October. Oh, where has the time gone? It’s finally fall. Finally! I’ve been looking forward to this time of year since summer began. The heat is unbearable here and it’s still pretty hot, but the mornings are now filled with cool breezes.

September was quite a month. Lots of things happened. Good things! For one, my baby brother Matty was born on the 26th. Just a couple of days ago. The days that followed were exhausting. It felt like I had him and I couldn’t imagine what my mother felt like. But she’s happy. We all are! I can’t be near him at the moment as I’m sick and babies are delicate creatures.

Anyways, with the start of a new month comes my monthly favorites! My favorites consist of books, t.v. shows, movies, music, ect. September was a good month as I discovered things I fell in love with all over again!

Favorite Book

The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater. I have been waiting for over a year to read the highly anticipated sequel to The Raven Boys, and it’s next installment did not disappoint one bit. I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC thanks to a friend. He sent me an extra copy he won and I was ecstatic! I devoured The Dream Thieves in a few sittings, completely enthralled in Stiefvater’s world.

The story mostly consisted in Ronan’s p.o.v. and I loved it! I loved getting to know what was in that brooding and dark mind of his. I also loved seeing Blue and Gansey’s relationship blossom. And Adam. ASDFGHJKL. My heart hurt for Adam.

The sequel was pos-it-tute-ly FANTASTIC and I CANNOT wait for the next book already! I need it, like I need air for my lungs!

To check out my full thoughts on the novel, simply click here and read more.

Favorite Music

This month I completely fell in love with Fall Out Boys’ entire Save Rock and Roll album. It’s bloody brilliant! I couldn’t help myself from putting the entire album on repeat and listening to it over and over again. There are two songs that I specifically love, but the entire album is a work of art.

Favorite Movie

Tangled

Everyone who knows me, knows that I’m a kid at heart. There are days when my mother catches me watching a Disney movie and she just shakes her head. What can I say? I have an innocent heart.

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, Disney movies have more meaning when we are older. We catch the subtle hints and the aspiring lessons each movie has for it’s audience.

I absolutely love Tangled. It’s not my first time watching it and it definitely is one of my favorite new Disney princess movies. I just love how it’s light, but very deep at the same time. Rapunzel has never known the outside of her tower and all she wants to do is see the lights that escape from the castle on her birthday.

I love her courage and her spastic nature. She makes me laugh and her love interest is great. I could totally fall in love with someone like Eugene a.k.a. Flynn Ryder.

If you haven’t seen this film, I really recommend it! Watch it with your kids, or watch it with friends. There’s always time to be a kid at heart. We need those days sometimes.

Favorite Show

Sleepy Hollow

I’ve only watched the pilot episode but it was SO GOOD. LIKE BLOODY GOOD. It takes a special kind of show to capture my attention within the first 10 minutes. And Sleepy Hollow is that show.

I love how the first episode was action-packed and suspenseful. I jumped a couple of times and was completely captivated by the entire concept of the show. I love lore, I’ve always been fascinated by it and Sleepy Hollow offers me my fix.  I can’t wait to keep on watching because I know this will be one of my addictions favorite new shows this fall!

Favorite Beauty Products

The City Scape Collection

As a Maven member of Julep, I receive montly boxes. In September, I received the BareFace Oil Cleanser, that cleans away dirt, makeup residue, ect. I love the lemon scent and how clean my face feels after. It is oil, so I prefer to use it before bed. I made the mistake of washing my face before work and I felt my face was oily all day. So if you already have oily skin DO NOT USE in the morning, especially if you are going somewhere. Other than that, I really like the product!

I also receive two new nail polishes that I love! One was pure black and the other a metalic orange. They are great for a night out on the town.

I can’t wait for my monthly box for October! I’m always surprised because they are colors I wouldn’t normally choose.

Oh! I also really like the texture of the nail polish. It’s thick and glossy and is best to add a coat of clear polish to give it extra shine.

Favorite Accessory

In tribute to Catching Fire coming out in November I went and bought a recreation of Peeta’s Locket on Etsy. You all know that I’m compulsive when it comes to buying. It’s simmered exponentially, but I like to treat myself once in a while. It makes me feel better. I think shopping is equal to eating chocolate.

I absolutely love this locket and wear it whenever I go out. The amount of detail is exquisite and the locket truly opens! That was an added perk! I don’t usually like gold piece, but this is beautiful. I I’m really hoping that they incorporate the locket in the movie because that was a sweet moment between Katniss and Peeta; a real moment.

The locket is pos-it-tute-ly lovely and I can’t wait to wear it on premiere night for CF!

So those are all my monthly favorites. I know there wasn’t a lot this month, but I honestly haven’t been able to do much. I work a lot. More than I have before, and my days off are holy days. I like to lay in bed and read. That’s my idea of fun 😀

If you have your own monthly posts, let me know! Leave a link below and I’ll be happy to check it out! 

September you were nice to me. I hope October is grand!

P.S. The giveaway for a SIGNED copy of The Raven Boys will still be extended until the end of this month.

We are now passed half the year. Oh, where on earth does the time go? I literally remember it being New Years Eve as if it was yesterday!

July isn’t looking so great – temperature wise. Lately the temperature has been higher than 105F degrees. Yeah. Excuse me while I go suffocate. Even in the evening when the sun goes down, the heat does not go away. It’s currently almost midnight and it’s 105F. Do you see something wrong with this picture?

Anyways, I hope July is good and if I survive this onslaught of impenetrable heat it will be a great feat!

With the start of a new month, I have my monthly favorites! My favorites consist of books, t.v. shows, movies, music, and a new segment…beauty essentials! It’s important to take care of your skin (as I have learned) especially, when you live in a place where the heat is unbearable.

So here are my top monthly favorites for June.

Favorite Book

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green. This book was by far my favorite novel of the month. No other novel that I read this month, although I loved everything I read, could compare to the special place TFioS now holds in my heart. John Green’s writing is riveting and engaging; painfully raw and honest. It resonated deeply within me and I will never forget the journey that this book took me on.

I’m really excited and looking forward to reading all of John Green’s works in the future. He is like the Nicholas Sparks of Young Adult. I’m sure to have my heart broken, but it is a pleasure as Augustus would say.

To check out my full thoughts on the novel, simply click here and read more.

Favorite Music

So this month I’ve actually fallen into the trap of…mainstream music. Some songs are just really catchy and well, pretty darn good. One mainstream song that I’ve had on constant repeat  is My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light Em Up) by Fall Out Boy.

Fall Out Boy is one of those bands that I grew up with. I remember listening to them when I was in 7th grade and have loved their music ever since. I’ve been highly anticipating their new album for years after a very long hiatus. I’m so glad that their back and can’t wait to listen to the rest of the album.

The other thing that I have been loving this month is covers. For example, I am completely in love with Sleeping With Sirens rendition of Iris by The Goo Goo Dolls.

I also love Sam Tsui’s covers of Clarity by Zedd and Don’t You Worry Child by Swedish House Mafia. I think I may love his covers more than I do the actual “real” song. My bestfriend, Ray absolutely disagrees. But then again, our taste in music varies occasionally.

Lastly, I am very much IN LOVE with Ed Sheeran and Passenger’s preformance of No Diggity vs. Thrift Shop.

Favorite Movie

Man of Steel

I love all things Superman. I have watched Smallville and all of the Superman adaptions. Superman is my all-time favorite superhero and I could not wait to see Man of Steel this summer! A major bonus was that the infamous and iconic, Clark Kent, would be played by Henry Cavill!

I really liked this adaption of the Superman story. It wasn’t what I was expecting whatsoever, even though I watched the trailer about a dozen times before the movie hit theaters. The director had an interesting and different view of the story that was suspenseful and action-packed. In Superman Returns with Branden Routh, we saw the story of Superman fighting the evils that is Lex Luthor. In Man of Steel, we see his struggle to find out who he is and where he came from all the while fighting General Zod, the person who caused the destruction of his planet, Krypton.

I loved the flashbacks and the time lapse. It was nicely done. I also liked that the romance (even though I’m a hopeless romantic) was secondary. Amy Acker, who plays Lois Lane, was amazing! She embodied Lois’s fierce nature. Henry Cavill was a perfect Clark Kent, in my opinion. He was a lonely soul, always hiding his identity and never having anyone to trust. It was different but I liked it a lot because it’s a characteristic that I hadn’t fully seen embodied in Clark Kent before.

Overall, I loved this movie! It was AH-MAZING! Henry Cavill was a great Clark Kent/Superman and he will be forever remembered in that great legacy.

Favorite Shows

Like in May, I watched A LOTTLE shows in June. I mostly watched comedies from ABCFamily.

Melissa & Joey

After a family scandal, Melissa takes in her niece and nephew. But Mel Burke is a councilwoman and barely has time to take care of herself much less two teenagers. This prompts her to hire a nanny in Joe Longo and discovers his involvement in the Scanlon fraud.

I really liked how Melissa & Joey was just so easy to watch. Like I could just let go and enjoy. I really needed that some days, especially after a long 8 hour shift at work. Sometimes, you just need to relax and not think while you’re watching t.v. I know that sounds bad, but it’s true. I liked coming home and watching Melissa & Joey and laughing at the innuendos and subtle humor. I also couldn’t help but root for Mel & Joey. Goodness! I need them together.

IT NEEDS TO HAPPEN IN THE NEXT SEASON, OKAY.

Lastly, I really like the dynamic between the characters. They are a family, a dysfunctional one, but a family nonetheless, which is something that I really like about the show.

Baby Daddy

When Ben finds a baby girl on his doorstep he is thrust into fatherhood. It appears that Emma is his daughter after a one night stand months prior. Ben decides to raise Emma with the help of his mother, his older brother Danny, his best friend Tucker, and Riley – the girl who has had a crush on him ever since high school.

I watched Baby Daddy in a few hours. A FEW HOURS. I was completely hooked from the first episode and really liked this light comedy show. Some of the actors I have known from previous shows and networks and was happy to see them in a new role! The second season has started already and I can’t wait to catch up and to see if my OTP makes it FTW!

Favorite App

Mystery Estate

So I am a bit addicted to Mystery Estate, a free app in the Play Store. I stumbled upon this game one night when I was utterly bored and was looking for a new game to play on my phone.

This game has a multitude of levels where you find things. Yep. It’s like a mega version of I SPY. It’s pretty difficult once you get to higher levels. My eyes have gone crossed eyes more times than I can count. It’s highly addictive and it’s hard to not log in after a few hours. Of course, you can’t play all day as you do have a certain amount of energy.

I highly recommend this game if you like puzzles (because finding this is sort of a puzzle, right?)

Favorite Beauty Products

St. Ives 24 hour Deep Restoring Body Lotion

I LOVE this body lotion. I actually stole it from my mom and used it for the majority of the month. I particularly liked this body lotion because of the way it restored and smoothed out my skin. The soles of my feet have taken a rough beating and I hated it. But with the body lotion, my soles have gotten so much better and I’m so grateful. I wasn’t taking care of them before and it’s one of the reasons why they got to such a bad shape. My soles literally felt like sandpaper. Yuck. But it’s all better now thanks to the body lotion! I also really like the smell of it. I use the almond oil scent and just lather it all over my body for smooth and healthy skin.

Baby Lips

I really like this lip balm that rejuvenates and hydrates your lips. It has 20SPF, which is a definite plus considering that I live in one of the hottest places on the planet. I also like that the balm is shiny, adding a sort of glossy finish. It has become my favorite lip balm product and a definite summer essential.

This lip balm product from Maybelline comes in all sorts of different colors and tinted shades. I personally  like the standard lip balm, but I am curious to try a neutral-pinkish-reddish tint in the future.

Finger Paints

Lastly, I am crazy in love with Finger Paints! They have become my favorite nail polish brand. I really like the nail brush and the texture of the polish. It’s not cheap or hard to spread, which is something that I take notice in. I really like the gel summer colors and personally own that green nail polish ^^ I want to really get into the spirit of summer colors and nail polish is how I do that; it’s how I express myself.

If you follow me on Instagram, you’d see that I most likely have my nails pained a different color in every photo. My favorite colors from Finger Paints are Tiffany Imposter and Get Real-Ism, which is a gel mint green and light, shimmering purple.

So those are all my monthly favorites. Quite a doozy, huh? What do you think of the new beauty segment? Let me know in the comments below! Or if you do your own monthly favorite post share the link! I would love to come by and check it out!

June you were good to me. I hope July is just as good or even better 🙂

xx