July Favorites 2015

Hey Guys,

I hope everyone had an enjoyable month of July. My month was packed with Cherry Festival, extra shifts at work, my birthday, wine tasting, and even some relaxing at the beach. Time sure does fly when you're having fun. I can't believe the month is already over.

Here's a few of my favorite things from July.

- It Cosmetics CC Cream: I've been using the CC cream for a while now as my regular foundation and absolutely love it. I originally bought the light color but it turned out to be a little dark on me so I bought the fair. Now that I have a bit of a tan from the summer sun however I've been mixing the two together to create my perfect color. I usually use my fingers to apply the cream which glides on smoothly and never leaves any streaks or weird spots. The CC cream provides even coverage and doesn't show pores like the bareMinerals liquid foundation did for me. It's also one of the best smelling makeup products I've ever used.

- Mario Badescu Glycolic Acid Tone: Earlier this year I was looking to boost my skin care regimen and decided to pick up the Mario Badescu Glycolic Adic Toner. I don't use this product every night because it can be a little harsh, but every other night works well for my skin. My face always feels so much more clean after using this toner, especially in the summer months when I've been sweating in my makeup all day.

- Mask of Magnaminty from Lush: My parents and I stopped at Lush in Grand Rapids a few months ago and I've been using this mask regularly ever since. The minty smell of the product makes me feel fresh and reinvigorated. The mask is pretty gentle and feels great on my face. It's not as messy as I thought it would be either. I like putting on the mask 10-15 minutes before I take a shower so then I can just wash it off when I'm in there.

- J Crew Tank: Another item I previously mentioned purchasing in Grand Rapids was an slightly off white tank from J Crew. I have been loving this tank top and have worn it a lot this month. The top itself is incredibly comfortable while the detailed front and silk back makes it look dressier than it feels. Pairing this tank with jeans makes me feel more put together than a regular t-shirt.

- Planner and Planner Stickers: This planner is my life now. I've had it for three months and have noticed a significant increase in my productivity over that time. It's nice having a way to organize blog post schedules and filming ideas. Of course there are days I don't follow what I have written or just completely forget to schedule anything, but I'm getting better. I also love the fact that my planner serves as both a functional and creative outlet. That's definitely my favorite combination. Now I just need to stop buying stickers because this planner was supposed to help me save money not spend it all.

- The Newsroom: I picked up the first season of The Newsroom at the start of this month. I'd heard great things about the show and had been meaning to watch it for years. My dad and I watched the first episode together and neither of us could wait to watch episode two. Unfortunately my dad stopped watching after the third episode because he was angry with the show's political stance, so I continued on alone. I'm now in the middle of season two and wishing the show lasted longer than three seasons. I love the people, subject matter, and just everything about The Newsroom.

- Audiobooks/Overdrive: Audiobooks are the best aren't they? I mean really you can listen to them anywhere or while doing almost anything. Whether it's baking, cleaning, or riding a bike an audiobook is the perfect companion to any task. I feel like I've spent most of the month listening to one book or another. Overdrive is an app that allows you to check out audiobooks and ebooks through your local library. Since I'm broke borrowing books fits into my budget much better than buying them. You can even listen to the books right in your web browser now, no downloading necessary.

- Middlesex: This is definitely my favorite book I finished in July and has joined the ranks as one of my favorite books of all time. I didn't know much about this story before starting other than the fact that the main character was a hermaphrodite. No expectations is the best way to approach a novel; I was completely blown away. All those emotions I kept waiting to feel for The Virgin Suicides came to me when reading Middlesex. Eugenides writing in this book was brilliant. The way he created this story reminded me of an intricately woven sweater or a perfectly folded origami creation.

- Jen Campbell: Jen Campbell is an author, bookseller, and Youtuber who makes videos talking about all the bookish things. She's great. I love the type of videos she creates and trust her book recommendations completely. Jen also seems like a wonderful person. If only I lived in England and could be friends with all the nice British booktubers (they seem like a cool crowd). Anyway, if you haven't heard of Jen, you should most definitely check out her videos.

Alright, that's it.

-S

What are your favorites from the month of July?

I Might Actually Need a Planner

Wow. Last week was busy and productive which felt super good. Last Tuesday I had book club and then my friend and I went out to dinner afterwards. On Thursday my dad, brother, brother's girlfriend, and I all went to see the Red Wings play in Detroit. Even though the Wings' loss was disappointing for my first trip to the Joe, it was still a lot of fun just to be there.

Ever since I figured out my life needed more structure in order for me to actually get stuff done, I've been trying hard to keep a semi scheduled day. There's still plenty of things I need to work on, getting in regular workouts, sticking with a steadier schedule for blogging, being more proactive about searching for a second job, but I finally feel like my life might be moving again.

For the last few months I have been feeling stuck. I think we all feel that way from time to time. We look around and notice that we've been in the same place for the last six months, and what we've been doing doesn't feel like enough anymore. We get bored with the monotony of day to day life. This feeling can drive people in all different directions. It's not an easy battle and there's no one solution.

So I updated my resume and applied for a job. I picked out a new paint color for my room. I bought a couple succulents. I started making my bed every day. I went to book club and talked even though I've never been a talker in group settings. I listened to my favorite new album as many times as I wanted. I told myself that I'm beautiful and confident while striking a power stance in front of the mirror. I didn't let myself get defeated, and when I did have a low day I tried my hardest to have a better day tomorrow.

Spring brings out the best in me. I'm naturally happiest in the summer and fall, but most productive in the spring. Spring always gets my gears moving; thawing out the cold winter stiffness and managing to unlock all that energy I store away during the snowy months. It's still weird for me to be this enthusiastic about living. It's nice to be making goals again, even really big unrealistic ones, and to enjoy planning out my days. I don't expect to be happy all the time, but I am happy for the most part. In a time of new beginnings I'm starting to feel like it's just where I belong.

Mostly throughout high school, but even in college, I kept a planner. I wrote everything down in color-coded fashion and always looked forward to crossing off entries. I've been a list maker and a note taker my whole life. Getting things down on paper was the only way I could keep everything straight, but my life post-college didn't seem conducive for a full time planner. I didn't have enough going on for me to justify even buying a calendar.

I kept telling myself I wanted to be the type of person who needed a planner again. I wanted my life to be busy and for my time to need scheduling, but the only thing this was doing was making me more frustrated. Then about a week ago I realized maybe it's not about waiting for a "real" job or a busier life, it's about getting the most out of my time right now. If I have so many things I want to do, why am I waiting to do them until I have to squeeze them in? Maybe getting a planner will make my life busier just by allowing me to set specific schedules. I know that if I dedicate certain times of the week to work out or film videos I will get them done. I won't be able to put off doing things the same way if I can see it all in front of me. Keeping a schedule in my head can only get me so far.

(planner 1)                                          (planner 2)

I tried to convince myself I could get by with just the calendar on my phone, but putting reminders in your phone isn't the same as physically writing them down. So now I'm on the hunt for a cute but reasonably priced planner. There's so many options in the calendar/planner/organizer category that it's hard to know where to look or what exactly I want. The ones above are from PlumPaperDesigns on Etsy and I think they're my top choice at the moment. I like that I can choose which month to start on and the covers are all really cute.

Feel free to share recommendations or any sources for planners you guys love!

-S