HOW I BECAME A BETTER GIFT GIVER

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*This post contains sponsored links from uncommongoods.com*


Some people are blessed with the gift of great gift giving -- how's that for alliteration? Have you ever been given a present so you, so absolutely and completely you, that you think... Oh my, someone GETS ME.

I, no matter how hard I try, am just not one of those people. I am presented with the opportunity of gift giving and always end up frantically searching for something that ends up being just sort of ... meh.

I'll rummage through stores searching and scanning for a present, anything to give me that spark inside. I'll imagine giving that person a present that makes them burst into tears and applause for being just so bloody perfect.

But, my lovelies, I think I've found a cure to my poor ailment of never giving a great gift. That cure? uncommongoods.com

SHOWS & MOVIES TO PUT ON YOUR WATCHLIST

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The Show : Twin Peaks
Episode Count: 38
Seasons: 3
Where to Watch: Netflix

Twin Peaks Travel Poster by Jazzberry Blue

If you haven't ever seen a David Lynch film I would suggest you watch one before giving Twin Peaks a go. He's a brilliant director and there is a ton of symbolism in every single character/plot/setting. With that being said he is not everyone's cup of tea... or coffee - watch the show and you'll get the joke.

MAY MASTERPIECES

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Who is this? Is this me? Coming here... with a blog post?


I can hear the roaring sounds of the audience in shock and awe. 


I've left so much abandoned when I started my job. I've left so much of myself behind. 


But I'm coming back now. I'm coming back to me.

GIFT BASKET // PRESENT IDEAS

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It feels so good to be writing a post! In case you don't follow me on social I have finally, after months of searching, found an incredible job in the exact city I've always wanted to live in!

Finding my Normal // A Month without Blogging

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Okay. How many posts have you read about people leaving and then coming back to blogging? How many "I did a digital detox" posts have you seen on your timelines? How many "why I lost my inspiration" can there possibly be out there on the internet?

GOAL CHECK IN & UPDATES // 1ST QUARTER 2017

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It's officially April and that mean's we are a quarter of the way done with 2017. How this happened, I just don't know.


March was a super...interesting month for me. I quit my job mid-February and have been in the throws of job applications, interviews, and lack-of-income stress all month long. In some ways it's been really good for me. Here's why:

MY THOUGHTS // MENTAL HEALTH

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If there's much to be proud of in the world now - and trust me there really ain't a lot - it would have to be the emergence of conversations about mental health.


So many bloggers, advocates, and companies are creating a dialogue about their own personal struggles with mental health or about the stigma itself. What this does is reach out to those who feel alone, feel lost, or feel helpless as well as educates those who may know someone struggling.


I think it's so beyond brave and strong for people to come out with their anxieties, depression, or ED. I know when I was in the throws of my personal ED I could only tell two people after months and months of suffering. But now I wonder if it would have gone differently had I seen/heard so many similar stories.

MY FIRST VLOG //

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I know everybody was just in ruins that I didn't post last Saturday so I am sooooo sorry for that *lol*.


I actually had a post ready to go but for one reason or another the day came and I just didn't feel like posting it, promoting it, etc. I will definitely publish it eventually but there was something about this past weekend that stopped me.


Speaking of this past weekend (and what this whole post is about) I Vlogged! For the first time! 

MY DEFENSE FOR MILLENNIALS // A RANT

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As millennials we are constantly appointed with the terms self-obsessed, over-sharers, or the all-about-me-monsters. And for better or worse they aren't wrong. In a world inhabited by Lena Dunham and Kylie Jenner there's no denying these traits are becoming more and more obvious.


Before I get all ranty I just want to say I'm clearly someone who also feels it's important to share my own personal voice with strangers. I use Twitter and Instagram to share even more snippets of who I feel I am. On top of that I have personal accounts for Instagram and Facebook (although I never really share on Facebook anymore) because I want to put something out there from my life that I found interesting, or funny, or sad, or just nice.

BIG MAGIC REVIEW // HOW A BOOK CHANGED MY LIFE

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I've been preparing myself to write this post since I started the book and I just kept putting it off. I think the reason I've found it so hard to write is because I want to do it justice. I NEED to do it justice.


I really, really resonated with this book. More than I think any book I've ever read has been able to relate to my life. But, not only my life, but my internal monologue, my thoughts, and my worries. It's like a part of me wrote this book and it sounds so cheesy but it's very true.


Big Magic has been on my Twitter and Instagram radar for months now so I know there are so many other people out there loving this book as much as I do. But there needs to be more, it needs to be broadcasted to everyone just how amazing the book actually is.

3 DAYS IN VANCOUVER // A GUIDE

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Back at it with another travel guide today! I figured I should definitely just splurge all the information out before I forget everything. Truth be told I really like writing travel blogs because it makes me feel good about spending so much money traveling (lol). But, in all honesty, it also makes me nostalgic to return to those places. 
I really loved everything about our holiday to Vancouver, B.C. The people, the sights, and the atmosphere were all absolutely incredible. Although it was freezing - which sometimes trapped us indoors - I wouldn't trade a single second of this trip. So here is my Vancouver Travel Guide for you!


24 HOURS IN SEATTLE // A GUIDE

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So happy to be writing my first post of 2017 and I am so glad that it is a travel post! I've been back from my holiday for about three days but, of course, there were 3 million tasks I needed to accomplish when I returned. Not to mention that little thing called work.
But my god, I feel so much better. I feel fan-frickin-tastic! This holiday was EXACTLY what I needed. As the plane took off this past Thursday I could feel the pressure lifting off of me. All the negative energy of my routine had been weighing on me so hard for the past three months. I had honestly felt like I lost myself in all of it. 
But driving into Seattle I felt a type of elation that I hadn't felt in a long time. A giddy sort of joy that I was desperately needing. I have wanted to visit Seattle for years and knowing that I was finally there, checking off my bucket list, was so satisfying. We only had a short (too short) 24 hours before we had to pack up and head to Vancouver but we fit in as much as we could in that short amount of time. So here is my guide for you!

BLOGTOBER DAY 26 // OCTOBER EMPTIES

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OCTOBER EMPTIES //

Oh that sad, sad day where your beloved product has been scrapped completely clean. They were fun while they lasted but NOTHING feels better than coming home with a new, full bottle of your favorite product. Here are the little lovelies I have used up and that I will be zipping to the store to restock!

BLOGTOBER DAY 23 // MENTAL HEALTH CHAT

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MENTAL HEALTH CHAT // DEPRESSION


There are times like this in my life when I feel compelled to bring up the topic of mental illness on my blog. While I won't share any names or personal details I came home Friday night from work to my mom absolutely devastated. A woman she worked closely with had taken her life the night before. A beautiful and young woman with a loving family and devoted husband.
It, rightly so, gave a somber atmosphere to our home as we discussed and argued about the complexities of depression. There was no right response and there were no wrong conclusions. Digesting this type of information is... well, it's personal. It's your own life experience making sense of the action and the result. Telling someone they don't understand doesn't change how they feel. When the topic of suicide comes up, how can you really ever find a definitive explanation? In my experience, you can't.

BLOGTOBER DAY 22 // HARRY POTTER WORLD

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I think my body is finally functioning normally again after Thursday. There are honestly hardly any words I could say that can describe how I felt when I first saw a glimpse of this incredible attraction. I may joke with friends about being a "nerd" but at that moment I didn't care if anyone saw how ecstatic I was. Todays Blogtober post will be all about the incredible Harry Potter World experience at Universal Studios Hollywood. 
Are you ready?


HARRY POTTER WORLD //

Just a prewarning, I'm going to try to limit myself on photos but... no promises. They are all just so great! 

BLOGTOBER DAY 12 // FALL TELEVISION

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Oh those long summer nights, so warm, so special and so full of absolutely NO good television. I honestly get a buzzed feeling anytime I think about all the incredible fall television shows out right now. It's the same for me as movies around Oscar season. I mean... you know they are going to be just the ultimate! 
And this year I swear it is like the television landscape is steaming with the best/most unique shows. I get truly sad when I can't watch something either the night of or the day after. Even when life is super busy... I mean, I gotta make time for T.V. right? 
So how could I resist making a blogtober post all about these amazing shows and just how special they are. Make sure your DVRs are ready to go because here are my top picks for 2016 Fall T.V.

Fall Television

BLOGTOBER DAY 1 // SEPTEMBER FAVORITES

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Well 2016, I think I can mark you down as the fastest year in the history of years. Even saying the word October feels strange and mysterious. I am so excited to be attempting Blogtober this year. I feel like it will be a wonderful creative outlet to use as a diversion from other areas of my life. But before we dig into October, (there will PLENTY of that in the next 30 days) let's take a look back at the cool things I was lovin' the month of September.


BLOGTOBER // 31 DAYS OF BLOGS

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This might just be the most ridiculous idea I have had in awhile. I'll probably kick myself in a week for even putting the thought into my mind but... what's life without a little bit of madness? So I'm putting my name in the cauldron and taking part of Blogtober! 
31 Days... 31 WHOLE DAYS of posting a blog. I really want the content to be good, not just churning out posts for postsake (lol not a word). But I'm up to the challenge and I think it will be great preparation for Blogmas as well. 

I will reveal week by week the topics of the blog: A) Because tackling the number 7 is better than the number 31 B) Keep it secret... keep it safe. 

I hope you Gals and Ghouls are ready because October is gonna get spooktacular!

Here is week one's lineup:
1) September Favorites
2) Favorite Halloween Movies
3) Fall Bucket List
4) Baking Halloween Treats
5) Halloween Decorating Tips
6) Turning Back the Clock: Childhood Halloween Costumes
7) Fall Beauty

I hope you will join me for this haunted hayride of a month! Also, tag me in your own Blogtober posts and I'll be more than happy to check them out :) Xoxo Sam


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