What I Loved: August 2018

I've always loved sharing the new things I'm into with my friends, so I figured it was high time that I started doing a series that just highlighted all of my favorite things in a month! Even though it's coming a little later than I'd originally planned, I wanted to take the chance to talk about some of my favorite things from the month of August.

Voltron (Season 7) | While this recent season isn't perfect, I still enjoyed it. That's likely because I have grown to love the paladins so darn much, and just having the opportunity to see their stories play out is such a joy. (Except for when I have to watch my precious ones get put through the most terrible situations, because that just huuuuuurts my soul.) This season ends very definitively for the main conflict they were facing, but there is more to explore in the next (and last) season for sure.

To All the Boys I've Loved Before | I. Am. Obsessed. If there's one thing you must know about me, it's that I love a good rom-com and that is exactly what this film is. I'd been highly anticipating seeing one of my favorite books come to life in film, and it was lovely. The cast, the costumes, the script, the soundtrack - it all came together to create the sort of film that you watch when you need something that will just make you feel all warm and fuzzy and gooey and happy on the inside. I've seen it three times in full, and rewatched my favorite parts more than I can count. Safe to say, this one will be a comfort movie for me in the years to come and I definitely think you need to check it out.

Crazy Rich Asians | Speaking of romantic comedies, can we all please discuss how wonderful it was to have a film with an Asian cast be released in theaters worldwide and garner such a positive response? Because this movie was excellent. I laughed a lot, I cried a fair bit and I just thought that it was so well-done. It's ostentatious, it's charming, and it's certainly a film that breaks the glass ceiling for Asians in many, many ways.

The Best (Cover) by James Bay | Many of you probably know how much I love James Bay, but it's a fact worth repeating. I love James Bay. I wasn't familiar with the original version of this song, but I have to say that his cover of it is flipping fantastic and I've had it on repeat (and added it to a lot of playlists) since I first heard it.

Hurt Somebody by Noah Kahan (feat. Julia Michaels) | I cannot stop humming this song! It's been in my head pretty often since I first heard it (on the OST of The Darkest Minds), and I can't say I'm unhappy about it. 

All I Am by Jess Glyne | I am a huge Jess Glynne fan, so it's unsurprising that her latest released track is on my favorites this month. As my sister Rachel puts it, Jess Glynne's songs are about love - both romantic and self-love - and this one is particularly in that vein. It also has a very catchy beat!

Sweetener by Ariana Grande | I'm so pleased that I really liked Ariana Grande's latest album, since I wasn't particularly fond of the last one. There's just something about this one that's catchy, fun and also extremely easy on the ears (for me), and it's just the sort of pop that I'm into.

Happy Planner & Happy Notes | My friend Hannah gifted me with Happy Notes (this is the exact one I have!) for my birthday, and I picked up a Classic Happy Planner (this is the exact one I own!) to follow her gratitude journal idea - and my obsession has stayed solid all through the month of August and beyond. It's just so fun to have Happy Notes, which is like a hybrid bullet journal type situation I use for tracking my reading and blogging. It's also equally rewarding to see how my gratitude journal fills up so quickly and serves as a lovely reminder that I've got so much to be thankful for. 

Adidas Cloud Foam sneakers | My sisters gave me my first pair of Adidas sneakers ever for my birthday, and I don't know how I never owned a pair before now. They're one of my comfiest pairs of shoes and they're made of a material that's pretty waterproof. I genuinely love them and will probably wear them out because I use them so much!

Overcooked | For the entirety of August, Macky, my sisters and I were obsessed with the game Overcooked (which is played on the Nintendo Switch). It's a team coop game where all the players must work together to cook, serve and clean in the kitchen. Because the whole lot of us (except perhaps Macky) are completionists about games, we basically worked so hard to get three stars on every level - and have successfully done so now.

What were some of your August favorites?