Welcome 2026

 

Happy New Year y'all!

I have always been a person who loves a new year and a time to reset. I'm a list maker to my core and when the new year rolls around, I get so excited to make a list of the new goals and visions for the new year. 

Even though I already started the year a little....delayed (I slept most of the day. Thanks chronic fatigue!) I still have high hopes for the year overall!

So with no further ado, here are my goals for the new year!

1. Read 100 books

This was probably my lowest reading year in recent history and I only read 40 books for the whole year. Obviously, reading any amount is a great accomplishment, however, I know I spent a lot of time procrastinating this year and didn't get a lot of the books read that I planned on reading. So this year, I plan to aim for 100 books and prioritize my library and currently owned books! I'll discuss more about this in an upcoming post ;) but overall, I think I can do it!

2. Plan my wedding!

One of the biggest priorities this year will be planning my wedding. Our tentative plans are to get married in early January 2027 so this year will be our time to plan like crazy. I've obviously never planned a wedding and this is a very daunting task but I'm just reminding myself that no matter what happens, at the end of the day, I get to marry my best friend! But expect a lot of wedding planning updates this year.

3. Get fitter

I know, I know. It's the ever evasive resolution, but this past year has really definitely shown me I need to get fitter and in better shape. Between the daunting task of clothes shopping, general discomfort in public spaces, and my body developing new fun aches and pains, I know that once I prioritize my body, I will be happier. I want to take care of myself to feel more comfortable, not only because of physical changes, but because I shouldn't feel this old this early in my life. 

4. Increase my fluency in Spanish and Tagalog

Ever since I moved, I've been able to really immerse myself in both my Mexican and Filipino heritage due to having more opportunities to surround myself in both cultures. I've always had a basic knowledge of Spanish, grew up in a Spanglish household with family members who only spoke Spanish, but over that last year, my Spanish has grown significantly.  I want to continue that this year and improve both my Spanish and Tagalog, which is rudimentary at best.

5. Get out of my comfort zone

One of the biggest things I've struggled with my entire life has been my anxiety and this past year I pushed myself to leave a job I was very comfortable at for a job that was more beneficial financially and pushed me out of my comfort zone and after seeing how much that has helped me, I wanted to continue that momentum and push myself to do things that help me become more independent and more of the person that I want to be. Whether it's driving more, saying yes to more opportunities, or doing things that I tend to overthink, I want to push myself.

6. Stop Doom-Procrastinating

I know that a lot of this year, I spent a lot of my time procrastinating. I would often spend my free time wanting to read a book or play a game or watch a show and spending all my time trying to decide what to do instead of actually doing anything. So this year, I'm going to try to make myself just DO IT. I want to stop overthinking "what should I do" and just actually do something. There's so many things I want to read, games I want to play, stories I want to write, movies I want to watch, and the constant overthinking and indecisiveness robs me of my little free time and makes any time off seem like not enough.

7. Romanticize my life

One thing I love is watching people who find beauty in simplicity. In a calm morning, a cup of coffee, and a simple meal. I want to spend more time romanticizing the little things, the simple acts of having a morning routine, of cleaning my space, and making my home a happy place to be. In that same vein...

8. Reducing unproductive screen time

Since deleting Instagram, Tiktok, Twitter, and Facebook, you would think that my screen time would go waaaay down. But I replaced that with youtube shorts, reddit posts, and just general mind numbing on my phone. So i want to spend more time living in the simple silence. Obviously, I love to read a lot on my phone or iPad so I'm not counting that as screen time or counting the games or movies/television that I have on my never ending backlog, but more of the just....useless nonsense that I use to fill the silence, especially during moments where I can just....be.

9. CREATE MORE

One of the biggest things I want to do this year is create. Whether it's blog posts, short stories, journal entries, videos, vlogs, drawings, paintings, crafts...I just want to create. I want to make things from my own brain, from my own hands, and do something. I have so many crafts that are undone, hobbies I want to try, drawing supplies I never use...and I want to spend this year using them!

10. Save money

Of course, with the wedding coming up, I will be having to be a lot tighter with my money, but I also want to be more conscious with my spending (especially as I see the amount of stuff I have to put in storage just because it's taking up so much space) and use my money for more productive things like a new running car or an actual home, where I don't have to use a mini washing machine that sits in my bathtub.

What are some of your goals for the new year? I'd love to hear them!

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 

Isn't This Where We Came In?

Hey guys! 

In case you haven't noticed, I've been gone for a bit. An extremely long bit, actually. I had a pretty hectic semester and the only time I got to see the computer was for typing up 50-page assignments. So, yeah...it's fabulous to be back, and I hope you accept my humble apologies!


As 2016 closes out, I'm looking back on this year with a full heart and a determined spirit. We can't say it hasn't been eventful. From the tragic, the scary, the fun, and the just plain bizarre moments, I can truly say I'm ready to put this year behind me. Of course, there were so many wonderful moments that made this year great. But I feel ready to release this year and create a fresh start.

Since I haven't been around much, I thought I'd update you all on the last few months of my life. Cue the photo montage!


                                          



Two of my best friends graduated! Congratulations to my Little, Miriam and to Karina, aka Shot #1. I'm so proud of you guys!

 
















 

Christmas came and we were spoiled with not only wonderful gifts but a trip to visit my family in Dallas! I even went ice skating! It was an absolute blast and I was so blessed to spend the holidays with the people I hold dear!













I lost my grandfather a bit before Thanksgiving. It was pretty hard on all of us. Unfortunately, I was unable to be with my family when it happened, so I had to take some time to deal with it. Luckily, our family is so supportive and close that we are slowly able to come to terms. 





I took on the hardest semester of my life. Aside from any personal issues, I also was putting in full days of nonstop school. Even though I took few classes, I worked in labs or on classwork from 6 a.m to past midnight most nights. Every break from school was filled with sleeping for 12 straight hours. I worked so hard and can proudly say I accomplished it strong.
I also took on new responsibilities on the Executive Board of my honor society as their Publicity and Social Media director. I felt so humbled at my opportunities to work towards building better leadership skills and gaining responsibility for something I'm passionate about.










I was blessed with the most wonderful support system in the world. From my hilarious and perfect friends, my loving and wacky family, and the most supportive boyfriend I could ever dream of, I was able to push through this year. I cannot imagine doing any of this without them.

 

So now it's your turn. How was your year? Now that you can review it as a whole, how would you describe it? Let's chat in the comments!!


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Always, Raineedayze