for the holidays to be over, or do you wish they would go on forever?
  6. What is your favorite season?
  7. What is your favorite sports team?

I’m going to nominate some of my most recent followers: Welcome!

Lauren           Jessica            Marcella               Katie            Ciarra

Talk to you all soon

Alicia

Chrimbus memories

Hi everyone. Happy Christmas Eve, or for everyone who doesn’t celebrate Christmas, Happy December 24th. Since it is Chrimbus Eve, I have decided to take a trip down memory lane, and visit all the ghosts of Christmas past by sharing some of my favorite Christmas memories. Let’s get started.

My first Christmas memory I was probably 5 years old. I remember pulling up to my grandparents’ house carrying a ton of my gifts from Santa Claus. I was wearing pink Barbie sunglasses, had a pink Barbie purse, and desperately wanted to wear the pink Barbie heels I had also received, however it was snowing out, so my dad forbid it. I remember my grandparents and aunts and uncles coming up to me asking if I had gotten this for Christmas. I remarked to them that I wasn’t allowed to bring all my gifts with me (because they didn’t know that of course) but I had brought the important ones.

My next Christmas memory is a personal favorite of my sister’s. Preface: my sister was/is a HUGE Cody Simpson fan (Australian pop singer). Basically, my sister had requested anything Cody Simpson related for Christmas. Santa decided a life-size Cody Simpson cutout would suffice. When I awoke on Christmas morning, I scurried down the stairs only to be met with a dark figure hiding behind my Christmas tree. Mouth agape, I ran upstairs, to wake my sister up (why call my parents or the police when you can get help from your 10 year-old sibling when the Grimm Reaper is in your living room). We crept back down the stairs, believing someone had broken into our house, turned the living room light on, only to see that Australian pop singer in cardboard form was standing behind the tree. Thanks Santa, for the cardboard cutout of Cody, and the cardiac arrest for my sister and I. Really sweet of you.

This past Christmas was one for the books. Not only was I able to see all of my friends and family I hadn’t seen in 4 months, I was also able to receive a Shrek pillow pet. I am an avid Shrek fan (can’t believe I used avid fan and Shrek in the same sentence) and have no qualms about sharing my passion. Anyways, my sister gave me the Shrek pillowpet and I gave her a Donkey pillowpet (for those of you foreign in all things Shrek related, Donkey is Shrek’s noble steed). Shrek and Donkey currently live on the papasan chair in my bedroom. Quality gift and they have not once startled me upon walking into a room (Cody cutout reference).

I luv chrimbus and u. Bye

What’s in my winter makeup bag

Hi everyone, winter, while full of amazing elements, is the time of staticy hair, dry skin, and chapped lips. I can without a doubt say that none of those three things appeal to me, so I need to have some products with me at all times to combat the harsh conditions winter brings forth on our bodies. Here are my top 7 items in my makeup bag during the winter months.

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Mirror- this is a staple for every season, whether I need to re-part my hair after being outside in the wind, fix an eyebrow, or see if I have food in my teeth, my mirror is my best friend

Brush/comb- Chicago is such a windy city and just from walking out the door of my house to my car can create quite a mess of my hair. With my handy dandy brush/comb (comb usually) I am able to fix this before I start to resemble a tumbleweed.

Lotion- My skin is normally dry anyway, but add the wind and lack of humidity that winter brings, and my skin dries out completely. I bring a lotion bottle or two everywhere I go just in case my skin is feeling extra parched.

Chapstick- When I was younger, I used to lick my lips when they were chapped so people would call me “triple lip.” Now that I’m older and really really really really don’t want that nickname to make a comeback, I like to keep a thing of chapstick or vaseline in my bag to prevent my lips from chapping.

Tissue- Getting sick sucks, and having a runny nose while out and about is even worse. Always make sure to have tissues on you… just in case.

Clippers- With dry hands, come hangnails, and there is nothing worse than having a painful hangnail with no clippers to snip that guy in the butt.

Tweezers- I keep these in my bag anyway, however long car rides to family parties or vacations leave plenty of room for perfecting that brow arch


Naturally,  some of these stay in my bag year round and I have other things in my makeup bag from day-to-day such as concealer, eyebrow pencils, eyeliner, and my lip of choice, but these are specific to the season/they serve a certain purpose each season.

Also, winter is here. Or was here two days ago. I completely forgot until I saw a post about the solstice right after yesterday’s post was finished. Yay, the days now begin getting longer and it might stay light out past 400 tomorrow.

Until tomorrow

Alicia

Guide to Christmas with my family

Hi everyone, the other day I was doing some fall cleaning, and stumbled upon a letter my friend had written me a few years back. I was going to visit her family with her where her mom grew up. Basically, she wrote a guide on how to survive a week with her family by telling me who everyone was, what they do, and just random things I should know. Since Christmas is a time when boyfriends and girlfriends meet families, I figured I would make a guide to my family, not that I have a significant other that is going to meet them this year, but maybe I’ll be able to use this in the future. So, here we have a guide to some of my family members I spend Christmas with.


Terry- My grandfather. We have Christmas at his house (and my grandma Barb’s) every year. He is allergic to chocolate but eats it anyways. Always compliment his brownies and ask him about his life as a teacher/principal and you’ll be fine. Also, if his water bottle is empty, ask if he wants a new one. He will.

Barb- My grandma. She cooks everything and doesn’t sit down to eat until literally forced to by my mother. Very nice but will call you a “little shit” if you beat her in cards. Volunteer to help with dishes and she may start crying.

Liz- My aunt. She is usually nice but can be very judgemental (especially of hair colors, tattoos, and piercings). She will eat any Rice Krispie treat that comes in her path and drinks a lot of wine.

Jason- My uncle (Liz’s husband). Can be a tool Usually is a tool who yells at the television nonstop, drinks a lot of alcohol, and is a very sore loser (he flipped the game of life and the wooden table on top of me when I got it for Christmas when I was 9). He is also known for not being a vegan supporter and giving vegans shit for being vegan. Jason has two kids- Megan and Jacob. Megan is married and Jacob changes where he lives every three months it seems.

Jim and Kelly- Jim is my mom and aunt’s brother but he’s sort of just there and they don’t spend a lot of time with the rest of the family. They are sort of irrelevant and Kelly just likes to complain about life so ignore them. They have three kids Ashley (love of my life), Luke (he said Hillary Clinton sucks so screw him), and Sean (my literally favorite cousin)

Alan and Lorene- my parentals. Pretty chill. My dad also yells at the TV (sports lol) and will probably fall asleep on the couch at some point during the day. My mom drinks a lot of wine and beer, eats too much, and the complains about how much she ate for the next 3 days.

Madi- my sister. Does not talk a lot. Usually on her phone. Doesn’t eat much. Talk to her about anime or Doctor Who and she will love you forever

Bill and Suzie- Suzie is my grandpa’s sister and Bill is her fiance. Suzie had a stroke a few months ago and is recovering. Her arm is still in a sling and she can’t speak very well, but she is doing good. Bill, just like my dad, will also most likely fall asleep on the couch at some point during the day.

Kristy- My Aunt Suzie’s daughter (not Bill’s). She has two kids (Will and Nathan) who typically don’t come because they spend Christmas with their dad. She sometimes brings a new boyfriend (she has a type- tattoos and piercings with lots and lots of hair gel, who are always super nice) and typically doesn’t bring them back. She is super nice though and is never judgey on anything. She also has really cool tattoos.

Robin and Ed- Robin is Kristy’s sister, who also has 2 kids (Kaylin(the love of my life) and Kira). Robin is super sweet and always wear high heels and dresses super nice, even when the rest of us are wearing jeans. Ed, on the other hand is very conservative, tags liberals in gun photos, and my mom and I have both unfriended him on Facebook. Do not talk to Ed… ever.

Kathy and Gary- Kathy is also my grandpa’s sister and Gary is her husband. The only thing Gary and I talk about is golf. He is always the one to cut the turkey and ham and I don’t know why. Kathy posts a lot of controversial things on Facebook followed by Buddha quotes which really pisses my mom off. No one really likes talking to her but we all have to anyways. She usuallt just talks to the adults but if a child walks in her line of sight, she can and will talk your ear off.

Patty and Mike- Patty is my grandpa’s final sister and Mike is her husband. My aunt Patty handmakes Christmas ornaments for everyone in the family. They take like 8 months for her to make them so we always remember to compliment the ornaments, not that we wouldn’t to begin with (she is very skilled and always makes amazing designs). Mike usually doesn’t come because he either has to work (no clue what he does) or is sick. So most people don’t have to worry about him.

But in the end, anyone under 20 hides in the basement until we are called up for linner (lunch/dinner) so there isn’t much to worry about. We basically spend the few hours watching Emperor’s New Groove and Princess Diaries until we are called up. When the elder people start filing out, we start playing cards and my grandparents start swearing.

Until tomorrow,

Alicia

Favorite red lippies

Hi, everyone. Something that so many people seem to be on the lookout for, is the perfect red lipstick. Christmas day comes and you see so many women on social media donning jingly earrings and a perfect red lip. Which lipsticks are they using?

I’m sort of a lipstick connoisseur owning quite a few brands in quite a few shades. After doing so much research on lipsticks, anyone will tell you that most brands have perfected the red lipstick color and formula. If a brand doesn’t have their red formula down to a T, don’t buy from them because it is the easiest formula there is. Despite knowing most brands can in fact pull thru when it comes to a red lipstick, people still want to know what the best color is. So, I have decided to share my absolute favorite red lipsticks of all time with you all.

When I was in high school, I lived in a red Clinique chubby stick. I wore it all the time, because I A. wanted to be Marilyn Monroe (I was her for Halloween one year) and B. That was one of if not the only lip product that I had other than chapstick. I still have that product but no longer use it (Clinique tests on animals) and as I have matured, my taste in lip products has also matured to  actual lipsticks.So, let’s get to it.(All of the following products are cruelty free)

Favorite Solid Red lipstick- Colourpop Matte X Lippie Stix in “Trust Me”

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Okay okay, okay. Some of you may be thinking, “Alicia, of all of the lipsticks in the world, you are going to choose one that retails for $5??” Yes, yes I am. Colourpop lipstick colors can definitely be hit or miss. I love a ton of their products and while most of their proucts are phenomenal, some of their other ones are not as good. However, of all of their products their lippie stix are always amazing, no matter the color. Their formula is phenomenal, non-drying, dries matte (not all but this color does) and is only $5! Not only that but colourpop is vegan and cruelty-free which sends it skyrocketing towards the top in my book.

Favorite Liquid Red lipstick– Smashbox Always on Liquid Lipstick in “Bawse”

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I have used tons and tons and tons of red liquid lipsticks. However none come close to Smashbox’s. This formula is beyond perfect (and carries along with their other colors too). It is long-wear, non-drying (infused with lip-smoothing Primer Oil), dries on matte, does not budge, and can last for up to 8 hours (that’s what the website claims, but mine has lasted for 12). If you are a liquid lippie lover, this needs to be added to your collection.

Favorite Red Lip Gloss- Anastasia Beverly Hills Lip Gloss in “Punchy Red”

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I am not too much of a lipgloss wearer. I am not a fan of the sticky feeling glosses usually bring, however this Anastasia gloss (I don’t know about the other colors as I only have this color) isn’t nearly as sticky as any other brand I have tried. It also smells amazing (vanilla) and is non drying as well. I also like putting this gloss over liquid liptsicks if I want a bit of shine.

Favorite Misc Red Lipstick- Who is She Cosmetics Lip Composite in “Georgia Tea”

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Most of, if not all of you have probably never heard of this brand. This lip composite is from a brand called Who is She Cosmetics. I discovered them a few months back and have been absolutely obsessed with the brand. These lip composites are part lipstick, part lipgloss, all rolled into one cute little pot. I bought a few different colors of these, ranging from a silvery pink, a purple, a glitter, and of course this color, Georgia Tea. I have used almost the entire pot of this in the past few months. It is amazing, not transfer proof, but it doesn’t claim to be, and not drying. This doesn’t fit into any of the categories but I still wanted to share this as one of my favorites!

Until tomorrow

Alicia