Hey, everyone! My name is Princess Q’Zion, and welcome to The Joys and Trials of a Christian Teen! I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving, which depending on where you live, may or may not have been yesterday! It recently dawned on me that I hadn’t even posted any Thanksgiving-themed posts on my blog, this year. And since Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday (after Christmas and my birthday) that’s going to change today.
I decided to write a Thanksgiving recap by listing what I did to spend Thanksgiving of 2022. So, without further ado, let’s get started!
1. Said a Thanksgiving prayer. Like we do every night and everyday before we leave the house, me and Goodmommy said a prayer thanking God for some of the things that we are thankful for during Thanksgiving afternoon. And I just have to say that the weather was absolutely perfect.
2. Celebrated Goodmommy’s birthday. Yes. Yes Goodmommy’s birthday is on Thanksgiving, which is like one of the best birthday’s ever (after Christmas, that is.) The only place we went to yesterday was my family’s house, but the day before I bought her two pairs of tennis shoes along with some Happy Birthday balloons. Goodmommy really appreciated all of her gifts, and I was so grateful to be able to make her b-day the best one yet!
3. Caught up with family. Like every major holiday of the year, I spent Thanksgiving at my great-grandmother’s house. And while I see Bigma all the time, it had been about a year since I’d seen my little cousins. I probably could have taken so many more photos, but being around family makes your devices a lot less important. But honestly, I think that’s just how the day was supposed to go.
4. Eat some soul food (and dessert). While Goodmommy had made some chicken and veggie soup the night before Thanksgiving–which smelled and tasted SO GOOD–I didn’t end up actually eating some until Thanksgiving night. At Bigma’s house, I had a plate of mac and cheese, yellow rice, and a couple of Bigma’s meatballs (which are that one thing that I make sure to have every holiday; they’re the best.) I topped off my meal with a piece of vanilla cake, and I ended up having a second slice about an hour later. There was also some apple pie, but I loved the cake so much that I forgot to have a slice. Although I don’t usually eat that type of food (only on special occasions) I had a great time eating my favorite soul foods.
5. Watched a party game. Some of my family members enjoyed the evening with a game called The Upside Down Challenge. It’s where you have to wear these funny glasses that turn your view upside down (so peoples’ heads are facing downwards) and you have to try to do simple tasks with them on. Some examples were drawing a star or crushing a cup with your foot. As the ambivert I am, I preffered to just sit down and watch. But I enjoyed seeing my family members have a fun time.
6. Recounted my blessings. At the end of the day, Thanksgiving stays true to its name. Yesterday was a time for me to thank God for his sacrifice on the cross, and everything that He has blessed me with. And if you ask me, that was one of the highlights of the entire day.
I hope you all enjoyed seeing how I spent this year’s Thanksgiving, and I pray that you all had one that was just as wonderful! And please don’t forget to begin putting up your Christmas decorations–now that Thanksgiving Day of 2022 is over, the Christmas season has arrived. Please let me know in the comments, what was your favorite part of this Thanksgiving? I would love to hear from you!
Have a beautiful and blessed day, everyone! God bless you all, and I’ll see you next time! Peace in! And don’t forget that truly, everyday is Thanksgiving! ♡
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Hey, everyone! My name is Q’Zion, and welcome to The Joys and Trials of a Christian Teen! This Sunday, me and Goodmommy had to go out to do some weekly errands. And we were planning on stopping by Goodwill (a thrift-store nonprofit) to look for some new books as a special treat to kick off the new week. It turns out, by the time that we finished everything, it was already five-thirty; thirty minutes before Goodwill closed.
But we made the decision not to go home empty handed. So instead, we decided to stop by our favorite homemade ice cream parlor to get a sweet treat! And while I must say I was a little disappointed not to get any new books today, ice cream more than made up for it (thanks, Goodmommy! ♡)
Lately, me and Goodmommy had been craving one of our favorite desserts–banana pudding. But for months, we’ve refrained from giving in due to our mission on our fitness journeys. But it turns out that today, we needed a sweet, late night snack to celebrate another awesome Sunday.
We both ended up getting two scoops of the banana pudding ice cream (which Goodmommy was highly offended by 😂) but it ended up being absolutely delicious; I especially loved the crushed up Nilla Wafter cookies that were folded in! And it completely knocked the craving for our favorite dessert out of the park. Of course, we ended up having to take a selfie photoshoot with our ice cream. While it may seem like a weekly or everyday thing for most people, for us, getting ice cream is almost like a special occasion.
There’s something about ice cream that makes you want to eat it by the spoonful. In fact, I ended up taking a spoonful (and maybe a little more) of Goodmommy’s ice cream before she could finish. We ended up talking about it all the way home. But, I’ve got to say, I don’t think I regret it lol. That last spoonful did wonders!
I hope you all enjoyed today’s post! Me and Goodmommy had such a great time today, and I hope this post was able to make you laugh and smile just as much as we did!
Please tell me, what’s your favorite flavor of ice cream? Also, do you eat your ice cream in a cup, or a cone? I would love to read all of your responses down below in the comments!
Have a beautiful and blessed day, y’all! God bless you, and I will catch you later! Peace in! ♡
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Disclaimer: All of the photographs present within this blog post were taken by me, Q’Zion, and posted on MY personal blog. Therefore, every photograph within this post is my property. Please do not use, copy, or redistribute these photos in any way. They are for viewing purposes only. Thank you so much and enjoy the post!
Hey, everyone! My name is Q’Zion, and welcome to The Joys and Trials of a Christian Teen. Today, I decided to post some more of my photography that I’ve taken on my frequent trips to the park. Although I’ve already showed a few of these pictures, I’ve managed to capture so many more awesome shots, and I’m so excited to show you all the pics! Without further ado, let’s get into it!
For some reason, these plants remind me of fresh bamboo (even though I don’t know exactly what they look like.)There’s something about that eye-catching medium green that makes the photo look so crisp looking. And I love how the vertical lines look against the horizontals of the brick wall.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again; flowers are truly the gem of nature. At one of the parks that I frequently visit to go on my mile walks, there are so many flower bushes in a variety of colors. And if you know me, you know that means photoshoot galore. Anyways, I’m super satisfied with how this came out.
I don’t know what it is, but there’s just something about this picture that literally DEMANDS to be presented on my blog–which is why I’ve also incorporated it in the sidebar on the homepage, if you haven’t already noticed. I’ve got to admit that Goodmommy did an amazing job on this shot of me. Although I hadn’t been expecting to take any photos as gorgeous as this, I thank God that I was there to get this amazing shot! Thanks again, Goodmommy!
Look who was peaking around the corner! I don’t know about you all . . . but I am OBSESSED with this masterpiece! These ducks are so gorgeous that this has officially become one of my favorite photos of the year.
To be honest, I think the birds were a little annoyed that I was capturing them on camera lol. As you can see, they all decided to go for a swim once they saw me. But it’s all good, because I was able to get this gorgeous shot.
I also found this big guy (or girl) drying his/her wings. Is it just me or are birds so satisfying to capture on camera? From their wings, to their elegant poses–such as this one, to their overall beauty, I find them some of the most fascinating animals to take pictures of. If you also like to take nature photography, do you like to photograph birds, too? Let me know in the comments.
Of course, me and my Goodmommy are both equally obsessed with selfies. Our park dates are some of my favorite times to take pictures together. The background and lighting is always so picture perfect that it’s super hard to go wrong.
OMG, the sky is so pretty in this shot. And do you see the tree on the right turning yellow and orange? I’m definitely getting the fall vibes from this angle. And if you ask me, that’s the perfect way to bring this post to an end.
I hope you all enjoyed viewing some of my nature photography, today! Honestly, seeing it all in one place is so rewarding to see. Please tell me below in the comments, which one of these photographs was your favorite? Also, if you like to take photography, what is your favorite thing in nature to take photos of?
Have a beautiful and blessed day, everyone! God bless each and every one of you, and don’t forget to stay sweet! Peace in!
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Hey, everyone! This is Princess Q’Zion and welcome to The Joys and Trials of a Christian Teen. Today, I decided to get creative and do something a little different. I found an old post that I did a little over a year ago, in which I discussed a technique that I had learned in Creative Writing Club: two sentence stories. And I even listed a few that I’d written on my own during the 15-minute exercise that we did during the meeting.
I had such a blast writing about them last time that I decided to do a follow-up (or shall I say, continuation) on two sentence stories and how you write them. So, without further ado, let’s begin.
What is a two sentence story?
I recall this being my first thought when I’d first discovered two sentence stories, and I’m assuming it was yours, as well. So, let me break it down for you. They’re basically short stories of pretty much any genre that are written in only two sentences. Most commonly, they are meant to have a funny, surprising, or unexpected twist in the last sentence to add a satisfying ending to the mini-novel.
They’re really awesome for anyone going through writer’s block in the sense that they make you use creativity. After all, it’s not always a simple task to write an entire story in two sentences. But with a little creativity and originality, they can be super satisfying to put together.
Tips — How to make two sentences count
Now that we all know what a two sentence story is, it’s time to dive into exactly how you can write them. Here are a few of my tips for how to make the two sentences count!
Make it simple – If you’re a writer like me, it can be tempting to want to stretch the story as much as possible. But don’t overthink it. It is called a two sentence story for a reason.
Use personal experiences as inspiration – As for what I can tell, it is so much easier to write a story in two sentences when they’re about something funny or memorable that I’ve experienced. Not only does it make them less of a struggle to write, but a lot more relatable, as well.
Go with the flow – When trying different writing icebreakers like two sentence stories, sometimes it’s best to just jot down whatever comes to mind. You can always go back and make edits later, but the whole point of short stories are to practice and have fun!
My original examples
Two sentence stories are such a blast to write. To help any of you who have never heard of this writing exercise until today, I decided to write a few more two-sentence stories of my own. I wrote a total of four in a few minutes of brainstorming, and I have to admit that I’m super happy with how they came out. Hopefully, you all enjoy them, as well.
Since this is my personal writing that I posted on my personal blog, it is considered my property. Therefore, please don’t claim it as your own or use my writing. This is just me sharing my writing experience with you, for reading purposes only. Thank you!
Hello Sun — I go for a jog in the sun on a cozy, summer day. It feels like God is smiling down on me.
What They Once Were — Some adults say they don’t like children. And I’ve always wondered “What were they 40 years ago?”
Phone Screen — I stare in agony as my phone slammed to the ground, it’s sparkly pink and blue case all I can see, before I pick it up and turn it around, my heart skipping a beat. Finally, I exhale: no cracks.
Words — What are words? They’re just swords tossed around.
Book — A good book is like a best friend. It’s there whenever you need it.
Okay, is it just me or does it make you feel accomplished after you’ve written a good short story? Two sentence stories are one of my favorite writing techniques to get my mind going, and hopefully you all enjoyed learning what they’re all about. Please let me know if you’ve ever heard of a two sentence story before today as well as which one of my two sentence stories you liked the most.
Have a fantabulous day, everyone! God bless you all, and don’t forget to smile! Peace in! ♡
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Hey, y’all! This is Q’Zion, and welcome to my blog, The Joys and Trials of a Christian Teen! ♡
Spring, summer, fall, and winter. The four seasons. Each one is unique in their own way; their own special events, holidays, traditions, and other characteristics that make up 1/4 of each year. While I love each one for their own reasons, autumn and winter have always had a special place in my heart. And since we’re practically in the middle of fall (already, I know) I want to explain some of the reasons why autumn is one of my favorite seasons. So without further ado, let’s get this party started!
1.) Warm and cozy colors
There’s something about medium green plants transforming into gorgeous orange, golden rod, and burgundy leaves as they float to the ground that’s so satisfying. All seasons have an aspect of nature that makes them unique, but the eye catching colors of autumn make the season stand out like no other.
2.)The spectacular weather
For me, warm weather is the least desirable weather to have. I mean, I’d rather be a little chilly than sweaty and uncomfortable, do you know what I mean? And while I love summer and winter, with both of those seasons, you either get one or the other side of weather. But when autumn comes around, the temperature is the perfect combination. Not too hot. Not too cold. Just how I like it.
3.) That homey reading atmosphere
By now, it’s no secret that I’m a big fan of all things literature. I’ll do it just about any place, at any time of the day, and obviously in any season. But there’s something about fall vibes that makes me want to read even more. And any bookworm who has spent a fall night cuddled up on the couch with their favorite snack and a comfort novel knows what I mean.
4.) One of my favorite holidays – Thanksgiving
I wouldn’t be the same person if it wasn’t for my awesome family. And during the holidays at the end of the year, we always partake in the tradition of having family gatherings, as often as possible. Thanksgiving is the perfect opportunity for me to recap what and who I’m thankful for and blessed with, eat mouth-watering food, and do all the other autumn things I love with the people I love. There’s not many things in this world that are better than that.
5.) Photography is thebomb.com
Photography is one of my other hobbies that I don’t talk about as often, but I adore taking photos of sceneries, especially in the afternoon or just before a sunset. And if we’re being completely honest, autumn’s gorgeous colors makes it the perfect time to go on a photography splurge.
6.) The yummy food
Technically, the comfort of fall horderves goes hand-in-hand with Thanksgiving, but I still wanted to include it because autumn is certainly not the same me without them. I mean, who doesn’t enjoy eating a soup, a piece of turkey, or a pumpkin pie on an autumn afternoon? (Seriously though, I’m super curious!) Autumn food is definitely another thing that makes fall like no other.
7.) Napping paradise
As I mentioned earlier, the weather in autumn is as close as it could get to perfect. The sun isn’t usually out too early (or too bright, when it does peek out from the clouds) which makes it easier to take a power nap or sleep in without feeling like you’ve missed out on half of a day. And since I’m homeschooled, I take quite a bit of naps, so that’s a bonus!
8.) Simple and chic fashion
When it comes to fashion, I am all for finding outfits that are both stylish and comfy. And from classic cardigans to knee high boots, there is so much wiggle room to play with when it comes to autumn fashion.
9.) The decorations
From pumpkins, to candles, to fairy lights, to throw pillows, there are so many creative yet comforting ways to decorate for fall, both on the inside and outside of our homes. I think that autumn decor is the perfect way to set that homey, timeless vibe inside your home, which is perfect not only for fall, but also the preparation for the transition into winter.
10.) Being outdoors
When it comes to autumn, doing any fun fall activity outdoors just makes my day. There’s so much to do this time of year that it’s hard to make an excuse not to go outside. And with the awesome aspects of fall (many of which I have mentioned in this list) it’s kind of hard to do nothing when there’s so much fun we can have right outside our door.
Most of the time, it would take longer posts like this a little while for me to configure. But when it comes to fall, there is so much to love that it’s easy to find reasons why it’s so amazingly great! Please tell me YOUR favorite season(s) down below in the comments? Also, what’s your favorite aspect of autumn and/or the season that you like the most? I’m looking forward to everybody’s responses!
Have a beautiful and blessed day, everyone! Don’t forget that regardless of what you may be going through, we are all beautiful and wonderfully made. And that’s something we can all be thankful to God for! Peace in, y’all! ~ Q’Zion ♡
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A true story from Raina Telgemeier, the #1 New York Times bestselling, multiple Eisner Award-winning author of Smile, Sisters, Drama, and Ghosts!
Raina wakes up one night with a terrible upset stomach. Her mom has one, too, so it’s probably just a bug. Raina eventually returns to school, where she’s dealing with the usual highs and lows: friends, not-friends, and classmates who think the school year is just one long gross-out session. It soon becomes clear that Raina’s tummy trouble isn’t going away… and it coincides with her worries about food, school, and changing friendships. What’s going on? Raina Telgemeier once again brings us a thoughtful, charming, and funny true story about growing up and gathering the courage to face — and conquer — her fears.
MY TAKEAWAYS
I remember the moment I got the first two editions of this triology, Smile and Sisters, when I was nine years old. To make a long story short, I fell in love immediately, and I still re-read them every now and then to this day. On a recent trip to Barnes & Nobles, I finally got my hands on Guts, a highly-anticipated graphic novel for all of Telgemeier’s loyal fans–and let me tell you, it was all worth the wait! Guts is an absolute masterpiece!
At the beginning of this gem for tweens and teens, Raina (who is the author when she was in 4th grade), catches the stomach flu that had been spreading in her family. And when her stomach problems continue, she develops the fear of getting sick and throwing up (emetophobia) to the point where she is worried about catching something from her family and classmates. Eventually, her family signs her up to see a children’a therapist, and she progresses throughout the story learning how to face her fear while making new friends along the way.
Raina is such a quirky, fun, and relatable protagonist, so its not hard to take a liking to her character within the first few pages of the story. She seems like someone that I would’ve liked to be around back in elementary school. And believe me, having the protagonist be someone who I actually like as a person is critical to me when I read a novel for the first time.
While I thank God that I’m not a victim of anxiety, there are so many young people who struggle with their mental health, even if they fear something small like the dark or going to the doctor. Stories like Guts are not only relatable to a large range of audiences, but they also teach us that while fear is a normal feeling, we shouldn’t let the things that scare us take over our lives. And like any trial, fears can be conquered.
Like always, the vibrant illustrations on each page of this masterpiece illuminated the story, making it that much more entertaining for readers of all ages. Even though the topic of mental health among youth was discussed throughout the course of this story, the funny, light-hearted moments within the book didn’t fail to put a smile on my face.
Overall, Guts is a must-read for bookworms–and even non-bookworms–of all ages! I thoroughly enjoyed every second of it!
Rating: ★★★★✯ (4.5/5 stars, 5 being the best of the best)
Recommended Age: for readers 9+
I’ve got to admit that I am very pleased with Guts. It was one of the three books that I got for my birthday, earlier this week, and I’ve got to admit that I made some pretty good choices. Be on the look out for the book reviews for the other two novels of my choice; they’re coming soon!
If you haven’t read this book already, I hope my opinion will encourage you to give it a try! However, if you already have this book in your collection, tell me your thoughts on it in the comments!
Have a wonderful rest of your day/night, everybody! God bless you all and I’ll catch you later! Peace in! ♡
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As I mentioned in my last post, a special day was right around the corner that I wanted to share with you guys. And that special day was (drumroll, please) my birthday! I know that I say this every year, but me and Goodmommy had such a blast, and I still can’t hush up about how hyped I am.
Even though birthdays come back every year, they’re a really big deal. It’s not just a day about you, but also a celebration of the beautiful and wonderful gift of life that God has blessed us with. Life has it’s ups and downs for everyone, but the fact that we are still breathing is a blessing within itself. In reality, every day is worth celebrating.
Sending time with Goodmommy is always a blast, and I want to share how we spent our special day with all of you, as well! Okay, enough of the chatter, now! My 2022 birthday post is a go!
Our first stop was probably one of my favorites out of the whole day; and it was only just beginning! We decided to stop at Claire’s to do something that we’ve been talking about for years–getting my second ear piercing! And considering that Claire’s has been known for piercing ears for decades—or 40 years, to be exact—we thought it would be a great place to get the job done.
I actually got my first ear piercing when I was a few months old, so I obviously don’t remember anything from that experience–though Goodmommy’s retelling of my baby-self’s reaction always makes me giggle. As a result, I never knew how it felt to get your ear’s pierced before my birthday, so I was naturally a little nervous. But considering that I handle shots so well, I knew that this was going to be a walk in the park.
Despite our original plan to get the silver cross, we decided to get a stainless-steel star after the reccomendation to get a smaller earring. And I immediately fell in love with the results–it’s small, sweet, and simple. I can’t thank Goodmommy enough for getting me my second piercing! In fact, I loved it so much that I may even get another one, in a few years.
My reaction to the first piercing; it burned for about a minute, but I only felt a little pinch, as expected.The finished product! I couldn’t be more obsessed! 🙂Me cleaning my ears for the first time. I was a little confused about the steps at first, but once you get the hang of it it’s pretty simple.
Before we left our house, Goodmommy shared with me that she was contemplating taking me to a surprise destination for my birthday celebration, and I was over the moon to find out that it was Barnes and Nobles–my favorite bookstore.
If you’re a frequent visitor of my blog, you already know how I feel about books. And what I really appreciate about Barnes & Nobles is they’re variety–not only with the genres of their books, but with the types of items that they sell, too! As soon as I saw on a sign that the Young Readers’ section was upstairs, we took a ride on the escalator and searched around the entire second floor.
After a few minutes of searching, I finally found the section in question, and I couldn’t have been more excited by the shelves of novels that stood before me. I really love how this section in particular had literature that varied from pictures books to upper-middle grade, which makes it appropriate for a large range of ages.
We ended up purchasing three awesome novels–one of which was a graphic novel–for about ten bucks each. Another one of them was on my TBR (or to be read) list for this year, so I was super grateful for the opportunity to finally read it! Oh, and don’t worry, y’all; I’ll be posting all the book reviews for each one soon. ;))
So, I’m a firm believer that birthday’s don’t have to break the bank. But a simple piece of cake is always nice. And that’s why our next stop was no other than The Cheesecake Factory. Now, in case I’ve never mentioned this on my blog, cheesecake is one of my absolute favorite desserts, and we hadn’t had a slice for like, two years. So as anyone would assume, I was greatly anticipating eating a slice.
Me and Goodmommy are on a health journey, so it was a little shocking–to say the least–to see the amount of calories in a slice of each cheesecake. Seriously though, one slice is like half of the calories for the day! And although all of the options looked absolutely delicious, we both decided to stick with the classics–a slice of Cheesecake Factory’s original cheesecake.
After we saw the fact that it was a full house inside the restaurant, we decided to eat our delicious treats in the car. But I didn’t mind, at all; we had a close up view of the entire food court section of the mall!
To all of the cheesecake fans who don’t think they’d like the plain original, I’ve got to press the fact that The Cheesecake Factory knows what they’re doing. The piece of cheesecake had the perfect amount of sweetness, and the soft texture of the cream cheese melted in your mouth with the perfect serving of sour cream to eat with every bite. What can I say? If you’re looking for a tasteful—and delicious—dessert with fewer calories, the Classic is probably the way to go, in my opinion.
While that sweet surprise was absolutely delicious, we wanted to work off some of those calories. So we ended up making our last stop at Celebration Station, which is this amusement park full of rides (go-karts, water karts, roller coasters, etc.) and an arcade.
After entering the building, we decided to buy a couple hundred coins and explore the arcade. It was actually my first time ever visiting this place, so when I looked it up and saw the booming reviews, I was really anticipating exploring. And trust me, it didn’t disappoint!
What I find so captivating about arcades are all the bright lights. As someone who’s naturally attracted to colors, I got excited by seeing the games. There were so many games to play. And I have to admit that most of them are super addicting!
Me playing a creative game that tests your reflexes. I had a lot of fun with it!This is a piano game where I had to press as many correct keys as possible in 40 (ish) seconds. I loved it! Here’s just a cute pic that Goodmommy took when we first arrived.
One of the first games that I played was a massive claw machine that was full of large bags of 5,000 tickets. I tried it about three times, and I got a good grip on all three tries. But as always, the grabber didn’t seem like it was strong enough. Boy, I would’ve really loved those tickets; just imagine the prices I could’ve won.
After about a half hour of exploring, we decided to check out the additional games located upstairs, and Goodmommy’s eyes lit up when she spotted two huge pool tables. She’s told me several times how she used to play pool years ago, but I never had the opportunity to play pool with her. That is, until my birthday.
At first, I was struggling with getting a good grip on the pool stick, but eventually I got the swing of it, and I was able to hit the balls. Practice makes improvement!
But honestly, seeing how happy it made Goodmommy to play a game of pool with me is what really made it all worthwhile. Just look at her!
Finally, here’s a quick selfie of me to get a closer look at my outfit. Goodmommy did such an awesome job on my hair, didn’t she? She really made me feel special on my special day, and I am forever grateful to her for that.
I have to admit that this birthday was genuinely the best that I’ve ever had. Sure, I say that every time my b-day arrives, but my 2022 celebration is going to be hard to beat. I thank God for letting me and my Goodmommy having such a blast! I hope we get to make many, many more blessed birthday memories together, for many, many, many, many, many more years to come!
What are some of your favorite that you’ve done on your birthday? I would love to read your responses down below in the comments.
Have a beautiful and blessed day, y’all! God bless you all, and I will see you all next time!
Thank you, Lord, for another happy and blessed birthday! In Jesus’ name, Amen. ♡
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Hey, y’all! It’s Q’Zion, here and welcome back to The Joys and Trials of a Christian Teen! I hope you all are enjoying the beginning of the brand new school year; I know I definitely am!
Speaking of school, one of my electives that I’m taking right now is Health Opportunities Through Physical Education, also known as HOPE: in short, it’s like P.E., except it goes a bit more in depth with how we can set goals to benefit our physical, mental, social, and academic health.
This week, we have to submit this fitness assessment, where we do a variety of exercises to test our physical endurance, strength, and stamina. One of the largest parts of the assessment was the 1 mile walk/run. Me and Goodmommy decided to get the job done by visiting a local park for the first time.
I’ve got to admit that before I began taking the HOPE course, it had been a long time since I’ve actually went outside and had a good run; probably too long, in fact. But what I love about the course is it allows you to look at your overall health as is, and use the information that you gather from workouts like this to set goals for future improvement.
Our Apple Watches were a huge help in keeping track of our distance and heart rate, while we ran—and took walking breaks, in between. Seriously though; a fitness watch is truly a necessity for anyone who wants to keep track of their physical activity.
Everyone needs to get at least 30 minutes of exercise daily. And while it might take a little extra effort—there’s nothing like taking a walk in the summer breeze.
Walking in nature is such a different feeling then working out in your home. Not only is there much more space to move around, but it’s pretty hard to resist not taking a photo here and there. But can you really blame me? I’ve got to give it to Goodmommy, she found a beautiful park!
And I think one of the things that I love most about this particular location is that it has a lot of statues and other structures that can help you learn about the history of our country, such as past wars and victories. The historical aspect of the park almost makes it feel like an outdoor art museum.
This eagle statue on a podium was probably my favorite of them all. It looks so realistic; I can’t imagine how long it took to make. Plus, can we just talk about how perfect the landscaping is? Now that’s what I call ✨gorgeous ✨!
Overall, me and Goodmommy had such an awesome time together. From now on, we plan on going outside to get some fresh air a lot more often. Next time I’ll be sure to take pictures of us in action. I can already see both me and Goodmommy reaching our fitness goals pretty soon! And I can’t wait to continue to document our journey!
What’s your favorite way to exercise? Also, do you prefer to work out inside or outside? I would love to hear from you all down below in the comments!
Hav a great rest of your day or night, y’all! God bless you all, and I’ll see you next time! Laters! ✨
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Happy Friday, y’all! Woah, has this week went by fast? I’ll answer my own question: yep. Although many of us are about to go back to school–or just beginning school–that doesn’t mean that we have to throw in the towel with having summer fun just yet.
To make this summer break even more memorable, it’s important that we take the last few days and weeks before school begins and check off a few last-minute additions to our bucket lists. As some creative inspiration for things that you can do to kick-off the beginning of a new school year–and the climax of summer–I’ve provided 30 activities to give you a head-start! Let’s go!
1. Watch a highly anticipated movie at a theatre with your family (Minions: The Rise of Gru, D.C. League of Super Pets, The Bad Guys, Lightyear, etc.)
2. Make one last stop to the beach
3. Go on a road trip to a new place.
4. Make a movie with your friends.
5. Visit a waterpark.
6. Do some back-to-school-shopping at your local mall (clothes, school supplies, etc.)
7. Go fishing.
8. Have a lemonade stand in your neighborhood.
9. Volunteer at an animal shelter.
10. Complete your summer reading with a book that you did not finish.
11. Create a wrap-up of your summer in doodles.
12. Unplug for a day and go outside.
13. Go to an ice cream shop that you’ve never visited.
14. Go to a drive-in movie with family.
15. Challenge yourself and a friend to make a tower with pencils: see who can stack theirs the highest.
16. Draw chalk-art on the sidewalk.
17. Team up with your siblings or best friends and cook a meal for your parents.
18. Bake a cake. Then, try to decorate it while blindfolded. (P.S. have some paper towels on hand! ;))
19. Attempt to break a (safe) Guinness World Record–with permission from a parent and/or guardian, of course.
20. Visit a National Park.
21. Read the Bible to get rid of back-to-school jitters.
22. Try listening to a new genre of music.
23. Go camping in your backyard.
24. Watch the sun rise and set. And don’t forget the photos!
25. Start a prank war with your family or friends.
26. Go mini-golfing on a sunny day.
27. Enjoy your last all-nighter of your summer break by throwing a sleepover.
28. Visit a science or kids’ museum.
29. Enjoy a family game night with your favorite board games.
30. Plan a scavenger hunt for your family and friends.
We tend to have a long list of things that we want to do when summer begins. And even though the time flies by, doing fun things like this is the perfect way to recharge and relax before a brand new school year! Remember, summer isn’t over yet–let’s make the most of it!
What are some things that you plan to do before back-to-school? Also, what are your thoughts on your next year of school? Feel free to share your response down below in the comments.
Have a beautiful and blessed day, everyone! God bless you all, and I’ll catch you later! Peace in! ♡
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What’s up, everyone! My name is Q’Zion, and welcome back to my blog! I pray that you all are doing amazing. This last week of my summer break, I’ve honestly been in the mood to write about random, fun things. So after searching the web for a colorful arrangement of blog post ideas, I figured that a post to help you guys get to know me better would be a great choice.
I came up with 12 random facts about me, and I hope you all enjoy them! Let’s get started! ♡
12 Random Facts About Me
1. I’m not a candy lover in any shape or form . . . but my love for chocolate is never-ending.
2. I’m super good at poetry, but not the best at songwriting. I find it pretty difficult to write a song from scratch, just because I try to imagine the melody that would pair with the lyrics mid-stream. But poetry has always been a walk in the park, for me. So if I ever do want to compose music, I try to treat it as a poem and go from there.
3. Cooking competitions, house hunting shows, animal documentaries, and reality judge series are my main sources of entertainment. It’s not necessarily that I don’t watch cartoons, movies and shows at all, but many of the shows that I DID watch took a long break or ended. I think at that point I was like; yeah . . . let’s watch something new.
4. When I was little, this family friend gave me this stuffed bear with a bow headband and a white dress with my first name, “Q’Zion” embroidered on the front. I call her “Q’Zion-Bear” because of her signature dress, and she remains my favorite of my many stuffed animals to this day.
5. I love reading just as much as I love writing. In fact, I think that the books that I read have a huge impact on what I write.
6. I’ve never learned how to ride a bike. Though I really want to work on that, soon.
7. Crying is an extremely rare sight in my book. Not just because I’m a happy person, in general, but I’m also not very emotional. In fact, it kind of runs in my family.
8. When I was little, I was always one of the tallest kids in my class. But apparently, my growth stunted a bit when I became homeschooled, because now I’m on the shorter side at 5’1.
9. In my house, I’m the literal grammar police. Seriously though: when you’re with me, slang does NOT slide.
10. When watching animal and veterinarian series, I’m usually fascinated by the surgeries. The way I see it, learning about how animal procedures work is pretty good knowledge to have. But Goodmommy . . . yeah, not so much. Still, shows that are about animals are some of our favorites to watch together: especially Critter Fixers and The Zoo.
11. In the future, I’d like to learn how to speak French, Korean, and Japanese. In fact, I recently have enjoyed learning about different cultures and languages.
12. As a little girl, I was obsessed with the color pink. But now I’m more of a purple girl.
Yep, this was definitely the fun post that I was itching to write! It makes me happy to post simple things about me with you all–I guess because they’re just me writing about some of the authentic, funny, and happiest parts of my life. Hopefully I was able to make you smile with what I had to share.
What are some random things about you? Also, do we have anything in common, on this list? Feel free to share your responses in the comments! ♡
Have a beautiful and blessed day, everybody! God bless you all, and as always, peace in! ♡
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♛ The Joys and Trials of a Christian Teen ♛ 