I know that for many people Black Friday can be very stressful and more about the sales rather than the experience, but that is not the case for me! This was only my second time Black Friday shopping, but I absolutely love it! Of course the sales are great, but the feeling waking up after an amazing Thanksgiving feast to another full day of fun where I get to spend time with my mom, aunt, and friend exploring the stores and simply enjoying the festivity of the holiday season is what makes this day so exciting to me. Anyways, I thought I would share with you all the goodies I picked up on Black Friday! Though I purchased very little compared to most shoppers on this special sales day, I still thought you might enjoy seeing what I purchased.

Bosnia Luminizing Black Charcoal Mask. 

The first purchase I made was at Sephora where I picked up this face mask! I was very skeptical about getting this product, but my friend, who had watched many reviews on this mask and had included it on her "Black Friday shopping list," convinced me to buy it. I am very glad I did, because so far it has worked very well for me. Let me know if you'd like to see a review on this mask!

               

Lush is one of my absolute favorite stores, and I especially love it during the holidays! Deciding that I would come back another time to pick up gifts and holiday bath bombs, all I picked up were these Crème De Menthe toothy tabs, because I ran out of my other ones. I believe that these are either specific to the holidays or are just new, because I've never seen them before. Ever since my mom bought me toothy tabs for Christmas last year I've been obsessed, and I've used them ever since! Anyways, these ones are super minty and refreshing, so if you are looking to try these out and that is what you like, then I would definitely recommend giving these a try.

Because I am obsessed with candles (especially around the 

stores that sells them: Anthropologie!  This Fir And Firewood

Candle smells exactly like a Christmas tree, and I cannot wait to use it!

Georgetown University Tee.

The only clothing item I purchased on the actual day of Black Friday is this Georgetown University Tee in a size large so I could wear this as a pajama top or simply a shirt to just lounge around in.  

In today's post I am sharing with you all my goals for December! I love making goals and constantly working to better myself. I find that creating a short list of goals for each month is very motivating for me, and making my goals specific and measurable helps me to achieve them. I hope that you enjoy seeing what I hope to accomplish this December, and let me know if you would like me to do more "monthly goals" posts in the future!

In the spirit of Thanksgiving I wanted to share with you all some of the things I am thankful for. I am of course so incredibly thankful for my loving and supportive family as well as my friends, home, education, and much more, but I thought instead I would share with you all some of the little things in life that I am grateful for and that I love. 

I am grateful for...

1. Avocado Toast.

2. Sunsets & Sunrises.

3. Acaí bowls.

4. Good books.

5. Taking off on a plane.

6. Falling asleep to the sound of rain.

7. Christmas pajamas.

8. Snow days.

9. Throw pillows.

10. Lush bath bombs.

11. Photo booth pictures.

12. Cookie dough.

13. Fuzzy socks.

14. Candles.

15. Cold watermelon in the summertime.

16. Fairy lights.

17. Swimming in the ocean.

18. Finding shells.

19. Pumpkin patches.

20. Christmas ornaments.

21. Dressing up.

22. Harry Potter.

23. Sitting by the fire.

24. Frozen blueberries.

25. Exploring cities.

26. Herbal tea.

27. The perfect jeans.

28. Palm trees.

29. Murals.

30. Blue water.

31. Going out for breakfast.

32. Getting into bed after a long day.

33. The smell of the Christmas tree.

34. Baking with friends.

35. Christmas lights.

36. Getting a letter in the mail.

37. Trader Joes.

38. Cashmere sweaters.

39. Watermelon juice.

40. Christmas music.

41. Trying new foods.

42. Homemade pizza.

43. Jamba juice.

44. Consignment shops.

45. Late night grocery store trips.

46. Sledding.

47. Colorful walls.

48. Disney movies.

49. Clear umbrellas.

50. Bike rides.

51. Dried fruit.

52. Icicles.

53. Old movies.

54. Smoothies.

55. Bubble baths.

56. Sand dollars.

57. Cute boutiques.

58. Avocado sushi.

59. Stars.

60. Rainy fall days.

61. Pumpkin seeds.

62. Waking up Christmas morning.

63. Doggy snuggles.

64. Sleeping in the cold under warm blankets.

65. Chestnuts around Christmas time.

66. City streets.

67. Mountains.

68. White Christmases.

69. The sound of waves crashing onto the shore.

70. Night flights when you can see the city lights far below.

71. Hitchcock movies.

72. Blue skies.

73. Daffodils in the springtime.

74. Fresh tomato sauce in the summertime.

75. Movies with Jimmy Stewart.

76. Scarves.

77. Picking fruit.

78. Being snowed in.

79. The sound of birds singing in the morning.

80. Pool floats.

81. Outdoor showers.

82. Coconuts at the beach.

83. Hammocks.

84. Outdoor restaurants.

85. Giving dogs tummy rubs.

86. Handmade jewelry.

87. Waterfalls.

88. Le pain quotidien.

89. Florescent signs.

90. Puppies' paws.

91. Parfaits on the airplane.

92. Breakfast buffets.

93. The sound of horse hooves.

94. Warm towels.

95. Board games by the fire.

96. Stockings above the fireplace.

97. Birthday cards.

98. Night swimming.

99. Eating snow.

100. Laughing so hard you can't breathe.

1. Home Alone.

2. Home Alone 2.

3. Elf.

4. It's A Wonderful Life.

5. The Nightmare Before Christmas.

6. The Polar Express.

7. How The Grinch Stole Christmas.

8. Arthur Christmas.

I know it might seem a bit early to create a holiday bucket list seeing that November has almost just began, but as they say, it is the most wonderful time of the year! I've also already created my Christmas playlist, so I am prepared for this holiday season! Anyways, I hope you enjoy reading my holiday bucket list, and I hope that it gives you a couple of ideas about what you can do this time of year!

1. Bake Christmas cookies.

2. Complete a Christmas puzzle.

3. Play a board game by the fire.

4. Go iceskating in an outdoor rink.

5. Watch my favorite Christmas movies.

6. Attend the Christmas parade in my town.

7. Make a gingerbread house.

8. Watch a Christmas movie in theaters.

9. Go Christmas shopping.

10. Decorate my room for Christmas.

If you missed out on my previous blog post, you wouldn't know that back in October my mom and I returned to the city of Philadelphia after falling in love with it on our short trip in the summertime. Rather than creating one big blog post covering our trip, I decided to break it apart into smaller posts and dig a little bit deeper into our travels and talk more specifically about some of the highlights of our visit. My previous post was all about our experience touring Eastern State Penitentiary, the world's first true penitentiary that is famous all around the world, but today's post is going to cover something very different from the ominous and awe-inspiring prison- Reading Terminal Market.

Reading Terminal Market is one of the countries biggest and oldest public markets. There are over eighty vendors offering a wide assortment of authentic cuisines, and many small shops selling baked goods, sandwiches, and chocolate, as well as ingredients and kitchen appliances. The colorful florescent signs, various smells that drift through the air, and hustle and bustle of people inside this market are only a part of what makes it so enjoyable. If crowds are really not your thing, this place may be a little stressful for you to navigate through, but the delicious foods and simply the atmosphere of this market makes up for it.

This is where we dined for lunch. The food here was so fresh and authentic, and, like the other countertop style restaurants, it is perfect if you are in a crunch for time!

After falling in love with Philadelphia when my family visited during the summertime to tour colleges with my older sister, my mom and I returned over my fall break back in October to get another chance to explore this city. There are so many things to do and places to see in this beautiful city. The first adventure my mom and I embarked on was touring Eastern State Penitentiary.

Operating from 1829-1971, it was the world's first "penitentiary" and is one of the most famous prisons, having housed several of America's most infamous criminals such as Al Capone and Willie Sutton.  It is amazing to be able to walk the halls of this historic prison and enter the cells that some of the most notorious crooks lived in. The self-guided audio tours including interviews with former guards and prisoners that the museum offers free of charge are very informative and educational but also provide the listener with insight as to what is was like for those who worked and lived here.

So if you are ever in the area I would definitely recommend paying a visit to Eastern State- you won't regret it! I hope you like my photos, and look out for my future blog posts about my recent trip to Philly!