Captain's Log 13: July Recap

Guys, I can't believe July is already ending!

I hate the end of summer because it reminds me that school is about to begin and I long for the freedom and excitement I had at the end of May.

But I must be positive and instead, focus on the awesomeness this summer has brought to me! 

July was filled with a ton of excitement. I went on vacation twice and finally left my job! I also got more in touch with my interests and completed some pretty daunting goals! 

This month, I read a total of 11 books. Wow!!! I slacked off at the beginning of the month but went on a reading binge the last few days. I even had to reupdate this post a few times to reflect the new books!

Loose Girl by Kerry Cohen | The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson | Going Vintage by Lindsay Leavitt | How it Ends by Catherine Lo | When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon | Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler | All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven | Little Bee by Chris Cleave | How To Love by Katie Cotugno | Suicide Notes from Beautiful Girls by Lynn Weingarten | Seven Ways We Lie by Riley Redgate |

I was pretty pleased with my books this month. I hadn't heard of a lot of these books and I really enjoyed all but one. Plus, one was nonfiction, a genre I struggle reading enough of, so that was awesome!

Goodreads Goal: 32/35

This month, I actually watched more TV than previous months, probably because I had a lot more free time!

Movies: Alien: Covenant

Shows: Game of Thrones, Friends from College, Raven's Home

I finally started Game of Thrones and I LOVE IT. I have no idea why it took me so long to watch it but I'm currently obsessed. I'm still in the first season so I have a long way to go, but I hope to catch up by the time next season starts!

I also finished Friends from College, a Netflix Original Series, about a group of friends from college (ha!) who's friend group becomes tested by the secrets and stressors that come with being an actual adult. I really enjoyed this series and it has so much great talent (Keegan-Michael Key, Cobie Smulders, Fred Savage, & Billy Eichner, just to name a few) and I really hope it comes back for a second season. It got a lot of negative reviews because the characters are the literal worst humans ever, but I really enjoyed it because I don't want to watch TV where all the characters are white picket fences and golden smiles. This show makes you hate the characters, laugh with them, and maybe cry a little. 

I also saw the first episode of Raven's Home and I was kinda meh on it. I hope the next episodes are more enjoyable and have a little less laugh-track. But, I am optimistic!

Movie-wise, Jonathan and I went to go see Alien Covenant, and it wasn't....terrible. It was pretty ridiculous because the crew made such easy mistakes that caused their issues, but Danny McBride was excellent in it!

Skyrim (XboxOne) | Stardew Valley (PC) | Overwatch (XboxOne) | Crush Crush (PC) | Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer (DS) | Borderlands (Xbox One) |

This month, I mostly played a ton of Skyrim and even started streaming a bit. I'm still figuring out Twitch, but I am pretty excited to start using it again.

I spent the majority of the beginning of the month getting obsessed with Stardew Valley. I had never been able to play it so when it went on sale, I immediately jumped on it. I am now happily married to Shane and nearing the end of Year 2. 

I finished Happy Home Designer, after wanting it for a year. I'm pretty bummed that it was such a short game but I plan on replaying it on days where ACNL isn't enough.

I also spent a few hours shifting between Overwatch, Crush Crush, and Borderlands for when I needed a quick distraction. Doomfist and the new highlight features on Overwatch are incredible! Crush Crush is currently holding their Summer Fling event and a DVA swimsuit is one of the perks, so I'm pretty excited for that as well!



July Goals - Check In

1. Take More Photos
        
I think I did a pretty good job with this goal. I took a ton of photos on our camping trip, although I realized I rarely use my phone for photos. The area has no service and I left my phone in my bag, rendering it useless until I realized there was a camera on it .-. Overall, I'd say: Could be Better

2. Make A Graphic for Online Tea Party

SUCCESS!!!! I installed an awesome drawing program on my tablet and have been obsessed with it. The new graphic will debut on my Instagram (if it hasn't already) and will of course be in my OTP post for August! Feel free to use it if you join us!

3. Game More

Oh hell yes. Definitely completed that one. 


July was fantastic and I'm so excited to see my life progress in ways that I never realized. I'm starting to feel like the person I want to be rather than letting life pass me by and I know August will only bring more improvement!



Always, Raineedayze

Vacation Recap: Part Deux

Hey guys!

My blog has been a little on the back burner lately, but there was an actual reason aside from the fact that I am literal trash.

I actually just got back Monday from a camping vacation that I took with Jonathan and some lovely friends. Normally, we try to go camping once a year at least with our friends, who own a cabin a couple ours from here right next to the river. However, since we are all adulting and trying to make ends meet, it can be a little difficult to find the time that everyone has off.

Luckily, this trip brought together so many people and we had an absolute blast. In total, there were 11 people, and we had an absolute blast playing board games, swimming in the river, and overall relaxing. 

Panoramic view

This rest of the week has been me getting used to not having a job and reconnecting with my hobbies. I finally got a great sketch program on my tablet and finally made a graphic for Online Tea Party, which will be unveiled this week on my Instagram along with the title of next month's read! Be sure to follow me in the link so you can join in on the fun!

I also bought a new backpack to ease the anxiety of starting Senior year of university in August. I'm just so happy to finally be finished with school and can't wait to not have to worry about it. 

Obv not my photo, but the bag is the same!

I've been watching a lot more TV and playing way more games but I'll cover that more in my July Recap, so be on the lookout for that. 

Anyways, just thought I would leave you guys with a little update so you don't forget me!

Always, Raineedayze

Online Tea Party: When Dimple Met Rishi

                                                


Hey guys and welcome to our first "official" Online Tea Party. If you're new here, Online Tea Party is a book club started by myself and Becca from My Life As A Sports Fangirl. Each month, we pick a book and come up with a few questions, preferably while sipping some yummy tea. For the month of July, we chose When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon.

This book has been all over the internet and both of us were so stoked to finally read it. 

Dimple is an Indian girl who is constantly at war with her parents, who want her to find the "Ideal Indian Husband". After her parents allow her to attend a technology-based summer program with the opportunity to develop an app with a tech genius, Dimple thinks they may finally be on her side and give up on the IIH. Unbeknownst to her, Rishi, a very traditional Indian teen, is on his way to the same camp after being told he would be able to connect with his future wife. When Rishi approaches her with "Hello future wife!", Dimple throws an iced coffee in his face and runs away. And that is just the beginning. 


This book not only tells a cute romantic story, but it also deals with fitting in, discovering yourself, and figuring out the role people play in their lives. 

Dimple is constantly rebelling against the traditional Indian ideal, while Rishi is trying to be the perfect Indian son that he feels his parents expect of him. One of the things I really liked about this book was that it dealt with the conflict that comes from wanting to do what is expected and what you really want in life. Rishi loves art and comics but is going to school to become an engineer because he feels he must keep a sensible job and provide his family with the perfect Indian son, since his brother is more interested in girls, basketball, and is more "American-ized". 

Now, onto the questions of the month!

1. Who do you identify more with, Dimple or Rishi?

     I think I definitely identify with Rishi more. Not only am I a huge art/comic nerd, I also tend to think with my heart instead of my head. Obviously, Rishi is trying to do the sensible thing career and marriage-wise, but throughout the book, he tends to rely more on how he feels while Dimple tends to hold back in order to maintain order. The dinner scene was where I really felt connected to Rishi because when the douchey rich kids are being gross and racist, he sticks up for himself and Dimple without a second thought. Plus, he has some epic one-liners. 

2. Dimple and Rishi attend a program to develop a new app. If you could design an app, what would it be?

I love Dimple's app idea. She chooses to develop a fun game for helping diabetics track their levels and medication, inspired by her father who struggles with diabetes. Since I am in a relationship with a diabetic, I see how difficult in can be to track their health, especially because it feels so ostracizing in our junk food obsessed world. If I could develop an app, I would like to develop an app that would connect two people with like-minded interests with each other through a co-op based strategy game. The app would provide extra rewards for good teamwork, and penalize for bad teamwork.

3. What was your favorite moment?

The Bollywood dance!! I loved that scene and was so excited for Dimple and Rishi to perform it. I looked up the song on YouTube to put me in the right mindset and then jammed out to it all night. The entire talent show was a huge emotional rollercoaster, because after being so excited, Rishi gets in a fight with the douchey guys and I was so scared he would get the team disqualified. Plus, gross sexism from douchey guys was gross. 

4. Are you a hopeless romantic like Rishi?

Yes. YA has convinced me that meet-cutes are normal. Plus, I fell in love with my boyfriend the day I met him so I think I'm pretty hopeless. Luckily, he loved me back ;)

5. Was it worth the hype?

At first, I was having a hard time getting into the story, because Indian culture is so incredibly foreign to me. I felt kind of lost at the beginning, especially because I had no idea what some of the phrases meant and was having a hard time figuring out who was who. But this book was totally worth the hype. I adored it so much and give it 4/5 stars.

Did you read When Dimple Met Rishi? Leave your answers or a link to your blog post in the comments so I can check it out! Make sure to check out Becca's post as well!!

Follow me on Instagram (@raineedayze) to see what we read next and feel free to pour yourself a cup of tea with us!

Always, Raineedayze

July Goals

                                  



Happy July ya'll!

This month is going to be a little different because....

I decided to leave my job. 

I've been working at my current job for around 3 years and I finally made the decision to go ahead and move forward in a different direction with my life. Jonathan, the amazing person that he is, fully supported my decision and I honestly could not be happier. 

Thankfully, I am able to leave on good terms but since this is hopefully, my last year in college, I also wanted to focus on school and figuring out what I am all about, especially while I still have time. 


So, now on to my July goals! 

(Also, how does one segue??) 



1. Take more photos

                              

      I realized at the end of my vacation last month, I had 2 photos of my vacation, and they were both selfies with Jonathan. Because he took them. I really want to make sure I have photos to commemorate all the awesomeness that goes on in my life. Plus, I'm going camping with some awesome people later this month and I definitely want to have some memories to cherish. 

2. Make a graphic for Online Tea Party
     Last month I had a super difficult time getting myself to draw more. So I decided to make myself draw one thing, but have the thing be important! I have shown some ideas to Becca and she's totally on board, so once I have a decent looking graphic, I will hopefully unveil it at my July Captain's Log!

3. Game More

Photo Credit: ItsJackieLee

   I love playing games and honestly, I didn't realize how MIA I had been until multiple people asked Jonathan if I died or something because I hadn't been on all month! I bought a few games on the Steam Sale and I really hope I can go ahead and play them more this month, not only to reconnect with friends, but to find new games that I love.

These are all my July goals. I really hope to kind of explore the newfound freedom after leaving my job and enjoy the rest of the summer with a little less responsibility. 

What are some of your July Goals?? Leave a comment or link your posts below!


Always, Raineedayze

Captain's Log 12: June Wrap-Up

June was such a fabulous month for me. Not only did I have a blast on vacation with my family, I had so much fun getting out of the house and enjoying myself this month. 

So let's recap!

I managed to read 5 books this month!

Butter by Erin Jade Lange, The Thousandth Floor by Katherine McGee, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo, Everything, everything by Nicola Yoon, and Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson

I thoroughly enjoyed all these books this month and am now at 26/ 35 books for my Goodreads goal (since I've read a few since July began).

Movies: Resident Evil: Vendetta, Baywatch, It Comes at Night

I didn't really watch anything super note-worthy this month for television. As for the movies, I enjoyed two of them but HATED It Comes at Night. It was so awful!

Animal Crossing: New Leaf (Nintendo 2DS)

I pretty much had 0 time to play anything this month but I did manage to check on my town! I see July as having more freedom to game and with the Steam Summer Sale, I'm so excited to try out all the games I bought!




JUNE GOALS

1. Blog Consistently 
     So, aside from my vacation, I feel pretty good about the amount of time and blog posts I was able to put up here. I also participated in a blog tour, which was super exciting since this was one of the first times I was able to connect with other bloggers and networks on a larger scale! I would call this one a WIN.

2. Draw Something
     I had good intentions. I bout a sketchbook and new pencils. And yet, I still didn't put my pencil to paper this month. I don't know if it's my sheer laziness or maybe I'm psyching myself out. But I definitely did not complete this goal.

3. Fix my hair
     Amazingly, I managed to do way better with this goal than I thought I would! I honestly completely forgot about this goal as soon as I set it, but my sweet boyfriend Jonathan built me a vanity a few weeks ago and that motivated me to put a little more effort into my hair and makeup routine. As I am currently writing this with a ratty ponytail, it did take me a little bit to adjust and I still have those days where it takes me just enough effort to get out of bed and look decent enough to go outside (yay mental illness), but I feel so much better about where I am now with this goal. I will go ahead and say I am on the right track.

4. Read at least 3 Books
     I managed to read 5 books this month, which along with the books I finished in July, puts me at 26 for this year. Woohoo!!!

5. Watch some TV
     Yeah, I still totally sucked at this goal. 
      
Overall, my month of June was full of fun and I managed to do more than just sleep all day, which I call a success! Here's to an awesome July!

Always, Raineedayze

Vacation Recap

Happy July my doods!

I just got back from vacation and I had an absolute blast! This will affect my June Wrap-Up/July Goals posts so expect them, just a little later. 

Last week, my dad, sister, grandma, and cousin came down to see me and Jonathan. We took a trip to Six Flags the day after and we had an absolute blast. I am not the biggest fan of amusement parks, mostly because I am not a fan of roller coasters, heights, etc. I'm a huge chicken.

But, I am a HUGE fan of gift shops and food, so Jonathan and I took a really long shopping excursion around the park and he bought me a bunch of cute things. I also ate a ton of yummy, overpriced food and rode the Spinsanity (tilt-a-whirl) about 50 times. It was so fun!

And then my dad almost broke the Batman ride.

After we had lunch, we went back inside the park and my dad decided to get on the Batman ride. Now, my dad is not an easily scared guy, but spinning rides make him woozy. So, here's a video of what the Batman ride does.

                       

So, this was already a bad idea, especially after chicken salad, but my dad, not one to back down from a challenge, was ready to go anyway. Apparently, my dad started making weird heaving noises and faces and THE PARK HAD TO STOP THE RIDE because they thought he was dying. He survived, and was so red after he got off the ride! It will definitely be something to make fun of him for, forever.

Dad, Sister, Cousin, Grandma

Also, my grandma rode the Superman! On her 70th birthday as well. Go grandma!

Thursday, my family left back home and Jon and I took the day to relax. Friday, we went to SeaWorld since we rarely use our passes, and spent the entire day in the lagoon. 

I have a nice tan, a relaxed mindset, and am glad to be back!

Hope you are all enjoying your summers!

Always, Raineedayze