Tag: recommendations

Spooky Podcast Recommendations!

Hello everyone!

I am fully obsessed with podcasts, as you may have guessed. In addition to producing my own (CLICK HERE to check out the In Cahoots! podcast), I am constantly listening to podcasts while I drive, clean, write, etc. So, since this is spooky szn, I have been listening to a fair amount of spook-themed podcasts. Here are some of the ones I’ve been listening to recently:

The Art History Babes

This is one of my favorite podcasts of all time. Not only do they satisfy my longing for continuing art history education since I graduated from college (in case you didn’t know, I minored in art history), but they take Halloween VERY seriously. They’ve put out some super spooky content about haunted paintings, Momento Mori, and more! It is always a joy to listen to them, and I highly recommend this podcast, even if you’re not an art history aficionado!

Teen Creeps with Kelly Nugent and Lindsay Katai

This was a recent recommendation from a friend of mine, and I was instantly obsessed with this podcast! They’ve reviewed old chap-books from our childhood like R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps, and the like. It is such a fun podcast, and definitely a blast from the past with all the books and movies they discuss!

Let’s Talk about Myths, Baby!

This isn’t necessarily a super spooky podcast, but it’s all about Greek and Roman myths, which you have to admit can often be horrifying and disturbing in its own right! The episodes are short but pack a punch, and are super fun to listen to. Highly recommend if you’re a mythology geek like me!

The Strange and Unusual Podcast

I haven’t been listening to this podcast very long, but at the title aptly puts it, they discuss all things strange and unusual… monsters, hauntings, and all sorts of horrifying goodness! Since I just recently discovered this podcast, I’ve enjoyed delving more into the content.

Some more podcasts I found that I haven’t personally listened to but fully intend to now that I’ve discovered them:

Two Girls One Ghost

And That’s Why We Drink: A Paranormal and True Crime Podcast

Hillbilly Horror Stories

Weird Darkness: Stories of the Paranormal

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Do you have any fun or spooky podcast recommendations? We would love to hear them! Leave them below in the comments, or come join the conversation over on my Instagram, @thegingerintrovert! I would love to hear any thoughts you have, or if you listened to any of my recommendations and loved them, too!

XOXO

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Healing from the Holidays

If you’re still feeling a little lost and raw after a hard holiday season, I’m right there with you. Here are a couple ways I’ve been coping.

Hello everyone,

It’s been about a week since we rang in 2019 and closed the door on 2018 for good. In doing so, we also said goodbye to the holiday season once again. While the internet really does love to hype up the holidays, we all know that it can be a rough time for a lot of people. Whether it be family issues and conflicts, personal hardship, or in my case, the recent loss of a loved one, sometimes the holidays just leave us feeling drained and sad rather than joyous.

I’ve mentioned Katie Dalebout’s podcast Let It Out many times before on this blog. In the early part of December, Katie released a solo podcast about how to take care of yourself in the face of all of these hardships during the holidays. I found this podcast really inspiring and used a couple of the ideas she mentioned. However, no matter how hard I tried, I still found the holidays to be extremely difficult after the passing of my grandmother on Thanksgiving. No matter how many extra self-care tactics I employed, I still couldn’t shake the dark cloud of loss that hung over my family during Christmas dinner and donkey kicked me with emotion when I realized I would ring in 2019 without her. So, I’m gonna be brutally honest. This holiday season kinda sucked, not because of anything my family did wrong, but just because I missed my grandmother. And because of this, I’m still feeling a little raw, even eight days into 2019.

If I’m feeling this way, I have no doubt that there are a couple of you out there who are still struggling. So, I thought I might tell you how I’ve been coping, and maybe they’ll help you, too.

Find an ally.

An ally can be anyone. A friend, your partner, your mom or grandmother, they just have to be someone who understands what you’re going through and has either been there or can empathize without judgment. Go out to grab a coffee or even have a knitting session—anything— with said person and just talk. Give and take. Listen to what they might be going through, and they’ll listen, too. It’s both a dose of normal life in the midst of chaos, as well as a small distraction.

Take some time to yourself.

After the frenzied holiday season, sometimes one of the best ways to heal is to just give yourself some much needed. While this is coming from an introverted perspective, I really do believe that it is important to give yourself time to breathe and process whatever you may be feeling alone. Writing, cooking, meditating, exercising, or doing something else you enjoy by yourself can really give you both peace of mind and space to figure yourself out.

If you’re really feeling low, get yourself to some counseling or therapy.

I will always be a big believer in the power of therapy. I’m one of those people that view mental health in the same light as physical health. If something is off or wrong with your body, you get yourself to the doctor. The same applies to your mental state. If things are really off, a professional opinion can only help. I go to the counseling services at my school, so I haven’t been able to follow this advice. However, I have been taking notes on things to discuss with my counselor so that when I make my first appointment, I’ll know exactly what to talk about. Much like exercising, I never regret going to counseling, and I always find that it gives me peace.

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As we are all moving forward into healing in this new year, I hope you are all doing well and are helped in some way by this post. If you have anything you would like to share or can think of another helpful tip, please feel free (as always) to leave it down in the comments! Or, head on over to my Instagram and start the conversation there. If you do, leave the evergreen emoji on my last post so we can all see who read this post! (I’ve seen other bloggers and influencers do this, and I thought it would be a cute idea to do as well!)

XOXO
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Holiday Book Haul!

Hello everyone!

In the last couple of weeks, I am sure we have all seen/read/watched alllllll of the fresh Christmas hauls that have been floating around the internet. Since I am just a naturally curious person, I always enjoy reading/watching these hauls. I don’t think I typically post about what I receive as gifts for the holidays, but this year I was exceptionally blessed to have received quite a few books and Barnes and Noble gift cards for Christmas and my birthday (which is about a week before Christmas on the 16th… if you didn’t know before). So, I thought I would share this haul with you guys, for all of you book lovers out there!

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Women Who Run With the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes

This was a recommendation from some of the wonderful ladies over at the Goddess Council! I heard so many women rave about this book after that, and I figured I had to read it. I put it on my Christmas list, and it turned out my mom had a copy she was finished with and gave to me. I’ve read the first couple of chapters, and I have found that all the raving was well-deserved. This book is both empowering and captivating, and the perfect balance between storytelling and gender-study. This is not the kind of book you would read in one sitting, however. This is the type of book you savor, make notes in and highlight, keep on your shelf to refer to or read for a dose of empowerment, or if you’re feeling a little lost. Lately, I’ve been keeping this book in my purse to read whenever I have a spare moment since my copy is so small and portable.

Call Me By Your Name by Andre Aciman

I was a little late to the CMBYN train, but I’m totally here for it now. I watched the movie back in October, and I fell in love with the story. Quite honestly, I think it would be impossible not to. After I watched the movie for the second or… ahem *third* time, I knew I had to read this book. So, once I had some birthday money in my pocketbook, this was my first purchase.

The Crimes of Grindelwald: The Original Script by J.K. Rowling

When a new installment in the Harry Potter universe comes out and is penned by none other than the queen herself, I gotta snap a copy up. I got my copy a little early in the Holiday season, on the Wednesday after Thanksgiving just before my local Target closed. I’m including this book in my Holiday book haul because I got it as a gift for my mom and myself when our family was dealing with the passing of my grandmother. Since we both love Harry Potter so much, this book and movie lifted our spirits during a difficult time, which is a major part of reading… In my humble opinion.

The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron

I found out about this book in a video made by one my favorite YouTubers, Shayna Klee, who was also the inspiration for my 2019 mood board post! When I read more about this book online, I found Cameron’s ideology on art and creativity as a spiritual practice so enticing, I added the book to my Christmas list as well. I have skimmed some of the chapters, and I already know this book is going to be a life-changer. Also, Cameron was the author who came up with the idea of morning pages, which many of my past creative writing classes have used as an exercise. I had no idea the impact this book had on the writing and art world before, so I’m looking forward to learning more from Cameron as I work through this book!

The Art of Character by David Corbett

A friend of mine recommended this book to me, and to be honest I didn’t know much about the book before I added it to my list. However, as someone who writes around character a lot of the time, at least when I’m writing fiction, I’m looking forward to digging into this book more!

I’ll Be There For You: The One About Friends by Kelsey Miller

I have been drooling over this book since I heard Katie Dalebout interview Kelsey in this interview on Let It Out, which is one of my personal favorite podcasts. I am not alone in the fact that I grew up watching the tv show Friends, and I am still an avid viewer to this day on Netflix. (Which, sidenote, they nearly took the show off Netflix at the beginning of 2019?! Nearly gave me a heart attack.) And since I also love learning about popular culture, this book seemed like a perfect fit for me. Since I’m hoping to go back to my blogging roots and start reviewing more books on TGI, I am thinking this will be one of my first reviewees!

The Masterpiece by Fiona Davis

This is yet another book I came across through one of my favorite podcasts when the Art History Babes interviewed the author in this episode. This is a historical fiction novel, and I found the concept of the book fascinating because it takes place in the long-forgotten art school at Grand Central Terminal in New York City. When I listened to the interview, Davis was so well articulated in explaining her research and her writing process with each of her novels, I snapped this book up when I saw it in Barnes and Noble.

Becoming by Michelle Obama

There was been so much buzz and love surrounding the release of this book back in the later months of last year, this book seems almost to be required reading. The fact that so many women I follow on Instagram were raving about this book joined with my ten-year (!) admiration for Obama fed into a need to read this book. This is going to be another book I will probably make plenty of marginalia in, as well as review sometime in the coming months.

Eat Smart by Niomi Smart

I recently discovered I am lactose intolerant. Or, to be more accurate, I’ve known for a while I’m lactose intolerant… I’ve just recently given in to cutting dairy out of my life. Since I am a vegetarian as well, this has driven me to a more plant-based diet (ugh). I will admit this new development in my diet has left me stymied and frustrated multiple times since I’ve been more serious about being dairy-free. However, this cookbook has helped me so much in coming up with more ideas for yummy dairy-free meals. I’ve already tried a couple recipes which have all turned out deliciously well. I have also been thinking nonstop about trying Niomi’s recipe for vegan shepherd’s pie, which she prepared in a recent Vlogmas. The recipe looks to be a little complicated though, so I’ll be sure to document the process on Instagram when I finally undertake the task!

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In 2019, I am hoping to make it a point to read more, especially once I graduate and I won’t be under the collegiate pressure to read constantly. I was a voracious reader growing up, and even though I am a literature major, I rarely read for pleasure in the way I did when I was a kid. As a form of motivation, I’ve committed to reading 40 books for the 2019 Goodreads Challenge, which seems like a pretty daunting task… But I think I’m up for it! If you have an account, connect with me on Goodreads and let’s motivate each other to read more! And, of course, I’ll be posting about the books I’m reading on my Instagram, too!

Do you have any book recommendations? Any books you were gifted during the Holiday season and you’re currently loving? Share them down below or head on over to Instagram to discuss!

XOXO

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Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Favorites

Hello everyone!

Today’s off-schedule post is brought to us by the Nordstrom Anniversary sale! In other words, it’s basically the Fashion Blogger… Olympics? Super Bowl? Whatever… You get the point, it’s a big deal.

Early access to the sales started early early early this morning, and all the bloggers I follow on Instagram are going bananas. So, ‘why not join in?’ is my logic! Since “Early Access” is only available for Nordstrom card holders and ya girl is a broke college kid, I have to wait for the sale to start on July 20th like the rest of us plebs. However, I did page through the catalog online, and I thought I would share my favorites with you guys!

CLOTHES

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I love how this dress is a halter style. It reminded me of a dress I loved from Sammy Robinson’s line with Princess Polly, but only shorter (and therefore, more suited to a 5 foot 3 lady like myself).

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The colors on this striped sweater are gorgeous and perfect for fall. The neck and the way it’s cropped are so cool as well! I’m also pretty sure I see some sort of detailing on the shoulders, which you don’t see all the time. However, this is way out of my price range (maybe that goes without saying?). I’m pretty confident if I was given a day or two in Goodwill I could find a comparable dupe, but I digress.

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This is actually one of the few pieces I can definitely see myself picking up on the 20th. The sleeves, the ribbing, the detailing, and the price are all perfect.

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This looks like the coziest sweater I have ever laid eyes on! I love the cable knit and the color (although it seems there are multiple different colors). It is $50, which isn’t too terrible for a sweater in a department store like Nordstrom.

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Last winter and fall, I was super into the whole patterned pants trend. I’m glad to see that it is predicted to be no different this coming fall! These are super cute, but with the $50 price tag, I think I’ll stick with the couple of pairs I’ve gotten at the thrift store. H&M has some cute ones in now too, I hear!

This sweater is another possibility that I might not be able to resist. These color combinations are so cute I’m not sure which I would pick. This sweater looks so cozy, I can just picture myself wearing this to class in the fall on a chillier day.

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I love a sweet and simple t-shirt. The stripes on this tee are adorable, and the two color combinations they have are very tempting for the fall. Again, I could definitely see myself wearing this with a jean jacket to class.

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I’m alllll for sweaters like this with the “varsity” style stripes. I would feel like a 1950s cheerleader wearing this, and I wouldn’t hate it. Also, yet another cozy sweater option.

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I already have a shirt just like this that I bought from H&M forever ago, and I wear it all the time every year. For those of you who just want a simple turtleneck to wear literally anywhere anytime, this is it. And you can’t beat the price.

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I love the stripes down the sides of these leggings, and they look super comfortable. Perfect for class and studying.

I’m obsessed with Adidas activewear, and given how expensive Adidas usually is, I don’t think you can beat these deals. I’m seriously considering those leggings, not gonna lie!

JEANS

I found sooo many pairs of jeans I loved while paging through the catalogue, so I thought they deserved their own section. I’ll arrange them in pairs, just so you guys can see…

Can you tell I have a jean type? I love how they seem to have lots of cropped jeans for the fall. They’re all giving me serious Carolyn Besette Kennedy vibes, for some reason.

SHOES

This is probably the most dangerous section for me. Everyone who knows me knows I have a slight shoe addiction problem… So I need to practice some serious self-control around shoe sales. However. There are some adorable shoes I think the public needs to be made aware of.

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I’m kind of dying over these. This is honestly the kind of heel I was thinking I would want to wear on my wedding day— they’re the perfect height, and the strap is necessary to make sure I’m not falling all over the place when I’m walking down the aisle. The pattern is adorable, too.

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I’m loving both slides and snakeskin right now. These are very Taylor Swift-Reputation tour, and I’m here for it. Also, Steve Madden is a fabulous brand that I like to support when I can afford it.

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I wear my white Converse nearly every day during the school year. When I bought them a year or two ago I think I spent around $60 in store, so if I were looking to replace them (which… mine have gone from ‘white’ to ‘cream’ to ‘just dirty’) I would consider taking advantage of this sale.

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For the last couple of fall/winter seasons, I have been wearing black ankle boots nearly every single day with a pair of jeans and a sweater. I usually thrift mine, but last year that habit bit me in the butt when nearly every pair I owned fell apart. It might be worth it for me to consider investing in a better quality (and therefore longer lasting) ankle boot for the fall. These are a super cute option!

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I hope you guys enjoyed this post as I shared my favorite picks from the Anniversary sale catalog. On a slightly different but related note, I would like to also say that a lot of these things, especially sweaters and striped tees, can be easily found in thrift shops literally everywhere. However, if you really want something particular, go for it. Huge sales like this are the perfect occasion to splurge a little bit! Happy shopping (and reading!) 🙂

XOXO

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My Current Netflix Watch List!

Need some Netflix inspiration? Take a peek at my current watch list!

Hello everyone!

We all have it. The arsenal of movies and TV shows we’re just waiting to sink our metaphorical teeth into. My list is obviously much longer, but these are the shows and movies that I will be watching whenever I have a free afternoon next. So… Easter break anyone?

Black Mirror

My best friend recommended this series to me, and I’ve heard lots about it online as well. I’m not a huge fan of ultra scary shows and movies but she recommended a couple episodes that were especially good that she thought I would like, so hopefully I’ll like them! Coming from somebody who knows me so well, I think I have a pretty good chance.

That 70s Show

Tanner and I have watched up to the sixth season of the show, and then we stopped watching. I still want to know what happens, so I just want one free afternoon to snuggle and finally finish this series off!

Riverdale

I’ve already watched part of the first season, and I’ve liked the storyline so far. I read the Archie comics as a child, so I’ve needed to slowly introduce myself to the new storyline for fear of ruining my childhood. But what I’ve seen so far is so so good, I can’t not watch it. That, and (Spoiler Alert!) I’ve been shipping Betty and Jughead my entire life, so I’m excited to finally be able to see them get together.

 

The Great British Baking Show

I have heard so many good things about this show. And I mean, who doesn’t love a good baking show?

Beauty and the Beast (Emma Watson version!)

I’ve been waiting to watch this remake of a childhood favorite ever since it went into theaters (which was probably about a year ago now). I never get to the theater because it is way too expensive for my small college student budget, but Netflix is just my speed. Hopefully the movie will be worth the wait!

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Have a favorite Netflix show or movie? I mean, who doesn’t, right? Mine are Gilmore Girls and Friends. We could all use some recommendations for our next binge-watching session, so let me know what some of your recommendations are in the comments below!

XOXO

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Photo Cred: Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash