Month: July 2019

5 Teen Book Reviews in 5 Sentences

BrookeLeave a comment

Welcome back everyone!

For today’s post I had a random burst of inspiration; I was rereading one of my old favorite book trilogies last night and this morning, and I knew I wanted to do something related to books. I used to constantly devour new books but in the past couple years I’ve rarely gotten the chance to read anything that’s not required for school. However, in summer I have the free time to explore and revisit some comforting favorites! I stayed up until 2 am reading the first book in the previously mentioned trilogy last night, and I finished the other two before getting out of bed this morning.

Clearly, I read in long and intense spurts. I will admit most of my favorite books and the ones I’ll mention today are more YA fiction and not necessarily “mature” picks or classic works, but I’ve always looked at reading as an escape and I am a teenager; therefore, I can easily get sucked into any interesting world portrayed in a story, and I do get attached to the characters found in these novels. Also, all of the books I’ll discuss are nicely lined up on my bookshelf right across from me at the moment and have been held dear to me for a while, so they’re definitely not new!

I wanted to talk about some of the books I’ve loved for quite a few years, but not have to go too in-depth or explain the plots. I actually read a lot of these for the first time in late elementary school or middle school so they’re not the most advanced, but I was an avid reader and had a slightly higher-than-average reading level back then so do with that what you will. I will review each book with one sentence summing up my favorite thing about it/the overall enjoyment I got from it. That’s why I came up with this idea; I can suggest a few books to you guys and explain why I liked them/how they made me feel, but it will be (VERY) short and sweet. Now that I’ve given you some background on my reading style and preferences, here are the reviews:

  1. The Selection Trilogy by Kiera Cass (the aforementioned trilogy): These books made me long for a prince of my own (stereotypical, I know), the characters annoyed me at times but I overall became very invested in the protagonist’s love life.
  2. Matched Trilogy by Ally Condie: My main introduction to dystopian novels, the classic plotline of breaking free intertwined with a love triangle was enough to keep me intrigued throughout the main character’s journey.
  3. Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass: The ending (aka the reveal of the meaning of life) disappointed me at first but at the same time was the perfect conclusion to a touching story, it really did make me think about the meaning of life and how we find it in ourselves.
  4. A Corner of the Universe by Ann M. Martin: I read this a longggg time ago, but it was one of the first books to make me genuinely cry at the end; the setting of an old-timey boarding house and carnival was portrayed so well and the beautiful yet tragic ending broke my heart.
  5. The Secret Series by Pseudonymous Bosch: This series was different than most of the ones I read in that it was just randomly adventurous, but I enjoyed the narrator’s sarcastic tone and all the twists and turns through the books; a bunch of unlikely events led to a couple young kids making insane discoveries (I often wished I was in their exciting positions!).

I hope you guys enjoyed this new idea (I may do it again in the future or something similar but still changing it up) and learning a bit more about me and what I like to read! Definitely check out some of these books if you’re interested, or at least just take this as a sign to find something new to read. 🙂 Let me know if you’ve read and enjoyed any of these books and if you have any other book-related content ideas!

-Brooke

How To Have A Productive Day: My 10 Steps

BrookeLeave a comment

Hello everyone!

I hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July. Today I am going to be giving you some tips on how to increase your productivity and get more things done throughout the day, even in the summertime. Since I got back from my trip, I’ve constantly had lots of items on my to-do list and little things to catch up on. I’ve been slowly powering through all the tasks and I’m proud to say I’ve done at least a couple things each day, so here I am to pass on some advice to you!

Step 1: Write out your current list of to-dos the night before. Include everything, no matter how small or seemingly unimportant it is, just so you don’t forget. It will also feel nice to check off a bunch of things, even if they were small. This way you know what eventually needs to get done and once you see where you’re at during the day, you can pick and choose what to focus on.

Step 2: Use a planner or calendar to plan out appointments and such so you know what time is already blocked out from your day. I personally have been using Google Calendar during the summer, but during the school year I would use the planner my school provided. This kind of goes along with the to-do list since you have to keep updating it in advance, but it helps since you see what time you actually have to work besides the time you’re busy with actual engagements.

Step 3: Wake up early and start your day with a good breakfast almost immediately. It’s simple: if your day starts earlier, you’ll start getting stuff done earlier. Make a healthy breakfast and drink some water before getting ready for the day, and maybe go on a quick walk/get your daily workout in if you have one to get it out of the way. Then you can start tackling your duties!

Step 4: Group things that can all be knocked out at once. For example, if you need to buy a birthday gift and also an outfit for the birthday party, you can go to the mall later and buy both of these things. If you have to do a couple different chores at home, get them done during the same period of time. If you have to respond to a bunch of emails and also do some other tasks on the computer, do that all at once; I think you get the point now. This will have you completing more things within a shorter amount of time and also reducing the amount of places you will have to go to.

Step 5: Take breaks. You don’t need to be running around the whole day- if you’re insanely busy, at least make sure to take a lunch break. Recharge or even just work on the easier tasks like responding to texts/emails while you eat. This can also help you evaluate how much you’ve already gotten done as you reflect back on your to-do list and planner.

Step 6: Get the things you HAVE to do/most time-sensitive tasks done first thing, then more leisurely tasks later in the day when you’re starting to wind down. This will help you relax a little more while still keeping your productivity levels up, and it’s just important to keep your priorities in check. Something school or work related definitely comes before cleaning out your junk drawer, but as long as you manage your time, you can easily get both done!

Step 7: Eat healthy meals. I know I mentioned this before with having a healthy breakfast, but sugar slows you down and won’t make you feel good if you’re eating a bunch of it throughout the day. Eat your protein and veggies, and of course some carbs/sugar in moderation. As cheesy as it sounds, treat your body like the temple it is- you need to be in your best shape to keep working!

Step 8: For tasks that can’t just be completed in one sit-down, devote a block of time to work on them each day until they are finished. Put this block somewhere in your planner/calendar each day and give however many minutes you can/you think you’ll need (for most projects, 20-60 minutes should suffice). This way you know you have to work on it rather than procrastinate, but you won’t be sitting there working, bored and stressed for hours on end.

Step 9: Reward yourself for completing however many tasks you did during the day. I know there’s still a lot left on my to-do list (even with things being crossed off each day, there’s always things being added as well), but that’s just how it goes and it’s still great that I’ve been working to get as much done as possible each day. My grandparents are visiting and staying at my house so I’ve also been spending a lot of time with them, but I’ve still devoted a bunch of time to my daily tasks and other things I wanted to get done. Be proud of yourself for spending your day wisely, especially during the summer! Don’t forget that you have plenty of time to do all the things you need and want to do eventually- there’s no need to be stressed, continue enjoying the summer while you can!

Step 10: Continue to plan for the next day going forward and do it all again! Consistency and having a schedule really helps with productivity, so make sure you keep up with adding items to your to-do list and updating your planner or calendar. Have an idea of what you want to do each day, and make the most of your time (whether by doing a bunch of work, or just relaxing and enjoying the summer). I know you guys will accomplish great things either way, so just stay on top of your stuff and you will be golden.

I hope these steps helped clue you into how I’ve been trying to be productive this summer and how you can too! Let me know if this helped you or if you think there’s something I should add. I’ll talk to you guys soon- keep being productive.

-Brooke

Review- Spider-Man: Far From Home

BrookeLeave a comment

Happy 4th of July everyone!

I wasn’t planning on posting today, but I had some free time and I knew I wanted to write a review of Far From Home eventually. In fact, today I saw it for the second time! I saw it opening night with my friends and (spoiler!) enjoyed it so much that when my family went to see it I tagged along again. I don’t keep up with all of the Marvel movies and storylines, but I watched Spider-Man: Homecoming on the plane ride home from Italy. Prior to that I hadn’t seen any of the recent Marvel movies; I had seen glimpses of Homecoming and it looked funny, so I downloaded it to watch on the plane on a whim since it recently came to Netflix. You don’t have to be super into superheroes to enjoy it, so I highly recommend going to see it no matter what you’re interested in!

The movie focuses on Peter Parker and his struggles to balance his superhero responsibilities and his desire to just enjoy being a kid. It’s set in Europe (it starts in Venice so that was fun for me to see after just being there!) on his science class trip, coincidentally also at the locations of a bunch of attacks by “elemental” monsters that seemingly come out of nowhere. Nick Fury needs Peter to help fight them, but Peter just wants to tell MJ that he likes her and spend time with his friends. I thought the movie perfectly balanced both of these issues while incorporating humor, even in the more serious scenes.

All of the characters have their hilarious moments and witty one-liners, which I greatly appreciated. Tom Holland does an amazing job playing the role of a reluctant teenage superhero, and I adore Zendaya’s character just because she’s so funny. The chemistry between Peter and MJ was great and I really was rooting for them to get together throughout the movie. I also thought the relationship between Ned and Betty was cute as well, but it was definitely unexpected. There was a decent amount of romance-related drama in this movie, but that makes sense since it’s definitely geared a bit more towards teenagers than some other Marvel movies.

As far as the plot, no spoilers here! There’s definitely a turning point in the movie where it seems that the main problems are resolved and the story will come to an end, just as the plot thickens. The first time I saw the movie I definitely didn’t see the plot twist coming, but after seeing it today there were a couple clues I picked up; I’m just not very good at predicting those types of things.

Ultimately, I would rate the movie a 10/10! My little brother said a 9/10, but he’s extremely picky with movies, so I’d still say that’s a win. I know this review is a bit short (especially considering it’s a pretty long movie at over 2 hours, and there’s lots to talk about) but discussing most of it would give spoilers anyways and I’m trying not to give away anything! You HAVE to go see it if you meet any of the following criteria: you love Tom Holland and/or Zendaya, you love Marvel movies, you’re a teenager, you love movies in general. If none of those are you, I still highly recommend seeing it anyway!

Have a safe and happy 4th of July (even though it’s almost over), and go see Spider-Man: Far From Home!

-Brooke

50 Birthday Gift Ideas for Girls

BrookeLeave a comment

Hello everyone!

A bunch of my friends’ birthdays are in the summer in addition to my own, so birthday plans and gift shopping have definitely been on my mind lately. If you’re in the same boat, this is the post for you! Here’s a list of gift ideas with something for everyone (hopefully). It will take off the stress of searching for the perfect gift and your friend will love whatever they get, so it’s a win-win!

*Disclaimer: these gifts vary in price range and creativity greatly, they are just ideas! You can give a great and meaningful gift without spending a lot of money.

  1. Money
  2. Gift cards to their favorite clothing store, restaurant, website, or a service like Uber/Postmates, etc.
  3. Scrunchies (you can get huge packs on Amazon for cheap!)
  4. Wildflower phone cases or any phone case
  5. Portable charger
  6. Streaming subscription (music or Netflix, etc.)
  7. Beauty products (eyeshadow palettes and Mario Badescu stuff are always popular)
  8. A personalized photo book or scrapbook from Shutterfly/any website where you can make one, or homemade
  9. Candy
  10. Hydro Flask and stickers to customize it
  11. Concert tickets for an artist you both like
  12. New phone
  13. New laptop
  14. Plan a day with them- some ideas are going to a cool restaurant for lunch, going out to a nearby city or beach, or going to get your nails done
  15. Candles
  16. Bath bombs (Lush ones are great)
  17. Shoes- Nike Air Force 1s and Doc Martens are really popular right now, but any cool sneakers or boots would be great
  18. New wallet or purse
  19. Jewelry- Brandy Melville has cute affordable jewelry, but on the pricier side there are trendy Instagram-popular online stores like Adina’s Jewels and Frasier Sterling (they have good sales though!)
  20. Fjallraven Kanken backpack
  21. Sunglasses
  22. Perfume- minis are good because they can get a feel for the scent and purchase a bigger bottle later
  23. Glossier products (Boy Brow and their Balm Dotcom are their best sellers)
  24. Portable speaker
  25. AirPods or any nice wireless headphones
  26. Skateboard
  27. Surfboard
  28. A guitar or any instrument if they want to learn to play (or a newer/nicer one if they already play and have one)
  29. A book they’ve been wanting to read, or one you think they would like
  30. Room decor- anything from knicknacks that match the theme of their room to new bedding to new furniture
  31. New hair tools (straightener, curling iron, hairdryer)
  32. Minifridge for their room
  33. A cute coffee mug (you could even get a personalized one with a photo of you guys on it)
  34. Bake them a cake or their favorite food and wrap it nicely
  35. Clothes!! If I get clothes for a friend I usually get them a shirt- popular stores are Brandy Melville, Urban Outfitters, Pacsun, American Eagle, Forever 21, and Tilly’s, but there’s also online stores like Princess Polly that have grown recently
  36. A nice set of pens or stationary
  37. Calvin Klein bra/underwear set
  38. Birkenstocks
  39. Framed picture or collage of you guys
  40. Fuzzy socks
  41. Bathing suits (Target, Forever 21 and Zaful are popular for cheap ones, Pacsun and Tilly’s have midrange ones, and boutique-y brands like Frankie’s Bikinis and Vitamin A have great pricey ones)
  42. Amazon Alexa or Google Home/any voice assistant
  43. A cute makeup bag or decorated storage container (you could fill it with goodies too!)
  44. A care package filled with their favorite snacks and lots of little gifts like small beauty products, or you could create a theme for it and give lots of gifts centered around that theme in it
  45. Minimergency kit (these are lifesavers, it’s a specific brand/product)
  46. Travel kit (essentials for traveling, travel-size toiletries, makeup bag, mini nail kit, etc.)
  47. Lululemon leggings or workout clothes from there in general
  48. Photo printer
  49. Polaroid camera
  50. Apple Watch

Those are all the ideas I have for you guys now! I hope you guys can get some inspiration for this or found a gift idea that will work for the person you have in mind. If you have any ideas you think should be added to this list, feel free to let me know!

-Brooke

Taking An Online AP Course: My Experience (so far)

BrookeLeave a comment

Welcome back everyone!

Today I have some more school-related content for you guys! I’m going to be explaining why I chose to take an AP course online (during the summer!), how it’s going so far, and my recommendations/tips regarding the subject. I am currently taking AP Psychology through BYU Independent Study online, and I want to share my experience with all of you guys!

You may be thinking, why would you put yourself through extra AP coursework, especially over the summer? Well, I’ll tell you a number of reasons. First, AP Psychology is known to be one of the easier AP classes (lots of people self-study and take the test without taking the class!) and it was a subject I was very interested in, which overall makes it much easier to do. My school offers it and I knew I wanted to take the class at some point, but I wouldn’t have room for it in my schedule any other year so I resorted to looking at online options.

In addition to not having room for it in my schedule, this is due to my elective slot being taken up by yearbook. Yearbook is a CP class and all of my other classes for next year (besides Spanish) are honors or AP and therefore weighted, so yearbook is going to bring down my weighted GPA; however, taking AP Psych over the summer will boost my GPA again and make up for that. I also loved the flexible schedule of BYU’s online classes, so it made it much easier to commit to. Lastly, lots of my friends were planning on taking courses over summer through our school (namely chemistry, so they could move on to the diverse and more exciting science offerings at my school/AP science courses), but I could not do this since they started right away when I was on my trip. If I wanted to take a class over summer it had to be flexible and/or almost completely online, so that’s why I chose the one I’m taking!

So far my experience with the class has been great. BYU Independent Study uses this portal called Buzz for the online classes, and it organizes everything really well and is easy to access. You can view your grades there and it’s also where all the assignments, online quizzes, and readings are. The classes are split into two semesters (often called Part 1 and Part 2) and currently I am studying for the midterm after finishing unit 3 of Part 1. I have been taking the class for a little under a week, so it’s definitely easy to get through if you put the time in.

The structure of the class is straightforward: lessons have a reading and then a self-check quiz that doesn’t count towards your grade, and at the end of each unit there’s either a discussion board or essay assignment in addition to a multiple choice unit quiz. There is also a multiple choice midterm and a multiple choice final. Everything is completed/taken online except for the final which you must find a nearby proctor location for and go take the test there. My only complaints are constantly having to log back in since the sessions time out pretty quickly, and that the textbook wasn’t included- I should have figured, but I assumed there would be an online link or something.

Here are a few of my recommendations and tips if you would like to take a course (AP or not) online as well:

  • Choose a subject you’re interested in– this makes it so much easier to stay motivated and learn, especially if you’re taking it in the summer
  • Research different online providers and compare the specific classes– there are many good online course providers and it can be hard to narrow it down, so go by your own criteria (which has the best ratings for your specific course, which is the cheapest, or which has the best schedule for you, etc.)
  • Buy supplemental prep materials online– if you’re taking an AP course and planning on taking the exam, you will need these anyway; buy a prep book and possibly some flashcards (like the Barron’s ones) so you have extra resources
  • Unless it’s your favorite subject or an easier class to take online, don’t take a “core subject” class- I picked AP Psych because it was interesting to me, but also because it wasn’t a super intense course or a main subject like math or English. If you’re a math whiz then taking AP Stats over summer might be easy, but you should know your limits and if you’re concerned about the demands of a certain course, go for something with an easier reputation that will still be enriching.
  • Don’t procrastinate!! Schedule out time for your coursework– this is self-explanatory, but seriously try to stay on task and do your work. It doesn’t have to be stressful, but it will be if you have to do a bunch of work last minute. Stay on top of it and create a schedule if you’re having trouble taking the time out of your day to work on the class.
  • Use (but don’t abuse) online resources if you get stuck– if you’re using a popular provider, there will most likely be Quizlets for the course and other study guides or resources online. These can be super helpful for studying so I would recommend looking for them, but make sure you’re still doing the work on your own and actually learning.
  • If you need help, contact the teacher- just because it’s an online class and you’re doing the work independently doesn’t mean you’re completely on your own! If you’re struggling in any way make sure to email the teacher so they can clarify any confusion and help make the course work for you. My course has a special place where you can make a digital appointment to talk to the teacher- if yours has something similar utilize it, but if not email works just fine.

That’s everything I can think of for now! Personally I have found my course very easy so far as long as I pay attention to the readings, and I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in psychology or taking a course online. I will continue to update you guys how the course is going as I move through it. Feel free to ask me any questions about it or online courses in general; I did quite a bit of research before settling on this one. Hopefully this helped!

-Brooke

Summer Activities That Will Cure Your Boredom

BrookeLeave a comment

Hello everyone!

If you don’t have any trips/other plans for the summer and are wondering how to spend your time productively but still have fun, this is the post for you! Personally, my vacation was at the very beginning of my summer, so now I have the rest of the time ahead of me here at home. I actually have a lot going on related to school activities (the summer cheer practice schedule is crazy), but I have a couple weeks of peace right now. I’m going to share how I’ll be spending this downtime with you guys as well as some other ideas, and hopefully it will inspire you to try one at least one of these things!

I definitely won’t be doing all of these things (I wish I had enough time to!) but these ideas will range from the more carefree to the more structured/productive type of activities. Some of them are more basic than others but I figured I would throw in whatever sounded fun. Here they are:

  • Go to the beach
  • Find a new or unique restaurant and eat there with friends
  • Try making a new food, find a recipe you like or make your own recipe
  • Take a class in something you’re interested in, whether online or in person (this could be anything- academic interests to extracurricular interests to just something random like yoga)
  • Take an actual academic class/summer school to get ahead in credits or boost your GPA
  • Take a class in an interesting subject at your local community college for college credit
  • Volunteer (this could be at a place you already have volunteered, you could try helping out at a new place, or you could start your own project)
  • Exercise and try different types of workouts (YouTube videos, etc.)
  • Go to the library and find books to read for fun
  • Binge-watch new Netflix shows
  • Have a movie marathon
  • Have a bonfire and make s’mores with friends
  • Experiment with makeup looks
  • Write for fun- you can write anything! Books, stories, poetry, etc.
  • Do your own research/learn about something important to you
  • Have a self-care/at-home spa day (face mask, bath, etc.)
  • Attend a camp or volunteer at a camp as a counselor
  • Practice any sports/instruments you play
  • Clean and re-organize your room
  • Tan by the pool and go swimming
  • “Clean out” your social media- go through your followers and posts, get rid of unnecessary accounts
  • Get a summer job if you’re old enough
  • Help out your parents/family members in any way that you can (running errands, chores)
  • Stay involved in your school extracurriculars- try and organize an event, project, or meeting over the summer or just do things related to the subject matter
  • Make a killer summer playlist that you can listen to at all times
  • Start a blog or YouTube channel and make content related to your summer or a more specific topic you’re passionate about
  • Clean out your closet
  • Have a barbecue or some other party at your house
  • Go on a hike and have a picnic near the scenery
  • Attend a summer program (you would usually have to apply or sign up in advance so it’s not really a boredom solution but it’s a great option for future summers!! There are programs for everything ranging from the more prestigious academic ones to volunteer / culture immersion trips to taking a course for credit on a college campus. I can do a post on this in the future with some explanations of options and other resources- I’ve never done one myself but I hope to next summer)
  • Explore your local city- there’s probably places within it that you’ve never been to or realized the beauty of
  • Find a new hobby or pick up one that you’ve always been interested in but didn’t have time for previously
  • Start a business! It doesn’t have to be fancy or complicated; it could even be a lemonade stand.
  • Do your summer reading!!!!
  • Babysit or dogsit for people in your neighborhood
  • Go on long walks or runs in the morning
  • Go on an informal college tour if there’s any schools you’re interested nearby
  • Take a day-long road trip to a nearby city or town
  • Go to a concert or sporting event
  • See the exhibits at local museums

I hope these ideas got your imagination flowing and will encourage you to get up and out doing something active and fun! I personally am taking a class online (which I will be posting about soon), volunteering, keeping up with school activities, and hanging out with my friends and family. My grandparents (who live in Hawaii) are in town and staying at my house so I may not be posting as consistently but I will have more content coming soon!

-Brooke