11 Websites You Need to Bookmark

Bookmarks by gracey featuring tech accessories

I have a lot of pages bookmarked for inspiration, random cool stuff, post ideas, etc. But I'm saving those for my revamped Lovely Links series (coming soon). These are websites you really really should bookmark, most of them are pretty useful in real life.

1. Chandoo.org. I was looking for some office/receptionist/personal assistant jobs recently, and EVERY one of them required that you be proficient in Excel. This has the basics, formulas, charts, and everything else you need to know. You can do a lot more with Excel than I ever thought, and it's really complicated if you don't know how to use it.

2. Allrecipes.com. Good if you are looking for a recipe or need inspiration for recipes with a specific ingredient(s). You can save recipes you like, post recipes, and even make a shopping list. This works well if you have a smart phone, because you can pull up the app while you're shopping and see what you need. I'm stuck with my dinosaur of a Blackberry and don't have that luxury, but take advantage if you have a smart phone!

3. Lookbook is great if you need some fashion inspiration. There was a girl that I found on Lookbook and I absolutely adored her style, but I cannot for the life of me remember her name. I want to say she lives in Italy, but I don't remember for sure. I'd know her if I saw her, so I'm going to go searching after this post is finished! Lesson learned: make sure you add looks that you like to a collection. Oh you can also add your pictures and looks to Lookbook as well.

4. Spreeder.com. This is a website designed to help you improve how fast you read. I haven't tried it yet but I will this week and see if there is any improvement.

5. Yogameditationhome.com is a free website with a crap ton of yoga videos. You can select your age, level, health issues, etc. AND you can favorite videos so you don't have to search for them every time. There is probably somewhere that offers yoga classes near you, and I don't know about you, but I don't want to dish out the money and be self conscious the whole time because I'm new at this.

6. Instructables.com teaches you how to make things (with you know, instructions). Learn to knit, because why not?

7. Documentaryaddict.com. I use this site when I need a break from watching House, or I'm just bored and want to watch something really interesting. You can search by category, newest, top rated, and more. Seriously, when you're bored or have time to kill, watch a documentary.

9. Ted.com. If you're not feeling the documentaries, watch/listen to a TED Talk. You can also filter by category and such. All of the talks they have turn out to be really interesting, even if I have no interest in the subject they are talking about. You really will get sucked in.

10. Wolframalpha.com helps you with anything related to math. I JUST used this a few minutes ago because for some reason I was talking about physics with my mom and I couldn't remember the quadratic formula. Now I do!

11. Polyvore.com. If these were in order of importance to me, this would be at the top. It's SO necessary for bloggers (specifically fashion and beauty bloggers). You can create really cool pictures for your blog, and even import your own pictures if it doesn't have what you are looking for (using the Polyvore Clipper).


Well now you have some sites to sift through, I just cured your boredom. You're welcome. What necessary websites do you have bookmarked? Have you ever been on any of these?

Breakfast at Gracey's Book Club

So this is a really impromptu post, so it'll be short. I'm going to be hosting a book club of sorts.

Every month (or whatever time period) I will choose a book to read, and post how many pages the book is. Now all of you can pick a book around the same length, read it within the set time period, and then leave your thoughts, reviews, and recommendations.

For the month of July, I will be reading The Giver by Lois Lowry, which is ~180 pages.

So, choose a book between 150-200 pages, and have it read by the end of July (sooner if possible). Or you can choose to read The Giver with me if you don't know what else to read.

After the month is over/I finish the book, I'll do a post about what I thought about the book, if I would recommend it, etc. In the comments (or you can even email me!) I'd like you all to discuss the book that you chose and read this month. Even if you didn't finish it. My next book club reading might just be one of your suggestions if it catches my interest!

So, I'm posting this a few days before July even starts, so you have time to choose a book! 1.) Choose book around 150-200 pages. 2.) Have it finished (or at least tried to finish) by the end of July. 3.) Comment and discuss your book when the next book club post goes up.

I'm hoping this will motivate people to read more this summer, maybe we could even set up some sort of book exchange/trade if this goes well? We shall see! Feel free to tweet me your book choices and recommendations before you start, as well! I can make a list if people really need help choosing a book to read. Let me know what you think in the comments or email me! :)

How To Be Happy

After having a tough day, I realized I've had many tough days lately. Some for ongoing reasons and some just because something crappy happened that day. I just wanted to do a post reminding you all to still be happy and do something that makes yourself happy at least once a day. If you're reading this, you probably enjoy reading blogs. You're off to a good start!

1. Find something you enjoy doing, even if you're not good at it. I really enjoy drawing, even though I'm not very good at it. It still calms me down and gives me something to focus on for a while that doesn't involve whatever is troubling me. You don't have to showcase your drawings if you don't want to, just do it if it makes you happy. Play around with colors and draw some happy images. Or even if they aren't happy, whatever comes to mind. Maybe you need to let out some anger by drawing some hardcore skulls or something. Whatever you need to do, do it.

2. Listen to music. I feel like this is a given in any post on how to be happy, but I figured I'd include it anyway. Fleetwood Mac always seems to make me feel better. Find an artist(s) that you can listen to forever and not get tired of, and start listening!

3. Singing the music will put you in an even better mood. Make sure you have a playlist on iTunes or Spotify or whatever you use just for happy music. Search for more happy songs and add them to the happy playlist as you listen to it.

4. Take a shower, put on some music, sing your heart out, and get some aromatherapy going. Hot showers are relaxing, and music just adds to the bliss of it. I was browsing the Fortune Cookie Soap website last night and noticed they had a product I'd never heard called "Steam Me Up Scotty!". They come in a set of 3, and you put one cube on the floor of the shower and let the steam take care of the rest. If you aren't in the mood to belt out some songs, take a hot bath and light some candles.

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5. Read a book. It can take you to a place that's far from what's troubling you. Just be careful not to pick a sad book! 

6. Stop checking Facebook so often! Seriously, delete the app on your phone if you have to. You're dealing with troubles in your life, and people on Facebook tend to only post the highlights of their life. This makes you feel insecure because they make life seem so lovely while you are suffering. Especially stay away if you're insecure about your appearance. People sometimes spend so much time trying different angles and editing to get the perfect picture. You're just as beautiful as they are! 

7. Be nicer to people. Even if they are treating you like crap, maybe they are having a bad day, too. Don't immediately reciprocate by being rude back. If people see how nice you are to them, they will be nice to you too. Unless they're just a bitch, then they probably won't be nice back. But you still have an opportunity to make yourself feel better by not stooping to their level! 

8. Talk to people who are troubling you in your life. Maybe you disagree with the way your significant other is treating you lately, or how your best friend is ignoring you, or some other relationship problem in your life. It might be hard, but you won't regret it in the long run. If they are a toxic person in your life, you'll find out quickly if they don't listen to you. If they want you to be happy, they'll listen to your concerns and talk to you about possible solutions. 

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You don't have to be happy all the time, but it's important to be happy overall with your life. Taking a few minutes out of the day for yourself and forget about your problems is a great thing to do. Retail therapy is always an option ;) Just be careful with that, too. Don't wanna run up a credit card bill! 

What do you to to keep yourself happy and sane, despite the crazy things in life? What are your favorite songs to listen to when you need cheering up? 

Summer Resolutions Part 2

I know this wasn't for this summer, but I did a post a while back talking about my summer resolutions at the that time. I figured I'd take the time to boast about the ones I completed, and list the ones I still need to do and add new ones. Unfinished resolutions in red, completed resolutions in green, and new resolutions in blue. There is only one, but there is one "iffy" resolution.

1. Drink coconut water-- I tried, I really did. I tried everything from Zico to Vita Coco to some other brands that I can't think of. I just don't like the taste, for some reason they taste kind of like tomato V8 but only slightly sweeter. I'll stick to water.

2. Do more blog posts-- I say this ALL the time, but I never stick to it. I have some reviews stacked up, but my lighting sucks everywhere in my house and I can't get good pictures. I'm vowing to actually post regularly now. Promise!

3. Read more books-- Not as many books as I'd like, but I have been reading more. Everything from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, The Giver, to the Phenomenology of Perception and The Conscious of the Atom. My problem is that I read whatever I'm in the mood for at the moment. I think I'm reading 3 books at once now, and it's taking me forever.

4. Yoga-- Just like the reading, I have started doing yoga. Only not as often as I'd like to. But I have seen improvement, in body strength and flexibility and even in everyday life things. I used to have extremely poor digestion very frequently to only feeling nauseous/uncomfortable a very rare occasion. It might be a coincidence, but who knows. It might be a mental thing, but I feel better overall.

5. Learn calligraphy-- For some reason, I became fascinated and in love with fountain pens. They are so smooth to write with, and they make my cursive look amazing. They can be waaaay more expensive than a whole pack of BIC Pens, but I'd say they're worth it once you get used to writing with them. You can also pick from so many ink colors it's not even funny. As a step up from just writing in cursive, calligraphy is beautiful and so damn hard! I'm impressed by all of you who can write lovely calligraphy words and phrases.

6. Don't wait until the last minute to do my summer reading-- I don't have any summer reading anymore since I'm not in school. I'm just going to leave this with the above post about reading more books.

7. Save my money and not blow my paychecks on beauty products-- I FINALLY (and by finally I mean a few days ago) was able to re-open my savings account. I wouldn't really say I saved money, but I didn't really gain much either. I also blew my paychecks, just on a few different things than beauty products. Like Dominos Pizza, mainly so I can get their lava cakes. Mmmmm…

8. World of Warcraft-- I know, I know. My boyfriend payed for it the first time and unfortunately I got hooked. I'm stuck on level 88 and I'm trying to get to 90. It just seems like no matter hard I try I can't get past 88. It's frustrating, dammit! Don't get talked in to playing, it's money you don't want to be wasting. But it is fun and addicting. Don't buy it!

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Did you make any summer resolutions last year, and did you follow through with them? Are you going to make any resolutions for this summer? What will they be?