29 Things I've Learned in 29 Years

Hi! With my birthday less than 24 hours away, I thought I'd share some things that I've learned. I first saw this when Jenna Marbles did it for her 29th birthday a few months ago, but I've seen it a few more times from different bloggers since then. I couldn't immediately recall 29 lessons, but I thought it'd be fun to see if I could get through it. Some of these are deep, some of them are not. All of them probably sound cliche, but whatever. Anyway, here are 29 things that I've learned in 29 years. 

1. That saying "The largest obstacle in your way is you" is sometimes just a bunch of malarkey. 

2. You should always be your best friend first. 

3. Keep the pain and struggle of your life off of all social media, unless you're using it to inspire. 

4. Being so afraid of success that you fail to try at all is the exact same thing as failing. 

5. A quarter-life crisis is a real thing, and if it happens to you, it'll pass. 

6. Accept that where you're killin' it in an area, someone will always do it better. And there's nothing you can do about it. 

7. Your vision and plan for your life may (and probably will, in some form) differ from what you actually experience. 

8. It's a bit of a shock when you no longer know the current lingo. 

9. There will be a day when getting out of bed causes fireworks to explode in your body. 

10. Never seek validation from others that you're incapable of giving to yourself. 

11. When you learn to choose your battles, the amount of wisdom you gain every time you exercise that grows tenfold. 

12. Whether you like it or not, you do eventually end up sounding exactly like your parent(s).

13. It will always hurt you more than others to hang onto pain you were caused. Let it go.

14. It's extremely important to understand, appreciate and enjoy the value of alone time. 

15. You should never compromise who you are for someone else's benefit, whether that 'someone else' is a friend, a spouse or a relative.  

16. I now get excited about new household appliances. 

17. Your stomach changes and evolves as you do, and some of those things you loved to eat when you were younger may not agree with you later. 

18. Love, in any form where it is pure and honest, is beautiful. 

19. You can't run from yourself, no matter how hard you try. 

20. Your family may suck sometimes. Love them in spite of that, even if you have to do it from a distance on occasion. 

21. You're never too old to learn, and it's never too late to explore life. 

22. The nerd adage of "Those who bullied you at some point will work for you/nerds finish first" isn't always true, so don't bet money on it. 

23. Sometimes I DGAF. And I love it. 

24. Nobody will ever compare you to others as much as YOU compare yourself to others. Stop. 

25. Your personality is ever-evolving, and it's important not to unintentionally put yourself in a box.

26. At some point, you'll have to confront all that ugly adult shit nobody warns you about ahead of time: the 401k, health and dental insurance, a living will, all of the adult things. They're important, and they're necessary. Get that shit done early.

27. The cartoons you grew up watching take on an entirely different meaning as an adult. 

28. I grossly underestimated the beauty of a bomb ass nap. 

29. Finally, I learned that the number 30 follows 29, always has and always will. And that scares the shit out of me.

So those are some of the nuggets of wisdom I've picked up throughout my life. There are tons more, but most of those have been the most beneficial for me. What are some of the more important lessons you've learned? See you soon!

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My Birthday Wishlist

Hi! This week I took a page out of my other blog's book and decided I'd talk a little about my birthday wishlist. Over on ATV, the month's theme is my birthday so it's quite self-indulgent, but I'm having fun with it. lol I didn't get to focus on the current things I'd like to have though, so that's what I'm going to be talking about today. I have some things that I've had my eye on for awhile now, and if this was a perfect world, I'd be able to have all of 'em for my birthday. It's not a perfect world, however, and I'm broke. So I thought I'd show you some of those things and enjoy some online window shopping. 

1. Skyrim: Legendary Edition for PS3

Gamestop

I own the regular version of Skyrim and have been playing it for around 4 years or so. Skyrim players, you know that's a lot of logged game time. Dawnguard, Dragonborn and Hearthfire have all been out for somewhere around 2-3 years, and I got all of those when they were released. When I got a new PS3 this past summer, I accidentally deleted all three DLCs because I deleted the profile that I downloaded the content onto. Once I realized that that was the reason why I'd lost my stuff, there were tears. The first time I got these, they were as birthday gifts so I didn't have to pay for them. Now, I could either pay upwards of $40 to download them again or I can just get the Legendary edition of the game, which thankfully includes all three DLCs. I haven't been able to play Skyrim since I realized the content was gone so this is a mistake I'm desperate to correct. 

2. Mobile-compatible Camera Lens Kit

Amazon

It's been a long-standing goal of mine to up my photo game, especially if I expect this blog to ever go anywhere. I can't even begin to afford the type of camera that I would like to have and I'm trying to utilize the materials that I do have, which brings me to this mobile photo lens collection. The collection has several different attachments that you can snap onto the back of your phone as well as a tiny tripod for some stability. This would be so useful when I have to take product photos and need to be able to position the items without moving the camera. I love a good practical gift, and this would be one of them for me. 

3. Dunkin Donuts Caramel Iced Coffee & Burger King's Ham, Egg & Cheese Croissan'wich

This is probably one of my favorite breakfasts ever. Ever. It's become a monthly treat to take myself to breakfast at least once (breakfast is my favorite meal lol), and I usually get this. Nope, not the healthiest meal in the world. Don't care. (This directly contradicts a conversation I had with my mom and uncle in which I said I'd like to try to eat healthier this year, but I digress.) It tastes fucking fantastic. I don't know why, but I've noticed that when I have this breakfast, I feel like my day starts off on the right foot. I eat while I check emails and work on blog posts, and I usually end up getting a lot done. So basically, in addition to filling my tum and caressing my soul with goodness, it also helps with my productivity. What I'm trying to say is that I should have this everyday.

4. Cheetos Crunchy Jalapeno Cheddar chips

Frito-Lay

My sister turned me on to these last spring, and I've been hooked ever since. With all the gut troubles I have, I really should be staying away from them but I just can't. They aren't sold at the stores near my house so I can't have them as often as I'd like, which is probably a good thing, but when I do get a bag I usually eat myself to the point of intense gastrointestinal distress. I don't intend to do that on Saturday, but I don't intend on ending my day without at least a taste of these chips. lol 

5. Dynasty Warriors 8 for PS3

Gamestop

This game has become such a thorn in my side. The Gamestop closest to my house has had one copy for over a year now, and it taunts me every time I go in there. It knows another visit to this store will pass in which I do not walk out with it, and it laughs at me. I want this game so badly it's ridiculous. It would be awesome to finally have the damn thing, if only so I can replace this game on my wishlist with another one. lol 

6. A 2-in-1 tablet & laptop

Walmart

I think maybe a 2-in-1 would help with editing and uploading my photos and give me a larger screen to work with than what I currently have going on. If I can insert the photos into blog posts from the device I'm working on rather than waiting for it to sync with my cloud then hopping on the computer to add them to the post, it'll take a lot less time than it takes me now. My current laptop is on its way out, so this would also be a good replacement until I can get another one. There's no way in hell I can even begin to afford it in the foreseeable future, but if I were to have the money, I'd probably stick with something like this RCA Viking Pro 2-in-1. It's under $200, it was well-rated online, and operates with Android Lollipop, which is the operating system on my phone now. I'd love to have something like this for working on my blogs. 

7. Walmart's General Tso's Chicken

Source

There are a number of things that I love about good ol' Wally World. One of the main things are these General Tso's boneless chicken pieces from the deli. They're sweet, spicy, sticky, and amazeballs. This is another usual monthly treat since half a pound of them only costs a couple bucks. Sounds like a nice treat for a birthday lunch. Or a snack. I want them, end of story. 

8. A new Nexus phone battery

eBay

I am in desperate need of a new battery for my Nexus since it is the primary thing I use for many of my reviews. I've needed a new battery for nearly 3 years now, but over the past year or so it's gotten much worse. It charges fairly quickly, but it also dies just as quickly so when I'm not using it, I have to keep it on the charger. It's a massive nuisance and I'd like to finally get it out of my hair.

9. Unlimited access to books and makeup (LOL)

This doesn't need a photo. I just want someone to tell me I can buy any book, anywhere, anytime I want and never have to pay for it. I also want this same person to tell me I can have all the makeup I like, however much of it I like, regardless of where I buy it from, anytime I want. Sounds amazing.

So that's some of my wishlist. I don't often have a wishlist at all, but this was fun to think about. I tend to think my day is cursed in some way, and my worry over the day not going the way I'd like is usually what consumes any thoughts I have concerning my birthday. The main thing I want is just for the day to go well; most of the time my birthday ends up getting ruined by someone else's actions or external drama so I'm really hoping that the day goes smoothly. For the past few years, I usually end up being exposed to a cold on my birthday and going down with it a couple of days later, so that's another thing I'm hoping to avoid. Honestly, if I can have both of those things then I don't need anything else. 

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Creating Seasonal Bucket Lists

Hi! This week I wanted to talk about something that was fairly new to me but has turned into lots of fun. Last summer, I wanted to do something new that was blog-worthy, so I created a summer bucket list. I have a general bucket list that I update yearly, but I've never broken it down into seasons before. I looked online for inspiration and was really pleased to find so many other people taking on a seasonal bucket list. I skimmed any articles I read for pointers as I was starting out and just tried to figure out what I wanted from the experience on my own. I enjoyed the experience immensely and have decided to continue doing it. I've since finessed the way I like to build seasonal bucket lists, so I thought I'd share some tips here if you'd like to start one of your own. 

1. Keep your eye on affordable activities in your area

It's one thing to develop a bucket list full of things you've never done before, but it's another if all of those activities are $10 and above. It's tempting once you get into the spirit of the bucket list to try and do all the things, but having fun isn't always cheap, especially depending on where you live. Unless you're filthy rich, you'll be broke by the end of the month and in debt by the end of the season. If you don't get out often, this will be a good time to discover what there is to do in your city that costs little to nothing, and it gets you out of the house.



2. Try doing things you've never taken an interest in before

If every item on your bucket list was full of things that you either already like or have already done, there wouldn't be much point in making a bucket list, right? Try things that are offered for the season, like outdoor events if you're doing a spring or summer list, but that you would normally ignore. Some of our more fun or enlightening experiences come from places we wouldn't normally expect it, and keeping your mind open to new adventures may help you discover hobbies or interests you didn't know you liked.



3. Don't overwhelm yourself with items

The largest mistake that I made with my first season-themed bucket list was putting too many items on it. There were 50-some items on that list, and when I made it, I was expecting my summer to be jam-packed with fun and new adventures. Summer always brings out the wanderlust in me, so I set the bar way too high. A lack of income, reliable transportation and recurring health problems put me in check real quick. lol So don't overwhelm yourself with trying to cram tons of things on your list--a simple list full of both smaller and larger items will keep you busy enough.



4. Add activities or events that embody the feel of the season

One of the most important things to help you have more fun with seasonal bucket lists is to add activities that embody the feel or spirit of the season. For example, when I was trying to develop a fall bucket list, a few of my items explored the tastes of the season, like finally trying the much-hyped PSL from Starbucks and drinking apple cider. A winter list would have consisted of hot drinks that I normally don't drink, finding a public place with a fireplace that I could hog for a couple of hours, or something along those lines. The point of the seasonal bucket list is partially to keep you in the spirit or feel of the season you've created the list for. This is another way to open your mind to new experiences.



5. It's okay to add a couple of things that are probably unattainable, but fun to think about

My summer bucket list last year was extremely unattainable and ultimately ended up backfiring by overwhelming me. At the same time, I purposely added a couple of things that I was pretty sure I wasn't going to end up doing because just seeing those items on the list kept me in the mindset of the season and the fun I wanted to have. Take one of my items from last summer, which was to hit up a water slide. There aren't any water slides around my house, so this one was obviously not going to happen. But I added it because for me, it was one of those quintessential fun, playful summer activities and that was the feel I was going for when I created the list.



6. Figure out what inspires you for each season and go from there

One of the reasons why I wanted to start doing seasonal bucket lists was because I wanted to remember why I used to love each season. I wanted to regain that sense of enjoyment in the simpler things, find the things that make each season beautiful in its own way. So what inspires me for spring? The fact that after months of having to stay holed up in the house and largely away from large groups of people (I have the FML-worthy pleasure of being a raging hypochondriac with health anxiety and having a compromised immune system), I can finally feel the sun on my face again. After months of clouds and winter (for Texas, anyway) weather, the sun just seems a bit brighter and the atmosphere seems to come back to life. So during the spring, I'm going to want to try outdoor activities that I've never tried so that I can enjoy the warmer weather and nature. The need to explore always kicks in during the summer, so I'm going to want to do activities that take me on mini-adventures.



7. Have a healthy mix of smaller and larger things

Once I started creating lists, I realized just how quickly time actually passes by. When you only have three months to do a list of things, sometimes it can seem like much more time than there really is. But when you factor in things like scheduling, convenience, health, weather and the like, you have a lot less time than you think. Before you know it, the season is winding down and it's time to make a new list. Combining larger and smaller seasonal things goes back to not overwhelming yourself. You want to have fun with your list, not become a slave to it, and if your list is full of bigger items that require more of your time and effort, it can be daunting. Mix it up with smaller items that would be fun to try, but don't require as much.



8. Allow room for seasonal fails

I don't know about you, but despite the frustration it usually causes, I love a good fail. They're funny, they remind me that I should never get a big head about, well, anything, and they're good practice for showing me how to do it better the next time around. Take my first seasonal bucket list, which was last summer. For all intents and purposes, the entire alone was a seasonal fail and at first it was pretty discouraging, but then I realized that I just needed to learn how to do it properly. I just wrote down a bunch of stuff that sounded fun to do during the summer, most of which I knew as I wrote I wasn't going to do, then proceeded to let most of the summer pass me by. I overwhelmed myself, I didn't do a ton of research on what was even feasible for me to do, and I didn't think about time constraints. So when August came and I realized I hadn't even crossed off half of the items I'd added to the list, I was discouraged and a little disappointed in myself. Here I was trying to be a fun blogger, but I didn't even do a summer bucket list right. I felt like I had to eat my words and admit defeat and I hated that. The beatdown I gave myself over it was pretty funny because the issue in itself was rather dumb, but I'm a perfectionist so stupid things like that really do get me down. It was said meltdown that helped me not only realize the level of seasonal fail I'd just hit, but it also helped me come up with this list so that I could do better the next time.

So those are some of my tips. The goal was to give a little direction for those who are just starting out but still allow you to personalize them for where you live and make a list that's truly your own. Of course, don't be afraid to Google lists if you need a little help; you'll find that many of them, especially the summer lists, have some of the same items on them. There are family lists, which look like tons of fun if you've got a group of rowdy kids expecting you to find something for them to do (as many kids often do, lol), there are couples' lists, and there are #ForeverAlone lists for gals like myself. Just have fun with your list. It can be hard sometimes, especially in current times, to try and enjoy just being alive. For me, that's another thing that seasonal bucket lists and lists in general help me to do. They give me new experiences, they open my mind, and help me enjoy just being alive to breathe in air, whether it's a frosty air that chills my lungs or a hot, desert-exclusive air that makes me choke on dirt. lol I hope these tips have helped you a little if you're new to creating seasonal lists. If you decide to create one, tell me what you plan to include!

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RRNT Reading Challenge 2016

Hi! For this week's post, I was originally going to make a post about creating seasonal bucket lists. But a few days ago, I decided to take part in a reading challenge and thought I'd post that today instead. I've taken part of three annual reading challenges now, but they were historical romance challenges hosted by herding cats and burning soup. This year I wasn't sure whether or not I was going to do one, but then I came across the #BustleReads Challenge and decided to try something new. The aim of the BustleReads challenge is to bring more focus to both female authors and authors of color, which I liked. I was going to take on this challenge in its entirety, until I saw that there were two other major reading challenges being hosted this year. BookRiot has the Read Harder Challenge, and PopSugar has the Ultimate Reading Challenge, both of which also sound like a lot of fun. 

It would be ideal to take on as many reading challenges as I can, and while some of the challenge entries are on every list, it would be a bit daunting, even for someone that reads as much as I do, to try and finish them all this year. Since historical romances are one of the genres I read the most often on a normal basis, I wanted to do something different this year. So instead of trying to do all of the challenges, I thought I'd tweak all of the lists and compile something that I liked. Many of the entries are from all three collections, but there are a few of my own entries sprinkled in there. I review books quite frequently and don't mind going outside of my normal reading preferences for that, but for leisurely reading I hardly ever read anything outside of my comfort zone. So for my own entries, I tried to include things that I normally wouldn't read. The links above will direct you to the parent challenges, if you'd like to look through those instead. But if you're interested, here's RRNT's.

Challenges 1-9

Challenges 10-18

Challenges 19-27

Challenges 28-36

I'll be doing this challenge on Instagram so make sure to follow me on there if you'd like to see what I choose. If you'd like to partake in this challenge, you can post the entry you chose along with the book on social media using the hashtag #rrntreads so I can see what you're reading. Again, if you'd rather look through and/or follow the parent challenges that I got most of my entries from, they're in the links above. Happy reading!

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2016 Goals

Hi and Happy New Year! In what I'm hoping will be the first in a weekly series of "Things" posts that I wanted to do for the blog this year, I wanted to share the goals that I have for RRNT. I come up with a list every year, but last year I was on timeout and wasn't sure when I'd come back, so I didn't really have any goals except to come back. I wanted to make some goals this year though, both to make up for last year and to keep me in line. I don't know about you, but goals help keep me structured because they serve as a constant reminder of what I'd like to improve. I already did a similar post for my goals concerning ATV, but here are my goals for RRNT this year:




1. Be more active on social media

2. Stick to blog schedule

3. Sharpen my reviewing skills

4. Strengthen my photography skills

5. Apply for more reviewing positions

6. Be more consistent with posts!

7. Build up posts in all of the site categories & resume series

8. Grow my audience!

1. Be more active on social media

Even though I have a few social media accounts, I don't often use them for myself. My lurker status is on point, but my actual use of these sites is not. Due to a number of reasons, I don't post nearly as often as I should, and this affects my ability to properly promote myself. Most bloggers worth their salt have a consistent social media presence and I know that I'll need to have the same, in some fashion, if I expect to grow my audience at some point during my blogging career. I want to be taken seriously as a review blogger and get my name out there, but I know I'll have to get over my insecurities in order to feel comfortable enough to do so. 

2. Stick to blog schedule

I decided to make a blog schedule so I could keep track of the things I wanted to review and try to establish some sort of posting schedule for myself. Since I run two blogs, I try to schedule things throughout the week, so I can post on each blog separately rather than trying to toss together two posts to go live on the same day. A schedule helps me keep everything on track, but I didn't stick to it this year. If I stick to it and remain consistent, I think I'll be able to put out more content that I'm satisfied with and make sure that things don't just suddenly drop off, which is another of my main concerns with this blog. 

3. Sharpen my reviewing skills

Last year, I was able to figure out exactly how I wanted to review the majority of the products that I review on the site, but in most cases I ended up not doing it. I try to remain aware of what types of reviews I like seeing as a consumer and mix them with a thorough, first-hand account of what I thought as a reviewer. I've figured out what works for me, but I still have some tweaking to do, mainly in terms of length and the photos I include, and this year I'd like to improve both of them to provide a better reading experience. 

4. Strengthen my photography skills

For the longest time, I assumed that I wouldn't be able to put up decent product photos on here because all I had was my phone. I kept comparing myself to more established bloggers and their photography skills, beating myself up when I came up short. You can't really be a review blogger if you don't show off the product, but you also don't need an expensive DSLR to give the audience an objective, accurate visual of a product. Last year was about learning how to get around the obstacles I had and working with what I had, and this year is about putting the things I learned to use. There's no reason why I can't put out good photos of the products I review; I just have to fully utilize the resources that I do have at my disposal. 

5. Apply for more reviewing positions

A lot of the reason why I don't apply for more reviewing positions now is because I don't want to direct traffic to a site that I feel isn't up to par in terms of its design. The new design is done completely by me so it probably still won't be the epitome of professional chic that I'd like, but it'd certainly be better than the half-finished design I've been rocking for awhile. If the design issue is taken care of, at least for now, then I'd feel more comfortable and confident when looking for reviewing jobs and more prone to apply for them. 

6. Be more consistent with posts!

I've struggled with post consistency since I changed the focus of this blog from soap operas to reviews. Finances do a lot for the consistency of a blog, and while at one time I figured I could keep reviews going based on products I already had, most people don't want to read a series of old reviews. So I scrapped that idea and tried to allot a monthly budget for me to try new things. That hasn't worked quite so well either, so sometimes weeks will go by without a peep from me. I'd like to be more consistent this year with the frequency of my postings. 

7. Build up posts in all of the site categories and revive old series

Since I decided to combine a couple of the site's categories, I've had to go through the others and was able to see which categories need more of my attention. I'd like to balance out the numbers a bit and give people more to go through than just the categories with more than a couple of reviews. That brings me to the DIY section of the blog, which is so dry right now it's not even funny. I really enjoyed the Pinterest Project when I started it a couple of years ago, but I discontinued it when my finances didn't allow me to buy enough supplies for a monthly project. If I brought it back with the challenge that the project must be something I can afford, I think I could build that section of the site up rather quickly. I would also like to bring back the SBS, which I'm working on. I like that there's a bit of everything on this site, and I'd like to make sure I keep it that way rather than only focusing on a couple of review categories and ignoring the others. 

8. Grow my audience!

I've been a review blogger for nearly 5 years now, but I only started to look at this as a serious thing 3 years ago. Even after I started to take blogging more seriously though, I never did anything to promote myself. I eventually bit the bullet on ATV and there's a steady number of views on there now, but it hasn't trickled over here yet so I guess I'll have to bite another bullet. lol I'd love to have more readers, mainly so I can start mixing in review requests with what I choose to do on my own. There are many review jobs that I don't qualify for because of my low audience, so if I grow the audience, I can get more jobs, which results in more reviews that I get to post. It'd also be superb if I could finally talk to someone else on here for a change. lol

So those are my goals for the year. Originally, there were 5 goals but while writing, I ended up adding on 3 more, so now there are 8 goals for both blogs. Many of them are the same goals, though, so if I buckle down and keep a fire under my ass, I think I can accomplish them this year. Here's hoping that I can. I'm going to try to keep this series going; I've already got a few months' worth of post ideas in my notebook. I figured if there's a week where there isn't a new review, I could still post something so the blog doesn't die off. They're on an array of subjects, but they're all geared to help you get to know me a bit better so I hope you enjoy them. See you soon!

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2015 Favorites

Hi! With the year officially coming to an end in less than 48 hours, I wanted to get up a list of favorites that I had throughout the year. Most of these were included in a monthly favorites post at some point throughout the year, but some of them were not. This and the December Favorites post, which will be up by Friday, are the last posts in which Apps and Websites will have their own headers; the launch of the new design will feature both of these under the Tech section from then on out. I'm hoping to have the new design finished (or mostly finished) in a couple of weeks. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

Beauty: LA Girl Pro Concealer, LA Girl Matte Liquid Lipstick and Glazed Lip Paints, Wet 'n Wild Silk Finish Lipstick, Carapex Renewal Facial Cleanser, Dove Deep Moisture Body Wash

This was both the year of LA Girl and the statement lip for me, because I finally found where I could purchase LA Girl products locally and I've been wearing a statement lip pretty much all year. I've been switching it up between the matte lipsticks, lip paints and the Silk Finish lipsticks all year. I can't help it though; the colors are all so beautiful I couldn't help but wear them. Usually though, I'll mix a couple of them because they all mesh really well together and give my lips the look that I want.

The Pro Concealer is my new holy grail concealer. That stuff had to have been made and blessed by Jesus because for such a low price, it does a lot for me. It has completely eliminated my need to use a primer on my eyes and it blends so well that sometimes if I'm being lazy, I'll just conceal my spots and leave but it still looks flawless. My skin's pretty fussy anyway but with face makeup in particular, after awhile of consistent usage my face usually starts to dry out wherever I apply the product. With this concealer, I haven't had this happen at all and I use it every time I do my makeup. I do notice some slight creasing under my eyes after I've worn this for an extended period of time, but if I were to use a good face primer and a better translucent powder to set it it'll probably improve. 

As for skincare, the Carapex Renewal Facial Cleanser that I reviewed back in August has also become a go-to product for my face. I noticed there were a few bad reviews on the Amazon page, which is actually why I picked it, but in addition to the fact that I've suffered no adverse effects, it's been great on my skin. When I use this per the directions on a consistent basis, I notice a difference in the texture of my skin, the amount of breakouts I have, and the dryness that I usually have to deal with. My face doesn't have that 'so tight it could crack' feel that it does when I wash it with soap or other drying face washes and it helps lock in moisture when I apply moisturizer or lotion afterward. The same goes for the Dove Deep Moisture; I used it for much of the winter and spring and every shower gel I've used after that hasn't even come close for me. It's very hydrating, makes your skin feel like a baby's bum, doesn't have a strong fragrance and it's affordable to boot.

Overall, I kept it pretty simple for makeup and skincare this year; my go-to look was a matte brown eye, winged liner and either a red or plum lip. The goal for 2016 is to be more adventurous and re-discover other eyeshadow colors....like the 7 million that I already own but ignore. lol  

Books: Storm by Carian Cole, Beyond Top Secret by Robin Lubitz, Breathe and Release by Katherine Hayton

I have to admit that I didn't really stretch my wings too much when it came to the books I read, which leads me into the admission, with no shame to be found (okay, maybe a little), that the majority of my reading content this year consisted of smut. LOL The books that made my favorites are the ones that stuck out the most to me, the ones that I had the best reading experience with this year.

I read Storm during the summer, and it's stuck out for me ever since. I don't often review romance books here at all, which is why it just made my favorites list for the month and you didn't hear anything else about it. Anyway, the main character, Evelyn, really spoke to me despite her having gotten on all of my nerves at the beginning of the book. We had some of the same fears, doubts and quirks and it was nice to read a story like this from a perspective so similar to my own. During a blizzard, she gets stranded out on the side of the highway with a famous rocker, whose identity I believe she's unaware of at first. Enter Storm, who was sex on a stick and all kinds of yummy. Totally my kind of guy. It sweetened the pot a little too much that he was a great person on top of being gorgeous. Of course, the close quarters are brimming with sexual tension, and throughout the book they end up falling in love with each other. He's a bit too good to be true in real life, which is partially why I enjoyed reading about it so much. So for a gal like me, who isn't so unlike Evelyn, this book was all kinds of vicarious living and I loved it. 

Beyond Top Secret is a government-themed thriller and I'm actually unsure of why I didn't review it here when I read it. I won this in a LT giveaway last spring and I absolutely loved it. In short, following a string of seemingly unrelated murder-suicides across the country, all by men on their 60th birthdays, a man formerly in the government fold gets drawn back in when he starts to connect the dots of each case. In order to get to the bottom of the case, however, he has to reconnect with both the woman he loved and lost, as well as the government past he worked to distance himself from. This book focuses on all levels of government, from local yokels all the way up to the White House, and each level increases the domino effect in the plot. It was a great book about government conspiracies and cover-ups, mental and physical warfare, and I highly recommend it.

Breathe and Release was the prize from another LT giveaway, and I'd requested it awhile before I received it so I had forgotten about the premise of the book. Bluntly speaking, this book was twisted as shit. This book follows an amnesia patient who has no memories but knows she has a husband who rubs her the wrong way and a stepdaughter who seems to hate her. She starts to shape a new persona for herself but comes to the realization that her new self clashes quite horribly with her old self, who she begins to come into contact with as some of her memories resurface. One of those personas is a victim with an emerging moral code, while the other was anything but. I don't quite know how to classify this book in terms of genre, but if you like books that can give you a good mindf*ck, Breathe and Release is more than capable of stepping up to the plate. 

TV/Documentaries: Narcos, Bound by Flesh, Making a Murderer, Tyke: Elephant Outlaw

Netflix had some good stuff to offer this year, and one of those things was the original series Narcos, based on the rise and fall of Colombia's Medellin cartel. There have been a few other series over the years, both in Spanish and English, based on this cartel but this series seems to take an entirely different approach. I watched all of season 1 the week it premiered, and I was hooked after the first episode. I appreciated that for the most part, the series stayed true to the public account of events, I enjoyed the view into both sides of the story, and I enjoyed the gritty, realistic tone that the series took. And for some reason, I loved that the series was true to the original languages, rather than having the entire series be completed in English.

Bound by Flesh is a documentary that I watched last month about a pair of Siamese twins who were once part of the circus' upper echelon as children, but became emancipated from their stepdad/manager after becoming young adults. Despite the decision being the best one in terms of getting out from underneath the man's iron fist, it actually led to their downfall as celebrities of the time. It was tragic to see how their lives were never really their own but they ended up paying a steep price anyway. They were never able to find the love and happiness they desired throughout their lives, which I think is the real injustice. It shows the ugly side of show business, and even though it was sad, I'm glad I saw it.

Making a Murderer is a mini docu-series that just premiered and it was so damn good I didn't know what to do with myself when I'd finished it. I have to admit that I may have skipped a couple of episodes because I'm impatient and was trying my best not to Google the case while I was watching. I failed by episode 2. LOL But I've got the gist and will be going back to the episodes I missed in a few days. This follows the case of a man named Steven Avery, who was wrongly convicted of rape back in the mid-'80s but wasn't cleared until around 2003, only to be convicted, this time along with his underage nephew, a Brendan Dassey, of murder a few years later. This case as a whole is so complex and almost too crazy to be true. From the very beginning, it seems as though the police department has an axe to grind with the Avery family and will stop at nothing to get them put away. The level of incompetence in both cases is mind-boggling, but one thing that I like that the series did was allow the viewer to decide what they believed. The tone is more informative rather than slanted one way or the other and with something like this, I think an objective viewpoint is best.

Finally, every year I have a tearjerker documentary I recommend, and this year Tyke: Elephant Outlaw was that tearjerker for me. If you're an animal lover at all, not only will this bring out that Kim K-worthy ugly cry, but it'll make you question what you may normally see as regular entertainment. Back in the mid-90s, an African elephant named Tyke was scheduled to perform in a show in Honolulu, but ended up going on a rampage inside the circus arena, sending everyone into a frenzy. This later spilled out into the streets of Honolulu and resulted in the injuries of several people and the death of her trainer. She was later gunned down by Hawaiian police. The documentary explores the circus community, both its advocates and critics, and really leaves you wondering what treatment the circus animals we pay to see are enduring behind the scenes. When I tell you I cried, I cried. I'm also an undercover softie and a loser, so maybe that was just my reaction. I still recommend it.

Apps: Amazon Kindle Reader, Influenster, Pacifica, Phonto, Soundcloud, Spotify for PS3

The reviews that I do the most, by far, are book reviews. I receive book files pretty frequently from authors and download quite a few on my own from multiple sites, but thankfully the Kindle Reader app allows me to read them all without having to go through tons of work to get them stored on my Reader Cloud. The most work I think I have to do after an author sends me a book is download the file to my computer, then send the file to my Kindle e-mail address, where the cloud downloads the book and makes it instantly available for me. It really comes in handy with me having so many books to keep track of at one time, It's not a new app by any means, but I think it's the best one to use if you like to read a lot. I also recommend the Chrome plug-in if you'd prefer to read on your PC.

I also do a lot of beauty reviews, so I need an app that both helps me keep track of new and popular products and serves as a middleman to help me get new things to review. Influenster does both of those things and helps me track my social media reach, which has been helpful for me. It's also been a helpful app because it allows me to practice reviewing and network a bit. The app was released for Android this year I believe, and it's been great.

Pacifica is the app that I go to the most for anxiety help. It's a very attentive app and it helps me in those anxious moments where I'm not quite as aware of why I'm feeling some kind of way, I just know I'm feeling a certain way. It helps me keep track of how I feel from day-to-day and if you want to help evaluate or figure out your daily stressors, diet and exercise as they relate to your anxiety levels, Pacifica is a good app to try.

I discovered Phonto earlier this year, and it's been a godsend for helping me step up my photo game. It's just an app where you can add fonts to your photos, but I'm a fonthead. I'm really new to the concept of mobile photo editing so I need apps that fit the free, easy to navigate and easy to use categories. Phonto fits all of those categories and has the bonus of allowing users to add their own fonts.

Soundcloud has become both my new Spotify and my most-used app. I mostly listen to chill, electronic and instrumental music these days, and Soundcloud seems like the best place to find it. I hardly ever use Spotify or any other music app anymore, because most of the artists I listen to are either on indie labels or for the most part are still underground, and as a result their music isn't on mainstream platforms yet. It's a great place to discover new music, new artists, and the best part is that it's all free. There are occasional ads, but they're short and don't take away from the experience. The only negative (if I had to find one) is that the majority of mainstream tracks, like the ones on Spotify, can't be found on Soundcloud because of copyright so there's that. Other than that though, I love Soundcloud and I'm looking forward to finding new music.

Finally, the Spotify app for PS3 & PS4 came out earlier this year and even though the PS3 version is more like a lite version of the PS4 console, it's still a great addition to the apps already in the PS Store. I wish they'd add Soundcloud, but there's not much point in putting forth the attention to create such a thing for PS3 now that the 4 is out. For a couple of years though, there was an add-on that allowed you to get around it and play your Soundcloud library from your console, but I looked earlier this month and the add-on was terminated some time ago.

Games: PS3--Dynasty Warriors 7: Xtreme Legends and Dynasty Warriors 8, Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Mortal Kombat X
Android--Megapolis, Bingo Heaven, Virtual Families 2

No, most of these games aren't new, but most of the games I review aren't new so it's fine. lol Anyway, I've logged quite a few hours on Legends this year, leveling up both my primary and secondary accounts. I haven't had the good fortune to play DW8 just yet, but it's on the to-do list for 2016. I'm still not a COD fan, but this was one of the games I wanted the most because of the Zombies feature. As much as I love shooter games, I'm not very good at them (lol) so Zombies mode helps me practice. Finally, Mortal Kombat X made the list because I was waiting for this game to come out since I first heard about it, only to be disappointed in October when the news was released that the PS3 edition of the game was being terminated. So it wasn't something I played all year, but it was certainly something that I focused on for much of it. ha

Megapolis is one of the games in my daily rotation of mobile games. Yes, I have a daily rotation. Don't judge me. Anyway, I've been playing this game for a couple of years and see no end in sight. It's the daily rewards and gifts. lol Bingo Heaven is quite easy to explain. I love playing Bingo, I have less trouble getting on Bingo Heaven than I do Bingo Bash and I enjoy it. Virtual Families 2 is a long-standing game; I've been playing the original since 2009 sometime and when I went from Apple to Android I had to upgrade to VF2. There's nothing particularly distinctive about VF; if you like Sims I guess this is a simpler version of it. But I enjoy it nonetheless.

The goal for this year here is to obviously find some newer games to review. Instead of reviewing the same games that every other popular reviewer is playing, I'd like to find the dark horses and review those instead.

Websites: Pinterest,Tumblr, BrightNest, Instructables, Mogul, Levo


Pinterest really doesn't need much explaining. I've been addicted to the site for a few years as it is, but this year I used it much more frequently, as it's become quite the source of inspiration. The same goes for Tumblr. Both of these sites provide a lot of visual inspiration on so many fronts, but the notable difference is that a lot of times, you can find the source when using Pinterest, whereas Tumblr has tons of photos where the source is unknown. Pinterest has helped me with just about every DIY project I've undertaken, as well as other random hobbies throughout the year. If you're looking for inspiration on, well, anything, Pinterest is the place.

BrightNest is a sister site to Angie's List, the babysitting website, and it features projects on subjects that appeal to parents and homeowners alike. What I liked the most about this site was how the results you find are personalized according to the questions you answer after logging on, and you get matched with a list of articles that may have relevance or be useful in your life. Instructables is a DIY site that I found earlier this year and it's a smorgasbord of various DIY projects on a bunch of different subjects. The projects are unique, instructional if you're trying to learn something new, and in my case, really challenged me to try and be more creative with the projects I undertake.

Mogul is a website that I found earlier this year, and I'm so glad I did. The focus of Mogul's website is to serve as a resource for women and empower them in their professional endeavors. I was recently selected as one of the new 500 Global Ambassadors that Mogul decided to add to their brand, which was pretty awesome. I applied and really didn't think I was going to get accepted, either because I didn't apply in enough time or because I really didn't have much to offer, but I did. If anything, it helped me step up my game so that the title doesn't become meaningless. The site is chock full of an array of things, from various entertainment articles to motivational pieces, career courses and conversational forums. It's an excellent resource for women and it's a very positive environment from what I have seen.

Levo is another career-based website that I came across earlier this year after entering a contest that they were sponsoring. This site caters to both sexes, but it has tons of community-written articles meant to inspire, motivate and challenge professionals at various levels in their careers. One of my favorite features of the site is the monthly checklist, where 10 fun activities and holidays throughout the month are featured. It's helpful if you're a beginner and want to find your place, whether it be in life or in your career, and its helpful if you're already in a career but seek a different direction, or you can just share your story with the community if you like. If nothing else, this is a great site to start and strengthen your networking skills.

DIY: Desk organization, room decor, floral crowns, gifts, homemade snacks and treats, steampunk...anything

If you've read my Favorites posts from this year, then you'll know that desk organization has been on the vast majority of them. My desk was my pet project for much of 2015, and I'm still working on getting things just the way I like but overall it's shaping up. I was looking for something minimalistic but vivid in color that speaks to productivity and allows me to keep an eye on both blog calendars at all times. Maybe when I'm done I'll do a post on it.

Room decor was another subject that I looked at a lot during 2015. Since I still live at home, I have to limit my creativity to my room, which is hard when you have a home's worth of ideas to cram into a small bedroom. Storage seems to be my biggest issue, but it was important to me that I create a space that I am always at peace in. Between being frustrated at not having my own space and having anxiety as badly as I do, having a safe haven was of the highest importance and this year I really tried to combine comfort and efficiency in order to create that sort of space for myself. Pinterest and Tumblr were the biggest help for visual inspiration and tips so if you're looking to mix up your space, I'd try there.

I have what I believe is bordering on an obsession with floral headpieces. I love floral headbands, love the smaller boho floral crowns, but the accessory I wanted to conquer the most was the huge floral crown. They're very attention-grabbing and therefore aren't for the faint of heart. For someone like me who thinks a little too much about what other people say, the last thing I want to do is bring more attention to myself. But that doesn't stop me from wanting to own one for every major holiday. The DIYer in me would rather make than buy one, so I've gradually begun gathering inspiration and learning methods for crafting different types of crowns throughout the year.

I love the personal and original feel of a homemade gift. I enjoy receiving them but I especially love making them. I love giving out birthday and Christmas gifts, but some of the most fun ones for me are the random, just because gifts. But I admit my intentions are partially selfish; it's fun for me to be more creative with the things that I try out and the opportunity to make a homemade gift does that for me. I challenge myself to be more creative and ambitious with the things that I make and when they turn out well, not only is the recipient satisfied but then I can mark that thing off as another thing that I've learned to do. Double win.

Now while I don't often feel intimidated by regular cooking anymore and don't need much guidance for most of it, I am often intimidated by having to bake. Ironically, baking is actually what I'm most excited to do. I love making sweets; they represent warmth and comfort for me, especially during these colder months. I think my favorite thing to make is pie. Which is fine, except that I happen to hate pie. LOL Luckily, my family loves pie--and any other sweet treat, really--so they don't mind eating the failures. And there have been quite a few. I just had one last week. lol I also like the concept of making my own snacks. I'm trying to move toward healthier snacks, and I like the thought of being able to make my own. I've had several failures with that too; the last notable one being the granola I wanted to make during the summer. But practice makes perfect, especially when baking, so I'm going to keep practicing.

I've had an interest in steampunk since before I knew there was an official name for the sub-culture. If you're not hip on what steampunk is, it's a lovely mix of Victorian elements and the future, mostly with engineering or transportation pieces. Many steampunk purists would hate this example, but if you want to see a bit of what it is about, watch League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Sherlock Holmes and Van Helsing are also said to have some steampunk elements. Anyway, immersing myself in the culture has been one of my favorite pasttimes this year. Pinterest, being the haven for all the things that it is, is an excellent place to get both information and visuals if you're interested in steampunk.

My goal here is to pick up the Pinterest Project again and start adding more projects that I've done or followed; the DIY tag is painfully bare right now.

Things: Recipes, blog design, sfx makeup, 3-device HTML switch, OneTab add-on for Chrome

Of course, since I was into making sweets and snacks this year, I spent a lot of time checking out recipes to figure out what it was that I wanted to try. This is going to sound odd, but I love reading recipes. It intrigues me to no end to see how exact measurements of items that alone, have no significance, but come together to create something amazing. It's also fun to learn what tweaks to make, what other additions can be made to the base recipe, to put your own spin on the end result. 

Clearly, blog design has been an ongoing project of mine, with the results of said research hopefully ending in a design that, if nothing else, fits my theme a little better than this one. I like blog design, but I have to admit that I'm neither in love or particularly good at it. So it's kind of funny to me that it's taken up so much of my time this year. With any luck, it'll be fixed sometime within the month of January and with the free time I'll have after its finished, I can put more effort into my posts. 

I've always had a thing for Halloween makeup, but the creativity of YouTube has helped me to challenge myself to try out new things. The past couple of years has brought out an interest in fX makeup, which was a new one on me considering that I hate gore, but there it is. I'm really intrigued by creating fX makeup with basic supplies, so I've been practicing what I've learned so far off and on all year.

My mom picked up this 3-device HTML switch for me this summer that I've been in love with ever since. I'm still unsure whether or not I'll review it separately, but if you have multiple devices that require HDMI cords, I'd suggest picking up one of these switches. 

OneTab has been saving my ass all year. I have a really bad habit, especially in Chrome, of having 20-something tabs open at once, which obviously takes a toll on the memory and performance of the program over time. In addition to having all of those tabs open at once, I'm also prone to having the same windows open for days, sometimes weeks at a time. OneTab is an awesome add-on that allows you to condense all of your open tabs into one tab, where you can lock the tab group and re-open them at will without losing the link, you can star them and open them again later as a group, or you can export various links and email them. If you're a student or blogger, this is a very useful tool to have for your work. 

So that's it for my favorites this year. I hope you enjoyed, even though it was insanely long. I also hope wherever you are that you have a fabulous New Year, spent doing what you want to do and being happy--and safe!--doing it. New Year's Eve is the ultimate FOMO creator and the older I get, the more I refuse to fall into it, despite New Year's being my favorite holiday. However you choose to spend New Year's, I hope you spend it happily and safely. I'll see you soon!

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Try the World Japan

What is it? Try the World is a culinary-themed subscription box that showcases a different culture or country with a variety of edibles in order to give the subscriber a taste of each month's chosen theme. 

How much does it cost? $29.99/monthly but there are often deals to give you more for your buck so I'd suggest signing up under a deal

Sign-up and ordering: Sign-up and ordering the box are easy, especially if you sign up using a deal. I signed up under a free trial with auto-renewal, but made sure to cancel in enough time. 

Delivery and cancellation: Delivery came a couple of weeks after ordering the box and cancellation is a one-click process. From sign-up to cancellation, everything was easy to do and you have a clear picture of your account status the entire way through. 

Ease of ordering the products in the box: This was actually my main complaint with the box. I had a difficult time trying to find any of the products except on the companies' websites, but since they're all based in Japan I said forget it. I've been looking in local Asian markets for them instead.  

So what came in the box? 

Akagi Shokuhin Soba Noodles

When I first saw this package, I thought it was a bunch of chopsticks. lol Don't judge me. It's actually a package of buckwheat soba noodles, and you can eat them alone, hot or cold, or paired with the meal option I'm going to talk about in a few minutes. We haven't tried these just yet as we're trying to find different things to eat them with (and we're out of ponzu lol) but I believe my sister's had soba noodles and she likes them a lot. I've never had buckwheat noodles so I'm not sure what I'm in for, but I'm looking forward to trying them out.

Kasugai Peach Gummy Candies

These candies were the bomb dot com. They weren't full of artificial flavorings or extra sugar and as a result the peach flavor tasted very natural. The flavor sort of explodes in your mouth lol, but the gummy isn't that irritating 'get stuck in every crevice of the mouth' type so it won't completely kill your teeth. The bag is resealable, which I appreciated. The candies were really soft and combining that with the strong taste of the peach was a good move. My sister and I split the bag in half, enjoyed them thoroughly then lamented about not having any more. lol

Takaokaya Seaweed Snack

I tried seaweed once when I was 13, and I hated it. It's been 15 years, and nothing's changed. lol Surprisingly to me, my sister wasn't too crazy about this either. The salt seemed very high in this seaweed, and as a result it tasted like crunchy, bitter saltwater. From what I read on the enclosed card, this seaweed was harvested directly from the ocean and dried, so that would explain the flavor. My sister likes seaweed as a snack but even she agreed that it was a bit too salty on its own.















Wadakan Umami Ponzu Sauce

For me, this was probably the shining star of the box. This is like soy sauce x10. The flavor is saltier and more savory than soy sauce so I wouldn't advise this for every Asian dish, but if you find your food is a little bland, sprinkle some ponzu sauce on it. This sauce is a combination of citrus and soy flavors, and it is amazing on fried rice. Ponzu is typically used as a dressing or dip for grilled chicken, fish and sashimi, but it also works well with other dishes. Unfortunately, I didn't properly read the directions and as it turns out, ponzu sauce contains seafood and other ingredients that need to be refrigerated after opening, and since I didn't do that I had to throw a good portion of mine away. I was unable to find this specific sauce at a couple of local Asian markets so for now, my ponzu sauce is a distant memory. 😞

AOI Blueberry Matcha Tea 

I've heard a lot of things about matcha tea over the years, but hadn't tried it before. After trying this tea, I probably won't again. lol The blueberry flavor wasn't overpowering, I actually wouldn't have minded it being a bit stronger, but the matcha had an awful effect on me. I wasn't even halfway through my cup before I started feeling hot and sweaty and my heartbeat went through the roof. It later triggered an IBS episode and a small anxiety attack. If I knew this was panic-induced IBS in a bag, I never would have tried it. lol I looked it up later and apparently, matcha isn't the best ingredient for those with anxious disorders and I found a few people who'd had the same issue. My sister, however, had absolutely no issues with this tea. She found it light, refreshing, and really enjoyed the subtle blueberry flavor. She had no adverse effects from the matcha so I let her have the rest of the bag. There was a recipe for matcha shortbread cookies in my culture guide booklet, but I didn't try it.

Otafuku Okonomiyaki Kit

This is a Japanese griddle cake kit, and it's supposed to contain almost everything you'd need for an entire meal within that little bag. On the upper right-hand side of the bag, you'll see the list of ingredients you'll need in order to make the meal and at the time we received the box, we didn't have any of them. The bag's expiration date was not long after we received it so this is one we didn't get to try, but we're going to check out one of the local markets and see if one of them carries these.

Morinaga Milk Caramels

These caramels are another bomb dot com addition to the box. These are little caramel cubes with a flap at the top, so you can carry them around with you. The caramel flavor is light but savory and the candies are rich but not saccharine sweet. Like the peach gummies, these taste more authentic and less processed, something I notice with the American counterparts to these caramels. These are sweet without being overwhelming and solid but not to where you're chipping a tooth trying to chew. We loved these as well. 

All in all, I was pretty satisfied with Try the World. I loved the ease of signing up and ordering my box, and I was equally pleased with the ease of cancelling and coming back later. I still receive deals and notifications from the company through the email newsletters, and I'm more than willing to try another box. One thing that set Try the World apart for me was that rather than getting one-sitting sizes of chips and various snacks, there was a mix of snacks and meals that you can prepare on your own. It really gives you the chance to absorb the culinary tastes of the month's theme and if you have a small stomach, some of the things last longer than others. I'm speaking from experience. lol I would suggest a bit more ease with buying these products after you use what came in your box; I had a terribly difficult time trying to find them and because much of it wasn't in English, I didn't know what to tell people when I went to the Asian markets looking for them, either. This was the first box that I was seriously interested in buying products from though, and that says something.

When you think of other countries' culinary offerings, typically people only think of certain things. These boxes give a well-rounded view that's worth the subscription price. The enclosed culture guide helps drive home the box's theme, helping you to get a glimpse at different elements of the chosen culture's life and even provides a couple of traditional recipes using things that came in your box. I wasn't able to try everything from my Japan box, but I loved it nonetheless. The thought that went into the box isn't something I see too often anymore because subscription boxes are so popular now. But overall, I loved my experience and if you'd like to take a culinary vacation to another country without having to buy an airline ticket, Try the World is a great option to utilize.

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