Category: Morgan Aycock

Rating Seasons

By: Morgan Aycock

  1. Summer

Summer has to be the best season because there is no school. The weather is hot and it is the perfect time for going to the beach and vacations. The beach is definitely my favorite place to go, and I have a permanent tan for 3 months. Also, the 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays. I can hang out with my friends a lot more during the week, and I don’t have to worry about school or homework. I do have painting for cheer, though, but it allows me to see my friends and doesn’t last but 2 hours in the morning. I also love spending time on the lake and going boating, and playing pickleball with friends. 

  1. Fall

Although it’s the beginning of the school year, fall has the best sports. Football season is the best time of year, and you always have something to look forward to during the weekends. Cheering for football is one of my favorite things, and we organize fun pep rallies. The weather is not too hot and not too cold, and all the trees are turning different colors. It is also Halloween and Thanksgiving. Halloween is one of my favorite holidays and I have a tradition of going to Kreepy Hallow every year with my friends. I usually go to the mountains with family for Thanksgiving, so it is a good time to gather with family and friends. 

  1. Winter

Although it is cold out, winter has some great seasons. Christmas is my favorite season because we get to celebrate Jesus’s birth with friends and family, and we get Christmas break. New Year’s is also one of my favorites because we get a fresh start, and I always spend New Year’s Eve with my friends. It brings me so much joy to see Christmas decorations and go look at Christmas lights. It is also my birthday in the wintertime. And if we are lucky, Sumter may get some snow. 

  1. Spring

I don’t enjoy spring that much. Everyone is ready to get out of school and there aren’t really any exciting sports to watch besides baseball. I usually am sick all season because of the pollen. The only thing that is good about spring to me is Spring Break, and it starts to warm up some. Also, it’s not daylight savings anymore.

Rating Crumbl Cookies

By: Morgan Aycock

  1. Original Pink Sugar

Even though I have never tried this cookie, it is an all-time fan favorite. The almond sugar cookie is different from all other cookies and pink is my favorite color, so I may be biased. They also just recently added it back to the menu, so people will be buying this like crazy. 

  1. Mallow Creme ft. Lucky Charms

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, this is a first time cookie for Crumbl. The marshmallow frosting and Lucky Charm marshmallows align perfectly together. Many people that have tried it have liked it. 

  1. Cookies and Creme Brownie

As always, every week there is a brownie instead of a cookie. I do think the chocolate could be a little over powering, but overall I think it would be good. I think the buttercream would be good and have a good mix in with the cookies and chocolate. 

  1. Milk Glaze ft. Fruity Pebbles

I think the milk flavor would be a little questionable, but a good idea to do with the Fruity Pebbles on top. I think it could be a little plain and I don’t think they should’ve done this because they already did the Lucky Charms cookie. I don’t like that it’s a plain cookie with a milky glaze, and I think it would be a better idea to do frosting and Fruity Pebbles on top of that. 

  1. Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunk

Even though they do this cookie every week, I still think it’s a good cookie, but they should definitely take it off the list. They should not add the sea salt and I don’t think it’s worth the 800 calories to buy when you can buy a lot of other cookies for the same price and amount of calories. 

  1. Wildberry Sugar

I do not think that this cookie would get a lot of sales. The strawberries and blueberries don’t belong in a cookie in my opinion. They have never had a cookie like this, which I think is good for them to try something new. However, I would not buy it and I don’t think others would either. 

  1. Chocolate Mint Cake ft. Andes 

I don’t think the cake is a good idea at all, and they should stick to selling only cookies. Many people don’t like mint flavored things, but I see what they were trying to do because of the green for St. Patrick’s Day. I don’t think adding the mints on top does this any better, and the mint frosting would not be good. 

Top 4 Restaurants in Sumter, SC

By: Morgan Aycock

  1. Kobe

Kobe is a Japanese restaurant in Sumter that is run by the Beacon Theatre. They cook in front of you and have the best food. Although it isn’t as good as other Japanese restaurants in Columbia and at the beach, it is the best you can get in Sumter. Japanese is my favorite food type, so I probably like it better than any other restaurant. I had my birthday dinner there this year because they offer big parties at the section where they cook in front of you, or if you have a couple of people with you, you can eat at the tables at the front by yourself. Sitting where they cook in front is the best because the food is so fresh and it’s a nice place to go for an interactive dinner. 

  1. Leo’s 

Leo’s is one of my favorite places because they have a lot of different options. Their cheese balls are probably the best appetizer you can get anywhere. They also are pretty fast and it is a good place to go for a quick lunch or dinner. All the staff is nice and the restaurant is also kid-friendly which is nice for families. Although it is mainly a wing place, I always get their chicken fingers. Also, many people go there to watch games because they have a lot of TVs.  

  1. Mon Cafe

I always go to Mon Cafe. Although it is a little expensive, they have the best food and is also a good place to go for a quick lunch or dinner. All of their chicken, shrimp, and steak are good. They also have great sushi and the best white sauce. They also have great reward opportunities such as $10 off for every $100 you spend (which adds up quickly.) You never get used to their food; I could eat it every day. It is mostly the same as Kobe, but they don’t cook in front of you. 

  1. Thai House 

Thai House has the best sushi in Sumter by far. I always get their Mama Roll because it has shrimp and crab in it, and most sushi places in Sumter don’t offer that. They have the nicest staff and are so accommodating to you. They close for about a month in February because they go to Korea which sucks. All of their food is made and served fresh.

How do I Leave High School?

By: Morgan Aycock

Although you may be thinking, “why is she talking about graduating high school when it’s the third semester of her junior year,” there is a simple answer to it: Everyone is talking about it. Growing up, I have always been a homebody. I’ve never wanted to go on any vacations besides the beach and truly don’t ever want to leave the state. Let’s just say I’m not a big traveler. And that is the reason I have come to ask myself: How do I leave this place? How am I about to graduate? I have kept mostly the same friend group my whole life. The whole junior grade is overall very tight-knit. So, how is it that we will all be going our separate ways? How is it that I am going from seeing my best friends everyday to maybe not seeing some of them ever again? I was always told that junior year is the most difficult and the most important. They are right. So much talk about college and careers makes me think: Wow I’m only sixteen and everyone is asking me what I want to do when I get older and what I want to major in college. Don’t get me wrong, I am so thankful for this school and all it has prepared me for, but can’t someone slow down time? There is so much overthinking and wondering about graduating. For me, my concern is how I am going to transition from a small town where everyone knows everyone to a huge college and a big city where I basically know no one. There are so many memories I will forever cherish over the last eleven years I have spent at Wilson Hall, so many friends and places. For example, I can remember the fifth grade Washington and sixth grade Kanuga trip like it was just yesterday. Now, we will be going back to Kanuga in a few short months as juniors. I am so thankful that the place and people I call home to me make it so hard to say goodbye to soon.

Top 5 Fast Food Places

By: Morgan Aycock

  1. Zaxby’s 

I could eat Zaxby’s everyday. I always get the big zax snack. Their fries are probably the best fries from any fast food place. Zax sauce is so good and goes perfectly with everything they have. They also have the best salad. They used to have raw fries which they should bring back because I remember always getting them when I was younger. 

  1. Chick-Fil-A

There isn’t anything bad from there. I like that they don’t only have chicken on the menu; they have a nice variety of different choices to choose from. They have healthier options like salads, wraps, and fruit. They probably have the best mac and cheese out of any fast food restaurant, and they have by far the best ranch. I also like their waffle fries because no other fast food place has those kinds of fries and it makes them unique. They have the best breakfast out of any other place, but my only complaint would be that it ends at 10:30 and not 11, because who wants to eat lunch at 10:31? They are overall the nicest fast food place and have good, Christian morals and values.

  1. Bojangles

Bojangles is at #3 because they don’t have a nice variety on the menu, but their food is good quality. Their Southern style chicken is one of my favorites. The seasoning is something that you will not find at any other fast food place. This really sets them apart from any other fast food place. Their breakfast is also very good; one of my favorites is the Cajun chicken biscuit. The biscuit is buttered perfectly, but also has a sweet taste, which makes it a good combination of sweet and salty. Their food is also very fresh and they have some of the best honey mustard that you can get out of anywhere.

  1. Cook out

Cook out has a great variety on their menu. They have from barbecue to burgers, so they have something for everyone. They also have some of the best milkshakes you can get anywhere. The portion sizes are very good and the meals fill you up. The prices are very affordable, and the portion sizes makes it a great deal. They also add a good Southern aspect to the menu from barbecue to hush puppies to banana pudding milkshakes. 

  1. Sonic 

Although sonic is not one of my favorites, they have a very good variety on the menu. They also offer slushies, which fast food restaurants often don’t have. Their drinks can be customized to anything you want added to them. The carhops are something that no other fast food place has and makes Sonic unlike any other place.

Gossip Girl Review

By: Morgan Aycock

Gossip Girl is a series streaming on Netflix, Hulu, Prime and many more. I recently started watching it because they added it to Netflix. I have only been watching it for a few weeks, and it is already my favorite show that I’ve watched in a while. It is the perfect show to watch because you feel like you are actually there and can escape reality. There are 6 seasons and I’m only on season 1, but there is always something going on. It is located in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, New York. Every episode features a fancy, rich party, usually leading into a scandal or fight between everyone. Although it seems like their rich lives are picture perfect, watchers quickly find out they are far from perfect. The actual Gossip Girl is a secret narrator and blogger that shares all the gossip by sending everyone text messages with gossip and pictures. The two main characters, Serena Van Der Woodsen and Blair Waldorf are complete opposite “best friends,” but have petty fights and rivalries all the time, causing their friend group to separate. Serena recently came back from boarding school when the series started because she got kicked out of boarding school for partying too much. Nate Archibald is Blair’s boyfriend, but secretly in love with Serena. Mostly everyone is from an extremely wealthy family, except Dan and Jenny Humphrey; Dan is Serena’s boyfriend. Serena and Dan’s parents had a secret love affair that no one knows about, but found out at the Thanksgiving table. Dan’s mom was present, which recently came back in town from “leaving for the summer,” but actually had an affair. Chuck Bass is another character, the richest of them all. He truly doesn’t care about anything except getting with girls and money. 

My Personal Top 5

By: Morgan Aycock

  1. Enewton 

Some people may have never heard of this brand, but it is a jewelry brand. I love their bracelets even though they’re kind of expensive, they never rust like any other bracelets do. They have  bracelets with crosses, pearls, and gold beads. I have gotten two necklaces from there and both of them have snapped in half but it doesn’t matter to me because I’m getting more for Christmas 

  1. Laura Park

This brand sells home decor, travel bags, and bedding. I have a spend the night duffle bag, blanket, cosmetic bag, and keychain from there. It is a little expensive but they have really cute prints.I get a lot of compliments on them every time people see them. 

  1. Free People

This is a clothing brand that is very popular with teenage girls. They are cheaper than Lululemon and cuter. Although it is a little expensive, They have cute designs that other athletic brands don’t have. My favorite clothing item from there is the “Get your flirt on shorts.” I like that their clothes are loose fitting and not tight because their outfits work for almost every scenario.

  1. La Roche Posay

This is a skincare brand. I use their face wash and moisturizer. It is one of the top Dermatologist recommended skin care lines. I’ve been using it for a couple years and it doesn’t break me out, and it’s not too expensive. It is actually a French brand so it doesn’t have any bad ingredients in it and is perfect for sensitive skin.

  1. Tyler candles

These candles smell heavenly. They also have other things such as car air fresheners, room spray, laundry detergent, and lotion. I use the air fresheners in my car, and I get a lot of compliments about the smell. I also have their candles and lotion, but my favorite scent is High Maintenance. It is the most popular scent, but all of their scents smell very good.

This week’s lineup of Crumbl Cookies are (October 28- November 2)

By: Morgan Aycock

  • Semi sweet chocolate chunk
  • Pumpkin cake
  • Dirt cake
  • Blue monster ft Chips Ahoy
  • Peanut butter ft Reese’s Pieces
  • Halloween cake batter blondie

My ratings are:

  1. Halloween cake batter blondie 

Crumbl Cookies’ description: A smooth cake batter cookie packed with white drops and a splash of spooky sprinkles 

Cake batter is one of my favorites, so I think this would be very good. It is also perfect for Halloween and I like how it has sprinkles inside of it. I would love to try this cookie. 

  1. Peanut butter ft Reese’s Pieces

Crumbl Cookies’ description: A thick peanut butter cookie packed with irresistible REESE’S PIECES candies. 

I think this cookie would be really good and I like Reese’s. I think adding candy to the cookies is a good idea because of Halloween. 

  1. Dirt cake

Crumbl Cookies’ description: A chocolate cookie coated in cookies & cream crumbs, swirled with fudge frosting, sprinkled with crunchy chocolate streusel, and finished with a gummy worm!

I like that they have fudge frosting and it resembles a dirt cake perfectly. 

  1. Blue monster ft Chips Ahoy

Crumbl Cookies’ description: A cookie popping with brown sugar, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and CHIPS AHOY!® Cookie Pieces, then topped with creamy blue vanilla frosting and a mini CHIPS AHOY!® Cookie.

I think this would be good but I don’t really like Chips Ahoy. I think it’s a good idea to add this in the menu. 

  1. Pumpkin cake 

Crumbl Cookies’ description: Two fluffy tiers of spiced pumpkin cake layered with smooth vanilla bean cream cheese frosting and topped with crumbled pumpkin cake pieces. 

I think the vanilla bean cream cheese frosting would be really good, but people that have tried it say that the pumpkin is spicy. 

  1. Semi sweet chocolate chunk

Nothing much to say about this one, it is good but I don’t like how they do this every week.

This week’s lineup of Crumbl Cookies are (October 14-19)

By: Morgan Aycock

My ratings are:

  1. Cookie dough

Crumbl Cookies’ description: A brown sugar cookie topped with creamy cookie dough buttercream and chunks of cookie dough pieces.

I have never tried this cookie, but I think it would be really good. I like that they added chunks of cookie dough pieces and chocolate chips on the top, but I think it would be better if the cookie was regular vanilla and not brown sugar, but I would have to try it to decide that. Most people that have tried this cookie say that it’s a 10/10, and I think I would like this one a lot.

  1. Double fudge brownie

Crumbl Cookies’ description: A decadent brownie loaded with semi-sweet chocolate chunks and creamy milk chocolate drops, topped with luscious fudge frosting.

I think this would be pretty good, but I think it would be better if it was served warm and not bakery temperature. I think the straight up chocolate could be a little overpowering, but overall, I think this one would be pretty good.

  1. Cornbread cookie

Crumbl Cookies’ description: A warm cornbread cookie smothered with honey butter glaze, then topped with a dollop of thick honey buttercream frosting and a drizzle of honey.

I have tried this cookie before when they had it on the 4th of July lineup, and it is very good. Most people that have tried this say it’s one of their favorites. I like that they added the honey drizzle to make it resemble a real piece of cornbread and it adds a sweet and salty taste. I also like that this one is served warm.

  1. Blueberry muffin

Crumbl Cookies’ description: A warm blueberry cookie smothered in a buttery cake glaze and topped with a delightful crunch of blueberry muffin streusel.

I think that the idea of this cookie is a good idea, but I don’t know if this one would taste very good. It doesn’t even look appealing on the website and I don’t think the glaze would be good.

  1. Peanut butter crisp ft Butterfinger

Crumbl Cookies’ description: A rich cookie bursting with creamy peanut butter, melted chocolate, and crunchy Butterfinger® pieces.

Although I don’t like that they always do peanut butter, I think adding the Butterfinger pieces to the top makes it a little better. I think it would be better if it didn’t have the peanut butter drizzle on the top, though and all the peanut butter flavors every week gets old. 

  1. Semi-sweet chocolate chunk

Crumbl Cookies’ description: Chocolate chip, but make it chunky—a delicious cookie filled with irresistible semi-sweet chocolate chunks and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.

This flavor is on the list almost every week, so I think it gets really old. If people want a chocolate chip cookie then they could buy a whole pack of them for the same price as one of these. It is overall not a bad cookie, but I think they should stop putting it on the lineup every week because people aren’t buying it as much because it is sold every week.

This Week’s Crumbl Cookie Breakdown

By: Morgan Aycock

My ratings are:

  1. Cookies and cream milkshake ft mini Oreo

Crumbl Cookies’ description: A chilly cookies & cream milkshake-inspired cookie bursting with OREO® cookie pieces from the base to the creamy vanilla buttercream, and finished with a MINI OREO® cookie.

I have tried this cookie and it is really good and chilled is my favorite. The cookie and the frosting both are cookies and cream flavor and it has pieces of Oreo in them. Cookies and cream is one of my favorite flavors so this is number one for me. 

  1. Brownie sundae

Crumbl Cookies’ description: A gooey brownie cradled by crisp chocolatey edges, topped with velvety vanilla mousse, smothered in warm fudge, and finished with rainbow sprinkles and a cherry on top.

I think it would be better if it was served warm and not at bakery temperature. I like the vanilla mousse on it and I think this is a good idea to have. 

  1. Pumpkin cake cookie

Crumbl Cookies’ description: A warm and fluffy pumpkin spiced cookie layered with cream cheese frosting and a sprinkle of semi-sweet chocolate chips.

I like how this is not too much pumpkin and I like the chocolate chips added on top. I also think it was a really good idea to add cream cheese frosting.

  1. Semi sweet chocolate chip

Crumbl Cookies’ description: Chocolate chip, but make it chunky—a delicious cookie filled with irresistible semi-sweet chocolate chunks and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.

This is served usually every week so I think it could get old for people to keep buying. I don’t think it’s a good idea for the sea salt to be there, but overall a pretty good cookie.

  1. Oatmeal chocolate chip

Crumbl Cookies’ description: A thick cinnamon oatmeal cookie filled with layers of melty milk chocolate chips.

I think they have too many cinnamon flavors. I like oatmeal cookies, but I don’t think they had to add cinnamon.

  1. Ultimate peanut butter

Crumbl Cookies’ description: A peanut butter cookie stuffed with peanut butter and topped with a drizzle of melted peanut butter.

Immediately no. Way too much peanut butter and it’s the only flavor that is in the cookie. I think without the peanut butter drizzle on top it could be good, but I think the flavor is way too overpowering.