2019- a year in review

Hi all!!

I am finally posting on my blog again!! I'm so sorry I haven't posted in awhile, I've been really trying to relax while I have Christmas Break haha. Once we get back into it, there's my birthday, school, a theatre competition, and two shows, so things are going to be crazy. For this post, I'm going to do a review of each month individually, and talk about them. So yeah! Let's get right on into it.

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1. January-

January was a pretty normal month. I turned 13, finally becoming an official teenager, but to be honest with you, I'm one of those kids who acts like a teenager for years before I actually am, so it wasn't much of a change haha. It was super warm on my birthday this year, which I loved because that meant I could wear summer clothing. We were also prepping a lot in January for the upcoming show and a theatre competition in February.

2. February-

February was INSANE to say the least. I had a theatre competition, which was quite sad actually. I was in two dance ensembles and sang solo musical theatre. We didn't place for anything. I was also in a show for my school, which went interestingly. It was a fun show overall, but tech week was lowkey traumatizing. I know, I know, I'm being dramatic. But if you saw what happened that week, you might feel the same.

3. March- 

This month wasn't QUITE as insane. It was still pretty busy though. I got picked to be in the high school show (which I usually am in), so it was pretty much just getting ready for that. Also, one of the best experiences of my life. Rehearsing for it was super fun, and the process and people were amazing.

4. April- 

Wow. Honestly, I don't even know how to describe to you guys how amazing April was. In April, we did our show, which was literally my second favorite show I've ever done (out of about 8.) It was literally such a good experience and so much fun. I think what was most special was the feel of the cast. By the end of it, all of us girls acted like sisters, and we were all so so close with one another. By the end of it, and the day of the last performance, we all came in that afternoon and sat at one big table until we had to get ready. And then, before getting ready, all of the girls in our dressing room sat in the dressing room and sobbed. I don't mean pretty crying, I mean ugly crying for about 30 minutes. It was so special. The rest of April was okay haha.

5. May-

May was a pretty busy month. We had exams, which I honestly can't remember what grades I got on those, and the cast party for our show in April. We all watched the show again, which of course brought emotions right back. There was graduation, where we danced, and then a couple days after graduation was over, my family and I took two of our best friends and went to the beach for a week. It was so relaxing after the long school year and it was so much fun. We also decided to foster animals for the first time. Our first group of them was three baby kittens, named Creamsicle, Oreo, and S'more. They were precious. We were supposed to have them for two weeks, but they got sick so we had to take them back. It was very sad.

6. June-

June was more of just a summer kind of month, if you know what I mean. I helped out at a local church helping with their VBS, which I really enjoyed. Other than that though, I didn't really do much.

7. July-

In July, I had a lot of just fun adventures with friends. When one of my friends came over, it started pouring before she had to leave, so we danced and cartwheeled in the rain. It was hilarious. Our school also planned an ice cream day, so a bunch of us went to an ice cream place downtown and we had a lot of fun that day. We also went to our lake house for a couple of days, which was fun.

8. August-

Another slightly crazy month. In August, we fostered more kittens, (my personal favorites), named Open your heart (I'm not joking, our animal shelter names them really badly) and Kyrie. They had just been fixed, and they were precious black kittens. They were so sweet and so playful. I would've adopted them if I could. We also started back school, and right before that, we started up yet ANOTHER show, haha. I know, that's all I do. 😂 We also made a day trip and went to a bunch of malls and shopped a LOT. It was really fun also.

9. September- 

September was a bit more busy than August, but not as busy as April. We did several things like working on a show, and fostering two more kittens who also got sick after a few days, named Stormy and Thunder. We went to our lake house again, and I *get this guys* tried something new. I don't like doing this. 😂 But y'all, I'm not an outdoorsy person, and I went HIKING one day. My school was doing a hiking day and I went. But honestly, it was so much fun. I really enjoyed it. I think my favorite thing I did in September, though, was when I helped out painting our show set. We had a great group of people, and when we were waiting for things to dry, we played cards. It was so much fun.

10. October-

Now, October was a busy month. For our show, we only had one performance because it was this big theatre and that was just what happened, so we had educational performances at our school. Then, we had the real performance. It was a great experience and it was a great opportunity. After that, my family and I went on a beach trip, which was really nice for us to be able to take a break. I really enjoyed it. I did some sun tanning, swimming, etc. It was amazing. Then, we had Halloween, which I posted about so go see that here, we had school pictures, and I started this blog!! I love this blog so much and am so happy to be posting on it.

11. November -

This month wasn't too busy. At the beginning of the month, I don't know if you guys know this, but I got Invisalign. If you don't know what that is, it's basically braces but they are retainers that you can take out. I love them and they don't even hurt which is super nice. They're clear, and barely visible. I do have bands, but they are also clear and tiny, so that's great. We also had Thanksgiving in November, which I also posted about, so you can see here. 

12. December -

This was a great month! We had Christmas show prep, which was super fun, but we also had exams which were super stressful. I had an exam for Biology and Geometry, and I'm horrible at both subjects. I ended up getting an 85 on my Biology exam and a 95 on my Geometry exam. Okay, let's back up. I suck at Geometry. i do not understand how I got a 95. I am so thankful. I literally told my mom I didn't do well, and told my friends that I thought I failed because I did think that! I still cannot believe it. But yeah, we had our Christmas show which was also a great experience. We prepped for Christmas, and somehow, Christmas is over. It's so sad. Oh well. Christmas was amazing.

-Music-

This year, the music I listened to most was definitely James TW. Honestly, his new album got me through this fall in one piece LOL. I love love love his music. *go listen to it*

-Food-

I think my favorite new food we tried this year is Insta Pot lasagna. If you know me in person, then you literally know I live off of this and it is my favorite thing on earth. I talk about it way too much. I'm probably gonna go eat some in a few minutes if that tells you anything. 😂

-Favorite thing I did all year-

Definitely our show in April that I talked about. :)

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So yeah! That was pretty much my year in review. I obviously did not put in a lot of personal things because a lot happened this year that I don't really think I should talk about on this blog, hahaha. In review of the year, to be completely honest with you, 2019 has been one of the worst years ever. I mean, when I think of other years compared to this one.. just wow. If I hadn't been in that show in April, I think I would definitely count this the worst year ever. I'm hoping for a brighter year in 2020, but hey, we'll see. Let me know in the comments how 2019 has been for you!
-Izzy

Feeling constantly happy

Hi everyone!!

How are you guys? I wasn't planning to put out another post before New Years, but I just thought of this topic and I feel like it's something that I want to get to you guys, but also off my mind before 2020 so we can feel completely clear for 2019. I want 2019 to be dead and gone LOL

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I feel like being happy all the time isn't the best route to go. As a person, if any of you know me in person, I'm usually super bubbly and happy and excitable. That's pretty much how i'm described- Bubbly. But thats the problem.

This year, 2019, has definitely been rough. There have been the highest of highs, and some low lows. And i feel like through these, I didn't always show happiness because that wasn't what i was feeling.

But at the same time, even if I am bubbly, the question is, why should you expect that from me at all times?

I know there have been a lot of times at school this year that I have not handled the best with what was going on, but also what was going on inside of me. I could've handled a lot of things more gracefully, but I didn't.

People could tell that I was different this semester. They didn't know why, but they knew I wasn't happy at all times like usual.

I'm not completely sure where I'm going with this to be completely honest with you.

I don't even know, but I feel like I just want to tell you guys- don't feel like you always have to be happy. Sometimes, your face shows differently. That's okay.

I've gotten a lot more like myself these past couple of months, but also, I am growing up.

I'm turning 14 in only a week. I'm not going to always be the same giggly, constantly happy 9 year old. There's school, friendship, etc. All things that can bear a weight on you. They can cause stress.

Just realize, you don't have to be happy at all times, and honestly, I feel like people shouldn't expect that of you.

In this post, I'm also not telling you to act sad all the time. That's not what i'm saying at all. What i'm saying is, it is okay to not always be yourself, thats normal.

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This is a post that is all over the place, but honestly something that I just wanted to share and see if anyone else is going through the same thing. Comment below if you have, and what your experience has been with it.

-Izzy

Christmas Tag!

Hi everyone!

I got inspired to do this Christmas tag since Christmas is approaching so quickly! My friend Francesca started this tag, go check out her blog, Bella Momento | Fashion, Beauty and lifestyle. It's awesome. I'll link it here. I'm not going to tag anyone, but anyone can join in on this! Please let me know if you do, I would love to read them! So, let's get right into it! 

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The Christmas Tag

Do you open your presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas day?

My family and I open up all of our presents on Christmas Day. We've never opened presents on Christmas Eve. We've never tried anything different, so we just keep it the same every year.

Is your Christmas tree real or fake?

Ours is fake. I have never had a real tree. We'd rather have a tree that we can reuse every year instead of buying a new one every year.

You have been granted one Christmas wish... What will it be?

I honestly don't know... I guess for 2020 to go well.

Do you have any Christmas Eve traditions?

Every Christmas Eve, we pick up pizza and go over to my grandma's house. We spend a couple of hours over there with them and then come home and go to sleep.

What sits on top of your tree?

Nothing, haha. We don't have a tree topper. 

Have you ever had a White Christmas?
Yes! I was little, but yes.

Can you name all of Santa's Reindeers?

Um, let's see... Donner, Dasher, Blitzen, Cupid, Prancer, Dancer, Rudolph, I think that's all that I can name. 

Have you been naughty or nice this year? Be honest.

Well, I'm always going to answer nice.

What do you enjoy more? Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?

Definitely Christmas Day. It's so exciting and you finally get to open all of the presents you've been waiting to open. Plus, you also finally get to see people's reaction to your presents you bought them.

What do you eat for Christmas dinner?

We eat a lot of different things. Our family is Lebanese so we have some Lebanese food. We have chicken, fatoosh, orange salad, kibby, grape leaves, etc. It's really good.

Do you have an advent calendar each year?

I don't. They are often expensive so I don't get them.

Do you send out Christmas cards every year?

Yes, our family usually sends them out with a picture of the family and a little message. :)

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So yeah, that has been the Christmas tag! I hope you enjoyed it, thank you again to Francesca for making this wonderful tag, I really enjoyed it. :)

-Izzy

Fun things to do this holiday season

Hi everyone!

I love this time of year, its so joyful and fun, so I thought I would type up a list of fun things to do around this time of year. I hope you enjoy!

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1. Go ice skating - This is super fun and gets you in the spirit of Christmas and winter.

2. Make cookies - You can do this either with your friends or family, but I just feel like it's enjoyable and you can make Christmas cookies so it can be festive! :)

3. Drink lots of hot chocolate - I mean, who doesn't do this?

4. Drive around and look at lights - Me and my family do this every year and its so cool to see all of the lights that people put up and how they use them. Everyone does them a bit differently and I think its super cool to see that.

5. Have a movie day - Watch a bunch of Christmas movies and just have a fun time.

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On the giving back portion, here are a few of the things you can do to help others during this season of giving- 

1. Angel tree- Every year at my mall, they have a tree and they put a bunch of names on it of kids and their ages and what they want. My mom and I do this each year because its super fun to just give back to a child in need and I love shopping for them. We just finished ours up last week. :)

2. Operation Christmas Child - This is another way like the one above, but a little bit different. Churches do this a lot, where you get a box and you can choose to do a boy or a girl and you choose an age, and then you fill up the boxes with toys, and soap, and things like that. This is a really great way to help.

3. Work in a soup kitchen - I've done this one before, and it feels really good to know that for once you aren't focusing on yourself, you're helping others who need it more than you.

4. Salvation Army - At a lot of stores, they have a bucket and people ringing the bell for money. Even  if its just some coins, it's always good to give back. Every bit helps.

5. Toy drive - I haven't done this one before, but you can help organize toys for a toy drive. I'm sure churches do this one.

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So that's it for today, but I hope this inspired you, and comment down below what you like to do during this time of year?

-Izzy

Fitbit Versa 2 unboxing + My thoughts

Hi everyone!!

I got the Fitbit versa 2, it is the first fitbit i have ever had. I thought I would show you some pictures and a little bit of the unboxing. So here we go!

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So basically, when you open it you open it from the bottom, and inside the box you have the actual watch, the charger, and an extra band.

The packaging is super cute I think. There's a spot where the watch goes, which I really like. 

It took a while to set up. The actual beginning of the process didn't take too long, the part that I had a problem with was where you are syncing your messages. My phone is an Android Motorola, I don't remember which version. It's a good phone, just slow so this process took FOREVER. We finally synced it thankfully, so I am getting messages now. I haven't took the time to set up Alexa yet. 

This watch has a lot of nice features. It tracks blood pressure, steps, the time, the weather, it has Amazon Alexa, you can get text messages on it, there are excercise workouts where you can track them, and it's just really cool.

In the Fitbit app, there are a lot of features you can use. There's food tracking, water tracking, sleep tracking, etc.

I also love that since I dance, I don't turn on a workout but my watch actually detects when I dance that there is a workout going on, so it counts it as one for my week.

I actually love the appearance. I chose the Rose gold color, which is one of my favorite colors so it worked out well. The other options were the gray or the black, and also there was a special edition with a different band, but it was more expensive.

Because this was an early Black Friday deal, it was cheaper than usual. Usually, it is $200. But, I got it from Kohl's which was having a good deal on it. So basically, when you bought one, it was $150, but they gave you $45 in Kohl's cash, so it ended up pretty much just being $113 with tax. 

So yeah! I took a few pictures with it on for you guys to see, so these are them.

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Overall, I'm super happy with it. It's great for tracking my workouts and makes me more accountable. I hope you guys enjoyed this post, let me know what kind of posts you want to see in the future!!

-Izzy

November Wrap-up

November Wrap-up

Hi everyone!!

November has been insane to say the least. I saw several people doing these kind of posts, so I thought I would join in. So let's get right on into it!

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At the very beginning of the month, on the 4th, I got Invisalign. If you don't know what that is, they are clear braces that are removable. You take these out when you eat, and when you drink anything besides water. It's definitely been a change for me, but i'm hoping to get my teeth moved because they're pretty bad haha.

The high schoolers at my school had a high school festival that we always attend, so they competed a lot the same week I got my Invisalign. We went to go see them a lot, and it was super fun.

We started preparing for our Christmas show at school. As y'all know, I'm homeschooled but go to an arts school so I'm a dancer. We always have a Christmas show after school lets out, and it features dancing and singing and a bunch of other stuff. I'm in four different dances in this show this year, two of which we haven't choreographed yet 😬 Love that.

We decorated for Christmas!! I absolutely love Christmas, it's my favorite holiday. I get so into it. If you haven't seen yet, I decorated my room and that post will be here.

At our mall, they have a Christmas tree with Salvation Army angels on it. You pick one of these up, and then buy a bunch of stuff for them and return it in December. It's one of my favorite things to do to help other people during the holiday season.

I've had a great Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving break. I've been off of school since Tuesday and I'm loving it. 😍

I got a fitbit a couple of days ago, which there will be a post on that soon. It's so useful and has definitely taken some work, but it will be good for me to get in better shape.

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I hope you enjoyed this post, let me know in the comments what kind of posts you want to see! Also, I would love to do a tag to get to know some more bloggers, so let me know if anyone wants to collaborate to make a tag!

-Izzy

Happy Thanksgiving!! - What i'm thankful for, + ootd

Happy Thanksgiving!!

This post is going out so freaking late, I know. i've been busy literally ALL DAY. No joke. So, I'm just getting around to this, but that's okay!

There is so much to be thankful for, I can't list all of it. But, I will list some of my top ones. 

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1. Food and water

2. Family and friends

3. The bible

4. A house

5. Comfy clothing

6. My blog

7. My room

8. Blankets

9. Acting, singing and dancing

10. God

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For my outfit, I wore a navy dress from Forever 21, and white keds from Michael's. 

This outfit was super comfortable!! I loved it.

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Let me know in the comments, what are you guys thankful for this Thanksgiving?

-Izzy

Decorating my room for Christmas

Hi everyone!

So today in this post, I decided to decorate my room for Christmas :) Don't judge me, I just like decorating early. So I'm just going to take you through some of my room and just some fun pictures that I decided to take :)

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So I first got everything out..

My tree this year is so cute. It has white lights and berries and some red sparkly pinecones on it, with some ornaments on it from Target. 

I put some garland on my mirror, which is super cute. 

Which of course meant that I had to take a selfie with the garland....

And, I decorated my window seat.

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If you have any questions about anything in my photos, please let me know and I will answer them!

I hope you enjoyed this post! Let me know what kind of posts you guys would like to see. 

-Izzy

Feeling left out

Isn't this a struggle for everyone? I hope not, but in all honesty it's a daily struggle for me. I'm thinking about making this kind of a series because my last post was kind of like this, just another thing i've been going through, and I feel like this is another one that I want to share with you guys.

Is it just me, or does it seem like every week there's something I'm being left out of, not invited to, or just something like not even being acknowledged when in a group. It's mainly been a struggle for me because basically, I go to a fine arts school where middle schoolers and high schoolers are sometimes around each other, and because I've danced for so long, I'm in the high school dance class, I've been in most of the high school shows the past few years, and honestly have known these high schoolers since I was about 9-10. At this point, I am so close to them because they are my second family. But my best friend moved up a class this year, which means now she's in high school, and I'm left behind in eighth grade. Even though I act like a high schooler, i'm not allowed to be in high school.

This is such a struggle for me, I don't think anyone has any idea. I'm constantly being left out of everything. I know that's probably not true, but it feels so much like that it's hard to not think about. 

This year has been hard as it is, with a lot of other stuff going on. But this makes it even harder. I mean, you have to think to yourself "How can I fix this?" and there really is no way. I mean, you can always try to make yourself prettier or more popular but that will get you no where.

I mean, we all know how it feels to be bored and then see photos of all your friends on Instagram hanging out without you. It hurts. You didn't get invited. They didn't think of you. Etc, etc. You can't blame this on yourself, it's their fault that they don't want to invite you for some odd reason.

But just remember through this, Find good friends. Find friends that WILL invite you. Find friends who will support and love you through whatever you are going through. Find friends who send texts to you just to see how you are. Find YOUR group.

-Izzy

Not being good enough\dissapointment

Have you ever struggled with either of these? I've found that this year these are two prominent things that keep happening to me, in different circumstances or situations. It seems as though whatever I'm doing, it always winds up here. Why is that?

Because these are two things that everyone struggles with, I think. There's always going to be someone better than you. Someone who is just way better than you at something. And what do you have to do to be on that level? Work hard.

This is one of the things that I have definitely also been learning over the past couple months-a year. I know that I will never get far in the dance world if my body is not ready for the challenges to come. So I work out. I got in a good groove when it came to working out for quite some time, but then I stopped.  And that is when I should've kept going.

But I didn't.

I didn't feel the need to. I didn't keep working hard. And now that it's back to dance season, I find my body out of shape and not ready. So I've started up again. I'm praying that I have the motivation to keep going, and I think as long as I keep thinking about it, I will. And how does this go back to disappointment and not being good enough you're wondering?

If you don't work hard, you won't get what you want. You won't get that role, that job you've been hoping for for years, or anything. You'll find yourself in a position that I often find myself in. Disappointed. In these situations, I've found the only thing I can do is just think, "Everything happens for a reason." And it does. You'll find out in a while why you didn't get that role, or job. And if not, there was a reason. This is a hard struggle for me. I've always struggled with it to a degree, but this year has been especially hard in many different ways.

Just know, you are NOT alone in this, at all. I'm right there with you. 

So let me know in the comments if you're going through something like this right now, what is it?

-Izzy

Sad day tips- How to make it better

Hi guys!

So I honestly don't know how often y'all get sad, or if you have sad days, but I certainly do. I don't really know why, I just have those days where I feel like I could cry at any moment just because I'm a wreck for some unknown reason. So, these are some tips for you if you have these days to help you get through them :)

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1. Watch tv- This definitely helps me to watch some Netflix, get my mind off of whatever is bothering me.

2. Call a friend- This is one of the most helpful of the tips to me, because whenever I'm sad I love to just call a friend and rant and get it all out. Once I do, I usually feel a lot better.

3. Eat junk food- I know this is honestly probably not the best tip, but hey, when you're sad, do you want cookie dough or kale?

4. Go shopping- Do something fun! Go thrift shopping, go to your local mall, wherever you enjoy shopping and buy yourself an outfit, or room decor, whatever you want :)

5. Journal- When you feel sad, get out a journal, and write all of it down. Whatever those feelings are that you feel like you can't even tell your journal- just do it. It will make you feel better, and if you're not wanting to tell anyone these things, you're not. The only ones that know are you and your journal. 

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What do you do when you're sad? Comment down below.

-Izzy

Halloween 2019

Hi everyone!

I hope you all have had a great Halloween!! I wanted to show you my costume. I went as an alien, and I went trick or treating. It was super fun. (Yes, I know I'm too old to go trick or treating, but hey, free candy.) So for this costume my mom's friend helped me sew it, which was also really fun. I also made a scrunchie out of the fabric from my costume, and I wore some white shoes from Michael's.

What did you guys dress up as?

-Izzy

Rainbow

remember
that time
when you smiled so hard
remember that moment
as the tears start to fade away
as the rainbow begins to largen
and you're feeling less lonely
and all of it is forgotten
in a moment

But then you remember
what it felt like
to feel like you had no one who cared about you
to feel alone
the tears come back
and you feel yourself kneeling on the ground
crying so hard
you can't breathe

and then a pair of arms
comes and hugs you from behind
they lift you up
and tell you
"you are okay"
and that is enough for you
to know you are cared about
and to know they love you

My current favorite playlist | October 2019

Hi everyone!

This month I've been really into music honestly, so I thought I would make a playlist of songs that I love right now. 

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1. Boys and Girls - James TW

2. Someone you loved - Lewis Capaldi

3. Cruel Summer - Taylor Swift 

4. I warned myself - Charlie Puth

5. I think you're lying - Annie Rose

6. Over getting over you - Annie Leblanc

7. Soldier - James TW

8. I think he knows - Taylor Swift

9. Car Radio - 21 Pilots

10. Happy for Me - James TW

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These have just been some of the songs I've been listening to.
What have you been listening to?
-Izzy

10.21.19

10.21.19

*not my photo*

When the leaves start to die
and our hearts are filled with regret
we look to the sky
to see if there is even a sunset

Although there is one
we are still sad
for we are never content
which is a character trait we've always had

We like summer best
for everything is alive
but the weather is so hot
we just want to go for a dive

So yet again
we are not content
for we always are
and always have been

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Much love for this season.
-Izzy

Fun things to do when your bored this time of year!

Hi everyone

This time of year, I know you all have a lot of school, but everyone has a time when they're bored at some point. So I thought that I would make a post with some suggestions on what to do when you're bored.

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1. Work on Christmas presents- If you like celebrating Thanksgiving before Christmas, you can do this, but if you don't, don't come at me.

2. Take fall photos- I love taking photos and leaves are definitely aesthetic.

3. Make a to-do list- I know this is weird, but if you feel unorganized at the time, make a to-do list! I love making to-do lists.

4. Clean your room and organize it also!- I love doing this, I love cleaning. I also love organizing so this is fun for me.

5. Watch a hallmark movie!- If you don't like hallmark movies, I'm sorry, but I love them so this is something fun that I like doing when I'm bored.

6. Bake something!- I love baking when I'm bored, and making and icing cakes is just so fun to me.

7. Plan something with your friends!- Plan doing something with your friends! it will be so fun.

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Have a great day!

~Izzy

Welcome to According to Izzy!

Hi There!

Welcome to According to Izzy! My real name is Isabella, but I go by Izzy. On this blog, I will be posting a variety of things, including fashion, videos, beauty, and much more. I hope you enjoy the blog! Comment hi and introduce yourself, I'd love to say hello!