Quick Post and An Apology!

HI there!

So as some of you might have noticed, I haven't posted over the past two days. However, I have perfectly plausible excuses. For day one, I was helping out my sister with her party's decoration, and my laptop wasn't charging throughout the day, so I couldn't post at night. For day two of not posting (yesterday), the painters came to paint the living room, and our rooms. Then at night, I went to She Fighter again, and I came back really tired, so I simply went to sleep. 

I woke up today and the painters finished about three quarters of my room, which is amazing! The colors I chose are really light and soothing colors, although my mom wanted me to choose a darker color, like my sister did. I'll try to put the colors below. Speaking of painting and colors, I finally finished all of the elements of the blog's banner, and I am definitely going to post it today or tomorrow, if I knew how. 

Now on to the reading, I have continued with Focus by Leo Babauta, if you haven't downloaded it, download it here, it's free! However, I haven't made a lot of progress with it, because I have had to read Animal Farm for a school assignment. Although I do like the book itself and its theme, the questions I have to answer are very irritating. 

That's all I have for now, but I will either post later on today or tomorrow, if only to tell you I have posted the banner.

Love you all!

-Yara :)

This will be on all of the other walls, it's called
Apple White
reviews.diy.com

This will only be on one wall, it's called
Willow Tree
http://www.pinterest.com/erno1980/

My Room's Colors

This Isn't What It Looks Like by Pseudonymous Bosch - REVIEW!

Hi there! 

usborne.com

Over the course of two weeks, I read This Isn't What It Likes by Pseudonymous Bosch (that was for those of you who haven't read the post's title). It is the fourth book of five from the Secret series. I have never read the first three books, however that wasn't a problem for me, and in the following review, you'll know why. 

The story starts off in a very peculiar way, and it continues that way. The story is filled with asterisks (*), and then there is a footnote at the end, that explains to you whatever word or phrase it was beside. Which meant that anything from the previous novels, and any complicated word, was briefly but clearly explained, which is why I didn't feel lost in any way while reading. 

In regards to the way of writing, it varies with every point the author makes, and it also changes with every character's speech. That especially shows when the points of view change between the two main characters (Cass and Max-Earnest). This makes the characters feel so varied and so alive, and they fit perfectly with the rest of the story by having the most peculiar backstories. They both work for the Terces Society, which is devoted to fighting their main enemies, the Midnight Sun, and is also devoted to finding the Secret, which was left behind by its founder, the Jester. 

Fan art of the characters
http://aimmyarrowshigh.tumblr.com/

The Jester is Cass' ancestor, and Cass travels back in time to find the Secret from him. It isn't a real novel if there isn't many conflicts and complications that she encounters by herself, and with her great-great-great-great-great-and so many other greats grandfather. They meet bandits, a homunculus, the king and the dreaded Lord Pharaoh (the founder of the Midnight Sun)! It isn't a smooth situation outside of Cass' head either. 

Her best friend, Max-Earnest believes that it's his fault for putting Cass in a 'coma'. He tries everything to try to have her escape the realm in her head. This leads to many failures and a revealing of a traitor amongst Max-Earnest's friends, as well as complications with hi s principal.

This novel is filled with humor, suspense and a whole lot of adventure. The story kept me on the edge the entire time.  It is unexpected, bizarre and so very very entertaining. It is very different from most of the other books, but it does have a similar tone to Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events series. I really recommend you read this novel, it has a very unique style, and a spectacular plot, and hopefully in the near future, we can do a sort of book club, and read the other books of the series together. 

gripewaterforbabies.org

I hope you liked my review, and I encourage you to comment below on what you think of this, and if I should do any more. 

Side Note: Today I went To SheFighter again, and tried out a new class, which was super tough, and I felt tired a few times, but I fought the urge to sit down, and I completed all two lessons without ever stopping. I also felt really energetic afterwards, which is great! Regarding to the blog transformation, I have finished 3/4 of the banner, and I am planning to post it in two days, on Wednesday.

Love you all and see you tomorrow!

-Yara:)

ANNOUNCEMENT! Something New!

Hi there! 

So I have been thinking lately, and I have come to the conclusion that I am going to change up the blog a little. This includes the design, the fonts, and even the way of writing. My plan is to focus on one of my goals every two weeks and report on my progress as such. I will also write articles about the goal I'm focusing on, and publish the thoughts and feelings I'm having during my experience. These two weeks I will focus on goal number 13; read one book every two weeks. Since I have already finished one book yesterday (This Isn't What It Looks Liks by Pseudonymous Bosch), I will be writing a review about it tomorrow, and after that I will be reading Focus by Leo Babauta. The version I am reading is the free version, however there is a premium version. 

This is the link: Focus Book (Free and Premium). It is a downloadable e-book, and I would love it if you would download it so we can both read it together and you can tell me your thoughts about it later on. Its theme is similar to his blog, its all about simplicity and relaxation and productivity. I've only read the first few pages, but so far I've liked it. 

Anyways, check out my post tomorrow, and don't forget to comment and tell me what you think about these changes. Also, on the upper right side of the blog, there are a few icons. Each one will lead you to a different social network I'm connected to, so don't forget to check them out as well. Warning: I'm not very active on them, but I'm trying to connect more.

Love you all!

-Yara :)

Day 12: Mall and Snowflakes

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Hi there!

So yesterday, my family and I went to TAJ mall to buy some clothes for my father and I, however my dad didn't see anything he liked, so we ended up buying some shirts for me and my sister. We later went to have lunch at a restaurant called Cafe Hanin. It serves Lebanese food and Shisha (Hubbly Bubbly). My sister and I enjoy the first and my parents enjoy both, so it was a very suitable place for all of us. 

After lunch was over, we all went home. My parents took an afternoon nap, while my sister and I prepared for her birthday by making paper snowflakes. My sister made a lot of 2D paper snowflakes, my mother and I helped by making a few, I also made a really big 3D snowflake. They all look magnificent (I was going to post pictures, but my sister wants to keep it a surprise. However, when the party is happening/over, I will post all of the pictures). 

Not much happened after that. All four of us sat in the living room and watched TV for a while, then we went to sleep. 

THE END...or is it?

PS: The link above will lead you to a website, where if you signup (which you can do with FaceBook), you can follow my blog, and many others. If you check the website daily, it will show you when I post on my blog, it's really easy and simple to do.

PSS: It was the end; the end of the day.

-Yara :)

Day 11: Out and About

Hi there!

So today, my friends and I decided to go out. We went to Buffalo Wings & Rings for lunch. I arrived with two of my friends,and we waited for the others. One of them came 15 minutes after 3 PM, which is the time we all agreed to meet. Another came at 3:30, and the last of them came at 3:45. So after 45 minutes we ordered our food, and it took about 15-20 minutes for all of the food to arrive.

We finished our meal around 5, and then we headed to the nearby mall. We walked there, and it was a little chilly. When we got there, we had no idea what to do. We just strolled around, considering our options, which were limited (food, cinema,or a store). We sulked around for a while, then I decided to buy a cookie from Nestle Toll House, and one of my friends decided to buy coffee from Starbucks. We aimlessly wandered around, until my mom came and picked me up, along with two of my friends. 

My dad came from Saudi Arabia while I was with my friends, however when we arrived, he was asleep, so I didn't see him. My friends and I just sat down and talked about random things, while my sister and my cousin played in the next room.

When my friends left, my aunt and uncle came over and my dad woke up. I sat with them and they chatted about things, while my sister and my cousin played with the Xbox. I later started to sneeze a lot and blow my nose, and I think I got sick, but it was a good day overall, and I had fun.

How about you? What was your day like? Tell me below in the comments, can't wait to read about it!

-Yara :)

Day 10: SheYoga

Hi there!

So on Wednesday, I went to the yoga class in SheFighter. The trainer there was incredibly flexible. There was a move called the downward dog (I'll put a picture below), and when she did it, her body was formed into a perfect triangle. 

Anyways, when the class was about to start, most of the lights were switched and a chocolate-smelling spray was sprayed all over the room. The trainer sat in the front of the room and talked us through some breathing exercises. After that was done, we were talked through some moves. A few were really complicated, but most were simply new and challenging. We repeated a few techniques (some of which are below), but the most relaxing part was at the very end. 

All of the lights were switched off, and we were all told to lay down on the floor and close our eyes. The trainer told us to relax our whole body and focus on our breathing. There a few minor disturbances (a little boy talking, a cell phone rang, and the founder was in some kind of interview in the background), but after we opened our eyes and sat up, it was like something came over me. I felt calm and relaxed and I started talking in a lower volume and slower pace. 

I will definitely go to this class again, if only for that last part. It was very relaxing, and I aim to become as flexible as the trainer (who mastered the art in China) one day, although I am certain it will take a lot of work. If you are or were practicing yoga, tell me about your experience below, I would love to hear all about it!

-Yara :)

Downward Dog

Straight Forward Bend

Tree Pose

Beginner's Gate

Dancer

Image Links:   yogajournal.com   fitsugar.com

Day 9: Go-Karting and The Automobile Club

Hi there! 

Today, I went to my friend's birthday "gathering" at Speed Center. I arrived there with two of my friends and met with the other girls. We went down to the track and we had to put on hair-nets and then a helmet over it. I got into my kart and the guy started its engine. I pressed the gas pedal really hard and I started to swerve a lot. During the fifteen minutes we were on the tracks, I got stuck about seven times, and bumped into the sidelines too many times to count. Eventually, the guy working there got really sick of pulling me out of the tight places I've pushed myself into, that he told me to slow down everytime he saw me. 

After we were done, I realized that I was the worst and slowest driver of the bunch. However, I was able to laugh at the rest, so it was all okay at the end. We later had lunch, and after that we sang 'Happy Birthday' to her and ate cake (red velvet and Ferrero Rocher). When all of that finished, we just sat around and chatted with one another, while looking at the track, until it was time to leave. 

Then my friend and I went the Jordanian Automobile Club, where we goofed around in the playground and in the arcade. When we got bored we simply sulked around and kept nagging at our mothers to take us home. I went home first.

Now here I am, sitting at home, clicking away on my computer while watching The Good Wife. Which concludes that it was a good day and I can't wait to see what wonders tomorrow beholds!

-Yara :)

Day 8: At Home

Hi there! 

So yesterday was the very definition of a lazy day. I woke up in the afternoon and sat down and watched TV and played with my phone. Later on in the day, after having lunch, I planned out sleeping, electronics and eating schedules. I also started working on the banner for the blog, very excited about that and I can't wait to finish it and show it off to all of you :). That's it for yesterday, but if you want to here about more exciting things, check in after a few minutes to see today's post.

P.S.: I had the intention of doing a small exercise, but I felt too sore, so I didn't do anything. However, I am going to SheFighter tomorrow, and I'm going to try my first yoga lesson there, hopefully it will help my body relax a little.

-Yara :)

Day 7: Second Time in SheFighter

Hi there!

Yesterday I went to SheFighter for a second time. I felt kind of uncertain at the beginning, before the class, but I later forgot about that. I signed up yesterday, officially. My friends and I took 2 classes after each other. In the first one we learned a few new moves, and in between each new move there were some short exercises like push-ups, sit-ups, and burpees (a military move!). After it finished, I still felt very energetic, so I decided to do the second class. However, halfway through, my body was overwhelmed, so I had to sit down for about 15 minutes, before I joined the class again. 

When I woke up today, I realized that my thighs were aching, and they hurt every time I move, so I decided not to join my friends for today's class, because I feel exhausted. On the other hand, I am planning to go tomorrow or on Wednesday.Wish me luck!

On a side note, a lot of people are having difficulties posting comments, so if you are experiencing difficulties, send them to me on Facebook (mention my name so I can see it and thank you for it!) or Twitter or any other social network I am connected to, that I have linked on the top of the page. All you have to do is press one of the buttons and send me your comment! 

-Yara :)

Day 6: Nothing New

Hi there! 

So today was mostly a day-in. I woke up at 9 AM, but got out of bed at 10. My parents went out to buy a furniture set, and some chairs while I stayed home and watched TV. When they came back, my mom and I cooked a cheeseburger casserole (this recipe I got from skinnytaste.com- check it out!). It turned out to be really good. After that we went to a local restaurant called Lemon, and ate dessert and just sat there talking and other stuff until my dad had to go to the airport :( . After we dropped him off, we went grocery shopping and then we went home. In a short while, these delivery people came to drop off some ordered chairs. Then, I sat down and wrote this post, and the previous one, and that's it. 

Not a truly exciting day, however it wasn't a bad one either. Tell me in the comments below what kind of day you had, hopefully it's a little more exciting than mine. See tomorrow's post for another SheFighter update, it will be my second class. Bye!

-Yara :)

Day 5: Dead Sea Again!

Hi there! 

So yesterday I went to the Dead Sea again with my mom, dad and sister, along with my aunt, uncle and cousin (not the same one). We all went in the same car and got there around 2 PM. We had lunch in the same restaurant as before, and then we walked around the pool for a while. After that, my sister and cousin went swimming, and everyone else came to the pool as well and we sat at the bar next to the pool until about 7-8 PM. Everybody got really tired, so we went home again. 

I didn't get to take any pictures, because I left the camera in my jacket, which stayed in the car. However, I did have a lot of fun, although it was the second time I go this week. I have gone to the Dead Sea before, but I still always have fun there, especially when one of my cousins come along. Which makes me want to know, what places do you like to go to a lot, but is always a lot of fun to be in? Tell me in the comments!

-Yara :)

Day 4: SheFighter

Hi there! 

So today I went to the opthamologist (eye doctor) for my sister and dad. Then we went to a car studio, and then a curtain shop, while listening to the Disney movie Frozen's soundtrack five hundred billion times. Later on at 5:30, after lunch of course, I went to SheFighter with a couple of friends of mine and tried out one of their classes, and my body was pushed to the very extreme.

We started out with running 5 laps around the studio, then we did 35 jumping jacks (although we should've done 50 *sneaky, sneaky*). After that a trainer showed us some kickboxing moves, and then we did 15 push ups and 30 sit ups. This routine was repeated about 3 times, while the trainers added a few moves with each set. At the very end, we had to balance our bodies on our elbows for a minute, and we finished it all off with stretching (despite popular belief, it's better to stretch after or during a workout. There must be a reason for that but I am exhausted from writing up two posts, so you should research it instead.). 

In conclusion, it was a very tiring and exhausting experience, but I did enjoy it a lot, and I felt very productive doing it. Therefore, I am planning to sign up for lessons later on, hopefully with my friends, but even if they don't, I definitely will.  

Link to SheFighter: www.shefighter.com

P.S.: I was thinking of doing a banner for the blog, but I have no idea what to make it out of, if you have any ideas, tell me in the comments below. 

-Yara :)

Day 3: Dead Sea

Hi there!

So, yesterday my family and I went to the Dead Sea, and I had loads of fun. I also took a bunch of pictures, which I will upload at the end of the post, but I wanted to first write a little about the Dead Sea and its history. Enjoy!

The Dead Sea is located between the shores of Jordan and Palestine. Despite popular belief (and its name), it is a hyper saline lake, as opposed to a freshwater lake. It has intensely high salinity content (about 28-35 %), which is much greater than the salinity content of oceans, although a few other hypersaline lakes in Africa have higher salinity content. This salinity content disables marine life and vegetation from existing amongst its waters; hence the name. However, the lake's hypersaline state does have its advantages.

The salinity content allows the swimmer to float very easily, due to its buoyancy. The water also has heliotherapy, which means that it can harness the positive biological effects for the sun’s radiation. It is considered to be the first health resort, due to it being the supplier of various products, from balm to potash for fertilizers, the Dead Sea’s salts have also been used to produce cosmetic and herbal products and packets..  It also constantly discharges asphalt, which is also a component in mummification.

The Dead Sea was also very popular with famous historic figures. It was one of Cleopatra’s favorite sites to visit, and many historians believe that it was a refuge camp for King David. It is also believed to be the site of the ancient people of Sodom (Lot’s people), who were punished by Allah when He turned the ground upside down on them.

In short, the Dead Sea is an amazing landmark in Jordan, with valuable origins, benefits, and in recent days, it has become a place of leisure because of the emergence of resorts and spas. I have genuinely enjoyed my time there, and I advise you to visit it if you're in Jordan.

Although I already said this in the beginning, I want to say that I had a lot of my fun with my cousin and grandparents, and of course my mom, dad and sister. It was a fun lunch, and we had a beautiful view the entire time. So thank you mom and dad for taking me.

The photos are below, and check in later for a post about my MMA trial class. Don’t forget to comment below and tell me about your experiences with the Dead Sea, if there are any, and tell me what you think about this type of post, and if I should do more of this sort of thing. 

-Yara :)

SOURCES FOR INFORMATION: 

-famouswonders.com    -traveltips.usatoday.com 

-twistedsifter.com  -sfbsc.com    -islam.about.com

Ready to go!

On the Road

Still on the road

Still on the road...

STILL ON THE ROAD!

Finally there

The hotel we visited

From the inside

From the inside

The pool (we didn't swim in)

A the bridge

The restaurant we had lunch in 

The Dead Sea from above

On the shore

The rocky shore

The sun about to set

The actual sunset

The pool at night

Believe it or not, that's the moon

On our way home

Day 2: The Planning

Hello there!

A lot has happened since I last posted. My mom's friend saw one of my drawings and showed it to her friend, who is a bookstore owner and called my mom to offer me a job that includes myself helping kids with arts and crafts during the summer, after she heard that I wanted a summer job, which is amazing, and I want to thank her so very much! 

Another thing I am planning for is going to the Dead Sea tomorrow with my dad, mom, sister and cousin to spend the day and my grandparents are joining us later on for lunch. There is also a possibility my family and I are going to one of Jordan's landmarks over the weekend, and the main option we have decided on is Petra, which is an amazing city, and one of the seven wonders of the world, so...

To add to that, I am planning to go to an art centre next week to check out the classes there. The mixed martials art class trial has been postponed to Thursday, because a friend and I have agreed to go with one another, and she couldn't make it today, and I can't make it tomorrow, so Thursday was a perfect time for both of us. My mom's friend has also offered a cooking class to me, if I gather enough friends to come with me to take the class. 

And wait! There's more! My mom and I are going to check out a French learning centre here in Jordan, but until then I have downloaded the app Duolingo to teach me a few of the basics. I am also planning to go and visit a few galleries and museums, as well as going to Rainbow Street when I have the time! 

One thing I am really looking forward to is visiting Books@Cafe. It functions as a regular cafe with books and magazines to read from, and my mother has informed me it sometimes has art displays and other events. I can't wait!

On a side note, I have recently added a follow me widget on the top of the page where you can follow me on some social networks and subscribe to my blog (using the orange button on the right), and a sharing widget on the side of the blog to make it easier for all of you to share it with your friends. Also, please note that to comment on the post you need to be logged in to Google before you publish it, because there has been an instance where the comment was accidently deleted, so this is just a friendly heads-ups.

To end this off, I want to say thank you to everyone who has been showing me support, and tell me below on what you're planning to do in the future, and while you're at it, recommend some places in Jordan for me to visit. Love you all!

-Yara :)

Day 1: The Beginning

Hi there!

I would first like to start off with saying thank you to everyone that has seen my first post. I really appreciate the support from all of you!It's the first time I have started something like this and it's great to know so many of you are coming along this journey with me.

Secondly I would like to inform you on what I have been doing to accomplish some of these. To start off the reading, I have chosen the novel This Isn't What It Looks Like, by Pseudonymous Bosch. I have already began to read it, and it has a very peculiar style of writing, but I am already intrigued by it. In regards to the first point (Get Fit), I am planning to go tomorrow to SheFighter to try out their mixed martials art class at 5:30. I have also downloaded some exercise apps like Nike Training Club that offer a fixed set of exercises to help me reach my goal. As for point 2 and 3, I have downloaded a food-tracking app to help encourage to eat healthier and stay away from greasy foods. 

I still have a long way to go, but I am satisfied with the bases I have laid out for myself. If you have any tips or advice on how I should start with the other points, let me know below in the comments!

PS: I have recently learned that you can only comment if you have a Gmail/ Google account, so if you have any difficulties commenting, this may be the cause. 

PSS: Tell me what you think about the font, I am having difficulties deciding if it's appropriate/ clear.

-Yara :)

Hello! - An Introduction

My name is Yara Abuelreish, and I am 14 years old. I live in Amman, Jordan and go to high school, grade 9 to be specific. Jordan isn't a very exciting place, and these days I've had to go through a very repetitive cycle, which is making me extremely lazy. Therefore, I've decided to improve my lifestyle by placing several goals that I aim to accomplish in approximately one year from now, 1/1/2015. I have placed resolutions in the past, and I've failed to accomplish most of them, however this time I have decided to start a blog to record all of my progress as I go along, to give me a reason to pursue these goals, and have someone, you -a.k.a the reader-, come along the ride with me...and these goals are:

1. Get fit - through kickboxing and regular exercise

2. Eat healthier

3.Lose 10-15 kg (22-37.5 lb) excess fat and replace it with muscles

4. Practice drawing and painting more often

5. Place a sufficient system for organising my room.

6. Discover some new places to go to in Jordan

7. Discover new events and concerts in Jordan

8. Be nicer to my sister

9. Be less socially incompetent with my *distant family members.

10. Join more extracurricular activities for school extra credit

11. Discover several options for college/university

12. Stand up to mean people/ bullies

13. Read one book every 2 weeks

14. Improve my writings skills

15. Engage with my favorite YouTubers over social media

16. Learn some computer programming skills

17. Find a part-time/summer job

18. Go back to taking piano lessons

19. Learn French

20. Learn more about the human physcology

21. Learn more about myself psychologically

22. Bond more with my family-especially with my grandparents

In conclusion, I have 22 goals that I aim to accomplish in one year, and over the following week I will analyze how I aim to accomplish them and which methods I'm going to use. Comment below and tell me what you think!

                                                                                                                                   -Yara :)

*newly added in