3 Months Old

My baby girls are three months old today!! Here are a few more facts about them not shown on their chalkboards.

-Only in the past month have we started reading to them. They are loving it though and just wiggle around when it's storytime.

-These girls LOVE their pacifiers and almost always have them in their mouths.

-They are smiling now, but it's rare and super hard to get on camera. But if you follow my Instagram account (@_cowgirlkaylee_) I post a lot to my story and you can see more smiles on there.

-Nicknames: Lately we've been calling Makell "Mini Marshmallow" because of her adorable chubby cheeks but we have always called her Miss Makell. For Zoey we stick with Zo or Miss Zo.

-My girls are on a specific "no spit-up" formula, but they almost never spit-up anymore even when we try them on other formulas. So yay!

-Zoram is now more into them and loves to lick their feet and hands, and the girls love him back. They stare at him a lot and seem to enjoy him. I'm glad my girls won't be afraid of dogs like I was the majority of my life.

-They love hugging blankets which is so like their mom.

-My girls are not afraid of strangers and will let anyone hold them or get near them. We think the NICU prepared them for that because of all the different nurses taking care of them.

-Chris and I think they're getting so big, but then we see other three-month-old babies and realize how little ours are. They're premies though so it makes sense. And little petite girls are adorable.

-They can both basically hold their heads up. I don't really have to support their heads anymore, but I also don't trust them in certain circumstances.

-They love going on adventures with mom and dad in their carriers. (See my Instagram account.)

-They are out of newborn clothes. The onesies they're pictured in are actually newborn, but tight, so this is the last time for these pink ones.

-They are very chill babies who can entertain each other and don't cry that often. But every now and then they just get irritated and it looks a bit like this. But still, they're very calm and quiet.

-Unless they're hungry, in which case, they scream.

-Starting this past week they sleep about ten hours straight at night, which would be lovely if my dog hadn't gotten used to middle of the night feedings, and now Zoram wakes me up instead of them.

-These pictures don't do their cuteness justice, so here's them with Santa.

(They're both looking over at me on the side. They honestly love staring at me. No complaints with that.)

Stocking Stuffers For The People In My Life

Ironically, the year I'm living in an apartment with a fireplace, I don't have stockings. I had plans to make some but don't have the money yet. But I don't mind too much since my girls aren't aware enough to notice or care. And they're still getting gifts so it doesn't matter.

Below I've made short lists of stocking gift ideas for all different types of people that I see commonly in my own life. Because they are stocking stuffers, I tried to stick with as cheap as possible. Also, can I get a shout out for writing most of this post on my phone because my laptop wasn't working? It's so hard to do this on a phone!

FOR WRITERS

Let's start with a category I'm most familiar with because I'm a part of it. I highly recommend 642 Tiny Things To Write About and Q&A a Day. I have both of these and while I don't use them as much as I should, they are both great for helping boost creativity. Notebooks and pens and pencils are always great items as well.

PET LOVERS

While you can always give them dog or cat toys directly, most things with an animal, or specifically their animal is appreciated. For example, I have a sheltie so dogs like Lassie appeal to me more. People also tend to give me cow or cow print items because they know I'll appreciate it. Keychains, notebooks, stuffed animals, and mugs are great go-to items.

STAY AT HOME MOMS

I'm now (mostly) a stay at home mom. It was a weird and hard transition for me, but totally worth it. For someone taking care of kids all day, great gift items include slippers or comfy sucks, books, music, baby toys to entertain the little ones, and... I'm often told wine, I personally don't drink so I don't know what wine drinkers enjoy, but if you know the recipient is a fan then go for it!

MUSIC LOVERS

Ah music. I'm obsessed. As a music lover, I'm always a fan of CDs, iTunes giftcards, and headphones.

MAKEUP ARTISTS

I always appreciate new makeup tools and products to play around with. There are literally too many options out there and most makeup items can fit within a small budget. Just visit Ulta or your local drugstore to get good prices on fun items.

BEARDED MEN

I love having a husband with a beard. Beards are sexy. Beards also take a lot of upkeep. Similar to makeup, there are a lot of options out there, you just have to go look.

NERDS & GEEKS

Being a nerd or geek is the best. I think everyone has something that they're a nerd about. For me, it's Arrow and Sherlock. For Chris, it's Star Wars. For my sister, it's Harry Potter. Though I'm positive all of us have a lot more nerdy-loves as well. One of my favorite Christmas gift ideas is to find that person's nerdy side and just go with it!

COOKS

Bakers and cooks are fairly easy, because buying simple cooking tools can be really cheap (you can get like anything from the Dollar Store). Because it's so easy, it's fun to make it cute. Like giving ingredients for a cookie recipe in a mason jar, or wrapping wooden spoons in pot holders. There are tons of cute ideas on Pinterest for this one. 

FITNESS JUNKIES

This one can get more expensive, but it doesn't always have to. Headphones, water bottles, sweat towels, and other small items to help out a gym goer are always appreciated. 

These are the most common people in my own life, but hopefully, this gives you an idea for other types of people as well. Buying stocking stuffers doesn't have to be expensive, in fact, I typically go to the Dollar Store for most things, it's all about being creative, finding a person's niche, and having fun with it. Overall, people will love you just for the effort you make to get them a gift. 

What category do you fall into or which one did I miss that relates most to you? Let me know down below!! Thanks, you're a hero! 

My Christmas Wishlist

Hello, friends and welcome to December!! I am doing Vlogmas this year, which, we'll see if I can actually complete it, but I'm determined to post a short video every day til Christmas. So if you aren't already, go subscribe to my YouTube channel to watch all the videos. And wish me luck. But because of that, I will also have more blog posts this December that relate to or go with the videos, so follow me on all my social media accounts to be notified of those.

I'm working on designing an awesome emailing list, where each email would give you recent highlights from my blog and other projects, a preview of upcoming projects, and a special message to my readers. I'm hoping it'll be ready for the New Year, but this month may get a little too crazy. But be on the lookout for that and then you'll always know what's been happening with me and my blog!

If I'm being honest, my real Christmas wishlist are things that other people can't get me. Like getting me into the new apartment that I want. There's a big waiting list so I'm out of luck there for a while. I also really want a Mac PC, but that's completely unrealistic to ask for as a gift. So is asking for a second car, which we really want/need. So in this post, I'm sticking to the more realistic things I'm wanting.


PAJAMA PANTS

If you follow me on Twitter you may have seen my sad tweet about getting a hole in my favorite (and albeit, oldest) pair of pajama pants. I'm super upset about it because they were perfect. They were long, soft, not too thick and hot, and were black, white, and silver, AKA, my life esthetic. So yeah, I'm upset, especially since I don't have many other options and do laundry specifically for those pants. But now they're dead, I'm sad, and I need some new ones.

FUNKO POP FIGURINES

I love these things! We currently have Jon Snow, Moriarty, BB-8, and R2D2. But Chris and I have a running list of ones we want. We need Rey from Star Wars and Luna from Harry Potter because those are our twin's middle names. But I also really want an Oliver Queen/Green Arrow one, more Sherlock ones, like all the Harry Potter ones, Toothless, and there's a ton more I want. I think they're super cute and fun and show our nerdy side because Chris and I can be big nerds.

THROW BLANKETS/PILLOWS

I'm just a huge fan! I love comfort and snuggling and it really bothers me that in my entire marriage (coming up on five years now, yay us) we have never had throw pillows on our bed! I know Chris does not like them, but it's not like I want a million. Just a few good ones to make the bed a bit cozier. Plus, in my history, when I have throw pillows I'm more likely to make the bed because I want it to be pretty. So... win.

A MIRROR

I want a couple mirrors actually, but what I really need is a full-length mirror. Storytime! So during my pregnancy, I was ridiculously swollen, but I never had a full-length mirror, so I honestly didn't realize how big and swollen I was. It wasn't until I saw my sister's wedding photos that I really saw the full length of myself and I was a little shocked by it. And if I was so in denial and unaware then, then maybe I still am a bit too. I really want one.

AN AREA RUG

Except, if you're actually buying me Christmas presents, maybe don't. Because I'm super picky when it comes to rugs apparently. Why else would I still not have a rug in an apartment with no carpet? I've looked around but honestly, I just cannot decide or don't have the sufficient funds (ha, when do I ever have money to buy anything?).

CLOTHES

I have a carefully mapped out plan to post one fashion post on this blog every week next year. But I absolutely HATE my current wardrobe. I know what I want, I have a plan, but I'm being stopped to completely change my wardrobe by two things: I'm not at my ideal weight and still have some pregnancy weight to lose and, again, the money thing. It's really hard to make money when you're forced to leave your job because you can't afford daycare, but if you can't work then you can't afford your lifestyle and sometimes even your rent. Honestly, one of the first things I said in this post was that I want to move to the other apartment we have picked out because it'll save us so much money and will just be a better situation for us all around. If I had known we were having twins, we would not have moved to this current apartment. But... anyways... I want clothes.

BOOKS & CLOTHES FOR MY GIRLS

I love when people buy things for my girls. I want to buy stuff for them all the time, but, again, money. But buying cute baby girl clothes is something I'm more likely to go out and buy because it's just too cute. Funny how becoming a mom changes your priorities. I also just want books. Lots of books. All the books. I grew up reading all the time and then college stopped my reading habits (I also think it had to do with getting a laptop and internet access...). I'm trying to get back into reading this year and I want my girls to grow up surrounded by books and reading. Reading is the best.

A DOG BED AND TOYS

Zoram needs a bed. He's so cute and has a specific place by my side of the bed and I put a pillow there that he rests his head on, but I'm sure he'd appreciate a bed of his own, even if he sticks to his usual habits and only puts his head on it. Also, those throw pillows in the following widget are just the best things I've ever seen seeing as all day long Zoram is in my bed sleeping.

BLOGGING & VIDEO THINGS

Lastly, I want video editing software (which I'm still debating on which one I want), an external hard drive, a computer that doesn't freeze and shut down every other day, a camera stabilizer, and for someone to give my blog a makeover. Yep. None of this I actually expect to get for Christmas. It's more on my "saving up for" list. AKA, I want money for Christmas.

What's on your Christmas Wishlist? Let me know in the comments below! Thanks for reading, you're a hero!! 

Happy Tuesday - 12/29/2015

That 2015 is almost over

Short weeks at work

That I have a YouTube video going up tomorrow!!

New clothes

A new brush

Journals and books

Having the greatest Christmas

My new iPad!!

My puppy Zoram (sometimes)

Beauty Break

Making Snapchat videos of my puppy

And Chris

My Christmas Wishlist

People (mainly just family) have been asking me what I want for Christmas and I haven't been able to figure it out. But I decided a few things that I want and honestly can't think of much else I would need. So here goes!

A Vlogging Camera

This is the main thing I want. Some of you may have already discovered my YouTube channel (which hasn't had any activity in months and kind of sucks so if you haven't subscribed I totally understand). My original intention for this channel was to do vlogs and I even filmed one with Chris for our anniversary activities (back in May) but my camera was so bad basically none of the footage was good enough for me. The problem with this on my wishlist is that I cannot for the life of me figure out what would be best. I do love the cameras that allow you to flip the screen so you can see yourself while filming yourself. I have super shaky (and often sweaty) hands basically all the time so cameras that are easy to hold and keep steady are essential for me.  And I want one that has a good microphone, good picture, and would be easy to upload to my computer. I've looked up lots of cameras but I just can't make a decision.

Whether or not this is gifted to me, I do intend on getting a vlogging camera soon and 2016 will be the year of vlogging for me and Chris.... mainly just me vlogging Chris being his adorable self. Like a while ago when he was driving me to zumba and he was saying he could teach zumba and started showing off his moves while driving. Literally, I cannot blog enough stories of his awesomeness without them sounding flat and fake, which is why I need to be secretly filming him, which is how all good marriages work.

Q&A A Day: 5 Year Journal

I wanted this last year but didn't tell anyone and was too poor/stingy to buy it myself (but I think I will buy it myself this year if I don't get it for Christmas). This journal is awesome! It asks you a question everyday and you can just write a short sentence answer, but it's for five years so the next year on the same day you answer the same question and see how your life has changed. This is soooo good for someone like me who loves to write and has a lot of emotions but can never consistently write in a journal. It's answering one question a day, which I can totally do! And while I have this blog to do it as well, seeing how your answers change each year just sounds amazing to me! I'm so excited to get this to start in 2016!!

Staying Strong: 365 Days a Year

Another book, this one written by my idol, hero, and girl crush, the fabulous Demi Lovato. I also wanted this last year but it never happened (I'm so lazy and just don't tell people what I want). This book is amazing! I've seen it at a store and looked through it and knew I needed it. It has a different quote, story from Demi, and a goal for each day. Demi Lovato's story helps me to deal with my depression, she is my role model and she has already helped me so much. This book will be perfect as I try to start over in 2016 from my miscarriage, a summer of depression, and other negatives from 2015. And again, whether or not it's gifted to me, it's definitely time for me to have this book.

Devonne by Demi

Besides vlogging, my YouTube channel is also meant to be about things I enjoy, which includes hair and makeup (the only things on the channel so far). Demi Lovato (see, I'm obsessed with her) has created her own skincare line and I've done a lot of research on it. I want this... a lot. I've already been participating (sometimes) in her #NoMakeupMonday because I, like her, believe that women need to embrace their real beauty. And if you've ever seen Demi's #NMM photos you'll have seen that her skin is absolutely flawless, and a lot of that is because of her skincare line. Honestly, who wouldn't want to have skin like Demi Lovato?

Workout Clothes

As I mentioned last week, I am kicking my gym habit into gear. I worked out 3 days last week which is a big accomplishment for me. I'm working towards actually being able to run (because I literally cannot run) and hope to run a 5k with Chris this next summer (unless I get pregnant and the pregnancy prevents me from running a 5k... honestly my real Christmas want is to have a baby, but we'll see how that goes). Besides running, I want to get back into dancing. I have always, always, ALWAYS wanted to teach dance and it's honestly just stupid that I'm not. I'm currently so out of shape and inflexible that dance isn't really happening right now, but I'm going to make it happen soon. I'm going to dance and teach dance. That's the goal. So obviously I need cute clothes to wear while getting fit.

Clothes in General

What girl doesn't want more clothes?!? I have been struggling lately with my current wardrobe because of the fact I'm at my highest weight, my short pregnancy did give me a slight belly, and most my clothes I've had since high school. So I'm always looking for new additions to my wardrobe because I also want to keep up with #FashionFriday posts on this blog. This is not a fashion blog, but clothes and style are something I like so I want to have Fridays to show off my wardrobe, but I have to like my wardrobe first (and not work during the only sunlight in these winter months making it nearly impossible to take good photos because I can't do it in the dark outside and the lighting in my apartment is awful). I love clothes, Chris says I have too many, but I like having options. Clothes are always on my wishlist.

What things are on your Christmas Wishlist? Let me know in the comments below! 

Merry Christmas!

I just wanted to wish all my readers a very merry Christmas! I hope you have a wonderful day and that Santa brings you everything on your wishlist!! I love you all, I'm so grateful for your support and your amazing comments. Thank you for all you've done for me, it's been the best Christmas gift ever. Thank you and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Making My Christmas Sweater!!

Alright, this isn't the best tutorial, and I didn't edit the photos (because I'm really lazy) so yeah... I'm not good at tutorials. I don't do them often for a reason.

So the Christmas tree I made is a just a removable patch type thing that I put on my shirt/sweater with safety pins. I liked this idea better than making a permanent Christmas sweater, for now, I do intend to make a really ugly one next year.

Anyways, here's the very basic steps to what I did.

Firstly are the things needed. I bought a paper sized sheet of felt, green ribbon, snowflake button embellishments, and fabric glue.

I started by cutting the felt into a triangle/Christmas tree shape. Then I began gluing the ribbon lengthwise along the tree, overlapping it and trying (but, as shown by the picture, failing) to keep them even.

Then I waited for a while because I didn't realize the glue I bought took 2-4 hours to dry. Ugh! I'm pretty sure a hot glue gun would have worked just as well as fabric glue and would have dried faster. But you can do what you want. 

I don't have pictures for the next part. but I began to cut strips into the ribbon, like fringe. It was the most annoying part because I didn't have good scissors at first. I ended up using my kitchen scissors because they were much sharper than my kid scissors I usually use. I need craft scissors though. There are so many craft things I need... 

The next step was gluing on the snowflakes. I was going to use rhinestones as sparkly ornaments for my tree, but I was super lucky to find these snowflake buttons that were actually much cheaper. I just glued them on in random places with the fabric glue. Honestly, this is the most obvious tutorial.

I loved the way it turned out!! Then I just pinned it onto my shirt with safety pins, but you could always glue or sew it on if you want it permanent. 

I really did love how this turned out! I can't wait till I can finally make my ugly one, it'll be awesome. Just you wait. 

Sorry this is such a simple tutorial, but it honestly was an incredibly simple craft and I loved doing it. I want to do more craft tutorials so that might be coming soon, we'll see. 

Merry Christmas! 

My Christmas Sweater!

I made a Christmas sweater!! I had an idea for a really ugly/awesome one but apparently Walmart doesn't have the stuff. And a sewing machine would have been nice. So I opted for one that I could do without a sewing machine, and for a cuter one, which was good because barely anyone at work even wore ugly sweaters so I'm glad that I didn't wear the awfully good and atrocious sweater that I had pictured in my mind and I do intend to make. 

I do believe I will give a quick tutorial on how I made this sweater and I will post it tomorrow!! Yay!! It was super simple, but a little time consuming due to a much longer drying time of fabric glue than I had expected and incredibly dull children's scissors. 

So I'm excited to show you all my wonderful sweater, with removeable Christmas tree (Yes, bonus for my tutorial, it can be applied to any shirt!), my favorite coat, my newish jeans that I'm in love with, and my new favorite shoes. I'm basically in love with this whole outfit. And I was having a good hair day, so it was a win-win kind of day. 

Coat: Overstock; Shirt: Walmart; Pants: Walmart; Shoes: Kohl's

Oh, and the shirt and shoes are directly linked to the exact ones I'm wearing. This shirt is like $8 and I love it. I'm going back and getting more. The coat a bought a long time ago, but Overstock often has great finds. The pants are LEI, which is where the link leads, but not to the direct pants I'm wearing. 

And here's a couple fun Christmas sweaters:

My Top 10 Christmas Songs

I have been so obsessed with Christmas this year and I'm not sure why. This is the first year of my life I will not be spending Christmas Eve with my family, and in a way, that breaks my heart, but at the same time I'm super excited to share my favorite time of year with my in-laws. I also don't understand my massive excitement for Christmas this year because I don't have much money to buy gifts, and I love exchanging gifts, and we're married adults so we don't get many presents either. I don't understand why I'm freaking out, but it's a happy time all the same.

Music is quite honestly one of my most favorite things in the world. It has saved me countless times and it inspires me every day. Today I will be sharing with you my top ten Christmas songs (in no particular order). I hope these songs help get you into the Christmas mood and get you as excited as I am!

Anything from the Nutcracker

I would also like to add anything from Trans-Siberian Orchestra, because they are incredible. My younger years, growing up in dance, meant that I participated in The Nutcracker every year. I think as I total I've been, a party girl, a Russian, a candy cane, a tree, an Oriental, a soldier twice, a snowflake,  and a buffoon, Three years I did Ballet West's Nutcracker as well. To this day, it feels odd to not see or participate in the Nutcracker in December even though it's been years since I have. I'm so in love with the music and the ballet itself. The Nutcracker always has, and probably always will be a large part of my Decembers and Christmas's. 

Oh Holy Night

I'm fine with any version of this song, but lately I've been obsessing over Carrie. She's incredible. This song is such a beautiful reminder of the real reason we celebrate Christmas, while also being incredible powerful and poetic. It is such a beautiful song and it truly is one of my favorites. 

Oh Come, Oh Come, Emmanuel

I think this is one of the most beautiful songs... ever. I remember when I was little and playing (a much simpler version than this) this song at my mom's Christmas piano concerts, back when I was much better at faking playing the piano. This song has a more melancholy feel which I always love out of any song, but it shares the message of Jesus Christ's birth and the true meaning of Christmas. I'm in love. 

Carol of the Bells

Yay for Pentatonix! I love them so much, even though this video weirds me out because that doesn't look like Christmas time to me (even though we haven't gotten snow yet). I've sung this song in many choirs and this song is just fun and beautiful and always sounds so complicated and exciting. Honestly it's such a cool song around Christmastime and I love it. 

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

What ends up happening after the first big snow storm in Utah? I end up singing this song. It's one of my favorites because it always comes to my mind around the beginning of December and when it snows. It's such a great song for Christmas because Christmas is such an incredible time of year and this song always puts me right in the mood. And yay for Bing Crosby for giving us some of the greatest versions of Christmas songs ever.

All I Want for Christmas is You

I've always been a fan of this song, but once I heard the Michael Buble version I couldn't listen to the other ones anymore, this one tops them all. Shouldn't this song be romantic? Loving? Passionate? This version does that and all the other versions just are a party. This song is gorgeous and honestly how could someone not love Michael Buble. His whole Christmas album I'm obsessed with, it's the greatest and if you haven't listened to it already, click on that link!!

The Hallelujah Chorus

The Messiah is another one of those things that, for me, it doesn't feel like Christmas if I haven't participated, listened to, or seen a concert of. My mom used to always participate in a production of the Messiah and when I got a bit older my sister and I participated as well. The Messiah is full of such incredible songs and really illustrates the true meaning of Christmas, it's the whole story of the birth of Christ! I love all the songs from it, but how can you not point out this one in particular?

What Child is This?

Josh Groban has a voice that makes Christmas songs more enjoyable. This song is another one that tells the true meaning of Christmas. I've always loved this song more than the others. It's just beautiful. 

God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman/We Three Kings

I am a huge fan of the Barenaked for the Holidays album. I feel it's underrated because they did such an incredible job on it and all the songs I love. It is honestly one of my favorite Christmas albums. This song in particular just illustrated how Barenaked Ladies doesn't get all the credit and love they deserve. They are honestly talented and do such a great job with all their music. But they turned this song into something even more incredible. Any version of this song is wonderful, but this one is my favorite. 

Silent Night

I think the hardest part of this whole post was finding the perfect version of Silent Night. This is my number one favorite Christmas song. It puts me in the mood for Christmas immediately. It's beautiful, it tells the incredible story of the birth of Christ, it gives a peaceful feeling, and it is the best way to remind us of why we celebrate Christmas. Jesus Christ was born! This is my most favorite song for Christmastime, and of any time. 

And a few more shout outs:

Hairy Christmas
(The Duck Dynasty Christmas album, Duck the Halls , is incredible. Get it!)

You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch
(Every Christmas Eve my siblings read this book. It's not Christmas without it!)

Rudolph, The Red Nosed Reindeer
(How can someone not love the story of Rudolph? ...My husband doesn't. He has a lot to learn.)

Jingle Bells
(Another Barenaked Ladies version, it's the best!)

Santa Claus is Coming to Town
(My siblings and I also watch this movie every Christmas Eve.)

Santa Tell Me
(Yes, I'm still obsessed with Ariana Grande.)
Ave Maria
(I sang this once in choir, it's such a beautiful song!)
Santa Baby
(Look it's T-Swizzle. This song is great, except when boys try to sing it, then it's weird.)
Elf's Lament 
(My two favorite Christmas albums are Barenaked Ladies and Michael Buble, and here they are together. Winner!)


What's your favorite Christmas song? 
Let me know in the comments below! 

The Newest Members of the Family

Chris and I would like to welcome the two newest members of our family! Everyone meet Juan:

... and Sassy:

Juan Diego Farnes is a beautiful green beta fish with a prehistoric looking face. Salvador "Sassy" Farnes is a gay blue and red beta fish who is so incredibly beautiful and girlish.

Anyone who reads my blog regularly knows that I've been wanting beta fish since forever. My husband surprised me before we left for our Christmas vacation with a tank for our beta fish! We decided to wait until we were back home from all our Christmas break adventures to get the fish so they wouldn't die. So today we finally got them! I wanted a boy and a girl but the store didn't have any girls, but Sassy was so beautiful and we decided he could just be gay.

I absolutely love the newest members of our family! They are so fun to watch swimming around they are a great addition to our little family! But don't tell our apartment manager because I'm pretty sure they are technically not allowed. It says no pets and I think they include fish in that but my fish will not be making any messes or making much noise so we're bending the rules a bit.

What pets do you have? Leave a comment below and let me know! 

THANKS FOR READING!! 

Book Review: Divergent

If you look at my Book Club page, you will see that I am not doing Book Club for the beginning of 2014. This is because of my hectic semester where I have to read like ten Shakespeare plays. So I have to focus on those rather than reading for fun (although, when I understand what's going on, I usually find Shakespeare fun). I do apologize for this! But if I do read anything in my little bit of spare time, I will write a review and link it up on my Book Club page, like this one.

My Backstory:

I've been wanting to read this book for over a year. I got a preview of it on my Kindle Fire and read the first few chapters. I loved it but the preview was over. So I rented it from the library, but life got in the way. It was when I was working multiple jobs for long hours a day, I was planning a wedding, I was living two hours from my fiance, life was hectic and crazy, so I sadly returned the book to the library, never reading it.

Flash forward to Christmastime when I'm casually walking with my husband through Sam's Club and I see Divergent on a shelf and say out loud "Oh! I need to read this book before the movie comes out!" But my husband hears, "Oh! Buy me this book for Christmas!" ...which he did and I'm truly grateful for that.

The Story (No Spoilers): 

Divergent is about a Dystopian society where everyone is divided into Factions. There's Abnegation, the people who are selfless; Dauntless, those who are fearless; Candor, those who are honest; Amity, those who are kind; Erudite, those who love to learn; and the Factionless, who don't fit in any of the five Factions.

At the age of 16, each member of the society takes an aptitude test to see which Faction they would best fit in, then at the Choosing Ceremony, they get to decide which Faction they want to devote their lives to, potentially leaving behind their family forever.

Beatrice is one of this 16 year old and goes in to take the aptitude test, only her results are inconclusive. The test says she could be Abnegation, Dauntless, or Erudite. She is what they call Divergent. The test doesn't work on her making her a threat to the way society works.

My Review:

I finished this book in two and a half days. I basically didn't put it down after opening it on Christmas. I am not a fast reader, so when I finish a book super fast, you know it has to be a good one. This story does have some slow parts that I struggled to get through and sometimes the author doesn't explain things all that well, but I absolutely LOVED this book!!

Honestly, I may like it better than The Hunger Games , and I'm a big fan of that! The story is very different and it is so compelling. Quick spoiler (but a lame spoiler) the romantic portions of this book are a million times better than The Hunger Games, Twilight, and Harry Potter. Their relationship grows and builds and feels real, not incredibly forced and fake like in most teen novels.

I don't even know what else to say except that I loved this book and I am anxiously, not patiently, waiting to get the second book so I can read through that. I'm also excited for the movie, because while Tori seemed cheesy in the preview, it overall looks like it'll be a good movie. I'm currently forcing my husband to read this book and he is going to the movie premier with me.

As a side note, I will be making a Divergent craft for said movie premier and will do a tutorial on this blog. I don't want to tell you what it is yet though, but it'll be awesome!

Also, my sister and I took the test to see what Faction we would be. We took the test two different ways: the first way was the straightforward way where you pick one answer for each question, but the second way we wrote out all answers that applied to us for each question and then made a tally of how many of each letter answer we got. I feel the second way is more accurate in determining what you are and gives levels of what your second choice could be and so on. Anyways, I was in Abnegation. I'm not sure if that's what I would choose, but in both tests I was highest in Abnegation. I supposed it has something to do with my Charity of the Month.

Anyways, I highly recommend this book! I absolutely loved it and think that anyone who enjoys the current wave of dystopian books should read this one, because it's one of the best. 

December Review

December is over? When did that happen? When did December even happen? I don't remember December actually going on... True story.

Basically nothing happened this month. We had finals. We moved. We struggled to pay bills. We celebrated Christmas. Our new place is still unorganized and chaotic. And that's basically my December. So this post will be incredibly short compared to my other Monthly Review posts.

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The month started out with finals. My finals were incredibly easy this semester and I am so grateful for it. I worked super hard this semester and plan on working even harder this next semester! Here are my final grades for the semester:

Yay me! Passing grades! I really think I can do better by working harder. I'm happy with these grades though. I passed! :)

We moved and I have no pictures of our next place yet because it's not ready to be seen yet. It's a work in progress and I hope we all get settled soon.

And then suddenly it was Christmas. I had a fantastic Christmas! I wrote about it in THIS POST. But we actually did a lot more around Christmas time as well. We went to Zoo Lights, we visited Temple Square Lights, we played countless games, we rode Trax, we hung out with my grandma and Nana, we went to my cousin's baptism, I got my haircut, we ate so much good food and gained lots of weight (much to our enjoyment), and we had a fantastic Christmas break! ...and it's not over yet! We're going to my in-law's condo on New Years to snowboard, for my first time! I'm so nervous and excited! Here are just a few (okay, a lot) pictures from our break so far:

Driving around to see Christmas lights (although Logan doesn't have any)

My favorite Christmas treat: Candy Cane Kisses, BEST CANDY EVER!! 

Finding a house barricaded with snow! 

Going down the stairs Christmas morning to see what Santa brought us!

Christmas!! Yes, we love our onesies! 

Posing with a rhino at Zoo lights!

Zoo lights

More Zoo Lights!

Nativity scenes at Temple Square

The Salt Lake Temple! So beautiful! Also, check out our new coats! 

The temple does the best tree lights. 

Love this temple! 

Light tree

Having fun! 

Oh, and yes, my hat is a cow, and yes, I did get in for Christmas. Thanks Michelle!!! 

Giant Christmas tree!! 

I don't know why I love this picture so much! 

After my haircut my cousin curled my brothers hair. 

He looked so beautiful! ;)

Love you Nick! 

I love my new haircut and my Pikachu shirt! 

For some strange reason this month I've gotten more page views than any other month so far, and for this I am super grateful to you, my readers! You are so fantastic and I love you all! Thank you for making Things I'm Good At my most popular post this month. For me it was very personal and eye opening. I loved writing it and I'm glad you all enjoyed it. Thank you so much for the support you give me! You keep me writing! 

Did you have a good December? What would be in your December Review? Please leave a comment below and tell me all about it! 

THANKS FOR READING!!