My sincerest apologies for the delay of Blogmas 2017. By the time I got an ounce of motivation, the busiest season of retail had started and unfortunately required most of my time. I finally have some time off, and after a day of catching up on Vlogmas editing, I’m snuggled up on the couch watching The Nanny with my mom. Hopefully my elf ears will make an appearance and my holiday spirit reignite because life without Christmas decorations and cheesy Hallmark movies isn’t worth living. I hope your holiday season is off to a great start. I promise I will try my very best to stay positive and blog often this month. 😉
Merry Christmas & Happy 2nd Day of Hanukkah!! I hope all of you are having a wonderful holiday. My day started at church this morning. Afterwards, my family ate at Sizzler and saw Rogue One. I’ve been waiting on pins and needles to see this movie. I felt like the only person in the world who hadn’t seen it, and the rave reviews were driving me insane. We didn’t choose the best of theaters so the screen was dirty, but that didn’t dampen the experience. I absolutely loved the film! There were numerous amazing Rebel vs Empire fights, familiar faces like Bail Organa and Darth Vader, & awesome new characters like Cassian Andor and Jyn Erso. Can we just talk about freaking Donnie Yen?! His fighting scenes as Chirrut Imwe were off the charts. WOW! If you know me, you know that my favorite part of Star Wars will forever be the droids, and K-2SO is no exception. LOVE. HIM. The sass was abundant, and I could not stop laughing. (SPOILER) It was sad that everybody on the Rogue One team died, but it felt like the only appropriate ending considering the circumstances of the mission. They died because of the Death Star, the very weapon they were fighting to stop. A noble sacrifice for the good of the galaxy!
I can’t apologize enough for my absence. To make up for lost time, I’m going to be blogging through Hanukkah. I will call it “Blogukkah.” Genius! I have a good excuse for not blogging this week. I worked myself into the ground and got the flu. I had the worst day of work possible Tuesday, and it went from bad to worse once I got home. I spent both my days off resting and reenergizing for my last two shifts before Christmas. I hope you follow my art blog and Youtube channel because I’ve been active on both those platforms all month long. I’m not sure why I haven’t been posting as often for Blogmas this year. I think it has a lot to do with my retail job. I’ve felt like such a grinch and haven’t done anything outside of working. No spirit and no fun means no good material for your reading pleasure. I do have something to share with you tonight so let’s jump right in. I watched Frozen for the first time. I’ll let that sink in for a moment.
Have you composed yourself? Alrighty then! I’ve heard a lot of different perspectives. People loved the movie. People liked the movie. People hated the movie, some only because of the ridiculous amount of attention and hype. I didn’t want my first viewing experience to be ruined by someone else’s opinion so I waited and waited and waited until the right time. I’m glad I did because I was pleasantly surprised. I knew the music would be good, but other than that I had no expectations. I ended up liking it much more than I thought I would. The animation is beautiful, and the characters are charming. Idina Menzel’s voice is beautiful as always, but Kristen Bell’s voice stunned me. WOW! I love the end (SPOILER) when Kristoff is available to save Anna with an act of true love, but she ends up being saved by sisterly love. That is a refreshing twist. It’s adorable how Kristoff’s gruff exterior is slowly melted by Anna’s quirks. I could watch an entire movie with him, Sven, & Olaf. Those three crack me up! I highly recommend this film if you love Disney, but wait until your mind is clear from the bombardment of other opinions.
I heard about the library of fragrance during Vlogmas last year from youtuber Zoella. The idea of buying scent versions of fragrances both conventional and out-of-the-box intrigued me. I bought seven Christmas scents to test.
Close your eyes and imagine lying down on the couch admiring the lights and ornaments on your family’s Christmas tree. The woodsy smell of evergreen hitting your nose is exactly what the Fragrance Library has reproduced. If you need Christmas in your life year round, this scent is the perfect match for you.
I love eggnog so I was hoping to like this fragrance. I expected it to smell like eggnog, but it smells more like vanilla with subtle spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, etc). The scent is pleasant, but it isn’t what I was expecting or wanting.
This fragrance is everything I expected and more. If you aren’t a huge fan of gingerbread, I would still recommend you try this scent. The soft ginger smell is distinct without being too strong.
I don’t drink cider, but I know what it smells like. This fragrance is spot on. If you sprayed it into the air and closed your eyes, you would swear you were holding a piping hot mug of apples and spices. I don’t usually like apple scents, but this one isn’t half bad. I don’t hate it!
This scent messes with my mind. When I first took a sniff, it smelled fresh and clean, nothing too distinct. When I closed my eyes and took several more deep breaths, I could smell snow. Snow doesn’t even have a strong scent so I don’t know how this was pulled off. This isn’t my favorite scent, but it definitely grabbed my attention and made me think.
This scent is so hard to describe because I don’t have any reference to compare it to. It definitely smells of fresh ground spices. There is a warmth to the scent that reminds me of what I feel when I look at an orange jewel. Look at the picture below. That is what Frankincense smells like. I know it’s weird, but that’s my impression of this fragrance.
I thought this fragrance would be hard to describe considering the difficulty I had with frankincense. Au contraire! Myrrh does smell of spices, but it’s much more of a distinct masculine scent.
This company is worth looking into. The scents are well made and true to their names for the most part. I also appreciate the variety of sizes available. I was able to get what I needed in sample sizes and save money. I can’t wait to buy more fragrances!
Sorry guys! I am failing miserably at Blogmas this year. Because I work in retail, my schedule has been ridiculous these past few weeks. For example, I worked until 11pm last night and opened this morning at 7am. Needless to say I am exhausted and enjoying some much needed couch time. Anyone else watching the New York Giants vs Dallas Cowboys game?? GO BIG BLUE!!! 💙 What else is new in my life?? Let’s see… One of my friends asked me to be a bridesmaid in her wedding. I am honored to be asked and ecstatic to be involved. Obviously I can’t look like an oompa loompa so I’ve been working extra hard to get into tip top shape. I’ve started drinking green tea every day because it has so many health benefits. I’m not a huge fan of the smell and taste so I add lemon which also has numerous health benefits. Problem solved! My body is starting to feel much better, but it goes deeper than that. Working with holiday shoppers has taken a toll on the joy I usually feel this time of year. Sipping a hot cup of tea and being still for a few minutes each day has been a great way for me to recharge.
I know I’m starting Blogmas six days late, but I have had quite the week. I worked a long weekend then had possibly my worst day as a Youtuber yesterday. I filmed three videos, lost two of them, hated the third, and burned my finger on a candle. I am determined to maintain maximum holiday cheer so I’m going to get the party started with a hilarious story from my exciting job as a retail associate.
Customer: I am a longtime customer. I only buy my jeans here. I’ve never had this problem before. I wore and washed my new jeans, and now the zipper won’t zip. I want to return them.
Me: Let me check the zipper first and see if I can do anything.
*A few seconds later*
Me: It looks like there’s something jammed inside the zipper.
Customer: I don’t see anything!
Me: It looks like gum.
Customer: I don’t chew gum!
*Strange object is pulled out after minimal effort*
Me: It looks like a piece of a green balloon.
Customer: I don’t own balloons!
Me: Oh! That’s strange. Well, the zipper works fine now.
I apologize for the lack of posts these past couple of days. I was trying really hard to recover from my illness in order to be strong enough for work. I wasn’t successful, but I did survive and make it to my two days of freedom. I hope you’re having a better Christmas Eve than me. I’ve been moody all day. Bleh!! I’m trying to “reverse the curse” before midnight. :P Anywho, Blogmas has officially come to an end. Until next year, merry Christmas readers!! :)
Good evening/morning readers! It is 12:28 am, and I got home from work forty minutes ago. I am currently wrapped up in blankets listening to the rain and watching “The Great Holiday Baking Show.” I’m so glad Mary Berry finally made it to the USA. :D My Sunday was eventful to say the least. I once again stayed home from church because I was sick. The week before was more of an exhaustion-related illness. This week, I am actually S-I-C-K. As I was preparing to chug ginger ale and get well, one of my managers called and asked me to work a double shift. Although my head was pounding, I said yes because I knew she really needed help. It was absolute hell dealing with holiday madness for 8 hours, but I survived. Two more days of work and I will finally have time to relax and watch Christmas movies with my family. TWO. MORE. DAYS. HALLELUJAH!!! All of you are most likely warm and snug in your beds right now so sleep tight and don’t let the bugs bite. ;)
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Can somebody help me? I’m looking for Christmas. One minute it’s Halloween,and I’m cranking Christmas music. Now it’s December 19th, and I’m mentally preparing for the end of the holiday season. This month has been an emotional roller coaster ride, but now that everything is winding down, I don’t want to get off the “ride.” I know I’m crazy for saying such a thing, but I’m a sentimental sap. No matter how “Grinch” I feel during December, I always miss it when it’s gone. I suppose the only way to handle my current state of mind is listen to the rain, eat ice cream, and watch “Love Actually.” Going out with a BANG!! :D
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– Lauren Michele <3
P.S. I don’t want to get too excited, but on Christmas day my city is expecting rain and temperatures below 30. Could it be?? A white Christmas in California?? Please please pleeeeease!!
See that broken ornament? That is how my heart feels right now. I recently experienced my first robbery, and it took place in an area that I, as an employee, was responsible for. The culprit was potentially dangerous so it really is for the best that I wasn’t closer. BUT, I can’t help feeling guilty. I have been through the gamut of emotions. Shock at what took place. Guilt that it happened in my department. Anger that I was taken advantage of. Fear of what could have happened. Relief that I am alive and safe. Determination to never let it happen again (hence the title, a nod to “Home Alone 2”). After one too many nightmares, I am feeling a little better this morning. Dried pineapple and Christmas movies are helping along the process.
Lauren Michele ❤️ 
