Supporting the LGBTQA+ Community

So when I stepped onto the treadmill at the gym today, I turned on the small television that is in place before all the machines in the cardio room, and plugged in my earbuds. The station it turned to was the news, and they were discussing how both trans teenage girls and boys are being highly discriminated against in schools. And it got me to thinking.... And I just really would like to get myself out there and stand up for the LGBTQA+ community. I mean, schools are denying trans teenagers from being on sports team and fellow students are criticizing them for being in the same locker room. But that's denying basic human rights! And I think if this is what makes somebody happy, then you should be able to be whoever you want. Because what's the point of living life miserably? And self-esteem is so low for trans kids, all because of the trials they have to endure for being "different". A trans girl on the news program I was watching cut herself because of the tremendous pressure she was put through. You know, this is why the T.V. series "I Am Jazz" was so great. It promoted the idea that, hey, she's still la normal teen just like anybody else and gender identity doesn't matter. And, guys, imagine what life would be like if being LGBTQA+ was the norm, and being straight was stepping out of line. Honestly, if I could, I would change everything and make it all okay. *tear streaming down face* *hugs to the entire LGBTQA+ community* Lots of love. The way I see it, just because you may not believe in this sort of thing doesn't mean that you can't be nice.

Twilight bath bomb: Lush Review

Last night I had a killer headache and I just wanted to be soothed and let all my thoughts and my body rest. So I popped out my Twilight bath bomb so that I could use it. To me, it smells of lavender, as explained in the online description, but also of toffee and honey or something sweet like that. It's a very nice scent. It's a light purplish pink color, and it's decorated with stars and half moons. It's such a cute little thing, and only for $6.55. That might seem expensive, especially for only one use at a time, but it was a treat definitely worth it, and especially in comparison to many of Lush's other bath bombs. I filled the tub and got in, and then plopped in the bath bomb. As soon as it hit the water, it began to fizz and the smell of lavender, toffee, and honey filled the room. Soon enough, these lovely tendrils of pink and blue came out and swirled around in the tub before melting into the mix like liquid cotton candy. It dissolves very quickly, and after several minutes, all that was left was a thin shell of pink, which I crumbled into the water. At first, the water was a deep purple, but soon enough it was a midnight coloring, like a mix of blue and purple together. It was a very relaxing show and the scent stayed with me the entire end. By the end of it, I was already feeling pretty heavy-lidded. Oh, and on the top of the water is this very pretty luster to add even more to the beauty of this product. Once the water is drained, there may be a bit of sparkle residue left over, but nothing that can't be fixed with a splash of water. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this product. It's my favorite Lush item so far, and it will definitely be a staple in my household. 6/5 star rating for me. And yes, it was just that great. This makes me rather excited to try other lavender scented products, like French Kiss, Ickle Baby Bot, Blue Fun, and such. I can see why it's such a popular product.

Lush Cocktail: Brightside and You've Been Mangoed

I absolutely adored Brightside, and You've Been Mangoed was delightful the first time around. And I needed a nice, warm, relaxing bath to soothe my headache last night. So, I threw in the last half of my You've Been Mangoed luxury bath melt and a fourth of my Brightside Bubble Bar. The bubbles were even more overwhelming than ever, smooth and frothy like bathing in liquid silk. My skin was very soft. However, I did find that the luxury bath melt scent of lemon did slightly overpower the Brightside bar orange scent. And, at least for me, it smelled kind of like lemon air freshener, with a hint of orange. So the second time around using the bath melt, it was kind of tiring, though it was still a nice bath. The bath was bright orange, like the sun rising up in the air. Together, the bath products make for a very soothing, soft, colorful bath, with an overall score of 4/5. This makes me very excited to try out Pink Flamingo bubble bar and Mmmelting Marshmallow Moment bath melt as a bath cocktail, as I think these will go well together. And, judging from the Brightside bubble bar, I'm also very interested to try out the Comforter. Lush is honestly so great for my anxiety. Love it.

My Travel Dreams...Europe (The UnKnowns)

.Albania
.Andorra
.Armenia
.Austria*
.Bosnia and Herzegovina
.Bulgaria
.Croatia
.Czech Republic*
.Denmark*
.Estonia
.Finland*
.Germany
.Greece
.Hungary
.Iceland*
.Italy
.Kazhakstan
.Kosovo
.Latvia
.Lithuania
.Luxembourg
.Romania
.Russia
.Serbia*
.Slovakia
.Slovenia
.Sweden
.Switzerland*
.Turkey
.Ukraine
*Places of most interest as well as safest

Dear Killer Literature Review

"I know how to surprise somebody. You just gotta stab them."
Those are the words of my nine year old sister. I'll be watching out for her on April Fool's Day, for sure. Which leads me into the review of the day...
"Dear Killer" was a book that I knew I wanted to read the moment I picked it up in my local library. I have only praise for this particular book. Written by Katherine Ewell, the main character, Kit, is a teenage serial killer. I've never read a book with the point of view being...well, a killer. I was very intrigued by the Kit's thoughts, and how she justified murder. It truly was an interesting read, to get inside the mind of the killer. I also felt that the other characters were well thought out and developed smoothly throughout the book. The ending was very satisfying, at least for me. The only thing I'll say is, I like when the main character has a little bit of...well, we'll say, trouble, at the end. "Dear Killer" is probably the most intriguing and captivating book I've read in a long time, and for that, I give this literature pick a 5/5 star rating. I definitely recommend it. Trust me, you won't regret it.

Lush Review: Brightside Bubble Bar

Oh, snap. The best decision I EVER made was to buy the Brightside Bubble Bar. It has a very sweet and uplifting orangey scent that I was automatically attracted to. It retails for $11.95, but it's HUGE and can be used for several baths, so in my opinion, it is well worth the cost. I had a grueling workout today via Just Dance 2016 (which I may or may not be reviewing later on) and I smelled like greasy Wendy's french fries, so I wanted to take an enjoyable and relaxing bath. I decided to get out my Brightside bubble bar. I put it beneath the faucet as the tub filled up with hot water, and almost immediately the water began to turn this lovely, vibrant orange. Once it softened a bit, I crumbled about a fourth of the bar into the tub and put the remainder of the bar out to dry. My current Snapchat story is filled with pictures of my bath. It smelled just as strong as the bar had originally, and it was like bathing in orange juice. Oh, and the bubbles were absolutely fantastic! So many came from just a tiny portion of the bar, and it was absolutely breathtaking. This Lush product really packed a punch. I soaked in it for a good hour and a half, purely enjoying myself, until my fingers were completely pruned up. Once I exited the tub, my skin was soft and supple, and still smelled faintly of orange. There is a tiny bit of cleanup to do afterwards, as some of the bubbles collected around the rim once the water had been drained, not to mention the fact that bubbles were all over me, too!!! But, it's an easy fix with a little bit of water to coax it down the drain. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Brightside. 5/5 for me. It was lovely. I loved it.  I could imagine it going well with Avobath, or perhaps Yuzu and Cocoa Bubbleroon, and You've Been Mangoed luxury bath melt. Anything citrus, I think, would mix smoothly. I highly recommend this Lush product, and to be honest, now that I've tried it out, I'm tempted to go out to the mall and buy some more Lush products. Maybe splurge a little bit. We'll see.

TV Tuesday: iZombie Review

Oh my goodness. No words can describe my admiration for iZombie. It's my all-time favorite television show. And tonight's episode certainly did not disappoint. It was very intense. I think it's always very interesting to see Liv taking on different personality traits in every episode and to see every. single. recipe. she makes with the brains she has to eat to survive. Forget solving murders, just get your own cooking show for zombies. And then there was the murder case to solve, which always teaches Liv a lesson in her life. And there's the bad guys: Blaine, Major, Max Rager, and Drake. And honestly, I cried over Blaine tonight. Honestly, I can't help but fall for at least one of the bad boys. He came back to life and it was like BAM YES PLEASE. And can we get more of him in just the boxers? And we can't forget that Major almost ends up spilling the beans about him being the Chaos Killer to Liv, but then Rita gets home and runs into both Major and Liv. On Major's way out, he calls her by "Rita" and Liv ends up finding out the truth, about him and her roommate having a "thing" with each other. Mind blown, guys. I can't wait until the next episode.