Target Appreciation Post! February 2016

Love is in the air and all over Target's dollar section shelves! I walked in and got heart eyes for all the adorable Valentines Day finds that were in the dollar section. The struggle was real not to buy EVERYTHING!

I bought this super cute 2016 calendar. I like it a lot because it's on thicker paper and it pretty sturdy. I bought plastic milk bottles with the straws for $3. I have no idea when I will use them, but they are so freakin cute I had to. I got a jar with a heart on it that I also believe was $3. It's currently collecting change on top of my dresser. The LOVE window cling with the balloons will look adorable on the front windows of my classroom at work, and also bought the heart stickers for my kiddos at work to do for our Valentines Day Party we are having. There was so much more I wanted but I tried to restrain myself.

In the party section they have DIY tassel garland kits that I snatched up real quick. I've made tassel garlands before out of tissue paper, but it is SO much faster and easier with pre-cut tissue paper. They look so festive at parties or to just hang up in your room, and it's the perfect pop of color. This was the only color scheme I saw there, so I'm hoping they make more with different colored tassels.

Have you stocked up on Valentines Day decorations yet?

Xo, Jenny Lynn

My 365 Project: Thankful Journal

Hey there darlings! I hope your 2016 is off to a great start!

I've seen that many people have started 365 projects for the new year. If you don't know what a 365 project is...it is usually when you take a picture of yourself every day of the year. I thought that having some sort of project or ritual every day of the year would be an awesome challenge, so I decided to do a 365 project on being thankful.

I think that sometimes we get so wrapped up in our lives that we forget about what we have, and how blessed we really are. I know for myself, the routine of waking up, going to work, sitting in traffic and repeating the same thing for 5 days in a row sometimes puts me in a rut. I feel so overtired and run down that I focus on the negatives in my life and not the positives. I thought by doing this 365 project it would force me to take a couple minutes out of my day to have a positive outlook on the things I do have and help fight my negative, and sometimes grouchy, outlook.

So every night before I go to bed a write down what I was thankful for that day. They are just small things, but I'm finding that the small things in life and sometimes the things that make me the most happy. For example, today I am thankful that there wasn't that much traffic in the morning and I had time to go get a Starbucks before work. Yesterday I was thankful that I got tickets to see Fall Out Boy. Just jotting down these quick simple things does in fact make me feel happier at the end of the day. I now even think throughout the day about the awesome small things that have happened to me and look forward to writing them in my journal.

I'm excited to continue this project until January 1, 2017! 8 days down, 357 to go!

Are you doing a 365 project? 

xo, Jenny Lynn

Goodbye 2015, Hello 2016!

Hello there lovelies!

Can you believe it's the last day of 2015?! Where did this year go! I must say that 2015 has been the hardest, but also the best year of my life.

January 1st of 2015 my grandma died. The day that is suppose to be a positive new beginning of things to come turned out to be the hardest day ever. I honestly didn't know how I would go on with a positive outlook for 2015 after such a horrible start. Her death weighed heavily on my heart throughout the whole year. From her funeral to selling her house I didn't want to believe that she was gone. Memories still flood my mind daily. Tomorrow on the anniversary of her death I hope to remember the good times and not dwell on the fact that she's not here. I will look at her death as reminder that life is short and I need to do what makes me happy.

Aside from that, 2015 has been the most amazing year of my life. I stepped out of my comfort zone so many times and grew so much as a person this year. In March I left the country for the first time and went to Sweden, London and Paris. I drank the most amazing coffee, ate the best food, surrounded myself in culture, WALKED ACROSS ABBEY ROAD and fell in love with the Eiffel Tower. It was a short,but life changing trip. It got my feet wet in traveling and I can't wait to go back.

This year another huge thing that happened to me (and all you Disneyland lovers will understand my excitement) I ate at the exclusive restaurant Club 33 at Disneyland! This is at the top of pretty much every Disneyland bucket list and I am so thankful I had the opportunity to go. The only way to get in is if you know a member or to be a member yourself. To get a membership you must be on a wait list for years and pay $25,000 per year to be a member. If you don't have that kind of money (Lord knows I don't) be on the hunt for a member to let you use their membership for a meal! The food was heavenly; the atmosphere was beautiful...and I definitely teared up while in there. It was a Disney dream come true!  

Another huge highlight of my year was going to New York! I've always dreamed of going there since I was little and when the opportunity presented itself I knew I had to jump on it! We were only there for 3 days, but we packed so much in! We saw all the beautiful art at the MOMA, went to the Eloise store at the Plaza, went to the 9/11 memorial (so incredibly sad you have no idea), we were audience members at the Jimmy Fallon show and even gave him a high five!

In between these amazing trips and opportunities I still struggled with feeling happy with my everyday life, which leads me to my theme of 2016...doing more of what makes me happy! This year it was a big struggle getting out of bed every morning and going to the same job, doing the same thing, sitting in the same traffic day after day after day. I'm ready for a change and finding something that makes me happy every single day. The routine of life dragged me down and I'm so ready to do more of what makes me happy. More travel, more being with the friends and family that I love, more coffee and more adventures.

Cheers to an amazing 2016, and I can't wait to share it with you all!
xo, Jenny Lynn

San Francisco Lightsaber Battle!

Hello Darlings and fellow Star Wars lovers!

Are you SO EXCITED that the movie is finally out?! I haven't gone to see it yet. I'm not a fan of being in crowded movie theaters, so I might wait another week to see it (sigh).

BUT Friday night I went to San Francisco for a huge lightsaber fight instead! It was so much fun seeing crazy Star Wars fans like myself dress up and go beat each other up with light sticks. If you wanted to you could preorder a lightsaber to be picked up there or just bring your own. I decided to buy one and it was pretty awesome for only being $10. By pushing a button it lit up different colors and faded into the next color. The really bad ass people brought their own double sided lightsabers and really did battle other people. Lets just say I have a lot of practicing to do with my lightsaber, but I still had tons of fun.

We got there at about 8:30, picked up our lightsabers, and headed over to the fight. It was pretty crowded in the park where it was at but I was surprised to see some people leaving already. It was raining and the grass in the park was getting all muddy so we only stayed around for about an hour before getting something to eat and walking around San Francisco with our sabers. I know the company that put this on was trying to beat the world record for biggest lightsaber battle, but I can't find any information saying if they did or not. I know the previous record was held at a battle at Comic Con. Comment below if you can find any information about it!

Overall it was an awesome time and so cool to see how this epic movie is bringing people together!

Have you seen The Force Awakens yet? Did you like it?

xo, Jenny Lynn

My November Favorites!

Well hello there darlings! Can you believe it's December already?! Where has the time gone? But I can't say I'm too sad that it's December. Decorating the tree, Christmas music, peppermint mochas...really what more could I ask for?

Here are some things I loved in the month of November!

While walking by Vans I saw these little beauties and freaked out! I had no idea Vans added even more products to their Disney collection. I love how colorful they are and that each shoe is different which makes up one big scene. I'm so scared of messing mine up I haven't even warn them yet! Maybe I'll save them for a Disneyland trip...

Next, here are some of my beauty favorites. This month I bought Rimmel's Extra Super Last mascara and fell in LOVE! My lashes have never looked so long. One girl I work with even asked if I was wearing fake lashes one day. I love all of Rimmel's mascaras, but this one is my favorite. Another one worth trying is Rimmel's Glam Eyes mascara. That's the one I used before I discovered this one!

I guess you could say I'm the queen of drug store cosmetics. If you search a bit you can find products that are just as good as the pricey ones. I love love love e.l.f. and have so many products from them. They are all pretty cheap (between $1-$3 usually) and are actually a really good quality. This month I tried e.l.f. Cover Everything Concealer for my under eye dark circles and blemishes. It covered everything right up and looked natural. For $3 (I think) I would totally recommend it!  

I think I'm totally late on this boat, but Oreo Thins are freakin delicious. If you like the Oreo cookie more than the cream (I know there's very few of us out there) then grab and bag and get your snack on!

Last but not least is my most favorite favorite of them all. Currently Disneyland has opened a bunch of new Star Wars attractions in Tomorrowland in honor of the new movie coming out. One of the special souvenirs they have are name tags with your name translated into aurebesh. I haven't seen everything in person yet, but my coworker went and got a Rebel name tag for me with Jennifer translated into aurebesh. I was so stoked to get it! Hopefully soon I will be able to go see everything for myself! 

And that's it darlings! I hope everyone had an awesome Thanksgiving and is in the holiday spirit!

xo, Jenny Lynn

A New York State of Mind

Last week I went to New York for the very first time and all I have to say is that I want to move there. I LOVED New York. The sights, the lights, the food, the drinks, the celebrities. It's everything I imagined and more. We were non-stop for 3 days trying to fit everything in. I think you could spend years there and still not be able to see everything. Here are just a couple highlights from my trip, more posts about this amazing city will be coming soon!

One of my favorite stops was Strawberry Fields in Central Park. That area of the park was so quiet. There was a man playing John Lennon songs on a guitar as everyone gathered around the "Imagine" mosaic on the ground. It was an awesome place to relax and reflect on this awesome human. "Imagine all the people, living life in peace".

Here is a picture from one of the nights we went out. Bars close at 4am in New York, so lets just say I don't remember a whole lot from this night...

The biggest highlight from this trip was going to the Jimmy Fallon show. Unfortunately they have very strict rules about taking pictures inside the studio. The show was awesome though, and at the end of it Jimmy ran through the audience and I got a high five from him! Before the show we were sitting outside of Rockefeller center and saw Beck Bennett and Pete Davidson from Saturday Night Live walk by! My friend and I freaked out so we followed them and asked for a picture. They are super nice dudes and said yes!

Seeing this beauty in person was another highlight of the trip. I LOVE art, so going to the MOMA was like heaven. We also saw Andy Warhol's Campbell Soup Cans, Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso and Jackson Pollock just to name a few!

And then there's always Times Square...in the day time I wasn't too impressed, but when we went back at night I was blown away. Here's the Times Square I see in the movies and on New Years!

More posts about NYC will be coming soon!

xo, Jenny Lynn

My September Favorites!

Hello Darlings!

Can you believe it's October already?! I'm so excited for Halloween, sweater weather and pumpkin everything! Plus, I will be going to New York for the first time!

As we say goodbye to September, here are a few of my favorite things I discovered that month!

Force Friday everything! Walking into Target on Force Friday was a dream come true for all Star Wars fans. I managed to score an awesome Darth Vader sweatshirt and Star Wars mac and cheese...I must say, mac and cheese tastes better in Star Wars shapes!

 This month I also discovered LA Splash lip products! These are some of the longest lasting lip glosses I've ever used. They have a matte finish and last all day even through eating and drinking. These 3 are named after Harry Potter characters so I had to get them! In the picture are the colors Hermione, Ginny, and Lovegood!

I also discovered Melanie Martinez's album Cry Baby and I'm OBSESSED! Her music is pop mixed with punk thrown in with a little Lana Del Rey. My favorite songs are Pity Party and Soap. Check her out! 

And last but not least...there are Pumpkin Spice Lattes...

What did you love in the month of September? And any suggestions of what I should do while in New York?

Xo, Jenny Lynn

Bay Area Toile Art Show & Hanging with The Lonely Island

Last weekend my friends and I went to an art show in Oakland for the Bay Area Toile wall paper. Here is a quick background on the piece: The Beastie Boys made a wall paper entitled "Brooklyn Toile" many years ago with landmarks from New York on in. The members of the group The Lonely Island (you know, the Dick in a Box guys) wanted to make one for their home, The Bay Area, and ta da an awesome art piece was born!

The show was AWESOME and the wall paper was AMAZING! It made me realize how happy I am to call the Bay Area my home. Portraits of Bay Area icons were on the piece like rapper E40, Mac Dre, and Humpty Hump just to name a few. Iconic landmarks were also featured on the piece like the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) train, the cranes in Oakland, the children's park Fairyland, and The Golden Gate Bridge. Here is a picture of the piece!

Here is a picture of my friends and I with Jorma from The Lonely Island and the artist Matt Ritchie!

 The guy holding the drinks in the back is the best part of this picture.

They also served awesome coffee there from an up and coming coffee company Slojoy! So delish!

I must say I'm not a selfie taker...but I had to take a picture in this awesome necklace! (Jcrew)

Do you wish your home town had a wall paper?

xo, Jenny Lynn

The 1989 World Tour and How I Became a TSwift Fan

Last night I became a Taylor Swift fan...I know, I know, why would I go to her concert if I wasn't a fan? Well it all started when her CD 1989 came out. I was never really a fan of hers and was brain washed by the media to think she was a needy, man eating, serial dater. I thought she was pretty annoying, but secretly blasted her songs when they came on the radio (they are just so darn catchy!) One of my coworkers burned 1989 for me so I thought, ok I'll listen to it once and loose it somewhere in my car never to be found again...but boy was I wrong. I became OBSESSED with this CD. I listened to it over and over in my car. Her songs about break ups and boys hit close to home. It was nice to feel like someone knows how it feels to get broken up with, and not be able to find the right person. She made me feel not so alone. So at that point I decided I liked her songs, and not so much her.

A couple weeks ago I saw one of my friends on FB was selling his tickets. After seeing him post about them multiple times and no one bought them, I told my cousin there are tickets we could get and she told me to message him right away. She's quite the Taylor fan so I went ahead and got them. Still not admitting to being a TSwift fan, I thought it would be neat to see all these songs I fell in love with live.

I'm so happy that the universe lead me to this concert and somehow everything worked out. Last night was truly amazing. It started off with my cousin and I getting there super early and waiting in a 2 hour live just to get our picture taken in front of the "Taylor Nation" back drop. I immediately felt under dressed because pretty much everyone had a unique costume or her lyrics written all over their arms. One girl had heart shaped valentines all over her with song lyrics written on them and a "broken hearts box" on her chest. Other people were dressed as those scrubby things you use in the shower to represent her song "Clean". Many people dressed up as Starbucks drinks or workers for the mistaken lyric, "Starbucks lovers". I've seen people dress crazy at Lady Gaga concerts, but these costumes had so much heart put into them. You could tell these people eat, sleep, and breathe her lyrics.

We got to our seats and we were in the nose bleeds of the nose bleeds. It was at the new 49ers stadium, so if we were at a game our seats would have been perfect. On the back of everyone seat was a bracelet that lit up with her songs throughout the night. I thought this was the coolest idea ever. It made everyone feel like they were part of the show, and it was a free souvenir!

Taylor was a great performer and sang her heart and soul with every lyric. Everyone in the audience sang back her lyrics with tears in their eyes. I liked how personal Taylor makes every one of her shows. She thanked the audience many times for spending their Saturday night with her, and talked to the audience about waiting for the right person to come along and sweep them off their feet. Her words of encouragement made me feel like she was talking right to me.

Every night of her tour she has a special guest and our night was the band Little Mix who sang their song Black Magic with her. THEN out of nowhere singer/song writer Joan Baez and JULIA ROBERTS came out on stage. It's so awesome how every show is unique and a different experience from the night before. I have a lot of respect for her for that.

Overall, I'm very happy I went. Seeing how much her songs effect so many people is amazing. I felt part of the Taylor Nation, and now I am a proud fan. The girl I once thought was the annoying, needy, man eater is actually just a regular girl like myself just trying to find love and be happy. I'm sorry I thought this Taylor. The 1989 World Tour was an amazing time and I'm so thankful I went.

 Have you gone to the 1989 World Tour?

xo, Jenny Lynn

My Summer Reading List 2015

Hello Darlings!

Every time I go to Target or find a book store (they are pretty much nonexistent now) I always see so many books that I want to pick up and read. Summer is the perfect time to head to the pool or the beach and relax with a book in hand. Here are some books that I've spotted and can't wait to pick up!


A Hot Glue Gun Mess by Mr. Kate- Mr. Kate is one of my all time favorite bloggers/vloggers. Her video on how to do a sock bun was the first beauty tutorial YouTube video I ever watched. From her channel I discovered so many other bloggers that  introduced me to the world of beauty blogging. I've started reading this book and I have to say it's HILARIOUS. I've found myself laughing out loud so many times. Plus, in between the funny stories there are awesome and easy DIY's. I'll definitely have to try some of those out too!

Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee- To Kill a Mockingbird is one of my all time favorite classic books, so when I heard Harper Lee wrote a follow up I knew I had to read it! I really hope it's just as good as TKAMB, and I'm sure it will be. Can you imagine the pressure Ms. Lee must be under to have a great follow up to Mockingbird?!

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion- One of my very good friends read this one and she said it was SO good! She also said it's a lot like what being in Sheldon Cooper's mind from The Big Bang Theory must be like.

Fight Club 2 comics by Chuck Palahniuk- So Chuck Palahniuk is my favorite author and Fight Club is my favorite book. You can only imagine how much I freaked out when I heard Chuck would be making Fight Club 2 into a series of graphic novels. I've read the first two and I'm not disappointed! I can't wait for the rest to come out!

What are you reading this Summer?

xo, Jenny Lynn

Happy 60th Birthday Disneyland!

I realize I'm a couple days late...Oops...

But Happy Birthday to my favorite place in the whole world!

I remember my first time going when I was 4 years old. I was in awe of this magical place from seeing Mickey walking around, to eating my first Mickey shaped ice cream. Everything was perfect. As I grew up I discovered that Disneyland was a place where I didn't have to worry about the outside world. It was my one break from reality where I didn't have to worry about tests coming up at school, or now the work I have to get done at my job. When I go I really do leave every stress at the gates and enjoy every moment I have there. I can go on the rides over and over again and never get tired or them. I can eat a churro every night and never get tired of their sugary deliciousness. And at the end of every night I enjoy sitting in front of the castle and taking in the moment that I'm in my happy place.

My favorite people to go with are still my parents. Even thought I'm 25, it still feels as if I'm a child experiencing everything all over again for the first time when I'm with them. My parents love of Disney has passed down to me, and I hope to one day pass that down to my children as well. Disneyland isn't just a place to me, it's my childhood, my happy place, and a place that gives me hope when I feel like I can't accomplish my dreams.

The tradition lives on with family vacations to Disneyland and I will be there next month! It's all I can think about! I always watch all my vacation planning Disneyland videos before I go to gear up, as well as my super old Disneyland Sing-A-Long...( I'm starting to sound like a crazy person, right?).

So cheers to 60 glorious years Disneyland. Walt would be proud of how far his park has come...but I don't think very proud of the crazy expensive prices to get in...

I love you Disneyland. See you soon!

My June Favorites!

Hello Darlings! How is Summer treating you so far? I started off my Summer right by relaxing on the beach today. In the past I've been a horrible Californian who hardly ever went to the beach when it was hot out! The warm sand between my toes and the sound of waves was exactly what I needed after a stressful week. But anywho...here are some of my favorite things I discovered in the month of June!

I'm obsessing over the Disney collection for Van's. They are so perfect for my next trip to Disneyland in August! The princess print ones are my favorite...I was bad and bought both the high tops and the low tops...

Ok, this mug right here I searched for for about 3 months. I called several Hallmark stores and searched online and could not find it. Finally a store called me back saying they got it in. UP is by far my favorite Disney movie so I was SO happy I finally got it! It's too stinkin cute right?!?

 I'm loving my new Kate Spade bag that says, "plenty of fish in the sea". It's so cute and I got it on sale for only $55. 

As for snacks, my absolute favorite are Cheddar Jalapeno Cheetos, which is weird because I'm usually not a fan of anything spicy at all. These are so addicting, and are just the right amount of spicy and cheese. I could easily eat a whole bag in one sitting, but I stop myself because I'm sure they are extra unhealthy.

 I'm also totally loving the Peach Green Tea Lemonade from Starbucks. It is such a perfect drink for a hot day. One of my friends asks for strawberry in hers and it's absolutely delicious.  

And there you have it! 5 of my favorite things in the month of June. What have been your favorites this month?

xo, Jenny Lynn

25 Things I've Learned by the Age of 25

Last month I turned 25 years old. Kinda scary to think I'm 5 years away from 30. As I mentioned in my last post, my life is nowhere near where I thought it would be. But I have learned many things in my 25 years of life, and here are 25 things I've learned...

1. Stop everything and travel, as far and as much as you can
2. The worst thing you can do is compare yourself to others. You will NEVER be happy.
3. All you really need is a couple best friends
4. Find time in your day for YOU. This will keep you sane.
5. Time really does heal a broken heart. And it's ok if you need a lot of time.  
6. No matter how nice, beautiful, and amazing you are someone out there isn't going to like you
7. Spend your money on experiences, not things
8. Seeing your favorite band play live is one of the best feelings in the world
9. If you really want the shoes...get the shoes. Spoil yourself from time to time.
10. Work hard so you can play hard
11. Coffee fixes all problems
12. Stop worrying, it does you no good
13. Always take tiny steps, don't be intimidated by big leaps
14. If you believe you can...you can. If you believe you can't...you can't.
15. It's never too late to start something new
16. Doing things alone helps you figure out who you are
17. Save a little bit of money from every paycheck. You never know when you may need it
18. If you really want to do something, there's always a way
19. Follow your gut. Always.
20. Try your best everyday, and don't be so hard on yourself. You're doing the best you can.
21. Don't pluck your eyebrows super skinny...they will never grow back the same.
22. Good or bad, nothing is ever permanent
23. Disney movies will always make you feel better
24. Be weird
25. Don't be scared to love. As The Beatles said, "love is all you need"

What are some life lessons you've learned?

xo, Jenny Lynn

My Quarter Life Crisis

In just 3 short days I will be 25. I absolutely can't believe it. I'm half way to 30 and probably more than a quarter done with my life. Those are some very scary thoughts.

People always ask, "Where do you see yourself in 5 years?" and I honestly always cringe at that question. Where I think I'll be is never where I am. Rarely do the two worlds match up perfectly. By 25 I thought I would be in a serious relationship and working our way up to marriage, if not already married. I thought I would be living on my own or with someone else other than my parents, but the cost of living in California on your own is near to impossible...especially on a teacher's salary. I thought I would have my life figured out, and I'm far from it.

On the other hand, I can't be too hard on myself. I have accomplished many things in my 25 years that I am proud of, and I've have opportunities I never thought in a million years I would have. I'm proud of myself for graduating college and getting a job right out of it. I'm proud that I've worked there and year and a half and got promoted to being a head teacher; a job that I thought I would never go for. I've had the amazing fortune of going to Europe, meeting my favorite band, walking across Abbey Road, getting over a bad heart break, and just surviving this crazy thing called life. I think we need to give ourselves more credit than we do for just making it through each day.

So I'm not going to try to predict or wish what my life is going to be like when I'm thirty. All I'm going to hope for is health and happiness. And maybe to meet Ryan Gosling...but that's it!

I just need to trust that the universe has me right where I'm supposed to be.  

xo, Jenny Lynn

May the 4th be with you!

Happy Star Wars Day to all my fellow Star Wars nerds! One of the best days of the year in my opinion ;) This year I got such an awesome skirt just in time for this special day! I'm absolutely in love with it, and it fits perfectly!

Skirt: heruniverse.com

Shirt: Target

Shoes: Forever 21

May the fourth be with you! And revenge of the fifth!

xo, Jenny Lynn

DIY Minnie Ears

I'll admit, I'm not much of a crafter. I always get great ideas, and then get super frustrated when they don't turn out how I wanted. On this lazy Sunday I tried to make Minnie Mouse ears...and I actually like how they turned out! I'm SO happy with the finished product! I actually made these ears for my cousin's bridal shower. It's Disney themed, and purple and gold are her wedding colors! I hope she likes them!

Next I'm going to make flowered Minnie Ears! If those come out nice, I might feel an Etsy shop coming soon! ;)

Would you buy ears? Want a tutorial? Already make your own? I would love to see!

xo, Jenny Lynn

Draco Malfoy Wants Me

Well I wish he did...but this is pretty close! Growing up I've always had a huge crush on the actor Tom Felton who plays Draco Malfoy in all the Harry Potter movies. My friend went to a comic book convention last weekend and met Tom! He had him sign this shirt that reads,"To Jennifer, May I Slytherin your Gryffindor? Love Tom Felton"

I freaked out. I love Harry Potter. I love Harry Potter pick up lines. And I love Tom Felton.

I can never top this gift.

So in conclusion, Draco Malfoy totally wants me ;)

I have no choice but to be a loyal Slytherin now!

xo, Jenny Lynn