10 Tips for the {Wannabe Reader}

10 Tips to become a Reader

I have always enjoyed reading. I enjoy entering into a world different than my own and escaping from reality for at least 100 pages. But, then Junior High School happened and reading became a requirement. I'm sure that I'm not the only person that feels that reading as a requirement sort of ruined reading for me. I'm defiant by nature in a lot of ways. So, if someone says "you have to read this book to pass this test." I'm going to say, "No, actually, I don't." Apparently I pride myself in proving other people wrong. Which, I don't think is a good trait...
Anyway.
Now that I'm an adult, I have a desire to read and rekindle that hobby that I enjoyed so much when I was younger. I definitely struggled reading for leisure when I was completing my undergraduate degree, but I started to find the tricks to hep me read more and find that desire to read again during graduate school.
This year, so far, I have read 5 books (6 if you count one that I finished from last year) and I read 15 books last year, so, decided that I should try and share some tips for all of you wannabe readers out there.
Tip #1 Find your Ideal type of Book.
I realize that this sounds obvious, but finding the types of books that you really enjoy is the most important step of becoming a reader. The hardest part about this is that it may take you a while to figure it out.

But, here are some tips within this tip.
-#1 What's your current all time favorite book? You can do one of two things with this one book. You can google books that people also googled with your favorite book. For example, my favorite book is To Kill A Mockingbird. It suggests The Great Gatsby, Pride and Prejudice, and Fahrenheit 451. I have read and love ALL of these books. Secondly, you can google books that the author of your book would recommend. This doesn't work very well for my all time favorite book. But, my second favorite book of all time is Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. In my research I found that some of his inspiration for his books came from the John Carter series. Which is definitely now on my to read list.
-#2 Ask a friend! The advantage of having friends is that we can trust their opinions on things, right? There are few people that know us better than our friends and they can suggest a book that they love or that they think you can love.
-#3 Judge a book by it's cover. I know that this isn't what most people would say, but you need to start somewhere. If something intrigues you, pick it up!
-#4 Start with Young Adult books. There is definitely an advantage of reading a YA book. They are easy reads, usually a little care free, and are super entertaining. Does a YA hit the top of my favorites list? Not usually, but they are a good way to explore the different genres of books to help you narrow down the adult novels.
-#5 BookTube. You heard me write. There is a whole section of YouTube where people talk about books. It's actually more entertaining than most beauty YouTubers. My current favorite BookTubers are: Hailey in Bookland, jessethereader, Midnight Reads, and Peruse Project.

Tip #2 eBook vs Physical Book
I have found that there are pros and cons to both Physical Books and eBooks. I definitely prefer physical books, but I am also a bit of a hoarder when it comes to physical copies of books and movies. There is something about the focus that is required in a physical copy of a book. I also really like that my progress is super visual.

Whereas, having a Nook or a Kindle has it's perks as well. There are apps that can be put on almost every cell phone, so you always have the option of reading no matter where you are and you don't have to lug around a heavy book. Also, most eBook readers now have a lit background so you can even read them in the dark. However, sometimes these screens hurt my eyes. Books are usually cheaper on eReaders so you can get more books for the same amount of money.
Look at your different options of books! Try both.

Tip #3 Goodreads

Goodreads is a great way for you to see your progress in a book. You can have your own bookshelf of books that you are currently reading and update what page you are on when you finish reading everyday. You can see the percentage that you have read and lets you rate the book and write your own review of what you thought about it! Goodreads is also a great way to look for new books. There are thousands of different "lists" on goodreads that I could spend hours looking at! Goodreads is also a type of social media, so you can add your friends and see what they are reading. 

Tip #4 BookBub
This is a new find for me, and honestly, I don't use it that much, because I don't like eBooks as well as hard books. 

But, BookBub is an email subscription that emails you eBooks that are less than $3 every day. Some of them are even free. I have found several eBooks that I am really excited to read!

Tip #5 OverDrive

I used to be very anti-audio-book. I used to think it didn't really count as reading if I actually listened to the book. Also, most audio books are REALLY expensive! Then, I started riding public transit to school during grad school and I wished that there was something I could listen to, because I easily get car sick when I try to read. This is when I discovered OverDrive. OverDrive is an app that help you borrow eBooks or Audio-books through the library. In order to use it, you have to have a library card, but it is legit the best thing when it comes to audio-books! Sometimes you have to wait a while for an audio-book, but there are thousands of audio books that you can listen to while you do anything! Sometimes I feel like I don't get as much out of a book if I don't physically read it, but I love listening to them while I get ready in the morning and on my way to and from work. This has been my main secret for amount of books read increasing substantially. It is a way that I can read even when I don't feel like it. This is a hidden gem that I recommend to EVERYONE that loves to read!

Tip #6 Libraries
Thinking about the Library reminds me of the episode of Arthur where DW gets her library card. :)

I know that libraries remind most people of school, I know that they do for me! But, they are an inexpensive way to read the books that you like. I know that the Davis County Library even got rid of late fees. (Which is amazing!) Most of the librarians are also a great resource for book recommendations.  It's a win win!

Tip #7 Reading Lights
I find that I have the most time to read books at night, right before bed. However, I don't like to have my big light on and my bedside light isn't bright enough for me to be able to read. So, I would recommend finding a reading light.

They sell them most anywhere, book stores, target, even WalMart. I am a lot  more likely to read at night if I can be comfortable in bed and have enough light to actually read.

Tip #8 Book to Movie Adaptations 
When I was in my major reading slump, I saw that a movie that I wanted to see was originally a book. If I remember right, it was Coin Heist. The nice thing about reading book to movie adaptations is that it gives you a tentative deadline.

 Obviously you don't need to finish the book before the movie comes out, or even before it leaves the theater, but it gives you ideas of what to read and a little bit of excitement to actually finish the book. I love comparing the book to the movie. I don't know what it is, it makes me feel smart to say "That's not how it happened." You can google what books are being made into movies for the year, or you can even just google books that have been made into movies and read ones that came out years ago!

Tip #9 Reading Challenges
My sister, a friend, and myself, started doing "reading challenges" in 2016 and they have helped encourage my reading. There are several different reading challenges on the internet, but they are 20+ books and we didn't want to overwhelm ourselves on our first try, so we narrowed down the options to 12 books from 12 different categories. The nice thing about reading challenges is that you aren't tied to 12 specific books like in a book club. They are categories for you to choose a book.

For example, on this years challenge we have A Book that is 600 pages or longer. So, the book that my sister chooses is most likely going to be completely different than the book I chose. I find this method fun, open, challenging, and exciting. Which are all things that I need in order to really want to pick up a book and read.

Tip #10 Reading Slumps Happen
This tip, is probably the most important tip of all. Reading slumps are going to happen. It's true. You can love reading and still go over a year without reading a book. Don't beat yourself up about it! The bad thing about a reading slump is that it usually causes me to hate the books that I try to read, which isn't fair to the book! (Ha! I'm such a dork. Like books have feelings) If you find yourself in a reading slump my best suggestion to you is to ask your friends a book that they couldn't put down and try to read it.  Usually this method helps me want to read books more consistently again and I don't feel like I'm forcing myself to read.

So, there you have it. 10 tips for the wannabe reader! Try some of these techniques out. You may hate them! But at least you can say that you tried. My mom always says that despite her best efforts, all of her kids have turned out to love reading. HAHA! But, I will say, that some of these techniques have even worked on the anti reader that is known as my mother!

Until Next Time...
Peace & Blessings!

{Music}

Many of you already know this, but music means so much to me. I think that I was blessed to appreciate music in a different way than others. And being a part of piano lessons and orchestras has helped vamp my appreciation for music. I find myself saying very geeky things when I'm listening to music.

For example, 

Let's take this song by Michael Jackson.

Number one the lyrics are amazing. 

Number two at about 3 mintues into this song, I can't help but say "nice Key Change!"

Like, what kind of nerd am I that I can't just appreciate the song, I have to comment on the changes in the key. Are you serious Heidee? (Hint.. yes I am)

I don't know that a lot of you know this, but I also teach piano. I have since I was about 16 (I can't remember the exact year, but it was for a long time.) Every once in a while I get a new bunch of students. It's always exciting and also usually means that I need to have several pep talks to encourage kids to practice. Don't get me wrong, I get it! I remember being a kid and wanting to spend my whole life outside, or watching a movie, or taking a nap! Heck, I  want to do that now, and I'm an adult. (At least that is what people tell me.) :) You would think that the "practicing lecture" would be the same for everyone, but you would be wrong. Each person has a different motivating factor. 

Right now, one of my students thinks that I am a huge nerd because I play the piano. One time I was talking to him about Michael Jackson and he said "You know who Michael Jackson is?!?"

Number one, you're like 9, how do you know who Michael Jackson is. Number two, "What?" 

He proceeded to tell me that I only listened to classical music because I teach piano. Apparently I am putting piano teachers to shame by enjoying something other than Bach or Mozart. (which, by the way aren't my favorite. I'm a Chopin and Debussy fan myself) Anyway, I'm proving this kids point right now.  

So, obviously he didn't seem to enjoy my lectures. So, I told him that there were a lot of things that you could learn from music lessons that apply to everyday life. He didn't seem to believe me. I told him that a lot of the things that you learn in sports, you can also learn by playing the piano. Being a "Future NFL and NBA player," it was at this point that he listened to me a little more. 

So, I present to you, the world of the internet,

Things I learned from Music Lessons

Discipline and Dedication- The only way that you can be good at anything is to set your mind to it. Music teachers don't want to tell you this, nearly half of learning how to play an instrument is self taught. Sure, a teacher can show you the proper hand positions, the difference between a half note to a quarter note, and coach the student on sound, but at the end of the day, the student has to figure it out in their own way. That takes an incredible amount of discipline and dedication! I know first hand how frustrating it is to begin learning a song!
Just the other day I was trying to learn "Passepied" by Debussy.

I was only site reading and I thought that it was going alright. Then I went and listened to the song. It was then that the negative self talk began because I realized that I wasn't even close! It's frustrating and defeating! But the only way to get through it is to keep trying! (on that note, I should probably try and learn that song again....)

Humility- I know that I am all that and a bag of chips, but its not a good thing to go and tell everyone about it all of the time! I truly believe that music helped me learn this the most. It is always possible to play something better. There were many great people that came before to help music be the amazing thing that it is today.

Respect- Speaking of those that came before us to pave the great ways of music, I learned to respect those that know more than me. I had the pleasure of having two piano teachers for several years each. They helped create who I am today and I owe it to them! Shout out to Janet Cowells and Malinda Tall!

Love- Music expresses love in a way that words never will. Music helps people feel things that they didn't know were possible of feeling! I think that the word love was used to describe a song a long time ago.

Priorities & Sacrifice- When I was little, I always wanted to take piano lessons! My older sister, Kadee, played the piano beautifully. It was one of the many reasons that I looked up to her. When my mom found a local piano teacher, I had to make a tough choice. Did I want to continue with my horseback riding lessons/4-H? Or did I want to take piano lessons. It was one of the many times that I learned that great talent comes from sacrifice and priorities. Did I love my time being surrounded by horses? Yes. But that was something that I could do with my family and friends. It was worth it to me to put in the in time, effort, and sacrifice to find my love for the piano.

Emotion- Music without emotion is black circles on a white piece of paper. It is flat and meaningless. Don't get me wrong, growing up as a girl gave me plenty of experiences with emotion. But, the sequence of emotions is something that I learned from music. Music is never all angry or all sad, there is always a wave of emotions that build into something beautiful. And that doesn't necessarily mean that the ending is happy, but it will always be beautiful.

It's okay to mess up & Letting Things Go- Nothing ever goes exactly how we want it to. Everybody makes mistakes and has spells of bad piano playing. It is simply the way of life. But the real value and lesson learned is to let it go. Start a new day fresh and realize that the mistakes of yesterday make the successes of today seem all the more beautiful.

Perfect Practice Makes Perfect- I know what you're about to say. "Heidee, the saying goes Practice makes perfect, not perfect practice makes perfect!" I submit that you are wrong. If I practice a piece of music, wrong, for three weeks, it will still be wrong when I perform it! If you only put half of the effort into what you're doing in life, it will only be half as good as you anticipate it will be.

In closing.. ;)
Music lessons help build the great people of tomorrow. As long as the student is willing to put in the work, they will grow up to be more than they every thought they could imagine.

Until next time...

Peace & Blessings! :)

{Roy}

So. Many of you probably know this, But I have the most amazing Best Friend in the entire world. And, guess what? We didn't know each other existed until we were 20 years old.

I spent a lot of my teenage years wondering if I was going to find that "Best Friend." You know, that one that is truly "BAE." Don't get me wrong, I have had a lot of amazing friends in Junior High and High School that I still consider my Best Friends to this day. But, being an emotional teenage girl, I never felt like I had that friend that I could always count on or that would continue to be a connected friendship even when our paths separated for any period of time. 

I often times wonder why I was so immensely blessed to meet Michaela. Have I ever shared our friendship story? My mom worked for an ear nose and throat doctor. At the time I was working at Moore's and desperate for a friend. My mom had mentioned that she worked with a girl that she thought I would get along with. Basically, our mom's set us up on a date. We went to the Ogden Pioneer Days Rodeo and we have been besties ever since! 

We love movies, french dip sandwiches from Moore's, the  Gospel, Supernatural, cheesecake, rodeos, Harry Potter, zoos, and deep conversations. That whole phrase "Every blonde needs a brunette best friend," or vice versa, we are the epitome of. 

We also have a slight problem with keeping our rooms clean and often need to skype while we clean so that our rooms. We also both have hulk stuffed animals and just genuinely love to be with each other. I realize that I am speaking for Michaela a little bit. But, I think that I am safe to say that she would agree.

Our friendship has been able to stay strong and solid through a lot of challenges. We lived a little ways apart and then we lived a lot of ways a part, and then we lived a little ways apart, and then we lived quite a ways apart. But this distance has never changed anything. I think it goes to prove just how much we needed each other's friendship. 

I'm sure that you all are wondering why I have entitled this post "Roy" if it is all about my girl best friend. Well. We have nicknames for each other.  Back in the day, we took an institute class from Sister Seamons. She used to always say that her favorite name was Roy and that she hoped her husband would have that name also. So I started calling her that one day. In a different class, Paul was up on the projector and the name was highlighted and bold. Since then, Michaela has called me Paul. There are times when it gets a little confusion, but for the most part we can keep each other straight. :)

There are so many reasons why Michaela is awesome. I feel like I could talk about her for hours, explaining how awesome she is, and no one would understand. It's like, have you ever tried to describe what salt tastes like? Whenever I try I can mostly describe it by what it isn't. Sometimes I feel that way about me and Michaela, she is my best friend and I do not adequately have the words to express why I hold her so dear to my heart. 

If you haven't guessed it by the pictures, Michaela served a mission for 18 months and I could not be more proud of her. She was "my missionary." She was always so strong spiritually before she left, so it was hard to imagine that she could grow any more, but she did. I have always leaned on her a little bit because she is able to live a righteous life so easily when I have struggled at times. I am so grateful to her for that. She always reminds me what is important in life, even if she isn't saying it with her words. She will always say it by her actions. 

I prayed for a friend like Michaela for a long time! And sometimes it felt like I wasn't meant to have a friend like her, or that I was asking for something that wasn't realistic. Growing up and having friends is hard! Being a friend is hard! There is so much give and take and a medium is constantly needing to be evaluated. I had a couple friendships in my past that felt like I was putting in so much effort in that dwindled away. I know that this won't happen with me and Michaela. I genuinely feel like we were supposed to meet each other. I feel like we were meant to impact each other and help each other grow into the women that we are meant to be. On a side note, as a bit of advice. If you are struggling with the same thing I struggled with for years. I can attest to the fact that you will find that friend. That person does exist. Just wait with faith and trust and it will happen, probably when you least expect it.  

I know I have spent a long time talking about this girl. But I just love her so, so much! She definitely needed a special post on my blog because she means that much to me! She is so kind, honest, faithful, loving, nerdy, funny, and genuine. She was, is, and will continue to be one of the greatest blessings in my life!

Michaela, thank you. Thank you for always helping me be my best. Thank you for loving me for who I am. Thank you for the laughs. Thank you for the tears. Thank you for the matching Spock bears. Thank you for the trips to the zoo. Thank you for remembering the Savior in all things. Thank you for the late night Pride and Prejudice or Easy A movie times. Thank you for the matching jewelry and poop emoji bean bag. 

But most importantly. Thank you for being you. 

Until Next Time...

Peace & Blessings! :)

{Sacrament}

One of my favorite things about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in that I have the opportunity to be perfected each week, through Jesus Christ, by taking the Sacrament. 

Unfortunately, it is also one of the parts of the Atonement that I take the most for granted. Sometimes the opportunities that are so readily accessible to me and are utilized the most often are the things I don't think about each time I use them. Driving my car for example. I don't realize how much I use my car, until it is in the shop, or completely breaks down. (Driving old cars are kinda lame. haha. Good thing I have a new one)

I am so lucky to be able to take the Sacrament every week and repent of my sins. Because I make mistakes all the time and it is truly wonderful that Jesus Christ will forgive me for all of my sins. 

I work in a Skilled Nursing Facility. As you can imagine, a lot of the people that live in my facility are really sick and need assistance to do most everything. I can only imagine how difficult asking others for help is for all of the resident's there. I try my hardest to do everything on my own without the help of others. This is one of the many thing that I can learn from the residents there, sometimes it is okay to ask for help. 

At my work we take turns working a Sunday to ensure that everything is going well over the weekend. I am lucky to live in a state where LDS services being offered at the Skilled Nursing Facility are common. So I was able to do my duties as the Manager there that weekend, and still was able to go and partake of the Sacrament. And While I was there, I (no surprise) learned something from the Residents at my facility. 

Taking the sacrament was for difficult for them. Some of them were assisted in drinking the water and needed a lot of encouragement to eat the bread.  The Sacrament is so important to them that they are willing to go to the meeting and partake of the sacrament even though it is difficult for them. And here I am, being an able body'd person, and I sometimes take that sacrament without any thought. 

I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to attend church services while I was at work. It was definitely a blessing and a great reminder to never take such an important ordinance for granted. 

Until Next Time...

Peace & Blessings. :)

My {Experience} at a BYU Basketball Game

Heidee? At a BYU game? Did she get lost?

I know, it is actually kind of crazy to me that I went as well. 

Here is a little bit of background information. I dislike BYU. To avoid further questions, Here is a glimpse of my reasoning. I don't have a real reason behind this dislikery. (Yup, I just made that word up. Deal with it.) Meaning, I wasn't rejected of going to school, I have never personally known anyone that went there that was a completely awful person, and I don't think that a school having a religious prerogative is a bad thing. However,  I don't think it is right to require a student to take a religious course, regardless of their major, and then insist that they pay for the courses When you could go to any other school and take these courses for free. I don't like that there is a price difference in tuition on members vs non-members. And I also feel that those who have grown up in Utah should not be able to go.  I feel that those who have not grown up in a state that holds that level of spirit and comfort should get first, if not all, dibs. 

I also, am a little defiant by nature. (I know, shocker.) So when someone says, "Heidee, you like BYU!" and I say, "Uh, no I don't." Their response will go one of two ways. 

"What? Aren't you Mormon?" 

Or

"Heidee, that is like the symbol of our religion.""

You see my dilemma... I have been going to church for a long time, and I don't remember reading anywhere that liking BYU brought me eternal salvation, and I also thought that the symbol for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, was Christ.

Weird.

Anyway, I have a friend, Sara, who loves sports more than most people I know. She sometimes gets a little crazy about Gonzaga, but that's okay. 

Here begins our real story.

Gozaga and BYU have a pretty big rivalry, from what I am told. And Gonzaga came to Utah to play basketball. Sara was dying to go, and honestly I'm up for going to any event and I am usually up for a place that gives me and excuse to Boo BYU. :) 

So, our evening started with eating at Carabas, obviously. Good Italian food is a MUST!

Then we went to the stadium. Which, is a nightmare to try and get parking, even if you are super early. 

Now, comes the actual experience.

Honestly, it was incredible how many people were there. The place was jam packed and the student section took up nearly a quarter of the stadium. Everyone knew the fight song (Which isn't hard when it consists of 9 "Raws" and a "GooooOOOOOO Cougars!") and it was kind of cool to see a college have that much support. But it also made me really, really sad. Because if people like us had chose to go to Weber State, who also has an excellent basketball team, then Weber would have the money and capabilities of being as strong as a team as Gonzaga or BYU. But, instead, people have this mentality that they need to support BYU for one reason or another. So, while there were 15,000+ people at Lavell Edwards Stadium, there were probably 1,000-2,000 at the Dee Events Center that same night. 

On top of all those sad feelings, anger was easily arose in us because of the people sitting around us. Now, don't get me wrong, We obviously were the minority of Gonzaga wearing individuals. But the fans were rude and condescending to us for the majority of the game. It almost felt like because I was a young girl wearing a Gonzaga shirt, all of the sudden my ability to have any knowledge in any subject was irrelevant.  It was frustrating to be surrounded by so many people that were so negative against any call that was made for the opposing team or against their own. It was almost as if they had never been to a basketball game before. Fouls happen and sometimes the team you are playing is better than you. Deal with it. 

In review, there were things that I loved and hated about going to the basketball game. Being at such a full stadium was cool, Carabas in only in Provo, I got to see my best friend, Michaela when I was down there, and I got to watch a decent basketball team and be a part of a history making win for Gonzaga. But, I wished that the fans were kinder, that people supported such an amazing school 60 miles north, and that a rivalry could have some class, instead of a bunch of malarkey. 

Until Next Time...

Peace & Blessings.  :)

2016 Book {Wrap Up!}

The Books I Read in 2016

I thought that I would give an overview of what books I read in 2016. I loved reading this year. I kinda found my love of reading again.  It is really depressing to realize that school, the place of learning, ruined reading for me. But, instead of reading the books I was supposed to in school, I decided that I would read other books. :) So, thus my book obsession re-earthed. :)
Here are the books that I was able to read in 2016, and my thoughts on them. I don't want my blog to become too repetitive, so on the ones that I have already wrote my review in a blog post, I made the title a link. Which means that I really only need to give you the review on 3 books, which shouldn't be too difficult!
Here goes nothing. :)
I'll start with the books that will have a review written underneath of them.

A Monster Calls

What a great, simple, profound, heartwarming, heart-wrenching story! I think that it is an easy read and that it also shows how a child may be perceiving the hardships that their parents are going through. It also was made into a movie, so I'm excited that I will get to see how someone imagined the story would unfold if you could see it with your own two eyes. :)

Overall, I gave this book 4 stars. I really enjoyed it. It is so simply honest that it made me wish more adult novels were this truthful.

In a Dark, Dark Wood

I had a lot of high hopes for this book. So unfortunately I was a little disappointed because I felt like the ending was weak. The whole story was presented as being terrifying and keeping you up at night. When, honestly, the story was pretty anticlimactic. I gave it 3.5, because it was a bit of a page turner and I didn't guess the killer. But I was looking for a terrifying story and I didn't find one. :(

The Call

This... This book.... Honestly, I kinda hated it. But, overall I would say that it was okay. Again, everyone on "BookTube" said that this story was terrifying and that everyone needed to read this book. Maybe I find real life more scary than fictional stories. In a dark, dark wood was 10x more scary than this story. But, I also feel that this story could have been terrifying if it was written better. It was one where I wondered if it was adult fantasy if it would have been a lot better.  Because, really?? Killer fairies?  I was curious to see if the book ever got scary, so I read the entire book in a day. It had some action and suspense while also hitting some of the feels. The fantasy world lacked a bit of build up. I found the concept of the story to be scary, but how it was written wasn't actually scary. I gave this somewhere between 2.5-3 stars at the time that I read it, but now in hindsight. I think I would give it a solid 2. 

(P.S. This is my rating system. 1=I didn't like it. 2= It was okay. 3=It was good. 4= It was really good. 5=I really loved it!)

Now here is the list of the other books that have a review somewhere on my page. Remember, the title is a link to my review. :)

Flowers in the Attic

Mr. Mercedes

Are You there God? It's Me, Margaret.

Tales from Two-Bit Street and Beyond

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: Illustrated Edition

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Siddhartha

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

The Pact

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

The Assassin Game

So there you go. That is my year of 2016 as it pertains to books.  I thought about ranking the books. Honestly, there are too many of them that are solid 3s that it would be too hard to decide. I can tell you that Flowers in the Attic was my favorite of the year, with Siddhartha as a close second. My other 5 star books were Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children, The Illustrated Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone, and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.  So, if you are looking off of this list, I would go for any of those 5 books first.

My goal of last year was to read 13 books and I read a total of 15. :) So this year I have upped my goal to 24. As of right now, I am not on track for this goal. But we will see if I eventually get there.

On a side note. You can check out my Goodreads Page for further inspiration. You know, since I am the source of all knowledge.

Until Next Time....
Peace & Blessings. :)

The {Best} Of 2016

Best of 2016

I know that I post a lot of favorites blogs. But I find them excellent because they ensure that I am blogging at least once a month. I also find that Favorites videos are my favorites to watch on YouTube. They seem to have the best information in them. Most everyone on YouTube is posting Best of 2016 videos right now, so I though. Why Not? :)

Here are my favorites from 2016. Enjoy.

Best Eye Shadow Pallet of 2016
I would have to say that the Eye Shadow Pallet that I grabbed for the most in 2016 is definitely the Morphe 35O. There are so many looks that you can do with the pallet. I tend to do a cooler toned look with this pallet, but I also love all of the warm oranges. For a while this pallet was really hard to get your hands on, but I'm pretty sure most people have it by now, so if you don't, it isn't hard to find.

You can find this pallet here. It retails for $22.99, which is a steal considering that you get 35 colors! But a lot of YouTubers are affiliates of Morphe and have a 10% discount code. It may not seem like much, but that brings this pallet down to nearly $20. They are creamy and pigmented and definitely necessary for your make-up collection if you like to wear eye shadow. And you can definitely find lots of tutorials for eye looks as well. :) Win, win, win.

Best Lipstick of 2016
When it came to me picking my favorites for make-up, I tried to think of the thing that I wore the most and didn't have to think when  I picked it. For lipstick, I definitely first thought of Serenity by Gerard Cosmetics! I love this color because it is the perfect nude for my skin tone. The matte of the color also doesn't completely dry out my lips. Also, it was a collaboration with Manny MUA, so I obviously and going to love it. :)

It retails for $20, which isn't cheap by any means, but I think that it is worth having. You can find Serenity here. Because it is a collaboration with Manny, there is a discount code "Mannymua" which works for the whole website including this liquid lipstick and it saves you 30%, which bring the price down to $14. Which is pretty average for a liquid lip. It is nothing too flashy, but it is just enough to finalize any look you are going for and I LOVE it! :)

Best Perfume of 2016
I honestly didn't really get into perfume until the later end of 2016. I had a few roller balls the I used, but as a reward to myself for losing 20 lbs, I decided to splurge on my first full size perfume. I'm not huge into musky scents, and Escada Turquoise Summer is the perfect sweet scent for me! 

Turquoise Summer is sweet and fruity, but is still adult enough that you still feel grounded while wearing it. The 3 oz bottle retails for $79, and you can find Turquoise Summer here. I'm sure that it is sold other places than Sephora, but who doesn't wan to go to Sephora anyway? :)

Best Shirt of 2016
As far as picking a favorite shirt, I actually found that really hard. Do you pick a shirt that you wear the most? Or a shirt that you loved the moment you put it on? I mean, if we are honestly picking a shirt that we wear the most, it would honestly be an over-sized A Christmas Story t-shirt that used to be my dad's. But, I decided that the shirt I talked about the most when I was wearing it would have to be my "No Worries" T-shirt from American Eagle.

I found this shirt on a whim. You know how email used to be a great way of communicating with others? And now all of the sudden it seems that email is more of being overwhelmed with ads from local stores. I understand that this is ultimately my fault, but why wouldn't you want to save 5% for giving them your email? Anyway, their clearance t-shirts were like 75% off and I went and looked through them. I bought this one and a Grand Canyon shirt. Total including shipping it was like $10. So unfortunately that means I can't give you a link to find it, because it is long from existing. It was the perfect shirt to wear when I was taking my CSW exam for the second time!

Best Pants of 2016
I know that this year is all about snake skin. ;) Just kidding, but these pants have been in my possession for a long time. But all of the sudden I am OBSESSED! I can wear solid prints, stripes, pretty much everything I want and it always looks great! 

Again, these pants are old enough that I don't think they exist anymore. But If you want to check out the Old Navy Rock Star skinny jeans, do it! Today!

Best Shoes of 2016
If you know me well, then you know that I base my happiness off of my feet. This obviously includes if they are tired or sore. But, the temperature of my feet affects my whole body! I work at a skilled nursing facility and with my business casual attire, I have had a hard time finding something that will withstand my constant walking as well as keep my feet at the appropriate temperature. 

These flexible ballet flats from PayLess are Legend-I hope you aren't lactose intolerant, because the next word is- Dairy! These DexFlex Comfort shoes keep my feet comfortable for all of my needs! I must admit, that they don't work as well in the winter. But if I wear boots anywhere expect for inside of my building they make my feet just as happy! I bought this exact style a long time ago, so sorry if you can't find them. But I kind of love how many different options they have all of the time.

Best Accessory of 2016
Am I allowed to have multiple favorite accessories? (Of course I am, I am in charge of the rules here.) :)  The first is a Leukemia awareness band from Choose Hope. It is $8 and it is the perfect thing to represent my love for Graham. If any of you want to buy one, we would love it! We don't make a profit off of them or anything, but It makes me smile to see that others are thinking of him. 
The other Orange bracelet also is for Graham, but this one isn't online anywhere. My dad made them and I'm sure he would make you one if you want it!

The other would have to be my Arvo Watch that my sister Kadee got me for Christmas. Now, before you get your panties in a wad, I've had it since November. So, Yes, I have had it long enough to know that I love it! It isn't anything too fancy, but I looks nice with everything. Which, I think makes for the perfect accessory.

Best Song of 2016
Did y'all expect me to pick a different song?! I would OBVIOUSLY pick one of the Andrew McMahon songs. He has released a total of 4 before his release of the album, but I find to hear this one the most. 

That potentially could be because it is my alarm to wake up in the morning. But, the fact that is makes me wake up and I still love it should mean it's pretty amazing! His album comes out on February 10th and it's no secret that I say you need it. Now!

Best Movie of 2016
Believe it or not, I have not see that many movies this year. I am kind of ashamed of it. But this was definitely the funniest movie I saw all year. It was kind of nice to have a movie that didn't require too much attention in a year that was sort of crazy. 

This is where I announce I'm sponsored by Target. ;) Here is the link if you want to buy it for $14.99. The nice thing about Target is that their movies go on sale A LOT! It wouldn't surprise me if this went as low as $9 in the near future.

Best TV show of 2016
Stranger things.

I don't know that I can express how much I loved this series. It was so Stephen King like and was filmed so much like a movie that I couldn't get enough of it! If you haven't watched it, you should. It's on Netflix and the next season comes out in October. :)

Best Netflix Binge-watch of 2016
If you thought it was impossible to watch 11 seasons of a TV show in less than two months. I definitely proved you wrong with this one. :)

I was medically inclined once and these type of shows are my forte. Ya know, except for the piano, I guess that is technically my forte. But I laughed, sat on the edge of my seat, and cried watching this. Part of me wants to buy all of the seasons. But for now, I suppose I will just bask in the fact that I have seen them all. :)

Best Book of 2016
I read 15 books in 2016 of which I gave 5 stars to Flowers in the Attic, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Illustrated Edition, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Siddhartha, and Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.

This book was so heart-wrenching and beautifully written that I couldn't put it down! It has been a while since I enjoyed a book this much! It's only $7.99 at Barnes and Noble (who should also be sponsoring me!) So go over and get it!

Best Activity of 2016
Going to the Grand Canyon was angelic. There is no other way to describe it. It was a really long drive and I could have spent 12 more days there. But even just a couple of hours was the highlight of 2016.

Best Purchase of 2016
The local Baseball team in Utah are the Bees. They had a special Jazz night and were selling the game worn jerseys. It is pretty awesome to know that I am one of 30 people that have one. Which is why it is my favorite. :)

Best Picture of 2016
One of me, and one of Lilo. Need I say more?

Sorry that this is posted late. But here are my favorites of 2016! Here's to an excellent 2017!
Until Next Time.
Peace & Blessings!