Summer 2018 Bucket List: Things To Do In The Summer!

Hi everyone! The weather in Massachusetts has been fluctuating so much recently but we've had some really hot days lately. I'm so happy that it's summer and there's a lot of things that I still want to do in the next month or so! If you are in need of ideas for what to do this summer I've got you covered! Here are some suggestions for what to do in the summer! Including day trips, food recommendations, and other outdoor activities! (Also, as the summer goes on and I check off things from this list I will link any related blog posts with more info!)

So without further ado and in no particular order, what I want to do this summer includes the following activities and I hope they give you some ideas for what to do to have fun during the summer!

General Ideas: 

Go mini golfing
Berry picking- strawberry and/or blueberry picking
Take a spin class
Spend more time outside
Go kayaking/canoeing
Go to the beach
Be a tourist in your own city
Try out new food and new restaurants
Go to a farmer's market
Go thrifting
Do some crafts
Go to an amusement park
Attend a few concerts
See some new movies
Go to the drive in
Go to or have a paint night
Have a game night
Visit a vineyard
Have a staycation
Visit some neighboring state
Go to at least one state park or national park
Try rolled ice cream
Go bowling
Go white water rafting
Go horseback riding
Have a picnic in a park
Ride a bike more often

New England specific:

Visit Cape Cod
Visit Cape Ann
Go to P Town
Go to Nantucket or Martha's Vineyard (but ideally both)
Go to Maine: Kennebunkport and York
Go to Newport Rhode Island

Thank you for reading my summer bucket list! I'd love to know what you want to do this summer so feel free to let me know in the comments!

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June 2018 Favorites

Hi everyone!

As June recently came to an end I thought I'd share some things that I've been loving including products, food, movies, and music!


 
But first off - wow how is June over already! We're halfway through 2018 which is hard to fathom! May was a pretty big month for me as I graduated college!  June went by so fast and right now it just feels like I finished another regular year of school and that I'll be going back to my college in the fall though but I won't be 😱. Congratulations to all of you Class of 2018 graduates!

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As I should theoretically have more free time now I hope to post more frequently on this blog, so fingers crossed that happens lol. I tried to organize this post into categories but there were some miscellaneous items so I thought I'd start with those first.

Miscellaneous:

Almost Adulting by Arden Rose

I had been wanting to read Almost Adulting: All You Need to Know to Get It Together (Sort Of) for so long (I guess since it came out). While I was in school though I did not have much time to read books of my own choosing rather than what I was required to read for classes so this book was definitely on my list for the summer! I usually always rent books from the library as my local library is part of a network that lets us borrow books from other towns. It turns out though that my mom got the book at a book sale without even knowing that I had been wanting to read it. It was a nice coincidence when I saw it on a bookshelf in our house! (In general my mom has good taste in books and usually picks/recommends good ones for my sister and/or I to read).

On to the book itself- Almost Adulting is a very fitting name for the book and for the point of my life that I am currently at. In the book one of the themes that Arden discusses is how most people who are perceived to be full adults and have it all together may very well be "struggling" just like the rest of us no matter what age they are. She also talks about the concept of adulthood in general and how it is arbitrary and can mean different things to different people. Arden's writing style is very enjoyable to read, I like her voice and the humor that she inflicts into the book. The book covers many topics and has a nice balance of funny, uplifting, and serious sections. I really recommend this book to any young adult! It is reassuring to know that there are others who are in the same boat! I liked getting to know more about Arden's life as well, for those of you who may not know, Arden is among other things, a YouTuber, actress and in her words "person of the internet" I have been subscribed to her for a while and enjoy watching her videos so it was nice to get to see another side to her and her thoughts.

( I also wanted to comment on how cute the jacket of the book is and I like the fact that there are little doodles scattered throughout the chapters of the book as well!)

Converse All Stars

Next I wanted to give a shout out to my new Converse sneakers. My Converse are a staple in my wardrobe and I have loved Chucks  for so many years. As I wear mine so often they go through a lot and so I've gone through quite a few pairs of them. I got a new pair for Christmas but only recently started wearing them as I did not want to ruin them. Now it's the perfect time of the year for them. Converse are so comfortable and versatile and are one of my go-to pairs of shoes. I like sticking to neutral colors as I feel I can wear them with anything but they do come in so many colors and can be personalized as well!

Products:

OPI Nail Polish in Schnapps Out of It

I believe that the OPI Schnapps Out of It nail polish was part of OPI's German collection. It is not a recent purchase but I've recently started using it more! Even though the color is not a typical summer color as it's more muted than vibrant and seems like more of a fall color I like that it is versatile! Depending on what you are wearing it can make your nails standout or be more understated. I also think that it is more of a mature color and now that I am a "real adult" it helps me feel more put together and "professional" lol (do you feel that way about certain shades of nail polish too or is it just me? 😂 )

The exact shade of nail polish is no longer available but I found some similar shades/shades in the same color family!

Ole Henriksen C- Rush Brightening Gel Creme

I started trying out the Ole Henriksen C- Rush Brightening Gel Creme about a month or so ago as I received it complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes and I have been really happy with this moisturizer! I have been using it twice a day after washing my face in the morning and at night and my skin feels great! The moisturizer is lightweight and has a nice consistency. I don't like lotions that feel super heavy or greasy and so I'm so glad that this one is not like that. It absorbs nicely into my skin and a little product goes a long way. I do feel like my skin seems brighter and more awake which is why I love applying it in the morning. I feel like it just smooths my skin so well and keeps it hydrated. This is part of Ole Henriksen's Truth Line and contains vitamin C, and Rose of Winter which is rich in antioxidants and is free from parabens and sulfates. This is a great ingredient for brightening and the creme also has a citrus scent. It reminds me of an orange creamsicle! It smells so good but the scent is not overpowering or too strong!

Music:

I am so excited that so many artists that I really enjoy have been releasing music recently!

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(this clip is actually from the BBC show Sherlock which is a show that I really like!) 

So first up, I love Shawn Mendes' new album! I feel like with each album we get to see him grow and try out different things. I think that In My Blood is probably my current favorite song from the album. It's very powerful- lyric wise and sound wise.

Also I started listening to BTS last year and so their most recent album was the first one that came out since I've been into them which I was so excited for! It's called Love Yourself: Tear and follows their previous Love Yourself: Her album. My favorite songs off of the new album would have to be Fake Love and Airplane Part 2 (which is connected to a song from one of the member's mixtapes, hence the part 2). The album has a huge variety of songs from really upbeat to more emotional. BTS also has worked with UNICEF on an anti violence campaign called Love Myself.

And last but not least for music favorites is 5SOS's new album Youngblood! This album has been a long time coming but I'm glad that the band took the time that they needed in order to make something they feel accurately reflects them and is something they are proud of. It was definitely worth the wait for new music. My favorite songs from the album are the title track Youngblood and Valentine! They also have a nice diversity in the songs on the album as well.

Movies:

I had wanted to see The Greatest Showman ever since I saw previews for it but was never able to get to a movie theater to see it while it was playing. I recently was finally able to see the movie and it lived up to, well I guess surpassed my expectations for it! The soundtrack is hands down amazing and the choreography was so good too! I really like musicals and am glad that so many people enjoy seeing them too, especially one that has such a great story and message! The story in the movie is so moving and a roller coaster of emotions, I teared up a bit several times actually. The cast is so talented and I think that everyone fit their roles so well.

I also recently watched The Maze Runner Trilogy! I wanted to read the books but haven't yet. I usually prefer reading the books before seeing a movies of the story but oh well lol. I like action movies and typical young adult dystopian movies and books and I think that The Maze Runner has great characters and that they and the story/plot developed very well over the course of the trilogy. I definitely got invested in the story and was intrigued! It did remind me a bit of The Hunger Games and Divergent but that is not a bad thing and is to be expected as they are all the same genre. I'm really glad I finally watched the movies as my mom and sister had told me how good they were! 

Food:

As it is summertime that means that so many more types of fruit are in season! I have been loving blueberries lately ( I used to not like them), they're great on their own as a snack or perfect in oatmeal for breakfast! Other snacks I really like are sea salt almonds, specifically the Blue Diamond ones, they're so tasty and good for you too! And the final snack I'll mention is wheat thins, they have great taste and are a decent "healthy snack" option!

Thanks for reading! What are some of your recent favorites?

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Words on Worrying, Overthinking & Accepting Yourself

Hi! So this post is a bit of a ramble but I thought that it was worth sharing anyways. I am someone who worries very, very often, and oftentimes I worry about such insignificant things that don't even matter and I shouldn't waste my time and energy thinking about but sometimes I can't stop myself from worrying about those things although I know that I should.

Rambles on Worrying and Overthinking

I want to worry less in general and want to try to stop overthinking things so much as this is something that I really struggle with. I also hope to dwell less on the past and I want to think less about embarrassments or mistakes that I have made, especially ones that only I am thinking about and that no else cares about (because they actually don't matter, who cares if I was awkward in that moment? Only me). The person I was talking to (or whatever the situation was) probably didn't even notice it but even if they did, they're definitely not thinking about it.It's like they always say, everyone is so busy thinking about their own flaws and insecurities that they probably aren't aware of the ones that you think you have yourself.

I want to worry and overthink less as well as not get so discouraged when I feel like I am not accomplishing everything I want to. When I overthink that actually causes me to waste time and stop myself from doing things I want to do because I am just going over all the random possibilities and outcomes that could potentially come from whatever it is that I am wanting to do. Although there is a very little chance of any of those outcomes occurring so I should definitely not even be entertaining the thought of them but of course I am, because currently that part of who I am and my mentality. But as I said I want to work on being content enough with what I am doing as well as work on not unintentionally stopping myself from doing other things I want to do.

Tip & Suggestions

Here are a couple tips/suggestions that we could all use, especially if you feel the same way that I do.

→ Try to love yourself, accept yourself for who you are, embrace your "flaws" (you may be the only person who thinks they're flaws, so are they?) but they make you who you are and make you unique.

→ Try to avoid doubting yourself and your abilities by focusing on what you're good at and work to improve on where you're lacking if you want to.

→ And don't compare yourself to others as comparison is the thief of joy. Everyone is at different stages and has a different path and journey so comparing yourself to someone else will never go well. Also think about why would you want to compare yourself anyways? Live your life and don't worry what someone else is doing. It's totally fine to look at someone else's life and be inspired by it but don't feel bad about yours if its completely different than theirs. It is very hard to avoid doing this, especially in today's day and age with social media and everything everywhere but it helps to remember that most people are only sharing a highlight reel of their life and no one's life is perfect 24/7. (But is also does help to be grateful for your imperfect life, as everyone's is imperfect).

→ Know that some days you won't be successful in accepting yourself or accomplishing stuff in general, but that's okay. It is normal and not everyday can be perfect or great but there can still be good things or good moments that happen on those "bad" days, so look out for those as those can easily improve your mood. Also if your day isn't going so well then do something that will make you happier such as talking to a friend, a parent, a sibling, etc. listen to your favorite kind of music, watch your favorite movie or tv show or watch your favorite Youtube channel, read, do some exercise, etc. do something you love!

→ Also, don't say yes to everything or bite off more than you can chew.  It will put way more pressure and stress on you than you need. It will cause you to worrying even more and feel overwhelmed. Overthinking is a doubled edged sword here though because if you say yes (to more obligations) you will have even more to think and worry about, but saying no may cause you to think about how the person who asked you to do whatever it is will think about you and if they will dislike you for saying no. But even if they are a little inconvenienced by you saying no, that alone will not cause them to dislike you or thinking poorly of you.

→ This is a general tip but - don't plan and overthink or think ahead so much that you forget and/or don't have time to do what you planned for. I feel like I have so many things that I want to do and plan to do, but then I spend so much time planning how I'm going to do those things that the opportunity to actually do them passes.

→ Also try to take some risks, no pain means no gain. I do not mean for you to do something dangerous or harmful or actually painful but don't overthink something so much that end up convincing yourself  not to do it. Sometimes you just have to go for it.

I know this post may seem like it's all over the place but I think it helped me at least to put my thoughts down on this "topic" (I guess it's a topic lol, worrying, over thinking and accepting yourself and your flaws). I hope this post makes at least some sense, and that you were able to gain something from it if you're in a similar situation. I know I need to work on continuing to follow the "advice/tips" I listed too!

Thank you for reading!

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