Motivated Mondays: Kristen Bell inspires me.

Kristen Bell has always been one of my favorite celebrities. Anyone who is amazing on the screen and hilarious during interviews wins my heart, and Kristen Bell is definitely one of my biggest girl crushes. I became borderline obsessed after watching Veronica Mars for the first time. It was a weird situation. Anyway, long story short, I just love her. I really think we could be friends (do I say that about all of my favorite celebrities? Let's just say no).
Not only is Kristen Bell absolutely gorgeous and hilarious, she is also a really good person, which is why I've chosen to spotlight her for this week's Motivated Monday. 

She supports gay rights. First of all, Kristen Bell and Dax Shephard are the perfect couple. They are freaking adorable together, and a lot of their beliefs about major issues coincide with each other, which is super awesome. I'm sure many of you knew that the two of them decided that they weren't going to get married until their gay friends had the same right. They had been engaged since 2009, and when the DOMA was deemed constitutional last year, they finally got married.  She loves animals. A lot of people like animals but don't do anything with that love. I see the commercials with the sad animals that need homes. I hear these awful stories about tortured or abused animals, and my heart hurts for them, but like most people, I don't do anything about it. Kristen Bell does. She's worked with several humane societies and attends fundraisers for a number of non-profits dedicated to ending animal cruelty. She's won many awards for her work in saving animals, and she's even launched an initiative called Special Needs that helps animals with special needs. She's also been a vegetarian since she was 11. I mean, how incredible is that? She's an awesome mom. From what I've heard about Kristen's relationship with her daughter, Lincoln, I think that she's an excellent mother. My mom is one of the most open people I know. She says whatever, whenever, and if she's curious about something, she just asks. I picture Lincoln's upbringing being similar to that. Some parents shelter their children for as long as they can before they realize they aren't kids anymore. Kristen wants to do just the opposite and just be honest with Lincoln. Not necessarily saying "Here, watch all this sexy stuff," but whenever she discovers things and has questions, Kristen (and Dax) don't intend on shying away from these things. She also wants to make it Lincoln's choice to be in the spotlight or not. Cool mom award def goes Kristen Bell!
Ellen loves her. I support anything endorsed by Ellen DeGeneres because she is my hero. If all of that didn't convince you to love Kristen Bell, maybe this video will:
Countdown to Veronica Mars: 52 days

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Happy Monday, loves. Stay motivated this week!

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Boy Behind the Blog #8: Jon's favorite movies & plans for 2014!

It's time for the spotlight to be on my sweet boyfriend, Jon, again. I'm linking up with Stephanie and Mallory for the Boys Behind the Blog link-up! I don't think Jon enjoys watching movies as I do (he would rather be playing his video games), but he does enjoy them, just not the same genres as me, which always creates a problem when we try to go to the movies together.

The Boys Behind the Blog #8:

1. What was your favorite movie of 2013?

My favorite movie of 2013 was Now You See Me. While there were many other movies that I loved, such as World War Z, Thor, and Catching Fire, this movie stood apart in originality. It's not often that you can watch a movie and leave thinking "wow, I have nothing to compare that to."

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2. What is your all time favorite movie quote?

"Happiness can be found in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light." (Tiffany note: A man after my own heart. He chose a quote from Harry Potter. If we can't agree on anything to watch, we always agree on Harry Potter. Even though hasn't read the books. Don't worry, guys. It's a marriage stipulation. He must read them before I say "I do.")

3. What is your favorite type of movie? (Action, scary, comedy, etc)?

When it comes to movies I honestly prefer a mixture between sci-fi, comedy, and action. When a movie only focuses on one genre it seems like they're purposely neglecting most of the audience

4. What is your New Year's Resolution?

This is an unfair question because I don't believe in New Year's resolutions. I simply start each day trying to make sure I am the best I can be and hope to end each day on a great state of mind.

5. Finish the sentence: This year I will....

This year I will be graduating from college, move in with the most amazing lady ever, and finally start my life. (Tiffany note: I promise he received no form of compensation to write this. I simply copied and pasted.)

Hey cowboy in the back. He wanted to be in the pic.

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Introducing the Venus Embrace Sensitive.

So I've used a lot of different razors in my day. I've been shaving my legs since middle school, and I honestly have never invested in a really good razor. I usually get disposables or just use coupons that I get in the mail (bargain!). Gillette Venus has always been a pretty reliable brand for me, so when Influenster contacted me about previewing one of their newest products before it hit the shelves, I was like, heck yea!

I feel like I have sensitive everything - teeth (cold stuff makes me cringe!), feet (I'm so so ticklish), feelings (don't make me cry!), and my skin is no exception. I've tried lots of different hair removal tactics - Nair (talk about red bumps!), wax (ouch!), and, like I already mentioned, a number of different razors. Some give me bumps, some cut me, and some just don't work.  Gillette Venus's newest razor, Venus Embrace Sensitive, is perfect for women like me who have sensitive skin. The razor even includes a touch of Aloe! And you know, everything with Aloe is pretty freaking awesome (unless you're allergic. Sorryboutcha!). 

So when the cold weather rolls around, I'm pretty much like this:

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Did you just judge me a little? Well, take it back. I know all of you ladies do the same thing. I get pretty lazy about it. I just shave in the shower, unless I have time for a bath, and I rarely use shaving cream because it takes too much effort. Sometimes I'll use conditioner, like the cheap V05 brand or Suave, but not all the time. When I shaved my legs with the Venus Embrace Sensitive, I pretty much demonstrated that same laziness. No shaving cream. No conditioner. No bath. Just the shower and my razor, and oh lawd. My legs felt so awesome afterward. My legs are usually pretty itchy when I do this, but this time, nothing. My legs felt amazing. No itch at all. This razor actually makes me excited to shave my legs since I don't have to deal with all the itchy nonsense. Like I said, my legs are pretty dang sensitive. Ladies, take it from me, you want to try this razor! When it hits the shelves, splurge. You won't be disappointed. Disclosure: I received the product complimentary for testing purposes from Influenster. All opinions are my own.

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why hedgehogs make the best pets.

I've had my hedgehog for a little over a year now, and even though he can be moody and grumpy, he's still the cutest little moody and grumpy hedgie ever. My hedgie is named Flitwick, a name that I think all of my fellow Harry Potter lovers will appreciate. I've loved having Flitwick in my life for the past year for so many reasons.

Hedgehog talk makes the best ice-breaker. Whenever I find myself in a dead conversation, I can just bring up my hedgehog and people are either super intrigued or super freaked out. Either way, it makes for a great conversation topic.

"Oh, Mardi Gras is coming up? I dressed my hedgehog up in Mardi Gras beads last year."

Finding hedgehog-themed items is the best feeling ever. Seriously. One of my blog friends sent me a hedgehog necklace, and I couldn't stop smiling because I loved it so much. Then Jon's parents got me a hedgehog ornament for Christmas, and it was the most exciting thing ever. Finding hedgehog items is just a little treat, and every time I see one, I want to have it immediately.

Literally squealed when I opened this gift.

Hedgehogs are low maintenance. I can literally go days without even seeing my hedgehog, and he is okay with that. Hedgehogs are nocturnal, so they only come out at night, and sometimes I get the feeling that Flitwick would rather sleep all day so he can play on his wheel at night rather than have me wake him up to play with him during the day. Not to mention, cage clean-up isn't that bad at all and hedgehogs only need baths about once a year.

Good thing he doesn't need to take many baths, because he hates them.

Hedgehogs don't smell bad. It's kind of weird, but Flitwick doesn't have a very distinct smell. He doesn't smell up the room or anything like that, unlike most furry animals.

Hedgehogs are freaking cute! Have you seen a picture of a hedgehog that made you not smile? I mean, really. They are just the cutest animals to ever exist. Even though they're not that cuddly because of their quills, they're still pretty dang adorable.

BFFs!

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when famous people tweet you back.

I live in north Louisiana. Not exactly the hip place for famous people to visit (or non-famous people for that matter). Even though there have been a lot of movies filmed here in the past few years, it's still pretty rare to run into any kind of famous person at a restaurant or while you're out shopping or hitting up the casino. I've only met a couple, but not anyone that I would go completely gaga over like Zac Efron or the Olsen twins or Kerry Washington.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not one of those people that stalks celebrities or anything like that. I don't even keep up with their lives, unless I'm following them on Twitter, but even then, it's minuscule cause I don't get their tweets to my phone.

My point is - I don't have my interactions with famous people, so when a well-known person tweets me back, I literally take screenshots and send them to all my friends. I'm that girl. And that's not to say I've had much Twitter interaction with celebs either. My celeb interaction, virtual or not, is clearly nothing to brag about. But I really love celebrities who tweet back to their fans, like Blake Shelton. I mean, you know no one else in the world can come up with that crazy stuff he says.

A lot of my famous people Twitter action has been from authors. I know several people wouldn't get excited about this, but I sure do. Every. Single. Time. Seriously. When authors favorite, retweet, or reply to my tweets, I can't stop smiling. Then I send those screenshots to all of my bookworm friends who would appreciate it. I have had some other Twitter excitement though.

AUTHORS
I had a lot of author Twitter action when I went to the Austin Teen Book Festival, but I've had some since then too, because I'm always reading and tweeting authors, silently hoping that they're going to read it and holla at me.

Sarah Dessen: I've been reading Sarah Dessen since middle school, so seeing her in person, I was freaking out. Then she retweeted me, and I could barely stay in my seat for the rest of the festival. Too giddy. Still am. Eeeek!

So this is happening... @RobThomas @sarahdessen #atbf13 #favorites pic.twitter.com/rCnhuc4p53
— Tiffany Khyla (@tiffanykhyla) September 28, 2013

Jenny Han: She is literally the cutest Asian person to have ever lived. I say that because I'm only half Asian. Otherwise, it would be me. Duh. Yeah, I'm humble. And kidding. Anyway. I get so excited every time Jenny (first name basis? Oh.) shows me some Twitter love. We're practically BFF's right? No?

I think I've got a girl crush on @jennyhan and @siobhanvivian #ATBF13 @AustinTBF
— Tiffany Khyla (@tiffanykhyla) September 28, 2013

Reviewing Fire With Fire by 2 of my fave authors @jennyhan & @siobhanvivian on the #blog today! #bookworm #bookreview http://t.co/otVlZRrxWd
— Tiffany Khyla (@tiffanykhyla) January 9, 2014

@jennyhan I'm seriously in love with this series! You and @siobhanvivian are geniuses! And my heroes!
— Tiffany Khyla (@tiffanykhyla) January 6, 2014

Leila Sales: She is another author I met at ATBF, and her book, This Song Will Save Your Life, was so awesome that I read it in less than 24 hours. Of course, I tweeted about it, and she favorited it. Yes!

 

Started reading "This Song Will Save Your Life" by @LeilaSalesBooks last night and finished this morning #lovedit #thissongwillsaveyourlife
— Tiffany Khyla (@tiffanykhyla) October 6, 2013

Lisa McMann: She took a photo of my sister and me (and the rest of the audience) at ATBF. We did a little pose for her in the pic. When I tweeted about it, she favorited it.

@lisa_mcmann snapped a photo of @BreNicoleXoxo and me at @AustinTBF #atbf13 pic.twitter.com/XA0WLopyZS
— Tiffany Khyla (@tiffanykhyla) September 29, 2013

Marissa Meyer: ...I can't even explain my love for her. She is seriously the sweetest person. And both of the books I've read by her have been so awesome. (Impatiently waiting for Cress to come out.)She just seems so humble about her work. Not to mention, she's replied to 2 of the 3 tweets that I tweeted about her. I think that says a lot about how awesome she is.

@tiffanykhyla Thank you! I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
— Marissa Meyer (@marissa_meyer) December 9, 2013

@tiffanykhyla I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for reviewing!
— Marissa Meyer (@marissa_meyer) December 17, 2013

Bill Konigsberg: He retweeted me after I did a review of his book on here. I probably smiled for about 24 hours without stopping. Ahh!

Read my thoughts on Openly Straight by @billkonigsberg on the #blog today! http://t.co/Gnd7vvOLmw
— Tiffany Khyla (@tiffanykhyla) October 28, 2013

MUSICIANS
2AM Club: I don't listen to 2 AM Club on the reg, but I heard this song on a playlist a couple weeks ago, and I loved it. I like to just tweet songs, and I did this one, and they replied. Say whaaat?

@tiffanykhyla what up lady. thanks for listeninnnnn
— 2∆M Club (@2amclub) January 4, 2014

Jenae Cherry: I met Jenae Cherry (now Brach, but she'll still be Cherry for musical purposes) twice, and she's really awesome. I've blogged about her before. If you like country, go check out her site. She's going to become a household name soon enough. But anyway, I tweeted her to say congrats on her getting married, and she favorited it.

Happy wedding day to @jenaecherry! You deserve all the happiness in the world! #lovelovelove
— Tiffany Khyla (@tiffanykhyla) November 30, 2013

Aaron Carter: So I followed Aaron Carter, and he sent me this direct message. You say that it automatically gets sent out to all of his new followers, I say I don't care. It counts in my mind. I want to go to Aaron's party! Heyyy!

ACTORS
David Guintoli: That should really just say "ACTOR" because the only one who has tweeted me back is David Guintoli. ACA-BELIEVE IT! I couldn't stop grinning for like a week. (Smiling now while typing this) I watch Grimm every Friday, and sometimes he live tweets, and he replied to one of mine. OMG!

@tiffanykhyla 6 hours in makeup chair. #grimm
— David Giuntoli (@mistergiuntoli) November 16, 2013

Like I said, my Twitter interaction with famous (err...mostly semi-famous-ish) people is nothing to brag about, but I seriously fangirled over every single one. Oh, and David Guintoli is my computer background now. Promise I'm not obsessed or anything though... Still waiting on Twitter replies from Zac Efron, Ellen Degeneres, and Taylor Swift.

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motivated mondays {a new series}: 5 songs to get you through your day.

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The beginning of a new year means a fresh start for everyone. I began my new year with a new name for my blog: Endless Bliss. With this new name, I'm excited to dedicate more of my time to my little corner of the internet and hopefully inspire my readers. One way that I want to do that is by starting a series called "Motivated Mondays." Every Monday, I'll post something motivational to start your week (and mine) off positively, including songs, quotes, stories, pictures, etc.

For the first week, I want to share 5 inspirational songs to help get you through your day.  "Fighters" by Kris Allen This is the perfect song to listen to when you feel like you've been fighting an uphill battle. It talks about how, no matter what you've been going through, you're stronger than it, and you were born to fight it. "Dare You to Move" by Switchfoot This song is perfect for when you've made a decision that you regret. It talks about facing our regrets head-on, instead of hiding from them, and moving on from them. It dares you to move on from them, and not get boggled down by your mistakes.  "Good Life" by OneRepublic I love this song. It's just a feel-good song about living it up. Live every moment like it's your last. No matter how old you are, you still have life to live, so make it a good one. "New Tomorrow" by A Friend in London This song has the perfect message for youth today, and, in my opinion, expresses how everyone should try to live their lives. Don't worry about fame or what other people think about you. Use your voice. Express yourself. Be you, not who everybody wants you to be. And just do something. Something meaningful. Change the future. "Here's to Us" by Halestorm I think a lot of adults can relate to this song. And it does have some explicit language in it, but I like how it's used. It's about just sitting back and remembering all of the hard times you faced and how you were able to get through them. Helping me kick off Motivated Mondays, is one of this month's sponsors, Bailey from Becoming Bailey!

Hi! I'm Bailey from Becoming Bailey. I started my blog when I realized my time in college was winding down; there was so much I wanted to remember but already began to forget. Since then, I've graduated college and joined the real world. Join me on my crazy adventure in a new city as I begin my career. If you're new to Becoming Bailey, you'll want to check out these posts: 15 travel tips from my vacation, The time I stalked a celebrity, and What life is like as a triplet.

What's something you like to do to put yourself in a better mood?

I listen to upbeat music and light a candle. There's no problem that a pretty candle can't solve!

Who's your go-to person to talk to when you need some extra motivation?

My mom. She has a blunt personality, so if I need to get motivated she is great at pushing me to get a move on.

What's your comfort food?

Pizza. I could easily eat pizza all day, every day.

What makes you happy?

There are so many things that make me happy, I could write an entire book. I love sunny days, Burger King Frozen Cokes, chocolate chip cookies, and lemonade, among other things.

Don't forget to go check out Bailey's blog, and follow her on Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook!

I hope you enjoyed the first week of "Motivated Mondays!" Have a good one.

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fire with fire, burn for burn book #2 {book review}.

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I had the honor of meeting Jenny and Siobhan when I went to the Austin Teen Book Festival this past September, and they were so sweet and adorable! I bought Fire With Fire when I was at the festival, and I definitely geeked out when I got to meet the two of them, especially after they said they remembered me from Twitter. Then as my sister and I were walking away from the table, we dropped a bunch of books. It was a tad bit mortifying. Anyway...

Favorite character: Lillia

Book Synopsis from Goodreads
Lillia, Kat, and Mary had the perfect plan. Work together in secret to take down the people who wronged them. But things didn’t exactly go the way they’d hoped at the Homecoming Dance.

Not even close.

For now, it looks like they got away with it. All they have to do is move on and pick up the pieces, forget there ever was a pact. But it’s not easy, not when Reeve is still a total jerk and Rennie’s meaner than she ever was before.

And then there’s sweet little Mary…she knows there’s something seriously wrong with her. If she can’t control her anger, she’s sure that someone will get hurt even worse than Reeve was. Mary understands now that it’s not just that Reeve bullied her—it’s that he made her love him.

Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, burn for a burn. A broken heart for a broken heart. The girls are up to the task. They’ll make Reeve fall in love with Lillia and then they will crush him. It’s the only way he’ll learn.

It seems once a fire is lit, the only thing you can do is let it burn...

My Thoughts
After I finished reading Burn For Burn, I was pretty eager to read what was going to happen next. The first novel leaves you at a bit of a cliffhanger, urging you to want to read this novel ASAP. For those that read the first book, if you thought that was dramatic, you haven't seen anything yet.

Though I thought the first novel in the series was awesome, I actually think I liked this one better. If something fictional stresses me out a lot, that means that 1) it has my full attention, so 2) it's obviously awesome. I really like how the three main characters', Lillia, Kat, and Mary's, friendships develop more in this novel. They're all clearly three different people from different cliques, which is important to high schoolers and teens today, but they still find a way to care for each other, sometimes more than people who have been their friends with for several years.

Lillia has been my favorite character since the first book, and that's no exception for this one. I'm just intrigued by her and how her brain works, and I feel like I can relate to her in several ways, apart from the amount of money in her bank account and the lengths she'll go to to get back at a friend.

The most intriguing part of the book is Mary's character. It's pretty confusing. At the end of the first novel, you're thinking one thing, and then at the end of this one, you're thinking a completely different thing. I'm not really sure where the authors are going with it, but I'm really interested in finding out. Not only that, the amount of stress I felt during the last few chapters is unreal. We're talking lose-sleep, who-cares-if-I-have-work-tomorrow stress! It really hits you with bomb after bomb after bomb at the end. If you think you have it all figured out, trust me, you don't.

I think most young girls would enjoy reading this novel because there is something in it for everyone. With each of the characters being so different, there is definitely someone that every teenager and young adult can relate to.

I would give this book a 4.5 out of 5. The end of the novel leaves you with a cliffhanger, which I was so confused about because I didn't realize there was going to be a third book in the series, but I'm pretty excited about it. Jenny and Siobhan are absolutely brilliant, and I can't wait to see what crazy things they have come up with for the final novel in the series, Ashes to Ashes.

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