What's on my nightstand?

I don't think I had a proper nightstand before, so it was a nice surprise coming home and seeing the new addition in my bedroom. Because I'm not used to having a table next to my bed, I initially had no idea what to put on it other than the lamp. I really wanted to make good use of the space and give it a fun & personal touch. The holiday season is such a good excuse for me to bring out the fairy lights. Adding to the festive feel are the the snowman plush and reindeer box. The book I have there is one of my favorites, and the paper cranes were given to me by a friend. Also on the nightstand are:

From left to right: 

Aromatherapy Pillow Mist 

Two-Way Street by Lauren Barnholdt

Bath & Body Works lotion in Sweet Pea

macaron box from Urban Outfitters

Nivea lip butter

gold bangles

hair tie

reindeer box from Michael's 

snowman plush 

In my drawer, I  have: 

fuzzy socks,

aloe body butter from The Body Shop

a pack of Kleenex 

Props to my dad for putting the pieces together! 

Home is where the heart is.

Being away from home for quite some time really makes coming home feel that much sweeter. It reminds me of the saying "distance makes the heart grow fonder", or something along the lines of that. Although I was just home for Thanksgiving not too long ago, the mini-break honestly felt so short that after being home for a few days, the next thing I knew, I was driving back to school again. (Read the brief post I did during my Thanksgiving break here!)

Now during the eleven days before I came home for winter break, which was the week after the Thanksgiving holiday, everything felt like it was moving inexplicably fast. There was only a week left of classes, which meant finals were right around the corner. Being the usual silly me, I thought I had some time to spare so I caught up on a few shows and lazily scrolled through social networks. Obviously, that was a poor decision. I ended up frantically getting all my assignments and papers turned in while preparing for finals week. It was madness. 

Having to juggle class assignments for the final week of instruction and the stress of studying for my exams, I was completely overwhelmed. You should've seen my desk - the mess it was in pretty much summed up how I felt. On top of that, I was also figuring out a few plans for winter break and doing online Christmas shopping for my family and friends. Distractions are always so appealing, and yet dangerous at times like these.

After surviving the crazy week, eleven days to be exact, coming home felt like drinking a nice hot cup of peppermint mocha with roasted marshmallows on a winter night. Looking back to that week, I think that it's good to be busy and preoccupy myself with things. When I feel like there is not enough time in the day to do everything I want to do, it makes me really appreciate the time I actually have. Also, time literally flies by for me when I'm on the move and when I immerse myself in tasks. 

For now, I'm going to bring out all the Christmas decorations and enjoy spending the holiday season at home. What can I say, it's the little things that warm my heart. 

What's in my bathroom

From left to right:

Cranberry Mandarin candle

Smells soo good and I like that it gives my bathroom a pop of color!

Dove body wash in Pomegranate and Lemon Verbena

Refreshing and light scent and is gentle enough for those who have sensitive skin

Johnson's body lotion in Shea and Coco butter

I mostly use this for when I get out of the shower and it keeps my skin soft and it smells so good!

Biore pore strips

Does not get rid of blackheads, but I still use this occasionally to clear my pores.

Olay Complete All Day UV Moisturizer with SPF 15

An okay product- even though it says it's for combination/oily skin, I usually find my skin getting oily later in the day. Planning on changing my daily moisturizer after finishing this one. 

Organix Nourishing Shampoo & Conditioner in Coconut Milk

This stuff smells amazing (and it's sulfate-free) though it doesn't make my hair as soft as I'd like. 

Garnier Fructis Sleek and Shine Shampoo & Conditioner

Minimizes my frizz and makes my hair smooth and soft. Doesn't do much for the shine though

Bath & Body Works Crimson Plum foam hand soap

Smells like a garden of sweet plums and I'm just gonna just leave it at that. 

Conair blowdryer

My bathroom essentials isn't complete without one.