How it started: For most of us, it is now summer! Which means staying up late, sleeping in, and no school! Overall, this gives us lots and lots of free time to do what we want. Probably the worst summer days are when we spend the whole day bored and lazy. For me, this is usually a day of TV and electronics, which while this can be fun sometimes, is not how I want to spend my whole summer. My best friends and I both agreed that we wanted to make more of our summer days, so we came up with a solution, our very own "Best friends Summer Bucket-list." It would be a list of things to complete over the summer together to keep us busy. Creating the list was about as much fun as completing it would be. We started by listing some things we wanted to do together...simple things: go hiking, pull an all-nighter, get a perfect tan...etc. As we continued, the ideas became more exciting and crazy, things that would take a little more effort to complete: have a powdered paint fight, tie dye bed sheets, walk barefoot an entire day, buy t-shirts and walk around downtown letting people sign them...you get the idea! Soon, we had a long list of about 45 "tasks." We wrote them down on white paper in a checklist style, and all signed the lists, agreeing to complete them by the end of summer. Then, we hung them in our rooms, where they could be easily noticed.   


Completing it: This was the most fun part, but also it is slightly tricky, depending on the list. If you are doing a "bestfriend summer bucketlist" opposed to simply a  "summer bucketlist" then you will be completing everything obviously with other people. For every thing we completed on our list, all four of us (Tatum, Aine, Brynn, and I) had to be available to hangout. Luckily, we are all going on vacactions around the same time and have sports the same time so it wasn't a huge issue. Secondly, it can cost some money to complete the things. Since there was four of us, we all contributed to supplies we needed to buy. Overall though, its about having fun everyday! Here is a slide show of things we have completed so far. We have much more to do, but hopefully by the end of summer we will be done!
 
Recently, I had my birthday party with 5 of my closest friends! We had a scavenger hunt downtown at my town's walking mall. It was a blast and I knew as soon as I got home I had to share this inexpensive and fun party idea!
Party Summary:When guests arrived (we met at a park downtown) we split everyone into 2 teams with 3 people on each team. We gave each team the scavenger hunt list and a pen. Each team also had a camera and video camera (which wasn't hard since almost every teen has an Ipod, Iphone, or something of that sort with a camera.) We had one hour to complete as many items as we could off the list, video taping or taking a picture of each thing we did. Some of the things on the list included... hug a stranger, shake hands with a bearded man, find a Justin Bieber look-alike, sing "Call Me Maybe" in public, and other crazy tasks. We also had things on the list to find and take a picture of, such as a price tag with digits that add to 14, something with feathers, and a take-out menu. The final things on the list were themes such as love, something that changes everyday, something that never changes, something essiential but seldom noticed, and something where you wouldn't expect it to be. These final ones allowed the teams to be creative and interpret them in different ways. We were given an hour to complete as much of the list as we could, and we were told to meet up at the icecream parlor when our time was up. My team had a blast running all around downtown taking pictures and interacting with people! Everyone downtown had fun helping us complete the list, and we were suprised how quickly an hour went by! When we met up at the icecream parlor, we had icecream and opened gifts while my mom tallied up the scores. We all were cracking up watching the videos and pictures! The winning team won little gift bags with small prizes (candy, EOS lipbalm, nailpolish...etc.) Overall, it was a great party that barely cost anything! 
Tips to hosting: Location is key for this party! A mall is a very convient place because there is lots of people, stores, and its pretty safe. If you are having it at a mall, make sure video taping is allowed ( I know some malls don't allow cameras or video cameras.) If you don't have a mall, downtown areas can be a nice place too! You can even have several locations, or have a chaperone driver (if you can't drive) bring you around to different stores and places. 
Some pictures from my party... (Blue team)
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Take a picture with a red-head

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Act like mannequins in a window display

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A Justin Beiber look-alike

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Someone in uniform 

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Chefs

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a picture that would make a good album cover

 
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In need of an inexpensive and fun way to spice up your room while your displaying pictures? This is a quick and easy do-it-yourself craft that can add personality to any room! I was recently watching my favorite youtuber of all time, Bethany Mota (Macbarbie07) , and saw her video on this wall collage! I immediatley had to try it and it turned out so well I wanted to share it with all of you! Enjoy and comment what you think!

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Step 1: Gather and print out all the pictures you want to display. Depending on how big you make the collage, you will need about 40-45 pictures. It works best if your pictures are all horizontal, but obviously I included some vertical ones too. Use pictures of friends, family, and things you love. Your collage should show off your personality and life. I got some pictures off of my Instagram, camera, ipod, and some old pictures from when I was young. 

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Step 2: Lay out your pictures on the ground in the shape of a heart. Rearrage the pictures in the order you liketh best. Keep in mind, the collage is going to be pretty big, so your favorite pictures will be seen best in the middle of the heart. 

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Step 3: Find an empty wall to hang your collage. Use masking tape to hang the photos into your heart. Once they are all on the wall how you want them, remove the masking tape one by one, and use glue dots or double-sided tape to hang your photos. You now have a cute, girly, and unique collage on your wall! 

 
Looking for a new room theme? Turn your bedroom into a Paris getaway with some of these inexpensive ideas! 
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Color scheme- the typical colors for a Paris themed room are pink, white, and black! This doesn't mean every item in your room has to be these colors but try to stick to this color scheme as much as possible! If you are painting your walls look for a light pink.

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Curtains- some long curtains can really add to your room! Pick out a pattern that fit the color scheme and has a good design. These Paris curtains I have in my room are black and white and have swirly designs and chandeliers. 

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Mannequin- Add the Paris love of shopping with a mannequin! You can find inexpensive mannequins like this at stores with room decorations such as TJ Maxx and Ross. 

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Hair styling side table- every girl needs a spot to get ready in the morning. If you don't have your own bathroom a personal styling station could be just what you need in your room! I bought a black 3 drawer side table which I use to store make-up, hair styling tools and products, and hair accessories. You can spice up a normal black side table or stackable drawers with some pink ribbon, which can be tied into bows and hot glued on. Put your drawers next to a tall mirror!

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Fragrances and Perfumes- Your room looks like Paris so why not smell like it too? Bath and Body Works has a huge variety of Paris themed scents including Paris Amour, Paris Nights, Sweet on Paris, Paris in Bloom, and even Paris for Men. You can buy perfume, lotion, shower gel, soap, glitter gel, and more in this Paris scents! And if you aren't into body things you can get candles in their Paris scents too! 

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French Memo Board- ditch the boring bulletin board for a cute french memo board to display photos, notes, and more. This memo board was less than $10 at Ross and matches the room perfectly! 

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Rug- for all those rooms with boring carpet, lay down a colorful inexpensive rug to add personality and color! 

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Wall decorations- With Paris being an extremely popular theme lately, there is so many wall decorations available! From an Eiffel tower clock to a huge Paris wall canvas you will have no trouble finding decorations. Don't buy everything and fill every inch of your wall space, but pick a few things you love most to accent the room. 

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DIY decorations- If you don't want to spend alot of money on decorations go to your local craft store to make your own room decor. I recently went to Ben Franklin's and made this magnetic board from scrapbooking paper, charms, magnets, and a antique-looking serving tray. I glued pieces of scrap booking paper to the tray and let that dry. Then I hot glued the charms to small magnets which stuck to the tray. I can use it to hang pictures or just to decorate my room alone. This is just one example of how you can make your own room decorations. Get creative and crafty!

 
Counting down to Christmas? Try to complete this winter bucketlist before Christmas! Here is 10 things to do this winter!
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Have a winter photoshoot- Grab some friends or a sibling and take turns taking pictures of eachother in the snow or in cute winter outfits! Need some posing? Throw snow up into air or blow a handful of snow. 

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Watch a classic Christmas movie- Get in warm PJs, make some hot cocoa, and settle in for a holiday movie! Some fun movies are: Frosty the Snowman, Elf, The Santa Claus, or Miracle on 34th street!

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Have a secret santa group- Gather some friends and play secret santa! Put everyone's names on a slip of paper and let everyone pick a slip. If they pick their own name have them put it back and draw again! Make sure everyone keeps the name on their slip a secret! The name they drew is who they will be a secret santa for. Every day or week (depending on how early you start before christmas or how you want to play) secretly leave a small gift for your person to find later. You can even decorate their locker at school with bows and ribbon. On Christmas you will all reveal yourself. 

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Make a winter playlist- Fill it with your favorite Christmas carols and songs to play whenever you need some holiday spirit! 

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Decorate your room- decorate your room with holiday decorations and put up a small tree or wreath! Hang lights up around your window or doorframe. 

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Buy a holiday candle- There is all sorts of holiday scented candles from candycane to gingerbread, and about any other holiday scent in between! Buy your favorite scent and light it in your room. If you can't light candles then try the wax melters or incense sticks.  

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Make christmas cookies- Cut the cookies out in holiday shapes and decorate them. Then wrap them in cute bags or holiday tins and deliver them to your neighbors as a holiday treat!

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Look at Christmas lights- Drive around some neighborhoods listening to christmas music and looking at Christmas light displays.

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Send gifts or letters in the mail- Nothing is like getting an unexpected letter or package in the mail from a loved one! Suprise a friend by sending her gift in the mail even if she lives close or drop it off on her doorstep to find when she gets home. If you don't want to send gifts write a bunch of letters to all your friends and family and send them out!

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Donate or volunteer- Help a charity in need this holiday season! Bring toys to an orphanage or hospital, canned goods to a food bank, or blankets and clothes to a homeless shelter. Whatever it is, even if its small, it will make a difference in someone's life! 

 
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After moving across the country, and away from my friends, I am always looking for new ways to keep in touch with my friends, especially when it's free! I recently came across a fun and free way to communicate with friends by sharing pictures, an app called "Instagram." With Instagram, you can post pictures on your account, which your friends and followers can like and comment on. You can follow other people and view their galleries of pictures too! But are you worried of strangers viewing your pictures? Instagram allows you to keep your account private and only viewed by friends and family. All together an app I recommend! Making an Instagram account now? Follow me @livetolove_321