Showing posts with label BLOGMAS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BLOGMAS. Show all posts

Friday, December 23, 2016

BLOGMAS Day 23: Victoria's Secret Gift Guide

Hello Lovelies!
This will be my last gift guide of the year, so I decided to do something a little different! I love Victoria's Secret, they have so many cute and sexy products and I love to look in store and online every chance I get.

I was just in there a few days ago and they still have many great things that could be given as a gift to yourself or to any special ladies in your life! If you haven't finished shopping good luck today, I hope you find everything you want and need!

Me on the other hand, I'm done shopping, but unfortunately I work retail so I'm terrified of going in to work today!

That's all for today, stay safe shopping!
XoXo,

Sunday, December 18, 2016

BLOGMAS Day 18: Weekly Inspiration

Hello Lovelies!
"Think back  years ago. Think of where you're at today. Think ahead  years and what you want to accomplish. Be Unstoppable!"
-Dwayne Johnson

I think leading up to the new year this is something we should all be thinking about. We have two weeks to think about all the things we want to accomplish in the new year, so take advantage of the days and make it happen!
XoXo,
Lori 

Friday, December 16, 2016

BLOGMAS Day 16: Links to Love

Hello Lovelies!
Today is day 3 of my 4 days off this week and I am LOVING it! Yesterday I got to go to Evansville, Indianna with my best friend (it's about 45 minutes from us, but there's so much more to do).

We had so much fun, we started at Ulta, ate some Chic-Fil-A, then on to Sephora, H&M, Old Navy and we walked around a little while. Overall, it was a great day, it was freezing cold, but the trip was worth it!

Here's this week's Links to Love!



That's all for today! What links have you been loving this week? Let me know below!
XoXO,
Lori

Thursday, December 15, 2016

BLOGMAS Day 15: Book Review - Their First Family Christmas

Hello Lovelies!
Today I will be reviewing 'Their First Family Christmas' by Alison Roberts, copy received from Netgalley via Harlequin in exchange for an honest review.

'Their Fitst Family Christmas' is a romacne novel, it is 256 pages long and it took me about three hours to read. It is available at Amazon ( Kindle) $4.99,  Barnes & Noble (NOOKBook).




About The Book

Genre: Medical Romance

Length: 256 Pages

Publisher: Harlequin

Release Date: November 1, 2016




Book Synopsis
Her Christmas past becomes her Christmas present!

When Dr. Emma Matthews was entrusted with the guardianship of her best friend's daughter, she promised that every Christmas would be special...But this Christmas Eve, Jack Reynolds - her old flame and Lily's Uncle - has walked back into their lives.

Both Emma and Jack still bear the scars of this time last year. But now Jack wants to start again - being there for his adorable niece, picking up where he an Emma left off, and giving them all the family Christmas they deserve!

What did I think? 4.5 Stars

Like: The Honesty.
Dislike: Undecided.

Would I recommend it?
I love how open and honest the two main characters were with each other. It seems here lately, with most of the books I've been reading, a lot of the characters problems would be solved if they would just communicate and be honest.

I'm kind of undecided on what I think about the ending, I'm glad there was an epilogue, but I feel like the story before the epilogue was cut short, I feel like it needed a few more pages.

Overall, I really liked this book and I'm interested in reading more from the author!

Thank you Harlequin 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

Monday, December 12, 2016

BLOGMAS Day 12: December Playlist

Hello Lovelies!
It's been a while since I've done a monthly playlist, I wanna say the last one I did was back in the summer! I'm definitely not listening to the same things I was then.

Right now I  have to say my favorite song is Closer by The Chainsmokers! I can't get enough, I'm obsessed with this song! 

And of course, my two holiday favorite songs are Where Are You Christmas by Faith Hill and Greatest Time of Year by Aly & AJ! These two songs have been on my holiday playlist for years!

Here's the rest of my December Playlist!


Where Are You Christmas // Faith Hill
Greatest Time of Year // Aly & AJ
Closer // The Chainsmokers
You're A Mean One Mr. Grinch // Jordan Smith
The Christmas Song // Andy Williams
Jingle Bells // Kenny Chesney
Santa Baby // Kellie Pickler
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas // Kelly Clarkson

What are you listening to this month? Let me know below!
XoXO,
Lori

Sunday, December 11, 2016

Blogmas Day 11: Weekly Inspiration

Hello Lovelies!
"If you're asked to take a seat on a rocket ship, don't ask what seat, just get on."
-Sheryl Sandberg

XoXo,
Lori

Thursday, December 8, 2016

BLOGMAS Day 8: Gifts for Her

Hello Lovelies!
Continuing with this week's theme of holiday gift guides, today is for the ladies! I might suck at shopping for guys, but I'm pretty good at gift buying for women.

I've actually bought a few of these and love them, so I had to share them!


The Clinique Moisture Surge overnight mask is really good for sensitive skin. I have combo/oily skin but my cheeks tend to get really dry during the winter. I tried a sample of this mask earlier this year and loved it!

I got a sample of the Black Opium from Ulta last month and I'm in love!

The Hand Food lotion in the Soap and Glory set is amazing, I really want to try the foot cream too.

What are you buying for the ladies in your life this year?
XoXo,

Tuesday, December 6, 2016

BLOGMAS Day 6: Gifts for Him

Hello Lovelies!
Sorry this is so late in the day, but it's been a crazy day! I started off at the podiatrist this morning and he put me in a walking boot for my foot. After I got home, I had to wait all day for the cable man to come, finally my TV is fixed. no more missing channels. While he was working I got distracted trying to clean my little cousins room in my house. She always leaves it a mess and he needed to get to the TV.

Anyway, men are so hard to shop for, I had such a hard time creating this post, but I wanted to write it for other women who have a hard time shopping for men.


My favorite is the glasses set and I also really like the Ted Baker London Watch!

Any advice on shopping for men? Leave it below!
XoXo,
Lori

Monday, December 5, 2016

BLOGMAS Day 5: December + Goals

Hello Lovelies!
It's been pretty quiet this year on Writing My Story, it's been an insane year. I've been so busy and this year has just flown by, I keep trying to catch up and it just hasn't happened.

Even though I've been crazy busy I've decided to go out of 2016 with a bang! Keeping with tradition last week I started this years BLOGMAS!
Clean my room at least once a week.
I've been doing good here lately so I'm hoping I can keep it up and keep it clean.

Blog consistently throughout December.
I'm gonna give it a shot this year and see if I can keep up with the schedule I made!

Get my nose pierced?
I've been going back and forth on this for years! I was going to do it last week when I got my bonus from work, but I had to make my car payment, so it didn't happen.

Have a Christmas movie night.
I love Christmas movies, I love all the old classic cartoons and of course my favorite is The Grinch!!!

Finish the paperback book I'm reading.
I really need to finish Catching Fire and I also started re-reading Pretty Little Liars!

Get back in the gym.
Now that I'm out of physical therapy I want to get back in a normal gym routine!

Organize and declutter my closet
I can't believe I'm admitting this, but I still haven't got my winter clothes out yet! It finally started getting colder here about two weeks ago, so far I haven't needed a heavy coat during the day. However, I've been working a lot of 1-10's and so when I leave work at night I'm freezing, so I really need to find my coat and put it in my car!

Start stretching again.
I quit going to physical therapy last month, I felt like I wasn't improving enough to justify spending 2-3 hours there 2-3 days a week. I can do the stretches here and home. I haven't noticed that big of a difference since I quit going, but I do thing it will help loosen me back up.

Give Khan Academy a try.
I really want to improve my math skills, I want to brush up on old skills and master new skills. Also I love history, so I'm hoping their History courses will be what I'm looking for!

Find time to enjoy Christmas music this year.
Last year between working and everyday life I didn't get to listen to a lot of Christmas music. I love Christmas music, so I want to make the time to listen to it and enjoy it this year!

Be more active on social media.
I've been working on this  here recently, I've been trying really hard with twitter, I try to queue enough posts for a week on Tumblr. My problem area seems to be Instagram!

What are your goals for this month?
XoXo,

Saturday, December 3, 2016

Weekend Wear

Hello Lovelies!
It feels like forever since I did a Weekend Wear post, I felt like this was the perfect time of year to bring it back to the blog!

I'm having so much fun putting together new outffit ideas for y'all, I forgot how much I used to love Polyvore! So here's to re-booting an old series!
Made using Polyvore.

Happy Blogmas everyone! What are you into wearing this weekend?
XoXo,
Lori

Thursday, December 1, 2016

BLOGMAS: Kate Spade Gift Guide

Hello Lovelies!
To kick off Blogmas this year I decided to start with a gift guide! I've been wanting to do this post for a while now, so I'm really excited to finally be posting it!

My number one Kate Spade want is definitely one of their watches, I just can't decide which one I want more. Also the leather wristlets, I love the burgundy color, but the blue is my all-time favorite color, I can't decide!

Anyway, here's the first of many gift guides to start the season with!


That's all for today, come back tomorrow for more Blogmas fun!
XoXo,

Monday, November 14, 2016

Currently: November 2016

Hello Lovelies!
It's been a while, probably a year actually, since I last did a Currently post. I'm not sure why I stopped doing them, I've always had fun with it, it's a quick easy post, and I get to share with you what's going on.

So here's what's going on in my life this month!

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Blogmas Day 9: Book Review: Lynette Eason - Rodeo Rescuer

Today I will be reviewing 'Rodeo Rescuer' by Lynette Eason, copy received from Netgalley via Harlequin in exchange for an honest review.

'Rodeo Rescuer' is a romantic suspense novel, it is 288 pages long and it took me about three hours to read. It is available at Amazon (Kindle) for $4.99, and Barnes and Noble (NOOKBook) for $4.99.


About The Book

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Length: 288 Pages

Publisher: Love Inspired, Harlequin

Release Date: September 1, 2015




Book Synopsis
She can't escape!

No matter where she runs, rodeo clown Tonya Waters's stalker always finds her. Now he's managed to track her down on the rodeo circuit. If bull rider Seth Starke hadn't saved her, she'd be dead. But when the handsome cowboy is injured in the ring and Tonya rescues him, Seth seems more determined than ever to keep her safe. But can she risk staying at his Tennessee ranch and bringing danger to his family? As her stalker gets more violent, Tonya and Seth vow to outsmart him before he makes good on his ultimate threat: if he can't have her, no one will.

What did I think?

Like: The ending!
Dislike: Nothing!!!

Would I recommend it?
Yes, I would 100% recommend this book. I loved the first book in this series and I loved this one too.

I think the characters in this book were very realistic and their romance was definitely believeable. I really like that the female lead was a rodeo clown, I've never read a book with a rodeo clown in it before. The ending definitely surprised me, I loved all the action and suspense. The twist at the end was great!

Overall, I loved the book, it was a quick read and I'm really happy that the author chose to add to this series!

Thank you Harlequin 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

Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Blogmas Day 8: December Update

Hello Lovelies!
I hope you're all doing well, today I have an update for you. I've been mostly absent for the past three months and I'm trying to get back into the flow of things.


I wish I could say I've been off on an amazing adventure, but that's not the truth. The truth is I was burnout on everything. I was working so hard trying to juggle work, school, and blogging five days a week that I wasn't taking care of me.

To be honest I'm still working on taking care of me, but we're getting there. A few different things have been going on that I haven't been able to share with y'all, so why not get it out in the open now?

Back in June my back started hurting really bad, so I went to the doctor, two x-rays, an MRI, a trip to Nashville, and a neurosurgeon eventually gave me the diagnosis of early Degenerative Disc Disease in August. Right now we're treating with physical therapy, and I go back to the doctor in Nashville next month, if it's not better (which it's not) then I'll probably have to get a steroid shot in my back.

 On top of all that I had blood work done in August and I was anemic, again, my doctor is retesting me next week and if it I'm still anemic she mentioned the possibility of me needing an iron infusion, which I'm really not looking forward to.

To top it all off last night I dropped my laptop (15.6") on my foot and I'm pretty sure I broke my little toe. It really hurts and I'm really not looking forward to putting on shoes!


Reading: Trail of Secrets by Eileen Goudge
I've read this book many times before and I'm reading it again, it's an old favorite of mine.

Watching: Dr.Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas
This is my all time favorite Christmas movie, I watch it year round and I can't get enough!

Listening to: Christmas Music

Dreaming Of: A Wonderful Christmas
Sadly I have to work Christmas Eve, which means I'll miss getting to see my family, open presents, and eating a warm meal. But hopefully Christmas Day will be good even though it won't be the same.

Planning: For the future.
I'm working on a few different things right now with school, work, and blogging. I'm trying to get everything done and I honestly don't have enough time to do any of it.

Trying: A new recipe!
A few days ago at work a woman came through my line and she told me about a two ingredient fudge recipe.

Goal Setting: At least 10 blog posts for December.
I want to have at least 10 blog posts for the month of December, I would love to do more, but 10 would make me happy.

I know I'm a week late, but I'm going to do my best to finish Blogmas and do as many posts as I possibly can this month!

That's all for today and I will definitely have a post up tomorrow!
XoXo,
Lori

Monday, December 29, 2014

December Goals Update

Hello lovelies,
I can't believe this year is pretty much over! It feels like just last week we were celebrating the beginning of 2014 and now here we are saying our goodbyes!

This year has been, for a lack of better words, crazy! I've learned so much over the past year, and I really do think that 2015 is going to be the best year yet!

But before we get ahead of ourselves we still have a few days left in 2014, and so let's take a look at my goals for December!

Finish Geometry Part 2.
Finish English 2 Part 1 & Part 2.
Start and Finish Chemistry Part 1.
Be a better blogger.
Send in ALL ACT scores.
Read two books.
Finish any college apps not completed.
Make final decision about WKU.
Start planning and drafting January posts.
Workout two times a week.
Complete BLOGMAS!

6 out of  11 Goals Finished.

Finish Geometry Part 2.
Almost done, but I took all last week off to enjoy Christmas. Plus I really needed a break, it was starting to give me anxiety and the last thing I want right now is to have a panic attack.

Finish English 2 Part 1 & Part 2.
I'm almost done with Part 1, with the holidays my teachers have been out and I they haven't been grading as often. Right now for Part 1 all that's left is my final (super easy) and I have one speech that I have to upload, I've just been waiting because my teacher hasn't been grading, so there was no point in uploading it.
Part 2 I haven't even started yet, but I think it's going to be pretty easy. It's over four units. One unit is poetry, then the other three are books, or excerpts from books I have to read. One full length book (Ethan Frome) and then the other two are excerpts. I should be able to knock that out in about two weeks.

Start and Finish Chemistry Part 1.
I've started the course and so far it seems like it's going to be pretty easy, I don't think I'll have any trouble with it and I should be done with it in 3-4 weeks.

Be a better blogger.
I definitely feel like I was a better blogger this month. I spent more time blogging, I spent more time on all of my different social media accounts, and I spent more time reading and commenting on other blogs!

Send in ALL ACT scores.
Yeah, that didn't happen. Thankfully I only have two left to send in, so it's no big deal. I did send in two others, so progress was made, I just didn't finish it.

Read two books.
Honestly I didn't think I would accomplish this one, I didn't think I would have the time to read, but I actually read more than two books.

Finish any college apps not completed.
I only have one app left to finish and that's for WKU. I wasn't planning on applying, but I decided it would be a good idea to apply to at least one in-state school.

Make final decision about WKU.
I decided to go ahead and apply, I have till January 15 to get everything in, and thankfully my regular app doubles as my scholarship app, so it makes it a little easier!

Start planning and drafting January posts.
I've already started planning for January and I have a few book reviews ready to go up, I just can't post them yet because the books haven't been released yet!

Workout two times a week.
I worked out a few times this month, but sadly the past two weeks I haven't been able to do anything due to my bad knee. My knee has been swollen and hurting really bad, I've been icing it, but it's not really helping any.

Complete BLOGMAS!
YES, I completed Blogmas!

That's it for today, did you accomplish your goals for this month? Let me know below!
XoXo,
Lori

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Merry Christmas

Hello lovelies, I hope y'all are having a very merry Christmas Eve! I will be spending the next few days with my family, eating great food, and sleeping! I am so happy and grateful that I get to spend this wonderful day with my friends and family, including all my wonderful bloggy friends and followers! I hope you all are spending this special day with your loved ones, and I hope you always remember that I love you!


XoXo,
Lori

P.S. I'm taking the day off to spend with my family, so I won't be posting tomorrow!

Monday, December 22, 2014

Blogmas Day 22: The Christmas TAG

Hello lovelies,
Today I will be doing the Christmas TAG!


1. What's your favorite holiday movie?
- The Grinch. And I also love all of the Santa Clause movies!

2. What are your favorite Christmas cookies?
-I love snicker-doodles and sugar cookies!

3. Do you have any Christmas traditions?
My family always puts up our Christmas tree the weekend of Thanksgiving. And we also always go to my aunts house on Christmas Eve!

4. If you could only buy one person a present this year who would it be?
-My mom, she deserves it!

5. Favorite Christmas treat or meal?
-Favorite treat is homemade Reese's peanut butter cups or balls. Favorite meal is ham, turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans, and dinner rolls!

6. Favorite Christmas candle?
-I love anything with a vanilla or cookie scent!

7. Do you like to stay in your PJs for Christmas or dress up?
-I always stay in my PJs.

8. Have you ever built a Gingerbread House?
No, but I want to!

9. White lights, or colored lights?
Both! Except this year, this year we bought a white Christmas tree and we have two sets of purple lights and two sets of colored lights on the tree, it looks amazing!

10. What is your best Christmas memory?
- My favorite memory is the year my mom couldn't afford to buy Christmas and our landlord and our church got together and brought us food and presents on Christmas day.

11. What is your favorite part of Christmas Dinner?
The rolls, I REALLY love bread, so Holidays are the few times a year I let myself eat a lot of bread at once. I also love desserts, my mom and I always bake together, so it's fun seeing how our creations turn out!

12. Do you want to build a snowman? ;)
YES, but there's no snow! I want a white Christmas!!!

That's it for this today, if you do this tag leave a link below I would love to read yours!
XoXo,
Lori

Saturday, December 20, 2014

Blogmas Day 20: Book Review: Allison Leigh - A Weaver Christmas Gift

Today I will be reviewing 'A Weaver Christmas Gift' by Allison Leigh, copy received from Netgalley via Harlequin in exchange for an honest review.

'A Weaver Christmas Gift' is a contemporary romance novel, it is 224 pages long and it took me about four hours to read. It is available at Amazon (Kindle) $3.79, and Barnes & Noble (NOOKBook) for $3.99.




Book Stats

Genre:  Contemporary Romance

Length: 224 pages

Publisher: Harlequin

Release Date: October 21, 2014





Book Synopsis:
Help Wanted: Husband.

Jane Cohen is in a quandary: she needs a man for her baby plan. Love and marriage are nonnegotiable-it's the traditional route or bust. So it's time to cut Casey Clay loose--her friend with benefits doesn't do commitment. But this impossible, irresistible man sets the bar awfully high for her husband hunt!

No matter how deep Casey's feelings run for the sexy bar owner, when it comes to kids, he can't give her what she wants. And his secrets don't stop there. But as the mistletoe goes up around Weaver, 'tis the season for their moment of truth...and their shot at true love.

What did I think? 4.5 Stars

Like: The adorable ending.
Dislike: Nothing.

Would I recommend it?

Yes, I would definitely recommend this book! This was the first  Weaver book that I've read and I'm sure there are some things that would make more sense if I'd read some of the other Weaver books, however, this book can definitely be read as a standalone novel, and you'll still understand everything with no confusion.

My favorite part of this book was definitely the ending, it was beyond adorable! When I first started reading this book I thought it was going to be a romantic suspense, but it wasn't. And I would have known that if I had actually taken the time to read more of the books description. This was the first I've read since September that wasn't a romantic suspense book, and I actually enjoyed it!

Overall I loved the book and would definitely recommend it! It does have a few love scenes, so if you're not into that you might want to skip it, but otherwise I would definitely recommend it!

Thank you Harlequin 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

Friday, December 12, 2014

Blogmas Day 12: Over $100 Holiday Gift Guide

Hello lovelies,
Today I'm bringing you my Under $100 Holiday Gift Guide! As of right now, this will be my final gift guide for this year, but if you want to see more, then let me know below and I'll try to do another!

Today I only have 13 items for you, but I think you're really going to like them, so let's get started!


I really like the look of this trench coat, I like more structured pieces, plus it's on sale!

I've never actually smelled this for myself, but I've had it recommended to me time and time again and I really want to get a sample of it to try.

I HATE having, I hate it, if I had $449 to pay for this I would buy it in a hearbeat! When I first saw commercials for the Tria I thought it was just some gimmicky product, but from the reviews I've seen it's actually the real deal, and it's a lot cheaper than other options.

I don't drink coffee often, but when I do I usually only drink one cup and I'm done, so a single serve coffee maker is perfect for me because I hate wasting stuff.

I love this Molten Red color, I've been searching for a coat like this for a while, I just never thought of looking at L.L. Bean for one! Sadly I've already bought a coat for this winter, but next winter I'll make sure to remember this!

Goodnight Macaroon Pearl Diamond Sterling Silver Earrings $118.00
I feel like a nice pair of pearls is a timeless and foolproof gift for women of all ages, this particular pair comes in three colors, white, purple, and pink. Personally I prefer the white, but it's nice to have the option of getting a different color if you wanted something different.

Tuckernuck Bristol Men's Watch Daniel Wellington $229.00
I really like this watch, I think it's very simple and it could be worn by pretty much any guy on your list!

Ann Mashburn Box-Pleat Skirt $225
I really like this piece because it has a classy timeless style and I also really love that it has pockets!

Chi Ultra CHI Orbit 3 in 1 Tourmaline Cermaic Curler $120.00
I really need a new curling iron, I like this set becuase it's the quality of a CHI, but you get three sizes! I think this is definitely worth the price, plus it's easier to store and keep organized compared to three full-size curling irons.

Citizens of Humanity Skinny Stretch Leggings (Axle) $178.00
I really love the look of these leggings, they really do look like jeans, and I love black jeans!

Hunter Sandhurst Equestrian Boots $175.00
When I first saw these boots I didn't like them, but they've started to grow on me, and now I want them!

Clarisonic Mia 3 Replenishing Moisture Cleanse $199.00
I mentioned this in yesterday's post I've had an urge to buy a new face brush even though I really don't need one! But I decided to go ahead and include it to give y'all some ideas!

Urban Decay Naked Vault $280.00
This one really doesn't need an explanation, this is on pretty much every girls 'If I Could Have Anything This Christmas Wishlist'!

That's it for this post, I hope you liked it! My 5 Words for this week will be up in a little while, make sure you read it, I received some of the best news ever yesterday and I talk about it in that post!
XoXo,
Lori