Monday, January 30, 2017

January Book & Podcast Review

It's the start of the week folks! I hope you have great plans to make this a wonderful and productive week. I am having a busy week and I am hoping I can get everything done that I hope to do!

Y'all may or may not remember how I made reading at least one book a month one of my new years resolutions. I thought to keep me accountable I would start doing monthly book recaps to share what I have been reading. You can shop the books I have been loving by clicking on the picture above the description.
 I decided to also add in a few podcasts I have been loving this month. I just got hooked on podcasts about a week ago so there isn't a ton to share in this blog post, but hopefully next month I will have more to share. I have become kind of obsessed with plugging in my earbuds and listening to a podcast while I walk the neighborhood, or listening to one to and from work. It is so easy to just pull up the podcast app on the Iphone and search whatever you want! There are a billion gazillion podcasts on every topic imaginable so I am sure you will find a few you love too!



On to the books...


Okay y'all probably know from this blog post that I am obsessed with Laura Bush. She is so elegant and classy yet so passionate and educated. She was one of the classiest first lady's in my opinion. After reading her book about her life I can say I only respect her more. She handled so many situations no one knows about with such grace and has struggled a lot through her life with many different catastrophic events. Laura and her husband are still so in love and have so much respect for each other which I admire. I recommend this book to just about anyone. It is a larger book but isn't too hard to read.



Ugh. Y'all. I really wanted to like this book but I just couldn't. It is kind of cool how the story is told backwards and you don't really know anything about the story or characters until the very end, but I found it so hard to hold on because of that. I spent the entire book feeling a little lost like I couldn't quite picture these characters (which again is kind of the point). I don't know if I would recommend it or not. It definitely wasn't my favorite but is a quick read if you are looking for one. 


When I turned sixteen I really felt like God was telling me to pray for my future husband and so that is what I started to do. For almost two years now I have prayed for him and written him several letters. I didn't however really know how to pray for him like I wanted to. This book is SO GOOD and teaches you how to pray for the man you are going to spend your life with and shines light on every quality that is important. Through this book you not only learn to pray for the deepest desires of your heart but you also learn to pray for your own heart and that it will be prepared for your future husband when you do meet. Y'all this book is great. I recommend it to every young girl who has her perfect wedding planned out on Pinterest :)

Now podcast time!

Teach 4 the Heart- I have listened to a few of the podcasts from this series and as someone who aspires to be a teacher, they are extremely encouraging and helpful. The lady who does them is a Christian and I love to hear what she has to say about teaching with a Godly influence. She has covered so many topics I couldn't possibly listen to them all. They are quick, cute, and I love them.

The Smart Creative Women Podcast by Monica Lee is great! I only listened to her podcast where she interviewed Ashley from Ashley Brooke Designs, and loved it. I love hearing other peoples stories and how they got started doing what they're doing. Ashley Brooke Designs is such a cute brand and Ashley has such a bubbly personality. Her story shows that God has a path paved for everyone, and it may not be what you planned.


I hope this post was interesting and you found some new things to read and listen too! Have a great rest of your Monday! Talk to you on Wednesday!

xoxo
Friday, January 27, 2017

Spontaneous Miscellaneous

I can't hardly believe it is already Friday, but I am not complaining. This has been a week for sure! I am ready for a fun and relaxing weekend! I plan to run a 5k tomorrow morning, hang with my sister and a friend, and possibly go to Disney Springs on Sunday. We shall see!

It has been a while since I did a Spontaneous Miscellaneous post so I am happy to be back at it. Here are some of my favorite things from this week:

Waking Up Early
Y'all know from this blog post that one of my new years resolutions was to become a morning person. I honestly am such a sleeper it's not even funny. I hate staying up late, and hate waking up early. A solid 12 hours of sleep is what I like :) However, I can say that so far this year I have really been good about waking up fairly early, around 6:45 every morning. I have been so much more productive with school and life and I love it!

Yoga
I will link some of my favorite yoga routines below but yesterday I started getting back into the routine of doing yoga and it felt so good. I did it again this morning. I used to be in the habit of doing yoga once a day and somehow just stopped. This is such a good thing to take 15 minutes to do in the morning and/or at night. If I had the time I would do it about 3 times a day. You will feel so relaxed and happy I guarantee it. Some of my favorites are:
Tone It Up Yoga - 20 minutes
Power Yoga Routine - 30 Minutes

Each of those videos are from people who make many many more so if you find one you like, I am sure you can find many more similar.

Animal Kingdom!
I had such a blast at Animal Kingdom last weekend and this blog post with all my recommendations and recap is a favorite of this week! Disney just never gets old!

The Main Street Press
This is the shop which I got my "Jambo Means Hello" shirt from that I wore to Animal Kingdom. Several cast members asked where I got it and it is seriously so soft and perfect for the parks. It ships pretty fast too so I recommend their shop big time!

Bad Lip Reading Inauguration Day
I am pretty sure you have all seen this but it still gets me every time! :D

I hope y'all have a great weekend! Follow my weekend on my Instagram story so we can chat!

xoxo
Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Y'all!


Hey y'all happy hump day! My day started early. I had to get blood drawn at 7:45 this morning which is always fun (lol!). Anyone else think that getting blood drawn is such a mental thing? It really doesn't hurt at all but something about needles gets me every time! I was happy to swing in Sonic for a Dr. Pepper afterwards though (for medicinal purposes only of course) ;) 

How cute is this top from Jadelynn Brooke. Y'all know I have recently been obsessed with how cute and soft their shirts are after getting several for Christmas. This one is no exception. It is so me, because y'all, I say y'all a lot... as if you didn't know.

I hope you have a great rest of your week. We are halfway to the weekend my people!

xoxo
Sunday, January 22, 2017

Animal Kingdom Recap & Recommendations (Gluten Free)

Hi everyone! Y'all know my favorite place is Disney World. I live about an hour away and love to visit when I can. For my senior trip this year, since I am graduating high school this May, I decided to go to Disney a few times this spring in combination with a short trip to Tampa instead of visiting somewhere further for only a few days. That way, I can enjoy having fun month after month.
Our first Disney day of the year was to Animal Kingdom. This park is often over looked but most certainly shouldn't be. I would say it is one of my favorites, but I say that about every single one. I will say however, that Animal Kingdom has created the most perfectly themed park Disney has to offer. You really feel as though you are in the heart of Africa, Asia, and Dinoland (if it were a real place, I would feel smack-dab in the middle of it!). 

My family had such a blast Saturday and I wanted to share my experience and recommendations with you readers (especially all of my gluten-free folks). 

Tip #1: 
Let me first start off by mentioning though that Disney is not the place for winging it, as mentioned in this post I wrote last year. Planning is KEY. It may seem a little confusing and stressful beforehand but it will make your day at the parks SO much more enjoyable knowing you have a plan and are going to get to see everything you wish to see and do.

Tip #2:
One of the best parts of Animal Kingdom is the shows and animal viewings, so make sure to pick up a map and show times guide as you enter the park. This will prove extremely helpful when you are trying to time out your day and get around to the different shows. You can also look up everything on the My Disney Experience App (which you can link your account too after you purchase tickets), however I find the physical maps and guides from the parks easier to navigate than looking at my phone.

We started off our morning by first heading straight for the Tree Of Life for a photo opportunity duh! At the beginning of the day it is always a little crowded but the lighting is always perfect, so work your way to the front and get snapping. This is the symbol of Animal Kingdom! Don't forget to look around you as you wander through the shaded trails with the crowds on your way, you may see some interesting animals lurking.

We then met up with Russel at "Dug & Russell's Wilderness Explorers Club House". This is a hidden spot and the line was 2 minutes first thing in the morning. At different times you will see both of them but at this time it was only Russel which was okay with me!

After capturing some pictures, we made our way to the "It's Tough to Be a Bug Show", and y'all this never gets old. This is a 4D show that even has the adults jumping. It is so cute, quick, and never has too long of a line. It is also your only opportunity to see inside the roots of the Tree of Life. You can find all kinds of animal carvings and photo opportunities as you wait.

We hopped from one show to the other as we worked our way to the "Flight of Wonder" show. This is the bird show. Nothing too exciting but still cute and shady under the covering. You do get to see some pretty birds in the show but only briefly. It is a good show but I wouldn't put it on the highest of your priority list. 

After our second show it was time for our lunch reservation at the Tusker House for lunch at 11:30. 

Tip #3:
TUSKER HOUSE IS THE BEST ANIMAL KINGDOM RESTAURANT FOR GLUTEN FREE ALLERGIES. End of story. This may just be the best restaurant in all of Disney World.


This is a character dining buffet where you get to meet Mickey, Donald, Daisy, and Goofy while you dine. If you have an allergy, let your server know and the chef will come over to greet you and walk you around the buffet. He will list off what is gluten free and what you should avoid, while offering to tailor certain items if you would like. You will honestly be blown away by how much of the buffet is gluten free already. I would say about 65% of this LARGE buffet is gluten free. Y'all there is even flourless chocolate cake which tastes even better than the real thing. I love this place. The outstanding African theme paired with exceptional food and personal character experiences makes this probably the most exciting restaurant Disney World has to offer. For the price of about $45 a person (for lunch) you get a TON of food and unlimited amount of drinks (excluding alcoholic beverages). 

Tip #4:
The Tusker House switches from breakfast food to lunch food at around 11 a.m so making a reservation for 11:30 like my family did, will allow you to grab both breakfast and lunch while you're there. Allow a little over 1 hour for your meal.

P.S Anyone willing to let me know how the chefs here make their eggs will have my love forever would be much appreciated. Thanks.

As we finished our meal we looked at the show guide and decided to catch the Lion King show right after lunch. This is the most popular live show in all of Disney World so make sure to get there atleast 10 minutes before the show time. Because of it's African vibe and popular Lion King songs paired with amazing singing and performing, you won't regret seeing this show.

My dad and I headed to ride Mount Everest twice (hello fast passes!) while my sister and mom went to see the Finding Nemo Musical. Everest is as awesome and intense as ever, although I wish I had ridden it before lunch rather than after ;) My mom and sis said the Nemo musical was a little long but cute nonetheless. 

My sister rode the Dinosaur ride with each of my parents while I decided to sit it out in an attempt to beat some six year old girls in a "whack-a-mole" carnival game in Dinoland. 

Tip #5:
Don't play the carnival games. #rigged #itotallybeatthosekids #byebyefivedollars #didn'twantthestuffedanimalanyways


One of the highlights of my entire families day was standing in line to see Baloo and King Louie from the Jungle Book. My dad looooves Baloo and was wearing a Jungle Book shirt so to say Baloo was pumped was an understatement. He wouldn't stop hugging him and jumping, it was SO funny. I love that Disney has this way of turning the most wise and mature adults into little kids again. We saw it time and time again standing in that line. That is pure magic at it's finest. 

My tribe then headed for the SAFARI! I was so pumped. The earliest fast pass we could score was at 4:15 p.m. which was later than we hoped. We were disappointed thinking the earlier you go the more animals you see, however that wasn't the case. 
Tip #6:
This was feeding time folks. At around 4:30 There were a TON of animals out and about. This is a great time for the Safari.

 Great pictures and a very informative ride through what really feels like the Sahara. 

We finished off our day by stopping in Zuri's Sweet Shop for some treats to enjoy after our dinner at home.

I also stopped into the Discovery Trading Company shop to pick up the Animal Kingdom Pandora charm. This is the first of my Pandora charms which I am using to remember my senior trip. I can't wait to show my bracelet to you as I fill it up with memories!

We headed home and like true party animals, crashed at 9 p.m. :)

I hope any of you going to the park soon, found these tips helpful or fun to read about. I can't wait to share more and more about our Disney adventures with you too. Have a magical day!

xoxo
Wednesday, January 18, 2017

5 Upcoming Movies I'm Dying to See!

Happy Hump Day! The other day I was driving in the car with my momma and we both started talking about good movies coming out soon. I started trying to make a mental list of all the movies I wanted to see and when they come out. There are so many however, that I couldn't possibly remember them all. So today you are all invited to view my mental list of five upcoming movies that look SO good. I will link the trailers and quote the descriptions. There is nowhere my sister and I would rather be than the movie theater. Here's what looks good:

United Kingdom- February 10th
Description: "Prince Seretse Khama of Botswana causes an international stir when he marries a white woman from London in the late 1940's."

Y'all this looks like one of those films I am going to LOVE. This will probably be such a beautiful film that will be one of my favorites this year. Not to mention Rosamund Pike looks so stunning in this movie.


The Shack- March 2nd
Description: "A grieving man receives a mysterious, personal invitation to meet with God at a place called "The Shack"."

Wow this looks intense. I just went to the bookstore to pick up my copy of the book before seeing this in theaters. My dad listened to the book and said the story is amazing. Plus, Tim Mcgraw whom I love is in this movie! Watch the trailer, then read the book, then let's go see the movie ;) 


Kidnap- March 10th
Description: "A mother stops at nothing to recover her kidnapped son."

My mom has been telling me about this movie for months because the trailer is SO good. This is definitely an action packed movie but looks like it has a very sentimental story line. I think it will keep me on the edge of my seat for sure. 


Beauty and the Beast- March 17th
Description: "An adaption of the Disney fairy tale about a monstrous looking prince and a young woman who fall in love."

Is it bad that I have this trailer memorized? I am a total sucker for anything and everything Disney so I am sure I will be seeing this movie about 3 times in theaters and cry love it every time :) Side note, I was so excited to see that the 2017 Princess Half Marathon weekend medals are Beauty and the Beast themed. That 10k medal is a BEAUT! #runningforthebling


Case for Christ- April 7th
Description: "Based on the true story of an award-winning investigative journalist -- and avowed atheist -- who applies his well-honed journalistic and legal skills to disprove the newfound Christian faith of his wife... with unexpected, life-altering results."

I have heard so many great things about this book based off of a true story and I can't wait to see this movie. I will probably read the book first and then go see it in theaters. I love Christian apologetics and learning to defend your faith. This movie looks like it will be extremely helpful in that regard. 


Well that is my top 5 movies coming into theaters within the next couple months. If you need me, you know where I'll be :) Talk to you on Friday!

xoxo
Monday, January 16, 2017

Blue Trench Coat & Laura Bush


Hey y'all! Happy Monday and Martin Luther King Day. I hope you have all had a wonderful day. Today was an interesting one for me :) This morning my sister, mom, and I ventured out to take my senior pictures and I about freaked out. I can't believe I graduate from high school (finally!) in only a few months. Wowza!! After a fun photo shoot day we decided to head to Disney Springs for lunch. This is where it went a little down hill :/  I still enjoyed time with my momma and sister, however, we were all very unimpressed with the Wolf Gang Puck restaurant there. I definitely don't recommend it. It is overpriced for small portions and we waited 45 minutes before our food even came out (and it didn't all come out at the same time). We were all also very disappointed in the food :( I hate to say bad things about a place, but because y'all know I love Disney and always give recommendations, I thought I would share where NOT to go as well.

Now about this outfit. I about died over this trench coat when it was on clearance at Kohl's about two winters ago (LOL) and never had the opportunity to wear it because #Floridadon'tknowcold. I finally broke it out and y'all, it is stinkin cute huh? I also had to throw the Laura Bush book in there too because, well, I am obsessed with her. She is so classy and smart! I will share more about her book at the end of this month when I recap all my monthly readings :)

I hope y'all enjoy the rest of your day. I will talk to you again on Wednesday! 

xoxo