A HINT OF HAPPINESS

Hey guys it's Neda here with another blogpost, hehehe. I've been thinking about writing about this topic for a while but I couldn't find the right words to put explain it until about 10 minutes ago when I was reading my old journal entries and just a lot of things that have led me here Alhamdulilah. I've always known I wanted to help people one way or another, be it one person or 100 people, I wanted to make a difference so here I am. This is gonna be a little different than my normal blogposts, but I hope you stick around to read. Without further a do, I hope you enjoy:

When you feel down and it seems as if the path you are on in your life is shaky, turn to Allah.
When you feel mad because something in your life wasn't what you wanted, thank Allah.
When you feel happy because you got exactly what you dreamt of, praise Allah.
When you feel as if there is no hope for you and you want to give up know "Verily with Hardship comes Ease" (94:6).

A couple months ago when I was journaling and was writing exactly what I wanted this blogpost to say, so I thought it would only be appropriate to just give the raw version so,
"I want to try to help anyone going through something and tell them I'm there for them and if for some reason I can't be, Allah(swt) ALWAYS is. He knows what we are going through and gives His strongest soilders the hardest tests. If we ever feel helpless we should turn to Him(swt) and without even having to say anything, we just have to think it because "He known what is in the hearts." But it's our job to take the initiative and ask Him for help because "Allah never changed the condition of a people unless they strive to change themselves." I also want to make a new mindset to always see the bright side of things because it's all about "Perspective". Why be sad when you can be happy and why add hate when you can spread love?"

So that was a little entrance into what's in my mind and it's true, if you need anything don't be afraid to hmu but before you talk to people, talk to Your Creator because even though He already knows how you are feeling He will still ALWAYS be there to listen. There's a saying that "The greater the struggle the greater the results" and it's true - with every test you have the opportunity to increase your rank in Jannah iA.

Because after all that is the goal. Jannah. Everything is temporary - Happiness and Sadness alike. So, enjoy the moment and before doing something ask yourself, "Will this please Allah(swt)" and if the answer is yes you're good to go. Islam is very clear Black and White, if you see any gray and have to question the answer there might be other factors in the equation. I am by no means perfect and we are all after the same goal. "We shouldn't be upset about people trying to pull us down, we should let them be the reason we are so high up."

With all that being said, I think I've expressed all the things I planned and am content Alhamdulilah. If you liked this make sure to let me know and who knows, maybe I'll make a pt.2 if you want. Thank you so much for making it this far and I appreciate you. Have an amazing day, sweet heart.

-xoxo,
Neda Girl

Insta: @neda_hamood         Twitter: @neda_hamood       Youtube: Neda Hamood

I N D I A T R A V E L

Hey guys, it's Neda Again. I'm here with another blogpost for you guys, this time about my recent trip to India. If you didn't know, my dad is from India so in order to form me into a well rounded, non-spoiled, cultured individual; my parents like to let me visit the mother land from time to time. Here's a rundown of my trip:

The main purpose for this trip was to go for my cousin's wedding and to have a little vacation time before I begin a part in my life where frequent travel won't really be possible because college can take up a lot of time and hard work iA. So before my trip to India, I spent about 5 days in Ireland with my aunt and her family and we did super adventurous things like going to the mountains, shopping and more touristy things (see below).

 

Then I was off again - to the mother land. So the first week of the trip was basic, I was trying to get used to the routine. Then the second week was the wedding which was exciting. Then week three and four were basically living in India. A typical day would look like this: wake up, eat, hang around, eat, take a nap, hang around, eat, sleep. It was really living the life of luxury. My hands down favorite thing we did in India was playing on the roof when it would rain and my cousins and I would just really have the time of our lives. I learned some urdu, how to make roti, and how to live simply. Overall it was a great experience and I'm thankful for the opportunity and the time I got to spend with my family. Now before I get back home iA I have some more time in Ireland so that means more experiences I'd love to share with you. Stay tuned for more exciting things coming up iA.

 

 

Thanks for reading - xoxo,
Neda Girl

SUHOOR IDEAS

Hey guys, it's Neda again. I'm here because it's nearing the middle of Ramadan Alhamdulilah and around this time is when we start waking up at 5am eating a date, chugging water, praying fajr and going back to sleep. But, suhoor could be so much more exciting with these recipes I'm going to be showing you in this blogpost today. Hope you enjoy, let's begin:

*PRO TIP* DRINK A FULL WATER BOTTLE AT IFTAR, A FULL WATER BOTTLE BEFORE YOU SLEEP (two if you can manage) AND A FULL WATER BOTTLE AT SUHOOR.

1) Whole Wheat Waffle with Blueberries and Bananas

This is a super simple one. You stick two whole wheat waffles in the toaster and when they are done you top off with fresh blueberries and a sliced banana. Maple syrup if you want -  which I always include - and enjoy.

2) Cornflakes with Bananas and Dates

This is your simple "Yikes!I woke up late gotta eat now" kind of day meal. You make your normal cereal ya know: bowl, cereal, milk - you know the drill. Then, add some banana (I really like bananas) and eat some dates on the side (I like to eat 3) and that's it.

3) Avocado Toast

This has to be one of the most basic eats out there and there's no way I couldn't include it due to my affinity to avocados. Again you're gonna go ahead and toast 2 pieces of bread, white or whole wheat it's your choice. Then when it's toasted, lather it with cream cheese, gently place the avocados, and squeeze with lemon juice and hot sauce. This is better if you want something savory because it's easy and very flavorful.

4) Baby Egg Omelet

This is another super simple one as all of these are because honestly at 5 in the morning I'm not trying to put a lot of effort into whatever I'm gonna eat in 5 minutes so.... Basically heat a small pan I like to use one that is about 5 inches in diameter and put a little splash of olive oil in there and heat on medium high. Take two eggs (or three egg whites) and mix in a bowl. Then just pour into the pan then about every 30 seconds push in the 2 sides and let the excess egg fill the void. Then repeat until there is no runny egg left. After about 15 seconds GENTLY flip the little egg pie and continue to cook for about 30 seconds. You can then top with cheese and tomatoes. Another really good thing would be to add spinach while you are whisking the eggs for a little more nutrients. Add salt and pepper to your taste.

^So imagine this picture but like not all sad looking and together and just pretend it looks yummy because it is

5) Acai Bowls

*WARNING* THIS REQUIRES USE OF A BLENDER SO MAKE THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK

Basically, unless everyone in your house is already awake and they don't mind having a blender on at 5 in the morning then have at it and make this acai bowl but, definitely ask for permission. I've talked about acai bowls previously in blog posts but I couldn't not include them here today. It's as simple as throwing a 1/2 of a banana, 1 cup of frozen berries, and 1/2 a cup of milk into a blender (you may need a little more milk). Then top with the other 1/2 of a banana, strawberries, blueberries, granola, coconut flakes, or really anything your heart desires. If you did want to make this in advance then you could add a little sweetened condensed milk or greek yogurt put in a bowl and cover with foil or plastic wrap then put in freezer. You might have to let it thaw for a little and then it will basically be eating ice cream for suhoor but no judgement from me.

6) Oatmeal with Berries

Okay so when I first started eating oatmeal after I started liking it a little while ago I kind of made up my own recipe because regular oatmeal can be kind of bland. So the steps that I make it: I mix 4 tbs of old fashioned oats with water to cover it and 1/2 a sliced a banana, then I microwave for          1min 30sec. And when it's done I take it out and stir it until it cools a bit then I add a ton of cinnamon, blueberries, the other 1/2 of a banana, and strawberries but feel free to add what you want and enjoy.

7) 2 Ingredient Banana Pancakes

So these took the internet by storm a couple years ago when I first got into enjoying cooking and this is a super simple recipe. A smart thing to do would be make the batter in advance but basically in a blender  (I like to use my single serve ninja cup) combine 1 banana and 2 eggs and blend until smooth. Then heat a pan on medium high and spray with cooking oil then pour the batter. Top with any fresh fruit you want and syrup if you'd like. This serves about one but if you want to be your family's hero then feel free to make it for everyone by doubling or tripling the recipe.

*NOTE* IF YOU ARE GOING TO BE IN THE KITCHEN WHAT SO EVER MAKE SURE TO CLEAN UP AFTER YOURSELF AND HAVE MERCY ON YOUR MAMA, DON'T LEAVE HER A MESS.

BONUS SUPER SIMPLE NO MESS RECIPES

If you don't feel like turning on a blender or a toaster so early in the morning here are some more ideas, these could also be side dishes to some of these mains^:

• Poptarts
• Honeycomb cereal
• Fruits (prob leftover from iftar)(grapes, berries, bananas)
• Almonds, Raisins, Walnuts (personally I'm allergic to nuts but it's all you)
• Pre-made energy balls (blend 10 dates, 1/2 cup walnuts, 1/4 cup coconut flakes then blend)
• Boiled eggs

GOALS FOR RAMADAN 2017

Hey buddy, how ya been? Hope you've been well. So today happens to be the 10th day of Ramadan which is basically the 15th day and there are 30 days in a month so basically ramadan is 1/2 of the way done. In this blessed month it's nice to see it as a fresh start, a time to initiate any things you might want to do to better yourself. So at the beginning of the month I like to write a list of things I might want to do during the month. Many of the things are more of a change in mindset as opposed to change in action. Without further ado I bring to you My Goals for Ramadan 2017:

1) Read the Quran at least once, I find that this could be a time to fine new inspiration for things all around.

2) Memorize/Review Quran, Depending on you and your memorization skills it's nice to set a goal to memorize or review Quran.

3) Free the negativity from your mind, this sounds kinda like something a hippie would say but hey, no hate. Basically, just keep positive thoughts in your mind only, why burden yourself with worrying.

4) Don't be lazy - this can be hard when you're hungry and tired and want to wake up at noon if you have the luxury to but work for that feeling of being productive each day. There are 11 other months of the year to sleep to noon don't make Ramadan one of them.

5) Forgive. Try to make this the month where you go over events from the past and encounter with other and just forgive them. You wouldn't want to be the reason that someone doesn't enter Jannah.

6) Disconnect. Whether it be from people, social media, worldly affairs. Try to disconnect from this Dunya and connect with Allah(swt).

7) Make it permanent. Yes, it is nice to have this month to feel like a real refresher and even half way through the effects of this month are already sinking in but try to maintain that fresh feeling. Think of Ramadan as a way to kickstart this way of life and it might be hard at first but everything will pay off in the end Insha'Allah.

So, I hope you all enjoyed this blogpost and benefited something from it. I have another Ramadan themed blogpost coming soon iA so you can look forward to that and my graduation vlog will be going up soon because your girl was class of 2017 Alhamdulilah. Anyway, I hope you liked this blogpost and I'll see you guys soon. Have a blessed Ramadan.

xoxo,
Neda Girl

~ S E N I O R Y E A R ~

So I'm gonna save you guys my excuses and just get into the blogpost

If you didn't already know, I'm a senior this year. Another thing you might not know is that I'm 15 so that's exciting and cool I guess. So this year has been a sorta eventful year and I'm still in disbelief that I am a senior Alhamdulilah. I learned a ton of stuff this year I though you might enjoy with tips, tricks, advice. So here they are:

1) Make school the second most important thing you do obviously the first thing being your deen. You can't just walk into school and expect to know stuff, it takes hours of studying and research but it'll all pay off in the end.

2) Keep a clear mind. It can be hard to do school if you have a million things on your mind and on your to-do list. Think of it this way -  you're gonna have to do the thing eventually so the sooner the better. Another way to keep your thoughts organized is to get a planner and get into the habit of writing stuff down.

3) This is just the beginning, High school isn't anything like the movies. I would suggest just getting your work done and getting out lol you can rest after.

4) Make sure you are learning not just aiming for an 'A', it might be working now but once it's time to go and take the SAT or ACT it's gonna come and bite you in the behind.

5) Speaking of Standardized Exams study for the SAT and ACT early on, I wouldn't say start when you are in middle school maybe in 8th grade get some information on the grading and stuff but once you're ready and know the stuff start doing practice. Practice makes perfect.

6) Stay motivated and treat yourself. It can be hard sometimes when you just wanna be like ya know what McDonald's cashier doesn't seem like too bad of an option but you can accomplish so much more. Don't overthink things, like I said get your work done and graduate after that the world is your oyster.

7) Make sure to focus on your deen. Ya the success in this life is cool, being a doctor or engineer or Olympian but you gotta remember this life is just a temporary thing and if you don't do your best to get to Jannah did you really accomplish anything at all?

8) Remember to Thank, thank everyone; Allah(swt), your parents, your teachers, your supporters, your advisors. Always be thankful

9) Pick up a hobby, don't make this hobby your life but you should always have something when you want to get away and escape the horror of the real world. I personally like piano and basketball.

10) Last but not least Enjoy it, before you know it, it's gonna be over and it's gonna be graduation day and you're gonna be walking across that stage with all your friends cheering you on. So have fun, live a little, hang with ur friends on weekends, everything will pay off.

*INSERT SENIOR PICTURES WHERE I LOOK DECENT*

Links:

Insta : @neda_hamood

Twitter : @neda_hamood

Youtube: Neda Hamood 

Until next time, xoxo <3

⭐️ Q U O T E S ⭐️

Well, Well, Well, look who is back for some more blogposts. So as I'm sure I mentioned in my past posts, I have been doing a lot of college stuff and honestly I've been a little busy with life. I had a bunch of stuff tryna finally learn to balance school and life and I think I finally found the perfect equation so I'm here with some quotes. It hasn't been easy that's for sure and so I'm sharing some motivation in case you yourself are also living your own like tryna find out why y=mx+b. These are the quotes:

1. " We cannot become what we want by remaining what we are"

2. " Life is too ironic to fully understand. It takes sadness to know what happiness is. Noise to appreciate silence & absence to value presence"

3. " If it doesn't open ... it's not your door"

4. " Don't stress the could haves. If it should have, It would have"

5. " Normality is a paved road: It's comfortable to walk, but no flowers grow" -Vincent van Gogh

6. " Champions keep playing until they get it right" -Billie Jean King

7. " Make your parents proud and yourself happy"

8. " My heart is at ease knowing that what was meant for me will never miss me and that what misses me was never meant for me" - Umar Ibn Khattab

9. " The same boiling water that softens the spaghetti hardens the egg. It's about what you are made of, not the circumstances"

10. " Don't wait until you have reached your goal to be proud of yourself, be proud of yourself every step you take toward reaching that goal"

BONUS : "Tell me I can't so I can work twice as hard to show you I can"

Okay so I hope you enjoyed these quotes and you got some takeaway from it and are now inspired to reach for the stars because when you have a goal, make a plan, and work for it. I believe in you. Mwah
- xoxo Neda

Childhood Favorites

I have been extra MIA lately so I'm so sorry about that. Last week I was gonna make a blog post but it didn't happen but I'm here now with a super cool idea so that's what's important, right? Anyway, I took the ACT last Saturday and I'm just waiting for my scores and I've been doing FLVS so there is your update. Okay so this blogpost is gonna be all about things I loved when I was a kid and some of these things totally stuck so here I go:

1) Favorite Movie: Lilo and Stitch
I was obsessed with this movie when I was little and although my favorite movie is Mulan now I still feel the feels every time I watch this movie.

2) Favorite Color: Pink
I'm talking about when I was about 5 or 6 my favorite color was pink and I wanted everything pink, then purple was my favorite color for a little, and now it's blue

3) Favorite Food: Mulukhiyah
When I was little this was my absolute favorite food. If you don't know it's like this soup thing kinda and you drown it in lemon juice and so that's my answer. My favorite food now is probably acai bowls.

4) Favorite Subject in School: Math
If I'm being honest when I was little I didn't love school then all of a sudden I did and Math was my favorite. Math is still my favorite, especially when it makes sense.

5) Favorite Day of the Week: Saturday
When I was really young I would love getting up and watching Saturday Morning cartoons. Now, every year is a new favorite day for me; this year it happens to be Thursday because we have P.E

6) Favorite Hobby: Playground
So I had one of those playground things in my backyard and I absolutely loved playing on it when I was little. Now i like to go bike riding but that doesn't happen very often because the world is against me.

7) Favorite Number: 7
My favorite number has always been 7 i think. It's just such a special number and it looks so nice ya know.

Okay so I really hope you guys liked this blog post hopefully the originality makes up for me being lost and away. Okay thats all, luh you all - xoxo Neda Girl

10 under $10

Hey hunty how you been? I'm pretty good, busy but good. I've been doing a ton of college entrance exam prep stuff so I haven't had a ton of free time for blog posts so that's were I've been. But, like the title suggests I'm going to be doing a list of 10 things I love under $10. I'm not a super high maintenance person so most of these are things I use or wear all the time. There you go:

1) My first thing is what I found to be the perfect pair of jeans. I have like 3 of these are for $10 thats great 

2) I have been raving about this lip balm for probably the past week after I couldn't find it anywhere since the other one finished (which I didn't even know it was possible to finish a lip balm because I always lose them) but this NIVEA one was just amazing.

3) Bath and Body works brought in their fall scents about 2 weeks ago and I have never been so excited in my life. My favorite scent is anything Mahogany Teakwood but since this is stuff below $10 the wallflower fragrance is amazing.*flannel is another really good scent*

4) I'm cheating a little here because this is $14 but it comes with 3 so basically each pair is $4.66 right? Well it's totally worth it because I absolutely love these adidas socks they are literally God's gift to mankind.

5) I'm not really sure if I love this thing and I'm sure my family members all hate it because it wakes everyone else up besides me but this Alarm clock is really good and is super loud so I'm still asking myself how it doesn't wake me up but any way....

6) I have been absolutely in love with Granola lately I literally put it on everything: yogurt, nice cream, cereal, air.

7) I have talked about this a couple of times but I love gum so I'm going to mention it again. I have an addiction and I can't be stopped.

8) This has been my favorite perfume for about a year now. It's the fresh and clean one from pink and in the morning I also put on Mango Temptation because I'm so crazy and unique

9) Another thing I have talked about a couple times is my pen addiction. My favorite ones are the bic ones.

10) Okay so another thing Iv'e been kinda crazy obsessed with is green tea and until about 2 weeks ago I hated it but honestly it taste like water and tea is cheap so it's not $10.

Okay so I hope you guys liked this weeks blog post and it helped you out a little somehow. If you have any suggestions just leave them down below or something. Okay I love you guys soo much, xoxo - Neda

Instagram: @neda_hamood   Twitter: @neda_hamood   Youtube: Neda Hamood

Fun Lunches for school

I have mentioned for school that I have some sort of food craze in my life where I like to try new recipes. Lately I have pinned a bunch of recipes on my Pinterest and I loved everyone that I've tried. These are some of them with the recipes linked.

1. Cauliflower, Potato, Pea Curry

With this recipe I put the curry with a little bit of rice and made it a kind of dinner bowl by adding 1/2 and avocado and some hot sauce. I also added some more spices I had in my cupboard because I like the heat.

2. Cilantro Lemon Quinoa Salad

I made this recipe in about 15 minutes on a weekday and it was so good. I'm not the biggest fan of chickpeas in salad so I omit it and added cucumbers and bell peppers instead. My parents and grandparents all loved this recipe and felt like it was so "healthy".

3. Shrimp in Thai Coconut Sauce

So I made this on Monday and it took like 45 minutes to make and it was delicious. I didn't add the peanut butter but it was still really good. My family was like fighting for the leftovers.

4. Zucchini Noodles with Avocado Pesto

Another thing that I am just dying to try is this. I'm allergic to nuts so the Avocado pesto is a great alternative and for the pine nuts since it's a smaller amount I'll just use sunflower seeds.

5. For super non-original lunches:
My go to lunch is probably a sunbutter and jelly sandwich cut with a cup so there is no crust. It's kind of like an uncrutable but with sunbutter. Another one is some kale chips that taste like tortilla chips or some pita chips with hummus. Orrrr it's some yogurt with granola and sunbutter.

*BONUS SNACKS*

For snack I like to eat:
1) Cut up fruit
2) An apple
3) strawberry and yogurt cereal bars

After School:
1) Acai Bowl; just frozen fruit, 1/2 a banana, little milk, blend. topped with granola and more fruit
2) Watermelon slushi; fresh watermelon cut up, blended till liquid, frozen in a dish, scrape with fork when frozen and enjoy.

I hope you like all these recipes and check them out for yourself. If you try any, comment what you thought.

Top 10 Tips for School

As the first week of school rolls to a nice end, it's nice to see how things have changed. All of a sudden I see myself being asked about big questions like college and job choices and it's cool to see how far iv'e come. Whether you are just starting middle or high school, these are some things that helped me through the way:

1) You have to make sure that you don't stress out, it is as simple as that and don't be worried because everything always works out.

2) Have a hobby that you can go to when you are done with your work, in middle school it was baking classes, in high school it was blogging and youtube.

3) I don't know how much I can emphasize this but get a planner. Sometimes you think you have everything under the control then the teacher asks to turn in your home work and you are sitting there like ?!?

4) I guess you could say I'm what you call a "diligent student" meaning all I really did was get your work done it is really as simple as that.

5) I am a real sucker for having a full schedule so when if it is an option and you have time, do extra credit, you never know if there is gonna be a test or quiz that takes your grade down and extra credit is always a good choice.

6) Don't work yourself too hard and be sure to take breaks. I'm not saying to do 5 minutes of work and take a 2 hour break but make sure you treat yourself with a break.

7) Usually when you get back from school you are hungry so have a healthy snack, I usually just eat my dinner early so like around 5 then I am set for the rest of the day.

8) Something really important is to have someone to talk too, I usually just talk to my mom and I get to vent so that I don't do crazy in the middle of school and flip over the smallest thing.

9) This is more of a study tip and it is to Take notes, I know that people are like "I take notes and don't look at them" but in my case I sleep, eat, breathe my notes so that I literally memorize it.

10) My last and Final tip is to just take it easy, this is just the beginning and you should't worry, I'm a pretty easy going person and don't care about the minor details.

*Bonus*make sure not to get all caught up in the latest rumors or drama because they roll over and you should just save yourself the trouble.

I hope that you really liked this blog post and take learned something from this, if you have any tips I missed here be sure to comment them down below to share them with everyone else.

First Day Of School

So, if you couldn't tell from my last blog post, I'm going back to school. I'm going to the same school that I always have gone too so there were no first day jitters really. But, you should have seen me in the morning. I was in such a giggely mood and I was laughing at everything. Nothing funny was even happening we were literally going over the credits we've taken and I was laughing. Any who, this was my first day of school.

5:45am: I woke up so that I could get ready for school and take a shower so we would be super early.

7:30am: I got to school with my mom and brother and I went to my mom's class because she is also my homeroom so that's super fun. I wrote a daily quote which I put on my snapchat (add me; 👻nedooda_2001) then I tried to do flvs

8:30am: By this time, everyone in 10th, 11th, and 112th (about 30 people) had shown up and we started the normal high school talk. The get your credits done and you can leave kinda one. Super exciting stuff.

10:10am: by now we were done with all the high school talk and we had snack and mingled with the new kids which is always exciting. Also I'd like to point out I have a kind of love/hate relationship with the new kids because you wanna talk to them because they might be cool, but at the same time they could be super boring. But, you just gotta face your fears and talk to find out.

10:30am: so when recess ended we sat down in the same class for what was supposed to be U.S History, but since it was the first day we were just introducing ourselves. I was the first girl to go because I volunteered and was volunteered by my friends too because I have an exciting life. So then we just kinda hung out until 12:10 when we went to our next class

12:10pm: So we had Quran class in the Mosque and we had a kind of orientation where we just talked about what we were gonna do in the class and what we were gonna learn and accomplish then the class was over.

1:00pm: In my entire life at the school, I have never had an issue finding a seat. I guess the new kids just didn't know that I run the school and rule all of high school and I ate lunch standing with my other friends <- totally sarcastic if you were wondering. lol, but for real it was fine and I didn't mind it that much. lunch was good it was more time to mingle then we went back to the Mosque to pray then...

1:45ish pm: So, the rest of the kids had math class but because a majority of my classes are on FLVS by my choice I went back to my mom's class which is also my homeroom and tried to do my work until 3:15

3:15pm: It was dismissal time and I couldn't believe the day was over. It all happened so quick and It was actually surreal and in the middle of the day I thought to myself "this is the first day of school Neda get used to this because this is how it's gonna be". But, ya it was a great first day and I hope the rest of the year is gonna be like this because it was just splendid.

T O P F I V E S C H O O L S U P P L I E S

It's that time of year again and next week on Wednesday is my first day of school. Surprisingly I do not have as much school supplies that I usually have. I guess I'm that stereotypical high schooler who only needs a paper and pencil for class. But, I do have my essentials and these are them:

1) A high quality notebook is number one on my list because if there is one thing I invest in it's gonna be a nice notebook. Greenroom is my favorite brand because a)they use recycled paper♻️ and b)they have a nice look to them that makes it look kind of vintage and I really like that

2) The next best thing in my backpack is my planner which is a kate spade planner i've had for a little while and I really love it

3) I know I said that I'm that simple girl who only needs a pen and paper but one thing I love is highlighters, maybe it's the colors or the organization factor I'm not sure but😍

4) So, this is very similar to the previous essential thing but it's different because pens are beautiful. I actually rely more on my pens to color coordinate then my highlighters because with pens I get it done and I'm done. 

5) I need a pair of headphones at all time just incase I'm doing my FLVS and a I have to watch a video or if I'm done with my work and decide to watch youtube sometimes maybe. 

These are my kind of "essentials" that I love for school but, like I said I don't have a lot of school supplies and I'm only taking a few classes that I really need to worry about and the rest are gonna just kinda fall into place. But, I hope you guys enjoyed this week's blog post and stick around for the next couple of weeks because I have some super fun ideas I think you'll enjoy.😘

M Y E U R O P E T R I P 2 0 1 6

Day 5:
Today we woke up at around 5am and went downstairs and ate some breakfast at like 7:30. Then at 8:15 we took a 2 hour car ride from Brussels, Belgium to Cologne, Germany. During this car ride I slept the entire time and it was wonderful. As soon as we got out of the car, we went to the Cologne Carhedral and it was beautiful. We walked up 533 stairs which is equivalent to like 35 flights of stairs or something. Then we went to an amazing burger joint with amazing food and it was fun. Then we went to the chocolate factory until around 3:45 pm and we left at 5 pm. We then went back to a new hotel and chilled out for like an hour. Then we went to a family dinner and came home at like 10:30 and chilled till 1am then we slept.

Day 6:
We woke up at the normal time which is about 6 am. Then we went down stairs at around 7 and had some breakfast. Then we left at 8 to drive 2 hours from Cologne, Germany to Frankfurt, Germany. The car ride was intense, we slept most of the way so it was fine. When we got to Frankfurt we were all starving and we went to this amazing Thai resturant and it was delicious. Then we went to the Goethe museum that had a beautiful garden. Then we went shopping for a little while and I got some super cute souviners and such. Then we got settled in a hotel which was good and we rested for a little. So after we settled, we went to a family dinner and this was definetly one of my favorites. The family was so funny and hospitable and it was just amazing. We got back around 11 and hung out in one of the rooms till around 12 am then we went to sleep.

Day 7:
We woke up a little later than normal, and by that I mean like 6:45 am but the 45 min make the world of a difference. After we got ready we went downstairs and had to say goodbye to Caroline and her mom Mrs.Christine because they were leaving a day early. So after that we had breakfast and drove for what was mostly the whole day from Frankfurt, Germany to Netherlands, Amsterdam. It was really hard today because we were all thinking about all the memories we had and the memories we made. We left the hotel at around 10 am and drove to the peace bridge in Remagan, Germamy because it was on our way. By the time we were finished it was like 11:45 I think them we continued on our journey. We then drove to Aachen, Germany and explored a little then got back in the car at around 4 or something. When we finally arrived in Amsterdam we went to the place where we first had dinner on the very first night and talked about our experience. AND ROBIN CAME!! It was a great "last supper" to quote Annie. After dinner we went to a kind of mix between a dollar store and a big lots and we got lots of chocolate and such. Then we went to the hotel around 10 and the kids hung out till around 12 for an amazing end of trip

Traveling:
Today we woke up super early and I mean 4:45. Then we went to the lobby and met the others around 7am and we headed for the airport. It was so hard to say goodbye because it felt like we really created a bond that we know will last forever. We all said we would keep in touch and went our own way for our own flights. Our flight from Amsterdam to Dublin was good. I read my book a little and took a short nap and we were there before we knew it. The flight from Dublin to Orlando was the same. I read my book, watched some movies, and slept a little.

 I'm really happy to be home with all these memories and experiences that I will never forget. I'm very thankful to have had this opportunity and have a lot of respect for the people who made this all happen because I'm sure it wasn't easy. Everything was more than I ever expected from the places to the people. This really was the adventure of a lifetime and I can't wait for more experiences like this.

M Y E U R O P E T R I P 2 0 1 6

So I am finally gonna announce where my trip was to. I actually went to 3 places in Europe and they are... Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany. So the way that I'm gonna do this is there is gonna be a recap of everything I did everyday so here it goes.

Traveling:
So we started off the day really well and went to the wrong terminal at the Orlando Airport. But it turned out great because we had time to spare and the right terminal has a Starbucks so...😂. The flight to Dublin, Ireland and I slept a little and watched zootopia and it was great. Then we waited for the flight to Amsterdam which I slept the whole way through. When we got to Amsterdam we took a shuttle to the hotel where I took a shower and me and my mom went to dinner. There was this super cute looking retro diner at the hotel and we both got burgers and they were super delicious. Then we got back to the hotel and slept in not pretzel form like on the plane

Day 1:
The day started off at 4am in our hotel room and me and my mom showered and got ready and by the time we were finished it was around 5:30. So me and my mom took a shuttle back to the airport where we met all the other lovely people that we would be spending the trip with. After we got all the people situated we went to a school that Ann Frank attended and we had breakfast. Then we went to Dam Square and The royal palace and we did a canal tour and it was really beautiful. Then it was around 3 and we had these killer French fries and went to Rijks museum and at this point we were all so tired so we checked into the hotel we are staying at now and had dinner at a Turkish resturant then came back to the hotel and passed out at 10:30pm to end our night.

Day 2:
Today started off at 5 am which is the time we are gonna wake up everyday from now on and then we got ready and left at 8 am. First we went to the Ann Frank house and it was really a hands on experience that was a really eye opening experience. So then after that it was around 9:30 am so we drove to another school that Ann Frank attended and we had brunch  which was good as always. Then we went to the Van Gogh Museum which was incredible and the souviners I got were amazing.Then we did a bit of shopping where some damage was done.We then went to a Museum and went shopping again. Then we ended the night with some Halal Fried Chicken at HFC which was good. At this point it was 10:00 pm when we got back to the hotel and we went to the room, did a mask, and knocked out at 11:00pm

Day 3:
So this blog post is getting super long so 🎉 C O N G R A T S🎉 if you are sticking through. The first thing that we did today was go to breakfast at the school we went to yesterday for brunch. Then we went to see the windmills which was super amazing and beautiful and we got some good pictures. Then we went in a car ride 🚘 from Amsterdam to Hague. In Hague we visited the cubic homes and the peace palace and got ice cream. Then we went to a FAMILY DINNER, which is by far one of my favorite part about these trips. It was amazing as expected and the family was so nice. Then we had a looooong car ride ahead of us and had another 3 hour drive 🚘 From Hague to Brussels. We got to the hotel at 11pm and came back to the hotel room and slept after an hour.

Day 4: Today we woke up and were kinda tired and we went down and ate breakfast at the hotel. Then, we went to Atomia and Mini Europe and it was super cute. Then we had some super good burgers for lunch and went 🛍SHOPPING!! We went to grand palace and went shopping and had a bunch of fun and I bought a super cute lunch box. Then we went to the hotel and Abigail did my makeup and it was super nice. Then we went to a family dinner and came back to the hotel and chilled at Laurna's room and went to sleep back in our rooms🛌

✈️A T L A N T I C I N S T I T U T E✈️

Like I mentioned in my last blog post, I'm going on a trip somewhere. So, I'll talk more about the trip when I come back but for now I'll tell you that It's somewhere in Europe. I actually won an art competition that was run by Atlantic Institute a couple months ago and the prize was a trip to Europe. I've actually won this competition four times and the first time I won the trip was to Turkey.

Like the trip I'm going on this time it's just gonna be me and my mom then we meet up with the others in the group. We went to Turkey for 10 days and it was quite the adventure. My mom and I started off our trip and met the rest of the group in Istanbul. There were about 5 other participating students that had won who came on the trip with their respective teacher. So, we adventured throughout the country visiting Istanbul, Izmir, Ankara, Konya, Ephesus, Cappadocia, and Bursa (maybe more but I don't remember). On the last trip I think I was like 10 or 11 so its been a pretty long time.

My favorite thing from the Turkey trip was when we got to visit the sponsoring families. There was this one amazing family who had this garden next to their house and it was so legit. There was a cherry tree and now every time I see cherries I remember that family. But, while we were there we literally saw everything there was to see; The Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Library of Celsus, Whirling Dervishes and a ton more. It was a great experience and I really love traveling so I can't wait for this trip and many more to come.

   

✈️ T R A V E L E S S E N T I A L S ✈️

In the near future I have some exciting trips planned and I'll talk more about them in a future blog post about the reason and stuff. You can also check out my youtube channel because I'm gonna do a travel diary when I come back so you can check that out. Back to the essentials:

1) My first essential is gonna be some gum because you all know the chewing gum trick on take off and it really does work.

2) My next must have is earbuds just incase I wanna watch some youtube, on this particular trip it's gonna be go go go so idk if I'll even have time.

3) I was never big on sunglasses until I got this pair from Forever 21 last week and I absolutely love them and will definitely bring them with me

4) Another thing is facial cleansing wipes and moisturizer and lip balm and stuff like that.

5) Something really good is gonna be a book, I'm reading "To Kill a Mockingbird" and it's super exciting if I finish I might review it as another blog post maybe.

6) Because I need to make sure I capture every moment that happens, that means my phone is gonna die so A portable charger is great.

7) The last thing on my list is snacks because traveling can be tiring and the last thing you want is to be hangry so having some granola bars or something is great.

My Eid Routine

🎉🎉E I D   M U B A R A K🎉🎉

Today is Eid and I have another blog post for you so that is always super exciting. On Eid me and my family usually do the same thing and it's always super fun. These are the things that we do on Eid:

So it depends on what salah we go to then we decide what time we wake up. I think we are going to the 8:00 a.m today so we are gonna wake up at around 6:30am because we have to be punctual. So by the time I am done getting ready it is 7:45a.m. Then me, my dad, and my brother go to pick up my grandparents who live like 5 min away so thats super fun. Then we make takbeerat in the car because EID. Then we drive over to the masjid and pray salah-tul-eid and we finish around 9:00. Then...

We go to IHop with the family. When I say family I mean my entire family. I mean my mom, dad, brother, grandpa, grandma, aunts, uncles, and cousins. We literally get the back room because there are so many of us lol. Then...

When we finish IHop it is around 12 o'clock. And if I'm being honest, I feel like all we do on eid is eat which is super cool i guess. Then we drive over to my aunt's husband's parents house and we eat some more and talk and have fun. This year, my aunt from out of state is coming so we are going to my other aunts house. We are gonna have a little tea party. I'm making macaroons, my cousin is making rice krispie treats, my aunt is making cucumber sandwiches. So then we are just gonna open gifts and see what else the day has in store for us. Thats all for our Eid day, later we might do something but I don't know. Have a blessed Eid😘😘