Hey everyone, we have compiled our first list of Monthly Favorites for June. Let us know if you see anything you also like or if you have any of your own favorites!
Kim's Faves
EXPERIENCES
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| The backbone of any amazing life! Here are some things that happened in June. |
- Starting 3YearsApart with Amy and Helen - We actually wanted to do something like this many years ago. However, with work and school, it was too difficult to plan around all of our schedules. I'm really glad that we've finally started this!
- New York Metropolitan Museum of Art - Age of Empires - I've already written a little bit about my visit to the Met here. However, I didn't include the adventure of trying to get home when the trains weren't working. It was 4-5 hour commute (vs. the regular 1 hour) and includes everything from no trains, trains going backward, message boards and announcements saying trains are coming when they're not, tarot card readings, random people singing "I Love New York" in sarcasm, broken sandals, fireworks in Mid-June, ice cream, and midnight pizza. Quite an adventure in and of itself! The people I was with were all awesome, so it actually was pretty fun and not too bad! Goes to show how much being with good friends matters in any situation.
- Whale Watching with American Princess Cruises- Apparently, because of a storm the night before, all the whales and dolphins were gone. Still, it was a beautiful clear day on a calm ocean, with lovely views of Coney Island and the city on a boat that wasn't too crowded (probably because there were no sightings - no need to squeeze together on one side of the ship). Saw plenty of birds (oystercatchers, cormorants, seagulls, an eagle way up in the sky) while getting sunburned and super tan. Worth it. This was my second whale watch, after an amazing first trip at Cape Cod in May.
STUFF
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| These are a few of my favorite (new) things. |
- Duolingo released Japanese (not pictured)- Yay! Now I just gotta wait for the Chinese.
- Dead Last - A fun card game about making alliances and betraying people. Whether or not you can handle it depends on your group's dynamic, so play with caution. Also best with lots of people (we played with 8). This was a gift for someone.
- Escape the Room - Mystery at Stargazer's Manor - The board games are a lot cheaper than going to real escape rooms! This board game was probably the easiest escape room themed thing we've ever done (beat with an hour or so to spare). Probably a good introductory one. This was also a gift for the person who got Dead Last.
- PlayStation VR + Games - Finally got a PlayStation VR. Sooo fun. Also got a bunch of games for it, the best so far are Job Simulator and Resident Evil 7 (which I don't play, I just watch other people play and scream in the background because I'm a wimp. o.o'). Can't wait for Skyrim VR! It'll be my 3rd time playing through Skyrim...
- 150 Prismacolor Premier Soft Core Colored Pencils - I bought them after I did the Knight & Roses ACEO because I realized colored pencils were fun ...and they were on sale!
- Yoga with Adriene and Blogilates Calendars (not pictured)- I love the workout calendars. They make things simple and organized. On most weekdays, I do Yoga with Adriene after waking up and Blogilates before dinner. While I can't seem to find an official calendar for Yoga with Adriene, Sarah Beth Bowman makes ones with monthly themes. Adriene does have her "30 Days of Yoga" and "Yoga Camp" series on Youtube.
WATCHED
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| Someone awesome has started getting me back into Anime and Manga! |
- Grimgar: Ashes and Illusions - Also known as Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash among many other titles. This anime is based on characters in an RPG-like fantasy world, but it's more serious and realistic. Its focus is more on relationships and self-discovery rather than on getting stronger. The anime is beautifully animated and has pretty watercolor backgrounds! Based on a Japanese light novel series.
- Mushi-shi - I've only finished Season 1 (available on Amazon Strike - dubbed) and have yet to watch Season 2 (Available on Netflix - subbed). But I love the quiet and mysterious world, kinda slow and serene atmosphere, yet every episode is it's own little dramatic story. It's a unique anime. Plus good music! I imagine it's one of those "love it or hate it" type of things.
- The King's Avatar - This is not an anime about real eSports. People do not get stuck inside a game. It's not Chinese dubbed. It is Chinese. You'll get used to it. Non-Japanese anime is still anime. It's in the anime style. Phew! Now that we've got that out of the way. The animation is high-quality and looks great. The voice acting is actually pretty good. The music and character development could use some work, but nevertheless, I still enjoyed it. It makes me want to go back to my MMORPG days.
- A Silent Voice - I greatly enjoyed this movie, even if the characters were a little under-developed. It tactfully covers bullying, hearing disability, friendship, depression, and loneliness, with gorgeous art and music. I may have cried once or twice. The official website is in Japanese.
- Blame! - A Netflix Original. It covers only a tiny portion of the manga (with some adaptation) and is more like 3 episodes of a show in one but done in amazing CG. Worth watching even as an introduction to the manga, if you think you'd like Post-Apocalyptic CyberPunk.
- Moana (not pictured) - Disney Princess movie. Feel-good fun with lots of singing. Made my friends watch it with me before their trip to New Zealand. :D
READ
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| Cookbooks and Audiobooks totally count. |
- Critical Failures (Caverns and Creatures Book 1) by Robert Bevan - This was recommended to me by a friend. I'll straight up and say the characters are annoying. All of them. But it was still fun to visualize their misadventures and by Chapter 19 they grew on me. I was assured that Books 2 and 3 are the best. I highly suggest the audiobook, narrated by Jonathan Sleep. It'll give you many good chuckles. Do not read if you don't like profanity.
- Therapeutic Chef Cookbook by Kristin Doyle - I've actually had this cookbook for a while, but it wasn't until June that I used a whole weekend to test recipes from it. Most of the recipes I tried were hits and all of them were super healthy and vegan! I only wish the General Index was a little more robust. It's difficult to find things by ingredients.
- Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards - Another book that I owned for a long time, but never got around to actually doing all of the exercises in the book. The book's writing is a little dry, but there's no denying the vast improvement between the pre-instruction and post-instruction drawings.
Amy's Faves
Favorites of the month of June! This month was mostly filled with nostalgia and revisiting the past for me. While shopping at a thrift store, I found a copy of
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine. I loved this book in middle school and rereading this made me love it again. Helen and I recently went out to eat dim sum with our parents which also brought back a lot of memories of them taking us to the restaurant with our relatives. Helen and I may or may not have gone a second time... >_> I also rediscovered
Reba the television sitcom. I forgot how much I enjoyed this tv show! Currently re-watching all six seasons. :D I've been listening to songs/artists that were constantly on my iPod in middle/high school: BoA, Super Junior, Anson Hu, Jay Chou, JJ Lin, Michelle Branch, Vanilla Mood, and Alicia Keys. Going through all these old favorites made me realize I still enjoy all of these and it's always nice to revisit once in a while.
Helen's Faves
BEAUTY
FASHION
- Hats are a must for summer! They are all from Wal-mart, the black one I painted myself. Any Fan of Running Man will understand 7012.
TECH / RANDOM
CRAFTS / PLANNING / ORGANIZATION
MUSIC
- BoA made a comeback song CAMO - I love all of her songs!
- Joe Hisaishi - A Japanese composer who worked with Studio Ghibli
- Kina Grannis - Her voice is so sweet and mellow
- Panda Eyes - dubstep. yup.
YOUTUBE
- Blogilates - I love her videos and I watch her for my workouts along with her calendars.
- Momolovespaper - She first started out on Instagram and Bigcartel. Her videos show what she uses in her Traveler's Notebooks.
- Christopher Allen - I just love him, his channel is about honesty and kindness. He gives great information on planning, organization, and books.
- JentleStrength - Jenny is cute and quirky. Her videos are chill and funny in a way you can relate to. Some of my favorite types are Sticker Diary videos and vlogs.
- HalloAlice - She is an artist who also turns her art into stickers to put in her planners and notebooks.
PODCASTS
Stuff You Should Know - How Malls Work
I know this doesn't sound like the most interesting thing to listen to, but Josh and Chuck are witty and engaging with a live audience.
" Live your life like it's your second chance. "
Salman Khan
Do you want more?
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