Tag: lifestyle blog

Thanksgiving Recap | 2022

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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! ♡

Monthly Wrap Up | October 2022

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Hey, hey, hey, everyone! My name is Q’Zion, and welcome to The Joys and Trials of a Christian Teen. And no, we are not dreaming; it’s really already November! To be honest, October was like a fun roller coaster ride, for me. It was super fun, but it also went by crazy fast.

Either way, I really enjoyed myself, last month, and I’d like to share some of my experiences with you guys! So without further ado, let’s get into the October ’22 monthly wrap-up!

My Life

  • It’s been a while since I’ve given you all an update on my fitness journey. While I’ve been a little slow lately when it comes to walking outside three days a week, me and Goodmommy have been finding other creative ways to get some exercise. We’ve even been following along to workouts that we find on YouTube. At first, it took some adjusting but now I look forward to adding more variety to my fitness routine!
  • I officially started National Novel Writing Month, also known as NaNoWriMo, and so far, I’ve added nearly 2,000 words. I plan to write about 50,000 words by November 30th. Is it a crazy goal? Maybe a little bit. But I’m so stoked about my new story, and I can’t wait to read the finished product.
  • Experimenting with photography is another thing that I’ve been working on. Lately, I’ve been working with capturing different angles and objects (such as trees, or the sunset) as well as looking at different perspectives to capture a shot. I think that October might be my best month this year as far as my photography goes, because I took quite a few gorgeous pictures!
This photo is definitely one of my faves :> All Rights Reserved.

Books I Read

While I’ve bought a lot of books, this month flew by so quickly that I wasn’t able to finish any of them. But, there are a few that I started, so I’ll be sharing a brief review of my first impressions of each one. However, you may look at my more in-depth opinion in my last book haul. Let’s go!

  • The Next Great Paulie Fink by Ali Benjamin — Basically, this novel that I found at The Dollar Tree (yes, you heard correctly) is intriguing and confusing at the same time. It’s about a small school that consists of grades 1-8. It takes place in a class of 11 students–also known as the entire 7th grade–who idolized their classmate Paulie Fink. It’s kind of at a stand-still right now. Like, I know what’s happening but I don’t know what’s happening. Either way, it seems like a pretty fun book, so I’ll likely get back into it when I’m not so busy.
  • Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul: Book I by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, and Kimberly Kirberger — honestly, Goodmommy was the one who ended up picking out this book for me. I really love the originality that it includes with a variety of true stories, poems, and other types of creative writing by teenagers and adults about their teenage years. There’s so many lessons in this book that I think that any teenager could learn/benefit from!
  • Savvy by Ingrid Law — to be honest, I couldn’t have read much more than 20 pages of this one (if that many) but it’s probably because beginning took a long time to get off the ground. Everything was so slow paced that it kind of lost my interest quickly, which was suprising because its one of my new books that I was the most excited about. But considering that it’s just the beginning of the book, I’ll get back into it eventually to see if things get more exciting.
  • Better with Butter by Victoria Piontek — Out of all the books that I’ve read this month, this one has got to be the cutest! In a nutshell, it’s about a shy girl with anxiety who gains confidence when she saves a baby goat named Butter. So far, the beginning of this novel has been pretty promising, and I’m super excited to see where this story goes next!
All Rights Reserved.

Series I Watched

  • One of my favorite series ever is The Mysterious Benedict Society, which is an exclusive series on Disney+. It’s about a group of smart, yet neglected kids who make a band of do-gooders to save their city from a conundrum called the Emergency. To me, this series is the perfect mix between adventure, mystery, fantasy, and the wholesome friendships that dominate a film. And what’s even cooler is that they just released season 2!
  • It’s been a long time since I’ve binged-watched this series, but I recently took a dive back into That’s So Raven. I think most teenagers and young adults can agree that it’s probably one of the most nostalgic sitcoms of the 20th century. While Raven’s Home is a decent sequel, I don’t think it compares to the original.
  • I have a lot of Disney Channel shows that I really love, but one of my ultimate favorites is Good Luck Charlie, just because it’s such a wholesome and quirky show. No matter how much I see the episodes, they never fail to make me laugh 100 times over.
  • Occasionally, I also tend to watch the show Walk the Prank. In about the 3rd or 4th grade, I used to watch this show almost every day after school. And while I don’t watch it all that much now, it’s really nice to look back at it when I need a little laugh. There’s something about childhood shows that’s just so comforting.
All Rights Reserved.

My Favorite Posts of the Month

I wrote and published a total of 13 posts, this month! Hooray! I’m honestly not mad at the number, because I think every single post I made was super good, and that’s what matters most as a writer! While I loved all the posts that I published in October of 22′, there were a few that stood out to me:

And that was the monthly wrap-up of October of 2022! Hopefully, you all enjoyed seeing the highlights of last month for me. Please comment down below, which post of mine last month did you enjoy the most? Also, what was YOUR favorite part of last month?

Have a beautiful and blessed day, everyone! God bless you all and I’ll catch you later! Peace in! ♡

Just Some Outdoorsy Photography

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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!

Monthly Wrap-Up | September 2022

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Hey, everyone! My name is Q’Zion, and welcome back to my corner of the Internet! Oof, I just realized that it’s been 5 days since I last posted. I’m so sorry, y’all: it’s been a really busy few days! But thank God I got through it with flying colors! And I’m back with my monthly wrap-up of September of 2022.

Today I’ll be discussing some of my favorite moments from this month, with some of the novels I’ve finished and films I’ve watched sprinkled in between. Okay, okay–enough of the chatter. Let’s get started!

My Life

  • My birthday was this month, and I’ve got to say that it was the best birthday ever. (But just wait until I say the same thing next year.😂) My favorite gift was probably my second ear piercing! I got my first one when I was a baby, so being able to experience getting a piercing for the first time was an experience that I’ll never forget. You can look at my 2022 birthday post here!

  • I realized that in the past few months, I’ve been reading (and actually finishing) more books! In fact, ever since I joined Book Club last year, I feel like I’ve started getting into the swing of things again when it comes to reading every month. And that’s a huge relief, because I could never imagine my life without books!
  • Goodmommy and I spent a lot of time in the kitchen, this month. As part of our fitness journey, we’ve been experimenting with flourless cookie recipes, and so far we’ve made peanut butter cookies, dark chocolate oat cookies, and fudge chocolate cookies, which were made from hot chocolate mix. While the peanut butter cookies were my favorites, they were all fun to bake and taste!

  • I’ve had at least one club meeting for each of my clubs now (which are Creative Writing, Glee, and Teen Driving Club). Even though most of the clubs are way different then what I was anticipating to join, this year, I couldn’t be happier with my choices! They make school days so much more, eventful, if you know what I mean.

Books I Read

  • Guts by Raina Telgemeier (link to review) – I’ve been a fan of Raina’s books since I was eight years old, and after finally getting my hands on the triology of her Smile series, I have to say that it didn’t disapoint. From the protagonist’s quirky character to the elementary school nostalgia, this book is the perfect gift for any tween or teenager–not to mention the perfect new addition to my growing graphic novel collection.
  • Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullay Hunt (link to review) – Although I love to read more than most things in this world, I’m hard to impress when it comes to giving a book five stars. But Fish in a Tree is one of the few novels to win that award. From the lessons of friendship, self-esteem, and being yourself, to the character development, iconic quotes, and heartfelt moments, this novel is officially one of my new favorites.
  • From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks – I don’t want to reveal too much about this one because my review on it isn’t out yet . . . but this was SUCH an inspiring book! Zoe reminded me so much of myself, and the pace of the story was just right to keep things moving without being hard to follow. It’s so hard to believe that this was Janae Marks’ debut novel. In fact, her second novel, A Soft Place to Land, is now on my TBR (to be read) list!

Movies That I Watched

  • An Unlikely Angel – This film was such a beautiful reminder and demonstration of how God gives us second chances. Overall, there were a lot of funny and tense moments in this movie–a bit of an emotional roller coaster for the protagonist as we follow her on her journey to learning how to be a mother. If you’re a Christian who likes sweet movies that are perfect for family movie night, I would highly recommend watching this film on Pureflix.
  • The Mystery of Her – To be honest, I was really excited to watch this movie as soon as we turned on the trailer. And for the most part I liked it . . . that’s kind of all I’ve got. This film was about a teenage girl who tries to find herself after loosing her memory in a car accident. At first, it was good, but it slowly became more and more confusing. The end was pretty open, so it kind of left it up to you to imagine how the girl’s story ended. Not my favorite kind of ending, but it was an okay movie overall.
  • Grace Unplugged – This. I absolutely LOVED this movie. The main character, Grace, is a newly-eighteen-year-old girl who dreams of becoming a pop star–like her father, who was a rock star that threw away his fame to sing at their local church. I really appreciated how this movie showed young audiences–especially Christian teens–what it means and looks like to go down the wrong path. But there were also some amazing characters in the film that helped Grace get back on track with pleasing the Lord–and finding herself in the process. This film is definitely a must-see for any Christian teen/young adult.
  • The Way Home – To be honest, I didn’t watch the first half of this movie because I was busy watching YouTube videos and playing Roblox lol, but the second half was super emotional and pretty good, overall. And considering its about a community working together to try and find a missing two-year-old I expected that from the beginning. The ending was super heartwarming, and the fact that the film is based on a true story made this movie that much sweeter.

My Favorite Posts of the Month

So, we wrote a total of 11 post this month, 12 including this wrap-up, and I’ve got to admit that although I didn’t post a lot, I’ve written some really awesome posts, this month. I think I deserve a little self-pat-on-the-back. Anyway, here are some of my favorite posts of the month.

If you’d like to check out all the posts that I’ve written, this September, please check out THIS LINK!

I hope you all enjoyed reading what I was up to for the entire month! Overall, I really enjoyed myself these past thirty days, and I pray you all have, as well. And speaking of prayer, please send your prayers for all the victims of Hurricane Ian around the world. Your kind thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

What were your favorite parts of this month? I would love to hear your responses in the comments!

Have a beautiful and blessed day, everybody! God bless you all and have a splendid weekend! ~ Q’Zion ♡

Beachy vibes at the park | National Beach Day ♡

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Hello, hello, beautiful people! Welcome to my little corner of the Internet, a.k.a. The Joys and Trials of a Christian Teen. I can’t believe that September is almost here. It genuinely feels like August just started! Anyway, today was the fourth time that me and Goodmommy visited the park to start our fitness journey, and it’s already starting to become apart of our weekly routine.

You guys already know that I’m always looking at the National Days as inspiration for new creative content for you all, and I recently discovered that August 30th is National Beach Day. Since I won’t be posting tomorrow, I thought I would tell you all the good news–and show some of the ✨ beachy ✨ pictures that I took at our go-to park to celebrate one of the most iconic staples of summer. Let’s get this party started!

Out of all of the shots that I took today, this one is probably in the top 3–and believe me when I say I took a lot of photos today. I know what you all are probably thinking: what does this have to do with National Beach Day if I didn’t take these pictures at an actual beach? Well, you’re not completely wrong, there. But I think that this shot truly gives those beachy summer vibes that we’re all craving at this time of year.

Let. Me. Tell. You. If you really want to see some cute animals, a park is probably the place to go. Over the course of today’s visit to the park–which was only about one hour–we saw a multitude of birds, butterflies, squirrels, dragonflies, and bees. And although you can’t really see it in the picture, I actually tried to capture some of the insects that were pollinating the white flowers in this photo. Either way, I think the shot is still really cute!

This is just a closer look of the water. All I have to say is it’s ✨absolutely gorgeous ✨!

And last but not least is this shot that I took of this crack in the ground. I think it’s super cool how plants can just sprout right through cracks in concrete, like this. In fact, plants are probably some of my favorite things to capture while practicing my photography. There are so many different kinds of flowers and trees that it’s hard not to take a snapshot every time I see one. What can I say? Plants are some of the jewels of nature.

It was nice to take a break after our usual workout and spend a few minutes by the water. There’s something about being in nature that’s so relaxing and energizing. For me, it’s the perfect way to start a new week after a few busy days. I encourage you all to go outside sometime this week, as well. Because, let’s face it; we all need to breathe some fresh air and feel that refreshing summer breeze, every once and a while.

Have a beautiful and blessed day, y’all! God bless you all, and I will catch you next time! Peace in! ♡

It’s National Photography Day | Here’s what I did to celebrate ♡

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A/N~Every photograph that is present in (and on top of) this blog post, was taken by me, and therefore each of these photos are my property. Please do not redistribute or use any of my photographs for any reason. Thank you, and enjoy the post! ~ Q’Zion ✨

Guess what, y’all: today is Friday. Hallelujah! I hope you all have had an amazing week! You know, there’s something that I realized earlier today: it’s been a while since I’ve practiced my photography. And by that I mean have an entire photoshoot, like I usually do on the rare occasions that I go out of the house. But then I found out that today is both World Photo Day and National Photography Day!

And since most of you know that I have fell in love with photography ever since studying it in my Visual Art class, last year, I decided to take a few photos outside to celebrate. What can I say? It was absolutely gorgeous outside, this afternoon. Anyway, here are a few of my favorite shots that I took today. Enjoy!

What’s funny is that I took a majority of these photos whilst Goodmommy—my grandmother and guardian—was driving. So although the diagonal line in this photo wasn’t intentional, I have to admit that I don’t really mind it.

Landscapes in nature are some of my favorite things to photograph. I think that when it comes to the outdoors, there’s so much variety when it comes to lines, shape, and color. There’s literally an opportunity to take a great photo at every corner. It just takes a little patience and the speed to snap your shot at the perfect moment. I thank God that in half a year, I’m already seeing some improvement.

I’ve got to admit that I’m absolutely in love with this one! The clouds and sky have been so pretty lately. Plus, the color from the flowers are just right to add a little brightness to the photo! God definitely had everything arranged perfectly for me, today! Thank you, Jesus!

Me and Goodmommy like to change the wreath on our front door every season or upcoming holiday. I’ve got to admit that this one is one of my favorites. Although, purple, pink and blue are my favorite colors—especially when they’re all together—so I may be a little biased.

Although the shot of these bushes are probably the most simple out of all of these photos, I really like it for some reason; the way that the leaves are two colors gives a really cool effect! I guess that just goes to show that sometimes, the most simple things in life can be the most beautiful of them all.

Alrighty, so those were some of my favorite photos that I took in celebration of National Photography Day and World Photo Day of 2022, and I have to admit that I’m super happy with the results! Hopefully, you guys liked them, too!

Which one of my photographs in this post did you like the most? What’s your favorite thing to take pictures of? Also, what did you do to celebrate National Photography Day—if you knew about it before now? I would love to read your responses in the comments!

Have an amazing weekend, everyone! God bless you all and I will catch you later! Peace in! ♡

The Difference Between Being Lonely vs. Being Alone – Words of Wisdom #21

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Two words: alone and lonely. While the two adjectives sound fairly similar, they also hold two completely different meanings. You see, a lot of people believe that “being alone” is the same thing as “being lonely.” But despite this common misconception, it remains very common for certain people to feel at peace when being alone, and others to feel lonely in a room full of people. Why is this? And moreover, what exactly does this mean?

In today’s episode of Words of Wisdom, we will be diving into the subject “How does being lonely differ from being alone?” a little further.

To begin, let’s review the top definition of each word of this comparison in the Oxford Dictionary. Take a look.

First, lonely’s definition.

Now, the definition of alone.

Do you see any difference? If not, try reading both definitions one more time, and see if you can detect it. Then, check your answer down below.

While the true meanings of alone and lonely may seem the same at first glance, I think the more you read them, the easier it is to understand why they’re so different. So the answer to today’s question is, being lonely represents an emotional longing to have a companionship, of some sort. Meanwhile, alone is just the physical state of being unattended by another person.

Many times, people mistake the word alone as a bad thing. But when we think about it, almost everyone enjoys a few minutes a day doing something that they love in solidarity, whether that something is listening to music, spending time with God, or even working up a sweat in the gym. In fact, I believe that the times in which we are enjoying the moment in solidarity are likely some of the most peaceful moments of all. That’s why it’s possible to be happy when we’re by ourselves, or lonely even when we are in the presence of others.

Really, identifying the difference between the two is all about our state of mind.

So, today’s final words: being alone is not the same as being lonely. Instead, it’s a great way for us all to practice self-care and come to a place where we can simply enjoy our own company–and develop a closer relationship to God, in the process. I challenge anyone who is willing to take some more time in solidarity, and find ways to enjoy moments of solitary peace. We all need them, every once in a while.

Have a fantabulous day, everybody! God bless you all, and I’ll catch you later! Peace in! ♡

My Blogiversary: 1 Year with WordPress!!! ♡

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What’s up, y’all! It’s Q’Zion, here, and welcome back to my blog! On August 1, 2021 I was a soon-to-be eighth grader who was looking for a way to share my writing with the world. I didn’t exactly know what to expect from having an entire website to oversee. In fact, I wasn’t even for sure if I would genuinely like blogging. But it turns out that the same day I started my blog was a day that I discovered a new passion of mine; using my writing to inspire others.

Now I’ve been blogging for a whole YEAR (a year and 2 days, to be exact.) And I can’t thank God enough for putting me on this journey.

While this past year has flown by in a lot of ways, I think I’ve learned a lot in this 12 months, as well. Blogging has taught me a lot about patience, perseverance, and commitment, considering that while many people think it’s a simple job, it also takes work and a willpower to keep pushing. I want to thank God, my Goodmommy, and each and every one of my followers who have walked with me on this journey. I pray that I will continue to inspire others in my writing in a way that gives God the glory. From the beginning, that was my goal, and it still is to this day.

In celebration of this important milestone, I’ll be doing a little reflection on the past year of my blog, as well as my plans for the future. Let’s get started!

Last Year’s Statistics

113 Followers (111 WordPress, 2 Email) — Honestly this is such an awesome achievement for my first year as a blogger–seeing my community and audience grow is such a blessing!

367 Blog Posts — It turns out that I’ve been blogging for exactly 367 days–every time I didn’t post for a day, I’d make up for it and write two posts the next. I’m just thankful to God for giving me the strength to be so consistent.

1225 Likes — Out of all my stats, this has got to be the most mind-blowing! This is definitely much more than I was expecting, but I’m so grateful!

208 Comments — One of the most significant improvements on my blog is that now comments are much more common! It feels awesome to be able to communicate with my family, friends, and fellow bloggers through my website.

Will there be any Major Changes?

For the most part, I tend to keep my website the same–in terms of content and appearance. But this next year I plan on doing a few more posts about nutrition and health. I’ve also been thinking about doing monthly wrap-ups, where I give an overview of some of the highlights of each month (what I’ve read, where I went, my progress in school, etc.)

The most major change that I think I will put into place once I get into school in a week is how often I post. Instead of posting daily, I’m considering creating new content every 2 days, which is about 4 times a week. Not only will this give me more time to focus on school and come up with new content, but it will also allow me to work on adding new content to my YouTube Channel, most of which will likely be tutorials and reviews for Rainbow Loom, as well as some other Roblox and lifestyle content.

Goals for Next Blogiversary

By August 1, 2023, it’s my goal to have reached at least 275 followers on my blog! I can’t wait to see my blogging community grow as I continue to stay consistent with creating awesome content for you all!

Once again, a huge thank you to all of you for pressing the “SUBSCRIBE” button on The Joys and Trials of a Christian Teen! I’m so thankful to God that I have made it to this blogiversary, and I pray for many more wonderful years of blogging filled with inspiration, growth, and lots and lots of love.

Have a beautiful and blessed day, everyone! See you next time! ♡

8 Wellness Tips for a Healthier (and Happier) Lifestyle

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What’s up, everybody! This is Q’Zion, and welcome to my blog! I hope all of you are enjoying the prime of summer!

As you all know, we recently entered the month of August. But did you know that the 8th month of the year also promotes wellness in our everyday lives? If not, then today’s the day! In honor of National Wellness Month, I have created a list of 8 simple tips to help us live our happiest and healthiest lives possible. So, what are we waiting for? Let’s get this show on the road!

1. Start your mornings with something productive

The morning is one of the most important times of the day; it’s a time for us to get our gears moving and create a fresh start for a brand new 24 hours. After we finish our regular morning routine, we might as well do something to boost our energy. Stretching with some yoga poses, finishing another chapter of your new book, and learning a new language are a few options. You never know–after you begin to start your day doing something you love, you may even become a morning person.

2. Go outside and get some sunlight

Exercise is just as good for our minds as it is beneficial for our bodies. And that means that it’s one of the best ways to maintain a healthier lifestyle. A quick jog around your neighborhood or a local park is a great way to enjoy what nature has to offer while burning a few calories, before dinner. What’s not to love?

3. Eliminate negative self-talk

Wellness isn’t technically something that’s hard to achieve–but the progress starts with us. In order to transition to a state of better mental health, our mindsets have to be a reflection of that. This means that in order to make the progress that we want, we’ve got to be kind to ourselves by promoting positive words in our heads everyday. It’s much easier to reach a goal when we use our inner voice as an outlet of encouragement, rather than negativity.

4. Get a green thumb

Have you ever heard that people who garden tend to be happier? Well, then that is in fact correct. Multiple studies have shown that plants have a way of helping people feel more relaxed and content, similar to the effects of riding a bike everyday. Plants can even help increase concentration, your ability to breathe, and quality of life. So taking up the hobby of gardening might be a good idea to consider.

5. Creatively eat more fruits and veggies

Although we’ve all heard it thousands of times, we really do need to get our daily intakes of fruits and veggies. But just because we want to make an effort to make our diet more nutritious, doesn’t mean that we can’t have fun while doing it. Feel free to experiment with creative–and delicious–ways to eat healthier. Fruit smoothies, colorful salads, and veggie casseroles are a few tasty ways to spice things up in the kitchen.

6. Create something

I don’t know about you, but it always feels good when I take some time out of my day to be creative. There are so many options for what you can make–whether it’s a few quick doodles, a portrait, a paper craft, or even your own book. All it takes is a little imagination, and thousands of productive possibilities are within our reach!

7. Make sleep a priority

One of the things that we all need everyday is our beauty sleep. Without it, there’s no way that we could get through each day. So even if you find yourself busy as a bee, make sure that when your work for today is done, you get your 8 hours. This way, you can put just as much energy in the work that tomorrow has in store, and feel great while doing it.

8. Stay hydrated

The golden rule to a healthy lifestyle is to keep water in our systems. Not only does water reduce the risk of a large number of diseases, but it also does the basic job of maintaining high energy levels and keeping our brain functioning at its best. Considering all it’s benefits, drinking water is definitely a goal that we should all commit to.

Working towards a healthier lifestyle can be a challenge for some, but with a few simple changes here and there, achieving our wellness goals is a piece of cake. I challenge you all to take the time during National Wellness Month to make a few goals for yourself to pave the way for a healthier, and happier life. Hopefully, these tips were a good way to start your journey!

Let’s Chat~What are some of the methods that you take to achieve wellness? Feel free to share your response down below.

Have a blessed rest of your day, everyone! I’ll catch you later! ♡

Wishing You a Happy August + my monthly goals ♡

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Hey, hey, hey! Happy August everyone! We have now entered a month of more fun in the sun, a brand new school year for kids around the world, and a new beginning. I hope that all of you will have a productive, relaxing, and memorable month of August.

Since I will be starting high school this in about a week, I think it’s super important that I create some personal goals for August to start ninth grade off strong. Here are just a few of the goals that I look forward to reaching throughout the rest of the month and year.

My Monthly Goals for August

Through the last few weeks of my summer break, I’ve been reading more often than before, and I plan to keep that going. During the event that me and Goodmommy attended a couple days ago, I found three Diary of a Wimpy Kid novels in a box of free books, which I happily added to my formally small collection of the series. I’ve already finished one of them and began another. Hopefully I’ll be able to buy some of the books on my TBR list, within the next couple months, too.

As soon as I’m able to begin working on my new courses, I plan to get straight to work. It gives me a huge piece of mind when I’m able to submit assignments a couple weeks before they’re due. Being ahead prevents me from getting in a crunch, while giving me more free time for my clubs and other personal goals.

Lately, I’ve been writing about our 30-day salad challenge, and even though it’ll be over in a few more days, I plan on sticking to a salad a day from now on. Already, I’m seeing a huge improvement in my quality of sleep and my energy everyday. I can’t wait to see the progress that I make with my nutrition journey.

Finally, I want to take some more time this month to study God’s Word in the mornings to start the day. Some words of wisdom are always the best way to start my day, so doing a little meditation and Bible study when I wake up will be a great way to kick of a new month and school year.

LET’S CHAT~What are some of your productive goals for the month of August? Feel free to share your response down below.

Have a fantastic August everyone! God bless you all, and I’ll catch you later! Peace in! ♡