Dreams, etc.

Tips for Traveling to Colombia + a Vlog

February 2, 2017

We’ve reached the end of the Colombia series! It’s only taken me… what? Over six months? I think I’m going to sit down and write all my Ottawa posts this weekend so that it doesn’t take so long to get through them all! I wanted to end the Colombia posts with a roundup that includes some of the tips & tricks that I’ve shared with some family, who are currently tromping around this country that I fell in love with (because chances are high you will fall in love with Colombia!) and that I’ve given in bits and pieces to some coworkers who will be visiting this summer. Keep in mind, look at this post as having coffee with a friend who’s sharing tips from her experience. If you plan to travel to Colombia, be sure to do your own research as well and if you have any concerns, look into those before you travel. That’s such an important thing to do no matter where you go.

Life

January in Photos & Reverse Goals List

January 31, 2017

Happy Tuesday!

As I thought through how I wanted to approach “month-end” in 2017, I thought back to my December in Photos post. I loved that one and enjoyed sharing a glimpse of some photos that don’t necessarily make it to the blog or Instagram. That didn’t happen quite as much this month. If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve probably seen some of these before. I think some months you’ll see more that have been shared already and some months you’ll see less.

I also wanted to talk about some of the things I’ve worked on each month. There was a time when I shared monthly–and even weekly–goals on my blog. I thought about reviving those this year, but I decided not to, in favor of thinking about what I can do each day to further advance my bigger goals. A few years ago, I first heard about a reverse bucket list from my friend Erika. With that idea in mind, I decided I’d rather end the month with a reverse goals list, instead of starting it with a list of goals.

Stick around to the end of the post to see that. First, let’s start with the photos!

Creativity Life

Happy Friday // 04

January 27, 2017

Last week was long and hard to get through, but this week breezed by and was a lot of fun. I spent a bunch of time working on a creative project, that I’ll talk more about at the end of the post, and hanging out with friends. Overall: a really great week!

Creativity

25 Creatives to Follow on Instagram

January 24, 2017

I’ve been getting back into the Instagram groove recently and remembered how inspiring this social platform is. As I scrolled through one day I realized how many accounts I’m following now because a friend introduced me to them and how many I’ve shared with her. Just like with my post on Snapchat recommendations, I knew I had to share all the inspiring creatives that I follow on Instagram with you!

Of course, this list doesn’t cover ALL of the inspiring creatives to follow on Instagram, because there are too many to put in one post, but it’s a great place to start if you’d like to see some of my faves.

Please keep in mind that these users are not listed in any particular order. I basically went through my Instagram account, jotted them down and am sharing them in the order that I come to them in my notes.

Creativity Life

Happy Friday // 03

January 20, 2017

Happy Friday! Was this a long week for anyone else? It felt so long and exhausting for me and I encountered a lot of people who felt the same way. But the weekend is finally here and we can finally relax. I’m looking forward to lots of puppy cuddles!

Since I’ve been a little tired this week, this list is a little lackluster. I guess that’s how it goes, though. There are ebbs and flows for everything.

Beauty

Current Skincare Routine

January 19, 2017

Note – I purchased all of the products listed in this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A few weeks ago I got ready to run some errands and after I brushed my teeth I looked at myself in the mirror and thought, “I don’t need foundation today!” That brought two more things to mind: 1) My blemish-prone skin had been looking pretty good lately; and 2) One of my rules for wearing make-up is that I should be comfortable without it; I don’t want to make-up to be a prerequisite for leaving the house. That just shows how important a good skincare routine is, though. My skin had been looking less than stellar for awhile, but it’s back on track. (We’ll ignore the fact that I had a breakout last week… sometimes they just can’t be helped.) Since I had completely switched up my skincare routine recently I knew the products were responsible. The first product I listed I’m no longer using, but I wanted to mention it for transparency, because it was the product that first improved my skin. The second one has maintained it. I’ll explain more about why I’m not using the first product anymore once I tell you what it is!

Books

Book Tour // This Is Not Over by Holly Brown

January 17, 2017

Note – I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. No affiliate links were used in this post.

About This is Not Over

Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks; Reprint edition (January 17, 2017)

You’ll have your deposit within seven business days, just like it says on Getaway.com. I’ve put through a refund to your credit card for the full amount, minus $200 to replace the stained sheets…

Miranda

When 30-year-old Dawn reads Miranda’s email, she sees red. People have always told Dawn she’s beautiful, and she just hopes they don’t see beneath–to how she grew up, to what she’s always tried to outrun. She revels in her getaways with her perfect (maybe too perfect) husband, the occasional long weekend in luxurious homes, temporarily inhabiting other people’s privileged lives. Miranda’s email strikes a nerve, with its lying intimation that Dawn is so dirty you need to throw out her sheets.

Beware of your “host”

I wouldn’t have left a review at all, if I didn’t feel it was my civic duty to warn others…

Creativity Life

Happy Friday // 02

January 13, 2017

Happy Friday! We’ve made it halfway through January, which means if you live in the midwest like I do, we’re halfway through one of the frigid months! 👊🏼

It’s been a snowy week in my neck of the frozen tundra and whenever it has snowed, it’s always been during the morning commute. Really, weather? Really? I love snow, but it’s a little inconvenient when it comes as everyone is inching their way to work/school/wherever they’re going in the morning. (Although really, if you’re not on your way to work or school, where are you going as the sun is rising, there’s snow falling and everyone is moving at a snail’s pace? I would be at home, wrapped up in my pajama poncho, sipping a cup of coffee with my pup by my side. What’s the weather like where you are?

You’re welcome for that cliched, Minnesota conversation starter. Moving on!

Books

Anticipated YA Releases of 2017 (January – June)

January 11, 2017

Note – Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means that I’ll receive a small percentage of any purchase you make using them at no extra cost to you. This helps me to keep this blog running. I received some of these books for review from the publisher. I’ll state which books were sent to me in the review–and it’ll be listed in the link to my original review as well. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting Dreams, etc.!

Are you ready to fill up your TBR and celebrate some book birthdays in 2017? Every year I put together a list of YA books that will be released that year. Since I primarily write YA, I like to see what’s coming out. So I thought I’d share some of the books on my list with all of you! I included 28 books; six of the books are sequels and can be found at the end of the post. As I did last year, I sorted books by genre to help you find the books you’d be interested in. Within each genre they’re organized by release date.

Please keep in mind that this is the information that I have found online. Release dates can change. And this list only includes books that will be released through June. I already have 14 books for a follow-up to this post in June or July.

Also, let me know if you’d be interested in a list like this for adult books… as in, books about adults, not books about young adults. I don’t think I’d be able to get that up until the beginning of February, but I’ll probably make my own list anyway, so if there’s interest I would definitely share the books I find.

Creativity Life

What Steps Can You Take TODAY to Achieve Your Goals?

January 10, 2017

I always like to write on New Year’s Day. It feels so good to start off the year doing something that I love so much. And it also makes me feel like I’m going conquer the year. “I wrote 3,000 words today, New Year! I’m going to do that every day and by time you’re over I’ll have written six books!” The only problem is: that’s not a realistic goal. It’s like so many New Year’s Resolutions. We have the best of intentions, but often it’s not possible to carry those intentions out long-term. So we get a couple days or a couple weeks into our resolutions, start to falter, and then we crash and burn. Hello, discouragement!

I know this isn’t anything new. We’ve all thought this before. We’ve all read about it before. It’s why I don’t make New Year’s Resolutions anymore, I try to make actionable goals.

And yet.