Welcome Back

Well, seeing its been a few months since I’ve been actively blogging (My bad). I guess I should give you a run down of where I’m at.

I currently have been traveling as much as possible,

I’ve been to Nashville, St.louis, New York City, Bahamas, and in a week I will be in Florida.

I currently have 4 jobs, so managing time in-between all of them and still trying to have a social life is a little hectic lol

BUT, I have decided that my next big step will be moving. I am giving myself until September 1st to get some things in line.

I am looking towards California, but I am not 100% sure where I will end up.

I want to travel as much as a I can while I am still young will little worries.

I WILL be posting on YouTube religiously again starting this week! So be sure to check that out as well.

But as of now I am starting to work more on myself and focus less and less on what people think of me. It’s crazy how easily it is to get distracted especially this generation. But I guess those who find a way to get back on track succeed in the end.

So I guess I’ve learned its better to come back to something that has been unfinished then to just give it up.

Quote of the day: Note to self, GO HARDER 

XOXO LAUR

 

Life Update

Hola folks, and those of you who are new to my page hello, my name is Lauren Rhodes and I am a life enthusiast. (no really I am) hahaha well that’s what I call myself anyway. I feel as though I was put on this earth to do something extraordinary to not only change my life but alter those around me to view life as something much greater than most value it. I am sure for those of you whole have been following my page since I started it, you know how passionate I am for motivational speeches and personal perseverance. But to those of you who are new, I’d like to welcome you to my journey through life.

I know I haven’t posted in two weeks (shame on me) I have ZERO excuse after starting to read the book “I am that girl” but IM BACK. (p.s. It’s a really good book)

This time I am here to tell you that I have recently got the opportunity to shoot with some amazing talent this past weekend to create some awesome “fashion photos”.

I am extremely excited to share those with you guys when I receive them back fully edited, but for now I just wanted to give you guys a little update as in how my goals are going so far in 2018.

January was GREAT.

I pinned up in my room some small goals I have accomplished in such a short amount of time in January.

Goals Crushed In January:

1. Read 2 books
2. Made my bed daily
3. Kept room and bathroom clean
4. Started working out on a regular day basis
5. Maintained a healthy diet
6. Kept a positive mind
7. Stayed focus

I’d say this is a pretty solid list that I made happen in 31 days. Crazy right?

Well now February is upon us and nearly halfway over and I felt like I got stuck in a root. But I figured out I just needed to focus on the things that truly mattered and put my happiness first (as you all should).

So here’s to a great rest of February,

xoxo laur

Jelly Bean Challenge

xoxo laur

NEW YOUTUBE VIDEO ***BOOK REVIEW***

52 ways to live a KICK-ASS life

Andrea Owen

xoxo laur

Daily Must-Do’s

As we all think about our day-to-day lives we are constantly looking for new things to try, or do. (I know I am at least) We get tired of our every day rituals, so somethings we tend to lose focus on the important things and start focusing on how much we resent our lives. We can all as human, hope, pray and beg for success, but until we take action some things will NEVER change. I am a firm believer in the word “manifest” if you can see it clearly in your own mind, you can make it happen. But instead of viewing your goal as a huge mountain, view them as a set of stairs. Each step holds an important part of your journey so there is no need to jump ahead and try to race to the finish line because I promise you will only get pushed back down to start all over.

TAKE YOUR TIME.

People don’t just wake up one morning and BAM they are billionaires (well unless they won the lottery lol) but you get what I’m trying to say here. You must hustle but never blame yourself for not being an overnight hit, because THOSE DONT EXIST. Justin Bieber was my ALL time favorite as a child and still to this day he remains a phenomenal artist. Most people think “he was lucky” or “he was an overnight hit” or “he was born with talent”. Truth is? He didn’t get lucky, he worked his ass off, singing in front of hundreds of people, sitting outside of theaters in Canada singing with his suitcase open hoping for a dollar, he was on his grind my friends. He didn’t succeed overnight, sure his video on YouTube got scouted and that’s how he signed his first deal. But he didn’t just sing once and post a video and BAM he was famous. WRONG. He had been singing and playing instruments for YEARS. He taught himself many skills growing up which lead him to his successful future now. So I want you to think to yourself right now. Are you constantly doing what makes you happy? Are you grinding every day? Do you think you can compare your hustle to Justin’s? If not, something is wrong and you need to step back and evaluate your life. Don’t tell me you “don’t have time” because that is a LIE. Do you work a job 24 hours a day 7 days a week. NOPE, no one does. So guess what that means, YOU have time. You just aren’t utilizing it to your advantage. I don’t care if that means you wake up 10 minutes earlier before you go to work and you spend that 10 minutes doing what you love, because guess what, at the end of the week you will now have 70 minutes of grind time that you never had before! I promise you will inch yourself that much closer to achieve your dream if you just simply,

Save the excuses. It’s not about “having” time. It’s about making time. If it matters. You will make time.

So why not be a little selfish and make time for YOUR goals and YOUR future, rather than slaving away for a cooperation, complaining about your job, yet you don’t allow yourself to make time to build your own empire.

Learn to reevaluate whats important in your life.

xoxo laur

Greatest Lesson Of 2018 (Bahamas)

Hey guys and welcome back, this time I am writing you from what feels like a whole new me. I have recently gained an eminence amount of self-confidence and motivation. I am determined this year will be MY YEAR. (I’m not kidding) But anyway, FIRST VACATION of 2018 was a huge success. My sister and I took our first trip ALONE. It was crazy. Her just turning 25 years old a week ago (Happy Birthday sis) and myself being 19 it was incredible. We got to take on the world by ourselves and see things through our own prospective. I mean what a better way to start 2018 than in the Bahamas with your sister? Come on, it’s a no brainer lol. But I learned so much in just 5 short days of being on the resort called “Bahama Breeze”.

Lessons learned while in the Bahamas:

1. So the first night of our vacation my sister and I got all dressed up and went out to dinner. While after taking our seat a man who worked at the resort came up to us and asked politely if he may sit with us. Of course we let him and right away the conversations had begun. He started in by asking us what we wanted to do when we were older, I told him I was going into the entertainment industry pushing to be an actress. Then the next few sentences that came out of his mouth will stick with me forever. He said, “Never try to be anyone but yourself” he then continued on with “you will be very successful in life if you remain loyal to yourself and never want to be anyone but you.” It was like god had sent down an angel to tell me what needed to be done and then we never spoke the rest of the vacation.
2. Two days into the trip we met an amazing group of people all in their 40’s and 50’s, but we immediately became friends with them. They were such great people. After learning that two of the ladies we were friends with had just recently fought breast cancer, it was sad, but proof that you never know what someones going through until you truly sit down and get to know someone. They were such strong women, I am glad they are healthy and kicking cancers ass. But one of those ladies left me with some words I needed to hear that day. She told me “How I should never settle for anything less than I deserve” She went on saying “No one deserves to be treated badly, everyone deserves to be treated like a queen”. The last little bit has truly made a HUGE impact on my life this week. Simply because it has led me to this saying…. “Love will find you, but you must love yourself first”.
3. After having a wonderful time in the Bahamas, I was looking at my phone just scrolling through Instagram when this quote that I will now be living by popped up on my screen, “She is at a place in her life where peace is her priority and negativity cannot exist”. When I read that quote I felt like it was placed on my timeline for a specific reason as though god had one last piece of advice for me before I returned home. Trust me it worked, I feel so new. I am at the beginning of my best life and I cannot wait to share it with you.

Besides the lessons I learned, I just overall became so much more aware and thankful of things that I use to take for granted in the past. It’s crazy how unaware you can become when you are blinded by something that you had no idea that was toxic to your life in the first place. But from here on out I have made a pack to myself to focus on MYSELF. Yes people, be selfish, its okay I promise. Because when you’re not, life tends to pass you by and you become less concerned about your own problems and more worried about the situations others are going through. I am not sitting here writing this to tell you to become heartless (because that’s not the case) I am simply telling you its okay to do things because YOU want to. It is okay to do things that make YOU happy even if that means not everyone agrees with you. The simple way of saying this is, it is okay for you to remain you. In fact it is important.

So if you have someone or something that is dragging you down and controlling YOUR life. Get rid of it. Take the pen out of their hand and write your own damn story, because trust me if you don’t do it now 10 years from now you might be filled with regret wondering why you didn’t make the decision sooner.

Quote of the day: “Be better than you’ve ever been before”

xoxo laur

MUST WATCH (SUCCEED IN 2018)

XOXO LAUR

How To Succeed In 2018

This is OUR year. The year that we live our BEST life. Forget the past, you can’t change it, instead look towards the future and learn to shape your dreams NOW. There is no going back in time, so why focus all of you energy on negative things that have happened IN THE PAST, leave them there. From this very moment on I want you to completely forget about all things “negative” in your life. All of those things happened for a reason to help mold you into the person you are today, but if you let that negative energy continually drag you down, you will end up getting suck and living an AVERAGE life. Scary, right?

You are reading this post for a reason, rather you are looking to be successful in your career, your life, your relationship or your happiness, it doesn’t matter it all starts with one thing.

       POSITIVITY. If you were to wake up tomorrow and completely change your mindset to look at the world in a most positive way I guarantee you, you have officially made one of the hardest steps towards being successful and that my friends is the very FIRST step. Once you have altered your mind to think positively the rest will start to flow naturally, but it is cruel to keep your mind focused on positive energy. Knock down any negative energy that comes your way and you will be in the clear.

SELF LOVE. Behind every successful person is someone who believed enough in themselves to make them succeed. They were passionate not only about their dream but about THEMSELVES. If you want to succeed, you must learn to love yourself. Whats going to happen if you get a call for the job of you dreams, but you hate yourself so much the tiny voice in your head talks you out of going, or makes up excuses why you aren’t good enough. NO. Step up to the plate and learn to love yourself. If you are busy focusing on your flaws opportunities will fly right by you and you will be too nervous to reach out and try to achieve them. Stop worrying about failure, YOU CAN DO THIS.

 IMAGINATION. Odd, I know. But how on earth can we keep pushing towards a dream we can’t see? That’s insane, so I highly encourage to crack open your 6-year-old self and imagine what it would be life if you were living your dream. Really think about it. Close your eyes and picture yourself the CEO of your own company, or the nurse you’ve always wanted to become, see yourself as that successful doctor. You must see it in order to be able to achieve it. Now that you have visualised what it is like to imagine yourself living your dream. I want you to visualize that same picture that came to mind EVERY time you lose hope. Take a step back and really see what your life COULD be like if you just keep going.

DONT RELY ON OTHER. This is huge. People are constantly blame others for their lack of success in life due to their own laziness. No one is holding you back from being successful but yourself. You can’t sit here and say while “this person was supposed to do this, that’s why our company fell through” okay and so maybe that is true. But it’s not their fault, its your own. You can not rely on others to help you succeed, you must create your own path. This world is a viscous place, everyone is constantly trying to knock you off your game so they can take your place on the road to success. DONT let them do that. Hold your ground and stay loyal to yourself.

OPEN MIND. You must stay open-minded throughout the whole ride to becoming successful, because the minute you become close minded, is the minute your thoughts take a turn for the worst. So what if you have to start as an intern doing the peasant work. MAJORITY of successful people start from little to nothing. So you must constantly be open to new experiences and opportunities, because you never know, you could start working for a company and end up the CEO. So breathe in the positive energy, open your mind and try new things.

MAKE HABITS/ BECOME OBSESSED. I already know what you are thinking “obsessed omg your crazy” and you are right, I am. But let me tell you a quick story. I become infatuated with the gym, where I would wake up early get a good workout in and then maybe even do a small workout in my room later that day. I was obsessed, my parents started to notice this and would tell me “you are so obsessed, missing a day is okay” and after a while of hearing this I started to believe it and then 3 months later I wasnt going to the gym. Why? Because I let my obsession die out. You must be obsessed with want you want and do it RELIGIOUSLY. The second some one tells you “omg stop, you are so obsessed” look at them and say “your right” and KEEP GOING. Dont ever stop. It’s okay to become obsessed with a dream of your, in fact I encourage you to become obsessed with your dream. Make it a habit, become obsessed, then you shall succeed.

GRIND. Now last but not least, the final step in accomplishing all of your goals in 2018. THE GRIND. If you have made it this far DONT stop. Keep grinding. Turn all the steps above into the final action but don’t get discouraged, you may be in this phase for a month, 6 months, or even 2 years. This phase is on going so it is very important you keep your motivation high and you KEEP GRINDING. Don’t stop when you have achieved your goal. Set another one and follow the same steps and crush yet another goal of yours you once though would be impossible. It is so important to keep growing and learning along your journey. Don’t forget no matter how successful you are, there is always something new to learn.

You have officially received the knowledge to make 2018 the best year of your life. Time to take action.

Remember “the only thing keeping you from getting what you want in life in life is the story you keep telling yourself about why you don’t have it. divorce your story and marry the truth”

xoxo laur

 

 

2018 GOALS

New year, New me. Ya, ya you’ve heard it all before. But I’ve never been one to completely understand this till now. Last year I felt myself drifting thought the motions and that has officially came to an END. I am ready for a year of nonstop hustle and grind. My goals may be big but trust me they are NOT impossible.

By the end of this year I will be able to say…  “I Made It”

Crushing all my goals will be hard but I am ready to take on every optical that comes my way. I will give this year my all. 2018 IS MY YEAR.

              GOALS 

1. Move to a new locations before I turn 20 (7 months) hoping its California
2. Be the healthiest I’ve ever been/ get fit
3. Brand myself through my blog, instagram and YouTube
4. Find an agent
5. Self love/ confidence
6. DO WHAT YOU LOVE, audition more, go to school, do you

Now that you’ve seen my goals, I’d love to learn about your goals for this New Year or even your thoughts on my goals! Be sure to comment below.

I can’t wait to see you all CRUSHING your goals this year.

Heres to a successful 2018

xoxo laur

Quote of the day: “Set some goals, then demolish them”

 

CANCUN CEO

 

Hey guys, WELCOME BACK. I know this weekend is a little hectic with all the festivities going on around us, but if you have just a few minutes of free time to vote for my sister and I to be the next “Cancun Ceo” (to take over their social media), I WOULD HIGHLY APPRECIATE that, everyone is allowed to vote ONCE a day, so if you could come back for the next 27 days and CLICK VOTE, I’d appreciate that tremendously, but one time is greatly appreciated as well. You guys are awesome! Please help us become Cancun’s next CEO!

There are 2 simple steps in voting:

1. Click on the link attached
2. Click VOTE

xoxo laur

https://ceo.cancun.com/profile/lauren-rhodes

Tips To Succeeding

Trying to succeed but no matter what you do you always feel drained and like you haven’t put in enough effort? Well, the number one reason humans fall behind or lose focus on their dream is due to comparing themselves to other people. Before I go further into deal lets start the list of

TIPS TO SUCCEEDING:

1. NEVER COMPARE YOURSELF TO OTHERS. I know that I mentioned this above but it is VERY important. But from time to time I have caught myself comparing myself to others, rather that’s on their successes or by looks, whatever it is NO ONE will ever compare to you. You are a unique individual and by comparing yourself to others you start to lose your importance. You need to stay loyal to yourself by giving yourself daily reminders about why you are the way you are and how successful you can be if you just keep PUSHING. Overnight success isn’t a real thing, you must work for it. So enough comparing and more ENCOURAGING.
2. MAKE GOALS. This one seems pretty common, but a lot people forget about it. Enough with making 5 goals that you wont achieve for years and start creating REALISTIC goals you can crush in a week or two that will bring you closer to your 5 main goals. That’s the problem with todays society’s is we lack the steps between average and awesome. We tend to think that as long as we have a few major goals out there we will some day reach them. WRONG, if you aren’t taking baby steps along the way, then how are you move any closer to achieving your true dream? Your not, so write those down but underneath chose 5 goals you can meet every week to get you a STEP closer to your main focus. Try and keep weekly, monthly and yearly goals! You will be amazed at what you can achieve.
3. GET UP EARLIER. Getting out of bed earlier then we have to? Ew, why? (was exactly my reaction) But after getting myself up earlier I have noticed I am LESS tired and more likely to be more productive. It’s weird how over sleeping can make you feel exhausted but waking up early can actually be REFRESHING. I can’t promise that you will spring out of bed the second your alarm goes off (I sure don’t lol) but I promise you will begin to notice positive changes in your mood and behavior.
4. STAY ORGANIZE. Yes, I know, the thought of being organized constantly is stressful, but trust me it will help more than you think. I am not very good at staying organized but when I do, I notice such a huge difference in the amount of things I get accomplished. This could be as small as just making your bed every morning. For me the though of making my bed EVERY morning was just a waste of time for me. But then I realized, if the space around me is clean I worry less about that and more about the things I need to accomplish that day.
5. WORKOUT. You may ask, what does working out have anything to do with being successful. Well, by working out you not only increase your mood but your overall health which carries over into how productive you are through out your day. Say you start your day with an hour workout, that not only wakes you up but it gets your blood flowing as well as your metabolism moving. So don’t think you have to workout to get “fit”. Workout to be successful.

Alright guys so those are some of the quick tips I have for you to the start of a SUCCESSFUL lifestyle. If you would like me to expand on to this post and turn it into a YouTube video, let me know!

Thanks you guys are awesome,

Quote of the day: Success isn’t just about what you accomplish in your life, it’s about what your INSPIRE others to do

xoxo laur

 

HOLIDAY VIDEO

Hey guys, here is my HOLIDAY video! I apologize about the delay, I had some computer problems, but everything is good now. I hope you enjoy it, be sure to let me know what you think. Thanks again, you guys rock,

 xoxo laur

Hoodie Allen Concert

Concert season is HERE, while it’s always here, but you know what I mean. The rap concerts have arrived in the CITY! Attended Hoodie Allen last night and man was it LIT. If you don’t know who he is, check him out, he is such an amazing artist, and he runs his own show. That’s right, just him. No stage manager or record deal, he does it all. So if that doesn’t make you like him I promise his music never fails as well as his genuinely nice personality. How many concerts have you been to that the artist actually crowd surf’s, for me NONE. Hoodie made the concert so personal, it was amazing. I personally attended his concert at the Vic Theater in Chicago. I would definitely return there again, the venue was the perfect size. We also didn’t have to wait in a huge line (although he did post a huge line at a few of his venues) so we got lucky and only had to wait about 30 minutes. When we got inside Hoodie was in the lobby signing and selling his wear, so causally it was almost as though he wasn’t famous. I mean there was a huge line, but the relaxation and trust he has in his fans is truly amazing. He never fails to put a personal touch on his work. The concert was breath-taking, starting with a fake money gun, then to cake being thrown, to water being splashed, then last but not least crowd surfing. Whats better than that? If you are interested in attending one of his upcoming concerts click the link below!

—> He has just begun his Hype Tour, so I’m sure he will be in your area soon, be sure to check him out, and get you tickets while they’re still available! <—

Also, if you’re attending rap concerts don’t forget to spice up your outfit little bit,

For me personally I did boyfriend jeans from Love Culture, sheer shirt with crop top and choker from Charlotte Russe, Booties from Kmart

Be sure to put together the PERFECT outfit, because its important to feel bad and boujee

Quote of the day: Life is a highway without a test drive” – Hoodie Allen

 

xoxo laur

 

How To Save?

Hey guys welcome back to my blog, I apologize for being away for a while. I have been putting my focus towards my YouTube channel these last two weeks to make sure I can build a solid foundation for my channel. BUT IM BACK, and that my friends is the important part. So speaking of my Youtube channel, I am actually releasing my THIRD YouTube video this Thursday on the subject “Holiday”. I know that word is a little vague so I wanted to give you guys, (my awesome fellow bloggers) a quick in site into what my video will actually be about! So for the first half there will be a quick round of Christmas questions with a special guest, then we will be moving on to a DIY Christmas project. Sounds intriguing right? Well don’t forget to stop by my channel and check it out this Thursday, November 16th 2017!

Here is the link to last weeks video “how to save”

enjoy,

xoxo laur

p.s. thank you so much for all of your support this far, you guys rock and never fail to amaze me, keep on rockin’

November 1st (means christmas time)

AHHHHH, welcome back to my blog, I apologize I haven’t posted in a few days I’ve been extremely busy with some new things I am taking on in my life, but anyway. WELCOME BACK, but this time its Christmas time! YAY! Christmas is my all time FAVORITE holiday, I am extremely excited to start decorating as well as begin my christmas shopping. I know it was just Halloween yesterday, but can you blame me, Christmas is the most magical time of the year!

Bringing it back to Halloween for a quick second, how was your day spent? I attended a haunted house with a few people in my cast the night before Halloween! We went to the Statesville Haunted Prison in Lockport, IL. Honestly I was extremely nervous before going in but after we went through the first half it wasn’t nearly as scary as I expected it to be. They lacked actors which made it less interesting because the one actor in the room would scare the people in front of you and then you would see it coming. Not to mention every like 3 rooms you go in they stop you and make you re-line up, which also takes away from the thrill. Oh ya, and while we were in the haunted house they puffed a huge cloud of smoke at us in one of the rooms so we couldn’t see which way to go so we ACCIDENTALLY went down the wrong path and the guard cussed us out saying we are no longer allowed to go through the haunted house, but then oddly enough she let us finish it. But personally I was going to go anyway I paid $30 to get in there! So overall I recommend avoiding that haunted house!

But then on Halloween we did a small family gathering at my aunts and watched all the trick-or-treaters get their candy, while we ate our soup! Not to mention I may or may not have taken down a while bag of candy within like 5 minutes… (lol) whoops.

I hope your Halloween was spooky and filled with family fun!

also just a quick p.s. Wal-Mart has warm Christmas leggings for $6

can’t beat that, so get them while they are still available,

anyway,

Happy (late) Halloween,

and cheers to CHRISTMAS,

xoxo laur

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weekend Fun

Welcome back friends, how was your weekend? Mine was great! Friday night I attended a local spook hike (which I posted about) then Saturday I spend 5 hours filming for the new upcoming series I am in. Then attend lunch with my cast (exciting) and ended my Saturday with a Halloween movie night with my boyfriend. p.s. if you don’t remember that’s another thing checked off my fall bucket list. ekkkkk. Anyway making my way to Sunday, my boyfriend and I took a stroll through a local park were he was able to capture some awesome footage on his new camera (as well as take a few pictures of me lol) after that we were off to pick out our pumpkins then head over to my aunt’s house for a family dinner. After stuffing out faces full of delicious home cooked food, we all took on the “pumpkin carving challenge.” It was a blast, we ended our night at Madea’s Halloween (I highly recommend). The movie was hilarious, Tyler Perry never fails to impress me.

Can’t belive Halloween is next Tuesday, ahhhh

I’ve been prolonging getting my costume so I am currently in panic mode (its fine lol) I am terrible about waiting till last-minute for my Halloween costumes. Any good DIY cute Halloween costumes? I was thinking about a Mermaid?

What are you going to be for Halloween? Drop a comment below about ideas, or what you decided to be this year.

Quote of the day: “When black cats prowl and pumpkins gleam, may luck be yours on Halloween”

xoxo laur

 

 

NYC VLOG

Hey guys welcome back, I am so excited to announce I have officially finished editing my second vlog. WOAHHHH! Can’t wait to share it with the world tonight. You can find the link to the video in my instagram bio at about 8pm tonight. Yay, I’ve never been so excited. So a little glimpse about what you will be seeing in my 2nd vlog. As you know this past weekend I was in NYC visiting my sister, while I was there I decided it would be a perfect opportunity to create my 2nd vlog, in which I did. Anyway, I captured various shots around NYC including, Time Square, Greenwich Village, Brooklyn, NYC art, Washington Square park, Rockefeller Center, 9/11 Museum, The Oculus, The Skyline, and many more.

Can’t wait to hear your thoughts of my vlog, be sure to stay tuned.

P.S. I look forward to hearing constructive criticism as well. I am looking to expand my vlogging potential and hearing your thoughts will help me a tremendous amount, thank you, I am so grateful for all your support.

I hope you all have a rockin’ day,

Quote Of The Day: “Every Accomplishment Starts With The Decision To TRY.”

xoxo laur

 

NYC Must Do’s

Tourist in NYC?
Heck ya, here’s the list of MUST DO/EAT/SEE in NYC, all things touristy👻
1. 9/11 museum
2. Brooklyn bridge
3. 2 bros (dollar pizza)
4. Little Italy
5. Statue of Liberty
6. Central Park
7. A show
8. Schmackary’s cookies
9. Bike NYC
10. Time square

Haven’t heart of any of those places/things, then you are at a loss my friends. Those are some of the BEST things in NYC. Don’t feel left out though, you still have time to check them all out for yourself😇

Here’s a little bit about each item I have put on my list!

1. The 9/11 museum. This place is breathtaking. I have no words left for how amazing they have made the memorial, not only is it big but it holds so much history within the worst event in America. Although it is heartbreaking, I highly recommend checking it out (it’s $24 for an adult ticket) be sure not to miss out on this opportunity.
2. Brooklyn bridge. One of the best picture places in the city. (especially at night) the bridge lights up so beautifully along with the city skyline in the background. Bloggers, this place is for you! Not to mention they have tons of little eateries as well as shops.
3. 2 Bros pizza. Sounds a little odd right? Dollar slice of pizza in one of the most expensive city’s in America. Well it’s true folks and you CANT miss out. Not to mention they have a deal 2 slices of pizza and a can of pop for 2.99, can’t beat that am I right? So if your feeling pizza or overwhelmed by the NYC prices head on over to 2 bros to pick out your $1 slice.
4. Little Italy. The best area in the city to grab Italian food as well as walk in and out of multiple little shops. (A little pricey but worth it)
5. Statue of Liberty. Okay this is obviously a MUST SEE in NYC. But if it wasn’t on your list, it should be now. You can take a ferry right to the statue or even just take a loop around it if you don’t feel like getting off. Personally I have done both. I think either option is just as great as the other. (another great photo opportunity my fellow bloggers)
6. Central Park. A great place to relax without the craziness of the city. Take some time to appreciate the nature within the city. Perfect place to picnic, take some photos, a carriage ride, or just relax. Also just people watching can get very interesting in the city (lol)
7. A show. Seeing a play or a musical in the city is a MUST, right? I have only been to a handful but the ones I have attendees have all been great! So this is something I would jump after. Off-Broadway shows tend to be less expensive vs the original Broadway shows. But if you are a big stickler about your shows, Broadway may be the best way to go! (but there are so many shows research your options)
8. Schmackary’s cookies. THE BEST COOKIE IN THE CITY. I am honestly in love with these cookies, they are a little on the pricey side, but once again, well worth it. You can even make your own personal ice cream sandwich. Also be sure to check out their seasonal flavors, they are the best.
9. Bike NYC. Ever think about biking the city, we didn’t, until today. But it was hands down the best thing we did in the city. Not only were we able to make it to our destination 10x faster, we got to use the bikes all day for $12 a person.
10. Time square. The most basic tourist attraction there is. But if you’ve never done it before, DO IT. Must see’s in time square include: the Hershey store, m&m factory, a NYC shop, the naked cowboy, ripley’s believe it or not, the was museum, haunted house, and of course the giant square.
ALSO QUICK NOTE: Don’t forget about the power of Groupon. Use it to your advantage people.

Anyway, if you are planing a trip into the big apple, be sure to check out these places, I’m sure you’ll love them all just as much as I do (or the typical tourist lol)

Time to book your stay,

Quote of the day: “Wanderlust and city dust”

xoxo laur

Pursue What Makes You Happy

It’s important that we pursue OUR dreams and do what makes US happy. Forget about trying to make the other 3.5 billion people on this planet happy and focus on yourself. There is a fine line between being a genuinely nice human and trying to please the whole planet. (you never will). You can do EVERYTHING right and someone will still find something about you that irritates them. But that’s not your problem because its time to pursue your purpose. As soon as you agree with yourself to chase after your goals in life EVERYONE will question you, even family. They will ask you “why pursue a career that makes no money” or “who would ever want to do that” or simply just “why”. And you might even find the urge to try to answer all their questions and explain why but honesty there is NO point. If they are willing to ask you these questions in the first place they most likely wont understand even after you explain and you will become frustrated which will then create tension between you guys. So I know how hard it is to “let things go” but in this situation, you just have to. I am not saying don’t ever defend yourself but when you feel as though they are still nagging about what you’re doing after you explained, its time to lay that problem to rest and move on. You understand your goals, your path, and your own expectations and that’s the only thing that is really important. Be you. Not someone the world is trying to morph into. Down the road you may run into some bumps, but those bumps are everywhere, they will be down ANY road you take, so make your own. Take your own path. But better yet, pursue your purpose no matter what anyone says.

Quote of the day: “Instead of pursuing money, pursue your soul purpose. It’s the quickest route to what you were born to do.”

xoxo laur

 

 

PUMPKIN PACTH

One down, many more left to attend. Over the weekend my boyfriend and I attended a local pumpkin farm where we were able to pick out our pumpkins, feed animals, and watch a pig race. How exciting right? Well it was very enjoyable until the rain decided to take over. (lame I know lol) But honestly that didn’t stop me from having a blast. I will have to say Bengstons Pumpkin Patch is very nice but a little on the pricey side for admission. It cost $38 dollars for the both of us to get, which included a few ride and a pig race. Although I really enjoyed that pumpkin farm, I was very distraught that when it started pouring down rain (literally 20 minutes after we got in), you then had to PURCHASE, a very cheap garbage bag to put over yourself. How upsetting, after I paid $38 dollars to even be inside the pumpkin farm that didn’t include the food to feed the animals, or our pumpkin and we couldn’t get a FREE garbage bag. Annoyed. I do have to say that was a wee bit upsetting, so if you plan on attending Bengstons Pumpkin Patch in Homer Glen, Illinois, but sure there is no rain in the forecast. Anyway, they did have a HUGE selection of pumpkins which made me very excited. It took me about 20 minutes before I found the PERFECT pumpkin (lol).

I am excited to say I am one step closer to marking that off my bucket list, one down, two to go.

Be sure to keep on checking things off your fall bucket list, its crunch time y’all

Quote of the day: I’ve never met a pumpkin I didn’t like

xoxo laur

Peace On Earth

PEACE, find it, live by it, believe in it. Too many people are watching the news and clinging to only the bad in today’s society, what about the 100,000 good things that happened over the past few years. Why must everything be so NEGATIVE. Do yourself a favor by changing the channel and avoiding the news. I am not saying to never listen, or read about it, but don’t let what you see convince you that the world had more evil than good, because that is extremely wrong. The world we live in today is actually safer than it was 50 years ago. We just don’t see this because the media tells us how horrible the world is becoming. Yes, there will always be evil, but the good will never fade unless we let it. So instead of hiding, and hanging your head thinking there is no good left in the world, why not CREATE it. Start lending a helping hand, you will never know how much it will help if we all just spread love to help kill off all the evil. Remember you can’t fight fire with fire. Don’t let the negative take over your mind, fight back with, love, strength, and prayers. Be the first to stand up for, Your country. Your planet. Your home. Remember, we are carving the path to the future of thousands of others, so let’s do it right. SPREAD THE LOVE, FIGHT FOR PEACE, AND KEEP PRAYING.

Quote of the day: Rule your mind or it will rule you

xoxo laur

FALL Fashion

ITS FALL TIME, (well its fall but 90 degrees outside) lol anyway, fall time means, scarves, glasses, boots and sweater dresses. YAY. I can’t wait to shop all things fall. What does your fall fashion consist of?

This weekend I finally broke down and bought the top two things on my fall fashion list!

1. Attitude Glasses
2. Cello Jeans

BOTH, such great purchases. I am so glad I was able to finally get them. I was putting outfits together this weekend for my next shoot and I’m so excited. It reminded me how important fashion is. Having the perfect outfit on can completely change your mood about how your feel, look, and the confidence you hold. Majority of the time when we look good, we feel good, am I right? So why not spend $50’s on jeans if they make you feel like 100 dollars. To me if it makes you feel your best, BUY IT. I don’t care how much money it is, everything is worth your happiness. Also its just money, they print more everyday folks. So its time to go out there and purchase your fall wardrobe. Maybe its time to sell some summer clothes or better yet donate them. I personally love donating my clothes to locate charities because I know I can help someone in need, to me that warms my heart. So guys, I am ready to hear all about your fall fashion.

Drop a comment below of your favorite fall attire!

xoxo laur

Keep Learning

Never think you know it all, because you don’t and you never will. Humans have the ability to learn and retain a ton of information. It is honestly astonishing at the amount of information we can store in our brains. Humans naturally believe we are to go to preschool, kindergarten, grade school, high school, than college. Wrong. Sure schools important but does it really teach us the responsibility and tools we need in our every day life? Nope. Not one bit. In my opinion the school system is BEYOND messed up. Why are we learning how to write checks in 3rd grade and then taught how to solve a log problem in high school? What’s the more important skill? For me writing a check is more important but instead of them touching base on those skills we never review them again and my check writing skills have now vanished! How sad right? But if you need to know any pre calculus problem, I got you. (not really because I was awful at math) Anyway, I believe that it is important to keep growing and learning as an individual. Personally I have started to take a step up on the learning platform this week. I attended a photography class today as well as a dance class. To find out I LOVE them both. Not only do I love the classes, but I am learning so much in them. Today I have probably learned 5 new things that I didn’t even know existed. HOW COOL IS THAT? So don’t wait for the “right time” because that doesn’t exist. Every day, every minute, every second, is the RIGHT time to learn. Just think every class you take you are gaining knowledge on a subject that at one time you had NO idea about. I believe there is NO age limit on the ability to learn. If your 20 and fear being the oldest person in your dance class, WHO CARES? If your 70 and really wanted to learn how to weld but fear your too old? WHO CARES? No one is here to judge you for learning to grow as a human. I find it beneficial to keep learning. I personally don’t believe college is the right step for me, but that doesn’t mean I can’t stay involved and keep growing. So sit down, think long and hard about what you’ve always wanted to learn, or try, or even sit in and watch. AND DO IT. Don’t say “I’ll do it next year” nope. No next year, do it now. I found a helpful resource is “Groupon”. I am looking into starting a writing class that they offer on there Monday! I am so excited.

What are you doing to keep learning and growing as an individual?

may you keep learning as long as you shall live

xoxo laur

 

Missouri

Hi all, welcome back. As most of you know, I was recently in West Plains, Missouri this past weekend for my cousins baby shower but we also stopped by Hannibal Missouri on our way home. OMG, it is such a cute little town (great for antiquers), and for those of you who don’t know the town is based on Mark Twain. I personally know very little information about him but still got to see some pretty awesome stuff. While we were there we went though the “haunted house” and “car museum” I will say both of those attractions were not worth the money. The haunted house had 2 little hallways, along with the “wax museum” part which consisted of a few wax people before entering the haunted house. Although it was cheap, I don’t recommend it. As well as the car museum, if that is what your into then you will probably love it, but for my mom and I we lacked an interest in that area (we were suckered into it by them telling us there was “movie props” in there but we didn’t see any). Anyway, I feel as though that town is specifically for people who LOVE antique shopping like my mother and I, we went in and out of every store as well as having a yummy black bean burger at the Mark Twain Brewery. After viewing the shop we decided to walk up 244 stair step in order to get to the beloved light house. I will say it was a long hall up there but I believe that part of the town is a must see. On the way up there you will come across some pretty views of the Mark Twain Lake. (great photo opportunities) There were a few things we never got to make it to such as the boat ride, the trolley, and the BEST antique store Mrs. Clemens. I was so beyond disappointed to find out that the people who own Mrs. Clemens open it on their own time and often leave a trail of disappointed customers behind them. Besides that I highly recommend visiting this town, maybe try to call Mrs. Clemens before attending to make sure they are open (my heart was so sad).

Has anyone else been to Hannibal Missouri?

may you find may treasures throughout your life

xoxo laur

Endless Opportunities

Hey guys, sorry I haven’t posted in a while, I’ve been sick, trying to sleep if off (lol), you feel me right? Anyway, welcome back to my page, of course I have to come back with some POSITIVITY! How was your long weekend? Mine was great, got to hang out with some family, while stuffing our faces with tons of food! (I may or may not eat 7 brownies) Well its time to dig into the “endless opportunities” we will endure thought out our lifetime, we will be punched, kicked, scratched, and pushed down. BUT, when the right opportunity comes all of those battle scars will be WORTH IT. Take time to really pull apart your life, are you where you want to be? Are you with who you want to be with? Are you happy? Start to dissect your life one thing at a time, now while your going through these questions be sure to take some notes along the way. Write down exactly what pops into your brain, before your (evil voice) has a time to take over. Think about the amazing opportunities you have had, or even passed up. Try to put yourself in a situation where things are going great, all your way, you have a giant house, a nice car, a high paying job THEN, it crashes and burns. You lose everything. Does it suck, of course. Now that you have crashed, what is three things you wish you would have accomplished. You may have been making money but was it doing something you love? Maybe you have a nice car but it brought you into extreme debt. And maybe you were going bankrupt because you didn’t really have it all, you just made that impression. Take a step back and look at the mistakes you have made along the way. OWN UP TO THEM. Stop saying “it wasn’t me” WHEN IT WAS YOU. If you stay hidden from your mistakes they will take over on your way to finding the right door to lead you to your perfect opportunity. Breathe, there’s always time to fix things, just take an oath right now to OWN UP TO YOUR MISTAKES, because making the same mistake more than once has now turned into a choice. So start fixing your life, if something isn’t going your way and has been CHANGE IT. We as humans are lucky enough to live on a planet that not only offers many opportunities but lets us find our way to them even after traveling through a storm.

“Don’t be afraid to start over. It’s a brand new opportunity to rebuild what you truly want”

xoxo laur

Locked Up

So, today I purchased a book from Barnes and Nobles, “300 writing prompts”. I opened the book to a unformilar question which left me in awe. “If you had to be locked up somewhere overnight, where would it be?”. Honestly I’ve never thought about this, have you? Personally being “locked up” is a fear of mine, but I decided to let the question really sink in and run with it. Hmmmm, BAM it came to me, I would LOVE to be locked up in a mall. How fun would it be to be able to shop ALL night. You could go in and out of stores with no lines! A DREAM COME TRUE. I would make so many purchases including, new earrings, shoes, and clothes. (duh) Anyway I think this is an interesting way to get your brain working in unique ways. Not often do we ask ourselves these silly questions, but sometimes they reveal parts of us we never knew exsisted.

So I challenge you to take in this next question (from my book) and explore it, “You have a magic soap, what does it wash away?”

Now that you have the prompt, I would love to hear your responses, please feel free to comment, what you think and how you feel about this question.

Thanks, I hope your long weekend is treating you well,

xoxo laur

WEEKLY GOAL ACCOMPLISHED

I’M SO ECSTATIC! I crushed my weekly goal. My goal may be “weak” to some but it isn’t to me. Personally I haven’t been finding enough time in my life to sit down and read a good book. But this week I did. —> I READ A BOOK IN A WEEK <— To me this is a great accomplishment. I was able to find time (mostly at work because I lifeguard and its extremely slow right now) BUT I did it, I found the time and crushed my goal. I forgot how much I love reading! I decided to tackle the book “Start” by Jon Acuff. This book didn’t fail to impress me, trust me. If you need a little motivation in your life start with a good book (one by Jon Acuff would work lol). I love reading books that inspire me to keep chasing my dreams and conquer success. If you have a goal like mine start by just setting some time aside to start a book, even if that means 10 minutes before you go to bed. You don’t have to read it in a week (that was just a goal of mine), but don’t forget to start. You can start right now, tonight, tomorrow morning, you can start WHENEVER. But you have to start in order to be able to finish.

Turn your list of “things to do” into a list of “things accomplished”

Keep at your goals and remember to, START.

xoxo laur

 

Believe in yourself

Stop living life saying “what if”, “what if I don’t get into college”, “what if I’m not good enough”, “what if they don’t like me”. ENOUGH! I am sick and tired of hearing people ask the question “what if”, I understand this phrase is a hard one to shake when you have a voice inside your head telling you these things. That voice is the devil. NEVER listen to the harsh, false comments it makes daily. Shut that voice up with SUCCESS. Also turn your what ifs into things actually accomplish in your life. Think about how great it feels to be successful, now imagine being successful at things you were told you couldn’t do? EVEN BETTER. Am I right? I know from a personal experience that my dreams have been shot down by MANY, including the devil speaking within my head. I have been told countless times that my career isn’t a real career and I will never make it out alive. I was told that being from a small time takes a toll on my advantage to be successful. I was warned that my career would never go anywhere and I would end up jobless unless I had a “backup plan”. I’ve had the tiny voice in my head speak to me multiple times “don’t try that your going to fail”, “you won’t get a call back don’t even try it’s a waste of your time”, “just stop trying you’re not getting anywhere” YOU KNOW WHAT I DID? I shut that voice up with each and every one of my successes I have made in my life thus far. So I encourage you to think that voice is only out to get you, everything it says is harmful to you and needs to be avoided at all cost. It’s important to believe in yourself, and encourage yourself with motivational quotes, books, songs, speeches, whatever keeps you motivated needs to become a part of your everyday life. Not just when you “feel you need it most”. We all need motivation, even if that’s just a simple “you can do this” when you are feeling doubt. Remember to keep yourself one step above those who believe in failure. Keep your dreams in focus, count your blessings and keep succeeding.

May you find success because success will not find you.

xoxo laur

Why Vegan?

Hey guys, welcome back to my page. So two nights ago I was laying in my bed watching “What The Health” and was disgusted in my self that I had given up bring vegetarian exactly a year ago. In my process of being vegetarian I learned so much, that even my favorite soup from Panera Bread (broccoli and cheddar) I was unable to eat because it contained chicken broth in it. Near the end go my time being a vegetarian I wont lie I had developed some unhealthy eating habits. So here is some advice I can give you. When cutting out meat it is VERY important to REPLACE it not just eliminate it. Replacing meat can go as far from my favorite vegan brand “Morning Star” to just plain tofu. Because I did it all wrong, instead of replacing I was eliminating and began to become unhealthy. I was eating an overload of pasta, cereal and candy. Well because that’s all I could eat right? WRONG. I should have been indulging in healthy fruits, vegetables, whole grain pastas, and tofu. Don’t make the same mistake as me it’s not fun. Also I believe going vegan is probably the best option out there (all though you may believe different) I think you should gradually go vegan. Don’t just wake up one morning and decide it time to be vegan because it just doesn’t work that way. You will end up buying $500 dollars worth of groceries just to throw them all away. So instead try it the smart way, gradually turn your shopping list vegan. You need to learn to start replacing rather than to wing it and be lost with nothing to eat because what you think may not have animal products in it probably actually does. 90% of the things you eat will probably some way, shape, or form lead back to an animal product. I did some research the other day and found out that even chips contain chicken fat. Now isn’t that just disgusting? We are so blind to what we are really doing and the hard evidence behind it that we refuse to believe that what we are eating is bad. Isn’t it sad that we continue to eat meat after it was labeled a carcinogenic. HOW GROSS. Am I right? Yet after reading this article you will most likely still return to McDonald’s and support the biggest industry in this world that is killing off man kind. Whether we want to believe it or not it’s happening. So you either support it or choose to change. I’m not telling you to become vegan over night because that will never happen and if it does it’s not the healthy way. I’m just telling you to choose wisely. There are researches done that prove eating processed meat is equivalent to smoking 5 cigarettes. So quit frankly we’ve been smoking our whole lives? SO now decide, is it time to quit?

I hope you all make a step in a healthy direction today. Have a blessed evening

xoxolaur

Travel With Your Heart

Travel, we hear lots of people say, “I’d love to go ______” “to bad I don’t have the money” or even “maybe some day”. Maybe some day… what does that even mean. Listen, time is a ticking time bomb. You are most likely at your job or at school, some of you are probably thinking about traveling and how much you urge to do it but you withdraw yourself from thinking about it because you haven’t developed the funds to do so yet. WRONG, you have been working (weather for a year or 20 years) we all work, we all make money. Now what we do with that money is on us. Sure you have to buy groceries and pay bills, but stop and think about all the things you have bought home and never wore or groceries you have bought just to throw away. (I have done it all before as well there’s no hiding it) but imagine it this way, try budgeting yourself and saving for that trip even if that’s putting $1 in the a jar everyday, just think you are a dollar closer to your dream. Don’t start by sacrificing it all, start by focusing on what you really want. If you are passionate enough about traveling you will make it you main goal and you won’t let it get out of sight until you accomplish it. For me traveling the world is something I would like to accomplish someday, I want to give back to other country’s and build a better tomorrow. I personally have only been out of the United States a few times, but I can tell you this. It is a very eye-opening experience and I encourage each and every one of you to go through exactly what I seen. On that note, if you feel like you are stuck, you hate your 9-5 and you just need out. Look into jobs that offer you to travel with them. Some jobs you work right from your laptop at home and can relocate as much as your heart desires. Does that sound like your ideal cup of tea? THEN DO IT. No more waiting around, “I’ll start tomorrow” NO, start today right now. As your reading this I want you to write down 3 things you can do to build yourself a better tomorrow. Now that you’ve done that, reread them, then start taking baby steps to accomplishing those 3 small tasks. But unfortunately I can only tell you so much. Until then it is your job to create your reality and build your empire.

May you all travel, and accomplish great thing.

xoxo laur