Sunday, January 26, 2014

Monday Motivation: January #4



Good morning my beautiful readers! Is anyone else aware that it's the last Monday of January? Just like that, my favorite month of the year is approaching it's finish line. However, I had a lot of fun here on my blog over the past week! If you followed me throughout my birthday week, thank you! It was quite challenging for me to put up a post every day since we all know I'm not quite the regular blogger (heh heh ^_^)! HERE is my first post if you're interested! :)

For this week's Monday post, I'm going to be sharing some of the songs I've really been into lately! I listen to them as I'm getting ready and also while I'm doing chores. They put me in such a good mood! 


Lastly, I also wanted to share a video that made my heart smile! 


What are some of your favorite songs to listen to right now? Tell me in the comments below! I hope you all enjoy the last few days we have left of January!

Kisses,

S


Thursday, January 23, 2014

It's Just A Number



I'm turning 23 today and I know that number doesn't sound big to many (or maybe it does? I don't know!) but 15-year-old me would definitely say it was. When I was younger, I pictured people this age to already have their life solidly planned out and actually acting out on those plans; I'm talking career, marriage, kids - all that scary stuff. I pictured them to be serious and stressed (that last part may apply to me) but alas, here is 23-year-old me, sitting in bed, stuffing my face with dessert at 2am (you can't say anything it's my birthday okay!) and still just unsure as I was about the direction my life is going in. Don't get me wrong though, I have big plans but life doesn't always like to work with me so I've had a few setbacks. That's not my point today though. What I really wanted to let you guys know is that you can't let a number define who you are. So what if you're 30 and not yet married? And so what if you did get married at 18? Maybe you do have your life figured out, and you just turned 13. Or maybe you still don't have it figured out at 50. It really doesn't matter! They're just numbers. Sometimes we get so consumed by the number, we forget to celebrate life. Life, although SO confusing most of the time, is still the most precious gift we're given and if we can't learn to at least appreciate it, what are we really doing with it?

If I were to share anything with you that I've learned over the past 23 years, it's that it's not the number that counts but the life behind the number. So quit worrying about your age and just embrace it. Go do something that makes you happy, no matter how old you are. ♡

We've finally reached the end of my birthday week! I hope you enjoyed reading through my posts and found it somewhat interesting! To close everything off, here are a few awkward pictures from my childhood! ;)


Kisses,

S





Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Advice to My 16-Year-Old Self



16-year-old me was a girl who was quite negative and very unsure of herself. Inspired by the book "Dear Me: A Letter to My Sixteen-Year-Old Self", I wanted to write some advice that I wish 16-year-old me could've received at the time.

1) You're beautiful, despite what society tells you. Everything you think is 'wrong' with you is only setting you apart from the rest of the world.

2) You have more potential than you sought yourself out to believe. By all means, follow your dreams and don't let anyone else decide your future.

3) Black eyeliner does not make you as cool as you think it does!

4) Enjoy going to bed early. Sleep will become a luxury you won't always be able to afford!

5) That boy you're crying over? There's going to be a lot more of that ahead. Take everything as a learning experience. It's all preparing you for something amazing. You're going to realize that you're actually much stronger than you believed.

6) Finally, you're just a kid. It's okay to make mistakes. In fact, it's the perfect time to make them. Lighten up, and don't be afraid of going out of your comfort zone once in a while. You'll discover great things!


What piece of advice do you wish you could give your younger self? Share it in the comments below! I like to think I grew up and became wiser but the reality is that sometimes, I still see that same unsure 16-year-old girl when I look into the mirror some days. We're all still growing up and I can attest that even though I'm turning 23 tomorrow, I still can't say that I know absolutely everything there is to know about the world and I guess that's the best part about growing up - not knowing and always finding out.

Kisses,

S


Posts from My Birthday Week!
Day 5: When I Was Young: Favorite Book Series
Day 6: Advice to My 16-Year-Old Self
Day 7: It's Just A Number


Tuesday, January 21, 2014

When I Was Young: Favorite Book Series



Reading books has been one of my favorite things to do since I can remember! The only thing I regret was not being able to keep them all in one place. Today, I wanted to share some of the books I loved to read when I was younger. By the way, I can't believe we're halfway through this week (we're at day 5 of my birthday week already!!). I've really been enjoying blogging every day! :)

 Goosebumps by R.L. Stine

R.L. Stine was definitely my favorite author growing up! I loved every single book I read that he wrote and it always kept me on my toes. The Goosebumps series in particular was the one I was most into! I would breeze right through them. I still have some I've managed to keep and I really wanna read them over again!

♥ From the Files of Madison Finn by Laura Dower

I remember reading these books every time I was on summer break! I liked how these books felt more like diaries and I was really attached to Madison because I could relate a lot to her! There was even one time I literally cried because I finished one of the books in less than a day and I didn't have any more to read! Haha!

♥ Nancy Drew

When I was in grade school, we had a 'library' class where we basically just spent the hour at the library! It was my favorite class. We got to keep our own library card in case we wanted to borrow books and I always picked up Nancy Drew books to take home! Sometimes I'd go for the Babysitters Club books but Nancy was way more interesting! I loved her curiosity and how she was always so determined to solve a case!

♥ Various 'witch' books

Sadly, I can't remember the exact title of these books but I used to be really into books that had to do with magic and witchcraft! I think it was called the 'Spelled' books or something like that but wow guys, they were really good! The story revolved around a teenage witch who recently acquired her powers and it follows her trying to stay normal while still keeping in tact with her traditions. It's hard to explain but it gives you a peek into what it's like to be a witch! I mean, if you believe in that kind of stuff.

♥ Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling

Last but most definitely not the least, the Harry Potter books! I started reading these books because of my aunt. She got me my first Harry Potter book and insisted that we read it together. It was funny because it never worked out and she was always a step ahead. It sort of became a tradition and every time a new Harry Potter book came out, she would get it for me. The one I enjoyed reading most was Prisoner of Azkaban! It was the one that was most difficult for me to put down. I'd like to say I read all the books but I'd be lying! I stopped at the Order of the Phoenix and just started watching the movies from then. I am thinking of starting it over again though!


I love books. They allow me to escape into a world that's created by my imagination alone. Over the years, my genre preference has obviously changed but my love for reading is still just as strong, if not stronger. Do you like to read? What are some of your favorite books? Please share them with me in the comments below! I'm always looking for something new to discover! :)

Kisses,

S



Posts from My Birthday Week!
Day 4: When I Was Young: Favorite TV Shows
Day 5: When I Was Young: Favorite Book Series


Monday, January 20, 2014

When I Was Young: Favorite TV Shows



TV these days just isn't what it used to be. Perhaps we've already seen everything there is to see that nothing amuses us anymore but I remember the times I used to 'ooooh' and 'aaaaah' at so many things on TV when I was younger. So for today's post (day 4 of my birthday week!), I decided to take a trip down memory lane and talk about the TV shows I grew up watching!

♥ Sabrina the Teenage Witch


"The show stars Melissa Joan Hart as Sabrina Spellman, an American teenage half-witch who, on her sixteenth birthday, discovers she has magical powers. She lives with her 600-year-old aunts, European witches Hilda and Zelda, and their magical talking cat Salem."

The idea of magic still fascinates me up to this day and Sabrina was definitely my most favorite thing to watch after school! I guess it was the solace of knowing that another world existed outside of the one we all know. Come on, you have to admit that at one point in your life, you checked if you could move things by looking at them really hard or maybe transform something just by snapping your fingers at it. I will shamelessly admit that I have (and sometimes I still do). My favorite character was the cat, Salem. He could talk and he was such a sass, I loved it! Oooh and of course, I can't not mention Harvey Kinkle! Sabrina was a really fun show to watch. I think each episode ran for about 20 minutes but they always made me laugh.



♥ Full House


"Set in San Francisco, the show chronicles widowed father Danny Tanner, who, after the death of his wife Pam, enlists his best friend Joey Gladstone and his brother-in-law Jesse Katsopolis to help raise his three daughters, D.J., Stephanie, and Michelle."

I think everyone has heard of Full House by now! My favorite thing about this show was the way Danny raised his family. I loved the values this show taught and I loved Uncle Jesse! I literally grew up watching this and it was nice seeing the characters grow up alongside me.



♥ Charmed


Charmed is another show that I watched because it involved magic! The show revolved around three sisters, all witches (the good kind!) with different powers and they basically had to fight off a new demon/warlock in every episode. My favorite character was Piper!



♥ Buffy the Vampire Slayer


I got my first glimpse into the vampire world with the help of this show! Buffy was quite the role model for me - school student by day, vampire slayer by night. All the actors they casted fit the role perfectly! My favorite character, aside from Buffy, was Angel! He can give Edward Cullen a run for his money!



♥ Friends


Friends has got to be, hands down, my favorite TV show of all time! The best thing about this show is you can jump right into any season, and the episode will still make sense. It's the perfect show if you need a little pick me up! The cast is perfect and every episode is flawless and hilarious. It's hard to pick a favorite character but I guess I would say Joey!



♥ Lizzie McGuire


Growing up in Kuwait, I didn't have access to Disney channel but every time I would visit my mom's family outside of the country, Lizzie McGuire was one of my favorite things to watch on Disney. I love how dramatic the little animated Lizzie always was! I also loved how adorable their (Lizzie, Miranda and Gordo) friendship was!



♥ Pokémon


The obsession was quite real with Pokémon. The version I grew up watching was dubbed in Arabic so I even had the song memorized in Arabic (yes, I can still sing it if you're wondering!). My favorite was Jigglypuff! It's so funny but so cute at the same time how he gets so mad when people start to fall asleep when he sings! I would say this show had the biggest influence on my childhood! Every thing I used HAD to be pokemon related. I really do mean everything! My book bag, school supplies, eating utensils, even my bedding! Everything had to do with pokemon. Even my dad supported my obsession, look -


Yes guys, that's my face painted on Pikachu's body. Can we just, wow. Moving on!



♥ Detective Conan


Another anime series I followed that was also dubbed in Arabic was Detective Conan. It had such a catchy theme song! Every episode followed Conan solving a murder case but he was a kid right, so obviously no one would take him seriously and that's where the fun begins. He uses other people to help the police solve the cases. I think this is where my love for procedural drama started. Also, did anyone else find the older version of Conan super attractive? Yeah? No? Just me then? Well okay! 



I wanna know, what was your favorite TV show growing up? Do we share the same favorites? Tell me in the comments below! 

Kisses,

S


Posts from My Birthday Week!
Day 4: When I Was Young: Favorite TV Shows


Sunday, January 19, 2014

Monday Motivation: January #3



Hey guys! I hope you all had a great weekend. Mine was cut short but it was still nice and relaxing. I spent a lot of time with my family and although they can be the largest source of stress in my life, they somehow still keep me grounded and I guess that's what's most important.

Anyway! My sister got me into reading Demi Lovato's book, 'Staying Strong' and today, I wanted to share something from there with you guys! I think it's something we often forget and we need to be reminded about it.

January 17

"Remember, no one can make you feel inferior without your consent." - ELEANOR ROOSEVELT

There are people in this life who will take advantage of you and tell you who they think you are. It's up to you what you do with that information. The moment you let people make decisions on your behalf you have given up your dignity. But you can always get it back as long as you remember to connect with your higher power.

Goal: Don't let anyone take advantage or manipulate you. Remind yourself that you're entitled to the life and love you deserve.

I hope this spoke to some of you guys! Don't ever let what anyone else tell you, define you. Remember, it's only you who can make that decision! Wishing you all a wonderful week ahead!

Kisses,

S

Previous Monday Motivation posts:


30 Random Facts About Me



I love the sound of water.  Whether it be rain, the ocean or even someone pouring a glass of water. It's the most beautiful and serene sound to me.

♥ I have a giant fear of flying cockroaches.

I'm a hopeless romantic.

♥ I'm a sucker for proposal videos. I haven't been able to sit through one without tears.

♥ I tried eating a crocodile hot dog once and I enjoyed it.

♥ I have thumbs that are freakishly flexible.

♥ I'm a tiny person! I stand 4'11'' tall (or should I say 'short' haha).

♥ I will choose tea over coffee.

♥ I'm very accident prone! Over the years, I've accumulated four scars in my face alone! They all come with a fun story so I don't feel bad about them at all! 

♥ My greatest fears include rejection and being irrelevant.

♥ I have a small obsession with Oreo cheesecake.

♥ I always try to look at the glass half full.

♥ My guilty pleasures include teen pop music, chick flicks and romance novels.

♥ I like the smell of gasoline.

♥ I have 5 piercings, all in my ears.

♥ I believe in happily ever afters.

♥ Reading is probably one of the only interests I've had since I can remember that has never changed.

♥ My favorite author is Mitch Albom.

♥ I love scented candles.

♥ My favorite time of the day is between 4-6 pm.

♥ I'm a pretty gullible person.

♥ My favorite food is anything Japanese.

♥ I'm in love with the idea of traveling the world.

♥ I daydream a lot!

♥ I love to cook and bake.

♥ At one point in my life, I collected gum wrappers from different countries I visited. I still can't decide if it's a good or bad thing that I don't do that anymore.

♥ My all time favorite TV show is Friends!

♥ My favorite movie is A Walk to Remember.

♥ A car ran over my foot once and I literally didn't feel a thing! Secretly bionic, maybe? :P

♥ I'm an Aquarius! My birthday is on the 24th of this month! :)


If you're reading until here, please share a fact about you in the comments below. It's day 3 of my birthday week! If you missed the previous posts, links are down below.

Kisses,

S


Posts from My Birthday Week!
Day 3: 30 Random Facts About Me


Saturday, January 18, 2014

My Birthday Wishlist



I love the idea of wish lists and I've always wanted to put one up on my blog, so I figured now would be the perfect time! Welcome to day 2 of my birthday week, by the way! :)



What's on your wishlist? Let me know in the comments below! I hope you're all having a great day/night! 

Kisses,

S


Posts from My Birthday Week!
Day 2: My Birthday Wishlist