Currently in November

27 November 2015

currently

Currently in November

READING... #girlboss (finally!!)

PLAYING... with lovely Ms. Penelope

WATCHING... youtube at the moment, like old videos uploaded from some of my favourite youtubers ha

TRYING... to finish this post so I can sleep 

COOKING... Marconi pie YUMMY.

EATING... macaroni :):):):):):):)

DRINKING... Water, water, and more water!

CALLING... no one at the moment!

TEXTING...  my cousins group on whataspp. HAHA, currently sharing sales we are excited about for Black Friday and the weekend!

TWEETING... nothing lately... I should get on top of that! 

GOING... to work in the morning, and rest of the weekend

LOVING... life!

HATING... all the essays I've been swamped with

DISCOVERING... Miranda Sings.. I'm obsessed

THINKING... about exams!

FEELING... exhausted!

HOPING (for)... an easier path.

LISTENING (to)... Made in the A.M. album from One Direction 

CELEBRATING... uh.. nothing right now

SMELLING... my vanilla scented candle, mmmm

ORDERING...  From Kate Spade! 

THANKING... God, for everything. 

CONSIDERING... my future.

STARTING... To fall asleep

FINISHING... My essays in order to start studying for exams!

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Kate Spade SURPRISE Sale!

24 November 2015

kate spade

Kate Spade SURPRISE Sale!

KATE SPADE SUPRISE SALE

Hey guys!  The last time I spoke about my most recent Kate Spade purchase, a lot of you were stunned and amazed at how much I spent on my actual purchase! (Read the post HERE) And, surprisingly, I had no idea that there were a lot of you who were unaware about the amazing deals Kate Spade has during their surprise sale!

So, I thought this would be a great time to tell you that Kate Spade is having another Surprise Sale! No, really, they are, and it is just before Black Friday/Cyber Monday. So, you can easily skip the long line ups at the stores on those days, and actually sit at the comfort of you bed and purchase items that are up to 75% off! 

These are the few items I'm eyeing for either myself, or as a Christmas gift for my mom and sister:

Wallets:

Penn Valley Need // Berkeley Lane Neda 

• Penn Valley Need $158.00 $49.00
• Berkeley Lane Neda $198.00 $79.00

Handbags: 

Southport Avenue Small Jenny // Newbury Lane Cassie

• Southport Avenue Small Jenny $348.00 $129.00
• Newbury Lane Cassie $398.00 $99.00

Jewelry:

Skinny Mini Pave Bow Bangle // Lucky Streak Dice Bangle

• Skinny Mini Pave Bow Bangle $88.00 $29.00
• Lucky Streak Dice Bangle $78.00 $29.00

For the simple of ease, sign into the sale with the email you use all the time. That is the email they will use to notify you of future sales the they may have! 

Have you checked out the sale yet? What are some of your favourites?

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Past and Current Aspirations

lifestyle

Past and Current Aspirations

When I was 5 years old, I wanted to be a doctor. In fact, it was the only option I knew that was available to me. Yes... growing up, I had those parents who told I had to become a doctor. Looking back, it was bitter sweet - I was motivated enough to get the grades I needed for school, but... I was also more and more confused when subjects began to get hard, and I was questioning about my path to becoming a doctor.

But, at the age of 5, I though being a doctor was the greatest job ever! And, I have to thank my paediatrician for that. I had such a great experience with doctors because of that amazing man. He made it fun to go to the doctor. And, as much as I hated needles (still kind of do), he did an amazing job distracting me for the 10 seconds of the needle. So, I wanted to be like him. I wanted to do what he did... and I wanted to just have fun with other children while helping them.

However, when I got to high school, and started taking the science courses like biology and chemistry, reality started to set in. My memorization skills in biology was not up to par, and my application skills in chemistry, was literally non-existent. Trust me, I am not exaggerating... chemistry was a nightmare for me, and I realized that it would only get harder in my pathway to become a doctor.

And, thats when my life started to get confusing. But, I mean, that's the process right?

Now, I'm currently in my fourth year of university.  I am doing a double major in psychology and anthropology. I always had a love for psychology; but, because of the different courses I took, I think I love child psychology, but more importantly childhood disorders. I honestly the different disorders interesting, especially their onsets and treatment. Something I am definitely considering in specializing when I apply for grad school.

So, thats the plan! Applying for grad school for clinical psychology after university, and hopefully fulfilling my dream to work with children! But, if grad school doesn't work out (knock on wood), I'll also be applying for nursing. So, if that pathway happens for me, I'll definitely specialize in peds.

Can't you tell I want to have a medical career with children :)

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My Favourite Hair Product

23 November 2015

beauty

My Favourite Hair Product

"How do you get and keep your hair so long?"

"How do you keep your hair so healthy!"

"What hair products do you use!"

These are just the few of the many questions I usually hear on the regular whenever someone see's my hair.  To me, it is normal and I am quite used to it by now! It might be because I love when others fondle over my hair. I truly feel like my hair is a part of me, and is literally part of my identity, so it definitely boosts my self-esteem whenever people compliment it! Is that bad to admit? aha 

Anyways, I decided to share with you my sole-called "secret" hair product I use in my hair. And, I use secret in quotation marks, because most people don't seem to know much about this particular product. In fact, I did not know about it until I one day found it at Winners #winnersfabfinds! 

DRUM ROLL....

My secret is... Coconut Oil! 

More specifically, when it comes to washing my hair, I use the Coconut Oil Natural Oliology Beauty Oils. The benefits are surreal; and the best part of this product is that it is already listed on the package for your convenience. Still not convinced? You can easily google it, and there will be lots of links showing you the benefits of coconut oil! (1, 2, 3, 4, 5).

Or, you can easily try it out yourself, like I have. And, from personal experience, I wouldn't recommend anything else for the hair! Especially since I dyed my hair red just last week (read about that HERE), it is definitely important to keep your hair as healthy and hydrated as possible. So, I'm sticking with coconut oil! 

Like I said at the beginning of this post, I found both the shampoo and conditioner at Winners. If your an American, you can find these products at a TJX location, like Marshals. I bought mine for $24.99 CAD. According to online, it is much more expensive... For example, amazon is selling for $133.40 CAD + shipping. So, I definitely would search around before opting to buying online! 

Well, there you go! My "secret" favourite hair product! 

Have you used coconut oil before? What's your favourite hair product!

Disclaimer: I am not a hair specialist, this may not work for everyone, especially since everyone has different types of hair! I am simply sharing a product I've come to love. This is also a good time to mention that this is not a sponsored post. 

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I Dyed My Hair RED!

20 November 2015

beauty

I Dyed My Hair RED!

Do you notice anything different? I think the title of the post pretty much gives it away, and I'm pretty sure the picture above is strikingly different.. But, I'll still tell you because this is such an exciting change. 

I DYED MY HAIR RED! 

I turned 21 yesterday, and I wanted a change. Starting out my 21st year of life with a BAM, and with a new attitude. And, because I always get that my hair is one of my defining features of who I am, I knew that wth a change in my hair, I can have a new fresh outlook on life. 

Wanna know how I did it? Don't worry, I was already planning on letting you know what I did to get this look! 

FIRST OFF: You need to have a colour in mind. I chose red, but I didn't want a red that would make me look like a clown, I wanted to go for a dark wine kind of red. And, thanks to Youtube videos, I found the colour I wanted.... MAGENTA RED. From there, I bought everything I needed all from Sally Beauty. 

ITEMS BOUGHT: 

• L'Oreal Excellence HiColor Red HiLights - MAGNETA colour  (3 boxes)
• L'Oreal Oreor 30 Volume Creme Developer  (1 bottle is enough)
• Sally Beauty Card (OPTIONAL - bought it for a discount on items!)

There are no directions provided in the boxes, as the boxes are meant for highlighting, the reason why I bought 3 boxes in order to colour my entire head of hair. The rest is really simple. You empty out the dye into a bowl, and with a 1:2 ratio, you fill up the bowl is twice the amount developer. You simply mix all the dye until it is not chunky, and then you proceed to apply the colour on your hair.  And left it in my hair for 30 minutes, and proceeded it to wash out the dye with (somewhat) cold water. 

TA-DA! There you have it. It's actually not that hard. But, if you didn't like my brief description, heres a youtube from SAMANTHA who did a great review and tutorial! 

 

The weird thing about dying your hair is that is is a different colour in different lightenings! One minute my hair looks like it has ombre, another light it looks like I have purple hair, and in another light it looks like blood red. I like it thought, it is always a surprise!

Hopefully this is a great new change of attitude for me! 

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21 Things I Miss About Being a Kid!

19 November 2015

lifestyle

21 Things I Miss About Being a Kid!

SO, GUESS WHAT!? Today, is my birthday! And, today I am "celebrating" my 21st birthday! Haha, I feel like I should be more excited about turning/being 21, but I just can't help all the stress that is about to come with being an "adult" and all the things I will be expected to do in the near future. So, I don't really know if I am really happy to turn 21, or I am just sad to be another year older.

Lol, regardless, I thought it would be fun to try to list 21 things I miss about being a kid, in honour of starting out my adult ways of life. Ahah, here we go! 

1. NOT STUDYING (although I found spelling tests to be hard in elementary school)
2. MONKEY BARS! I used to be soo good at this, then, all of a sudden I either lost all my upper body strength, or I got too heavy to lift myself. Regardless, I miss this!
3. BEING FEARLESS. 
4. SEEING MY SISTER EVERYDAY However, don't tell her I said this..
5. PLAYING SPORTS. Oh, I actually miss being on a school team and just playing volleyball.
6. NOT GOING TO WORK But received money from the parents haha.
7. PRESENTS. Haha, I really don't get much of them now, its either I buy stuff on my own, or I don't.
8. SLEEPING EARLY (and for long hours without a hard time)
9.  RECESS. I found it so fun to run around so freely in the playground with a bunch of my friends !
10. VACATIONS. I did travel a lot when I was a kid. I don't travel as often.. too busy. I would love to drop the books and hit a new place every so often!
11. BEING HAPPY Like genuinely, happy.
12 .HAVING NO PAIN TOLERANCE I was able to do anything without any fear of getting hurt... now, thats all I think about.
13.  NOT PAYING FOR BILLS.
14. Not having a cell phone (this coincides with #13)
15.  BEING CAREFREE.
16. PAYING TAG - Who knew running around so freely and with so much excitement was actually a great form of exercise?
17. SPENDING TIME WITH MY GRANDMA
18. NAPS.
19. NO RESPONSIBILITIES.
20. WHEN BOYS HAD COOTIES. 
21. LOOKING FORWARD TO THE FUTURE

With all that being said, I guess I am just reluctant to admit that I am an "adult". But, don't get me wrong, being an adult definitely has its perks! 

What do you miss from your childhood? 

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I Got A Tattoo!

13 November 2015

I Got A Tattoo!

I've been neglecting my blog lately. It's either I come out of no where and publish posts for 5 days straight, or I post once feel like it is sufficient enough for the rest of the week. Personally, I don't like knowing that I didn't publish something meaningful for the day. My day just doesn't feel complete. But, as you could imagine, life is getting in the way, and I am determined to not let it completely stop me from blogging. I love it way too much.

But, luckily for you, I found this (really) OLD post hidden in my drafts. Not sure why I never uploaded it back in September, but I guess, now it is a great time to just publish it for you guys now!

So yea... this is a really late post. SORRY ABOUT THAT :)

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To celebrate the sad ending of my summer, the cousin, sister and I decided to hang out downtown and just walk, talk, eat, shop, and everything in between. And, feeling adventurous, I decided right then and there, I wanted to get a tattoo. Not a big tattoo, or anything, I think that would be too much of a commitment. I just wanted something small, and positive, and cute, and something I know I won't regret later on.

So.... I just got a simple outline of a heart on my left wrist. And, I was actually so surprised at how much it didn't hurt, and how much I did not regret it. It was a great experience, and something I do look forward to in the future, when I of course save more money. Who knew even a small tattoo like mine would cost $80 CAD + tax. I didn't. But, that didn't stop me from getting it! And, it also didn't stop my cousin from getting her belly pierced aha!

And, for your entertainment, I decided to share the bits of videos and pictures I took that day and shared on snapchat. P.S. definitely add me on my personal snapchat - oulalanessaa!

Tattoo Snapchat from I Write About You on Vimeo.

Do you have any tattoos? Big or small? What are your favourites?

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Currently Obsessed: Stocard App

09 November 2015

Currently Obsessed: Stocard App

I don't know how I completely missed this app. It was right in front of me for how long, and I choose NOW to download it and enjoy the benefits? I know, I am completely late. But, I cannot be the only one. So, just in case there are others out there living under a rock (no offence Patrick!) I decided to make a post on my latest app-session! (see what I did there?) 

Anyways, during one of my days offs last week, I decided to catch up on readings a few of my favourite blogs, and found myself on my Cris's blog, who happened to write a blog post about The Best Mobile Apps for Shopping. I was curious to see how she constantly finds the best sales, and then she wrote about the Stocard App. 

Stocard App

Have you ever had those days where you go to a store, and realized, "hey, I can literally save 10% off today with my store membership!" Then, when your about to pay, you realize you left your store card membership in a different wallet? Well, that happens to me like EVERY TIME. And, thats mostly because I literally have 3 different go-to wallets I like to you. And, the only think transfer between wallets is my health card, and drivers licence (and of course my debit). Other than that, I honestly convince myself I wouldn't need anything else. Which is clearly not the case most of the time. 

So what's this app about? 

It is literally an mobile way of carrying ALL of you store membership cards! And, if you don't think this is exciting, think of it like this. We live in a time and place where we cannot go anywhere without our phones. By having all of our store membership cards on our mobile devices, you won't ever have to worry about leaving a card in a different wallet or purse. It is right there, at the convenience of your phone! You just have to make sure you don't lose your phone before purchasing aha. 

The app is actually very easy and simple to use! You can easily add a card to the app by either finding  the store on a list provided, or you can easily type it in yourself. Then, you scan the store card bar code, and TA-DA, you have a virtual copy of your loyalty card/points card right on your phone. 

And, even more fancy, if you tend to keep your location on, there is an option available for the app to remind you to use the loyalty card whenever you walk into that particular store. If you think technology hasn't advanced, then I don't know what to tell you. But, you should defiantly think about adding this app to your phone. SAVING SO MUCH SPACE IN YOUR WALLET is a benefit in itself! 

What are your thoughts on this app?? 

P.S. This is not a sponsored post. I am genuinely excited about this FREE app that you should be downloading today. 

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Shopping Online: The Body Shop

06 November 2015

beauty

Shopping Online: The Body Shop

Happy Friday, friends! Today's post is going to get straight to the point, especially since it is a gloomy Friday. Don't really want to keep anyone away from making a nice bowl of popcorn and watching some Netflix! I know I will (except for the popcorn part! aha).

Anyways, the other day I made another purchase online, and this time it was from The Body Shop. Nowadays, with almost everyone's favourite cosmetic brands easily testing on animals, one of the main reasons I love shopping at this store is because they DO NOT TEST ON ANIMALS  as certified by Cruelty Free International. With Penelope (my bunny) in my life, I'm slowly become more and more conscious on what I put on my face. Especially eye products, I think its so unfair the way they treat bunnies :(

This time around, I decided to stick to the essentials (instead of buying something for the blog). Common, let's be real. Sometimes we have those tendencies to buy something just to blog about something in a later date. But, like i said, with the deal I was faced with, I decided to stick to what I really needed, and this involved VITAMIN E products for my body and face. 

The store and online store promotion they were having that week of my purchase was BUY 3 get 3 FREE. I mean, I could have easily gone to the store and purchased it there, but during the last 24 hours of this promotion sale, they offered FREE SHIPPING. Soo, I ultimately decided to be lazy and save a trip to the mall! 

Items Purchased:

1. Vitamin E Illuminating Moisture Cream (regular: $20.00)
2. Vitamin E Body Butter (regular: $20.00)

And, as you could see the statement that was emailed to me, I SAVED a lot. Don't believe me? Just check it out below! 

So, I decided to calculate. By the look of my purchase confirmation (photo above) I literally got 6 items for the value of 3! Let's take a look at it this way:

Original Price: $120.00 (before taxes w/o shipping)

Total Spend: $60.00 (before taxes w/o shipping)

Total SAVINGS: $60.00!

ONLINE SHOPPING TIP:

I know at times emails can be seriously annoying, but I really find that if you take the time to read each email through, you will be surprised at the AMAZING details a store is either having online or in stores, or even both! So, definitely take the time to check those out, especially with The Body Shop. I always find them having amazing deals to look forward to every week!

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Confession: I'm Afraid of the Dentist

05 November 2015

Confessions

Confession: I'm Afraid of the Dentist

This was the LAST time I was at the dentist.. look how happy I looked! 

Confession time. I'm afraid of the dentist. 

And, when I say I'm afraid, I literally mean that I am tearfully afraid to go to the dentist. Want to know the weird part? This is something I recently developed... like months ago developed. I know, crazy right? How could someone go to the dentist for 20 years, and THEN all of a sudden become afraid?

Well, it happened to me. Not, a fun experience. And, lucky for you... I'm going to tell you why and how this happened.

It all started last December when I went in to get my wisdom teeth removed. From my sister, I thought it would be an easy experience, especially knowing they would freeze the crap out of my gums so I wouldn't feel anything. And, from my sister's reencounter of her wisdom teeth removal, it actually didn't too long. So, like in the photo above BEFORE I went in, I was actually excited and happy for the removal of my wisdom teeth. 

Funny thing is, I actually only have 3 wisdom teeth; so, I thought the entire process wouldn't take too long. But, it was a STRUGGLE for the dentist to remove just the ONE from my right bottom mandible. THANKFULLY, I didn't feel no pain from all the cutting and whatever they do. But, I did feel sensitivity in the tooth they were working on.. I really didn't like feeling that at all. 

I did, however, feel the PRESSURE the dentist use when she put her hand atop of my bottom row of teeth, to much my jaw down in order to pull out my tooth. Like what? The dentist was telling me that the root of my tooth had a hook, so it would be harder to remove. OKAY.. I thought, and really didn't say much. I kept feeling the pressure, and I also began to feel the FORCE she used with her little tools to pull out this tooth. I began to start tearing up because I just really didn't understand why she couldn't saw the tooth in half like another dentist did for my sister... 

She saw me crying and gave me another needle to freeze the feelings on my gums. I started to hear her tell the receptionist to call her husband to come in. After 10 minutes (it felt longer lto be honest) of her force and me just crying and making painful noises, her husband comes and understand the hook on my tooth... He actually used a different method of taking the tooth out, and within 30 seconds, the entire thing was done. FINALLY. 

I looked at the tooth, and no wonder this lady couldn't take it out.. the hook was a BIG hook, and she was pulling in the wrong direction. And, she did explain to me that she wanted to preserve the shape of it and not saw it in half... LIKE WHAT? She wanted to continue to take the other 2 out, and I yelled out no. I just wanted to go home and get out of there as soon as possible. 

I cried like a baby. The entire thing just bothered me... And, ever since, the thought of me going to the dentist frightens me. 

So... today, I am going back to the dentist. The last time I went was in December, and that was a miserable experience. Hopefully, today would be better, especially since I will be put to sleep with anesthesia. Wish me luck... 

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Week 2 of Dieting (A Recap)

03 November 2015

Diet

Week 2 of Dieting (A Recap)

TWO WEEKS has past. And, truthfully, this week has been A LOT easier than last week. I didn't have the desiring craving for chips or chocolate. When I thought about it, I didn't feel sad for not being able to eat it. So, I say this week has been a success!

I didn't make a collage of all the foods I ate nor did I really document it. I'm not sure why exactly. I think it was mainly because of all the midterms and essays and jury duty I had to endure during the past week. And, I guess it is safe to say that I was just stressed out and really didn't find the time to write down every little thing I ate.

But, when it came to eating out, or buying food, I found myself for cautious and really happy with the selections I chose. There were times were I found myself opting out the rice for a salad, or just choosing to eat something healthier than easy-to-buy fast foods.

Also, going 10 days without coffee has been the greatest experience. I did, however, bought myself a coffee last week after having 4-5 hours of sleep. I found my heart was beating SO much faster than it normally would when I used to drink coffee like water. And, I found myself MORE tired. So, I think I'm going to stick to my ways of drinking water instead of coffee!

Overall, week 2 has been a success. I'm not even worrying about weight loss. This entire challenge is devoted to changing the way I eat, and making healthier choices! 

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November Goals

02 November 2015

goals

November Goals

November already? Where have the days gone? I cannot believe how fast October went. I really need to live every moment and enjoy the days.... 

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This Month's Wishes
1.  DON'T TOUCH THE CREDIT CARD! I'm going to try this one again this month. Not touch my credit card. If I want to buy anything - it will be in cash. I don't want to live a life paying off my credit card. I just want to be able to buy what I can, without any worries. I think this is fair goal.
2. Research. Applications for grad school, and second entry programs will soon open up. I need to sit down, get my life together, and figure out where I am applying, and for what program. Lately, I've been thinking about leaving home this time around, a different city? a different province? maybe even a different country? I'm thinking about expanding.
3. Health and Fitness. This month I am going to continue to watch what I eat! and this month, I want to put more of an emphasis on exercising - whether it would be walking more or hitting the gym. 
4. Be more productive with school work.  For the first 2 months of November, I literally have no tests to study for, or papers that are due. However, with that being said, on the third week of November, I am hit with 2 papers due on the same day, and a test on the next. So, the plan is to be productive and START (and even finish) the 2 papers ahead of time, so I have time for more editing and more studying.  
5. Blog consistently. This month, I would like to blog at least 3 times a week. I think this is the best to consistently keep up with my blog, and school work at the same time. Blogging consistently also involves planning - whether that would be writing a list of what I want to blog about, and on what days, or literally write my posts ahead of time. 
6. BE happy!  This is my birthday month... I am soon turning 21. I am both excited and scared. This month, not only do I want to live in the moment of everyday, but I want this month to be fully of happy memories. So, that means being happy everything, through my positive thoughts. So let the happy month begin!  
What are your goals for November?  

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