This year seemed to FLY by! I can hardly believe that tomorrow will be 2016. I always have the high hopes that each new year will be happier than the last. Personally, this year was not the best for me. Some good things happened, for which I'm thankful, but a lot of bad things happened too. I have really high hopes for 2016, so I hope it doesn't let me down!

For my last post of 2015, I thought I would gather together a list of all of my favorite things from the year. I think I had quite a lot of them, so this might be a long post, but that's what people like, right? I know I personally love looking through what people enjoyed through a monthly favorites post, so a yearly favorites? SIGN ME UP!

Instagram Beauties

@hooraymagau

This is the account of a bi-monthly magazine that honestly just has the brightest and loveliest images that you could ever imagine. They have awesome DIY's on their website, hooraymag.com, and there is no doubt that if you were to throw a party with some of their tips, it would be the best party ever.

@simply_kenna

McKenna is my new favorite person, ever. I found her by chance on Youtube (you can find her here) and I've been in love with her ever since. She posts gorgeous DIY's on her channel, along with some makeup tutorials and look books. From me internet trolling her (whoops) she only has instagram and a tumblr, I think. Her insta theme is TO DIE FOR.

@velvetgh0st 

Probably one of my fav Youtubers of all time. Gabriella is a beautiful, strong woman who does and says what she wants and is just all around glorious. I guess there is some history of her and some people not getting along on social media, but I honestly couldn't care less. Her videos are gold and so is her heart. I'm positive we would be best friends if I had the lucky chance to live in London.

The Best Books

I set myself a goal to read forty books this year, a goal that I'm going to be three books short of, but I got to read so many good ones! You can see my entire challenge and the books I've read here on Goodreads. My favorites out of all of them though would have to be the Dorothy Must Die series, All the Bright Places, and Ugly Love. I still have so many to read on my list too!

My Jams
I discovered a lot of new artists this year, something I love doing. Music is a passion that I think everyone can relate too. I fell in love with Hobbie Stuart and was excited to see the beginning of JoJo's comeback. And Maroon 5, don't even get me started. I love them.

Hello beautiful people!

I hope you all had a great holiday! It always seems to pass by so quickly, doesn't it?

Since I finally have a kitchen again, I've slowly been cooking a lot more. And the other day, while catching up on various Vlogmas's, I made some sugar cookies! The recipe I used was this one, on Zoella's blog, along with the icing recipe as well. Note: If you want to make your sugar cookies based off of this recipe, you can convert the measurements on google. 

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So while I've been failing at Blogmas, (note only fifteen, now sixteen days done, yikes!) I've been acing it on getting my Christmas shopping done. Now, this never happens to me. I'm always behind and scrambling at the last second and I absolutely hate shopping for other people period, because I can never figure out what exactly they would want. Not to mention I loathe the Christmas crowds.

BUT I lasted long enough to get a little haul from The Body Shop. I don't get to shop here often, so this was a treat. Comment if you'd like with some items that you would recommend!

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Hello Lovelies!

Well, it was bound to happen. Officially, I have failed blogmas. I missed one day because I wasn't feeling well and then everything followed suit until today. I hate when things pile up on you when you get sick and then you fall behind on your checklist. Does anyone else have that problem? Because it happens a TON to me. 

Anyway, I'm going to just pick back up where I left off! You definitely didn't miss anything interesting while I was ill in bed. 

We got our Christmas tree! We have two fake ones and a couple little ones scattered throughout the house, but we decided to get a real one for my office and I've been in love with it since we put it up. I haven't had a real tree in so long and the smell that it's produced has been heavenly. Even though my office is in shambles at the moment, I'm never going to want to leave!

 

How is your tree looking?

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I had a surprise waiting for me when I checked my PO box! I'm very excited so I'm going to jump right into it. It's the Jaclyn Hill Champagne Pop Shimmering Skin Perfector. From what I've read about this beautiful shimmer, is that it's basically been sold out for weeks. Months? I'm not sure, but this thing is coveted.

It's a gorgeous shimmer that highlights your cheekbones, brow bones, and even the bridge of the nose. It works for all skin types so if you can get your hands on this, do so before it's sold out again! You can currently get it at Sephora for thirty-eight dollars!

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Hello Lovelies!

The other night was my company Christmas party in Boston. I had never been to the restaurant that we went too, but it had some really good food and honestly, if I could afford to pay for it all myself, I would definitely go back. It was a bit on the pricey side though, so I'm okay with just letting the company pay for that!

Then I had a nice little day out with my best friend where we got our toes done. I didn't have too much going on the last couple of days, aside from unpacking and trying to move stuff around for our tree. But it's been a pretty relaxing weekend, if I say so myself!

How has your weekend been?

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Hello Lovelies!

It's the best time of the month to have a Lush haul! Especially when someone gives you an early Christmas gift and it allows you to restock!

Luxury Lush Pud
Yoga Bath Bomb
The Experimenter Bath
Peeping Santa Bubble Bar
Intergalactic Bath Bomb
Milky Bath Bubble Bar
Frozen Bath Bomb
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Hello Lovelies!

Today's post is a quick one! I'm having my company Christmas party tonight and I just needed to show you the sweater I got for it! I love seeing the beautiful looks that people can come up with for these kinds of functions, but since mine is going to be a bit low key, I didn't go crazy.

Rimmel London Kate Moss 107

Gingerbread Men sweater from Primark in Boston

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A lot of the people around me know that I am a serious mascara junkie. I have an extensive collection already of different brands and types. And no matter how many I have, I just keep getting more because... well, I like mascaras! Though I'm going to be perfectly honest; I'm forever going to be on the hunt for the mascara that makes my lashes look super long and awesome. Because mine are kind of short and unflattering.

I have Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara and Benefit's Roller Lash, both of which do well at making my lashes look long and luscious. But then I kept hearing about how great Maybelline's Lash Sensational was. And since it's a cheaper brand (as in under twenty dollars), I decided to give it a try. Though I am impressed with how long I waited to get it!

I can't complain with the results, it parted my lashes well and didn't flake throughout the day, which is something I was honestly worried about. And when it came to taking it off at the end of the day, it was super easy. So basically ALL the things I look for in a mascara was in this little tube!

What mascara do you love?
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Hello Lovelies!

Today's Blogmas is a late one, but it still counts! I thought I'd get a head start on my New Year's Resolution list, since I like to know what I'm setting myself up for for the year ahead. You can read my updated checklist here, which I updated in March when I was able to cross two off that list!

This past weekend, we finally moved, as you may have already read. So I get to cross another one off that list! I'm going to copy and paste it below so you can get a little peak at it.

1. New car
2. New apartment/house
3. Fix the Mac!
4. Get married
5. Write more

The fourth and fifth have not been as easy. Getting married... well, we need the money for that first and getting an apartment was just a little more important. So that is going to stay where it is. Writing more, I think I have done well with. I'm up to about fifty or so posts for the year, which is a lot better than my thirty from last year. Though to be fair, I only started this blog in October of 2014. But I do lots of writing elsewhere, so I'm going to check that off as well!

Looks like I need to add a few more things to my list! I'm actually very proud of what I have accomplished throughout 2015 and I think that is really what resolution lists are all about. Giving yourself a little to-do list, checking it off, and then reflecting and letting all those accomplishments sink in. SO for 2016, I might have to step it up just a little bit.

1. Be healthier
2. Read more
3. Make more time for friends/family
4. Reach 500 followers on Twitter!
5. Get married

So there we have it. A little list of little things to get done in 2016. Like before, this will be updated and maybe even changed to fit the needs I think I will need as time goes on, but I think this is a great place to start!

What are your resolutions for 2016?
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Hello, my little snowflakes!

If there is one thing I hate the most about the winter time, it's dandruff. Those little flakes spotted around your head and showing up in your hair is definitely not a welcome sight and it can make your stressful life that much more stressful.

I've personally never had dandruff until this fall, when my living situation started getting even more out of control and the weather started getting chillier. I had to do my homework on this, since (as mentioned above) I've never, ever had dandruff before. It was a headache I've never had to deal with. Until now. It seems that 'dryness' is definitely not a cause for flakes on the scalp. This is going to sound terrifying, but dandruff is usually caused by a small growth of yeast (sometimes) and that feeds on any excess oil that the scalp produces.

Ugh, I know, I totally freaked out too. So here is where my journey starts. In the store. Searching for dandruff shampoos and conditioners. The first one I picked up was Head & Shoulders 2 in 1 dry scalp care with almond oil. Which I now know was a waste of money because as my research proved, dandruff has absolutely nothing to do with a dry scalp. This worked for a little while though, but eventually, I had to move onto something else.


Next up was like the almond oil's big brother. Still by Head & Shoulders, this one has peppermint and tea tree essence. It cools on contact, which was pretty neat the first time I used it. But it seemed like it only did it the first time and never cooled again. Once more, this worked for a little while before it basically just stopped working. This is when I did the 'WHY ME?!' arms throwing up in the air thing.


I did more research. On Pinterest. Maybe not the best place, but I FOUND something that I had never heard about before. This was and is my last stop before considering going to a dermatologist because the one thing I have read in my travels is that if you're using something and your flakes DON'T clear up in a week or two, it might not be dandruff. It could be psoriasis or skin inflammation, which means you need to see a derm. (Yikes!)


Neutrogena's T/Gel Therapeutic Shampoo has been a miracle worker. This is the heavy duty stuff and let me warn you, it doesn't smell pretty. The main ingredient in this is TAR. It may sound scary, but I haven't had much of an issue with flakes since using this. They do, however, come back when I don't use this all the time, but that might just mean I need something just a little bit stronger. Which means a derm visit. BUT for the moment, this is my lifesaver and I'm hoping it could help others who are having a similar problem.

Comment below if you have/had a similar problem and what worked for you!

Neutrogena T/Gel Therapeutic Shampoo
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Hello Lovelies!

I'm bright and early this morning with my Blogmas post! Though I've needed extra coffee to compensate for the weekend of moving that I did. I don't know if I'll ever catch up on sleep. Today I thought I'd share with you some of the Christmas playlists that I'll be listening too for the rest of the month while I unpack and try and get my life together!


The first playlist is a pretty popular one, as it was made by blogger Zoella. But how can you NOT listen to this one? It has a good mixture of all the best holiday music that you could ever want!
Listen to it here!


Next up is a list that I've been listening to a lot. Mostly because it has a song from the original 'Grinch' on here. Plus, it has a good mixture of Frank Sinatra (which I love) and classic goodies.
Listen to it here!


This last one isn't a list, but just a single song. It's still a pretty new song, but I love it. I've had this on repeat since December began and I have no doubt that I'll listen to it at least once every day this month.
You can search it, or listen to it here!

What are some of your favorite holiday tunes?
♥

Hello Lovelies!

This one is a bit late today, as I've been moving all day, but I am determined to post everyday this month until Christmas! So I thought, since I can't take any pictures as I don't know where my camera is, that I would share with you my favorite things about Christmas!

Our Christmas tree from 2013!

Hello you cute, little baubles!

Today is moving day! Or rather, packing my life away day. I've been living out of boxes for the last year and a half now. It's been pretty miserable. But we're finally moving into a new place this weekend and I'm SO excited! The worst part of all this though is the packing. I've always hated packing so even though I should be doing it right now (whoops), it's been pretty slow going.

So today's blogmas is incredibly boring and short. But I'll be doing this ALL day.


What are you up too today?
♥

Hello, you Christmas pies!

I've been feeling SO in the Christmas spirit lately and it's only getting worse since we'll actually have a new home to celebrate in! I've been making everyone else get in the spirit as well by watching some of my favorite Christmas films on repeat, so I thought I'd share them with you so you could do the same!

ELF

EVERYONE, and I mean everyone, knows that this is my favorite Christmas film. I am obsessed with it. I watch it year round. It's the first thing I put it when it turns December first and it's on constant repeat throughout the month. It gets a definite good loving throughout the month, though like I said, it doesn't stay dusty long! SANTA'S COMING!

SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN

If you live in the States, you know that ABC Family has a thing called 25 Days of Christmas, where they constantly play Christmas specials. A good handful of them include these types of short movies, that look like puppets on strings. Which is what they are and to me, this is when it TRULY has become the Christmas season. This is my favorite of these films. Mainly because I could practically recite to you every line since I've been watching it since I could blink, but also because it has a cute little penguin who lost his way and wears a scarf. 

OLIVE, THE OTHER REINDEER

This is a rare find that I also think ABC Family plays. It might also be where I found it, but I can't remember. This is the cutest story of a little dog named Olive that believes she is a reindeer. So she travels all the way to the North Pole to stop an evil mailman from destroying Christmas, (because he's angry about all the mail he has to deliver to Santa in the snow), and to help Santa pull his sleigh. It's a funny and adorable film and one that has made it's way into my routine films of the season.

A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS

Another classic that I grew up with. I love all of the Charlie Brown holiday films, so much so that my grandmother bought me the set for Christmas one year, but this is the one that I play most often. Why? Because it's Christmas! Here in the States, that little tree with the over-sized bauble is iconic and one that I'll be seeing everywhere until January. No complaints!

HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS

Now, I love both versions of this film. The Jim Carey version is longer and definitely hilarious, I always end up watching both. But the cartoon from 1966 is the one that I love the most. It's the one that I grew up with and it just brings back all those happy memories of when I was little.

A GARFIELD CHRISTMAS SPECIAL

A lot of people may not know this, but I LOVE Garfield. This is thanks to my father, who was also obsessed with him as I grew up. I was constantly surrounded by the fat, orange cat and I would always steal my father's comic books of Garfield to read. So naturally, I would love the Christmas special. I think I have always loved the cartoon cat, especially when he got his show, and this special is definitely a heart warmer. A short one, but a definite goodie.

THE SANTA CLAUS

Oh look, something that isn't a cartoon! I actually haven't watched this one in a long while, but I saw Faith on Youtube watching this in her latest video and remembered how much I LOVE it. Tim Allen is hilarious and I'm probably going to be playing this a lot more this year now that I've remembered it!

MICKEY'S A CHRISTMAS CAROL

Finally, on my list, is Mickey Mouse's A Christmas Carol. I'm ALWAYS on the hunt for this one! I don't own a copy of it, but I believe Netflix has the House of Mouse episode where this one plays at the end. Actually, let's just say that the House of Mouse Christmas Special is THE BEST THING EVER because it shows all the Disney Christmas cartoons that you could ever imagine. The Nutcracker, Mickey decorating his tree and house with Pluto, Pluto chasing Chip and Dale. All childhood favorites!

What are your absolute favorite Christmas films?

♥