Christmas 2025 New Changes

 Hi Friends,

Christmas is almost here, and I have yet to set up the Christmas tree. (I have a mini one that I bought last minute last year.) We wanted to get a bigger tree, but our place is kind of small, and our dog’s crate is taking up the perfect spot.

What a year we are going through—literally going through it! We’ve been struggling to save money, losing family members, traveling, dealing with drama, getting enraged over things, applying for new jobs, and just trying to figure everything out.

This Christmas feels like another new beginning. I’m trying to figure out a good way to spend the holidays with the people you love without feeling like you have to show off, listen to the drama, or worry about who you “should” spend the holidays with.

I would like to start a new tradition that helps us actually enjoy the holidays without trying to decide whether we need to spend money on gas or Christmas presents. (Of course, it doesn’t help that my birthday is the eve of almost every holiday! 😂)

Some families have cookie bake-offs, gingerbread house contests, trivia, movie nights, and so many other traditions.

I’m not counting game nights or something that is already a planned event or hobby that can simply be Christmas-themed. I’m talking about creating a tradition that everyone looks forward to and remembers.

Like, “OMG, it’s the Kardashian Christmas Party!”

Or, “Wow, your holiday party is so well-known that the grandkids still talk about it!”

LOL. It might sound a little extra, but I think you know what I mean, right?

Christmas Gifts Are Getting Harder

So far, we’ve gotten everyone’s gifts for this year. We made sure to get them early enough, and honestly, it was a little hard because my fiancé’s Nana would usually help us buy gifts and wrap them for us.

I’ve also noticed that gift-giving is getting more interesting. Sometimes it’s something you need, and other times it’s something you really wanted. It can be harder to shop for people because we don’t always know what they need or want.

So, we end up texting other family members and asking, “What do they want?” Then we have to try to find it while staying within our budget.

For some of my friends, I like making gift baskets. I’ll put together things like different scents, candles, lotions, and maybe one or two things they specifically wanted from their list.

With family, it gets a little harder because we can’t all be in the same house. Then, with my fiancé and his family, we’re also trying to balance everyone’s schedules and traditions.

Which brings me to another question:

What do you do when you have multiple family Christmases to attend?

In my case, I work during the holidays, while some family members have an entire week off. So, finding a day and time that works for everyone can be difficult.

It can also be annoying when I hear jokes like, “You’re only here for Thanksgiving and Christmas!”

But sometimes we weren’t even invited to the other family gatherings. 😅

Some of my family would love for us to go up north, while his family would love for us to go west.

And honestly, I know our current house is too small for a huge family gathering, but I’ve always dreamed of having a big house where family and friends could all gather under one roof for the holidays.

Family Comes First

I may not be a huge fan of the Kardashians, but I do love how they seem to prioritize family. Family comes first.

They have such a big family, while for me, it’s really just my mom and me. My fiancé has a decent-sized family, but growing up, it was usually just him and his Nana.

I’m used to having a cute, small Latina Christmas with my mom. We would go to midnight Christmas Mass and then have dinner afterward.

After my dad passed away, my mom tried to give me a mix of both Christmas styles—the traditional American Christmas and our Latina Christmas traditions.

Now that I’m older, she prefers a smaller and more intimate Christmas.

My fiancé grew up with his Nana, and they would usually have lunch and open presents together.

This Christmas is a little different because his cousin gave birth to a baby boy. So now we have a Christmas baby in the family!

And then there’s me, the Christmas Eve Eve baby. 😂

Christmas With Friends

Christmas with friends is a little different.

We either combine it with game night, or we just go over to each other’s houses to drop off gifts and packages.

There’s something nice about having those smaller celebrations, too. They may not be elaborate, but they still give us a chance to spend time together during a busy season.

Creating a New Tradition

As for traditions, I would really like to start one and try to make it last forever.

I know some families have bake-offs, Christmas games, movie nights, gingerbread house competitions, ugly sweater parties, and other fun traditions.

But I want to create something that becomes our thing.

Something that people look forward to every year.

Something that our future kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews, friends, and family can talk about years later.

Maybe it sounds a little extra, but I think the holidays should be about creating memories—not competing over who has the biggest house, the most expensive gifts, or the most elaborate Christmas.

I want something that brings everyone together and reminds us that family and friends are what really matter.

So, I want to hear from you!

What are your Christmas traditions?

Do you have a family tradition that has been passed down for generations, or did you create your own?

And what kind of gifts do you usually give your family and/or friends?

I’d love to hear your ideas because I’m ready to start a new Christmas tradition of our own! 🎄❤️

Don't forget to follow me for more as well my other links 

Our Japan Trip Is Finally Happening! 🇯🇵✈️

Hi, friend!

Well, my dream of going to Japan is finally happening! 🇯🇵

After our engagement, my fiancé announced, “Let’s go to Japan next year!” Japan is also one of his dream destinations, so of course, I was completely on board.

I’ve flown on planes before, but the only international flight I’ve taken was to visit my family in Panama. My fiancé had never flown on a plane until we went to San Diego, so this will be his first international flight. For me, it will be my first international flight that’s longer than five hours.

I’ve always wanted to travel ever since I was little. I’ve dreamed about meeting new people, making friends, learning languages, and experiencing different cultures. Japan was going to be one of my first big international trips before visiting other countries. Plus, I had heard that Japan is a pretty easy and safe place for beginner travelers, especially if I ever decided to travel there solo.

My fiancé has always wanted to travel too, and Japan is one of his biggest dream trips. He grew up with anime and manga, so being able to finally visit the country that was such a big part of his childhood is really exciting for him. Of course, he also wants to experience the culture, food, history, and everything else Japan has to offer.

I came across a quote about traveling that really stuck with me:

“Traveling changes a person by breaking daily routines, lowering stress hormones like cortisol, and forcing the brain to adapt to new environments. It builds confidence through problem-solving, deepens empathy by exposing individuals to different cultures, and expands personal perspective.”

That really describes one of the reasons I want to travel. I want to experience something completely different from my everyday life and come home with new memories, stories, and perspectives.

So, we started talking about the trip, and one of our friends wanted to come too. That’s when we decided to see how many people might want to join us.

Originally, we were hoping for a big group—maybe even up to 10 people! That would have been so much fun. However, we ended up with five of us total: my fiancé and me, our friend and his wife, and his brother.

Honestly, five people is perfect because it feels like a little family trip too.

They all wanted to travel because, well…why not? We’re at a point in our lives where we feel like if we don’t take at least one big trip now, we might never get the opportunity.

We’re also excited about the diversity of experiences we’ll get from visiting another country and learning about its history and culture. And since we’re going in October, we’re hoping to experience some of the Halloween season in Japan too!

It might not be quite the same as Halloween here in the U.S., but there are Halloween events, including Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Japan. There are also festivals and events based around Japanese folklore.

And, of course, there’s Resident Evil—which our friend loves! He’s also a huge food lover, so he’s incredibly excited to try all the food.

His brother loves history, and his wife has also dreamed of going to Japan. She especially loves Godzilla, so I’m sure she’s going to have a blast.

We’re all a little nerdy, and honestly, I love it. 😂

Our Japan Trip Plans

We’ve officially booked our flights, and we finally have both of our Airbnbs booked too!

We decided to have two home bases for our trip: Osaka and Tokyo.

We’ll be flying from Orlando to Canada and then to Tokyo, where we’ll arrive at Narita Airport.

We’re still debating whether we want to take the train from Narita to Osaka or fly domestically to Osaka. We’re going to see how everything goes and figure out which option makes the most sense for us.

We think Osaka will be a great first base because there are so many things to see and do there, including other places that are easy to visit as day trips. Plus, there’s Universal Studios Japan—if we can make it work with our schedule!

After Osaka, we’ll take a train to Tokyo and spend the rest of our trip there.

Our train station near the Airbnb in Tokyo is about an hour from the airport, and there’s even a post office around the corner, which is a nice little bonus!

When Are We Going?

We’ll be in Japan from October 7th–18th! 🇯🇵

October 7th will mostly be spent traveling, and we’ll arrive in Japan on the 8th.

Our current plan is:

🏯 Osaka: October 8th–13th

🗼 Tokyo: October 13th–18th

✈️ October 18th: Fly back home to Florida

So now, the biggest thing we’re doing in the meantime is saving more money—not only for the trip, but also to make sure we can cover all of our bills back home.

We’ll also be doing some shopping for new clothes and, of course, new shoes. I have a feeling we’re going to be doing A LOT of walking!

I seriously can’t wait for all of this to happen.

I’m also thinking about sharing the whole experience while we’re there and after we get back. I’m just trying to figure out how I want to do it—YouTube, TikTok, blog posts, or maybe all of the above!

I’ll definitely try to share more here too.

What Do You Think?

Have you ever been to Japan? If so, how was your experience?

If you haven’t been, would you ever like to go?

And what other places would you love to travel to?

Feel free to follow me here and check out my other links if you want to keep up with our journey.

I’m trying my best to keep up with everything and share updates along the way! ❤️

Thanks for coming along on this adventure with us!

Back again, Did you miss me?

Hi, friends!

Where and how should I even start this blog post? So much has happened since the last time I posted here. I looked back and realized my last post was from 2019. Wow!

I’ve had so much going on since then, and I really wish I could have kept up with blogging. I’ll try to make this as easy as possible to catch up on everything that has happened over the years.

2019–2020: A Lot Happened!

Of course, 2020 was a wild year. Pretty much everyone reading this knows what happened: the COVID-19 pandemic.

But even before that, life was already changing.

My Best Friend

2019: My best friend, who had recently gotten married, ended up getting divorced. Her husband cheated on her and was caught.

Current update: She’s still working in corrections and has one more semester left in her Radiation Therapy program. I’m so proud of her!

She recently told me that she and her new boyfriend are doing well and are planning to move in together. Don’t worry—I’ve met him, and I really like him for her. He is way, way, way better for her. Honestly, I feel like he was a Godsend compared to her exes and ex-husband.

I’m so happy for her! ❤️

Career Changes

2019: I was thinking about going to graduate school after finishing my BFA in Art, or possibly joining the Air Force as an officer.

Current update: Well… no grad school and no Air Force officer career!

I currently work in the parts department of a dealership. I started there during the pandemic because the bookstore I was working at was struggling, and I knew I probably wasn’t going to have much of a future there anyway.

I actually really like my job. I originally started as a porter, thanks to a friend/technician who helped me get the job. Later, with some moral support, I worked up the courage to ask to apply for an open position in the parts department. Here I am, almost five years later, and I’m at the top of my parts team!

I had been thinking about leaving because I wanted to do something different and make more money. I make decent money now—enough to be stable—but most of it goes toward loans and debt, so I’m still trying to get ahead.

I’ve been thinking about possibly going into one of two different fields: healthcare or coding. We’ll see what happens because there are some changes happening at work right now.

If things become too much for me to handle, I may have to make a change. My job can be stressful because I work on commission, and my pay depends on other people finishing their work. It can be frustrating compared to having a steady hourly wage.

My Art

2019: I wanted to continue pursuing art, possibly even going to graduate school for something like Art in Medicine. I wanted to perfect my art because, looking back, getting through my art degree was kind of a loophole for me as well as a stressful form of relief.

Does that make sense?

Current update: I still miss doing art!

If I were to get back into art now, I think it would be more of a stress-relief activity or hobby rather than something I want to pursue as a career.

I’ve actually learned a lot more about art by watching TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, too. There are so many talented artists and tutorials online now!

Re-Educating Myself

2019: I wanted to re-educate myself.

I felt like I was getting rusty because I had been out of school for a while and was forgetting a lot of things I had learned. My math, grammar, and other school subjects were slowly fading from my memory. I wanted to use YouTube and old-school textbooks to refresh my knowledge and keep my mind educated.

I know there are plenty of people out there who are grammar Nazis, while others struggle with grammar. As someone with a learning disability, I’ve always felt like I wasn’t challenged or educated as well as I could have been in school, which made college a struggle for me. That’s why I wanted to re-educate myself—not necessarily to become some genius, but just to feel more mentally mature, knowledgeable, and confident.

Current update: Still haven’t really tried. LOL.

I’m doing somewhat better just by dealing with everyday work and life and trying to learn and comprehend things better. I even bought a book to read, but I never made it past the first chapter. 😂

Recently, I downloaded the Kindle app on my phone and started using Audible so I can read and listen at the same time. I really wanted an actual Kindle, but I told myself I’m not allowed to buy one until I’ve read 10 books total. I might even write summaries and share them with my besties because they love reading!

YouTube and Vlogging

2019: I wanted to start vlogging on YouTube because I thought I would have more time once I was just working and living life.

Current update: LOL. WRONG.

I probably could have vlogged, but there was just way too much going on—even during the pandemic. 

I wanted to have a fun life, but instead, I was still struggling with a lot of mental and financial issues. I was supposed to vlog our trip to San Diego Comic-Con, but that was a complete fail. That trip deserves its own post because there is a lot more to that story. Hopefully, I’ll actually write it!

In October 2026, we’re planning to go to Japan, and hopefully I’ll have my vlogging and photography stuff ready for the trip.

The Pandemic and My Mom

During the pandemic, my mom was very lucky because she was able to have her breast cancer surgery right before COVID really started affecting everything.

I took about two weeks of FMLA to help take care of her. Then I went back to work, only to find out about three weeks later that we were being furloughed because of the COVID pandemic.

That’s how I ended up taking the job as a porter.

It honestly wasn’t too bad, and I made way more money than I expected. Sadly, it was also my first full-time job at 29 years old.

Eventually, I left the bookstore, and it ended up being a really big change for me.

My mom is doing much better, thankfully. They caught her cancer before it progressed to a later stage, and I’m incredibly grateful for that.

Love, Engagement, and Everything In Between ❤️

Well… your girl is no longer single!

After all these years of boys being boys, I finally met someone who genuinely wants me in his life.

We started dating in late spring of 2021, and then, in July 2025, we got engaged in San Diego!!!

Definitely God's timing. ❤️

Of course, life hasn’t been all happy moments.

We also lost both of our grandmothers around the same period, between 2024 and 2025. 

Their deaths also happened around the time of our San Diego trip, which is one of the reasons that trip didn’t go as planned.

There’s a lot more to that story, so I’ll probably have to make another post about it.

Health, Accidents, and More Changes

I also went through three car accidents in one year.

Thankfully, I’m okay. I’ve dealt with neck pain since then, and I’ve recently started seeing a chiropractor because I’m trying to get back to focusing on my health.

I also gained about 60 pounds since the car accident in 2021.

Now I’m trying to lose that weight—and hopefully a little more—for our Japan trip and our wedding in 2026/2027.

A Lot of Loss

Between my family and my fiancé’s family, we’ve experienced four deaths in the family.

We also lost a neighbor who was very kind to my fiancé and had become almost like a friend to him. He died by suicide, and my fiancé struggled with feeling like he could have somehow prevented it.

On top of all that, we’ve dealt with losing jobs, trying to find a place to live, financial struggles, and many other problems.

We’ve been through a LOT.

And honestly, we’re still battling some of those problems today.

So… What’s Next?

I could keep going, but I think I might have to save the rest for another post. 😂

Hopefully, I can actually keep up with blogging this time!

I’m sorry it took me so long to post here. Life really got away from me, but I’m hoping to change that.

I might also be getting into some online streaming soon! I finally got into D&D with my besties, so there will hopefully be plenty of nerdy content coming your way.

Stay tuned for more nerdy stuff! 🎲✨

And don’t forget to follow me on my other social media! The links are available on the “Follow Me” tab. ☺️

Thanks for sticking around and catching up with me!

Until next time! ❤️

Hello Everyone, I'm Back!

Hi everyone,

It's me, Bonita.
I'm back on blogging again (well slowly getting back in the habit), and would like to catch up on my life updates since the last time I posted something (whoa, 2 years).

Let's break it down some (don't want to go aaalllll in that would be forever, lol):

1.  I've sacrificed a lot to be last year
2.  I had my Welded Magnolia in the Jacksonville Zoo "Zoo of Lights" permanent collection.
3. Had my 8foot by 4foot Woodcut Print Relief displayed at the MOCA Jacksonville.
4. Went to Art Basel Miami 2017 for the first time (hopefully I can go back again)
5. one of my Best Friends (my ride and die) got Married and I got be her Maid of Honor.
6. Ended up on Spring 2018 A/B honors roll and my last semester with a President A honors roll.
7. Graduated with my Bachelors in Fine Arts degree from University of North Florida (finally!!) 
8. Still work working for the bookstore 
1. Went from working at the law school bookstore.
2.  ended up having a new manager (who is awesome, she's one of my good friends/older sister/cousin).
3.  we both had to close the store because we both got promoted to a new store (1 hr and 30 mins away) to open as well  I got promoted to an actual team lead.
4.  I left there to be transferred to a different store back in September to be  more near my university as well for traffic/travel for my last semester at UNF
5. Now I currently work at the same location with the same title
6. I ended applying for something pretty cool even though I would like to go somewhere else but this a good start/step for me.
9. I've interned for Wolfson Children Hospital for the Art with a Heart program there ( making art with kids who are patients at the hospital). I had so much fun and loved it so....
10. After giving my Senior Presentation to the entire Art department aka my professors, They would love for me to continue making art on my own as well take a couple years off before going to Graduate school.
11. I already have in my what I would like to go for grad school for: Art in Medicine at UF (basically what I interned for but in Jax) however I would work with all ages from kids to elders. I could also go for Art therapy, however every graduate schools are different. 
1. I would like to either work with patients in the hospitals/nursing homes/rehab centers.
2.  As well work with kids at school 
3. or have a family practice
4. basically i would like to with everyone and help them through art, as it helped me.
12. Now that I am out of school and just working part-time, I wanted to make time to reeducate my self from k-12 subjects so I don't ever forget them. Now and days, I feel a bit off about how much math or grammar I remember, as well vocabulary, science, and history.
1. I already looked in to Khan Academy to check that out, haven't started, but can't wait to relearn some things. 
2. I have no shame to say that, plus I'm already dyslexic my self, so this is more to improve myself more. 
3. my dyslexia will never go away, however I learned from my research for my art work I made for my senior project, You may never get rid of it but you can always improve yourself by finding what works best for you. 
13. Last thing is I'm going to try to vlog my YouTube again. 
1. links should be on the side but don't worry I'm going to give this blog site an update as well. 

All righty, I know its a long read but we are all caught up (well the most important stuff), so I will be posting more things. Follow me (if you like) to see what more I will post, oh don't forget to follow any of my other social media too ( all links are on the side,if you want to). 

Have a great day,

Bonita xoxo

Spring Semester Already?

Wow Spring already started and it is now already coming to an end. Well I mean my semester is going well so far, I’m taking 3 classes: Color Theory, Litho Printmaking, and African Arts. I really enjoy my classes, I thought about using some of my techniques I gained to make art to sale or gifts. Now since I taken a job at the bookstore and what was supposed to be a seasonal work at Forever 21, I ended work there part-time now. I work now 3 jobs to help maintain school, life and mostly bills. Yes, its all overwhelming with work, school, and trying to maintain a life for myself as a 25yr old. I just hope by the end of this semester I finally be official have my GPA up, and I’m off the school list.

New Me, New Year!

Hello everyone, :)

I'm back so here's a quick update:

• I passed my two Art classes: Intro to Printmaking and 3D design class
• Got a seasonal job at Forever 21
• Also turned 25 years old
  All Hail the Capricorns!!!! 

I hope everyone had a great Holiday!!!!!!!

So I had a busy month already as well coming up, going to back to work at the Bookstore and classes are about to start soon. I got to make sure I give my self a little bit of time for myself as well to do art assignments. I'm going to be taking Lithography, Color Theory, and African Arts: Form,Perf,Affect. I'm so excited to start classes and see what this new year as or me.

speaking of the new me, the fact I turned 25, I wanted to treat myself with free stuff well I went to Sephora and got my skincare product that I tried and loved as well bought a set for a value deal from a sample I was given during my first visit. I got my cleanser: 

• boscia (Detoxifying Black Cleanser) 

I ended up getting a Free Birthday Gift:

•  tarte BIRTHDAY GIFT Tarte Lip and Cheek Set

Came back for this product the next day:

• a value kit for $25 it was a travel size of:
• Origins GinZing™ Energy-Boosting Moisturizer
• Origins High Potency Night-A-Mins™ Mineral-Enriched Renewal Cream

So That's all I wanted to Share to everyone what been updated before the New Year of 2017.

How was your Holiday?
What special gift did you end up getting for yourself?
Are you a Capricorn?

Don't forget to follow me here and other social media (its all on the side bar)
Stay in touch for more post (I'm trying to keep my blog posted as much I can)

Saturday and Pinterest

So I know it's been a long time since I've posted a post on my blog. In the time since the last post, I've been busy with my classes and work at my job. Still miss my (well I still miss this guy I really really like) babe.

Anyways I want to post about what I tend to be up to and well right now I'm typing this on my phone, soaking my foot in a foot bath, and watching Harry Potter Marathon.
This week has been crazy busy since Hurricane Matthew came through Jacksonville (my house was way to far inland aka Southwest of Jacksonville, we didn't get any damages just power outage for a few hours) it caused classes cancellation and projects/exams date changes that everyone Just felt lost. Plus Thursday night after class I had to run to my other job because we had Waka Flocla performing. Last night (Friday night) was my usual work night, and today woke up feeling cramping  because it's beginning of my shark week.
So now I've been just going through Pinterest and looking through what interesting things to pin, Click here for my Pinterest page.

What's your Pinterest page?
Follow me and I'll follow you :)