Music Spotlight: 'Midnight Memories' by One Direction

Okay guys, please bear with me. I don't know what has gotten into me this month but I've found myself obsessing over 5 guys who have absolutely no idea of my existence. I think this may have started with me reading 'After' and it has now escalated to this. Sometime last week, One Direction's new album was leaked online and I debated with myself on whether I should listen to it or just wait for it to be officially released. Naturally, in the state I was in, I had no self control and listened to the entire thing. Now that the album is actually out, I thought I'd make a post about it!

I have the 'ultimate' edition and it features 18 new tracks. In my opinion, this album really shows growth and maturity as opposed to their previous albums. You can tell they're integrating a new kind of sound to their music yet they're still keeping their signature sound that we all love. I'm terrible at reviewing music but I hope I'm making sense! This album also makes me appreciate the growth in Niall and Louis' voices. In the past, I sort of just bypassed their solos, but in this album, they proved themselves. The harmonies in this album...wow. I just want to give them a round of applause. It's hard to narrow down my favorite songs off of this album but my top three are 'Half A Heart', 'Don't Forget Where You Belong' and 'Better Than Words'.

I'm going to try to link the songs from YouTube so you can have a listen to them! Even if you're not a One Direction fan, I'd still recommend you give this album a chance, it might surprise you!

1. Best Song Ever

2. Story of My Life

3. Diana

4. Midnight Memories

5. You & I

6. Don't Forget Where You Belong

7. Strong

8. Happily

9. Right Now

10. Little Black Dress

11. Through The Dark

12. Something Great

13. Little White Lies

14. Better Than Words

15. Why Don't We Go There

16. Does He Know?

17. Alive

18. Half a Heart

What do you think of the album? What are some of your favorite tracks? Tell me in the comments below!

Kisses,

S

Previous Music Spotlight:

'Surfers Paradise' by Cody Simpson

Monday Motivation: November #4

Wow, can we all just stop and talk about last week's weather?! If you're from Kuwait, you know what I mean! The weather here has been, if I may put it into words, crazy. It was raining non-stop for almost three days and the streets started to flood and although it was wonderful bed weather, I still needed a way to get to work. Luckily, my shifts weren't too busy since no one (else) was crazy enough to go out in weather like that. Anyway! This brings me to what I want to talk about with you guys today. So many terrible things have been happening around the world lately and it's times like these where it's difficult to still believe that things will be okay, that people can still find happiness within all this. I mean, isn't happiness something we all want? Whether we acknowledge it or not, every dream or goal we set for our self comes with a wish of finding happiness within it. 

In today's post, I want to talk about how you can find your happiness. This is my personal belief and opinion and I'm only sharing it with you guys to show you that reaching "happiness" is simply a choice and it doesn't need to be so complicated.

The main key is really thinking positive. No matter what situation you're put in, there's ALWAYS something good that can come of it. Sometimes it might seem really difficult to see a light in what feels like a terrible situation, but I promise you if you stick long enough, the sun will shine. I'm not saying that it's wrong to feel sad sometimes because we're all human and it happens. That's 100% fine but never let the sadness consume you. Once you practice and achieve the habit of positive thinking, you're already half way into finding your happiness.

The next thing I want to talk about is the people you surround yourself with because they can really affect how you react to things. I remember when I had to take my nursing licensure exam, I was already feeling very anxious and it didn't help when I listened to people also stressing about it. I tried to distance myself from that attitude because I knew that if I didn't, it would rub off on me and I didn't need that! I need you to take a look at the people you surround yourself with. Are they bringing you up or pulling you down? The only kind of friends that are worthy of keeping are the ones who bring out the best in you.

Finally, the biggest tip I can share is finding something you truly enjoy and focusing on that. For example, I really enjoy books, music and blogging. These are the things that I integrate into my everyday life so that even though nothing special is going on that day, i still find myself enjoying the day because of those things. I hope this makes sense! All I'm saying is try to find something you're passionate about and keep doing it!

Try to think of happiness as a way of living and not just a mere destination. We all hold a key to our own happiness and I truly hope you can find yours!

Have a great week ahead, everyone!

Kisses,

S

Previous posts:

Monday Motivation: November #3

Monday Motivation: November #2

Monday Motivation: November #1

A Gift Guide for Cat Lovers!

Hey guys! The holidays are upon us all and I thought it was the right time to start posting gift guides to give you ideas if you're going gift shopping this season! To kick off this series, of course, I'm going to be biased and start with my absolute favorite thing in this world and that's cats. All these items are perfect for anyone with a feline obsession!

(1) Wild Thing Cropped Sweatshirt - $14.80 

(2) Stop It Meow Pullover - $39 

(3) High-Low Cat Sweater - $24.80

(4) Crazy Cat Waffle Knit Sweater - $29.80

(5) Unicorn Kitty Sweatshirt - $19.80

(6) Meow Sweater - $20

(7) Cat Face Sweatshirt - $26.99

(8) Heathered Cat Craze Sweater - $22.80 

(9) Sassy Meow Cropped Pullover - $19.80

(10) Cattitude Sweatshirt - $19.80

(11) Silicone Kitty Coin Purse - $14.49

(12) Mimi Pochi Cat Coin Purse - $4.99-$8

(13) Kitty Zip Pouch - $10

(14) Cat Face Camisole Dress - $22.49

(15) Kitty Kat Pinafore Dress - $44

(16) "Cat Face" Black Dress - $42.49

(17) Playful Cat Phone Case - $8.80

(18) You've Gato a Call Phone Stand - $21.99

(19) Smiling Kitty Phone Case - $4.98

(20) Cat Clutch Purse - $28

(21) Feline Face Tights - $8.80

(22) Crochet Cat Ears Beanie - $2.59

(23) Cat Tail Tights - $3.49

(24) Cat Face Flats - $11.99

(25) Cat Head Shape Cross-body Bag - $39

(26) Kitty Knit Hat - $9.95

(27) Floating Cats Throw Pillow - $20

(28) Because Cats Throw Pillow - $20

(29) White Cat Throw Pillow - $20

(30) Le Chat Throw Pillow - $21.90

(31) Fire Cat Self Defense Keychain - $6.41

(32) Small Minimalist Cat Pillow - $15

(33) Pearl Cat Ears Headband - $3.40

(34) Cool Cat Phone Case - $8.80

(35) Feline Frenzy Phone Case - $8.80

(36) Sweet Cat Phone Case - $7.80

(37) Cat Parade Phone Case - $7.80

(38) Ombré Cat Phone Case - $7.80

(39) Quirky Cat Craze Hanger - $7.80

(40) Crochet Headphones - $39.50

(41) Space Cat Nail Wraps - $4.50

(42) Are You Kitten Me? Lanyard - $6.50

(43) Cats Lace-up Sneakers - $19.50

(44) T.U.K. Kitty Flats - $49.50

(45) Knitted Cat Slippers - $24

(46) YRU Lowf Kitty Flats - $41.65

(47) Cat Ears Bowler Hat - $22.50

(48) Cat Leggings - $12.99

(49) Cool Cat Ankle Socks - $5

(50) California Cat Muscle Tee - $12.80

(51) Cat Graphic Cropped Tee - $14.80

(52) DJ Kitty Muscle Tee - $13.80

(53) Bad Kitty Graphic Tee - $13.80

(54) Street-Style Kitty Tee - $13.80

(55) Ice Cream Kitty Muscle Tee - $13.80

(56) Cat Print Crop Top - $13.80

(57) Long Sleeve Cat Crop Top - $8.80

(58) Check Meowt T-shirt - $22.50

(59) Eight Cats T-shirt - $22.50

(60) Are You Kitten Me T-shirt - $22.50

(61) Cat Fight Crop Top - $38

(62) Kitten Cardigan - $43

(63) Cat Eye Dress - $26.60

(64) Copy Cat Dress - $26

(65) Kitty Boom Crop Bomber Jacket - $75

(66) Kitty Corner Sweater - $68

(67) Feline Organized Door Hooks - $14.99

(68) Cat Nail Stickers - $6

(69) Faux Leather Cat Watch - $16.80

(70) Little Cats Midi Ring - $8

(71) Cat Wraparound Ring - $4

(72) Fat Cat Ring - $10

(73) Cat Playing Cards - $8.99

(74) Queen Purr a Day 2014 Calendar - $15.99

(75) Cat Head Ornament - $12

(76) Purr Perfection Pet Place Mat - $12.99

I had a lot of fun putting together this list and I hope you found it somewhat useful! I'd definitely include all these things on my wish list if I could!

Kisses,

S

Monday Motivation: November #3

Happy Monday, my beautiful readers! I come to you today with another Monday Motivation post, as always, hoping it can make your Mondays a little better. With that said, I wish you all had a great weekend! I discovered a ton of new music over the weekend so that's been keeping me really happy! You know that feeling when you hear a new song and you instantly know that you love it and you can play it over a 100 times and it'll still sound just as good as the first time? Yep, that's pretty much me.

Anyway! This week I'd like to talk to you guys about something that I've personally gone through myself and that's failure. I know, dealing with failure sounds like such a sad topic for this post but please, keep reading!

Human as we are, we fail at a ton of things daily but that doesn't necessarily mean we become a failure. Over the years, I've come to realize that the things I failed at were things I truly needed practice at, things that needed to happen to me to make me a stronger person. Sometimes, we get so discouraged by failure that we stop trying. Please, don't! Sometimes, if things don't work out the first time, it doesn't always mean that it's not meant for you. It can just mean that you're not yet ready for it. So, whatever it is you're reaching for today, give it your best and if you still fail, that's okay. Pick yourself up, and try again! When the time is right, I promise you, it'll come to you, if not that, something better! :)

My favorite part about making these kind of posts is sharing videos that I've come across that have personally made me smile and I wish they do the same for you!

Kisses,

S

Previous posts:

Monday Motivation: November #2

Monday Motivation: November #1

MiniInTheBox Light Up Smiley Face Charging Cable Review

Hey guys! I'm super excited about today's post because I'm gonna be talking about one of my favorite things right now and it's this charging cable I got from MiniInTheBox a few weeks ago!

The site was having a lightening sale and this was on sale for $4 and it usually costs about $8 so I got a pretty good deal! It's a standard USB cable that fits a ton of devices but I mainly I use it for my 4S and it works perfectly! It charges just as fast as an original Apple cable and I find that very impressive because I always find that other non-Apple charging cables take forever to charge up my phone!

I have to admit my favorite thing about this is that the smiley face lights up when you plug it in! How freaking cool is that!? If you charge your phone overnight, this can double as your night light! ;)

Since MiniInTheBox ships all the way from Hong Kong, it can take a while to get to you depending on where you live! I ordered this sometime during the last week of September and it arrived around the second week of October, which isn't too bad actually considering that shipping was free! I had it shipped to my sister in California so considering the distance, I don't think it's too bad but it's just a heads up for you guys if you'd like to order this. You can choose to pay for expedite shipping if you'd like it to get to you faster!

I'm absolutely in love with this cable! I feel really happy whenever I plug it in and see it smiling back at me (hehehe)! If you'd like to get this, I suggest you do it right now since it's still on sale. You can find it here. It also comes in white and black, I believe but I personally prefer the red since it matches the smiley face! :)

Kisses,

S

Monday Motivation: November #2

Hey everyone! I hope you all had an incredible and eventful weekend! I worked this weekend so that wasn't fun but I still got to relax and catch up on my favorite TV shows and that was my silver lining! Anyway! This week's post is going to be a little different from the usual so I hope that would be okay!

So many things have been happening lately that it got me thinking about life in general. We're given 24 hours every day to do absolutely anything we want. About 50% of this time is stolen by sleep, traffic, eating, pooping and what not. It leaves us with another 50% and more than half of that time is stolen by either school or work. So in reality were really only given about 4 hours (give or take a few) to ourselves everyday. We actually don't realize this because we don't break down the hours everyday and divide it according to the things we want or need to do. I mean really, who actually has time for that!? Anyway my point is that while we're so busy with life, we sometimes forget the most important thing - the little things. The little things can be anything and sometimes, everything. It can be that little thank you to God for allowing you to wake up and live another day. It can be looking up at the sun and appreciating the light that not many have the gift to see. It can be walking around barefoot and feeling the ground beneath us that not everyone has the chance to. It can be returning the smile a stranger gives you or smiling at a stranger. Really, it can be anything! Over the years, I've come to realize that these little things are actually life's biggest things. I know life can be pretty demanding sometimes but it literally only takes a few minutes out of our day to stop, and as cliche as it may sound, smell the roses. That's my challenge for you guys today. Do something that your future self will thank you for. You roughly have 4 hours everyday so make it matter.

I found this picture on Tumblr and I thought it would go well with this post so why not post it!

I hope you all have a wonderful week ahead! If you enjoyed reading through this, let me know in the comments below! I'd like nothing more than to know I'm making someone happy!

Kisses,

S

Previous posts:

Monday Motivation: November #1

Monday Motivation: November #1

Happy November, everyone! I was contemplating on whether to continue on or not with this Monday Motivation series since I wasn't too sure if anyone was interested in reading these, but these type of posts are really fun for me to put together so I've decided that they're here to stay (at least for now!).

In my previous post, I mentioned how much I loved October and how it was such a great month for me that I honestly didn't want it to end. But you know what? Life doesn't work like that. Things come to an end, but the good thing is that it makes way for better things. With a positive and open mind set, great things can come your way. After all, happiness is a choice.

This week, I'd like to share some videos that have elevated my mood and made me a much happier person in general and I hope they can do the same for you!

Is there anything that these two can do together that isn't cute!? This video has to go down as one of the most creative ways to share one of life's most exciting news! ;)

I've been ignoring an itch to travel and this video by JacksGap didn't help at all! Don't get me wrong though, I love it! This fueled my wanderlust so much, it almost made me want to include skydiving in my own bucket list. Almost.

My wishes have been answered and Cody Simpson is coming out with an acoustic album very soon! This is one of the songs off of it! If you don't already know, I'm completely in love with his voice and the idea of getting to hear some of his songs stripped down just makes my heart flutter with joy! Ah!

Okay how cool is this video by Boyce Avenue? It also includes some other popular YouTubers! They teamed up and created a video for this song and 100% of the proceeds raised from the sales go to charity. It makes me really happy when I see people doing these kind of things! :)

Finally, BriBry put up a new video today and as always, I fell in love. This is such a sweet song and it makes me smile every time I listen to it.

Today, I dare you to do something nice for someone. Never underestimate your power to make someone else's day better. Have a great week ahead! :)

Kisses,

S