Simple Ways to Look Put Together

Before I get into this post, I first wanted to quickly apologize for being MIA the past couple of weeks. I believe that consistency is important for anything you are trying to accomplish, and I haven’t been doing a good job of that. With that said, I am going to rededicate myself to try to resume a relatively set uploading schedule. Full disclosure, I want to be honest with you: I hadn’t been feeling the best, and am only now starting to feel more like myself. My skin seemed like it has been getting worse with more breakouts of my face, and this previous Monday, I woke up and I felt like it was at an all-time worst. Particularly around my chin and forehead I was really breaking out, and my face looked particularly red and blotchy in general. I have never been one to want to use foundation on a daily basis because to me it would feel as if I was trying to hide my face, and that’s not the way I want to feel about my skin. (for people who do like to use foundation, go for it, this is just my opinion!) That morning I was not looking forward to going to school, and all day I constantly wanted to hide my face, so people wouldn’t see how I was having some problems with my skin. This is a toxic mindset, because instead of enjoying life (particularly at such a happy time of year), I was constantly obsessing over my own appearance! It may seem silly to be so derailed by something as trivial as spots on your face, but it’s something I have always been self-conscious of.

It can be extremely hard to be your best when you aren't feeling your best, so I thought I would put together a couple of my tips for looking and feeling put together. Sometimes you may breakout, or have a bad hair day, or just feel kind of gross; you can’t control that! I think if you are confident in how you look it does reflect how you feel, so embrace the things you can control.

Staying Healthy Throughout Winter

Now that Thanksgiving has come and gone, it is truly the holiday season. The season of giving, and being merry, and spending time with the people you love. It is also the season of eating, whether it be holiday baking, Christmas/Hanuka/New Years parties, or just making nice dinners with friends and family. As wonderful as all of this is, I am a firm believer that it's important to remain active throughout the cold seasons when you most likely would rather stay inside curled up with a blanket than brave the cold and go for a run or head to the gym. But however hard it may be to get motivated to exercise, it is doable and absolutely worth it. Don't wait until until New Years to make a resolution to get back into shape; start now: there's no time like the present!

Exercising will give you more energy and enhance your appreciation for all the holiday treats, since you can indulge without feeling guilty. With that said, I know that it can be hard to remain enthusiastic; it's something I struggle with every year. I have come up with some little ways that have been helping me stay more motivated, so I thought I would share my tips for remaining healthy and active throughout winter.

Autumn Movie List 2015

These past few months, as weather grows increasingly colder, I am constantly wanting to snuggle up under a big blanket with a cup of tea and a good movie. And in fact I have been doing quite a bit of just that! I have tried to continue branching out with what kind of films I watch--rather than always going for typical Hollywood rom-coms--and I have loved a lot of the films I have watched so far, so I wanted to share them with you!

Copenhagen
Trailer here
A couple of weekends ago, my parents were out of town, and one of the nights I was on my own in the evening, so I made a nice dinner and then decided to watch a movie in the living room where we have a big TV and great speakers. This may not sound that unusual, but I normally watch movies on my laptop in my room, so it was exciting for me. I was browsing Netflix for something good, and stumbled upon Copenhagen. The story follows a young American who goes to Denmark with his best friend in search of his grandfather. While there he gets to know a girl who turns out to be quite a bit younger than him, and the film explores the controversial topic of relationships with substantial age differences by pushing the limits, but never crossing the line. Naturally being filmed in Copenhagen, the scenery is stunning, and by the time I had finished I found myself wishing I was on an adventure in Europe!

Tunisian Pumpkin Soup

I know that I posted a recipe last week, and I don't typically like to post two recipes in a row, but this soup is utterly fantastic!! A couple weekends ago my parents were out of town, so I was cooking dinner for myself, and one of the nights I decided to just open up a boxed soup because I wasn't in a big cooking mood. The soup was really just very sad: it was supposed to be butternut squash soup, and yet it tasted like chicken broth with a ever-so-slight squash flavor. Oh no. In my book, any sort of squash or pumpkin soup should be thick, creamy, and above all else, bursting with the signature flavors of fall. So I decided the next weekend to make the soup myself... you know what they say: if you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself.

Wholesome, Healthy Granola Bars

With fall fully upon us I have truly settled into a routine, which has become quite comforting. Getting up at 6:15 AM for school can seem brutal in the moment when you have to tear yourself away from the warm covers of your bed, but going to school to learn new things each day, keeping up with going to the gym, and taking the time each day to appreciate the seasonal changes makes for a very productive and exciting time of year. Besides, after having a long (and yes, often quite tiring) school week, the weekends are so much more relaxing! Sleeping in, making nice breakfasts, and getting together with friends or chilling out at home all make for a revitalizing time to recharge for the upcoming week.

Although good for any season, granola bars are especially good in the fall time: the toasted hearty oats, buttery sweet honey, and the wholesome flavor of fruits, nuts, and seeds. Because it's already becoming quite chilly in PA, coming home from school I always immediately turn on the kettle for some tea. While my tea is steeping, I always like to have a little snack, and something about the autumn weather makes me want a hearty snack in the afternoon. Granola bars are lovely for just that because they provide a great wholesome flavor, are healthy, and will fill you up. They're also tasty as a quick, but fully nutritional breakfast if you add in  a glass of milk and an apple or banana (breakfast of champs for when you're in a pinch, if you ask me).

The Best Feelings in Autumn

I am currently sitting at my kitchen table, with my brother is just starting to cook dinner (it's just the two of us tonight, because my parents are out of town). I have had quite a laid back day, but in a wonderfully relaxing way: I did some reading for English, made a quick shopping trip for groceries, I'm wearing one of my dad's big, worn T-shirts, and the best part: I made my first pumpkin bread of the season!! I figured that it was the perfect day to make a post celebrating the wonderful season of autumn. The past week has been quite cold and rainy and completely gray everyday, and while I definitely appreciate cloudy fall days where it's cozy to hide inside, I have started to miss the beautiful clear days of autumn.  This afternoon, right as I finished washing up, I looked outside and realized that it was suddenly completely clear; the sun was already starting to descend on the horizon, but the sky was a beautiful hue of light blue... barely a cloud in the sky. Anyway, I though I would share what I think are the most wonderful feelings of Autumn and share some photos of what I've been up to!

Piercings: Tips, My Experience, and Care

I have always loved piercings. I like the way they look. I like how they are so small, but can change someone's profile. I like that they make you a little bit different.

With that said, I know that not everyone feels the same. I remember a day last year when a young women (early twenties, I would guess) came into the cafe where I worked, who had her septum pierced (the 'bull' piercing for those of you who may be unfamiliar). When I saw her, I immediately thought 'wow, she really pulls it off!' because it fit her look: fair skin, high top-knot, floral dress, and the septum... boho with a bit of bad ass let's call it. As soon as she had left, my co-worker (a really lovely women) said to me 'I don't understand why girls do stuff like that'. I just sort of laughed at the time, but later marveled at how differently people perceive the same thing.

To me piercings are no different than clothing style, in the sense that they are just part of how you choose to present yourself. I think that if you like the way something looks, go for it! Although piercings aren't dangerous or risky, I do think it is good to know how to care for them, where to go, and so forth. I'm certainly no expert on piercings (and truthfully don't have that many), but I do have some experience (good and bad) that I figured I would share.