One thing you guys may not know about me is that I love to read. Mostly, I read young adult fiction, such as the work of John Green, but I also pick up the occasional fantasy series, this started with Chris Colfer's Land of Stories series. My last semester of college, a friend of mine posted on Facebook that her sister had passed on several books to her and she was looking for a good home for them. The one that caught my eye was Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins. She gave it to me, and I was instantly hooked. I later discovered that there were two sequels, one of which I found in a used bookstore, the other my brother gave me for Christmas.
The Rebel Belle trilogy is not your average young adult series or your average fantasy series. There's a little bit of everything and there's something for everyone.
Do you like stories about bad ass girls kicking butt and taking names? Read Rebel Belle.
Do you like teen love stories? Read Rebel Belle.
Do you like fantasy novels about magic and mischief? Read Rebel Belle.
Do you like drama and cliff hangers? Read Rebel Belle.
Trust me on this. These books are AMAZING! I would especially recommend them to those of you who complain about the lack of female heroes in books. Harper Price and her best friend, Bee Franklin, are just the heroes you've been waiting for.
Order Rebel Belle, Miss Mayhem, and Lady Renegades from Barnes & Noble, Amazon, or your local bookstore!
Saturday, January 20, 2018
Wednesday, January 17, 2018
The Importance of Reaching Out
Recently, a young lady that I went to school with passed away after a drug overdose. I didn't know this girl very well, but I know she was sweet, bright, and passionate. We were all absolutely devastated to receive this terrible news.
As I let the news sink in, it occurred to me that, in a meeting with my adviser when I was still in college, this girl's name came up. She hadn't been coming to class and we were wondering why. My adviser suggested I get on Facebook and reach out to her, maybe I could find out what was up and see if she was okay.
Like I said, I didn't know her well, we weren't friends on any social media platforms, so I never reached out.
When that thought hit me, I was also hit with a wave of guilt. I sat there thinking, I should've just reached out to her when I had the chance. What if that could've made a difference?
Now, I know that addiction and mental illness are things that are much bigger than any one person. No one person is to blame for what happens to those who are struggling. Everything happens for a reason.
I did learn something from this. When you sense someone is struggling, even if you know there's probably not much you can do, you should still reach out. Maybe what they need is a little extra love and encouragement. If you are struggling yourself, reach out. Find someone you trust, contact one of the many crisis chat/text lines, call the suicide hotline. You can even email me.I know how hard it is to reach out and ask for help, but you'll thank yourself later.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
Website: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
Drug Abuse Hotline: 1-877-990-7370
Website: https://drugabuse.com/library/drug-abuse-hotlines/
As always, if you believe you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 911.
As I let the news sink in, it occurred to me that, in a meeting with my adviser when I was still in college, this girl's name came up. She hadn't been coming to class and we were wondering why. My adviser suggested I get on Facebook and reach out to her, maybe I could find out what was up and see if she was okay.
Like I said, I didn't know her well, we weren't friends on any social media platforms, so I never reached out.
When that thought hit me, I was also hit with a wave of guilt. I sat there thinking, I should've just reached out to her when I had the chance. What if that could've made a difference?
Now, I know that addiction and mental illness are things that are much bigger than any one person. No one person is to blame for what happens to those who are struggling. Everything happens for a reason.
I did learn something from this. When you sense someone is struggling, even if you know there's probably not much you can do, you should still reach out. Maybe what they need is a little extra love and encouragement. If you are struggling yourself, reach out. Find someone you trust, contact one of the many crisis chat/text lines, call the suicide hotline. You can even email me.I know how hard it is to reach out and ask for help, but you'll thank yourself later.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
Website: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
Drug Abuse Hotline: 1-877-990-7370
Website: https://drugabuse.com/library/drug-abuse-hotlines/
As always, if you believe you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 911.
Friday, January 12, 2018
Hollywood Hypocrisy Part 2: Award Shows and Sex
Read Hollywood Hypocrisy Part 1 here.
On this year's Golden Globes many stars in attendance wore black to protest all the sexual harassment/assault that has recently been brought to light in Hollywood. Many others took to Instagram and Twitter to post selfies with #TimesUp and #WhyWeWearBlack. Protesting sexual abuse and harassment is definitely a good thing to do, don't get me wrong. However, this whole thing seems rather hypocritical for multiple reasons.
1. Someone had to have known. Many of the stars who wore black to the Golden Globes, such as Oprah and Meryl Streep, worked closely with Harvey Weinstein, one of the many accused Hollywood sexual abusers, for years. There's no way they were completely unaware of what was happening, and yet they were silent.
2. Fifty Shades Freed. The latest movie in the Fifty Shades franchise comes out in about a month. Countless women, many of which may have posted #TimesUp selfies, will flock to movie theaters everywhere to see the newest film in this borderline-pornographic series.
3. Hollywood created this culture. For decades, Hollywood has condoned and encouraged sexually deviant behavior, and the Fifty Shades franchise is only one example among countless others. In music, movies, television, and other forms of media, we are constantly bombarded with various sexual references and images. Countless TV shows and movies glamorize the hook-up culture. Why is everyone so shocked to learn that there's sexual abuse in this industry?
As a society, we act as if we have no moral compass and then are surprised when people act in such inappropriate ways. This needs to stop.
I sincerely hope that anyone who has experienced sexual abuse/harassment, on either the giving or receiving end, gets the help they need. For a full list of resources available to those seeking help, visit https://www.nsvrc.org/organizations.
(Photo source: https://www.surreynowleader.com/entertainment/timesup-stars-don-all-black-on-the-golden-globes-red-carpet/)
The Golden Globes, a lovely little award show where Hollywood's biggest stars get all dressed up and gather to celebrate each other, themselves, and all of their hard work. It's glamorous and fun...well it was, until they turned it into a political spectacle.On this year's Golden Globes many stars in attendance wore black to protest all the sexual harassment/assault that has recently been brought to light in Hollywood. Many others took to Instagram and Twitter to post selfies with #TimesUp and #WhyWeWearBlack. Protesting sexual abuse and harassment is definitely a good thing to do, don't get me wrong. However, this whole thing seems rather hypocritical for multiple reasons.
1. Someone had to have known. Many of the stars who wore black to the Golden Globes, such as Oprah and Meryl Streep, worked closely with Harvey Weinstein, one of the many accused Hollywood sexual abusers, for years. There's no way they were completely unaware of what was happening, and yet they were silent.
2. Fifty Shades Freed. The latest movie in the Fifty Shades franchise comes out in about a month. Countless women, many of which may have posted #TimesUp selfies, will flock to movie theaters everywhere to see the newest film in this borderline-pornographic series.
3. Hollywood created this culture. For decades, Hollywood has condoned and encouraged sexually deviant behavior, and the Fifty Shades franchise is only one example among countless others. In music, movies, television, and other forms of media, we are constantly bombarded with various sexual references and images. Countless TV shows and movies glamorize the hook-up culture. Why is everyone so shocked to learn that there's sexual abuse in this industry?
As a society, we act as if we have no moral compass and then are surprised when people act in such inappropriate ways. This needs to stop.
I sincerely hope that anyone who has experienced sexual abuse/harassment, on either the giving or receiving end, gets the help they need. For a full list of resources available to those seeking help, visit https://www.nsvrc.org/organizations.
Thursday, January 11, 2018
Hollywood Hypocrisy Part 1: Ginuwine's Right to Choose
According to BET, R&B star Ginuwine recently declined to kiss a fellow housemate on Celebrity Big Brother UK. Normally, this kind of thing would probably not be a huge deal. However, this particular housemate, India Willoughby, is a trans woman. This little detail is why many are now accusing Ginuwine of being trans-phobic.
I'm going to be totally honest, I'm not really into R&B music or reality TV, so a controversy like this is not something I would usually pay attention to or care about. The only reason I'm posting about this is because I am tired of Hollywood, liberals, and all of their hypocrisy.
The people that are currently calling out Ginuwine for his so-called "transphobia" are the same ones constantly yelling about choice and consent. There is constant talk about how people should be allowed to do whatever they want with their bodies. When it comes to sexual behaviors/activities, yes, consent is extremely important. So why was it so horrible for Ginuwine to refuse to kiss someone he wasn't comfortable kissing?
What makes this debate especially interesting is the fact that Ginuwine told Willoughby he would not date her BEFORE she tried to kiss him. Isn't that considered some form of harassment? In light of all the recent sexual harassment allegations in Hollywood, and the #metoo movement, you would think more people would be upset about Willoughby's behavior than Ginuwine's.
I think it's important for us to analyze situations a little bit more before we take to Twitter to react.
Feel free to leave a comment or send me email and share your thoughts on this.
I'm going to be totally honest, I'm not really into R&B music or reality TV, so a controversy like this is not something I would usually pay attention to or care about. The only reason I'm posting about this is because I am tired of Hollywood, liberals, and all of their hypocrisy.
The people that are currently calling out Ginuwine for his so-called "transphobia" are the same ones constantly yelling about choice and consent. There is constant talk about how people should be allowed to do whatever they want with their bodies. When it comes to sexual behaviors/activities, yes, consent is extremely important. So why was it so horrible for Ginuwine to refuse to kiss someone he wasn't comfortable kissing?
What makes this debate especially interesting is the fact that Ginuwine told Willoughby he would not date her BEFORE she tried to kiss him. Isn't that considered some form of harassment? In light of all the recent sexual harassment allegations in Hollywood, and the #metoo movement, you would think more people would be upset about Willoughby's behavior than Ginuwine's.
I think it's important for us to analyze situations a little bit more before we take to Twitter to react.
Feel free to leave a comment or send me email and share your thoughts on this.
Sunday, December 17, 2017
My Christmas Playlist
'Tis the season for constant Christmas music. It's everywhere, and I mean EVERYWHERE. Guess what? It's here on my blog too! I've had my Christmas playlist on repeat on Spotify since Thanksgiving. Wanna know what I'm listening to? I'll tell you some of my favorite songs. You can listen to my full playlist here.
- White Christmas-Bing Crosby
- Greatest Time of Year-Aly & AJ
- Extraordinary Merry Christmas-Glee Cast
- Christmas in Heaven-Scotty McCreery
- All I Want For Christmas is You-Mariah Carey
- Five More Days 'Til Christmas-The Cheetah Girls
- The Christmas Can-Can-Straight No Chaser
- His Favorite Christmas Story-Capital Lights
- Mary, Did You Know?-Pentatonix
- Deck The Halls-Tenth Avenue North
A Must-Do Christmas List
As we all know, Christmas is about more than just presents. It's about spending time with family and friends, and, of course, the birth of Christ. Here are some of my favorite Christmas traditions that cost little to no money.
- Drive around and look at Christmas lights. Some places have special light shows, some don't, but most places at least have a neighborhood or two with some lights up. Gather the kids, get in the car, and go for a drive!
- Watch Christmas movies. There are a few ways you can go about this one. Some movie theaters and/or local churches/organizations host showings of holiday movies this time of year. Redbox also stocks Christmas movies, and not just brand new ones. Or you can watch movies you already own at home.
- Drink hot cocoa. You don't need to go get the fancy Starbucks stuff. Just make the instant kind. You can get a box for only a few dollars at Walmart. There are also tons of homemade hot cocoa recipes on Pinterest!
- Make a gingerbread house. This can be done with a kit from the grocery store (they're generally not too expensive) or with some graham crackers, icing, and candy.
- Bake cookies. If you're like me and don't necessarily have the time or energy to roll out cookie dough, cut, bake, and ice it, you can get a box of Pillsbury ones with designs already on them for roughly $3.
- Sit by the fire. This is easiest if you have a fireplace in your house. However, if you enjoy being outside in the freezing cold to do it, go for it!
These are only a few suggestions. There are tons of other things to do this time of year. Check online (or in the local paper if you're old school like that) for local events happening in your community.
Merry Christmas!
Saturday, December 16, 2017
Christmas Movies
Christmas is right around the corner. With just over a week left, it's time to snuggle up with some warm pj's, comfy blankets, and lots of Christmas movies and specials. Don't know which ones to watch? Well, here's a list of my favorites (and they're all family-friendly!).
- Elf
- The Polar Express
- Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer
- Frosty The Snowman
- How The Grinch Stole Christmas
- Eloise at Christmastime
- Home Alone
- Olive The Other Reindeer
- A Charlie Brown Christmas
- Phineas and Ferb Christmas Vacation!
- White Christmas
- The Santa Clause
- The Santa Clause 2
- Santa Claus is Coming to Town
- A Christmas Carol
Have yourself a movie marathon and a very merry Christmas!
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