Links to Love

Hello Lovelies!

This week has been exhausting, after my four hours today I will have worked 36 hours this week with only one day (yesterday) off. Honestly though I don't even feel like I had Yesterday off because I was so busy. All I did was go to the chiropractor and then I came home to clean house, do laundry and get some school work done!

My original plan was to use yesterday to catch up on blogging and school, but things didn't go the way I wanted them to. However, I did get a few things planned out and I have a game plan for next week and some ideas for the following week and that's all that matters to me!

Thankfully I have Monday AND Tuesday off next week, I can't wait to be able to actually sleep in and not feel guilty or rushed. Monday I'm actually going to go take the test to get my driver's permit, so technically I won't be sleeping in then, but maybe I can take a nap when I get home!

The Life You Love: Taylor & Katy & Nicki

I love Samantha's blog and this post is one of the reasons why.

The Most Powerful Knowledge A Girl Can Know About Herself
I really love this post, I think every woman NEEDS to read this and really think about it. You have to know your values, limits, mind, "love language" and your vision for your life!

Nicole Antoinette: This One's For The Control Freaks
I admit it, I'm a control freak. Not only am I a control freak, but I also have trust issues!

The 10 Biggest Motivation Killers and How to Fix Them
Infographics are always nice to look at and I think a few of these suggestions are actually worth the read.

Very Erin: How to Make Mornings Easier ( When You Aren't A Morning Person)

I am SO not a morning person, but I can definitely say that a few of these tips definitely work. If I ever HAVE to get up super early I always move my alarm as far away from me as possible so that I HAVE to get up to shut it up.

What links have you been loving this week?
Let me know below!

XoXo,

Lori

Currently: July 2015

Hello Lovelies!

I was planing on posting this yesterday, but it just didn't happen. I've been so busy lately, I just haven't had the time to get any writing done, thankfully I have Thursday off and I only work four hours Friday, so I'm hoping I can get some blog posts scheduled for next week, then.

It's been a while since I last did a post of things I currently going on in my life, so I decided to do one today. I think I might start doing one every month, but we'll see!

Reading: Remind Me by Ann Marie Walker
So far I'm really enjoying this book and I'm hoping I can get a review up wither later this week or next week.

Watching: Gilmore Girls & Grey's Anatomy
I restarted my Netflix account last week and so I'm continuing where I left off on these two shows!

Listening To: Cool for the Summer by Demi Lovato

Dreaming Of: Fall & Winter!
It's too hot! I can't wait for fall and winter to get here, boots, hot chocolate, pumpkin everything!

Planning: For the ACT.
I'm retaking the ACT later this year. I didn't do so great on it last year, so I decided to retake it so that I can get more scholarships and financial aid.

Stocking Up On: Simple Cleansing Wipes
I've been having trouble finding these wipes here in the US, so when I found some last week I bought two packs!

Trying: New foods.
Last week I tried broccoli, I still hate it!

Goal Setting: Next month's goals!

I'm making goals for August and I'll be sharing them next week

What's currently going on in your life? Let me know below!

XoXo,

Lori

Weekly Inspiration

Hello Lovelies!

"Sometimes...we have to let go."

Learning to let go is hard, but it is so necessary to be able to live your life without worry. I'm trying really hard to let go of my past, I can't change it, I can only learn from it at this point. 

Just let go.

XoXo,

Lori

A Little Bit of Inspiration + A Big Life Decision

Hello Lovelies!
Need a little bit of inspiration? I've got you covered. I've been feeling a bit uninspired lately, so I thought I'd share with you some quotes that always get me inspired.

I've been thinking and I'm tired of putting off things I want to do and I'm tired of settling. I've been working on myself and I'm trying to do better for me, I'm doing what I think is best for me mentally and physically at the moment.

Lately I've been feeling a little bit down, I feel like every time someone asks me about my plans for the next few years all I get is negative feedback or snotty remarks. But I'm done with that. I'm done caring what other people think, I'm going to do this my way and if they don't like it then I don't need them in my life.

I think the biggest decision I've made that is causing me to get the most negative comments from the people around me is that I decided to put off college for a year. I didn't come to this decision easily, but at the end of the day I think it's what's best for me and my health.

I'm going to spend this next year working, saving money, and studying so that I can retake the ACT and get a higher score so that I can get better financial aid and scholarships.

It's taken me a few months to make this decision, but I think I'm finally at peace with it and hopefully everything goes the way I want it to.
XoXo,
Lori

Pinterest Finds

Hello lovelies! 

I'm really happy that I have today and tomorrow off work! I'm even more happy that my new internet is getting hooked up today! Finally, no more data caps and slow speeds!

So if everything goes as planned I should have internet by the end of the day and I really hope I can get some blog posts written!

Here's what I've found on Pinterest this month!

 1. BuzzFeed: It’s Time To Start Throwing Out The Makeup You’ve Had For Years

2. How to Take Notes: From A TextBook

3. 8 Simple Tricks to Improve Your Writing

4. How To Plan For A Productive Week

That's it for today, I'll be back tomorrow with another post!

What have you been loving on Pinterest lately? Let me know below!

XoXo,

Lori

Weekly Inspiration

"Isn't it funny how day by day nothing changes, but when you look back, everything is different..." - C.S. Lewis

XoXo,
Lori

Links to Love

Hello Lovelies!

I've had a crazy week, I worked everyday, including today, except for Monday and Thursday. Next week is going to be an even busier work week, plus I have a doctors appointment, blood work, and some dental work I have to get done. Oh and did I forget to mention school!

Lately I've been feeling disconnected from my blog, now that I'm going to be getting my new internet hooked up on Monday, I'm hoping I can get back on track and better than ever.

Anyway here's this week's Links to Love!

How To Quickly Bounce Back After An All Nighter!

10 Things To Do When You Are Feeling Overwhelmed

The Contentment Challenge 2015 ( I really want to do this, but I just don't know).


5 Tips to Recover From Mistakes in the Workplace


Blogger Book Ideas: 20 Must Read Books For Bloggers


What links have you been loving this week? Let me know below!

XoXo,

Lori

Book Review: Tina Wainscott - Falling Fast

Today I will be reviewing 'Falling Fast' by Tina Wainscott, copy received from Netgalley via Loveswept in exchange for an honest review.

'Falling Fast' is a romance novel, it is 245 pages long and it took me about four hours to read because I was at work and reading this on my breaks and lunch over the course of three days. This book is available at Amazon (Kindle) for $2.99.

Book Stats

Genre: Contemporary Romance, New Adult

Length: 245 Pages

Publisher: Loveswept, Random House

Release Date: June 16, 2015




Book Synopsis
Raleigh West works in an auto shop day and night, trying to put his broken past our of mind. It's been seven years since the fiery crash that landed his teenage sweetheart in the hospital...and him in jail. In an instant, he lost everything: his passion for racing, his hope of escaping his father's shameful legacy, and the only girl he ever loved. Raleigh hasn't seen her since that awful night. Never got a chance to apologize. And never forgave himself, either.

When brave, beautiful Mia Wentworth returns to the Florida coast for the first time in what seems like forever, it's not to see Raleigh. Even so, the moment she arrives  she can feel his presence like a gust of wind that gives her goose bumps. Opening her heart to him again seems impossible. But staying away?That might be harder still. Lucky for them both, Mia's never been the kind of woman to take the easy way out.

What did I think? 5 Stars

Like: Everything!
Dislike: Nothing

Would I recommend it?
Yes, I would definitely recommend this book, I really enjoyed this story and will definitely be reading the second book in this series when it comes out in December!

I think the main characters in this book were very realistic and you could feel the chemistry between them from the beginning. I found the characters to be very likable and I wouldn't change anything about them. The setting was great, I think the beach and sun are very therapeutic for a lot of people, so I think it really fit with the theme of forgiveness and second chances.

I love that the author has decided to make a second book (Falling Hard) about Pax Sullivan, one of the books secondary characters. Even before I found out there was going to be a follow up, I knew that his character would make an awesome story on it own. Plus I really want to find out what happens to Rose!

Thank you Loveswept via Netgalley for providing me with this book in exchange for an honest review!

Will you be buying this book? Let me know below!

XoXo,
Lori

Influenster L'Oreal Paris Ultimate Straight VoxBox Review

Hello Lovelies!

Today I will be reviewing the L'Oreal Paris Ultimate Straight Voxbox from Influenster! I recevied this box about a month ago, I've been using it since then and I think I'm ready to do a review.

In this box I received four full size products from the L'Oreal Paris Advance Haircare Ultimate Straight System.

Photo from Amazon.

L'Oreal Paris Smooth Intense Ultimate Straight Straightening Shampoo $4.99

I really like the shampoo in this set, it is my favorite and I've used it the most.  The truth is I already have super straight hair so this product isn't really for me. These products smell great and my hair feels and looks clean all day, which is hard for me to find because my hair is oily.
Normally by the end of the day my hair looks so bad it's up in a ponytail, but that didn't happen on days when I used this shampoo. 

L'Oreal Paris Smooth Intense Ultimate Straight Straight Boosting Pre-Conditioner $6.99.

Honestly I feel like this is the worst product out of the whole system. I don't think it really did anything for me, but if you have dry, wavy/curly hair it might work for you.

L'Oreal Paris Smooth Intense Ultimate Straight Straightening Conditioner $4.99.

99% of the time I don't use an in-shower conditioner, I prefer leave-on conditioners. Sadly this conditioner didn't  make me want to start using conditioner in the shower again. It didn't weigh my hair down and it was easier to brush out, but it didn't wow me.

L'Oreal Paris Smooth Intense Ultimate Straight Leave-In Perfecting Balm $6.99.

I think this was my least favorite out of the whole system, I didn't see any results. 

I think that these products are for girls that live in humid climates like me would love. It's not going to make all of your hair problems go away, nothing will, but overall the products do work.

So that's all for today's post! Have you tried any of the products mentioned above?

 Let me know below!

XoXo,

Lori

Disclaimer: I received all products for free from Influenster in exchange for an honest review.

July Playlist

Hello Lovelies!

I hope you all had a great weekend, I know I sure did! Luckily I had Saturday off work and I got to go to Bowling Green to my step-sisters college graduation. While we were in Bowling Green we went to the mall and did some shopping!

My favorite part was going into Ulta and getting matched for the Urban Decay Naked Skin makeup collection. I've been wanting to try the products for a while, but I didn't know what shade to order, I ended up only buying the foundation, but I think I'm going to go ahead and order the concealer online! I really like how it felt on my skin and I'll definitely write a review in a few weeks!

Anyway, here's this month playlist! Enjoy!

Christina Aguilera - Army of Me 

Demi Lovato - Cool for the Summer

Tyler Farr - Withdrawals
Reba McEntire - Going Out Like That
Keith Urban - For You
Nickelback - Far Away

Sleeping With Sirens - If You Can't Hang

The Pretty Reckless - Zombie

Ingrid Michaelson - Home
Taylor Swift - Out of the Woods

If you have any music recommendations please leave them below in the comments, I love finding new music and discovering new artists!

What songs have you been loving this month? Let me know below!
XoXo,
Lori

Weekly Inspiration

Hello Lovelies!

I forgot to post this yesterday, so I decided to go ahead and post it today and then I'll post today's blog post tomorrow and so on for the rest of the week. I had to work yesterday and I completely forgot about scheduling this, so, sorry it's late, but here's this week's Weekly Inspiration!

"We mature with the damage, not with the years."-Mateus William

XoXo, 

Lori

Links to Love

Hello lovelies!

I hope you all had a great week and a great weekend. This week was slightly insane, I worked 33 hours and I finished two online classes! The good news is I was able to bring my GPA up .4 points and hopefully when I finish two of my current course,s I'll be able to bring it up even higher than that.

Overall it was a great week, I worked hard, I studied hard, and I finished a book. So on next blog schedule is a book review and a Influenster VoxBox Review! (If  you follow me on Twitter then you already know what VoxBox I received).

Anyways, here's this weeks Links to Love! 

5 Mistakes To Avoid On Social Media

7 Obsolete Social Media Tactics You’re Wasting Your Time On

Quiz: Which Taylor Swift Lyric Best Sums Up Your Love Life?

What American City Should You Actually Live In?

How to Prioritize Your Website Tasks to Make the Most Impact + A Printable Task List

That's it for today, I hope you all had a great day. And I'm sorry this post is up a little later than it normally is, I had to go in to work at 7am, so I just now got home!
What links have you been loving? Let me know below!

XoXo,

Lori

July Goals

Hello Lovelies!

I hope y'all had a great 4th of July weekend, sadly I had to work the whole weekend, but thankfully I have today off. Honestly I needed a break, the past four days have been rough and last night was it for me.

I just want to take a minute and ask all of you to please be nice to cashiers, we go through a lot on a daily basis and have to deal with some really awful people. If you're having a bad day, stay home, don't take it out on us, we're just trying to make a living.

So that's my little rant for the day, just be nice! Here's my goals for July!

10 Goals!

Finish College Prep Algebra II Part 1.
I was hoping to finish this last month, but it just didn't happen, but it will get done this month!

Finish College Prep American Government.
I'm actually enjoying this one, but at the same time I'm ready to move on to my next course.

Start & Try to Finish English 3 Part 1.
I'm just waiting for my final grades to be posted from my last two courses and then I can start this class, it should be pretty easy.

Raise My GPA.
This is a big goal for me this month, last month my GPA dropped to the lowest it's ever been, thankfully once I get my final grades back for my Vocabulary Studies course it should be back to where it was, if not higher. But still I want to get it even higher than it was before.

Read three books.
I think I read two books last month and I bought four. I think I need to read some more!

Save $100.
I was able to save $30 last month, this month I want to save more. I really need to buy a new laptop, so my plan is to spend the next few months saving money so that I can get what I want and that's going to last for years.

Blog Consistently.
So far this is not off to a good start, this post was supposed to be up yesterday, but that didn't happen.

Get Ahead With Blog Posts.
This month I want to focus on getting ahead with some blog posts, I used to schedule my posts 1-2 weeks in advance, but since I started working I've been letting that slip which is why I only had 15 posts last month.

Start Writing Again.
Can I let you in on a little secret? The truth is, I haven't written a single word for my book since December! I have a very serious case of writers blog going on, I thought that maybe if I stopped worrying about it and gave myself a break from writing it would be easier to figure out the kinks, but it's not working. I think I'm going to just move on and try working on another project, I just want to start writing again.

Read & Comment On More Blogs.
Last month I didn't read that many blogs and I didn't leave that many comments either, I hate that. I hate not reading and commenting on other blogs because it makes me feel like a bad blogger.

What are your goals for July? Let me know below!

XoXo,

Lori

Weekly Inspiration

Everything you go through, grows you.

XoXo,

Lori

Links to Love

Hello Lovelies!

I hope you all had a great week! My week was super busy, I worked 33 hours this week and I'm tired. Originally I was scheduled for only 19 hours next week, but yesterday my boss asked me if I could take on an extra shift or two, so now I'm scheduled for 33 hours next week!

I'm really happy I was able to get back on my normal blogging schedule this week, I hated not being able to post last week. I have a few ideas for next week's content, but I haven't made my mind up yet, so if there's anything you want to see, let me know below!

Here's this week's links to love...

17 Ways to Conquer Soul Crushing Negativity

The College Prepster: 5 Ways to Stay Positive

We Tried On Victoria’s Secret Bathing Suits And This Is What Happened

This Autistic Child's Mom Turned Down Every Birthday Party Invitation. Until This One Changed Everything.

Have a great Fourth of July weekend!

What links have you been loving this week? Let me know below!

XoXo,

Lori

Book Review: Jackie Braun - Revenge Best Served Hot

Hello Lovelies!

Today I will be reviewing 'Revenge Best Served Hot' by Jackie Braun, copy received from Netgalley via Entangled Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

'Revenge Best Served Hot' is the sixth book in the Men of the Zodiac series. It is 189 pages long and it took me about four hours to read. It is available at Amazon (Kindle) for $2.99, and at Barnes & Noble (NOOKBook) for $2.99.

Book Stats

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Length: 189 Pages

Publisher: Entangled Publishing

Release Date: June 9, 2015





Book Synopsis
Sign: Virgo
He's all business...until he's all hers.

Brody Flynn waited years to get his revenge on Douglass Shipping  for his parents' accidental deaths. Now the company is fumbling, profits are down, and it's the perfect time for a hostile takeover. Vengence. But the former CEO's daughter Kate Douglass has other plans...

Kate's been waiting for her chance to take on a real role at Douglass and prove to her family that she's not the fragile piece of glass they all think she is. There's no way she'll give up without a fight. All she has to do is convine the gorgeous new CEO to hire her...and not fall for him.

But Brody was never supposed to feel attracted to the daughter of his enemy. He was never supposed to want her as hard as he does. And the only thing stronger than his hunger for revenge is his hunger for her...

What did I think? 4 Stars

Would I recommend it?
Yes, I would recommend this book, once I sat down and started reading I didn't want to put it down. I really enjoyed the characters backgrounds and I think that the characters were well developed, however, their romance needed more work.

I do feel like the pace should have been set a little faster, and the chemistry between the two main characters didn't impress me. There weren't many love scenes in the book and I feel like the ones that were included were rushed and not romantic. I like that this Brody's character starts out as a guy set out to get revenge and then he learns what's really important and learns to forgive and let go of the past.

Overall, I really liked the book and would definitely recommend it, if you're looking for a good, quick read. I know my review probably sounds like I didn't like the book, but I really did like it, I just didn't love it, and I think it had the potential to be better.

Thank you Entangled Publishing via Netgalley for providing me with this book in exchange for an honest review!

Will you be buying this book? Let me know below!

XoXo,
Lori