My Winter Wishlist

So my last couple of posts have been just quick, little all text guys because I had some thoughts rolling around or I needed to update you on the awesome opportunities I've been afforded lately. Now, I thought that I would put together my Winter Wishlist post to follow up my Fall Wishlist that I did a month or two ago.

Now that it's finally cooling down here (I mean really, 90 degrees into the middle of October?!), I've started shopping for more wintery clothing since once it does cool down here, it cools down. Here are a few of the things that I've pinned for my winter wants. Most of these I've actually purchased already because I just couldn't wait. Don't be alarmed that they're mostly from The Gap. I just spend a crap ton of time at Gap and see things I want to buy while I'm at work. No big deal.

Barbara Quilted Rain Boots, Target $39.99

Where I live, we don't get snow at all. But we do get torrential rain, which means that rain boots are a definite necessity. I have a pair of bean boots already but those aren't exactly the most universal of shoes for cold weather so I picked these up at Target. They're super nice looking with the matte texture of the boots and the quilting gives it an extra touch. The only thing to keep in mind is that the sizing is ridiculous. I wear a size 9 normally and I bought these in a 7. No idea how that's a thing. But make sure you size down if you decide to pick them up. 

Black Leather Slip On Sneakers, Gap $49.95

I got these for myself since my trusty Vans have started to fall apart. They won't be the best choice in the rain, but if the drought conditions continue, I don't suppose I'll have to worry about that. They're very comfortable and fit true to size although they only come in whole sizes, so keep that in mind when you're picking them out.

Super Skinny Khakis, Gap $59.95

We got these in at work last week and I am absolutely obsessed with them. They are so soft and comfortable and the fit makes your butt look amazing. I am so excited to get them! They'll go with so many things, and especially for the holiday season, they're going to be perfect. 

Always Skinny Distressed Skimmer Jeans, Gap $69.95

Lately, I've realized that my jeans are either really old, don't fit or, with the last couple of pairs I've bought, are odd colors. I just want a pair of throw on blue jeans that I can wear all the time and I think that's what these are going to be. The fit is really nice (Always Skinny is my favorite cut of our jeans) and I really like the distressing being not at the knees because I always end up ripping huge holes in the knees of my jeans when they're already distressed there.

Marled Raglan Sweater, Gap $44.95

I bought a sweater from work that is literally identical to this as far as the fabric is concerned, but has no pockets. Not gonna lie, I'm a little pissed mine doesn't have pockets on it, but I'll live. I love the navy/white marled look of the sweater. I don't have anything like it in my wardrobe. 

PrimaLoft Luxe Floral Puffer Vest, Gap $52.99

This guy is actually marked down online but not in stores which I find very annoying. But I'm in love with the print on this thing. It doesn't look at all like a traditional puffer vest to me so I feel like I need it in my life. 

And there you have all of the things that I want for the winter time here. Stay tuned for a couple more Fall posts this week and check out my first official food post over here on Eat. Drink. Adventure. 

A New Venture

A few posts back I was talking about my favorite bloggers, one of whom is a good friend of mine, Jullie Anne. She had a food blog called Mangoes and Palm Trees. Over the summer, she had a lot of other things going on and so got a bit sidetracked from food blogging. Late in September, she was talking about relaunching the blog with a few changes and asked me to co-blog with her. Clearly, I jumped at the chance! Her blog was always one of my favorites to read, and I'm always down to spend time in the kitchen. My introductory post went up this morning and I thought I would share it with you guys over here. We should start with actual food posts pretty soon, so keep a look out :)

Sometimes You Have to be a Little Selfish

I've talked about the importance of girlfriends before on this blog, but over the last few weeks, I've definitely found that it doesn't have to be good girlfriends so much as good people that you surround yourself with that make all the difference in your quality of life. You know, the kinds of people who text you good luck on the day of your interview and then text you later on to see how it went. The friends who randomly call to take you out for dinner and drinks when they know you're having a rough week. The people who challenge you to better yourself and become the best possible you there is. Those are the kind of people that you need in your life.

I've said it before and I will say it again. I will always go for quality over quantity where friends are concerned. I'm long past the days where I feel like I need to have a ton of friends in order to feel like I'm popular or have accomplished something. I am fully aware that I have many accomplishments to be proud of and people in my life to be thankful for. I don't need a million Instagram or Twitter followers to feel important. For a long time, I did feel like I needed those things; I needed to be well liked in order to succeed. I felt like if I didn't have a lot of people around then it meant that I wasn't cool enough or funny enough or smart enough. I allowed a lot of people into my life who brought a whole lot of negativity and bullish*t with them and it was a huge mistake. I think that being an adult is coming to grips with that and dealing with it and now I am perfectly content with the amazing group I've surrounded myself with.

I went out for drinks with a friend last week and he commented that since he'd seen me last, I had done a complete 180 in my attitude. I started to say it was because I'm not at a job I hate anymore and I'm taking time for myself to do things that make me happy, like getting a pedicure but then I actually stopped to think about it. I genuinely believe that is because over the last few months, I've slowly but surely weeded out the people in my life who were bringing drama and not making me happy. I graduated from high school an entire year early because I was so tired of the drama that manifests itself around teenagers, no way I was going to continue to let that rule my 22 year old life. I had to make some major changes and kicking those people out of my life was a great first step.

At first I felt like that sounded terrible, but it's your responsibility to make your life what you want, not anyone else's. In that same vein, if you allow other people to track their drama and negativity through your life, you are just as at fault as they are. I had to learn that the hard way.Luckily for me, the very last one made their exit this week when she asked me to step down as a bridesmaid. The amount of drama that surrounded that wedding was ridiculous and I was thrilled to be rid of it. Now I can enjoy myself this weekend rather than spending it with people I can't stand and dealing with drama that I shouldn't have to. And you shouldn't either.

Can We Talk about Once Upon a Time for a Second?

As much as I love Frozen, I'm not going to lie, after last season's Wicked Witch detour, I was not excited in the least to see what Once Upon a Time was going to do to the storyline. Don't get me wrong, I started out as a huge fan of the show when it premiered. From the fashion to the story lines, I was obsessed. Then the second season happened and things started to slide downhill, real fast.  I was completely underwhelmed by the follow up story and I felt like they hired a whole new set of writers who had never even seen the first season. The acting was terrible, the plot was swiss cheese most of the time. Much like the characters left in Storybrooke after the curse was lifted, the show was struggling with what to do after the central conflict was suddenly lifted away. After Neverland and a trip to Oz last season, I was pretty much done watching, convinced that there was no way to turn it around.

However, when I found out that Scott Michael Foster, who played Cappie on ABC Family's Greek (OBSESSED with that show) years ago was going to be playing Christoph, I figured I'd give it a go and I have to say, thus far, I'm pretty impressed with the turn around. I think that the addition of Anna to past storylines and bringing Elsa to Storybrooke may be just what the show needs to get its shit together and head back into the direction of where it started.

Don't get me wrong, we're only in the second episode here, and it could easily snowball (hehe) into a heaping mess of badly tangled plot lines. After all, Rapunzel was not the blonde-to-brunette Mandy Moore type we all fell for in Tangled when she made her appearance on the show. I could be speaking too soon, but I really hope I'm not. I watched the first season on Netflix a few weeks ago when I was feeling nostalgic and was struck again by the great thing the writers had going when the show initially launched.

The only thing that irks me is Elsa. I don't want to spoil the show for anyone out there who hasn't watched or caught up, but to speak in general terms, her apparent lack of control on the show completely contradicts the ending of the movie. At the end of the film, Elsa seems more assured and confident in her powers, as well as her role as queen. She creates an entire ice rink in the courtyard of the palace, for crying out loud! The Elsa on the show seems completely off kilter and not at all able to deal with her gifts which doesn't seem right to me.

Anyone out there have any thoughts?

September Favorites

Hooray! This one is actually on time! After last month's super favorites, I figured that this time I'd actually take care of my blog post on time and get my favorites for September up at....the end of September. But how is it already the end of September?! WHERE did the month go? I feel like it was just Labor Day and yet, here I am with my calendar all set for October. 2014 may have been the fastest year of my life.

The first items on my favorites were purchased in the last week but I love them so much, they're  making the cut for this month's favorites anyway. They're all skincare products from Lush.

-Mask of Magnaminty. My skin has never been happier than after using this. I initially went into Sephora last week to pick up another product but after having yet another Sephora employee not help me and instead refer me to a computer to read reviews from their website, I left and headed to Lush where the lovely girls in there suggested Mask of Mag to me. I used that along with the sample of the next product and the next morning, everything on my face had shrank significantly.

-Coal Face Soap. This stuff. This stuff. It's magic. Combined with Mask of Mag, I swear it can cure all that is wrong with the world. Ok, maybe not all that is wrong, but if it's wrong with your face, this will clear it right up. It isn't much to look at, but my skin loves charcoal, which I've mentioned before and as a result, this has been a great week for my face.

-OPI Steady As She Rose Nail Polish. My go-to nail polish color for my almost never manicured nails is a pale, baby pink shade. Except when I busted out my nail polish stash at the end of August thinking I'd like to paint my nails, my cheap little Sally Hansen bottle was gloppy and gross, meaning I needed a new bottle. I'd had my eye on this color when the collection came out in 2011 and  since I needed a new light pink, I ordered it on Amazon. It almost looks like a nude color because of the grey tint in it which I personally think makes it even more wearable. It's been on both sets of nails this month and have enjoyed the neutral polish it gives to my nails.

-Dolce and Gabbana Escape to Panarea Perfume. I blogged about this when I purchased it for myself early in the month but I've worn it literally every day since. The best part about it is that I can't smell it on myself. I mean, I can if I literally sniff myself but unlike my favorite DKNY perfume, I can't constantly smell it all day. To me it doesn't smell so much like perfume as just a person who smells really good, naturally and I love that.

-MAC blush in Harmony. This is an oldie but a goodie for me. I bought it about 3 years ago when I was going through a phase where every blush I owned was "too pink" on me. Enter Harmony which looks scary dark in the pan but on looks like a gorgeous natural flush on the skin. Once it gets to be autumn, I typically switch from peachy and pink toned blushes to more natural shades and this is my go-to right now.

-Clinique Longwear Lipstick in Creamy Nude.  After an entire summer of Kylie Jenner's lips being a trending topic on just about every social media, I decided I needed a new, matte-ish lip color to wear for Fall and after many trial and error experiences at the Clinique counter, I landed on Creamy Nude. It's a pinky brown shade that gives me a my lips but better look and it lasts for a long, long time.

-Bath and Body Works Triple Moisture Cream in Comfort. One of my coworkers wears this all the time and I kept smelling it at work and finally had to find out what it was. Supposedly it is supposed to smell like a pumpkin latte with marshmallows but to me, it smells like a better, more autumnal version of Pink Sugar. I bought one bottle and then had a coupon for 20% off and did the buy 2 get 1 free just so I could have more. I'm obsessed!

-Apple Donuts. I started September at Apple Hill. I kept bringing it up and bugging my family so my parents and I went on Labor day, specifically for apple donuts from High Hill Ranch. Clearly we got a dozen of them! The crumb was my favorite, but the glazed and cinnamon sugar were really good too. Unfortunately, with the King Fire going on, I haven't been able to go back up, but the plan is to go back up next month just for more donuts ;)

-Celestial Seasonings Pumpkin Harvest Tea. I discovered this tea last year when I snagged it on a whim at the grocery store and immediately loved it. It's pumpkin-y without being overly so and the spices make it a truly unique tea. I typically make myself a mug every morning with my cereal.

-Tazo Vanilla Caramel Chai Tea. Another tea picked up on a whim, I bought a box the last time I was at Target with my mom shopping with our 5% off coupon and I'm OBSESSED! To me, it doesn't really taste like vanilla caramel, it tastes more like maple...but I really don't mind that at all. My only problem is that I've been making lattes with it using Trader Joe's brand coconut milk but I don't want to have a half gallon of coconut milk in the fridge for just lattes. That's silly. The tea on its own is ok. But the latte is amazing.

-Rich Kids of Beverly Hills. I've loved this show for a while, but the second season finally premiered at the end of August and I've been watching it all month long. I tell you, this show is better than the stupid Kardashians any day of the week. I think that I love it because in spite of the ridiculousness of their lifestyles and spending habits, there are moments on the show where they're really just human, especially Morgan Stewart, who I just love. I'm bummed that the seasons are just so short.

-SacconeJoly Vlogs. I have a confession to make. This month I've discovered the Saccone Jolys on YouTube and have quickly fallen in love with their family, especially their two year old littler girl, Emilia. They post new vlogs every day at 6pm their time, which means 10am my time and I've had a blast starting my mornings with baby antics. They're just such a sweet family and the kids are stinkin' cute too!

Let's Geek Out: Percy Jackson and the Heroes of Olympus

As a lifetime lover of books and all things magical, I decided that I'd like to start talking about my favorite series of books and also television every now and again and I thought that I would start with Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series for my first Let's Geek Out post. 

For those who aren't familiar with Percy Jackson, or maybe saw the awful movies they made that don't measure up at all to the books, I'll give a little bit of background. To me, it is almost similar to Harry Potter in that it is about a seemingly ordinary young man with extraordinary origins who is faced with challenges that we mere mortals could not even dream of. Except that Rick Riordan did. Percy Jackson and his friends are demigods, or the offspring of both god and mortal parents. In the books, they face a series of challenges that echo classic Greek myth and deal with them in new and interesting ways. I don't want to give too much away in case anyone out there does want to read them but that's the gist of it. 

Considering that I, yet again, preordered Rick Riordan's next book on Amazon the other day, I felt it only fair that I should probably write a bit about his book series since I think it is also safe to say that it is one of my favorites. 

I initially picked up the Percy Jackson series of books in 2010 when my family was headed to Florida to go to DisneyWorld. I'm a travel reader and wanted to make sure that I would have enough material to encompass all the downtime we had on the planes and outside of the parks which meant boxed set. I started and finished all of the first three books in the series and immediately checked out the rest from the library when I got home. 

Being a longtime mythology nerd (especially Greek mythology), reading and listening to the stories was doubly fun because I knew which myths they were mentioning and recognized the parallels between the story arch I was reading and the one that originated thousands of years ago. While it's a series for young adults, it is definitely a great series of books and an interesting way to brush up or learn about mythology as you go. 

The feelings of sadness I experienced after I finished the books was intense. Only to find out that he had released a whole new series of books that now incorporated Roman myth as well as the Greek called the Heroes of Olympus. I learned about this while I was still working at the college bookstore and luckily was able to read the first two books for free during my work hours at the desk (this is also how I read the Hunger Games series and Divergent). Since quitting that job over two years ago, I've had to start paying for my literature and I don't mind at all. 

It bothers me immensely that these are out of order. Son of Neptune is the second book, then The Mark of Athena. 

I've preordered and devoured the last three, now four, books that have been released in the series on my Kindle and I can't wait till October 7th to read the next one! 

I have a feeling that The Blood of Olympus will be the last book in the series and that bums me out a bit but I think that it should be a really exciting read nonetheless. 

Products Actually Worth Buying

Happy Friday, guys! I've been off for the last two days so I've been able to get a little bit done on the blog so we don't have quite as many scheduling snafus as we have the last couple of weeks. Anyway, since it's Friday and we've talked about products and treating yourself this week, I thought this post was incredibly appropriate.

As a 22 year old woman, I've bought my fair share of beauty products. I mean, we all do it. A new product comes out, promising to make you look like Blake Lively or Gisele but better and we run out and buy it immediately. And most of the time, they turn out to be complete and utter crap. Most of the time, I end up with like 5 of the same type of product just stockpiled in my bathroom trying to use them up or give them away. Lately, I've been working on finishing the stuff that I already have so I haven't been buying a lot of new products. But when I do, they're typically not so much new as products that I've bought before and continue to buy because they're the best. There aren't that many since I've yet to find a perfect product in every category but these are the ones I've found so far.

Haircare

OGX Coconut Milk Shampoo: I've talked about this stuff before in a favorites post and possibly even a haircare one as well but it is that good. Almost 2 years ago, a girl I was friends with told me that her mom was capable enough to color my hair for me. I ended up with patchy black hair that I had to have double processed to fix and a scalp so dry disturbed from chemical burns that it was flaking and dandruffy for almost a year afterward. It was October of last year that I decided to give this stuff a shot. I'd seen it around and my stylist at the time told me that coconut oil might help with the massive amounts of flaking I still  had going on after my horrific dye job. So I snagged it at Target on sale and a month later, the flaking was almost gone. In fact, it's been gone for months but I still use this shampoo because it smells amazing and it keeps my hair soft and my scalp hydrated. Three bottles later and I just bought the economy size because I need it in my life.

Aussie 3 Minute Miracle: For $3, this product can't be beat. This is my go to conditioner during the cold months because of how thick and moisturizing it is on my thick, coarse hair, and now that there are a bunch of new versions of it on the market, I will definitely be trying a few out.

Clear Scalp and Hair Intense Hydration Nourishing Mask: I picked this up after getting home from Punta Cana in April. Between the travel and the climate there, my hair freaked out and I had to wash it just about every day to combat the mess and frizz it turned into. By the time we got home, my hair wasn't sure what to do with itself. It was dry and my scalp was not happy with me so on a whim, I grabbed this mask because it was meant to be massaged into the scalp. It worked so well that I've repurchased it twice and I use it as my regular conditioner.

Garnier Hydrarecharge 1 Minute Moistureplenish Treatment: This is my go-to deep conditioner in the summer months. It's light, quick and easy and it smells like apple. It works perfectly in the hot months when I don't need quite as much moisture in my hair but want to give it a pick me up. 

Bodycare

Secret Outlast Deodorant in Completely Clean: This has been my go-to deodorant for years. It truly does last all day long. I've just recently switched over to a new scent from the same line for a change, but when it's gone, I'll certainly be going back to the old standby.

Nair Brazilian Clay Shower Power Hair Removal Cream: I've talked about this before and I can't stress how good it is for lazy girls like me who don't want to shave their legs ever. You just pop it on before you get in the shower and you can either use it like I do and shave it off, or you can use the nifty sponge that Nair provides you with. I personally use a razor just because it gets every single hair.

Beauty

Skin79 Gold Label BB Cream: This is one of the real deal BB creams from Asia. I started using it a few years ago when Allison Anderson, or Amarixe as she's known on YouTube, demonstrated it in one of her videos. We're the same shade in a lot of foundations so I thought I would give it a shot and have loved it ever since. It's super quick to apply (I use my Real Techniques sponge) and I don't even need to set it with a powder. I just sponge it on and get the rest of my makeup on. Right now I'm slightly too dark for it but by the end of the month, I'll be able to use it again no problem. I already ordered a new bottle for a backup for the winter months since it's all I use. 

Covergirl Lashblast Length Mascara: I'm not super picky about mascara since I have fairly good natural lashes, but when I find one that makes my lashes look as good as this stuff does, I stick to it. Most people don't like it but if you have long, curly lashes already, it gives perfect definition and adds a little bit of length as well. I love that it defines my eyes without making them look spidery. 

Sometimes You Gotta Treat Yo'self!

No, it isn't Tuesday and in fact, I'm late for posting this too (sorry guys, two overnight shifts at work have killed me), but I made a purchase for myself yesterday that was far from necessary but definitely helped to lift my spirits.

Not to go into it too deeply, since I've alluded to it on the blog before, but I've been in a major rut lately. Nothing that I'm doing has felt...right really and I've just been kind of waiting for things to change, rather than actually standing up and doing something about it. In spite of the rather silly nature, I think that this little treat for myself definitely is a step in that direction. 

To preface the story of the perfume, I want to say that I've been looking for a "fall" perfume lately. Everything I have is just not right. My go-to gal is DKNY's Be Delicious Fresh Blossom, and while I love her dearly, she smells like being punched in the face with springtime...which I love....in spring and summer. But the things I have had on the docket for fall in the last few years just smell wrong to me. Too college, too stripper-y, too light. Something is just wrong with all of them. So I've been keeping my eyes peeled for the perfect fall scent for me. Ironically enough, I ended up buying a limited edition fragrance released for the spring/summer. 

See, I saw this limited edition D&G perfume earlier this year and based upon the artwork on the box alone, I just knew I would love it. See, I have a picture of Greece in my bedroom that I magically found at Good Will last year when I was living in my apartment. The photo on the box reminded me of that picture and I fell in love. I knew I had to have this perfume...only to smell it on a Sephora test strip and not be impressed. That was it, I gave up. At least until I sprayed it on myself on Tuesday night before my shift and even after showering (it was 5 am. I just wanted to get my makeup off and the stench of Abercrombie adjacent mall real estate out of my hair) I could smell it on my wrists the next day and was in love. As a result, I picked it up last night on my way into work. To me it smells like vacation and adventure which is just what I could use right about now. I can smell it as I type now and get happy every time I get a whiff. 

If you're wondering, here is the description of the perfume from Sephora's website: 

Floating in the crystal Mediterranean waters above Sicily, the tiny island of Panarea imbues all who visit with a joyous and carefree spirit. Enticing and penetrating, Escape to Panarea reveals a sweet yet fresh soul with scents from the woody-musky olfactive family. 

The fragrance opens with a burst of Calabrian bergamot and pear, a contrast that blooms alongside the nocturnal jasmine and orange blossoms that define the heart notes. Base notes root the fragrance with an accord of ambergris, patchouli, tonka beans, and warm musky accords. 

Notes: 

Calabrian Bergamot, Pear, Nocturnal Jasmine, Orange Blossoms, Ambergris, Patchouli, Tonka Beans, Musky notes. 

I get a lot of the jasmine upfront and then definitely the pear and tonka bean for the rest of the dry down. But it's amazing!

Just a quick little update

Hey guys! I'm sorry I haven't posted hardly at all this week. It's been kind of crazy for me between starting my new job and the holiday weekend. There really isn't much of an excuse except that I just really didn't find time to sit down and finish the blog posts I had laid out for this week. However, a post with my favorites from both July and August will be up tomorrow and I'll be back to my regular schedule after that with a post on Wednesday and Friday as well. I just wanted to check in and let you know what was up. 

Cheers!

Two Months Worth of Favorites

Ladies and gentlemen, prepare yourselves for a favorites super post! Ok, maybe I was just really lazy and didn't feel the need to post after July due to the straight up awkwardness that were my favorite things of July.

To be totally honest, I don't know where summer went. I feel like yesterday was the Fourth and I was going to the rodeo. Now, it's September already and for the first time in...16 years, I'm not going back to school. It's going to be an interesting year for me...adjusting to life without semesters and classes. But I have faith I'll get used to it.

I started to do this back in early August as my July Favorites but my favorites from July were so weird and random that I decided to save them and combine with August's for one big super post. Probably really lazy but whatever.

Anyway, let's chat about my long overdue favorites, shall we?

-Pixi Glow Tonic. I saw this in MeghanRosette's monthly favorites video a couple of months ago and considering she too has been dealing with skin struggles for most of her time on YouTube (and somehow seems to have skin flare ups a the same time that I do) I decided to give it a shot. It doesn't hurt that I got it for 25% off and free shipping with a coupon code I found on RetailMeNot (that site is genius. Check it out next time you're online shopping). I've used it twice a day, maybe not every day, but with relative regularity and have noticed a definite improvement in my skin. It has a very strong floral smell so if that's something that you're not into, I would look elsewhere. Otherwise, it's a great product that works very well and as long as the bottle finishes the way it has started, I will most likely be purchasing this for a long time to come.

-Origins Clear Improvement Mask. For all 0f 2014, I've been struggling with my skin. Not anything too major, but after taking Accutane twice, it's been really annoying. This mask is a godsend for my skin when I'm breaking out a ton. It dries acne out and shrinks my pores and despite the salesgirl telling me that you're not supposed to use it all over your face, I will continue to do so because my skin LOVES it. A lot.

-Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette. This was one of those things I just couldn't be bothered to purchase for $50 when it initially came out. Despite the fact that it was always in the back on my mind as something I'd be interested in having, I never ever would have actually picked it up had I not seen this blog post from Nouveau Cheap with the $20 off coupon and I'm so glad I did. While I haven't really been wearing a ton of makeup this summer, the times that I have taken the time to go all out with the war paint, I've been reaching for this. It is the perfect collection of neutral colors that I can use in my every day routine. In fact, it is going to be featured in a post coming up where I do a little bit of a makeup discussion/tutorial.

-Trader Joe's Coconut Green Tea. Ok, I totally went out and bought this because I saw it on my Trader Joe's app (yes, TJ's now has an app). The packaging was what got me. Then I saw that it said coconut and that was it. I haven't really been drinking hot tea in the last few weeks bed ause of the heat, but for a while there, I was drinking a mug or two every day. It's that good. Now, it's a loose leaf tea so I have to use the little birdy infuser with it and in fact, let's add that to my list of favorites as a combo. Between the two of them, I get my mug of delicious tea with no hassle and can wake myself up with delicious coconut green tea every morning.

If you do run out and get it, keep in mind that the lid pops off like it's made of rubber. Also, I steep it for between 5 and 10 minutes, rather than the suggested 2-3 on the packaging. If you do it for that short of a time, it tastes like water and you're just wasting tea. 

-Numi White Rose Tea. If Disney Princesses had their own tea, this would be it! I was introduced to this tea by my little sister who brought this home after one of her various trips to my grandpa's house. For some reason he gave her a ton of tea that he'd brought down here with him when he moved last fall. It has a light floral taste and smells like a fresh blooming bouquet of roses. I became obsessed. Like hunted it down and bought THREE boxes on Amazon obsessed. It's amazing. This summer, I've been obsessed with rose things, and this tea is no exception. I made it into a pitcher of iced tea before I left for SoCal in July and was drinking three glasses a day of iced white rose tea. Can you go to rehab for tea addiction? Is that a thing? Either way, I'll keep drinking it in the hopes that one day, I'll wake up and be a Disney Princess. 

-My Ursula Mug. As a lifelong lover of Ariel (I spent a good deal of my toddlerdom pretending to be the little mermaid, sitting on the top step of every pool I encountered, flipping my "tail" around and singing the little mermaid song), anything Little Mermaid related gets me. The funny thing is that I always thought that my grandma looked like Ursula. From the puff of white hair to the long nails and red lips, they were literally twins in my eyes...except my grandma obviously wasn't a half octopus hybrid. And recently, I came across this mug online at the Disney Store site and KNEW I had to have it. I was going to get it while I was down south in July, but a very nice friend of ours gave me a free shipping coupon for the site and I figured paying Sacramento tax rate was going to be cheaper than paying for it down in Anaheim since shipping wasn't an issue. Needless to say, when it came in the mail, I was in love. She now lives at my newly reorganized desk area and I couldn't be happier that I ordered her.

-My custom painted "Disney Parks" Starbucks cup. Is this not the most adorable cup in the entire world? I have a girlfriend who decorates the Starbucks travel cups as a side gig and a few months back, she posted a picture of a Starbucks cold cup with the Disney Parks Starbucks pattern on it. Of course, considering my Disneyland obsession, I HAD to have it and ordered one immediately. And since I picked it up from her a couple of weeks ago, it's been the only thing I've been drinking my water out of, which is good since I'm currently in the middle of a 5 day bikini body challenge with my mom and need to be drinking all the water I can get. 

-Lake Tahoe. About two months ago, one of my girlfriends and I decided we wanted to go to Lake Tahoe for a day trip when we both had the day off...except that turned from a day out to going back the very next week to spend yet another day out in South Lake. I can easily say that Tahoe is definitely my speed. It's laid back and vacation-y without being too boring and the food we've had up there is to die for. I just feel so at peace up there that I want to go back all the time.

-Netflix. For almost two years, I've been using Amazon Prime, rather than Netflix because it was cheaper to have Amazon Prime and I thought I wasn't missing much. WRONG. I got the free trial of Netflix again this month to watch Orange is the New Black as I mentioned above and I haven't been on Amazon Prime once since getting it. At this point, I'm pretty sure I'm going to cancel Amazon Prime and go back to Netflix. Amazon Prime used to be able to compete, I'll give it that. But now that Netflix has its own content and has contracted with Disney, Amazon Prime has nowhere to go. Sorry Amazon. I'll miss you. Maybe.

-Orange is the New Black. Not being a Netflix user (I know, I know, but Amazon Prime was cheaper while I was a student.), I hadn't actually had the chance to watch the show at all. However, when I was down in Southern California this month, I watched the pilot with my girlfriend and was hooked. I've blown through both seasons online and can't wait to see what comes next.

-The Red Band Society.  I'm pretty sure I'm the last person I know to have heard about this show. I was watching the Pilot on Hulu the other day and when I told my sister how good it was she told me that the ads on Pandora were getting ridiculous and at the beginning of the episode, one of the cast members informs you that they've raised a ton of money thanks to all the people who sent in donations. Despite being the last person in the world to know this was even happening, I loved the pilot for the show and can't wait for more episodes. The show centers on teenage kids living in a hospital. The reasons for each kids' residence there is different, from kids living with cancer to a bitchy cheerleader with a heart condition. The cast of characters they've brought together is sensational and I found myself instantly hooked into the storyline. OH! PS, if you're a 90's kid like me, you'll see a familiar face show up and be pleasantly surprised. If you miss him, you're 90's kid card is hereby revoked because you definitely should have seen his movies.

-Chef. This movie came out of nowhere for me. I had never heard of it before my mom suggested that we go see it on one of the $6 Tuesday movie nights that our local theaters put on. Going in completely blind, I wasn't quite sure what to expect but I absolutely loved it. As I mentioned in my literary wish list post, I'm a foodie at my core and watching a movie about a wayward chef and father finding his way by opening a traditional Cuban food truck was totally up my alley. 

-The Hundred-Foot Journey. Yet another food movie, I also mentioned this in my literary wish list post. This one was one of those "too big to fail" pictures that could have gone either way. With Oprah and Steven Spielberg producing it, I was sure that it had to be good, but then again, sometimes when it's supposed to be the next Titanic, it is, literally. Nonetheless, I was really excited to see this and I took my mom two weeks ago. Other than some major lower back pain after sitting for the length of the movies, I had absolutely no complaints and was, in fact, in love with the story. I put the book on my literary wish list so that I can read it and see how it stacks up to one of my new favorite movies. 

-Maddie and Tae. I saw a Yahoo! feature about these ladies earlier this month and was immediately impressed with them and their story. Their single, "Girl in a Country Song", became available on iTunes while I was in Southern California two weeks ago. I only just now got around to downloading it but when I did, I listened to it 10 times in a row.  In fact, as a self-proclaimed music pirate who makes it a point of pride that I don't buy music from iTunes, the fact that I paid to own their single speaks for itself. If you for some reason haven't already heard it, stop reading and watch the video really quick. Ok, you watched? Sweet, so you now understand why this is epic. As a country music lover, this song cracks me up. If you listen closely, you can tell exactly which artists they're calling out in. But, if you don't have two country presets in your car like I do, that's fine too. Regardless of your musical alliances, this is a really well done song. It isn't in your face or immature, it just frankly and directly points out what has been happening in country and really all genres of music lately: making women into objects, rather than people. Maddie and Tae do it in a fun and silly way, especially with the video, that makes their message clear but isn't Sarah Palin in it's delivery.

-Hunter Hayes. On the other side of the coin, after talking about how men in the country music world are objectifying the ladies and treating them like bimbos, I'm including Hunter Hayes in my favorites this month (even though he's a favorite literally all the time, I LOVE him) because he's kind of the exception. Number one, he's a fantastic musician. On his debut album, he played all of the instruments in the songs...it came out to something like 32 instruments that he played. And to top it off,  all of his songs are so sweet and heartfelt and the way he writes about women is refreshing. He reminds me of that first boyfriend (most girls, not me, I had a drug dealer asshole) that you have that just loves you to death and is so damn sweet and brings you carnations to the date and pulls out your chair for you and knows what your coffee order is and brings it to you. Tangent alert! But seriously, if you haven't checked him out or have been living under a rock for the last two years, get your butt to his YouTube channel and watch his #FortheLoveofMusic videos. You'll fall in love too. He's just so darn endearing.