The Unwritten Road

        I was trying to figure out what to write about today but I had no idea.

       As I look out my window I see nothing, I'm not kidding snow has covered my window. We are having a storm currently and expected to have over 50cm of snow today. Pretty much the entire city is shut down as the roads can't stay clear due to the snow and wind. The snow just makes me love and hate winter like most people. I love the look of snow but hate shoveling it. I love sliding, skating and snowshoeing but hate scaring ice off my car for 10 minutes.
      Whenever winter comes around all I think about is my childhood. I remember making a house in the snow because the drift on our lawn would just be perfect to make a sofa. Then we would make an army of snowmen to protect the house when we weren't outside. I remember going sliding down this hill by our house which is so fun to go down but then you realize you have to walk up the enormous hill. One year we had a tractor tire tube and my dad put spray 9 on it to make it do faster. We flew down the hill it was the fastest slide there. I had to go with my mom, dad or neighbour to go on the slide because I was to tiny that I would just fall though the hole in the middle.
    Now my winters are so different, I spend my time inside cuddled up in bed or on a sofa with a cup of tea binge watching a show. Or shovelling snow or scrapping ice off my car. Even now people who are young have different winter memories than I had because of all the technology. Its funny how much things changed in such a short amount of time. As much as winter can be annoying I LOVE the cozyness of it. My goal for this winter is to spend more time outside by going on walks, sliding or skating.

What are your memories of winter?

  I always take the month of January to get back on track. After taking down all the Christmas decorations I find that the house looks so bare. So what I like to do is go room for room in the house and give it a good deal clean, move around the furniture and wash down the walls. While doing this I like to gut out the house also, meaning donate the stuff I/we don't use. Since do this a few years ago I have come up with some great tips on how to keep things organized and how to start the new year on the right root.



1. Turn around the hangers in your closet.
      Yes at first I thought this was stupid also but it turns out this is the best of the lot. By turning around your hangers you will quickly learn which clothes you wear the most and what you don't wear. When the following year comes around it is very easy to see which clothes to donate as you haven't wore it in a year. Now there are some exceptions like special dresses. But this little hack is great when gutting out your closet.

2. When cleaning a bedroom always remove everything from the bed and make the bed it will make your room look tidier instantly.

3. Take it one room at a time
    By this I mean start and finish one room completely before starting a new one because it can get overwhelming really fast.

4. Use baskets
    When your cleaning there is always random little things that have no real place. So I use decorative baskets and put all the odds and ends in and put it on a bookshelf so it

5. Don't Get Overwhelmed
   This might seem like an odd tip but gutting out and deep cleaning a space can get quite overwhelming really fast. Thats why its best to take it slow. What I do is start in the morning and put on some upbeat music. Once I start cleaning I take it section for section for example I will take down the curtains and my bedding and throw that in the wash. Next i'd start with my nightstand, move it a vacuum under it then take everything out and give it a good clean, then go through the stuff and put everything back neatly. Once I've completed that I would move on to another piece of furniture. Its best to look at it per room then deep cleaning the entire house. Don't worry it does take time you won't get it done it one day. Some years its taken a week and others weeks just go at your own pace.

Hope you guys enjoy my tips for deep cleaning/ gutting out your room. If you have any tips you would like to share feel free to post a comment. Thanks.

   
 New Year, New Me!! thats what most people make for their new years resolution. Well its not my resolution, I decided to make actual achievable resolutions.  I find that when I made resolutions, I would never achieve them because they were unrealistic. This year I decided to make resolutions that I should incorporate into my lifestyle and something that I probably should of done years ago.

NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS 2017

1. Take care of my skin
       No more going to bed with makeup up and no more forgetting moisturizer

2. Don't waste money
       I found that I was wasting my money on pointless things that I never used. So for the next few months I'm going to try to save my money by doing a no spending challenge.

3. Eat more fruits and vegetables

4. Get on a sleep schedule
     I'm guilty for staying up until 3am watching netflix then having to get up at 7am. My goal is to go to bed around the same time everynight and wakeup about the same time, just to get myself into a schedule.

5. Use my planner more
    I normally only use my planner for writing down my hours for work but I would like to add things like blog posts, videos, cleaning schedule etc to keep myself organized and onto of things.

6. Floss more
     I know your suppose to floss your teeth every night, but honestly who does. Plus I have tight teeth which only makes it more of a chore (excuses i know). So I want to floss more.

7.  Be active
    I look back at myself 2 years ago and just think how much healthier I looked. I let myself slip and let my stress and life get in the way. I want to be like I was 2 years ago, healthier and being more confident.

8. Say YES
    I am someone who holds back a lot if its something new or going somewhere that I know nothing about. I find that I miss out on opportunities because I like my comfort zone. This year I want to say yes more and step out of my comfort zone.

Lets hope this year is a good one, and better than 2016. Here's the the 2017!!

I've been blogging now for a while and I noticed you know nothing about me, i've been getting some questions about myself. I thought I would do a little get to know me Q & A.

  Halloween is quickly approaching and I still don't know what to be yet. This costume is great if you are running out of time, or need a quick and easy costume. It took be a maximum of 5 minutes to make this costume from start to finish.

    Nights are coming quicker, air gets crisper and those flannel pjs are hauled out from the back of my closet. Crisp morning or nights wearing jeans, layers and riding boots as you watch the leaves turn amazing colours. This means one thing, FALL. Fall is my favourite time of year, if you were to look in my closet 90% of it is sweaters (I think I might have a sweater problem..lol). I'm definitely a list person, I LOVE to-do lists, so I thought why not do a bucket-list for fall. This will allow me to come up with things I want to do for the season and I can see what I have accomplished when fall is over.

 
     Makeup was a very foreign thing to be until about 7 years ago. I wasn't even really into it, until I started watching beauty youtube videos about 5 years ago. Makeup is a more popular thing in todays society, thinking back to school the first time I put makeup on was grade 12 and then I only put concealer on and maybe mascara. It is way more popular today, people as early as grade 5 are wearing makeup. I learned a fair share in the past 7 years about makeup and I thought I would share my makeup tips for beginners as I learnt the hard way.

1. Learn your Skin Type
   Learn about your skin, most people know if they are oily, normal or dry. A lot of people are a combination of 2. Learn which skin type you have as this will help you choose products which are suitable for your skin type.

2. Moisturize
      Moisturizing is very important, it keeps your skin hydrated. I NEVER moisturized my skin and I believe thats why my skin is the way it is. It is uneven and dry because I never looked after my skin. Having good skin and putting time and effort in is the foundation of having good makeup. If you have good skin, I find there is no need to hide it and a lot of people with good skin wear less makeup.

3. Match your makeup to your neck not your hand
      I was famous for matching my foundation to my hand and of course it never match my face but I thought that was normal its not. You want your foundation to match your skin tone, its best to match it with your neck so it will eliminate any foundation line from your face to your neck.


4. There is no need to go all out
     For a beginner it can be quite easy to get lost in the world of makeup and want everything in site but the truth is half of it won't work for you. Your best bet is to stick to the basics (neutrals) in order to learn what you like so you can experiment once you get comfortable.

5. Brown Eyeliner
     I find that brown eyeliner is less harsh than black, therefore it is easier to practise the technique and different tips and tricks with a more natural liner. Plus easier to hide your mistakes.

College/University is a time that you grow and go through so many different life experiences. Most people say that they are the best years of your life. Well I learned a lot from University if anything I find that I held back a lot. Now I went to a University in the city that I grew up in and thats what a lot of people do here. So I was able to live with my parents throughout University which saved a lot of money. Now this had its pros and cons, and I find that since I lived at home I missed out on some experiences.
  After completing my degree I realized that there was things that I wish I did while I was in University, my main overall thing I learnt was to say YES more and to step outside your comfort zone.

Things I wish I had done in University

1. Make friends in my classes

     This can be quite tough as for most of my classes for my first 2 years I knew people in my classes so I didn't find the need to make friends. Then I found out one of my friends was doing the same program as me. I did make friends in my classes but it wasn't until it was almost to late, I meet most of my friends in my last year/ last semester. Once I started to get to know them I graduated and lost contact except for one. Most of the friends that I made were in my classes as early as my second year but I didn't take the time to make friends as I already knew people in my classes. I wish I took the time to make friends early in my university degree.
   In most universities everyone is in the same boat where know one knows anyone, so it can be easier to make friends if you put the effort in. It's just every University/ College is different, same goes for the individual.

2. Go out and party

     If you asked my friends they might say I'm a bit of a hobbit. This means that on any day i'd rather spend time at home in my pjs curled up watching Netflix. Well if I had my time back I wish I took the plunge and went to parties. I just didn't like the thought of going to some randoms house, getting wasted and forgetting what I did. Partying has never been my thing, I could count on 1 hand how many parties I've been to and how many times I have had a drink. Even when I turned 19, which is the legal drinking age I didn't go get drunk or party. Im not saying I wish i got drunk more, I just wish that when I was offered to go to a party that I would of said yes and not come up with a lame excuse.

3. Work in my field

    By working in my field I mean that I got a job of volunteered in something that was associated with my degree. When I graduated I had no experience in my degree. I did work through University, which to me was good because a lot of people don't, but having experience in your field looks great on a resume when you go looking for a job.

4. Get to know your professors
 
   The thought of going to a professors office hours terrified me. I was terrified to go speak to a teacher if I was having trouble because I thought that they would think I was stupid. Well I was wrong, they are there to help you. I learnt this in my last 1 1/2 at Uni as I started to get the same professors for different classes and they got to know you. When a prof gets to know you, and knows that you work hard and are putting in the effort can go a long way. They will take the time to help you and sometimes it can even help your grades. Knowing a prof can be the difference between a pass or fail or an B and an A.

5. Study Wisely

   The thought of studying now is enough to make me sick, but trust me studying wisely is very important. I'm not gonna lie I was definitely a crammer, the night before a big test I would haul out my text book and notes for the first time all semester. This is not a good thing, it took time but I didn't learn. My last semester I was still all cramming, I have learned from this mistake but it is a little to late. By studying wisely I mean that after class take the time to look at your notes, if they are messy rewrite them, if its a power point printed add in extra bits so its not general. Read your textbook, add in notes from your textbook to your notes and mark important pages. Before a test/ exam take the time to combine all your notes so its all compact in 1 place, so you don't get lost trying to flick through 7 different things. If you have a lot of definitions use cue cards. This is what I have learnt but you might be a different type of learner than me, but the most important thing is to learn what works best for you.

6. Study Abroad

   If you are given the chance or are able to study abroad I would recommend. I had the chance to but declined the offer. With my University there are 3 campuses, 2 in the province I live in and 1 in England. Normally once every 2 years there are courses that you can take over the summer in England that go towards your degree. You can also take courses that transfer to your degree. Some of my friends studied abroad and loved it, it gave them so many life experiences and they were able to experience different cultures and travel the world. I do wish I took the opportunity to study abroad.

Does anyone have a life plan anymore? or is this even a thing?

Well I was one of those people that had the now cringe worthy life plans. Looking back at it now it was totally unrealistic but hey just 5 years ago this plan totally seemed achievable.
What was my life plan you ask?

       My plan was that right out of University I would find my dream job, I would work Mon-Fri and my weekends free. I would be in a serious relationship by 20 and get married by 25 and have kids within a few years.

Well guess what i'm almost 25 and none of those things are true. I have been out of University for over a year now and i'm still working the job I had while in University. I am in no serious relationship, well in matter of a fact never really been in one. So there is no chance of marriage any time soon and I can't imagine have kids yet at this stage of my life.

Its funny to think that 5 years ago this was my plan and when I look at that plan now I just laugh. How could I have scheduled parts of my life that are just suppose to happen. I can't plan when i'm gonna fall in love its just something that will hopefully happen. What I have learned is that if I want a plan, make it achievable.



I still think making a life plan is a good idea but centre around things like:
How do you want to be remembered?
What is important to you?
What do you want to accomplish?
What makes you happy?

My new life plan is I guess more of a goal to be happy and to live everyday to its fullest. Keep volunteering, as it puts a smile on my face and I enjoy it. Help out when you can and to not sweat the small stuff. A job will come my way it just takes time and everyone grows up at a different rate so don't sweat the small stuff. Most importantly ENJOY your time with your FRIENDS AND FAMILY.

Hard to believe that people are back at school already, its crazy. Well if you still don't have your school supplies or want to reuse your old school supplies I got the perfect DIY. These DIY's are very easy, quick and extremely affordable.


      These are great for personalizing your binders. The best thing with this DIY is you can do what you want you can make a college, personalize it with the subject or just have a cute background. To make these covers I used a free computer program called canva. This program is extremely easy to use, I choose my own dimensions of 8.5x11 so its the size of computer paper that will fit in a binder.
     What I did was find a cute tumblr background and saved it to my computer. Then went to the uploads section on the left hang side and dragged it onto the paper. After that I went to the text section and chose a text I liked. This computer program is awesome, you can use it for more than this is has sections for Facebook posts, Facebook headers, social media posts etc. Once I got the design to my liking I printed it off and slide it into the clear sleeve on my binder.

 

  Hard to believe that the back to school season is starting, I know this post might be a bit early for some but I know some people go back to school in August. I thought I'd share and give everyone the equal opportunity to try these.
   I did 3 different notebooks and all 3 are very easy to make and are great if you want unique school supplies. The 3 notebooks I made were flash tattoo notebook, embroidered notebook and 2 toned notebook.

   Summer is the time of year where what some people would say I get lazy. I'm not lazy its just I don't wear as much makeup or even wear as often as I do throughout the year. I also find that I don't put as much heat on my hair and my go to outfits is a plain t-shirt and jeans or jean shorts with a pair of sunnies. What I like to do is add a little bit of color with my sneakers. I started seeing people wearing white canvas sneakers, I didn't want to be just like everyone else so I decided to combine 2 trends together. I decided to combine canvas shoes and ombre together and came up with my ombre sneakers. They are so easy to make and quite cheap. I'm not gonna lie I haven't taken them off my feet since making them.




- white canvas shoes (got mine at walmart $7)
- tie dye
- rubber gloves
- bucket
- water


    Firstly you need to remove the laces for the canvas shoes. Next you want to fill your bucket with water and submerge the shoes in the water for until they are wet.


    Prepare your die by following the directions on the package. Next submerge your shoes in the die, put the entire shoes in and leave it for about a min. Then take the shoe half way out and keep that in the die, then do the same thing for the tip of the shoe. This is make the ombre effect and the shoe will be lighter  at the heal and darker as you get to the tip. Remember it dries lighter than what it appears.