Author: Aleria Holmes

Hey guys so this week’s blog is some of my favorite quotes about life, happiness, and writing. I’m trying to include more visuals in my blogs so that they can be a little more interesting. I hope guys enjoy it, see you next week! 

1. Our time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. – Steve Jobs 

I love this quote, because I’ve seen so many people fall out of touch with themselves, their own personality and their own desires trying to be someone else. They don’t even necessarily have to want to be someone else, but they want what another person has, or they want to act like someone, or look like someone else is still equivalent to that. Not loving what you have and choosing to enhance that will lead you astray to where you will be looking for attention or fulfillment elsewhere. 

2) “Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony”. -Mahatma Gandhi 

I love this quote, because so many people live life without ever fully publicly expressing themselves and how they feel for fear of being judged. You can honestly and truly tell when a person is happy. You don’t have to know everything about them, and you most definitely don’t have to be friends or what not. If someone is comfortable and confident in their own skin. If you do something rude and it doesn’t evoke a reaction from them that makes them act out of character, or if they can easily remove things or people from their life that cause them stress or trouble, you know that person is happy. Everything about that person’s life will align simply because they are care free and happy. 

3) “Writing to me is simply thinking through my fingers.” -Isaac Asimov 

There’s something about his quote that just defrosts my heart. This describes how I think about writing perfectly. People who aren’t writers or fans of writing can’t even begin to understand how important writing is in my life. People see writing as aa chore, or a job, because they refer it to similarly to English. Yes, there are some similar concepts, but they are nothing alike. Writing is telling a story, not like a fable or a tall tale, or some fake magic world. You can do that in writing, but I prefer more of telling my story. All my writing is personal and 95% true. If I absolutely have to write something fictional there is still some form of truth in it or there is some remnant of my life in there. 

Fashion Styles I’m feeling For the Fall 

The oversized-on-oversized look. Some people see wearing baggy clothes or clothes that “aren’t your size means you’re insecure or ashamed of your body but that isn’t always true. A lot of people just like how it looks, and no one wants to be in tight, uncomfortable clothes all day every day. Me personally, I like that they’re comfortable, and it lets me touch into another side of myself. 

Another look I’m loving is the mini skirt with fishnets, (or tights in general) legwarmers, and doc martens (or boots in general. I’m in LOVE with the mini skirt era that’s coming back and flourishing right now. It so cute, and there are so many different ways that they can be styles. I feel like the different tights give it an exotic or “different feel, than normal. I also think that multiple layers, the skirt, boots, legwarmers, and tights could be a winter style. I love to wear unconventional winter outfits, so I feel like skirts are a good transition from winter to fall. Well, honestly, skirts can be worn any time of year. 

Another style that’s growing on me is most definitely the trench coat with the mini clothes type look. It’s kind of hard to explain so I’ll put pictures for each one, but they basically wear a long coat with a crop top mini skirt, and boots. It can also be done with a mini dress. I honestly prefer this look with platform boots, but a lot of girls have been pulling it off with the heels, and I’m happy to see it. Some of the coats also have fur on them which makes the look so much more fun! 

This next one isn’t really a style it’s more of a color scheme, but I am ABSOLUTEY CRUSHING on the monochromatic outfits I’ve been seeing. They look so good, and it doesn’t look like too much of one color if you do it right, by throwing it off with the accessories. Such as jewelry, a bag, the shoes, and even your hairstyle. Color seems so simple, but it really can change everything. 

The last style I’ve taken a liking to is the puffer vests. They are really cute, especially the north face ones, but they can be found in tons of other places for cheap. I just love the aesthetic of them. The difference they can make to an outfit is insane. They stand out, so they make you and your outfit more noticeable. They’re great for fall, because they aren’t huge jackets, but they aren’t thin to the point where you will be cold. I also love all the different colors and styles that are available in it. 

My Favorite Fitness Influencers at The Moment 

Hi guys! Today’s blog is about my obsession with gym influencers and keep in mind I watch all of them on TikTok as well as Instagram. Kristine and Leana both have YouTube channels as well if you want to go check those out. 

     @Kristineqfit is my favorite female fitness influencer right now, maybe even my favorite female influencer in general. She’s literally at the top of her game. I support her, because she focuses on a lot of things, I’m focusing on which is essentially just getting stronger. She also focuses heavily on legs, mainly glutes and quads but she does do calves as well. She works out every part of her body, but she does have main focuses. She is also trying to grow her arms which is something I’m struggling with. It’s good to follow someone who gives tips and advice for the thing you’re trying to work on. I also look at her page a lot for motivation, and tutorials for new workouts. 

My next favorite is @Jeremiahtwharton, because he shows you the “impossible.” He’s come a very long way in a short amount of time, but his workouts and results are still very realistic. He also has a workout partner MarilinLopez29, and this is relevant, because she does the same exact workouts as him and her body looks amazing but totally different from his. She gives the female results of the workouts they do, which is very educational. 

My next favorite is @leanadeeb, because her body shape is the most similar to mine. It’s not exactly like mine, but she focuses on gaining weight like I do. I like her as well, because she’s gaining but still lean and has abs. Kristine has a flat stomach but no abs. There’s nothing wrong with not having abs when trying to gain, but that’s why I like them both. Even though it may seem like they do the same things they are so different. Kristine is trying to gain any muscle weight possible, while Leana is trying to gain and be lean still. I also really enjoy her curly hair content. It gives me ideas of how to keep my hair intact while working out, so I don’t sweat my curls out. She also promotes healthy eating, which is something I want to do more of. 

My last favorite fitness influencer is @brissaslifts, because she’s small and compact, but she’s an absolute powerhouse. She’s all muscle, no fat. Her arms are very strong, and her back is super defined and toned. Her legs are very strong as well, but especially her quads. She doesn’t focus on legs too much, because she’s genetically gifted in that area, so she focuses mostly on arms, chest, and back. Her body type isn’t at all similar to mine, but I still enjoy seeing her writing process. 

This blog is going to be revealing some of the best study spots on Msa’s campus. I don’t study at all, but these are places that I go to get work done when necessary. I personally don’t like working in my dorm, because there are so many distractions, and I just cannot block them out. Therefore, I go to other places on campus like the ones I’ve listed below. I hope you enjoy. See you next week! 

1. The Swings 

I love the swings. They are very relaxing, and the rocking helps stimulate my brain and helps me focus. Studying on the swings always helps me get a lot of work done. It’s a fun way to encourage yourself to accomplish different things. The wind in my hair, dirt under my feet, looking out at the world. That’s fun to me, because sometimes you just have to go somewhere where nothing is happening. Some people may think it’s boring, but sometimes you have to put yourself into a “boring” environment in order to be productive. Clearing your head is a must so that you can be able to tune into the task you’re trying to complete, and the swings allow me to do that.                                                        

2. Outside in the grass in front of J.I. 

Another place I love to study is sitting outside in the grass in front of J.I. I always bring my blanket that I made in head start when I was younger. It has officially become my picnic blanket. Its green on one side, pink on the other and has white daises all over it. It also has ties all around the perimeter. That blanket alone puts me in a mood to do good things, because it reminds me of how far I’ve come in this world and makes me think about how far I’m going to go. It basically encourages me to work. I also love tumbling in the grass while taking a break from studying. That makes me happy, and keeps me awake, and not bored. 

3. Library 

The library is also a good place for me to study, because it’s quiet. Sometimes you just need complete silence to reset and recharge. Too much noise or movement can distract you from the task at hand so it’s important to know what type of environment you work best in. That can also help you figure out where the best place to study is. 

4. The Phoenix 

I love studying in the Phoenix, but sometimes it gets so cold, and I love cold weather. The only problem with the temperature in the phoenix is that I adore cold weather, but it makes me very sleepy. I still get a good amount of work done, but I can never stay down there too long, or I’ll get tired and that’s not good when I’m trying to get my work done. 

     I feel like I say this in all my blogs, but once again this one is going to be real laid back. 

     I want to talk about weight and gym culture. I feel like weight is an extremely sensitive topic when it really shouldn’t be. People think of weight only in pounds and fat, but the most important part is really the distribution of it. People don’t realize that you can weigh 200 pounds and look tall and skinny. Then you can also weigh 200 pounds and be short and thick. The way the world thinks about weight makes it seem like such a negative topic when it’s not.

     In my opinion what’s on the scale does not matter, because what even is a “normal” or “average” weight. Those things don’t exist to me, because everyone is so special that you can’t create a ‘norm’. In my opinion, what’s on the scale doesn’t really matter, because it doesn’t equate to what you look like in real life. As long as you’re healthy and your organs aren’t overworking themselves to perform their jobs, I feel like weight doesn’t matter. That comes with a stopping point because everything has an extent. I’m not saying it’s okay to not care about how much you weigh, but don’t overromanticize being a certain weight.

     Me in particular, I work out almost every single day, but I’m not trying to lose weight, I’m trying to gain weight. I’m gaining it and it’s coming on fast too. My goal is to be strong. No matter how much I weigh, I want to look strong and feel good about my appearance. My main focus is weight gain, so I lift weights, but since I’m exercising to gain weight that weight that I’m gaining comes on as muscle not fat. Muscles weigh more than fat, therefore my numbers on the scale will go up even if I’m getting into better shape. I feel like there’s aa stigma around weight, exercise, and the scale. Everyone should exercise no matter how petite or thick they are. Exercise is for health not to look a certain way or to lose weight.

     There is also this stupid myth that people only exercise to lose weight which simply isn’t true. Gym culture can be very toxic, especially for newcomers, because they are finding their way around. It can also be toxic, because around new year’s when everyone has their resolutions, everyone makes getting in the gym a goal. They start that goal in January and give up by March. The gym is not an easy thing to commit to. It takes a lot of hard work and effort. You will not always be motivated, but you must be disciplined. Don’t look at the gym as some sort of tiring chore that you hate looking forward to. Look at it as a peaceful time to better yourself, physically and mentally. I feel like people see so many things as chores and that makes them not want to do them. You have to romanticize things like going to the gym, eating healthy, or anything else that will improve your life. 

(*These images do not belong to me, I got them from Google*)

The people  displayed in these images are some of my inspirations which may be the focus of my next blog…

In relationships there are just some things that you don’t do. Such as having too many expectations, getting too attached, or even moving too quickly. Being in any type of relationship is hard. They all take lots of hard work, and some of that can be eliminated by not doing certain things. Diving into a fresh relationship with too many expectations or any expectations at all can be extremely detrimental. An expectation is a “strong belief that something will happen or be the case in the future”, as said on google.  

In my opinion, I see expectations as hopes, dreams, desires, or even a want. I see expectations as a goal in life. Expectations always appear to me as little obsessions in a person that I hope get bigger and bigger over time so that other people see it as well. Expectations can also be the downfall of something very special. It puts stress and pressure on many aspects of any sort of relationship. Instead of letting it flow and allow things to happen naturally you may set a time limit or expect it to happen by a certain date or in a certain way purposely or unknowingly.  

Either way, when it does finally happen and it doesn’t go exactly the way you planned, it may disappoint you or even make you not want to be part of the relationship anymore. Which isn’t good because then you will start to pick up bad habits such as when things don’t go your way, you give up. Too many expectations can hurt your self-esteem, reinforce unproductive gender roles, and can cause you to think your partner is a failure or even become ashamed of them.  

A way to combat too many expectations is to value appreciating what you have in the relationship instead of expecting more from it. Other ways are to never threaten the relationship as well as making sure not to compare your relationship to others. That helps combat questioning your relationship and expecting things from it and your partner.  

I know I’ve talked a lot about the negatives of having expectations but that is only if you have way too many. If you have reasonable expectations and a reasonable amount of them then expectations are good to have. Expectations give you a base or a guideline. It doesn’t allow you to accept less than what you’re asking for, because you know what you deserve. A small number of expectations also don’t allow you to accept any form of emotional or physical abuse. Having expectations for how someone should treat you in a relationship is simply a humane thing to have. It separates what you will or will not tolerate. Expectations also show your commitment to one another.  

If you have no expectations then you care nothing about your partner, it’s that simple. No expectations can also be a sign of unconditional love. It shows that your partner loves you for what, and who you are no matter what you do and how you act, that’s why they expect nothing, because they will love you regardless. I know I’m going back and forth here but there are many positives and negatives to having expectations, and I wanted to express them in way that shows all aspects of them. 

   Do you ever just sit down and evaluate your life? Whether it’s purposeful or not. I know I can’t be the only person that randomly thinks what am I doing with my life? Why am I still stuck in the same place that I was 2 weeks ago? Even though I’m only 16 it feels like I should be doing more. It feels like I should have more of a solid plan for my life than I do. It feels like I’m just going with the wind and that is somewhat true, but I feel like I’m doing absolutely nothing with my life, even when I know that’s not true.  

   There’s just a lot of doubts I have about myself sometimes until I look around and see so many other people in the same predicament as me, and they aren’t struggling or upset about it. The time will come when everyone figures out what they want to do with their lives. There shouldn’t be so much pressure around picking a job or career because you never know what you like until you try it. I said all that to say that you don’t have to have your entire life figured out. Especially as a teenager or young adult, because you have time.  

   There’s no rush to choose something but always be sure to have options. I know a lot of young people think that they must come out of high school knowing exactly what they want to do in life, without ever experiences. It’s impossible to know if you like something if you haven’t tried it. I don’t like it when adults constantly ask what we want to be in life when we haven’t even been prepared to live on our own. Most young people don’t know how to open a bank account, write a check, do their taxes, or even rent an apartment, which is incredibly sad. I feel as if our generation is highly intelligent, and more than capable of surviving, but we haven’t been properly educated about life.  

I feel as if we’re sent out into the world to fail. Not trying to place all the blame on adults, because it’s not all their fault. Young adults, earlier generations, as well as societal preferences all play a part in not preparing young adults for real life, in my opinion. I think that there should be more necessary classes available to help and give purpose to high school and college students. 

I’m a literary so let’s be honest I’m always writing, but today I want to show you guys what I do when I’m not writing. It doesn’t happen a lot, because I have a good amount of work to keep up with but whenever I do get to engage in the hobbies I love, it is magical. I love to create art but not only words on the page, I love drawing as well. I got bored and drew a picture that I could analyze and describe specifically for this blog. 

     When I drew this picture, I didn’t really have anything in mind. I didn’t have any inspiration or reference photo. I just put a line on the page and kept going. Everything I draw tends to be pretty colorful, and vibrant. It also turns out very abstract. I was never one to plan something out AND THEN DRAW IT.  

     THE PICTURE I DREW LOOKS LIKE PLANKTON’S WIFE KAREN ON THE NICKELODEON SHOW SPONGEBOB. IT KIND OF REMINDS ME OF A ROBOT, THROWING A BIRTHDAY PARTY, BECAUSE OF THE WAY I DREW THE HEAD. THE TAIL KIND OF REMINDS ME OF A 2 PERSON HALLOWEEN COSTUME SPECIFICALLY A HORSE IF I’M LOOKING AT THE SMALL TAIL, AND A PEACOCK IF I’M LOOKING AT THE BIG ONE. I DON’T REALLY KNOW WHAT TO THINK OF IT. 

     I DREW THIS PICTURE TO KIND OF EXPRESS HOW I’VE BEEN FEELING LATELY WHICH IS OVERWHELMED, OVERUSED, AND OVERPOWERED. THE 12 ELECTRICAL CORDS TRYING TO FIT INTO 2 ELECTRICAL SOCKETS IS EXPRESSING HOW MUCH WEIGHT AND PRESSURE I FEEL LIKE I HAVE ON MY HEAD, AND THE SPARKS FLYING OUT OF THE OUTLET IS THE SIGN THAT IT’S ABOUT TO BLOW UP. THE WALL OUTLET REPRESENTS ME IN REAL LIFE. EVERYONE IS TRYING TO CHARGE THEMSELVES OFF OF ME, BUT I CAN’T HELP EVERYONE. SO MANY PEOPLE NEED ME TO THE POINT WHERE I FEEL AS IF I WILL EXPLODE. I CAN’T HELP THEM ALL, AND I DON’T WANT TOO.  I JUST WANT TO BE ME. I WANT TO BE FREE. I don’t want to be stuck helping kids my age with menial little tasks. I don’t mind helping people but once you start helping them it eventually gets to a point where they literally won’t stop asking. That in itself is aggravating. The 3 different facial expressions that I have drawn at the top are my mood options and I cannot decide how I feel. 

     Whenever I make up my mind about how I feel I’ll circle one of those faces, but until then I am undecided.  

Hiiii! So, for today’s blog I will be giving a short descriptive overview or breakdown of my favorite book recommendations in the hopes that it will make you interested enough to read them. I read books of all genres, it does not matter how big, small, or what the page setup or word structure looks like I will read it. I will be including a variety of genres in this blog series including self-help; healing, teen romance, mystery, utopian and dystopian societies, etc. 

The first book I will be describing is Care Package: A Path to Deep Healing. I really love everything about this beautiful piece of artwork. First and foremost, Sylvester Mcnutt ||| authored this book. He is a famous African American author who is known for his bestselling collection “Lust for Life”. Sylvester was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1985 and he is now 37 years of age.   This book was published on June 4, 2018, when he was 33 years of age. I just wanted to give you guys a little biography of the author, and now we can hop right into it. 

Anyone who asks me for book recommendations, or what types of books do I read, I always recommend Sylvester McNutt but specifically “care package”. This book is truly lifechanging. I love it because he doesn’t try to seem too articulate by using so many big words that the common knowledge of people wouldn’t understand. When the words that are being put together are too focused in a book, I feel like it disconnects the readers, especially when words are used that most people won’t understand. The book is so personal, and it reads as if you’re having a conversation with the author. He speaks in such a relatable way, and he even says a few curse words, but I think it works great and gives the book a more human feel and shows that none of us are perfect and that we all make mistakes, and that’s okay.  

Another reason that this book is so appealing is because he talks about his own experiences good, bad, or traumatic. He’s an open book with the reader no matter how much of a pun that may sound. He tells his experiences and compares and contrasts them to what you may be going through and how he dealt with it. What I really appreciate though is that he never tells you how to fix your problems, because life isn’t a one size fits all solution. There are many things to consider. He gives you advice, and things to look for when going through traumatic events or dealing with toxic people. He lets you know that you’re not alone, but you must find the strength to be able to leave those toxic people alone and remove yourself from those horrific situations. 

He writes in a way that doesn’t pressure you or make you feel bad about staying in a bad place, because we all have done it whether we like to admit it or not. We have all made mistakes and been through things, but it’s how you come back from them that matters, and I love how he embraces that theme. I also really enjoy that he doesn’t make it all about himself. He makes you the center of attention and the voice that matters most in the conversation, while not spoiling you too much making you think that your feelings make the world go round. It’s such a validating book that uplifts your spirit out of the dirt, and plants it in potting soil in the biggest vase he could find, because he knows you will flourish. 

Heyyy guys! So, today’s vlog is going to be comparing and contrasting the 5 rarest squish mallows. Before we start, I’ll give a bit of background information first. Squish mallows are a brand of snuggable stuffed animals that were launched in 2017 by Kelly Toys Holdings. The first squish mallow ever released was Cam the Cat.

     Every time he drops, he sells out within minutes. In all honesty, he’s not a personal favorite of mine. He looks pretty boring to me, he doesn’t have any fun colors, or patterns, and even though I love cats and have many of them he’s never really been appealing to me. The 5 rarest squish mallows are Jack the Black Cat, Santino the Platypus, Heather the Dragonfly, Blossom the Sheep, and Brina the Bigfoot. 

     The rarest squish mallow is Jack the Black Cat. He is a black cat with closed eyes, a pink nose, and a big smile. Jack is worth about $2,000 on the market give or take 2 or 300. I personally don’t understand the obsession with him. He is a pretty cute squishy but he’s not worth $2,000 he’s pretty, plain simple, and straight to the point, just a black cat, but most people want him, because there were only about 500 manufactured and available to be bought which is probably what all the hype’s about, because he’s not all that special. 

     The second rarest squish mallow is Santino the Platypus. He’s simple as well. Doesn’t have any fun colors or anything, but he still can from about $1,000-$1,500 at an auction. 

     The next one is Heather the Dragonfly. She’s not really considered an extremely rare squish mallow, but she is often sold with a high price tag. She is blue with purple lines cutting through. She also has metallic ombre wings with antennas to match. You can buy her with her eyes open or closed. She has a big smile on her face and 2 blush pink dimples on her cheeks. The price varies from about $16-$500. The cost all depends on the size and where you get it from. 

     The next squish mallow I want to talk about is Blossom the Sheep. Blossom the sheep is very rare and can get up to about $300 give or take. She is absolutely stunning in my opinion. She’s a smooth white, crème color, with a rainbow advertised right in the middle of her little tummy with clouds all around. Her eyes are closed, with her eyelashes spread beautifully out of her eyelids, I can see why she’s rare. 

     The last squishy is Brina the Bigfoot. I’ve never seen or heard of her before. She looks nothing like I expected. She is bright pink with fur spread all over her head and face. She doesn’t have any arms, only 2 cute tiny little legs. She has a straight line acting as a smile where her mouth is supposed to be, but it doesn’t take away the sweetness from her face. She also has 2 pink little pom poms or pigtails on her head which makes her 10x cuter.  

     Well, that’s all for today, my next blog will be about all the stuffies and squishy’s I own, where I got them, why I like them, and if they’re rare.