WIML

Lake Arrowhead🌄

First time going to Lake Arrowhead and almost decided to not go last minute due to an unexpected family situation. I did not want to leave my family member's side but he insisted that I should still go and enjoy life. It was a really tough decision for me and even though I went, I still bugged him as I was away for the weekend. I told him every chaotic moment that happened at the Airbnb and let’s just say that it was a good laugh.

Days before leaving was the packing process and I’m happy that the sorority retreat experiences helped me in this situation. Only took a carry on full of clothes and costumes and a small duffle bag that had my boots, hygiene products, and makeup essentials. It was a little hard to choose the ‘going out outfits’ as the weather range from 40ºF to 50ºF and most of my clothes were summer clothes/LA winter clothes. Good thing I was able to figure out an outfit and they were perfect for the days that I was there. 

The drive to Lake Arrowhead was not bad at all. Traffic was decent and nothing chaotic. The drive through the mountains was the end of me. I am not a fan of hills or rain and the days that my group and I were there, it was filled with hills and rain. Quite a scary moment if you ask me. Imagine driving up hills with rain, thick fog, and at night. One of the worst moments of my life!! Will I do it again? Probably. During the day there wasn’t much fog which was beautiful when you can enjoy the view. Especially when arriving at the cabin. Felt very homey and cozy. One thing that I kept telling my sister was that I wanted to see a bear as there were signs saying “Beware of Bears”. Never saw one throughout our stay which was probably better for us. Exploring Lake Arrowhead was beautiful but cold. It didn’t help that the wind would move the fog fairly quickly but when there wasn’t any, it was beautiful to enjoy. We all kept saying that it feels like we were in one of the Twilight movies. Definitely planning on going back during the autumn season.

WIML

Knotts Scary Farm

This year was my first time going to Knotts Scary Farm with loved ones and let me just say that it was something I didn't fully expect. We did get to spend time in the theme park before the Halloween festivities but we did have to leave the park at 5pm. I found it a little odd that everyone in the park had to leave before the start of the festivities and can I just say that I was so shocked with how many people were making line to enter the park. Entering back to the park wasn't as bad as leaving but that is where the real fun began. 

Riding roller coasters at night is always better. The adrenaline is felt more and it makes the roller coaster experience a lot better. The wait times were not bad since almost everyone was waiting in line at the haunted houses. That is where most of the people were at and the best part about these haunted houses is that it is free. The haunted houses were also pretty lengthy which was such a good feeling because it makes the experience worth it. There was one haunted house that I wanted to go to and it is a new one that has been added called 'Inked'. Since this was one of the newest haunted houses it was a packed and it was close to an hour wait. 

Through all the walking that we had done, we did get to stop by at an outdoor theater and enjoy the shows that they had. It gave a good break in between the walking that almost everyone enjoyed. The dance performances and acrobats were the ones that we really got to see and it was amazing to watch. Even if it was the last couple of minutes that we got to enjoy. 

WIML

October Nails

If it is one thing about nails in October it is the variations of autumn and Halloween nails. I am saving all the ones that I see and like on a Pinterest board to recreate them on press on. One nail design that I really want to recreate are the Nightmare Before Christmas. There have been many different designs based rom the movie and I get the urge to do all of them but I will be cutting it down to one design and implementing cat eye polishes. 

The next set I want to work on is on a Coraline inspired set. After watching the movie and getting a lot of Coraline nail videos on TikTok, I want to recreate some of them. Well perhaps just one but I'm indecisive on which one I want to do. I have been leaning more towards Mr. Bobinsky's circus as there are a lot more decorations that can be added onto the nail.

Last set I want to do is an autumn set. There are a lot of these kind of inspos and it is hard to choose just one. Although I do have quite a few ideas, it is just a matter of which one do I really want to work on.

WIML

Winter Arc🖤

As October officially begins today, so does winter arc!! I’m looking forward to it and excited to make my goals part of my daily routine. Based on the goals that I set for myself, I am doing pretty good but the one that I have been struggling with is sleeping early and waking up early. As I have been reading again, I tell myself one more chapter and that turns into me reading 10 chapters. Starting today I am going to try to set a better time for me to read and won’t be keeping me up all night. This is something that is affecting the time that I wake up and I will be modifying my morning alarm to allow my body adjusted to a new transition. There will be no new goals added to my winter arc as I have seen that I have set out a lot for me. If you are starting your winter arc now too, let’s do this together and not lose motivation!!

WIML

  Fall Favorites📚

It is now officially autumn!!! My favorite season of the year!! The autumn inspired drinks, lip combos, weather, clothes, ughhh I am so happy autumn has officially started!!! I have been getting Tiktok videos about the autumn season and let me just say that it has been very enjoyable seeing everything. Gets me a lot more excited for the rest of this season. 

The main videos that I get are fall lip combos. They are the ones that get my attention the most as I try to experiment these color combinations when I go out or go to work. Every new lip combination that I have come across have been saved and can't wait to try them out!! Perfect to have when trying to take aesthetic pictures with an autumn inspired drink. 

Any autumn inspired drinks or food are the best to have. That is something that I have looked forward to at the start of the year!! Now that autumn has begun, there is nothing better than a pumpkin theme drink with pumpkin pie cold foam!! Don't get me started with food now. Soups are the ones that I look forward too the most as they give comfort on a perfect crispy day. Teas are the ones that I am excited about the most!! Trying new teas or making my comfort tea, cinnamon tea is the best on any morning!!

From drinks to food, you can never go wrong with fall activities. Pumpkin patches, apple picking, picnics, going to theme parks, and painting/carving pumpkins. With perfect weather these activities can be with friends and family. My personal favorite is going to theme parks as they already have their Halloween decorations out and getting a good scare sets the adrenaline for the night!! Then we have Halloween which is really exciting, my favorite holiday of the year!! Obviously not forgetting about Thanksgiving and the food that comes with this holiday.

WIML

Books, Books, oh & Books📚

If you haven’t caught on from past blog entries and the layout of my blogs, I enjoy reading. If you had met be 8 years ago, I would have told you that I hate reading. Right when COVID happened and we were all quarantined, I had a few books lying around that had caught my attention based on the cover. I know I shouldn’t judge a book by its cover but that is the only way it will interest me. Really not the best advice to give but to me if the book does not look interesting through the cover or it doesn’t catch my eye, I will not get it. I do read the little summary of the book to see what it is about and half the time it convinces me to buy them. Now I want to share to you all about the start of my reading journey, favorite books, genres I enjoy, genres that I want to start reading, current favorite bookstores, my reading journal, and a new tab I will be having soon.

Start of My Reading Journey

The book that got me into my reading habits was Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid. This was also the very first book that had me break down in tears. I will say that I have a soft spot for this book and have reread it a couple of times for comfort. If I remember correctly this book took me 2 days to finish. After reading that book, I had read The Fault in Our Stars by John Green and A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall. With The Fault in Our Stars, I remember getting the book because everyone around me told me that the book is really good and I should watch the movie as well. I’ve read the book and have yet to watch the movie. For A Little Something Different, I still remember going to Barnes & Nobles with my family and my sister was choosing books to read in class and I was just exploring. My mom had actually stumble upon this book and told me to get it as the very first chapter of the book was titled “September” and that was the main reason why I got the book. Quite funny to think about now as I typed this but it was a cute love story with a variety of point of views from all the characters in the book.

Favorite Books

One of my all time favorite books is The Giver by Lois Lowry. I read this book in middle school, I believe I was in 7th grade when I read this for a class. Any book given to me for a class was always hard for me to continue reading. This highest chapter I would go to was chapter 7 and from there I wouldn’t continue reading the books at all. Unlike this book, it had me hooked on by chapter 3 that I would read ahead and not read the amount of chapters I had to read. It is a good dystopian book and watching the movie was even better. My second favorite book is Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid, third favorite book is actually a series with the first book being Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber. It is a romance series with a bit of fantasy. Currently waiting for the 4th book to come out and it has been pre-ordered as well. A birthday gift from me to me. My fourth favorite is A Goode Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson. Let me just say that this book had me thinking and with my guesses about the murder case, I was not close on anything but finishing the book. It is a good mystery book and one that I recommend you to read. My last favorite and this is also a series is The Empyrean series. Starting off with Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, this book really had me thinking that I was in the book. The fantasy and the way that the plot is had me really attached. Did I cry when I read the book? Yes, yes I did. Is the book a recommendation to you? Yes, yes it is. Am I going to explain what this book is about? No, no I’m not because I fear that I will not be able to contain my excitement about this book and will just spoil it.

Go to Bookstores

Number 1 bookstore that I will recommend going is Barnes & Nobles. It is the obvious choice to go and look for books and see other genres that they have available for the public. I do like to go to new locations and as they sometimes have books that I cannot find in the other locations. My second go to spot for books is a bookstore called Ripped Bodice. This bookstore has a lot of romance books and one that I know for sure I can find my next romance book. I have gotten other stuff from there like bookmarks and stickers. These are the current 2 places that I enjoy going for books and there are many other locations that I can’t wait to check out and add them into my go to bookstores list.

Favorite + New Genres

At this very current moment my favorite genres are fantasy, romance, mystery, and fiction novels. I happened to find myself reading a lot of fantasy and romance lately. There are times when I do read poetry but for sure fantasy and romance are my go to genre's as for mystery and fiction novels are still pretty high up there as my favorites too. There is one genre that I do want to get into a lot more and that is thriller/horror. I did get the book Fantastic Land by Mike Bockoven to start reading in October to get into the spooky season feels and I hope that I do branch out to more genres to have variety in books. I have read a couple of Natasha Preston's book which happen to be thriller but they are not heavy thriller books. I want to be able to get spooked when I am reading a thriller book. If you have any recommendations, please send them my way.

Reading Journal

After reading my books, I start to add them into my reading journal. It is nice to keep record of the books that I have read to remind me of the books that I have read and to also write about what stood out to me or what was it that made me love the book. I had gotten one as a birthday gift a couple of years ago and I am nowhere near done or halfway into finishing it. But it really is nice to have to keep as book reading record.

New Tab?

As I have a lot of time available (as of right now), I want to add a tab, ”Book Babez”, where I will be writing about the books that I have finished reading. I am currently reading “Midnight on the Celestial” by Julia Alexandria. Once I am done reading the book, I will be giving my thoughts about the book and write a small review. This tab will also serve as book recommendations to anyone that wants new books to read and it will also be a way to not just motivate me but to you as well to meet your readings goals (if any) or motivate you to read a book.

WIML

 Winter Arc💪🏼

If you have been spending time on TikTok and have come across videos about "Winter Arc", then you know what I am going to be talking about. If you haven't seen those videos, let me give a brief introduction. Winter arc starts on October 1st and ends December 31st. Some people like to start in September to have that habit slowly being built by the time October comes around. This is a 3 month process of health improvement, goal setting, and building habits. A lot of the videos shown on social media is people going to the gym 5-7 times a week to hit their health goals and maintain a healthy eating habit but there is more to that. As for me, my winter arc will be differently.

Goal Setting

The way that I want to start my winter arc is goal setting. There are a couple of goals that I have in mind and want to transition them into habits.

1. Eat cleaner: This is my main target and by doing so, I will be cutting down on sweets, including sweet drinks. As of recently, sweets have been something that I am not constantly having. I will crave for something sweet once a month but it is not a constant crave. 

2. Working out 5x a week: With my currently schedule, sometimes it is hard to find a time that I want to go workout at the gym. I prefer going right after I wake up in the mornings but then I get schedule for work and it makes it harder when my shifts are not consistent. I might have to start going in the evening when it is crowded or later at night around 8:30pm. This is something that I will be working on and planning accordingly. 

3. Staying active: On days that I will not be going to the gym, I want to continue staying active. This can be going on walks, hikes, or doing stretching exercises at home. 

4. Getting proper rest: My sleeping schedule has been a mess and it has to be fix. Getting 8 hours of sleep is the goal and making sure that I am sleeping early. Giving my body and mind a proper rest will improve day to day activities.

5. Waking up at 7am: I am not a morning person and this one is going to be a challenge. For those that know me, I love sleeping and waking up is the worst part of my day. This is what I need to fix and I know I will struggle but giving up is not an option. Waking up early will also allow me to have more time to tackle all of my tasks that I have planned out for my day.

6. More books, less phone: Being on my phone can be addicting and the books that I have got to be read. I have recently bought more and haven't read half of my book cart. I will have to put myself on a book buying ban soon because that tbr list is getting longer and it is time to shorten it up. This is a habit that I go back and forth with but slowly adding it to my routine by reading a chapter (or more) before going to sleep.

7. Journaling = healthy mind: There are days where I do forget to journal and catch up either the next day or a few days after. I have been trying to work on that in the morning but I keep forgetting. A habit that is still being in the works and I know I will be able to do it. Journaling will help me ease my mind and give myself a bit of self care.

8. Staying hydrated: No matter what time of year we are in, staying hydrated is a priority. I have been able to maintain my hydration pretty well and I know for this winter arc I will be able to keep doing well.

With a total of 7 goals, I know that it may be a struggle to stay consistent but I will not be giving up. I am starting this upcoming week Sunday to build these goals into habits by the time that winter arc officially begins. There are days where I will struggle but I will be reminding myself that these habits are not going to be built overnight. They take time and that is okay. If I can do it, so can you!! 💛

WIML💻🛍

 Job Updates✨💻

There has not been an update on my current job search and applications. Although I did apply to more places and have gotten at least 2 new rejections. Not entirely hurt but I do hope that I get back from the 2 places that I want. I did find more openings for a company that I am interested in working at and have already submitted my resume and filled out the application for the job. I really hope that I get to hear back from these places.

Let me tell you all a funny story about the whole job application process. The past couple of days, I have been scrolling on TikTok to pass some time when I am bored and hope that I get to come across small business, coffee shops to try out, or just see what is in my for you page. Then I get a tarot card reading video and one thing about me is that I cannot do another tarot card reading. I did it once, never again. But this tarot card reading did get my attention and it was about new beginnings and opportunities coming my way. Getting one video about it was fine, the second video went more in depth on "September is the month that you will get good news. The job you have been wanting will be coming to you". Now I don't know if I should be scared or intrigued. Then after a few scrolls, I get another video on "a job calling is coming your way", fourth video "September is going to deliver news about a new job opportunity", and many more videos. I was getting a couple of more tarot card videos regarding of job opportunities a few days ago but as of right now, there hasn't been any new tarot card reading videos. Like I said before, I do not like messing with tarot card readings but if this is sign about me getting the job that I have been wanting them pleeeaaaassseeeee let it come my way!! I'm tired of waiting for a call or email. I'm trying to end my retail adventure in order to start a new adventure. 

 Working Retail🛍

In my current job, I have enjoyed my time with my coworkers and managers. It has been a pretty nice environment and one that I did genuinely enjoy the work environment and the discounts. But there comes a time where you want to move forward with a better opportunity. As of right now, I am getting hours which is a blessing because money is needed in this economy and after my inventory shift on Sunday, I know my next check will be amazing. To anyone who has done inventory in a retail setting, you are a warrior. Scanning every item of the store is tiring and when it comes to our understock, it is not a joke. Bending to scan the items is what kills the most. Thankfully the items I had to scan were a mix of understock and whatever was on the walls. After that 6pm - 12:30am inventory shift, I will not complain about any closing shift in my life again. Even though it is nice to work in an environment when there aren't any customers asking for help.

WIML: ⛳☕

 CSULB Day<3

No I am not back in school if you were wondering. I accompanied my sister to her university to check out her classes and location. Walking around CSULB brings me back memories to the first time I was walking in that campus in middle school. Best believe that I will be talking about CSULB more often here!! The volleyball games are coming up and I can't wait to go with my sister!! First thing first, I will be purchasing a sweater from CSULB to show my sister support the same way that I show my cousin from UCLA support. Now I do have a few sweaters in mind when I went to the bookstore and I will be waiting patiently for that sweater. 

With all these crazy hot days, a good latte or matcha just makes the day even better. These are the kind of days that my sister and I enjoy. Well, whenever there is a latte or matcha involved. One thing about us is that we are always happy to try new coffee spots around the LA area. With any coffee shop that I go to I like to try their coffee first and on the second time visiting I'll try their matcha. If I go back to the same coffee shop more than twice, I like to try other drinks on their menu as well to spice it up on any day. One thing that I look forward to are the fall drinks. There is a specific drink that I am looking forward to in fall and I am itching to get my hands on it!! If you have any recommendations, let me know!!

Mini Golf

Mini golfing has been one activity that my siblings and I enjoy. This past weekend we went mini golfing and we made it into a mini competition. It was way too hot to be golfing before 5 so the best way to kill time was going to the mall. Heading to the mini golfing area looked beautiful with the sunset but arriving to the place was chaos. I was happy to find parking right away but the place was packed. Luckily we found a course that didn’t have a lot of people and the course level was a bit challenging. My siblings and I really enjoyed a good challenge. Let me just say, I found my own tips and tricks when using a putter. I was able to make 3 holes in ones and I have never felt so proud. We are still in summer and I recommend you go mini golfing with friends, loved ones, and family. Enjoy the late summer evenings/nights as summer is coming to an end.

WIML

Weekly Workouts

I hate Mondays and this may be straight to the point but I had to say it. I can't sleep in and I love sleeping in. As much as I hate Mondays I do not let it get the best of me. Every Monday is a reminder that I have the opportunity to restart my routine for the rest of the week. The best thing for me to have the rest is by working out. I've been trying to stay consistent going to the gym 4 times a week but it has been hard thing to keep it as a habit due to my current work schedule being very wonky. I do plan to go before or after my shifts to not miss out on my routines. Mornings I attend the gym and in the evenings I do at home Pilates. Discipline starts from day 1 and I refuse to slack off. The best way for me to be motivating myself is to reward myself at the end of the month with either a new workout set or any workout apparel to get me excited for the following week.

Gym Routine

Throughout the 4 days of going to the gym, there is a split schedule that I like to follow so that I do not overwhelm my body with an excessive amount of exercises at the gym. This is a way to perfectly balance upper body and lower body workouts. The schedule that I have planned out makes it easier for me to follow through specific exercises that I want to do and what machines I want to use. This is how I have my workout schedule planned out throughout the 4 days.

1. Monday: Leg Day (Hamstrings + Glute), Cardio (Stairmaster)

2. Tuesday: Arms/Shoulders (Biceps + Deltoids) , Back, Core, Cardio (Treadmill)

3. Wednesday: Leg Day (Quads + Calves), Cardio (Stairmaster)

4. Thursday: Arms (Triceps), Chest, Core, Cardio (Treadmill)

At Home Routine

On top of the days that I attend my morning/afternoon gym sessions, I like to do at home Pilates as it has low impact exercises that have helped me work on core strength, stability, posture, muscle control and breathing. I personally haven't taken an in person Pilates class but I do find the at home Pilates videos to be a perfect start if you're interested in attending classes in the future. The videos that I like to follow along can be found on YouTube but I have my preference on 2 instructors. Pilates by Izzy and Melania Antuchas are the instructors that I like to follow along. Pilates by Izzy are perfect if you are beginning your Pilates journey. All you need is a yoga block, small weights ( I use 3 lbs.), yoga ball, and a mat. Melania's videos are a bit on the intermediate level but if you like a good challenge, I recommend her! You will be using a yoga block, weights, resistance bands and weights. If you have any recommendations on Pilates instructors or recommend any Pilates studios in the LA area, let me know as this is something that I want to try out!