#and i am already the pickiest person in the world

[tyrannuspitch]

fruitlessly breaking my back in the FFN mines again :/

[lightgaswaterelectricityrent]

games I have been able to enjoy despite being the pickiest person on earth.

Minami Lane: cute cafe/shop sim-esque game but with a town design component. it's very simple (theme already emerging) and short but I was not disappointed with that and it has sandbox mode. i'm not going to open my games to take screenshots but I'll show you steam images I suppose for visual interest

Unpacking: this game is not like A Little to the Left. I actually bought a little to the left first because of people saying this and it seemed like a toss up and that was a waste of money. idk all I can say is I really like this game. you unpack stuff from boxes cutely. please disassociate it from a little to the left

Townscaper: "game" is perhaps a stretch as there is no objective. there are no points. there aren't even really options. You can take one modular piece and build it into towers and walls and stuff and things happen when you do that. this is also on mobile

Chiki's Chase: this is a mobile game I am completely addicted to. out of all these games it has had an actual impact on my brain like I do have to play Chiki's Chase every day. it's an infinite runner/platformer that is just. very very good. I believe it is ad free but you will probably want to buy the full game anyway. I can't look at the stats page anymore because it shows hours played and it's hard for me to think about that

well those are the four games I like. the steam sale started today and these are all already cheap

I also like animal crossing wild world

[tiredrobin]

I have the theory that Six’s hunger could be caused not only because of her time in the tower, but also because of the added grief of having to let go/end his friendship with Mono.

i mean thats definitely a possibility. i think the game leaves enough up for interpretation that anyone can reach a fair number of nuanced conclusions that could be true. hunger for connection is a thing people suffer from, esp in scary, isolating situations.

its probably not .... an idea i personally ascribe to? but it isnt a bad idea, genuinely. it is 100% just personal preference. to be clear, i really care for mono, but my focus tends to be on six and i get a little... disinterested, i guess, the more things have to do directly with mono. like, her whole story is already defined by that first meeting and subsequent survival adventure with him. she's still haunted by what happened in the form of her lingering remnant (who i call statix :] shes also my daughter), and we see allusions and signs of mono's influence on her life in subtle ways throughout the first game. so theories that tend to link her connection even deeper don't always sit well with me and it's just because i am a little tired of female characters only having anything worth minding due to male characters?

i generally perceive her hunger to be a result of being consumed and losing a part of herself. she got a bit digested. statix, her remnant, is an echo of what went missing (or at least implied to be, given that we see statix only when six is eating), and statix is closest to six when she's eating the lady, so it's like... trying to consume what's missing?

hm, actually, eating a person to regain something of what was missing (and failing, i imagine) could be associated with connection. cannibalism is often associated with intimacy and connection, so it's an even shorter line of connection from hunger to the desire for companionship if you look at it like that. wham bam i just potentially maybe fleshed out your theory some more huzzah

once again, to reiterate, your idea is a good one. it makes logical sense, thematical sense, emotional sense, story sense. it works. i am just the world's pickiest person to ever exist when it comes to characters who mean as much as six does to me, so For Me i'm not too invested in that idea. however, i think i'd love to see others play with it more, i think it's really cool to watch how others interpret and interact with a media (when it doesn't have to do with mistreating my best girl).

thank u for sharing!!

[fyodior]

nsfw is fine for me, it can be sfw if you want

not comfy w/ sharing my real name on here so lets just go with Lycoris

i am a computer science student in college

im 5'8, white, i have blue/gray eyes, and dark red dyed hair in a bob with bangs

i am the parental friend who will ask questions, talk to people, keep us out of trouble, volunteer for things etc UNTIL i fimd someone who i trust enough to do that for me. then its chaos. i have adhd if that helps anything lol

enfp

i play genshin, persona 5, and minecraft; i play the guitar and sometimes write music (also sing and play a couple other instruments); i like reading literature: i watch anime; i like solving puzzles and working with technology; i occasionally upload on youtube or stream on twitch (not sharing it to tumblr lol) (im also a christian but im here on a tumblr smut acc)

im a very picky eater, i swear im like a child, i dont try anything i dont already like. i am a very assertive and opinionated person so if i dont like something You Will Know. but at the same time i can keep it back to be polite (except for food im sorry i will live off of ramen until i die)

any of the adult males, fuckin surprise me

nope nothing else to add <3

lycoris x ranpo

✧ surpriseee your silly little man is The ranpo edogawa himself

✧ you guys work so well bc you both compliment and counteract each other. you're very similar in some ways but complete opposites in others, which is. essential for relationships

✧ ranpo is a (loveable) dumbass and could definitely use your parental friend abilities, mostly when it comes to like changing lightbulbs, taking the train, doing the fucking laundry. he's so smart but so stupid pls be patient with him

✧ BUT i think he very much could step up and be that person you could trust wholeheartedly. you could let your chaos show with him he could handle it. he might match it with his own crazy tho bfdakljfk

✧ i would be SCARED to see your guys' kitchen dkfjkadsljf like oh my god. you both are the worlds pickiest eaters, and ranpo's obsession with snacks and sweets...... you would need an entire pantry shelf dedicated to just ramen and another one just for all of his candy. id get a fucking cavity just from entering the room

✧ you're slightly taller than him (2 inches) but he absolutely refuses to admit this. when he stands next to you he'll stand a bit on his tippie toes and everyone just pretends its not happening LMAO poor ranpo </3

✧ you hardcore bond over your love for puzzles and reading and problem solving. this is likely how the two of you ended up meeting and/or interacting for the first time, and is something relatively integral to your relationship. its something that both calms you down and can start fights fkjdalj;f like if you solved a poe novel first he wouldn't speak to you for like 3 days

✧ you are both . very opinionated and this can be good and bad

✧ bad in that you'd have to be very conscious about the fact that you inevitably will butt heads, and knowing the best ways for the two of you to cool off either together or individually.

✧ good because if you guys share a really strong opinion about a certain tv show or hatred for a person that is. talking material for DAYS you could both get hyperfixated on the same things and everyone at the agency is like oh jesus fucking christ. not them again

✧ you'll def find yourselves in arguments about the silliest things which isn't necessarily a bad thing sdlkjfdsjk like one morning you're bickering because ranpo was like NO YOU DEFINITELY HAVE MORE MARSHMALLOWS IN YOUR LUCKY CHARMS THAN I DO and you're like WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING A BOUT

✧ i promise i genuinely think you guys would work well together i really do fklajfkdj

✧ i dont think he really understands video games at all, like thats not his thing. but he def will sit there absolutely mesmerized as you stream.

✧ i know cockwarming where the guy is the one playing the games but why cant it be the other way around. u ride him as you play video games. why not. i said so

✧ he'd LOVE listening to you play music

✧ anyway. power couple. the two of you would drive everyone at the agency insane with your antics but they'd all love you too :)

[mournus]

unbite​:

     the vampire nods in agreement. it was better this way. he knows that. he only hopes that when svetlana is old enough to understand, that she grows to know that, too. “i am surprised,” pasha says suddenly after another sip of his drink. “your brother is horrid with her. she screeches like a banshee when he’s in the same room.” he had thought, originally, that it was his reaper nature that put off svetlana. taehyun had disproven that hypothesis. 

    “you are so good with her. all children, i can only assume. you seem the type to have a handful of them.” not only was he good with children, but it seemed even the pickiest of children were soothed by his presence. seeing svetlana passed out on his shoulder, half snoring, is nothing short of a wonder of the world. it’s… sad. a pity, really, that taehyun may not have the opportunity to have children of his own. reapers surely couldn’t be fertile. 

Tae-hyun could only chuckle, a sound he couldn’t describe for himself. It just wasn’t surprising at all. Animals didn’t like Tae-min, why would children? There was just something about him that those purest saw and didn’t trust. A shame, but probably unavoidable. 

“I assure you I don’t have a handful of children,” though the idea made him smile, “as a monk we regularly cared for children, they were often left to live with us, or just sent to us to be taught. I suppose... I suppose part of me always wanted to give children what I never had.” His willingness to speak of this came from his assumption that Tae-min had already explained they’d both been orphaned. “I do adore children regardless, though, and perhaps hyung is the opposite of me. Maybe he is jealous of Svetlana, and that is why he is as he is. He doesn’t want to see someone have what he didn’t.” Oh... “Please don’t tell him I said that...” hah... “It’s just my theory, anyway.” The final sentence spoken more softly as he stroked Svetlana’s hair. “Don’t take his actions personally. He is in fact very loving and caring. He died trying to save my life, after all.”

[clare-with-no-i]

i can tell you with absolute 100% certainty that bond & free does absolutely bring something new to the Marauders Table. i’m very (very!) picky (probably the pickiest) when it comes to fics—especially long ones and your take on their world is i think probably my fav (ever). although i know it probably doesn’t mean much coming from a mere stranger on the internet lol b&f is something just so beautiful unique and intricately written that i couldn’t put it down the first time i read it (that’s not to say i was able to put it down either on my many, many rereads). i couldn’t tell you the number of times i’ve ranted to my sister about this story (or any other of your works if we’re being honest) and just completely suffocated her with how—simply put—beautiful it is. like, if i were only allowed to read one canon marauders story, it would have to be yours because every bit of it is exactly how i imagined their lives would be/should have been. whether that’s the music and snippets of dance scenes we get that perfectly capture their era, the perspectives of each of the characters no matter how small (marlene? regulus? i mean c’mon. i reread their bits on too many occasions), and just simply the prose and clearly calculated pacing overall. it’s everything i as a marauders stan could look for. i could probably write a whole 12-page essay analyzing each chapter (probably every perspective too) and still not be able to tell you how much i adore bond & free and honestly? how much it’s helped me. it’s a wondrous thing, the abilities writers (that’s you!) across the world and internet have to write the words others are unable to form. anyway, i don’t want to drown you in my admiration more than i already have but, although i know it’s a normal occurrence and i probably too do it enough for the both of us, i really hope your doubt on this story and any of your other works mellows and fades because your writing is bewitching and all around divine :)

omg. ok. I have been sitting here with this all day, going back and forth between looking at it / getting teary-eyed and closing the tab / reminding myself that I am a human person who understands how to comport herself and cannot weep in the middle of the day.

first, I'm sorry I babbled at you in that last message, it was just a perfect storm of Bond and Free emotions in my head and I was so shocked to receive a message about it in that particular moment, so I just sort of unleashed my fears about the story onto you. which is unfair! you were just giving me a compliment and I dragged you into my writer woes, lol. so - sorry about that!

but mostly, I really just cannot overstate how much this means to me. I am just blown away, knocked flat, bowled over, all of those things and more. I am so glad that my story has had an impact on you, and so honored that you've read and reread it and enjoyed it. I'm really not sure what else I can say other than thank you so so so much for sharing this with me, and lifting my spirits, and being so kind and eloquent and lovely. I am just...a pile of emotion.

ok. gotta go before more tears. love u very much. thank u again. <3

[klanced]

Here's a question: If you were to estimate; what percentage of voltron fanfic would you say is good and why

Okay, disclaimer: I am the pickiest person on the planet with EXTREMELY specific tastes and probably too many opinions to live a healthy lifestyle so when I say that only like... 15% of Voltron fanfic is good, please take that with the grainiest of salt grains. I also don’t go on Ao3 that much, let alone Voltron Ao3, so this number/figure may not be entirely accurate.

Uhhhhh a quick rundown of my story tastes:

I don’t really care about Modern AUs or AUs in general. 

The occasional re-imagining of the VLD cast in a new setting can be interesting, but there’s so many of them nowadays that it’s all just kind of white noise to me.

My favorite kinds of fics are canon divergence AUs (UAs?) or stories set within canon. This can include rewrites, but honestly I just love stories where the writers take advantage of the MANY time skips in Voltron to send the team on some wacky adventure that always involves great world/universe building and team-bonding. That’s my shittt.

I actually love chat fic aus but they have to be OUTRAGEOUSLY good/funny like you have to NAIL the characterizations perfectly. Including the typing styles. This is essential, and it’s incredibly hard to do. At least according to my interpretation of the characters lmfaoooo

Ngl, I kind of hate soulmate AUs. 

It’s nice to imagine that you have a destined someone out there, but soulmate aus where you have matching birthmarks or the first words on your body or whatever? I really dislike that. 

It feels like a total jumping of the gun to me. You make eye-contact with someone and suddenly you see in color for the first time; okay??? They’re still a stranger to you? And now you have to fall in love. It takes away the need for relationship development, because you both already know how you’re supposed to end up. 

My one exception to this are Soulmate AUs where you have the words/a birthmark symbolizing the exact moment your soulmate realized they loved you. Because that’s what I want - stories where characters choose, and keep choosing to, love each other.

I also dislike fics that sideline other characters in favor of only focusing on the main couple. This is especially pertinent when it comes to a lot of Klance fics... Bro It’s Okay If Keith And Lance Have Other People In Their Lives. Bro We Are Teens.

i s2g if i have to read pidge serving as a relationship counselor to klance one more time............ bro she is like TEN . 

^ okay oversimplification but i hate fics where shiro/hunk/pidge/allura basically exist only to act as klance cheerleaders because like first of all obviously all the characters want the best for their friends but do they actually give a shit about the complicated and weird interpersonal dynamics of two differently emotionally constipated teen boys?? well yes, but also NO!!!!!!!!!!! they have their own shit to do! stop making them conveniently available so they can hold keith’s hand and guide him towards his own emotional realization!! LET THE BOY WORK FOR A CHANGE . HE NEEDS TO PAY RENT.

*ahem* anyway please don’t take the above as iron absolutes for the Good-Bad scale of Voltron fanfic. these are my PERSONAL general guidelines for fics i look for when i can be assed enough to browse ao3. also i’ve read fics that do involve the above tropes that i DID like, and i’ve also read fics that should’ve been right up my alley that i didn’t like simply because past a certain point, the plot and writing matters more than the initial premise of the fic.

[a-gorgeous-george]

March 6, 2021

It’s Saturday morning, who all is up and at ‘em already?

A quick confession, I am 100% one of those people who can sleep anywhere. I know what you are thinking. Me? The world’s admittedly pickiest person? But it is true. Do not get me wrong. I will pick deep purple silk sheets and a the sound of waves hitting the shore of a tropical island any day, but when the going gets tough, I am merely a chair away from a nap at all times.

Sadly, it is a talent I do not have much use for in life. In fact, often times, it seems like I don’t have enough time in any day to tackle my to-do list. I have found when talking to other women searching to find their own power that time is the number one hindrance in climbing that mountain. Conquering the world in red lipstick and heels is easier said than done when you account for the time required to put on our war paint and walk anywhere at all in our Manolo’s. 

With that in mind, I set to work creating a mental toolbox for those busy times, when surviving seem to be the best we can do.

Number one, prioritize. Take the time, even if only a few moments, to decide what your priorities are for the day. This gives you clarity and structure when the brain fog begins to overwhelm.

Number two, put together an early morning routine. I, personally, am up at four every morning, but that is only after years of training my mind and body. It is not easy. Set an alarm for 15 to 30 minutes ahead of when you usually wake up, decide and prep your activity for the morning the night before, and then slowly work back. If you need more hours in your day, then gift yourself with more hours in you day.

Number three, reframe those thoughts of ‘not enough time’. We all say it but the truth is, we make time for the things we prioritize. If you have to work, then you have school, then your pipes burst and you require a plumber and new flooring, you find time to take care of it all. The time is there. Next time you are tempted to complain about your lack of time, replace it with, “This is not enough of a priority for me to worry about at the moment”. See how that changes your perspective.

And with that, I bid you adieu for another week. Perhaps next week a little more information on how I went from sleeping in to waking up before the sun? And remember, a luxe life is yours for the taking if you’re simply willing to work for it.

[cowboyshit]

rules: answer twenty questions and then tag twenty bloggers you’d like to get to know more about.

tagged by: I was tagged by my most amazing darlings, @markostuntthesehoes​ and @sluttymjf​

name: Ashley

nicknames: most people call me Ash, but I go by Doe around here! I have a ton of nicknames around the web from different periods of what websites I was hanging out on. I’ve gone by pirate/pir, glitzy, glitter, uni, sparrow and who knows what else

zodiac: sagittarius sun, capricorn moon

height: 5′2″

language: english, though I know a little spanish since I was raised in a mexican household. I just haven’t used any of it in 10+ years so... I’m so freaking rusty that I basically... barely know spanish anymore and that hurts my soul.

nationality: american

favorite season: fall! cause my birthday is in fall and the weather gets cooler and the holidays are around the corner and there’s a fresh change after a hot summer... I love fall. and also, I legit love pumpkin spice lattes. 

favorite flower: lily’s for how pretty they are, but roses smell sooo good and they come in so many different colors. also my granny grows beautiful huge rose gardens and all my most wonderful memories of her are playing around and helping her in her garden.

favorite scent: vanilla, sweet pea, basically anything sweet... but I don’t like the sugar cookie scents or the food scents.

favorite color: pink!

favorite animal: HORSE!!!!!!!!! then it’s deer and then it’s wolves.

favorite fictional character: of ALL time???? that’s a lot of pressure... uhhhh... charles vane from black sails probably, just because I became that character’s voice and changed a lot of opinions on him and wrote as him for four consecutive years. ran a blog dedicated to him... named my dog after him... yeah. charles vane. don’t talk to me about charles vane unless you want me to rant until your ears bleed. i fucking LOVE charles vane. oh you know what I’m also definitely this way about jace herondale from the mortal instruments, cause I read those books as they came out and yeah I go way back with that character.

coffee, tea, hot chocolate: it seriously depends on the mood! some mornings I like a cup of tea or evenings, sometimes I like a coffee and sometimes I like a yummy hot chocolate.

average sleep hours: I should be sleeping from around 9:00PM - 5:00AM, but lately it’s been more like 12:00AM - 5:40AM or worse

cat or dog person: okay, I love cats and I LOVE my cat baby with ALL of my heart, but I can’t deny that I bond very, very quickly to dogs. everyone, even the most pickiest of dog moms, have admitted they would have no problem leaving their pups with me. I was selected to help raise a dog being trained for veterans with ptsd because of how good I am with dogs lmao so like, as much as I don’t subscribe to the whole cat person vs dog person thing, I am naturally a dog person I guess.

number of blankets slept with: one! I put off so much heat I can’t sleep with more than one blanket. 

dream vacation: being able to spend three to five months in an apartment in all the cities I want to travel to around the world: florence, paris, london, belfast, glasgow... so on and so forth. I want to be able to spend all those months just really experiencing the day-to-day exploring at leisure and really sinking into those different countries and experiences.

blog established: this blog? literally like the first week of january 2020. but my personal blog was established in 2010. I’ve been on this hellsite for far too long lmfao

number of followers: 241?! which is absolutely bonkers to me

I shall tag: (if you’ve already been tagged in this OR don’t want to do it please don���t feel pressured!) @robwiethoff, @claymorekicked, @martysquirrel, @sheslikealostflower, @snarkandsarcasmwrites, @rampagewriting, @vonschweetz, @adamcolesteeth, @adam-page, @demimooremp3, @biforbecky2belts, @undisputedhangman, @basedboutmachine, and ANYONE else who wants to fill this out!!!! please do and @ me so I can read your answers!!! my brain is just tapping out lmao

[daresplaining]

With the shows finished, I'm curious what you think were the high and low points of each show/season (if any).

    Ooh, good question. I’d say: 

Daredevil: 

    The first season was quite solid. I tend to be the pickiest about Daredevil, because Matt is my favorite superhero, and I did have a lot of complaints about the first season, but it was exciting and well-executed. The MCU version of Karen Page in particular was incredible. DD Season 1 Episode 10 (”Nelson v. Murdock”) is my favorite episode in any season of any of the shows, though Luke Cage Season 2 Episode 10 gave it some serious competition. Daredevil Season 2 was my favorite DD season, and switches off with Iron Fist season one for the status of my favorite Netflix MCU season overall. As a comics fan, it felt the most familiar to me and therefore the most fun, and Elektra was fantastic. The Hand were poorly developed, but in general, it was a high point. Season 3 was enjoyable but mostly a disappointment (it was basically a re-hashing of Season 1 plus pseudo-Bullseye. Maggie was the best part), which is why I was perfectly happy this show ended where it did: with a proper conclusion, and just as the quality was starting to deteriorate. 

Jessica Jones: 

    Season 1 of Jessica Jones was brilliant; tightly-plotted, well-acted, and absolutely terrifying. The first episode is another of my absolute favorite episodes ever, and probably the strongest opening out of any of the shows. Since Jessica as a character was only introduced about twenty years ago, she has much less source material than the other characters, and so this show had to do more original thinking and content creation, which I think hurt it in the end. The second and third seasons, while perfectly solid, didn’t feel nearly as polished, though I absolutely adored Alisa and thought the revamping of Jessica’s backstory was really interesting. I also loved Trish’s character arc and the richness of her MCU-specific sibling relationship with Jessica, until it was torpedoed with what I considered some poorly-executed character development in Season 3. 

Luke Cage:

    Luke was given a personality make-over in the MCU, and I’m torn on how I feel about that, but I really enjoyed his show. It was bold and rich and utterly unique. I thought the pacing in Season 1 was wonkier than normal (most of the shows had pacing issues), but I still really enjoyed it. Its reinvention of most of the comics characters was masterfully done, in terms of both writing and acting, and Misty Knight in particular was perfect. And Season 2 was a masterpiece. Where the hell are all of the awards for Luke Cage Season 2? Where is the hype? Mariah Dillard is the best antagonist in the entire MCU, and you can quote me on that. The way this show wove together classic Power Man goodness with elements of real-world black culture and current events was really, really cool. And, as I mentioned… that Power Man and Iron Fist episode was magic. Everything a PMIF fan could have ever dreamed of. 

Iron Fist:

    Iron Fist Season 1 got off to a shaky start with an awkward first episode (which I discuss in-depth here) but it moved on from that to become either my favorite or second favorite (depending on my mood) season of all of the Marvel Netflix properties. It combined rapid-fire pacing with beautiful character moments, and its reversal of Danny’s revenge quest was, to me, the best engagement with the source material out of any of the shows. I am about to finish up my deep dive into this season over on my Iron Fist blog, if you want to see more specific gushing and shouting. Season 2 wasn’t quite as strong, which I partly blame on the derailment of Danny’s character arc in The Defenders, but I still mostly really enjoyed it. The brilliant variation on the source material continued with a further development of Danny and Davos’s dynamic (which is completely different than the comics version but managed to be my favorite MCU sibling relationship) and an awesome new version of Typhoid Mary (Dex wished he could be what Walker was). And then the writers had some kind of collective mental break-down in the final few episodes, which I’m not going to go into because I discussed it here and would rather not think about it again. Essentially, Danny and Colleen were disrespected, and I’m angry about it. The season was only saved by the final few minutes, with an exquisitely-wrapped gift to Iron Fist fans everywhere, which promised an incredible third season based on one of the best IF comics plotlines… which was then ripped away from us, and I’ve been mourning that loss ever since. But anyway. If I had to pick a favorite Marvel Netflix show, it would probably be Iron Fist. It’s my comfort show, and makes me happy in ways none of the other shows quite managed. Look how long this paragraph is. My love is (mostly) free-flowing. #SaveIronFist and all that. 

The Punisher:

    I should mention that while all of the other shows featured characters who I was big fans of already, I haven’t read that many Punisher comics, so I went into his show not quite as knowledgeable or invested. That said, I very much enjoyed both seasons of it. I thought the first season had a stronger plot and much more polished writing (this was true of pretty much every show, which is interesting). Jon Bernthal was a fantastic Frank, who perfectly embodied both the extreme violence and intense compassion inherent in the character. I loved his dynamic with Micro in Season 1 and with Amy in Season 2. And his alliance with Karen Page was a surprising deviation from the comics (616 Karen and Frank never even met, or had any reason to interact) that I found fascinating. 

The Defenders: 

    I was surprised we only got one season of The Defenders, but I was also okay with it. A second season wasn’t necessary, especially since the characters started cameoing more frequently in each other’s shows after that. I really enjoyed The Defenders. The poor showrunner was forced to do a lot of reverse-engineering of the worldbuilding thanks to undeveloped hints in previous shows, which meant that the Hand plotline was a little bit clumsy, but the plot wasn’t important. The Defenders existed for the team-up, and the team-up was a lot of fun. Most importantly, we were treated to some beautiful Power Man and Iron Fist and Daughters of the Dragon goodness, which was all that really mattered. I also loved the dysfunctional family dynamic of the Hand leaders, which I was not expecting. In some ways, their bickering and back-stabbing was even more fun to watch than the protagonists’ antics. My biggest complaint was that Elektra and Danny’s character arcs were sabotaged, which was very disappointing.  

    Overall, I was really impressed by the high quality of all of the shows. They were pretty much everything I’d hoped for, and quite a few things I never knew I wanted. I feel really lucky. 

[omgelliemblog]

Saturday Nights

A Mileven One-shot

The night was dark, the road before him lit dimly by lamp posts lined across the sidewalks and by the few cars passing by the nearly abandoned road. 

Micheal Wheeler sat in the driver's seat, lightly tapping the steering wheel to the softly playing music. 

He glanced occasionally at his cell phone which rested in the cup holder by his right arm; no new texts from her yet. The last response he received was about ten minutes ago when he had messaged her about coming to pick her up. Mike felt silly for missing her, it had been ten minutes and before those ten minutes, they were face timing until El practically forced him to stop the conversation because she had to get ready. 

Saturday night hang out was a grand tradition for the two long-time friends. Every Saturday at eight-thirty, Mike would drive to El’s house and they’d go out to do whatever it is they wanted. The next day they would have countless stories to tell their friends about the events of the night before; the laughter the two close friends shared. Today they would embark on a new adventure. Mike sped through the lonely road, eager to see his best friend once again. 

Minutes later, he arrived at her house. Parking his sleek wine-colored jeep smoothly in El’s driveway. The house was a small one-story home, painted a shade of forest green. Lights shown in every window and lights showered the wooden front porch where El sat waiting. Her legs dangled off the side of the porch as she sat, her hands cupping her face. She smiled brightly when the familiar Jeep pulled into her driveway; That Jeep held so many fond memories, the leather seats imprinted by their familiar bodies and the walls of the car filled with the ghost of their laughter. El stood up from where she sat, pulling her bag over her shoulder as she made her way to the passenger side of Mike’s car. 

“Hey,” El smiled, taking a seat and buckling in her seatbelt. It was the simplest, most innocent smile, causing Mike’s heart to flutter within his chest. 

“Hey,” Mike returned, “Ready to go?” he asked, waving at her dad, Hopper who stood at the window watching them through the blinds. He’s always been the overly protective kind. 

“Yup, where to this time?” El questioned, her bright curious eyes peering over at Mike. 

“Not sure, but I was thinking for now at least, we can just drive, listen to loud music and just enjoy each other’s company?” Mike suggested. 

“Sounds perfect,” El smiled gently, fully aware that no matter what they’d do, she’d always have the best time because he was by her side. Mike nodded, pulling out of the driveway and making his way to one of the main roads. He signaled that El could have full control over the music this time and El pulled out her phone, finger flicking at the screen as she pondered what song to play first. Mike rolled down the windows to allow fresh air to engulf the enclosed space. The warm mid-summer air blew through El’s short brown hair, caressing her curls; she pushed the hair that covered her face behind her ear as she chose her first song. Saturday Nights by Khalid. El smiled, pleased by her decision as she laid back on her leather seat, facing the window to allow the air to tickle her skin. Mike kept stealing glances at her, always entranced by her natural beauty. He knew that his eyes should have been glued to the road ahead but he couldn’t help himself. Passing lights lit her dewy skin, the wind causing her hair to blow behind her. 

“El?” Mike asked and she turned to look at him. He was surprised she even heard him over the loud music playing throughout the car. 

“Yeah?” She asked. 

“I’m just…. Really happy that you are here with me tonight,” Mike responded and her eyes seemingly flickered with a certain emotion the teenage boy couldn’t quite pinpoint. The girl sighed, her eyes dropping to the center console where Mike’s right hand laid at rest. 

“There’s no place I’d rather be,” El responded truthfully. 

“You really mean that?” He asked, causing her to meet his gaze. 

“Of course I mean that you’re like my favorite person in the entire world,” She answered matter of factly; Grabbing the boy’s hand and squeezing gently. Her hand left his just as quickly as they had made contact and Mike couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed that the moment didn’t last very long.   

“Well that’s good to know since you know, you’re my favorite person in the world too,” he smiled, turning the dial to lower the music. 

“I better be, or else I’d have to be on the lookout for a new best friend,” she teased. 

“Ouch,” Mike feigned hurt and disbelief, holding a hand against his heart. 

“I deserve nothing less than pure adoration and attention,” El added. 

“Can’t exactly argue with that,” Mike smiled.

 Making a left turn, Mike noticed a small restaurant, the neon sign shining brightly in the darkness. “Want a milkshake?” he asked. 

“Sure,” El responded and Mike turned into the parking lot. 

“Should we go inside or go through the drive-through?” Mike asked, always attentive and wanting to know what it is El wanted. 

“Hmmm, drive through?” she responded, questioningly. Mike quickly made his way to the drive-through line, waiting for his turn to order and when his time was up, Mike craned his neck out the window, taking a second look at the menu. 

“Can I please get, two strawberry milkshakes and an order of large fries?” he ordered. 

“Of course, would that be all for you tonight?” A female voice asked. 

“Yup,” Mike responded before he was told the price and he began to pull up. 

“You know, a true gentleman would have asked me what I wanted,” El added in a teasing tone. 

“Why would I ask when I already knew what you would want?”

“What if I wanted something new?” El asked and Mike scoffed. 

“Suuurrree, I know you, and my El is one of the pickiest human beings on this planet who orders the same thing every single time at every single place because you know what you like,” Mike announced.

“My El?” She repeated with a raised eyebrow. Mike looked over at her with his lips slightly parted, panicked eyes and quickly pinkening cheeks. 

“I.. uhhh, Ummm, I,” A flustered Mike stuttered but was quickly saved by the person in front of him driving off, meaning it was his turn at the last window. Mike paid and handed El her milkshake, placing the fries in the middle for them to share. 

“Let’s park somewhere?” He asked and El nodded. Mike found his way to a nice reserved area nearby where there weren't many cars and not many sounds to be heard. They sipped on their milkshakes, picking at the fries in the center console as they chatted amongst themselves.

“Okay… If you could choose one color to wear for the rest of your life what would it be?” Mike asked El. 

“Like every single article of clothing I wear has to be that color or I just have to wear at least one article of clothing with that color for the rest of my life?” She questioned. 

“At least one article,” Mike told her, dipping a fry in his milkshake. 

“Probably yellow then,” 

“Yellow?” Mike asked. 

“Yeah,” El said simply. 

“Any particular reason why the color yellow?” he probed. It’s not at all because that was the color Mike was wearing when they first met. That’s absolutely not the reason, El thought. She shrugged, dismissing the question with the wave of her hand before taking off the cap of the milkshake to lick the whipped cream off the top. She turned to look at Mike with whipped cream now on the top of her lips. He laughed at her. 

“What?” El asked, popping the Cherry she was now eating out of her mouth. His eyes lingered there for longer than they should have before he shook it off. 

“You have whipped cream on top of your umm lips,” he smiled, already pulling out some napkins. 

“Oh,” El said and she didn’t really have time to react before Mike gently pressed the napkin to her skin, wiping the cream away. Their gaze lingered on each other for a while.  

“There,” Mike told her, his gaze unwavering. 

“You rubbed off all my lipstick but thanks,” El responded with a gulp. 

“You don’t need it,” Mike said simply, his hand instinctively brushing back the hair from her face. Is that eluding to something or am I just overthinking things? El thought to herself. El’s heart was starting to race, leading to her removing her gaze from his to keep herself from going into cardiac arrest. 

“I could have licked it off myself you know, plus, I bet I looked super cute with that whipped cream mustache,” El continued playfully, pulling out her lipstick and mirror from her purse and reapplying it. She pressed her lips together and they parted with a loud pop sound. Mike felt like such a creep because of how intently he watched her but it was as if he had no control over himself. 

“Maybe I need a cold-ass cup of water,” Mike mumbled to no one in particular as he rubbed at his eyes. 

“Huh?” El asked. 

“Nothing, it’s just getting kind of hot in here,” Mike said, turning on the car, closing all the windows and turning on the cool airconditioning. Suddenly Mike felt like he didn’t even want to be in the front seat anymore, so like a frog, he leaped to the back seat. 

“What are you doing?” El asked. 

“Getting comfortable, there’s more room back here,” Mike told her. “You can join me if you want,” Mike told her, sitting up on the back seat. 

“Fine, since you ditched me up here,” she told him, making her way to the back. Once settled in, she laid back on the seat portion of it and propped her feet up on Mike’s lap; Scooting a bit to drape her legs a bit more over his. She gazed up at his amused face as he still sat upright. 

“What? Am I your footstool now?” Mike asked. 

“You should feel honored, I wouldn’t prop my feet up on just anyone’s lap,” She told him. 

“Is that so?” 

“Of course, you’re special Mikey, the most royal of footstools,” El teased with a playful grin. “This simply means I’m comfortable with you,” she continued. 

“Uh Huh… So I’m like those royal puppies that lay by royalties feet all the time?”  

“Of course not, puppies are too precious to be associated with you” she teased. “If anything you’re a freshly bathed Chihuahua, moody and running around like a psychopath,” El continued, barely able to finish her sentence without laughing.  

“Oh, you’re gonna regret that,” Mike said squinting at her. 

“Am I?”

“I know everything about you, El Hopper, and that also means I know all your weaknesses,” Mike told her matter of factly before diving in without warning, his hands tickling at her waist vigorously. She wore a cropped yellow top made of thin knitted fabric and low rise jeans so he immediately made contact with her skin. She laughed loudly and uncontrollably, her hands trying to smack his off. 

“MIKE, STOP,” El yelled, still laughing. 

“STOP!” She squealed sitting up. With El now sitting up, they both became increasingly aware of how close they were to each other; Her legs were still draped across Mike’s lap, so now upright, it was as if she was sitting on his lap. El wrapped her arms around his neck, the brightest of smiles still gracing her lips.

“I meant that as a compliment,” El whispered once she got ahold of her laughter. 

“Yeah?” Mike asked, breathing heavily. She was so close to him that he felt he couldn’t breathe. 

“Chihuahua's are cute, dorky but cute,” El continued, her hands playing with his black curls at the nape of his neck. 

“So… You’re saying I’m cute?” He asked. 

“More like the dorkiest of dorks,” she giggled. “But the cutest of all the dorks, I guess,” she smiled, her fingers still running through his hair. 

“God, you’re beautiful,” Mike whispered in the softest of voices. He never meant to say it out loud but it came out of his mouth like a rushing wave and he couldn’t keep up with the current. Mike reached out his hand, caressing her cheek and twirling a strand of her hair with his finger. El just looked at him, as if captivated by everything he was and is. They didn’t even notice that they had been inching closer together like magnets. That was until their lips met, he kissed her with everything he had, moving his lips sensually against hers. El whimpered as if this was something she had waited for ages for. She dug her fingers in his hair and kissed him with every ounce of passion she had within her petite frame. They had been yearning for each other for months now and their moment had finally come. Their hearts beat quickly but as one, chests pressed against each other as they kissed passionately. It was a while before they parted, gazing into each other's eyes with such intensity. 

“Hi,” Mike squeaked awkwardly. El laughed a breathy laugh. 

“Hi,” she responded. 

“So that happened..” Mike continued. 

“That it did.” El nodded. 

“I liked it like really liked it,” Mike ranted on. 

“So did I,” She giggled.

“Can I do that again? Or was that like a one-time thing? If it was that’s okay, not like I have been in love with you for the longest time, pppssshh, no. You’re like really cute though and I love the way you laugh…,” Mike ranted, El just placed her finger on his lips to keep him from talking. 

“Mike… Breathe,” El told him and Mike took a deep breath. 

“Good, feel better now?” She asked and he simply nodded. 

“Now to answer your questions, yes you can do that again, no this isn’t a one-time thing, and….Mike, I love you, too,” El told the bewildered boy. 

“Really?” He asked. 

“Yeah,” El said softly. 

“I’m going to do that again,” Mike announced and she laughed. 

“Go ahead,” El told him and they kissed once again.

[marias-studyblr]

Hey! How are you? You doing okay? I don't know if your exams started already but good luck! You can do this!! Also I wanted to ask, did you make any goals for 2019? If so, what are they? (if you're ok saying them) For me I want to get my erasmus placement, raise my level of spanish and manage my time better so I can do more of the stuff I like outside of college! Silly one: what Hogwarts house are you? anyway, I hope you're well! Good luck and take care 💛

hello!!

before I give you my update, this is really interesting: I used pottermore to sort myself in a hogwarts house in my 8th-9th grade, so 5-6 years ago, and I got sorted into gryffindor. and since then, i considered myself a gryffindor. and I hadn’t taken the test again.. until today. I was interested in how the website had changed (was pleasantly surprised) and overall curious if I would be sorted into the same house, so i created a new account and retook the test.

and I got sorted into 💛 hufflepuff!💛

i was so surprised because I was expecting to see gryffindor, and as i was taking it in, it made 100% sense to me. I completely see myself as a hufflepuff, and have been for a while buried in my subconscious.

in these 5-6 years I changed to the core of my being. i am not recognizable inside out. I am NOT the same person I was. it is only natural my house would change. upon reflection, I feel like I do have strong traits from both houses, but from people who know me and from looking at my own habits, tastes and personality traits, I think dear dear hufflepuff profoundly suits me best.

I am very fond and proud of my house. 💛🌱

just imagining the sweet common room with the tones of yellow and brown, wood chairs and tables, filled with plants and tangling warm sunlight coming thru the window, with the sound of the singing birds and the fireplace in the background, makes me feel extremely warm and safe.

somewhere i’d be very happy! in the future, it will be fun to see how i will decorate my apartment and what environment i will create for myself and call home.

I continued the sorting and did my patronus, which wasn’t around when I last did the test (the quiz was really really cool) and my patronus is a Borzoi! i love it. so. much. :’’’) 💓 (you can read more about what it means here)  i wasn’t expecting a dog, but once again, it matches perfectly with my personality. i definitely am a dog person, i find safety with dogs. and a true story: i have a stuffed dog ever since i can remember that was given to me when i was a child and that has been guarding my bed still to this day.

I don’t remember what my wand was, I retook it and my wand is a cherry wood with a phoenix feather core, 10 ¾" and quite bendy flexibility. this is the info about the wand (: in case u also obsess over this like i do :)

🌱 ~ cherry: this very rare wand wood creates a wand of strange power, most highly prized by the wizarding students of the school of Mahoutokoro in Japan, where those who own cherry wands have special prestige. The Western wand-purchaser should dispel from their minds any notion that the pink blossom of the living tree makes for a frivolous or merely ornamental wand, for cherry wood often makes a wand that possesses truly lethal power, whatever the core, but if teamed with dragon heartstring, the wand ought never to be teamed with a wizard without exceptional self-control and strength of mind.

🍂 ~ phoenix: this is the rarest core type. Phoenix feathers are capable of the greatest range of magic, though they may take longer than either unicorn or dragon cores to reveal this. They show the most initiative, sometimes acting of their own accord, a quality that many witches and wizards dislike. Phoenix feather wands are always the pickiest when it comes to potential owners, for the creature from which they are taken is one of the most independent and detached in the world. These wands are the hardest to tame and to personalise, and their allegiance is usually hard won.

🍵 ~ quite bendy flexibility: wand flexibility or rigidity denotes the degree of adaptability and willingness to change possessed by the wand-and-owner pair - although, again, this factor ought not to be considered separately from the wand wood, core and length, nor of the owner’s life experience and style of magic, all of which will combine to make the wand in question unique.

i would love to know what yours are too :3 feel free to lmk! ~~  

update:

today was my first exam and ⭐ I PASSED my pharmacology class!! ⭐

¼ done! I didn’t get an A, which was my goal, I got a B, but still am very proud of myself. I learned a lot from this class, I love knowing more and more about medicine.

one of my academic goals for 2019 is to raise my gpa so that’s why i want to have more A’s.

I wrote my goals for 2019 in my planner, divided them into sections “finances”, “habits”, “physical health”, “mental health”, “academic” and “social media”. each one has more specific goals like

save enough money for a trip with my mom in 2020

read 30 books

start using downtime more mindfully (more educational videos, documentaries, books, editing)

maintain normal fitness (blood pressure, blood sugar, weight)

maintain a healthy lifestyle - specifically eating habits and exercise regimen

sleep. SLEEP like a normal human for the love of god maria, please sleep your deserved 8 hours and don’t settle for 4-6 

improve my gpa

continue enjoying my university journey, with disciplined and organized studying

go eat with friends more

as always, keep improving the quality of my posts on social media and post as frequently as I can

overall I am striving to feel accomplished, organized, disciplined, happy. I want to be able to trust myself completely. leave behind, let go of anxiety, sadness that has happened. be able to handle challenges that will come for sure.

one year can change so much. can’t even begin to imagine what this 2019 will bring.~ 🌱💕

everyday we grow more and more.

as always thank u sooo much for writing to me, i really really appreciate it you angel ❤❤ it’s always amazing to hear from you. 🐇 have a great day/night!

[streetfightwcrs]

Street Fight Radio Guide To Kratom

If you want to give the green buddha a ride before it gets banned this guide will help you pick out the right strain. And as a way of saying thank you please consider buying from us.

What is kratom?

It is a tropical deciduous and evergreen tree in the coffee family native to Southeast Asia in the Indochina and Malaysia. Mitragyna speciosa(the nerdy name for kratom) is indigenous to Thailand where it has been used in traditional medicine. (Don’t believe me? Check Wikipedia, that’s where I copied it from.)

When you drink kratom powder at high doses it activates the opiate receptors in your brain which creates a painkiller like effect. It eases aches and pains and gives you a good melty feeling. It is much milder than manufactured opiates so it is often used to help people quit oxy, heroin, and even alcohol. At lower doses kratom is more of an espresso like stimulant great for focusing, relieving stress, and anxiety. As a powder, it’s just as safe as a cup of coffee. The highly potent extracts made by manipulating and concentrating the leaf were creating some of the shocking stories in the news that lead to the ban.

That being said I will always give you the whole truth and that is if you do a large dose (10g – 20g) you can get itchy like popping pills and some people could vomit (good shit, right?), but eventually, it just knocks you out. Also if you do too much (over 20g) you could have a really hard lava-poop-baby. So be warned. I am no doctor but these are just plants that make you feel cool. Respect it like any new substance that makes your brain warm.

How much do I need?

Basically, for most people who are just now trying it, you will only need 3 – 10 grams. It’s very easy to wade your way into some kratom tea so that you can sip slow until you get where you’re comfy. I recommend weighing your kratom instead of using a teaspoon or tablespoon because the density can be very different between strains. Also, I am only 170 lbs, Bryan is a bigger dude and has been using it for a while so he takes 1 – 2 tbs now.

One teaspoon is like 2.5 grams. 1tsp (2.5 grams) Feel alert and clear 2tsp (5 grams) Get a buzz 3tsp (7.5 grams) Relax at night 4tsp (10 grams) Tie one on

So 100 grams of kratom powder will get you about 10 body melting experiences or 40 bursts of mental clarity. It’s up to you!

What’s THE BEST kratom?

White seems to be the most intense. You’re definitely gonna feel “drugged out”. More likely to get a heavy body high, face numbness. 

from the kratom bible

“ White vein kratom has a very strong following, and can be highly effective for conditions such as depression and lack of focus/energy. Of all the vein types, white vein shows the most potential as a nootropic (cognition enhancing) substance. Many have found that using this vein type first thing in the morning to be a great substitute for coffee due to it’s “clean” effects on alertness and focus. Pain Relief: 1/3 Energy: 3/3″

Red is euphoric and has the most painkiller effects. Drink it during the day for long lasting pain relief.

from the kratom bible

“Red vein kratom is one of the most popular due to its natural tendency toward higher levels of  7-hydroxymitragynine, which leads to impressive pain-killing effects, sedation, as well as anxiety and stress relief.Red veins also tends to be less at the mercy of individual brain chemistry; whereas white and green vein strains often effect people variably.This is one of the reasons red vein thai (RVT) is so popular among kratom users –it combines both heavy levels of energy from it’s Thai influences, with the red vein painkilling effects —  leaving the strain stimulating but very well-rounded. Pain Relief: 3/3 Energy: 1/3″

Green is in the middle and for me overall very pleasurable in both body high and mental clarity. Makes me feel joyous.

from the kratom bible

“For those who prefer neither the sedation of red veins, or the stimulation of white veins, green vein kratom may be the best solution. Green vein strains are much more moderate in their effects than other the other vein varieties and can provide the best of both worlds, making them commonly used as a daily kratom.Green vein strains can also provide nootropic effects, and are generally less at the whim of personal brain chemistry than white vein strains tend to be. Pain Relief: 2/3 Energy: 1.5/3″

Maeng Da is available for all colors. It’s a more powerful kind because the stem has been filtered out so you get more leaf in the powder.

How Do I Use Kratom?

Kratom has a very unique (nice way to say awful to most) taste. Once you realize how badass it is though the flavor tastes good. To me, it tastes similar to Yerba Mate but I think the best description is from a friend who said: “it tastes like the rainforest.”

The simplest way to do it. Dilute in water and shake or stir. If you are a picky eater and already feel like you can’t hang here are the best liquids to cut through the flavor. Orange juice and Grapefruit juice are kratom potentiators meaning they will give your leaf a boost but it also hides the flavor very well. I find that lemon actually cuts through the bitterness the best. So if I’m gonna be running around during the day I will mix a TBS of kratom with 20 oz of water and a whole lemon.

Make Tea – Boil water, let it sit, pour over kratom in a cup, put a coffee filter in another cup to strain it. I like to make a large batch of tea and mix it with homemade lemonade (lemons, water, simple syrup). I call this a Lonnie Palmer. Best tasting way to have it so far.

Chocolate milk and chocoalte protein powders also a great masker of kratom flavor

Applesauce is also an easy way to devour some kratom. Add honey and cinnamon for the pickiest eaters.

BUY SOME KRATOM

– @Brettpain

Tags: kratom alternativemedicine buykratom kratomforsale kratomsaveskratomsaveslives

Street Fight Radio Guide To Kratom was originally published on Street Fight Radio

[paladzin-blog]

Dear Mr. Ackerman,       we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

a further read  :  welcome to the Harry Potter AU  !  underneath the read-more you will find detailed explanations about each characteristic for Levi in this AU. I ask that you please do not take my headcanons for this verse  (  if possible just ask me and I’m sure we work something out  !  )  none of the images above are mine but found through google and credit for the artwork goes to the respected artist. I did however crop the images, edit  &  add the text so please do not take this edit as I spent a very long time making it for this AU specifically.  all information below contains information found via pottermore or through extensive research as well as canon material found in Levi’s canon verse.

summary. blood status  :  half - blood wand  :  hawthorn,  phoenix core, 12 3/4″,  medium flexibility house  :  slytherin patronus  :  scorpion

subject.  blood status

I was actually on the fence about what status to put Levi in. to say he is muggle born is out of the question. it’s not out of  “ oh i want to him to be extra ” , I would actually love to see how a muggle-born Levi play differently  !  but for this AU I was on the fence about either a pureblood or half blood.  however canonly I think half-blood would more appropriate  :  

canonly ,  the ackermans were a bloodline, with very few surviving members now but it is one that I can consider ancient almost  ?  considering they were there before the wall. that being said ,  it’s fairly OK for me to start presuming with a long history that is presented in canon , it’d make sense for him to pure blood. it also furthers this theory because canonly , ackermans did survive in the Great Titan War  &  they also are a bloodline that contained the awakening power.

this goes along with theories  (  in the HP universe  )  that were written back in the early eighteenth century that listed possible  (  but not entirely true  )  factors and/or traits that made up pure blood lines. one of being onset of magical ability before the age of three. it’s unclear when Levi’s power was truly provoked as all we are shown in SNK is back when he was a child he did train with Kenny  (  i think I am mistaking this factor in the sense Im not sure if he said exactly when his was provoked. however I am not basing this off of ACWNR  )  . with that mind I want to bring back the ancient bloodline of Ackerman. I say ancient because of how long they’ve been around but a minor detail that could possilbly factor Levi into pureblood is the fact that around the early 1930′s there was a published listing of at least 28 families that were true purebloods known as the Sacred Twenty-Eight. it’s not that far of a stretch to say that the ackermans were very well one of those 28 families on that list.

however I do believe they’d earn the title “ blood traitors ” because canonly they did not go along with the First King causing a near extinction of their family line as well as the fact that the ackermans I feel like wouldn’t have been disinterested and/or disgusted by muggles. if anything I firmly believe that at some point they would have had a mixture of muggle ancestors down the line.

coming to Levi, I want to also say that at some point  (  in the 1692s -  ???  )  is when the magic community did go into hiding  &  the marriages between muggle  &  non-muggle dropped significantly which leads to my ultimate reasoning of how I prefer him to be half blood. as I said before, the ackermans ( especially going off canon material of how they showed to go against the king ) would have been blood traitors because the persecution of Muggles to them was something they were not proud of nor something they jeer’d for as other pure bloods. which brings me to my last point.  levi’s father.

in canon material, we do not know the father. we only know it could possibly  (  and most likely is ) a costumer that Kuchel was with.  because of this known fact in canon, I decided to have Levi’s father a muggle. his mother had fallen a muggle man but because of the laws at the time  &  how much fear there was already surrounding the ackermans  (  for being blood traitors  )  and the persecution of Muggles, they did not ever marry.  instead, it’s safe to presume ties to cut out of the safety for them both. however, it’s sad to say Kuchel did not live long  &  the whereabouts of his muggle father are still unknown to this day.

subject.  wand

sub-subject i.  wood

HAWTHORN.    in short it is complex, intriguing, conflicted nature, proven talent.

a further read :   we concur about hawthorn wands, which are complex and intriguing in their natures, just like the owners who best suit them. Hawthorn wands may be particularly suited to healing magic, but they are also adept at curses, and I have generally observed that the hawthorn wand seems most at home with a conflicted nature, or with a witch or wizard passing through a period of turmoil. Hawthorn is not easy to master, however, and I would only ever consider placing a hawthorn wand in the hands of a witch or wizard of proven talent, or the consequences might be dangerous. Hawthorn wands have a notable peculiarity: their spells can, when badly handled, backfire.

characteristic i.  complex

levi canonly is already a hard character to understand for most of his comrades. many times we can see where cadets were slightly confused by his choice of words and/or actions.  however,  this can also be viewed as a complex psychosis. it can also be defined as a repressed memories that exert a dominating influence upon the personality.  I would more so go with this reasoning because in canon, Levi is very intimidating without even trying  (  or sometimes even meaning to be  ).  this could stem from the sheer way he was thrown into how to come off as “do not approach me” during his time with Kenny. because with Kenny, it can be drawn from that he taught Levi how to survive but he also abandoned him.  another reasoning for it being a possible repressed memory is that fact that Levi had to learn how to discipline at such a young age. he had to learn how to strike fear, how to threaten, how to kill. all of those memories that he endured as a child have been so ingrained him that they had carved into who he is today to an extent.

for this AU,  I’d like to have that be a reasoning for him. as being blood traitors it’s not a long shot that eventually the ackermans were sought out after  &  because being introduced to muggle ways wasn’t something to their bloodline, it was to Levi. To recall,  do you guys remember when Narcissa visited Snape  ?  to ask him to keep Draco safe  ?  I honestly wanted to use that but for Kuchel and Kenny.  it’s clear that some pure blood lines don’t wish to be involved with voldemort but they appear as if they had no choice. for this AU, it’s basically the same situation for the Ackermans except they don’t mind muggles which makes them an even bigger threat  &  target.  at some point, Kuchel had sought out Kenny to ask him to ensure the well-being of her baby boy.  to keep Levi under wraps, Kenny decided to teach him both muggle-magic (  yaknow just doing normal muggle things  )  and magic. he taught Levi while there are spells that can kill there are also muggle made weapons that can as well.  of course, Kenny also taught him that trust was to be earned. muggle or not, you had to basically look out for number one.  those lessons ended up rubbing off on Levi which makes him who he is today.

characteristic ii.  intriguing

I purely think this more so is for my AU. while in canon, I want to know more about the Ackermans  &  they are indeed a family of ancient warriors, I wanted to base this off the history I have set for them in this AU. part of this can be read in part one of this AU as I go into detail about his bloodline.

characteristic iii.  conflicted nature

If I am honest,  I think Levi is very conflicted. while it’s a strong argument that he knows what he is doing, I think sometimes he isn’t sure of himself which causes the what if questions to be forefront in his mind.  more than once he has often said he doesn’t know what the right outcome is,  sometimes doesn’t know if he himself made the right choice or if another comrade made the right choice. that in itself shows inner conflict he has with himself because no one can know for sure what can happen especially when the choice is a heavy one to make.

characteristic iv.  proven talent

to keep this part short, as it will be, Levi had to prove himself throughout canon. first time to Kenny as a child, he had to prove he had it in him to survive but even then ? he was left alone.  to the public. I’m sure it took him a little bit to gain the title humanity’s strongest.  &  even with the Military Police, he had to prove himself  (  more so the legion  )  during the court room bit that they are more than capable. I think Levi is constantly needing to prove himself to someone but the reasoning behind this is because of his small stature. many look down upon him  &  think  what can this shorty can do  ???  which leads to whomever eventually finding out what he can do. the biggest one is him proving his talent that earned him the title humanity’s strongest.

sub-subject ii.  core

PHOENIX.

a further read  :  Phoenix feathers are capable of the greatest range of magic, though they may take longer than either unicorn or dragon cores to reveal this. They show the most initiative, sometimes acting of their own accord, a quality that many witches and wizards dislike.Phoenix feather wands are always the pickiest when it comes to potential owners, for the creature from which they are taken is one of the most independent and detached in the world. These wands are the hardest to tame and to personalise, and their allegiance is usually hard won.

characteristic i.  range of magic

the reason I picked this core for Levi  (  despite the fact that it’s also my own  ) is because as I explained a little bit above, Kenny taught him a wide variety of magic to ensure Levi knew how to defend, harm,  &  if it came down to it, kill. before getting his own wand,  Levi had practiced with wands that had Kenny had come across growing up and  (  from winning duels and/or unknown reasons  )  therefore, he ended up getting a wand that eventually reflected the amount of magic he knew from being taught however, it did take some time to bring it to it’s fullest potential  &  even to this day there are some hexes  &  jinxes he could improve on.

characteristic ii.  initiative,  acting of their own accord.

It is needless for me to explain that Levi does sometimes act on impulse. while he does follow through with orders,  he is known to go into his… ackerman state  ??  per say,  &  it’s not too far to of a stretch to also include that he doesn’t blindly trust Erwin.  he is fully aware of situations  &  if applicable with reasoning he can full willingly to go against his orders.

characteristic iii.  pickiest owners, independent  &  allegiance is usually hard won

Levi’s trust in people is in short almost non-existence.  it is almost near impossible to win some form of trust with Levi except those who prove themselves trustworthy to him in one way or another.  independence being the same reason as above,  he isn’t one to be a follow the leader blindly. he is still himself  &  it’s been shown canonly he will question judgement if it calls for it. I included pickiest owners because in a way Levi is somewhat picky with whom he trusts.  I think this stems from his time with Kenny, he trust an adult to care for him as a child  &  it ended up being a lost cause. therefore, trust was already rocky with Levi even with those whom he proved himself too.

sub-subject iii.   length  &  flexibility

Length : 12 3/4″

a further read  :  longer wands might suit taller wizards, but they tend to be drawn to bigger personalities, and those of a more spacious and dramatic style of magic. Neater wands favour more elegant and refined spell-casting. However, no single aspect of wand composition should be considered in isolation of all the others, and the type of wood, the core and the flexibility may either counterbalance or enhance the attributes of the wand’s length.

 there was not much I could find that pre-determines the length of wands. this length I’ve decided because in this verse there is a stance Levi has when casting spells. much like his blade holding in canon, his wand style holding differs which means he does seem to cast more spacious forms of magic. this isn’t saying he holds his wand in the same form as he does his blades in canon but there is a notable difference  (  ie :  the way Voldemort holds his higher than the average wizard  )

flexibility has come to the same dead end  &  I’ve tried to do the best I could with how Levi is canonly. the flexibility from what I gather can reflect who the person is as it also ties in with the other characteristics of the person’s wand. I think Levi’s wand flexibility would fall under medium flexibility. Which means, he is adaptable to change but there are factors that need to be present to make him change his ways. ie, trust or the latter

subject.  patronus

there is a lot of information on the patronus charm. a further extended version if you wish to read can be found of course on pottermore. because the amount of information  &  I don’t wish to copy the entire thing I’m going to listing some key points on what the charm means in turn with the Ackerman family.

sub-subject i.  can also be used as a messenger between wizards.

this bit is a key point to Ackermans history I have set up for Levi.  as being called blood traitors it’s no doubt the last remaining of the an ancient bloodline cut ties or have appeared to do.  whereabouts of each other  &  messages were done in secrecy but particularly they did choose to not only use owls, but also used this charm. which I will explain why as we go into this further.

sub-subject ii.  to produce this charm is generally considered a mark of superior magical ability  &  it is considered one of the most ancient charms.

I know I sound like a broken record but hear me out.  To re-call,  the ackermans canonly were a famous line of warriors that existed before the wall was first built  &  they even survived the great titan war that took place from ???  - the year 743. with that being said, the ackermans are very long line of history that molded the canon world we see today in SNK  (  partly molded considering there were members that survived the war  ). with that being said, I think it’s highly plausible to have the ackermans as one of the few first families to master this but this also ties in with the canon fact that they hold a special power of their own  (  re: the awakening power  )  which I want to be a force in factor of how strong their bloodline really is  &  how powerful their magic can be but also dangerous.

sub-subject iii.   Some witches and wizards may be unable to produce a Patronus at all until they have undergone some kind of psychic shock.

this is a huge reason Levi was able to produce at least an incorporeal patronus at a young age. canonly,  Levi was born into poverty.  he was most likely born in the brothel that his mother worked  &  during those times, considering the state of what bits we see of the underground in canon, I am not too certain were kids of whores were kept but it’s not a huge shot in the dark to say that Levi may have been exposed sexual themes (  ie: perhaps had seen it by accident or walked in at the wrong time per say before he was told where to stay  &  how long  )  along with the fact that he KILLED at a very young age.  he learned how to take a life. learned what it meant to SURVIVE.

with this in mind as his canon background,  his AU one is slightly different. back in 1692, when the magically community went into hiding, the ackermans  (  while seen as pure blood status  )  did deem it wrong to persecute Muggles. the reason I say this is because Levi adores human life.  he wants to save it though sometimes it’s in an any means necessary. for this au, this means all life muggle or not. first lets start with the mother :  kuchel was already damned as she fell for a muggle-born man.  to keep them both safe during that time, after Levi was in the process of being born, Kuchel decided to leave Germany to go to England in hopes that they would not be found out.  to skip a little bit of this as to not ramble one,  they were eventually found from Kuchel taking muggle jobs as a means to survive but it had been common for some dark wizards to take different forms  (  auroras  )  which lead to her death.  Levi had been taught how to hide from view, go unseen which is exactly what he did.  to keep this short   :  it is a mere reflection per say of his canon background we get in the original series not acwnr. the family history will be further explained possibly when I do the bit on his house.

sub-subject iv.   The form of a Patronus may change during the course of a witch or wizard’s life. Instances have been known of the form of the Patronus transforming due to bereavement, falling in love or profound shifts in a person’s character,  it is usual, but not inevitable, for a Patronus to take the form of an animal commonly found in the caster’s native country

the actual form of a corporeal patronus was difficult for Levi to master but he has practiced  (  and contiunes too  )  and is able to produce one but the lengths of time for how long they stand vary. as for the form of Levi’s patronus, I tried to do my best to look up wide varieties of patronus’ and their possible meanings as well animal symbolism.  I know a lot of people often go for bird types when referring to Levi, but whether it’s due to his 3DMG skills,  his want to be free  (  as he strives to fight for that  )  or another reason, I wanted something more. more that reflects an entire character breakdown.  for this reason I’ve chosen a scorpion. here’s a little breakdown for my reasoning.

SCORPION.

characteristic i. an emblem of strength

we all know of how Levi is titled humanity’s strongest. this part reflects the physical attributes as well how they go unseen.  Levi can go unseen if he wishes, which is more or less a tactic he has picked up from Kenny both in canon and AU. more so, i can’t stress enough that they,  the ackerman line,  hold the awakening power. which also was a factor in me picking the scorpion  

characteristic ii.  destruction

now while I know Levi adores human life  &  wants nothing more than the survival of his peers,  there is also a destructive sense he has.  he goes on for lack of better word, rampages during the female titan arc, during the uprising arc, during the beast titan. I think the destruction can be viewed as somewhat self-destruction as in he doesn’t realize how much strength he is using and how much wear / tear that has to have on his body. but this also reflects the aftermath of his enemies when he is finished with them.

characteristic iii.  self-protection

this characteristic is a bit unlike Levi as he does a lot to protect himself but I don’t believe he is one to be selfish in saving only himself. however I did base this off of his time growing up when he learned how to protect himself but maybe not so much as he got older as he grew to value all human life.

characteristic iv.  scorpion people tend to have an aggressive shell, being known for as intimidating.

this one is pretty self explanatory as Levi’s personality can be felt in an entire room. he often does come off as intimidating but most of the time he doesn’t mean to come off that. in canon, I think from the way he was raised there’s a lack of social interaction and more so a view of “ be cautious with whom you trust ” which can bleed into how he is today. in simple terms socially awkward.

characteristic v. wield a lot of power but often reserve it unless provoked  /  crossed

this one was a huge bit for me as I see Levi of someone who doesn’t absentmindedly go around beating the shit of everyone. there is a reason that causes him to lash out either in the form of fists  (  ie :  when someone taunts him trying to size him up  )  or when there is a loss of someone  (  ie :  him during the female titan arc  &  beast titan arc  &  uprising  )

characteristic vi.  the impressive defenses protect a soft, emotional core.

this characteristic seemed a bit off at first to me but looking at Levi canonly a lot of major actions are done from EMOTIONAL responses. Levi saw his entire squad his family dead because of the female titan,  it’s clear when he comes upon her, he took out his rage that he held against her.  during the uprising arc, when Hange’s squad is lost due to Kenny, there’s already history with them but I think the emotional ties he has with Kenny attribute to his responses. the beast titan arc, there’s already a fuel going in Levi as he cut down each titan and I think the realization of just how many died because of the beast titan, there’s that sense of looking for ANYONE. and when it comes upon him that he did sentence Erwin to die, there’s an even more fuel going in him which again ties to an emotional response.

subject.  house

a further read  :  there is not much explaining in detail about Levi’s house but let’s look over the basis that makes slytherin  :  cunning, ambitious, resourceful, shrewd,  &  determined.  other factors may / may not include  :  blood status,  cleverness,  &  a certain disregard for the rules. but before I dive into that here’s a little bit information to keep in mind about Slytherins in general. While yes this house known for producing dark wizards, be sure to note that NOT every single dark wizard came from Slytherin. Remember Peter Pettigrew  ?  the rat  ?  Guess what  ?  he was actually a Gryffindor  !  I know shocking right  ?  Also, remember Professor Quill  ?  he was a ravenclaw  !  also  :  Merlin himself is highly believed to have been in Slytherin  !  there’s a mixture of where dark wizards come from, do not automatically default to believing that Levi is evil in this verse just because he is in Slytherin.

there’s also some wizards who actually went against their own default house views. many believe that all Slytherins instantly hate those who are half-blood or mudblood. do remember that Horace Slughorn adored Lily who was actually a muggle  !  and Tonks’ sister  ?  Andromeda Tonks  ?  she married a muggle  !  let’s forget Sirius’ own brother who switched out Voldemorts’ horcruxes and tried to get his house elf to destroy it.  Malfoy even had huge character development and he’s the biggest slytherin that was involved besides Tom.  also a huge note to remember  :  there were plenty of slytherins that were brought as reinforcements during the Battle of Hogwarts.

characteristic i.  cunning

I know a lot of people would suggest that everything Levi does  /  says is straight forward  &  I agree  !  ;(  re:  both crab  &  goyle were placed in Slytherin  &&  it’s safe to say they weren’t the most cunning characters in slytherin  !  )  this trait doesn’t actually apply heavily to Levi HOWEVER  :  I do believe when he was training with Kenny , well learning how to survive at that young of an age, I do think he learned how to be cunning until maybe perhaps it just didn’t work out for him somewhere along the line. this goes for his HP verse as well. while he was younger, he learned how to deceive people to gain whatever he needed. while in canon he isn’t constantly cunning and constantly deceiving others, this isn’t to say that he is against playing dirty if it necessary.

characteristic ii.  ambitious  /  determined

Honestly, this can be applied to Levi in various situations of his life. I think the first one can be found when Kenny came across him. there was a strong desire to prove himself to Kenny,  and to show that he can do what he was taught. second, when he possibly first joined the legion. now,  I know a lot of people go off ACWNR but however I don’t simply because it’s not canon. I think he did have to prove to others that he was very capable of handling himself with the gear  &  was more than capable of taking out titans ie :  earning himself the title humanity’s strongest.  but this also goes along with the notion that Levi doesn’t tolerate failure with himself.  failure is a huge insecurity of his which is why I believe he pushes himself to up most limits. this can be heavily seen especially when he’s fighting Zeke. Levi doesn’t want to give in, he doesn’t want to STOP because he made a promise to a dead man whom meant a great deal to him. ambitious isn’t something that is necessary meant for ill intentions but it can also be something that can be self destruction as well as self building.

characteristic iii.  resourceful

I think this can go hand in hand with him over all. Levi is someone who can adapt to situations  &  do so almost on the spot. as someone who lived in poverty, I’m sure he found all kinds of odd stuff that he sought a use for. but this doesn’t stop at objects this can also go for people, such as hitch  &  marlo. while he could have simply killed them due to the fact that they were going to try to kill him and his team, he saw a use for them.  while he could have killed dimo reeves very easily, he didn’t. why  ?  because there was a use in having him alive. all these instances, he found there to be a more importance  &  use in having them alive. this also goes for thinking ways out of situations. take for when Kenny corned him so to speak at that inn. Levi used objects around them, used a reflection in a bottle to see where Kenny was  &  to also aim.

characteristic iv.  shrewd

this is a pretty big part of Levi if I’m entirely honest. Levi is constantly assessing people, judging them,  almost analyzing them. I wouldn’t say this is entirely how he has always been but I think a big of part of this again comes from how he was raised as a child. you can’t trust anyone is basically a mantra he was raised upon and it was near ingrained into him. but this also can go for his personality. Levi doesn’t entirely mean to come off as an intimidating person but it’s pretty clear he does have a personality that everyone can feel in the room.

characteristic v.  loyalty

yes, you read that right  !  believe it or not, us slytherins are actually pretty loyal people however there’s a slight cost to this loyalty. the loyalty of a slytherin is only given to those who… for lack of better prove themselves worthy. there’s only a select few who slytherins actually care  /  are loyal too.  this can actually be a huge factor for Levi. Levi is loyal but not to everyone he meets. the people who gain his loyalty are ones he can consider close friends  /  family ie: Erwin, Hange, Mike, his first  &  second squad.  those are the people who have meaning to him, who have proven something or have a quality he either lacks or finds interesting. with this loyalty comes a high protection of those who mean something to him. ie, going after Zeke when he was completely drained because he asked Erwin for a suicide mission,  noting when something is off about Hange in the way they change their behavior,  overall being protective of his squad  &  tries to look out for their well-being. this can also be reflected in his emotional response when Hange’s squad is killed under his watch. that is, in a way, an extension of Hange them-self  &  he killed that part of them.

characteristic vi.  expert at hiding their true feelings

I think this trait can be flexible  &  be noted to say not all slytherins have this trait. however, think of Snape. He cared heavily for Harry and while I know there’s a lot of controversy over his character, I just think if he didn’t care he could have simply gave Harry up at any given moment. this may just be a movie thing as it’s been a bit since I’ve read the book but I re-call in the third movie he did try to protect the trio when Remus had gone into his werewolf mode even though just a second ago he was all in his “POTTER!” rage. but also, take note of Draco. Draco tried to keep himself together during the last years knowing that he basically had no choice but did he outright show that ? no he didn’t. he tried to do so in secrecy until he was walked upon by Harry. even when he was face to face with Dumbledore he tried to be brave until he just couldn’t.

I say all that to show instances because I think this is a part of who Levi is. whether it’s from trying to get praise and not receiving any from Kenny, it’s clear that Levi sometimes hides his emotions or at least tries too but often it does come out in the only way he seems to know how with actions instead of words. when his squad died, he didn’t talk about simply trying to pass off a poor joke with Eren but earlier we saw him basically tear up Annie. when he finally re-groups with Hange and the others, he doesn’t out right state his reasoning for wanting to save Erwin but we know why. we saw him take out that vengeance on Zeke, we saw his reaction when he noted that Erwin was still breathing. basically, Levi does feel intensely he’s just more one to not say nor talk about it out right  (  except maybe with Hange  )  &  he shows it through action.

characteristic vii.  slytherin in general

 there’s a lot more reasons I could honestly list about how I see Levi to be Slytherin but this has already gotten super long ! do note that some of these traits are ones often found in slytherins but can be flexible ! overall, I don’t think Levi would fall into the category of being an evil slytherin bc as I said above, remember that other houses have produced their own share of bad eggs in the bunch. other traits of slytherin can include

thinking of what if scenarios getting even instead of just getting mad having a non-existent idea of forget and forgive FEARING FAILURE often will try to save their own skin first  (  however I don’t think this applies to Levi considering he does try to look out for his whole squad  )

this list goes on and on and while I adore writing this and want to keep wanting this essay, I think I will end it here. overall, if you do wish want to know about his house just ask me ! I’ll be more than glad to go into reasoning.

[hannahlittlecassie]

READING DIVERSE: LGBTQIA+ recommendations

“All of the moments where I was made to feel like an outsider in a group that was supposed to have room for me added up and left me feeling so much shame.” Gabby Rivera, Juliet Takes a Breath

Today I will not be talking about single book and what it has taught me. Instead I will talk about nine books that got on my radar recently and that most definitely should be on yours too.

OF FIRE AND STARS by Audrey Coulthurst

YA Fantasy where princess falls in love with a sister of the prince aka another princess. For me the fact that this book exists is already mind blowing. We definitely need more books like this! If you are a fan of fantasy this is hands down a book to go to!

IDA by Alison Evans

What this book sometimes lacks in story more than makes up in uniqueness. There is ultimately no straight characters in this book. Oh and have I already told you it is about dimensional travelling?

JULIET TAKES A BREATH by Gabby Rivera

My favorite book right now. I am yet to find anything that is even close to what I experienced while reading this book. It is about latino lesbian girl who goes to the world to discover herself. Big chunk of this book already deals with feminism today and racism. And if that was not mind blowing enough this book also addresses parents not wanting to accept their children's identities.

WE ARE OKAY by Nina LaCour

Best book ever dealing with grief, loneliness and isolation. It touched me personally more than ever book has in the past. Plus it deals with dorm life.

EVERY HEART A DOORWAY by Seanan McGuire

Best book ever dealing with grief, loneliness and isolation. It touched me personally more than ever book has in the past. Plus it deals with dorm life.

CAPTIVE PRINCE by C.S. Pacat

This is something I still need to get to but I heard this book has very good gay characters. Tho be advised there are trigger warnings in this trilogy.

WILD BEAUTY by Anna-Marie McLemore

My most anticipated new release this year! I heard this book is ultimatly a mixture of lgbtqia+ and Uprooted. Can it get even better?

WE ARE THE ANTS by Shaun David Hutchinson

What else can I say but that this book broke me. It deals with heavy bullying and abusive relationships. It is a must to read but prepare yourself before going into it, your heart will be broken, I promise you.

QUEENS OF GEEK by Jen Wilde

New release that has it all. If you are a fan of contemporary that makes you smile and laugh this is something you should really read. I cannot wait to get my own hands on it soon too!

These are of course just a few books that I have been excited about recently but I believe even the most pickiest reader would find at least one they will love. See you next time!

Have you read any of the featured books? Have it changed the way you see things? More LGBTQIA+ recommendations?

Originally posted HERE: http://psilovethatbook.blogspot.de/2017/07/reading-diverse-lgbtqia-recommendations.html

[girlwonderxo-blog]

Want to feel better without having to think about it too much?

Here’s how: Improve your diet. Yep. Notice I said “improve” NOT “change” (simply to emphasize the need for improvements that are easily sustainable). How do you do this? By not ripping away everything you’re used to all at once of course. Realistically, this is why fad diets rarely, if ever, work long term. You drive yourself (and your body respectively) crazy trying to eat barely anything, or only things you don’t really enjoy. I used to probably be the world’s pickiest eater (Guinness Book of World Records status). As a result of this, I had a HORRIBLE diet that lacked a ton of important nutrients. I’m lucky that I’m as healthy as I am eating like that for so long; YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT! On top of that, I used to, as a lot of us do (especially here in the good U S of A) consume a ton of meat and not nearly enough fruits and vegetables—However, now I’m a vegetarian and l-o-v-i-n-g it. No matter what your goal is (indeed I know not everyone is trying to go as far as vegetarianism), I’m going to share 10 honest to goodness tips on how I personally have achieved a mega transition in my diet with little or no pain. But first, a disclaimer:

 I am not, nor do I claim to be, a Nutritionist. 

These are merely 10 simple strategies I’ve implemented when starting my journey that I found to be effective. Enjoy.

Start off by substituting; no need to fully eliminate. You wouldn’t wean yourself off of a medication all at once would you? You’d go bonkers. The same goes with food. My favorite trick is to substitute my junky snack cravings with healthier ones that actually hold nutritional value. So slice up an apple and eat it with your favorite chunky peanut butter instead of the cookies, eat healthier options that still pack a crunch if you’re craving potato chips (think crisp veggies with your favorite ranch dip, plantain chips, pea crisps etc.), or make a smoothie with your favorite fruits instead of drinking that double chocolate milkshake; but on occasion... Do have the double chocolate milkshake. It’s OKAY in moderation.

For goodness sake lay off the sugar. It is horrible for you and not doing you any favors. When I really started reading nutrition labels I realized just how much a lot of the products pushed to us are often overloaded with sugar (more than the 25g for women / 38g for men daily recommended amount in just one product). When shopping always grab a few options to compare their sugar content. After reading the labels, opt for the one with less sugar. I’ve long ago given up soda, but I still enjoy my occasional juice beverage. I swear by Kombucha, because despite costing about $3.99 per bottle, they are one of the few juice drinks that do not literally have 30-58g of sugar per serving (note: there are some classified as non-alcoholic and alcohol). Being more conscious of the amounts of sugar in each product that I am consuming has become a habit and drastically brought down my over-all level of sugar intake on a daily basis. My waist and newfound lack of insomnia thank me; yours will as well.

Also, lay off excessive amounts of sodium. This is another baddy the food industry just loves to overload our food with. As with sugar, weigh your options and go with the one that has the least amount of sodium. I definitely used to do counterproductive things like add extra salt to my fries, potatoes and pasta until I realized how much salt were already in these things; yikes. If it already has sodium in it, there’s no need to add anymore.

For the amount of meat you think you need on that dinner plate, make sure you have at least equal (preferably more but here’s hoping you’ll get there) servings of fruits & vegetables too! This will ensure that you’re eating balanced and not getting full off one thing food group before you can get your other, necessary nutrients. A trick I like to do is to mix vegetables I am not that fond of with something I do love, like preferred veggies or brown rice. 

Go whole or go home. Whenever you can, opt for whole grains vs. refined ones. Brown > white. Natural and less processed is generally better for you.

Drink more water. We all know we’ve got to, but it just seems so much easier to drink that 24 oz. Venti coffee than even 3 of the recommended 8 glasses of water per day. On top of that, if you’re like me, you’re often so busy that you don’t have time to keep getting up to re-fill your glass. By the end of the day you realize you haven’t had any water. I’ve solved this first world problem by purchasing a 64 oz. jug from Amazon, which I fill up at the beginning of the day & goal myself to finish by the day’s end. You too can purchase this magical product here >> Bluewave Lifestyle Daily 8 Water Jug << 

Try using organic raw honey as a sweetener instead of granulated sugar if you’re a tea totaller or coffee lover, (I love to do this). I find it to be sweeter, and therefore I can use less to achieve the desired taste. I’m no Baker, but I’m sure this can be used as a substitute here as well.

Eat smaller portions, more frequently. This is great for your metabolism and keeps blood sugars leveled. It also helps to take your time when eating! Our brains do not immediately realize the chemicals we’ve put into our bellies to register that we’re full. So if we eat a lot too fast we often don’t even realize that we’ve met or surpassed our threshold of satisfaction, causing us to overeat. I like to eat a serving and then let it marinate for about 15-20 minutes before deciding if I need seconds to be content.

An extremely effective remedy that I want to state again is: Pair foods you know are good for you and that you should be eating (but maybe you don’t really care for) with foods you love. This is one thing that immensely helped me to grow out of my picky eating frenzy. Every time I would take a bite of something I didn’t care for, I’d have something I love on the fork also. You can also find a seasoning or dressing you like to help you enjoy new and healthy foods. Before you know it your palette adapts and that BIG bad broccoli isn’t so icky anymore—dare I say you might grow to enjoy it. On the flip side, it’s important not to force yourself to eat more of things in one sit in then you can stand to. This will only create a disdain for that particular food, and you’ll never learn to enjoy it. It’s a gradual process. Introduce yourself to it multiple times and eat only a little until you find yourself wanting more.

Be aware of, and probably avoid all of the products with the super duper marketing health claims of being low fat, or low calorie. At the very least compare the labels. Often, they reduce the fat or calories in exchange for upping the content of some other horrible ingredient to keep the flavor. Then, they market it to misled consumers as “healthy.” Quality over quantity is always better and you can control how much you eat of anything.

Well, that’s it. Try some, or all, of these pointers if you’re beginning to change some things in your diet for the better. Everyone is different and you have to find what works for you. However, these life hacks have been pivotal for me on my journey and I hope they will be for you. In the very least, it will cause you to be a lot more conscious of what you’re putting into your body and you’ll start noticing what does, or does not work for you.

Happy Shopping.  ✌🏼 💚

Also, to keep getting fit with me check out & follow my primary blog @ ~~>https://www.tumblr.com/blog/stylefit