Captain's Log 11: May Wrap Up

Hey ya'll

So, if you've been reading for a while, you may have noticed I haven't been doing my Captain's Log posts every Monday. I decided to move my Captain's Logs to the end of the month so I can kind of recap my month. I noticed that oftentimes, I wasn't reading/watching/playing anything new because, let's face it, nobody spends one week on a game never to return!

So, here's my May recap!

This is Where it Ends by Marieke Nijkamp, To All the Boys I've Loved Before trilogy by Jenny Han, Fireworks by Katie Cotugno


Total: 5 books read

Goodreads Goal

Beginning of May: 12/35

End of May: 17/35

Overall, my reading for this month was very good considering all the other stuff I had to get done. I thoroughly enjoyed all the books I read and now I just have to make room on my shelf!

Movies: Lego Batman, Pandorum, Bicentennial Man

TV: Bob's Burgers, Family Guy, Bridezillas, Naked and Afraid

Jonathan is happy because I finally saw Pandorum and Bicentennial Man. I am so bad at watching movies! But both were very good and we both loved Lego Batman. 

I've been catching up on the new episodes of Bob's Burgers and Family Guy, and even though I've seen all of Bridezillas, it's my guilty pleasure. Jon and I both started and binged on Naked and Afraid and it was so crazy! Jonathan likes the roughing it aspect and I love the drama! It was nice to finally get into a show together that neither of us had seen.

Heroes of the Storm (PC), Overwatch (Xbox One and PC), Magikarp Jump (Android), Mario Run (Android)

Overwatch is currently having their anniversary event so I'm grinding for the D.Va skin! I've also been super addicted to Mario Run and have gotten pretty far in it. It's good to pass the time. Magikarp Jump was okay, nothing too special. Heroes of the Storm was supposed to be just for grinding for the Officer D.Va skin, (can you tell I'm a D.Va main?) but I love it now!!

Other Goals

I didn't set any May goals (oops!) so I will have to get back on track with some awesome goals for June!

May was fun and I can't wait to see where the rest of summer takes me!



Always, Raineedayze

January Check-In and February Goals

                                

Happy last day of January!

For this post, I decided to take a look at how I did with my goals in January and look ahead to my goals for February. To read my 2017 goal list, click HERE.

Goal 1: Do Something and Do it Well
   
      This goal was all about school and work. I can definitely say I've been keeping on top of my classwork this month. That could be because it's the beginning of a new year, but I also feel so much calmer knowing that I have finished all I have to for the day by 8 p.m. and having the rest of the night to binge on Roswell. It's also nice to feel good about the work I turn in and showing off what I know I can do.

Goal 2: Do Something Active

      This goal was the tough one. I have been skipping the coffee for more tea or water and have been taking my lunch instead of buying Hot Cheetos (something my wallet is eternally grateful for). However, I still find myself eating when I'm bored or when I know I'm not really hungry. This is definitely something I have to work on.

Goal 3: Do Things for and With Others

       I did start putting down my phone more, especially when I have time with Jonathan. One thing about my new schedule is it only leaves me with a few hours to see him before I fall asleep for the night. It made me realize how precious our time is and I feel so much healthier for it. I am able to explore my hobbies and feel less tied to a false "connection" through my screen. Not to say that computer and phone time is bad, but it's nice to be around people in the real world. Which brings me to...

Goal 4: Just Do It

       I definitely started doing things I've been putting off. I started waking up earlier to just spend a few minutes to myself. I started watching shows and movies I've put off. I went to the movies for the first time in forever and enjoyed myself. I started becoming more independent by not relying on Jonathan to take me places. I've read way more books in the last month than I have in the past year. I love how I feel accomplishing this and can't wait to see what February has in store.

Goodreads Goal 

4/35 books! Yay!!

My February Goals

• Blog more and more consistently 
• I feel pretty confident in this goal despite my recent blogging hiccup. I feel with my planner keeping me on schedule and the surge of new audience members I have (I see you!) I have more of an obligation to make this blog as awesome as possible. It reminds me why I started blogging in the first place.
• Save money
• It's been super tough with all of our big holidays falling within a four month period. Between Christmas, our anniversary, my birthday, Valentine's Day, and Jon's birthday in March....it's a lot! I hope to cut back on spending and make do with what we have. I know we can do it if we try!
•  Be more independent
• It's been really tough with our conflicting schedules lately, and oftentimes because of that, I become even more dependent on Jonathan because the little bit I get from him is so precious. However, it's time I explored my own hobbies and started doing more things that benefit us instead of waiting for us both to be free. I often hold off on grocery shopping or running errands because I love going places with him or spending our time outside of the house. Yet, I don't love putting a strain on him when he gets out of work. This will be a huge transition, but I think I can do this.                         

What are some of your goals for February? How are your previous goals going? Let's chat in the comments!


Always, Raineedayze

5 Fandom Friday: 5 Films I'm Excited for in 2017

Can you believe it's already 5 Fandom Friday? This week we're talking about 5 films I'm super stoked about in 2017!

2017 already looks fabulous as far as entertainment is concerned. I feel like within the past few years, it's been so great (and expensive) to be a nerd.We've seen an incredible spike in superhero, sci-fi, and historical movies and I am so here for it. There's been great (Civil War), funny (Deadpool), strange (Suicide Squad), and not-so-great (Batman V. Superman. Check out my review.)

For 2017, these are the 5 films I'm most excited to see.

5. Wonder Woman.

I love Wonder Woman. I mean, LOVE Wonder Woman. I am a huge fan and although I hated BvS, I adored the trailer for the Wonder Woman solo movie. I can't wait to get dressed up and see Wonder Woman kick some serious butt in June when it's released. Also, I really dig Chris Pine and Steve Trevor. He's no Nathan Fillion, but he will do great as the handsome yet arrogant Steve. 

4. Justice League. 

In the same category, I'm super excited for Justice League to come out. I am immensely excited to see Jason Mamoa as Aquaman, because as a huge fan of the animated series, Aquaman always was so tough and masculine. I'm super excited to see the whole team together and it's gonna be awesome to see some Flash wittiness on the big screen. This will be great!

3. Lego Batman. 

More DC, I know. I loved the Lego Movie. Jonathan and I watch this movie at least once a month. It's one of our favorites and I may or may not listen to Everything is Awesome when I drive to work. It is so much fun and Lego Batman looks hilarious and adorable! 

2. Beauty and the Beast. 

It's almost here guys!! I love Disney and the original movie and Emma Watson. Basically, this movie already wins. This looks fantastic and I can't wait to see how they transform from animation to live-action. 

1. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. 

The first one was fantastic. I loved the storyline, I loved the characters, I loved the soundtrack. I adore Chris Pratt and I can't wait for Baby Groot. It's going to be fantastic!! 


What movies are you most excited for in 2017? Let's chat in the comments!

Always, Raineedayze

Nintendo Switch: Thoughts, Hopes, and First Impressions

Hey nerds!

In case you've been living in a cave, Nintendo released their formal presentation for the Nintendo Switch last week. It was.....entertaining to say the least.

First of all, I was already on board with the Switch since it was first announced under the NX codename. I'm a huge Nintendo fangirl. I feel a lot of their video games are made to be played socially and that to me is the whole point of gaming. Don't get me wrong, I can spend a whole 9 hours gaming solo while Jonathan is at work and enjoy the hell out of it. However, I adore the social aspect of it. I like having our gaming group take on RPGs together and having party games like Smash or Mario Kart as a part of our weekend festivities with friends. This is something that I've noticed as being very consistent with Nintendo, since my days playing on the 64. 

This still seems to be a huge selling point for the Switch, with the ability to play with 8 simultaneous Switch consoles and the two Joy-Cons (the mini side controllers). It seems very co-op oriented which I'm pretty excited about. 


Here's what you need to know about the Switch. 

All photos are from the Nintendo website.


Gameplay

We got a first detailed look at the play modes for the Switch during the presentation. There are three modes: Handheld, TV, and Tabletop. TV mode is what we are all used to. Plug it in to the TV, and using the Pro Controller or the Joy-Con Grip and Joy-Cons, play on the TV. Handheld is similar to the WiiU controller, with the Switch screen in the center and both Joy-Cons attached to the sides for on-the-go gaming. Tabletop combines these two with a kickstand on the back of the Nintendo Switch and the two Joy-Cons for you and a friend to play.

Left: Joy-Cons in the Joy-Con Grip. Right: Joy-Cons attached to the Switch.

This is kind of....meh for me because I would like to have local multiplayer on our TV instead of just during tabletop play. I'm sure it will still be possible, but it would be nice to not have to buy a second controller for these purposes.

Console and Specs

The Nintendo Switch will be released March 3rd, at a price of $299.99. Comparitively speaking, the WiiU was released for $249.99. Their will also be a subscription service for online play. At launch, players will be able to use the online software for free, which will change in the fall of this year to a fee. Nintendo did not announce pricing at this time.

Red-Blue variant version

For $299.99, you get the console, the docking station (for TV gameplay and docking), both L-R Joy-Cons, two Joy-Con wrist straps, the Joy-Con Grip, an HDMi cable, and the Switch AC adapter. These packages come in two colors, gray and a red-blue combo.

Extra accessories will cost you a lot more with the Pro Controller running at $69.99, extra sets of Joy-Cons at $89.99, a charging grip for simultaneous charging while playing at $29.99, and an extra dock for any other TVs at $89.99.

The Switch has a 6.2-inch screen and 32 GB of storage, which fortunately allows for expandable storage through microSD cards. There is also an amiibo scanner available on the Joy-Con.

My Thoughts

Let's talk about what I liked. I loved the screenshot button on the controller. I am a huge screenshotter during games so that is very convenient for me. I also love the portability of the console. Jonathan and I go camping with our gaming group every year so this will definitely be something to look forward to. 

I didn't like the small controllers. I understand, it helps make the Switch easier to move and play on-the-go, however these things are so small! It's going to be hard to get into a game with a small controller. Also, Joy-Con is a weird name for it. Not feeling that at all.

I also wasn't a huge fan of the lack of games to be released at launch. Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is going to be available, however the game I am most excited for, Super Mario Odyssey will be coming later this Christmas. It seems most of the other games will also be coming after the launch, so it may be sitting on my shelf for a while until the rest of the games come out. 
 

Overall, it could use a few tweaks and I know there will more than likely be some extra features, more controllers, more colors, and different accessories released later, but I plan on pre-ordering mine as soon as they become available. I'm even shrinking my birthday festivities to save up for it. 

You can check out the entirety of the presentation on Nintendo's website.

Do you plan on ordering? Let's chat in the comments!

Always, Raineedayze
 

New Year's Eve Recap: Goodbye 2016

Hey ya'll! 


Today, I decided to make a short post to show off our New Year's Eve bash we had at the house. I'm not a huge partier so it was just me and Jonathan at home but I must say we kicked off the night in the most perfect way. 

Nearing the end of the night with a Cosmo

We are lucky enough to live in a city that goes all out for New Year's, so we went outside at midnight to watch the fireworks light up the sky! Unfortunately, I was a little too celebratory and forgot to take photos :( but it was magical to feel all the energy in the air. New Year's Eve is one of my favorite holidays because the excitement and happiness radiates throughout the universe. It truly feels breathtaking for one moment and for one moment, we all come together.


That's not to say we didn't take full advantage of the traditional drunk antics though.

Fully stocked. Not pictured: Wine, Champagne, and mixed drinks in fridge

I am a lover of booze and a lover of celebrations (safely, of course) and so we had a blast with our drinks. We toasted champagne, drank fancy Cosmos (which are not as fabulous as they seem, I found) and I took on a bottle of coconut rum. It was so fun!


Jonathan had to work until 11:30 last night, so he was rushing to get home before midnight. Luckily, I made us a lovely meal of ribs, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and black-eyed peas. We ate a bit and just enjoyed the wonderful night together.

I was super happy that I got to use my new makeup from Geek Chic Cosmetics for my NYE look. I have my full review of them scheduled for later this week, as well, so stay tuned!

All in all, I'm extremely blessed to share a wonderful life with a wonderful human. I'm so excited to see what I can accomplish in 2017. I finished off 2016 by officially driving in the city (on the highway!!!), finding out I love scotch (I can feel Ron Swanson vibes), and becoming more independent overall. 

And also doing things like this

How was your celebrations? Let's chat in the comments!


Always, Raineedayze

Resolutions, Revolutions, and Doing Something

Happy New Year ya'll!


Now that we've began a new year, I decided there was no better time to make some adjustments in my life. But, the idea of resolutions always seemed a bit odd to me.I'm not sure I have much to resolve as much as I have to create. So instead of resolutions, I think it's time to make revolutions.


                                 
                                 
This kind of goes along with the #OneWord365 goals you may have seen popping up on other blogs. For these revolutions, I think there is one word they all surround. 

Do.

I want to do something, whether that means creating, being present, or simply just doing the things I love. I want to be a doer, not something that lets the world pass me by. What does this mean? 

In 2017 I want to...







Do Something and Do it Well

As a full-time student, part-time worker, I have a lot of duties that pull me in every direction. Sometimes, though I hate to admit it, I do put my school a little behind due to frustration, exhaustion, and general laziness. Sometimes I spend my Saturdays playing Overwatch instead of reviewing for an exam by telling myself "I deserve this". This year I want to create the kind of academic profile that matches the person I want to be. The kind of academic record of a person that would make Leslie Knope proud.



                                        





Do something active



                                          


I'm 21 years old. I love booze, junk food, and video games. I tend to not really pay attention to the long-term effects that my lifestyle will take on if I continue. This isn't a "lose weight" type of thing though. This is a more, "put real food in your mouth instead of a 5 dollar burger" and "see the outside world a little more" type of thing. Contrary to popular belief, I won't be Forever 21 and even now, I should be able to do some physical activity without dying. Also, it'd be pretty great to not have my doctor yell at me. 



Do things for and with others


                                          


I was blessed with the most amazing people in my life. Yet, sometimes I feel myself taking them for granted. I catch myself checking my phone while in conversations, playing games instead of watching movies with Jonathan, or just avoiding plans because I'm too lazy/stressed/anxious/etc. to actually go out. I want to change how I see the people in my life, show more appreciation for them, and put more effort in them than my selfishness.



JUST DO IT


                                      



If you follow me on any form of social media, you know I love a lot of things. But I do catch myself "never getting around" to doing things. Movies go unseen, books go unread, crafts go unfinished, (blog posts go unposted....). This year I want to be a doer, a creator, an interesting person. I want to push myself to be the person I'd want to hang around. The type of person who has a story to tell and who has things they do instead of just waiting for life to happen to them.  


What are some of your goals for the new year? Do you have a word for 2017? Let's chat about it!



Always, Raineedayze