Thanksgiving: What It Really Means

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope your four day weekend is off to a good start! I'm sure you hear this all the time, but I'm going to say it anyways. Thanksgiving isn't all about the turkey on your dinner table, but it's a time to be thankful for what you've got. In fact, it's not just Thanksgiving. The holiday season, overall, is a time to be grateful and it's a time to give back to others.

We all know the story of how the pilgrims had a successful harvest, decided to have a feast with a duck, not a turkey, and invited the Native Americans. But what is the real story? In other words, when did we decide to have a feast every year? Let's start at the beginning. The first Thanksgiving (the one with the Pilgrims and Native Americans) actually consisted of different foods that we eat today. Some of them include corn, venison, all kinds of vegetables, bread, and more. They did have pumpkin and potatoes, but didn't use them for pie or mashed potatoes, like we do today. And the first Thanksgiving was a three day festival, which was all about eating, hunting, and entertainment. About a 150 years later, our good old founder, George Washington announced the first Thanksgiving meal, but this day wasn't celebrated by citizens until the 1800s, 200 years after the Thanksgiving with pilgrims. So there you have it! Thanksgiving in a paragraph!

Like I stated earlier, this is a time to be thankful for what you have. Three of the many things I'm grateful for are:
1) My parents--I feel so lucky to have a mom and dad, because unfortunately, not everyone has one or both. My parents are the most important people in the world for me.
2) A home, basic needs (food, water, toilet)--I grouped many into one, because if I stated each separately, it would be a pretty long list. I'm thankful for heat in my home and food on my table, clothes, bathroom, etc.
3) Lastly, I'm thankful for the freedom I have. My parents give me more freedom than others I know, and for that reason, I feel grateful to be entrusted with that many privileges.

What are you thankful for? Leave it in the comments below! :)

I hope this post was fairly interesting,

CityLover❅

How to Make Winter Festive

Am I the only person who can't decide if winter is gratifying or crummy? I love the snow and the holiday feeling, but I hate the temperature. It's only November and I've already been through twenty degree weather. If you live in Maine, this post will hopefully be helpful, but if you live in LA...isn't the weather basically same all year round? *Chuckle* Well, where ever you live, this post is very similar to the "How to Make Fall Festive" post. (Click HERE to read that.)

Food/Drinks
1) HOT COCOA. Why do I even have to explain why this is an essential? I've got two words: It's good. Very few people I know don't like hot chocolate, but if you want, sprinkle some cinnamon, drizzle some caramel, or top with marshmallows and whipped cream. Point is, customize it to your liking, but on one condition: IT HAS TO BE HOT. What's hot cocoa with the hot part?

2) Panettone has been a favorite holiday favorite of mine for approximately two years. To tell you the truth, I hated the taste of it before, but my mother always used to buy it almost every week because she loved it that much, and she still does. (Just FYI a "loaf" of Panettone is super big. Google it!) Slowly I got used to the taste, and now, I love it! Panettone is a Italian bitter sweet bread/cake, filled with raisins and candied fruit.

Shops For Holiday Decor
1) Pier One Imports is expensive but all their items are fancy, festive, and fun. This shop is one of my favorites when it comes to window shopping!

2) Walgreens. Yes, I know what you're thinking. But believe me, the items are cheap and really joyful. The quality may not be that great, but you only decorate for holidays once a year, right?

Clothing For Winter
1) Packable puffer coats are so incredibly useful in the winter. If you're going Black Friday shopping or to the mall, I'm pretty sure you might feel a little stuffy with your coat on. But will you carry it for a few hours? I have a packable coat from Andrew Marc, and I love it! It keeps me super warm when I'm outside, and when I'm indoors, I pack it in its provided stylish bag.

2) Touchscreen gloves are wonderful. I love the fact that I can wear gloves and use them on any electronics, but there's one con: Touchscreen gloves are often thin, so they don't keep your frostbitten hands as warm as normal gloves should.

Hope this was helpful,

CityLover

Mockingjay Part 1: Review

I recently went to go see Mockingjay Part 1 with the same people who I saw THG and Catching Fire with, and I loved it! The movies just keep on getting better and better! This movie was very touching and emotional, because Peeta has been taken by the Capitol and District 12 is destroyed.

I won't write a summary, so click HERE for a summary. Because Mockingjay is the last installment in the trilogy and this is only the first part, I would tell others not to be over excited, because the story does NOT end here. This movie was wonderfully made, and Lawrence's acting was above and beyond. Hoffman's acting was amazing, and I was not disappointed. One thing that bothered me was that I could still sense Hemsworth's and Claflin's Australian/British accents, but if you're not like me, this fact won't affect you during the film.

My rating for Mockingjay Part 1 is a 8/10 because this movie blew my mind. I cannot explain in words. It was way better than I anticipated because it's only the first part of the last book, so I did not have high expectations. I encourage you to watch this, but before you do, watch the previous movies, or read the trilogy.

Thanks,
CityLover *3 finger salut & Rue's whistle*

❅❅That Jolly Feeling❅❅

Right after Halloween, am I the only person who gets all giddy about the fact that Christmas is right around the corner? Christmas is my favorite holiday, not because I get presents, but because I love seeing all the dazzling bright lights, the elegantly decorated evergreen trees, the silvery reds and greens everywhere I go. I live in a state that has a four season climate, so we get hot, humid summers and cold, harsh winters. Because of the winter, I haven't made up my mind whether I like snow or not. But then, what is Christmas without snow?

Below are my favorite holiday images to look at: (NOTE: I did not take these pictures!)

Christmas time for me is all about music. Below are my favorite Christmas songs:

1) All I Want For Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey

2) Last Christmas by Ariana Grande

3) Carol of the Bells by Pentatonix

4) Underneath the Tree by Kelly Clarkson

5) Favorite Things by Kelly Clarkson

I hope this helped you get in the Christmas and holiday spirit! Now on a more serious note, I just wanted to remind you that there are only less than two months of 2014, so to end the year positively, do something for someone! It doesn't have to be a lot, and you don't even have to know the person! Be kind and giving this holiday season, and you'll feel good too. 

Thank you for reading!

Until next time, 

CityLover☃

My Review on Snowpiercer

Snowpiercer (an adaptation of a French graphic novel) is an undoubtably well-made film by director Bong Joon-ho, with male lead Chris Evans. As a fanatic of Evans, I certainly enjoyed his acting in this adventurous sci-fi.

This film takes place in the future where the entire planet has been frozen due to a chemical. The human race is almost extinct, but some have survived. The lucky survivors live on a train and the society on the train is very similar to the Hunger Games trilogy society. I don't want to spill the beans, so I won't say what happens on the train. (The poor basically have to fight their way to the front of the train where the wealthy live.)

There are many talented actors in this movie and I truly admired their performance. This movie has a really meaningful theme and would encourage all sci-fi and/or action-packed movie lovers to watch this film. It is rated-R for language, violence, and some disturbing images due to violence, but as a young teenager, I think mature youngsters that can easily handle frightening fighting and bad language will really enjoy this movie. Overall, this movie really changed my view on society and people's way of life.