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Saturday, December 2, 2017

Festive Movies and Cozy Winter Evenings - Kathleen

Hola!!! I took a quick break over Thanksgiving and it was much needed. School starts again tomorrow, and it's time to get back to work. What better way than to write a blog post?

So the past week it was REALLY warm. I found myself imagining Spring decorations, but considering that it is December second, I need to get myself solidly into the Christmas spirit. The easiest way to do that is get cozy and watch a Christmas movie. Basically have a junk food-y movie night. I have a few top movies for festive feelings, lets get started.


Elf is one of those Christmas movies that a list of Christmas movies would be incomplete without. Will Ferrell is just amazing.


It's a Wonderful Life should really be at the top of this list. It is the coziest Christmas movie I know of and always puts me in a good mood.


A Christmas Story reminds me of Christmas at my Grandma's house. We are going up there for Christmas this year and I can't wait to watch it there.


Muppet Christmas Carol is a classic. Miss Piggy is my favorite; when she and Kermit broke up I got so sad...

Those are my top four Christmas movies. Along with these movies, I really love to do a mix of snacks. Popcorn is an obvious must, but recently, I have also been loving Cara Cara Oranges as a snack. They are super similar to regular oranges, except they are juicier and sweeter. Other than that, a hot cocoa and a Dark Chocolate Noni's Coffee Cookie are absolutely delicious.

Lighting candles just makes things cozier, so I usually light Twisted Peppermint from Bath and Body Works which Emma bought for me, but if I'm REALLY feeling festive, I will light Balsam and Cedar from Yankee Candle.

I have a pair of Peanuts Christmas jammies which I love wearing around this time of year because they are so warm and cozy. I normally slip on a pair of fuzzy socks as well because something about having soft feet makes me so happy. I also don't really like slippers because they always fall off, or they don't cover all of my foot, so I really prefer wearing socks.

That is all for this week! I'm so excited for all the posts I have planned for this month and I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving!!

Kathleen
twodorkswithablog.blogspot.com

Thursday, November 30, 2017

Things are Happening and it's Somewhat Crazy - Kathleen

Hey guys! This is just a quick-ish post to update you on things. I'm going to try and keep this pretty simple and not confusing.

So a few weeks ago I wrote a post about blogging and how I get my inspiration. I mentioned a bit about how blogger is an amazing way to start blogging and get a basic idea for how you want to go about it (what you want to post, who you are targeting, etc.) I talked a little about how Blogger does have a limited amount of freedom for the administrator to design. Emma and I want something that we have more freedom with. We also want to take a the next step for our blog to have more responsibility with it and also, hopefully, reach more readers.

Because of this we are changing platforms. We will be switching over to WordPress. We are having a blog planning "meeting" (I say that so I can sound fancy) this weekend to set up the new site and finalize Christmas designs. If we can't transfer posts from this site to the new site, there will be a link to quickly access all the old posts here, on this site. The link to the new site is in the signature, go check it out. Emma did a little editing and it looks great already! There are, however, no posts up yet.

If you have any questions, leave a comment!! Thank you so much and I really hope you like the new site!!!

Kathleen
twodorkswithablog.blogspot.com
twodorkswithablog.wordpress.com

Saturday, November 18, 2017

Mental Health - Kathleen

Thanksgiving Break is started!!

Hi everyone! It's Kathleen here, and because I live in America, Thanksgiving is this Thursday! I'm so excited, it's one of my favorite holidays. We always have the most delicious array of food; Turkey, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes with brown sugar and marshmallows, green mountain fluff (sprite, marshmallows, pineapple, walnuts) gravy, fresh bread, cranberry sauce, apple stuffing, pumpkin pie, chocolate cream pie, pecan pie, and coconut cream pie. It's a bit much but it's delicious.

Pretty much all year round I'm stressed. This lessens during the summer and heightens right around this time of year. I don't really know why I get more stressed this time of year, but it probably has to do something with school and less time for me to pay attention to my mental state. So I'm going to share a few of my tips for combating stress and improving my daily mental health.

To start out, whenever I'm feeling down, I like to read a few quotes that help me re-focus and evaluate what I need to do to get back to myself.

"Be happy in the moment, that's enough. Each moment is all we need, not more." Mother Teresa

It's okay if every weekend doesn't lead to big moments and campfires and laughter that carries on for hours and hours. Some weekends might be quite, still, with plenty of room to contemplate. And in that contemplation room, there is room to grow. So hold those weekends dear. Don't see them as less or as threats to the more exciting times. There is beauty and truth even in the seemingly mundane." -Morgan Harper Nichols

"I think everything in life is art. What you do. How you dress. The way you love someone, and how you talk. Your smile and your personality. What you believe in, and all your dreams. They way you drink your drinks, How you decorate your home. Or party. The way your write your grocery list. The food you make. How your handwriting looks. And the way you feel." - Unkown (via awwyeahquotes)

"We rise by lifting others." - Unknown to me (hunting louise)

"Don't forget to love the way you want to be loved, listen the way you want to be heard, speak the way you want to be spoken to, give the way you hope others will give, care the way you want others to care because change doesn't start with them. It stars right here." - Madalyn Beck

"You think attention is love, and that's why you suffer so deeply." - The Better Man Project

First up: Self-esteem, because belief it or not, your self-esteem/body-image affects your mental health insanely. If I'm not feeling confident in my body, I think of one thing. If I'm not doing anything to change the way I feel about my body, then I can't complain, because complaining isn't going to do anything. Whenever I'm in a funk, I go on a run. I do try to go to the gym, or even just do a bedroom workout. Besides doing something about the way you feel about your body, exercising gets your endorphins going and that also makes you happier.

My surroundings also change the way I feel. I try and keep my room clean. Usually my to duvet makes me super warm at night, so I've started taking it off before I go to sleep and draping it over my desk chair. I still have 3 layers of blankets so I'm plenty warm. Then when I wake up in the morning, I have to make my bed because I literally can't do anything with this humongous blanket draped over my chair. Then once my bed is made I have to clean everything else up because otherwise everything looks out of place.

The next thing is so important, in fact, my mental state relies on this almost 100%. When I do my school, I make sure that I'm doing what needs to be done that day, and then working on anything extra. When I have a paper due and I would much rather procrastinate, I get to it and completely ignore the fact that I would much rather be on Pinterest. Then when I'm done, I feel so much better and my assignment is turned in. This honestly cures so much stress because the longer you procrastinate on anything, the more stressed you feel. That being said, another rule I have is that I never work past 8 P.M. This prevents me from working too late and getting a headache.

My last important mental health/stress-relief tip is to pamper yourself a little bit. I always take my time to wash my face with a scrub, cleanser, and moisturizer. I always do a lip scrub and swipe on so much chap stick. I use a homemade lip scrub; I made it a really long time ago, but I think it is coconut oil, sugar, and peppermint oil. I then use some Burt's Bees ( Beeswax Lip Balm with Vitamin E and Peppermint) then I use my Body Shop (Born Lippy, Strawberry) Lip Balm. If I have any chill time, I will light a candle and do a facemask. Sometimes I write a blog post, others I just lay down and not do anything. I love using the Yes To Tomatoes Charcoal Sheet Mask. It literally clears my skin SOOO well. It's also very refreshing.

That's it for my relaxing/Mental Health tips. Obviously this wasn't intended to help with anything serious; it's just how I keep my life relatively stress-free.

Tell me what your plans are for Thanksgiving this year, and I will see you next week!

Kathleen
twodorkswithablog.blogspot.com 

Saturday, November 11, 2017

Fall Favorites and College Visit - Kathleen

OMG I saw Thor: Ragnarok on Friday and it was amazing!!!

Hola my lovely readers!

Fall is in full swing now and I'm definitely feeling the cold! Coats are a necessity now in most of Illinois and I absolutely love it. I pulled my leather boots out and I'm wearing sweaters pretty much all the time now and it's soooo cozy!

As you may know, I visited Benedictine College last weekend. It was amazing, to say the least. We left at 6 AM on Friday morning, which was excruciating because I had to get up at 5 AM. I was going to try and drive all the way to the college in Atchison, Kansas which is about 5 hours away. We met lots of students and took a tour of the campus. I got to meet with the chairman of the Journalism/Mass Communications major I'm interested in, and he really helped me feel better about what I want to major in. The girl who took me to the building was so sweet; she offered to show me her freshman dorm! It was so cute and cozy, and both her and her roommate had their own walk-in-closet. My closet isn't that big, so I could literally bring my whole wardrobe! Later on, I met with my confirmation sponsor over lunch and she took me to see her art studio on campus. I attached some pictures below.

The older half of campus.

Atchison is a tiny town in Kansas, this is about 10 minutes out of downtown.

Earlier, I was talking about how cold it is here. Because of that, I'm going to do my fall favorites now instead of later because fall is very quickly turning into winter. I only have two things so it should be super quick!


First thing is the Biore Pore Unclogging Scrub. It "targets what clogs pores and clears away impurities leaving you with a healthy-looking complexion and noticeably softer, smoother skin after just one use." This does exactly what it says it does. I swear, this has saved my skin. During the summer, my skin is clearer. This could be because of a few reasons: I am working out more, spending more time outside, and less stressing out because of school. During the school year, my skin is usually much more spotty. Right now, my skin is just as clear as it is during the summer. I feel 100% confident going somewhere without makeup. I HIGHLY recommend this.


Last is the Makeup Revolution Flawless 3 Resurrection palette. Oh ma goodness. This palette has the prettiest nude colors. I think my favorite shades are Castle, Sublime, and New Dawn. The colors are very pigmented and there is soo little fall out. For $15, it's an amazing palette.

Thank you so much for reading! Comment down below any of your college plans or what you want to major in!

Kathleen
twodorkswithablog.blogspot.com

Friday, November 10, 2017

Why I Had to Rehome my Puppy -Emma

Phewwww this a hard post to write...

Hello hello hello everyone! Today I am coming with some sad news, and I'm sure I will get some more hate about it.

I felt like I had to post this, because I didn't want anyone wondering "Where did Sadie go?" "Did she die?" Well I'm here to tell you that she is perfectly fine, and I am perfectly fine too.

I adopted Sadie in May 2017, when she was just a tiny puppy. I loved (and still do love) this dog with all my heart. This past month or so, I started noticing that I was constantly sick with a cold/allergies any time I spent a lot of time with Sadie in one day.

Some days were worse than others, but if I was to play with her for a long time or let her sleep in my bed, I would just feel miserable.

I am allergic to dogs.

I know this not only because of my experience with Sadie, but because of having allergies after going over to friends houses who had multiple dogs.

This came as very saddening news to me and my family of course, because we all loved Sadie.

But I believe my health is much more important than an animal.

I ended up finding the PERFECT home for Sadie, and I mean it, this lady was sent from God. Sadie now lives in a home with a wonderful 28 year old woman and her husband. They live over in Missouri. The woman runs marathons, which is perfect because Sadie LOVED to run. They also have a fenced in yard and Sadie gets to sleep in bed with them at night.

She even texted me and told me that Sadie went on a 4 mile run last weekend, and still had energy so they went on 2 more walks that day.

So bottom line, she is much happier there than she was at my home.

I have received so much hate these past couple of weeks, but I'm not listening to it anymore. I did what was right not only for me but also for Sadie.

I raised her from a puppy, took care of her when she was spayed, and taught her proper behavior and trained her. I am not guilty for my decision.

I hope you all understand and can support me in my choice.

Thank you!! *hugs*

-Emma


Thursday, November 9, 2017

How to Make Money at Home as a Teen -Emma

Hey everyone! I am here with a new post!

Today I will be mostly talking about my online business, how you can start one of your own, and tips for teens wanting to start their own business.

Most of my friends don't know this yet, but this past August I started my own Etsy shop selling bandanas and bow ties for dogs and cats. And let me tell you, it was not easy.

I have gone through many different business plans, and still work out different problems and details everyday.

If you're creative and are interested in making things to sell online, keep reading.

The first step to starting your own Etsy shop is figuring out a product you can make to sell. You can research different DIYs on Pinterest that interest you, or maybe you already have something in mind that you have made before that you think you could sell.

Some things to think about when choosing a product to make and sell are:

-how long it takes you to make the product
-how much it costs to make the product
-if there are many starting costs you'd need to start your business
-if you can make the item in many different ways (the more items you have, the better your shop will do)
-if you can think of a select group of people who would be interested in buying your product

Some answers I had to these questions when starting my shop are:

-I can make 10 bow ties in 1 hour (pretty good efficiency rate)
-A half a yard of fabric is about $4, and I can make 8 bow ties with each half yard. I can also buy bulk supplies and packaging
-Business cards will cost around $20, but they will make my shop and packaging much more proffessional
-I can make bow ties in all kinds of different patterns and styles.
-I can contact people who have dogs or love animals to promote my shop.

Making an Etsy shop is pretty easy once you have a business plan, so I won't go into too much detail with this step.

Marketing is one of the most important parts of your new business. 95% of my sales have came just from Instagram. So, I highly recommend making an Instagram account for your new business, following hundreds of people who are in your "group" listed above, and hosting lots of giveaways and contests to make customers interested.

I have also started having brand representatives for my shop. I find these people on Instagram, they apply to be a model/brand rep, and their pets receive free bow ties to take photos in and promote my shop. I get to use these photos on my shop for marketing purposes too. So, it's a win win.

Having an Etsy shop while still in high school is NOT easy. But if you are looking for a fun way to be creative and make money from home on your own time, this is the perfect opportunity for you!

I know I didn't go into too much detail in this post, but I (might?) make this a series of posts for you all, and if you have any questions just let me know!

Also, be sure to check out Kathleen's new post talking about her inspiration for the blog and her posts. I really love her comments and she inspired me to write this post today!

Thanks for reading!

-Emma


Saturday, November 4, 2017

Two Dorks with a Blog - Kathleen

Hi everyone!!

I have a bit of a different post today,  so I'm just going to start right away.

I had a friend email me this morning and she said that she started a blog back in like 2012 or something, but only posted 2 posts on it. She asked me what my inspiration comes from and what my view is for the blog. So I'm going to talk a little about how I write my posts, what the focus for my posts is, (grammar?) some tips, and what blogs I often read.

#1
How did I come up with the focus for my posts?

Honestly, I just write what I think is fun and I would enjoy reading. I write about what is interesting me in my life and what is happening in my life. Even for the small audience we reach, I'm astonished and honestly kind of weirded out by the fact that people are reading posts about my life and such. I try and incorporate a little of my deep inner thoughts into my posts as well. Honestly, as an INFJ, I have so many deep thoughts and it's hard for me to feel comfortable talking about them with everyone, even my parents. This is one of the few reasons why I can't wait to move out: because I can live a life that I want without being judged. And the life I want to lead isn't necessarily one of partying. Honestly, I want to stay as far away from that as physically possible. I can't wait to have kids and raise them, and make dinner for my family and just live my life as quietly and gracefully as possible. Grace and mercy is my motto. Sometimes I'm not so great at the grace part though...

#2
How do I come up with ideas on what to post?

This is my favorite part. Like I said above, I take a lot of my inspiration from my everyday life. Those posts, I like to call Vloggy-Bloggies. (I made the name up myself :P) I normally write about what interests me, or something that I think about a lot and want to share with people. The other thing I do somewhat often is take inspiration from Pinterest. The daily journaling prompts are a somewhat useful way to go, but the daily blog post/YouTube video lists are even better. My favorite prompts are those by Hello Neverland. (Link under my signature) These make some great inspiration for seasonal posts. After this I take inspiration from YouTubers. But it rarely ever gets to the point that I need that inspiration. Not that YouTubers aren't great.

#3
Blogger: My Opinions and Advice


 I love using Blogger. It's a very simple way to start a blog and get your mind wrapped around how this whole thing works. You can even start earning money using Blogger. However, if you plan on going big with your blog, I would recommend starting your own website using something more like Wix. While blogger is great, getting your own website gives you a little bit of a boost. In the future (after college) I plan on getting a site through Wix and using that.

My cons for using Blogger is that the designing options only go so far, and that videos don't post very well, if at all. Wix is better for posting videos I've heard.

I will be linking all the blogs mentioned in this post and some of my favorites below so you can access all of them.


On another note, I have questions about festive posts!! What kind of posts do you want to see coming from us this season? Also, how do you readers feel about Christmas music throughout late November and throughout December?

Thank you so much for reading and I will see you next week!!

Kathleen
twodorkswithablog.blogspot.com

Sunday, October 29, 2017

Halloween!! - Katheen

Whenever I have exclamations in my title, there are always two of them...

Hiyo!!! Halloween is on Tuesday!! What are you guys being? I'm going to be Megara from Hercules...

I wasn't planning on being anything which was kind of a bummer because Emma and I were Thing One and Thing Two last year, and I couldn't just let that be my last Halloween costume because I feel like, even though I'm a little old to actually go Trick or Treating, I'm at the age when Halloween costumes actually get really good. When you are little, its a witch, or a princess, or Dorothy from Wizard of OZ.

Anyways, I went shopping and out to lunch with some friends lately, and we went to a thrift store in downtown Belleville. I found a vintage off-the-shoulder dress. I have been loving off the shoulder anything so much lately. It was the prettiest purple and it twirls soooo well. I can't wait to dance in it sometime! I tried it on and it fit perfectly, which rarely happens considering how short I am.

It was $36.

I bought it.
Sorry for the crappy portrait mode picture; I'll make it up to you.

I also got a super curly ponytail extension because Meg as super long hair, and I have relatively short hair. Do you remember those ponytails that were really popular a while ago, they were kind of like elastic ribbons? Some of them were glittery. I still have a rose gold one, but I don't use it, so I cut it in half and I'm going to fasten it around the top of the sleeve. That will give it a bit more of a Greek/Roman look.

We went pumpkin picking today, and I went on a photography spree, so I thought I would show the pictures to you. I got a really cool pumpkin; I love it so much I'm not carving it. I'm keeping it in my room as decoration.






This is my pumpkin.

I'm sure you all remember Braeutigams Orchards, we went there last year to get pumpkins. We got our pumpkins there this year too.

This is kind of a crappy picture, but Papi was being so cute with his pumpkin that I couldn't stand it.

Thanks so much for reading!! Comment below and tell me what your thoughts are on dressing up for Halloween, does your faith allow/encourage it?

Kathleen
twodorkswithablog.blogspot.com
braeutigamorchards.com

Friday, October 20, 2017

My Makeup Essentials -Emma

So...The daunting task of writing an intro...

Hello everyone! I'm finally here with a new post! I've been getting super into makeup lately (yes, even more than before, for those who know me). I've been watching a lot of makeup tutorials on YouTube and just obsessing a bit. So I thought the perfect post would be to talk about my essential makeup products.

To clear things up before I start: I DO NOT wear makeup everyday, in fact most days I wear little to no makeup, maybe just some concealer under my eyes and some mascara. And nor does anyone else have to wear makeup to be beautiful. I wear makeup purely because I enjoy it and like trying new styles.

So there.

Anyway.

Starting in the order in which I would put on a full face of makeup...
I use the Maybelline Baby Skin Primer. I just recently started using this after seeing it on (you guessed it) YouTube. It really does work amazing though and I like the feeling of having a barrier between my skin and all the makeup I am about to put on. I have noticed a good amount of acne disappearing after using this for a few weeks.

This is my all time favorite foundation. I've tried sO many different foundations and BB Creams in the past (even $40 ones from Sephora) and nothing compares to this. And it's at an unbeatable price too, for those of you who are like me and are usually pretty broke.

It's full coverage, not oily at all. I use a brush to blend it out (which I will show later). I use the shade 120 for anyone who is wondering.

Yet another Maybelline product...
This is the everyday concealer I use. It works pretty darn well. My only complaint with this product is sometimes it doesn't come out very well onto the sponge and just doesn't cover enough. And it is a bit pricey for the size. But overall, it is one of the best drugstore concealers around.

I swear the Maybelline products will end soon! This is the powder I use. It's from the same collection as the foundation I use. This pressed powder is actually amazing. Some days I really just use this on my face and nothing else. It just smooths everything out and makes your face look much more natural when you're wearing foundation. I LOVE it!

This is the highligher/blush I use on days that I'm doing more light makeup. It has just enough glow, but isn't too glowy. It also gives a great amount of color on your cheeks. I like to take my highlighter brush and just swirl the two together so they combine (saw this from Summer McKeen on YouTube).

Next up: brows. I am a blonde, so doing my brows is a must. My eyebrows are basically non existent without this. I use the Maybelline (of course) Brow Define and Fill Duo. This works fantastically, even better than the Sephora brand pencil I used to use.

This is my absolute favorite makeup item at the moment, and probably the only high end product I will have in this post. This is the Too Faced Sweet Peach Palette. The colors are so vibrant, and the palette smells like peaches. I've only had this for about a week but have been using this constantly. It does run on the very high end of prices at $48. But I was lucky enough to get it with a coupon I had to save a few dollars.

I normally use a few different products for my eyelashes, but my favorite is this Loreal Voluminous Lash Paradise mascara. It really works like a dupe of the "Better Than Sex" mascara from Too Faced. So this saves you like, $14.

Lastly, I will show my favorite brushes. From left to right: Elf Foundation Brush, Luxe Cosmetics Foundation Brush (but I use this for bronzer/ contouring), Glamour Dolls Highlighter Brush (for highlighter and blush), and Elizabeth Mott Blending Brush (for eye shadow).

Thank for all so much for reading! I think this might be the longest blog post I have ever written... probably because I tend to rant about makeup...

Let me know if you'd like me to do a post on the Too Faced Sweet Peach pallet, because I would love to do a few tutorials.

Talk to you all soon!

-Emma


Sunday, October 15, 2017

Let's Just Chat - Kathleen

Sometimes I feel like the posts I write, while very often on schedule and grammatically correct, they aren't very personal...

Hey guys!!!! How are you! I hope you are all having a wonderful month so far, we are almost half-way through! Comment down below and tell me what you are doing for Halloween or if you are dressing up. I am going to be Meg from Hercules.

Anyways, today I thought I would just kind of chat with you, I want to just talk and get to know you all, because you all hear from me pretty much weekly, but I never hear from most of you. (Some of us are actually friends who I talk to often)

So lately I been doing a lot of school and it's actually a little better than last year. To be brutally honest, last year I was a bit of a slacker, and while my Latin situation was not ideal, I can't blame all of last year on that. I had a pretty rough winter, what with my grandma dying somewhat unexpectedly and then a week after her funeral we left on a 4 day (round trip) drive to Washington DC for the March for Life where I think I hurt my knee and had a really rough time walking around DC. I'm so grateful for my amazing teachers who were all so understanding, however, I know I could have done better. Because of how behind I was, I started procrastinated on school (because I was lazy) then I got more behind and piled up, which resulted in me cramming on everything and just trying to pass classes, which by my standards is getting Bs.

So last year was a really crappy year, which scared me a lot. What with college prep coming up, I definitely feel the pressure to get good grades and stay on top of anything. So I resolved to take good, thorough notes and submit every assignment the day the assignment was due. I took that super seriously during the first maybe 10 weeks which resulted in me exhausting myself and, honestly, working way too hard. I laid of a little bit so I wasn't over-working myself, but still getting good grades and working hard. So this year has, so far, been much better than last year.

Speaking of college, Mom and I are going to Atchison, Kansas to visit Benedictine College. I'm interested in a major in Communications and they also have a minor in Film Studies. I'm also interested in Ave Maria (in Ave Maria, Florida) , they also have a major in Communications and also a minor in Family and Society, which I thought would be VERY beneficial for when I have kids/start a family. Lastly, St. Katherine's in St. Paul, Minnesota has a major in Communications and also Family and Consumer Science. That encompasses both the family and the blogger/I-don't-know-what-to-call-it-but-I-have-it-in-my-head. So those are my college thoughts.

I haven't been doing any activities outside of school for various reasons. I stopped taking piano lessons. It wasn't that I hated piano and it also wasn't because I didn't like my teacher. My piano teacher was amazing, and I love her teaching techniques. I honestly think, she is the best piano teacher I know and it would be hard to top her. The are a few, simple reasons why I stopped taking lessons. A) College is coming up. I'm not planning on majoring in any music, so I want to focus on getting ready for it. B) I wasn't feeling the motivation to keep working and pushing ahead. I was feeling like a machine plunking out notes and not feeling any passion towards the music. Many pianists (or any musician) go through this, but normally in phases. I've gone through phases of not enjoying it, but this one was lasting something around six months, which is crazy. I decided to take a break. I'm super glad I did. I still play a little here and there, in fact, because I took a break, I'm so much happier playing now than I was. I'm working on Perfect by Ed Sheeran. (but the piano music is by The Piano Guys) If any of you are curious about a good sheet music website, I can tell you about one.

So that's a little bit about my life right now; I hope you enjoyed it! Tell me a little about your life!


WAIT WAIT WAIT!!

I have an announcement to make.

So. Last year you may remember that we did Blogmas. This year we won't be doing it. It was so much fun and I loved all the festive everything, but it was sooooo much work.  I think with less posts, the festivity in each post will be upped a bit.

So.

Yeah.

Saturday, October 7, 2017

My Nightime Routine - Kathleen

Fall is here and I'm soooooo excited I would type in caps but that kind of annoys people I've heard...

Hello my lovely readers!! I have come to grace you with another blog post. It's fall and I've been feeling very cozy lately. Watching people's nighttime routines always makes me feel even more cozy so I am sharing mine with you. Lets get started!


I know this may seem early for many people, but honestly I have a somewhat old soul/brain. I go to sleep at 9:30 and 5:45 is generally the time of day I either start relaxing for the night or I go to a friends house. So I'm either chilling out, or going crazy having fun with friends: one or the other, there is no in-between. So after I eat dinner and clean up my desk, I get in the shower.


 I have been loving the JASON Normalizing Tea Tree shampoo. It helps regulate dandruff and itch which I love. Whenever I rinse my hair I feel like I have mermaid hair, but I've talked about the shampoo a few times before. My body wash is Tutti Dolci Golden Honey Praline from Bath and Body Works. I got it right around Independence Day when they had a big sale, so it was three dollars for a full size and I was like, "Yes please!!"


After I get out of the shower I slather some of NIVEA's Post Shave Balm on my legs. Yes it is a men's product, no I'm not a freak, yes it works soo well. I don't have any poke-y hairs and it's been 2 days since I shaved. Plus it moisturizes and helps keep my skin looking vibrant and not pale like are in the fall/winter. I also put a little Alberto VO5 Conditioning Hairdressing gel in my hair. Guess what. This is a men's product to. But really it's not like it does anything special for men's hair that a girl wouldn't want. It helps prevent frizz, add shine, and makes your natural highlights stand out. I don't know if anyone has noticed, but I've seen an extra vibrancy to my hair and the red-ish highlights are standing out so much in the right light.


After this I put on some comfy clothes. This sweater is a pinky/beige sweater I got at Sears, but it's by Simply Styled. I love this brand, all their clothes are so soft and comfy. I also put on my floral drop shorts. I know you wouldn't normally wear a sweater with shorts but it is super comfy and sometimes long sleeves AND pants make me a little sweaty.

Mom just got back from the grocery store and she brought home a caramel-chocolate-pecan caramel apple so I had to have some of that. Let me tell you: this was the best thing I have EVER tried. You all should eat them, or make them or whatever. Just get your hands on them somehow!


Now. If you were here about a year ago, you will remember my obsession with all things Department 56. And if you were keen, you will notice above the picture of my chocolate-caramel-apple-pecan-delicious-diabetes-ness had a Department 56 house in the background. If you are KEEN (capital letters KEEN) you will notice that it had lights inside of it. You will then remember that I could not put lights in the Dept. 56 houses last year. Well I figured it out this time. That got me a little excited. So my project tonight was to make sure all the Christmas lightbulbs worked.

I pulled all twelve houses out.

All 12 houses worked.

It's October.


By now it was about 9pm so it was time for me to get ready to go to bed. I headed into the bathroom to wash my face. I have been using Biore's Pore Unclogging Scrub to gently exfoliate my face. I can't even describe why I love this so much. But give me time because it will be in my favorites. My skin is always soooo soft I literally feel like a baby. Then I cleanse with AVEDA's Botanical Kinetics Purifying Cleansing Crème. I've already said a lot about my cleanser so I won't say much about that.

So then I just get into my jammies and cozy in bed with a good book until I fall asleep.

I really hope you enjoyed this post because I had so much fun writing it!!! Leave a comment down below telling me what your favorite fall snack is!!

Kathleen Pederson
twodorkswithablog.blogspot.com

Saturday, September 30, 2017

Would You Rather - Kathleen

I actually really love games like this.

Heyyy!! How are y'all, I hope you've finally gotten into some sort of routine with your back to school life...

Anyways, I feel like would you rather games really help you get to know a person. They kind of put you into hypothetical situations and then you get to see how the other person reacts.. if that makes sense. I have some Would You Rathers to ask my self thanks to Conversation Starters (Link in my signature) so let's get started!

Would you rather always be 10 minutes late or 20 minutes early?
I think I would always want to be 20 minutes early simply because being early is polite. Plus then I am situated. Especially with my anxiety, it is nice to get a grip on a situation/be prepared early so I don't get caught unexpected by something. Although it might be slightly awkward on dates and such I think it would be easy to explain.

Would you rather lose all your money and valuables or all the pictures you have ever taken?
I would much rather lose all my money/valuables. There is a quote I love, it says, "We take photos as a return ticket to a moment otherwise gone." This is so true. Money can't replace that. I always try to remember that when Mom wants to take a picture but I don't feel like it or something.

Would you rather be able to see 10 minutes into your future or 10 minutes into everyone else's future.
I would much rather see 10 minutes into everyone else's future. I just think it would be so much more interesting and less stressful and I would get to know someone better.

Would you rather be famous when you are alive and forgotten when you die, or forgotten while you are alive and famous when you die.
Wowza. I have no idea... Either way I would want to be famous for some good effect I left, not money or popularity or anything like that.

Would you rather live in the wilderness far from civilization or live on the streets of a city as a homeless person.
I would much rather live in the middle of nowhere. Not because being homeless sucks, but because I love quiet, and as much as I love shopping, I would totally love living in Maine or something.

Would you rather be alone for the rest of your life or always be surrounded by annoying people.
Alone. While living with so many annoying people would be great for patience, I really like being alone. Whenever Olivia is at dance, and Mom and Dad are out, it's so quiet, and I can just opera sing or bake or watch a movie or read, or basically do anything without being judged/embarrassed. That's when I take most of my blog post pictures...

Would you rather never use social media again, or never watch another movie/TV show again?
Well considering that I really only blog and use Pinterest, I would definitely choose no social media. Without a doubt. Emma's like, "No way crazy lady!" But yeah I don't really use it now so it wouldn't be that hard.

Thanks so much for reading! I hope you guys are having fun as summer turns into fall! Here in Illinois, it's still 90 degrees on average so appreciate your cool, crisp autumn air! Have an awesome week!

Kathleen
twodorkswithablog.blogspot.com
conversationstarters.com


Saturday, September 23, 2017

Morning Routine - Kathleen

Wowza. School is not fun.

Hey guys! I just had a massively productive day and then I got a ton of ideas for blog posts.

Today I'm doing a Morning Routine post. Lets just get right to it!


First thing I normally do in the morning is washing my hair. It really helps wake me up if I do it with cold water. Plus this makes me shiny. I also really love this shampoo; it really cleans my hair and I can feel it freshened and clean. Then the conditioner makes my hair feel like mermaid hair. I love it. The tea tree makes my hair smell amazing as well.

Then I eat breakfast. I didn't take a picture of this, but I had cinnamon toast and melon. Delicious. Not necessarily healthy...


Right after breakfast, I take wash my face. This starts with me brushing my teeth and then using my mouth wash. Then I wash my face with the Aveda Purifying Crème Cleanser. It's moisturizing and cleansing, and also smells amazing. I use the coldest water I possibly can because it wakes me up and it closes my pores. I'm pretty sure everyone does that though. :D


After I finish washing my face and getting dressed, I put on some hand lotion and chap-stick. Now I'm ready for the day. Now that my morning routine is done I can start school.


I always make my bed before starting school because then my room is cleaner and my productivity goes wayyy up. So yeah.

Comment down below and tell me what your morning staples are. So, that's my morning routine, I hope you enjoyed it!

Kathleen
twodorkswithablog.blogspot.com

Saturday, September 16, 2017

What's in My Beauty Drawer (Part #1) - Kathleen

Halloo!!!

How are you lovely readers?? I've had a GREAT day. I basically cleaned a whole room washed windows, washed the door frame in the sliding glass door, dusted, and I basically took a time-lapse of the whole process and it looks EPIC. I'm living the vlogger life without ACTUALLY posting it on YouTube. 😃

So when we got back from Ondessonk, my room was basically in shambles. I cleaned it up, but the drawers and everything remained jumbled up. So I just went through my drawers and decided I would do a What's in my Beauty Drawers like how people do What's in my Makeup Bag. I have two drawers so, in an effort to draw out the effect/write more blog posts, I decided to do two parts. This first part is my first drawer, which has the items that I use everyday. The second drawer will have face masks, lotions and other things that I use on more of a weekly basis. Lets get started!!



First I have my makeup bag. This is pretty much all my makeup. I don't have much but it's really all I need. I won't go into detail with this because I might do another post on that if this one is popular... The bag is from Contents by Allegro. I got it for my birthday a few years ago and I just think it is soo pretty.


This is my essentials bag. In this I have my Crest 3D White Travel Tooth Paste, Redken Sheer Straight 06 straightening gel, Alberto VO5 Conditioning Hairdressing, Loreal Straight Perfecting and Heat Protection Balm, Burt's Bees Ultra Moisturizing Lip Treatment with Kokum Butter, and then some other odds and ends such as deodorant, travel toothbrush and anti-itch cream.


In these three bags I have my hair ties and such. The one in the front has my regular ponytails and clear ponytails in them. The second one I really need to get rid of, but it has those ponytail holders that were really popular a few years ago. They were the ones that weren't supposed to make the dent in your hair.


These are my hair brushes. The black one I use when I'm blow drying my hair (which isn't often). The blue paddle brush I use just on an everyday basis. The pink comb is just for French braiding because then I can get a really good even line with the tip. The pink brush I take with me on camping trips or an overnight when I don't necessarily need it but want to have it.


Last but not least, this is my Spray Water Bottle, I just hang this on the end of the drawer and it's right there when I need it!

That's all that is in my top drawer, if you like this comment what you use every day!!

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you have a lovely week!


Kathleen
twodorkswithablog.blogspot.com

Friday, September 15, 2017

Study Tips -Emma

Hello everyone! Since school has just started again (insert crying face here), I thought I would share some study tips with you all! These are all things that I do that really help me stay motivated to study, and more importantly- get good grades. 


Tip #1: Turn off distractions
It's important to turn off your T.V, cell phone, radio, and to study in a quiet space where you won't be bothered while studying. If you don't want to turn off your phone completly, put it on do not disturb and put it somewhere out of sight. Those text messages can wait until later!

Tip #2: Take frequent breaks
Studying for 15-30 minutes at a time with 10 minute breaks in between is the most effective way of studying. You'll be much more focused and motivated to study, and you will memorize information much easier. Just make sure to use your break time wisely. For example, instead of watching a show on Netflix, eat a snack and check social media. If you sit down and start watching Pretty Little Liars, you know you won't be getting back to studying anytime soon.

Tip #3: Make colorful notes
Using colorful index cards and highlighting topics in different colors has been proven to help you remember things. Index cards are great for memorizing definitions, or you can make up your own questions and quiz youself with them. 

Tip #4: Reward yourself
When I'm studying for a long period of time, I like to reward myself with candy after I finish a certain amount of work. For example, if I have to read 3 chapters in my Science textbook and take notes, I will get a Reece's peanut butter cup after I complete each chapter. It just helps me stay motivated to keep going.  (Plus, eating chocolate while studying has been proven to help the brain retain information!)

Tip #5: Make a playlist
Some people find it hard to concentrate when it's completly silent. The perfect solution to this is making a study playlist on Spotify. You can either make your own, or listen to one of Spotify's premade playlists. I listen to "Intense Studying". You wouldn't believe how much it helps me concentrate. If you're making your own playlist, just make sure they are non-lyrical songs. Those will just distract you even more. 

I hope you all enjoyed this post! Let me know what helps you study in the comments below. 

Until next week..

-Emma

Saturday, September 9, 2017

3 Summer Favorites - Kathleen

Two weeks of school are down. Bring it on world.

I say that with dark circles under my eyes.

Hey guys!! I'm so excited to share with you my 3 summer favorites!!! As I told you with my Spring favorites, my favorites posts will be small if there at all. I feel like this may be a little easier on all of us because, while favorites are fun to watch, they aren't as fun to read or write. Plus that means my wallet won't hurt so much.

Cool. Now that we have discussed that, lets get on to the post!!


First thing is the LUSH BB Seaweed Fresh Face Mask. I just got this a week ago but it made it into the favorites. I really feel like this is great when you have really been slacking on your skin or you are having a major breakout and you don't know what to do. It really just takes everything on your face, and just tones it all down. It also feels amazing in the summer because it is chilled in the refrigerator.


Next up is the Alberto Vo5 Leave in Conditioner. I LOVE this. You put it in after washing your hair. It helps make highlights (natural and fake) stand out and soften your hair. Honestly, I can't get away with washing my hair and letting it air dry, but this REALLY makes it less fuzzy. Then if I'm having a particularly fluffy day, or I need to take care of some fly-aways, this is a life-saver. Just smooth in a TINY squeeze of it and the fly-aways are gone and your hair is shiny. It's awesome.


Last but not least is this book. This is How to Find Your Soulmate Without Losing Your Soul: 21 Secrets for Women by Jason and Crystalina Evert. This is a book guiding anyone (but especially Catholics) on their journey of finding their soulmate. Even if you aren't Catholic this is just a great book to help you avoid heartache and have the genuine relationship you crave. It was really inspiring and I highly recommend that you read it, even if you think you have things figured out.


Thank you so much for reading and I hope you have an amazing week!! I will be back on Saturday with another post!

Kathleen
twodorkswithablog.blogspot.com

Saturday, September 2, 2017

The Great American Eclipse - Kathleen

Hey guys!!!

So I hope you can tell what this post is going to be about. If you don't, I will tell you.

On August 21st, 2017 at 1:21 P.M. Central Standard Time, in Carbondale, Illinois, the moon covered the sun and blocked out 100% of its surface. The exact point of  the shadow reached earth and traveled over the United States of America. The 70 mile wide shadow traveled a path through Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Southern Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, and South Caroline before ending at the Eastern most tip of Africa.

I was lucky enough to travel to Camp Ondessonk to view the Eclipse. Camp Ondessonk, a Catholic summer camp, is south of Carbondale, Illinois. Camp Ondessonk was directly on the line of totality which meant that we had 2 minutes and 39.7 seconds of totality.

First contact was at 10:45 am so we were out in the field with the astronomers at 10:30. It was incredible to be able to look directly at the sun through our glasses. At about 10 minutes to totality (1:11pm) the shadows became very sharp. Everything looked like a picture with the contrast turned up. Thunder clouds were illuminated on the horizon. It was incredible to see the orange sunset and then the thunderclouds.


This is essentially what it looked like minus the ship and the sun (or lack thereof, heehee) was bigger.

At 2 minutes until totality the light disappeared. In 30 seconds it went from mid-day light to about 8 pm dusk/twilight.

Then totality hit.

My words will be nothing compared to the real thing.

The first thing you see is the diamond ring. This is the last little bit of the sun's light escaping the moon's coverage. It actually looks like a massive diamond ring. Then you see Bailey's Beads. This is actually the last bit of the sun shining through the valley's and craters of the moon. Then the shadow of the moon races over you and 140,000 mph. It's so fast that if you don't have the right elevation and space you won't see it. All I noticed was that the dark sky, got even darker drastically. Then it all happened backwards. And it got brighter.

It's amazing how life changing two minutes and thirty-nine point seven seconds without the sun can be. All the night life came out, the horses went inside.

The next eclipse is in 2024. You HAVE GOT to find a way to get to this eclipse. Camp Ondessonk will be doing another session. My words mean nothing, that picture means nothing until you see it. You can google all the pictures you want to, watch all the documentaries on Netflix, and listen to all the stories, but you have GOT to have your own experience. And when you do, don't take a picture to post on Instagram. I know how many comments it will get and the likes, but it doesn't matter. Will you have seen it and taken it in?

Have an amazing Labor Day!!

Kathleen
twodorkswithablog.blogspot.com

Friday, September 1, 2017

Quick Update - Kathleen

Hi everyone!

So I just wanted to update you on some stuff.

Really just one thing. :P

So this past week you may have noticed that a Blogmas post went up. "Why would that go up? It's literally August?" you probably said to yourself.

I have no idea why it went up. It's like it got reposted or something. Then, again, later on, I had a post scheduled for a weekend, and it went up in the middle of the week. As if someone hacked the blog and started messing with stuff.

Now before you freak out, I don't think anyone hacked the blog. I set up an alert for this blog to send an email to me if anything odd happens, and nothing has come back yet. So, if this blog gets hacked, don't worry. Emma and I are going to have a "meeting" (literally just a google hangouts XD) and talk about some stuff, maybe explore some security options.

I just wanted to update you on that. I know we don't have a huge viewer audience, but guys, just remember to be kind ad respect people's privacy. It was even a little scary for me to see two posts go up without our permission.

Thank you so much!!

Saturday, August 26, 2017

Breakfast on the Go - Kathleen

Hi guys!!

This is Kathleen from the past because Kathleen from the present just got back from camping and probably horseback riding. I was at Camp Ondessonk for the eclipse on Monday.

Since school has started, (or is starting for some) I figured I would write a post about some on the go breakfast ideas. Insert a random mom talking about how breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But seriously, it is. Aside from breakfast giving you essential nutrients and vitamins (shouldn't every meal?) having a good breakfast can determine your mood for the day. For example: you are running out the door and don't have time for anything but a piece of toast. No butter, no jelly, just toast. How are you going to feel emotionally after that? Like a crab. On the flipside, if you got to sit down and eat a delicious meal (heehee, it only took you five minutes) that fills you up just enough and gives you key nutrients, one would probably feel much happier and awake.

So, today I am going to show you just how many breakfasts you can make and eat in 15 minutes. Let's go.

#1 Oatmeal

When I used to think of oatmeal, I thought of mush that didn't taste good without too much maple syrup. Now I really like it. I like putting strawberries, blueberries and chia seeds on it. Besides toppings, finding a healthy oatmeal to make is tricky. Lots of different oatmeals put too many sugars and sweeteners in them. I really like the Think Thin oatmeal. They come in portioned packages. They are super easy to make and are a quick, healthy breakfast that will keep you full and awake!

#2 Toaster Waffles

SHOCKER!!! Healthy toaster waffles!! Seriously, Kashi has Gluten Free/Vegan toaster waffles. Guys they taste delicious!! I like putting blackberries and honey on mine, but they have suggestions on the back as to other toppings such as peanut butter, bananas, and chia seeds. They are super easy to make and honestly guilt-free!

#3 Toast

Now I know what you are thinking, "Kathleen, you just said that eating a piece of toast on the way out the door is not good for you." But this is different. This is heaven on a slice of bread. People. Trust me. Toast a whole slice of bread. Spread peanut butter over it (thin layer) cut up any fruit, drizzle on some honey, generously sprinkle some chia seeds. Oh my Lord, it's so easy and soo good. Look at it like this, if you use whole wheat bread, (like I do) you get your grains, your protein, and your fruits, all on one piece of toast. What could be better?! And you can literally put whatever fruit  you want on it, it really is a seasonal thing. I love putting peaches on it. But you could use strawberries, kiwis, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, bananas, melon, or even cranberries. The options are endless. I highly recommend that you make this for breakfast tomorrow.


Now you don't have an excuse for not sitting down and eating breakfast!! And if you are so late that you can't even make these, you need to read my last post on school organization.

Thank you so much for reading! Tell me in the comments what your favorite breakfast item is!

Kathleen

Friday, August 18, 2017

Dog Photography -Emma

Hello everyone! I've been taking a lot of photos of my puppy, Sadie, lately and thought I would share them with you all! I know these are not anywhere near professional, but in the next few months I really want to get a DSLR camera and start taking professional photos of my pets! I think it would be so much fun and I'd be able to take my hobby to a whole new level.

I'm pretty sure this is my favorite photo ever taken of Sadie. I took it on Sadie's
first official hiking trip when my family and I went camping at Rend Lake for the weekend.
She's rocking the red bandana and looks super adventurous (and cuddly).

Don't you just wanna boop her nose? I know you want to.
I took this last Saturday at the farmers market. She had such a good time, and got tons
of attention. She's also modeling a bandana that I made for my Etsy shop, FureverFriendsCo.

This one was also taken while camping at Rend Lake. It was one of Sadie's
first sunsets. It's a low quality picture but I still think it's beautiful.

Sadie was all smiles because it's FRIDAY! 
(she actually just reallyyy wanted the treat I was holding up)

I bought her this new dinosaur toy the other day and let's just say she's absolutely 
IN LOVE with this dinosaur. It's her new best friend. She carries it around with her everywhere, sleeps with it, it's the cutest thing ever. Ugh. 

Lastly, a photo documenting the start of her first fall. So far she's loving chasing (and eating)
all the leaves falling off the trees.


That's it! I hope you all liked seeing all these photos! I guess you could say I'm a littleeeee obsessed with my dog. But that's okay, I have no shame. If you'd like to see more of Sadie, you can check out her Instagram account, @sadieonthemove. 

I'm planning some new back to school and fall related posts for these next few weeks, so look out for those!

Talk to ya'll later!

-Emma