Trying out The Eightfold Path | Basically Nonsense

|Enlightenment|

Yesterday's blog was pretty much crap and I think it was because I had nothing to talk about. Now I think I have found something a little more interesting to publish. ( At least to me)

So in my first period history class we are learning about Buddhism. Now, I have always had this strong interest in the whole Buddhist religion, which is kind of ironic I guess being that I'm like the most negative person I know. Maybe it'd because I truly want to be able to be so happy and calm. So nice and accepting toward people. I guess that's why they call it journey. 

I don't know why it made me think so much throughout the day but something, whether it be what my teacher said or what I read in the text book, hit me.

I've realized that it would be completely idiotic to say "whelp I'm a Buddhist now. Let me give up everything and stop killing mosquitoes because I'm enlightened". I simply just think I want to work everyday to get a little bit closer to the this great nirvana they speak of. I want to be truly happy, and from what I've seen, these people are.

I think I want to start by taking a good look at the 4 noble truths and the eightfold path. It's a starting point and I feel like it's the part that needs to be most understood to find this "happiness".

The Four Noble Truths
1. Ordinary life brings about suffering.
2. The origin of suffering is desire.
3. The way to end suffering is to end desire.
4. Overcoming desires is to follow the eightfold Path.

In a nutshell, what I feel like this is saying is that the misery and suffering that you get from everyday life is brought on by the desire for more things, whether they be materialistic or otherwise. You have to stop worrying about all the things you want and "need" and be happy for what you have received in life and what you can give to other people.

Now the fourth noble truth has a little extra to it and it is the part I really want to instill in myself daily.

The Eightfold Path

1. Right View (Understanding) - See the world as it really is.
2. Right Intention - Decide what you really want.
3. Right Speech - Communicate thoughtfully.
4. Right Action - Take the ethical approach.
5. Right Livelihood - Respect all life.
6. Right Effort - A positive attitude.
7. Right Mindfulness - Being aware of the moment
8. Right Concentration - Uncluttered feelings of calm and peace.

Maybe I'll follow through and in the process become a happier, nicer person. Or maybe I'll just end it like the other things I try but I'm sure it will be worth the shot.

- Until Next Time, XO

"If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change." 

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Putting the "Pro" Into Procrastination | Basically Nonsense

| Useless Good Intentions|

  Let's just start with the fact that this blog was supposed to be posted 3 days ago and I'm just getting to it now. Although, that was more because I had nothing to talk about not as much my never finished projects.I honestly don't know what it is. It's like I go into things with the best intentions of doing all kinds of stuff and I just NEVER do it.

 

My main issue is school. It's like from about 1st to 3rd period I have all of these plans to organize and do extra work and then I get home and I just.... Netflix. Like for example, My World History class is very lecture notes based so we take notes everyday. Now while I do take the notes everyday they are always so messy. I mean it's the morning, my hand aren't up yet. So everyday I tell myself " I'm going to go home and re-copy all of these notes and have nice clean notes" But instead I just stare at my bag wondering how I can do the least amount of work and not fail school. Maybe I'm just worn out. I think school should end at like 11, then I would still have the energy and motivation to do these things!

It's not just school though. There are so many things I have to do. Like I always want to come home and Blog, or Draw, or even read a book but it's like I have no energy for any of it...

This blog is going to be kind of short and not very interesting because well, I waited so long to write it but next week will be better.... I have big plans. Plans I intend to follow through with this time!

  -Until Next Time, XO

" I myself am entirely made of flaws, stitched together with good intentions."

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My Anit-Bucket List| Basically nonsense

|Things I Never Dream Of|

 The whole idea of a Bucket List has been going around and popular for a number of years now, and I totally get it. I mean a list of things you plan to accomplish before you " kick the bucket" to say the least seems like such a nice thing. It gives you this sense of purpose. 

 Like most people I have a bucket list that is approximately 3 miles long if you combine a few things. It ranges from simple things like "Read my favorite book while I watch the sunset" to things that take a little more effort like, "Drink Tea in a minimum of 10 different countries" that one is going to be a little more tricky but the point is, I have all of these things written down (mentally, of course, killing 800 trees isn't on the list. But sitting here thinking about all of the things I want to do I came to realize, there are a lot of things I personally never want to be apart of. 

So I figured I'd write a few of the things on my anti-bucket list and give some reasons why I don't want to ever be involved in them...

1. Go on a cruise. I know, I know. "oh my god but it's so nice blah blah blah!" No. I'm sorry but I have 0 interest in being trapped in the middle of the ocean with a bunch of strangers. That's not a Vacation; sounds more like purgatory to me.

2. I absolutely, with no fiber of my being, find it at all appealing to EVER kiss someone in the rain. forget the fact that there is a risk of catching a cold or, I don't know GETTING STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. let's focus more one the fact that in no way will any normal human look like Rachel Mcadams in the notebook. Everyone knows makeup doesn't hold up well in rain and no ones hair looks nice after it's been poured one. Just saying.

3. Personally, I have no desire to ever own dog. I don't know why, I mean I don't mind dogs, but they are just not my cup of tea. And... they kind of smell like old garbage so I'll pass.

4. When I'm older. All out of college and living that cool adult life I never want to work just for the sake of working. Whatever career I choose I want that to be what I choose not because it will get me a ton of money but because just because that is what I love. So I guess what I really mean by this one is I don't ever want to give up my happiness for what other people say will make me happy.

5. I will never camp in a tent. Now, I love camping, don't get me wrong, but I love camping in like a camper, or maybe a cabin. You know a place with a shower and max bug protection. Why subject yourself to things like that when it's not needed.

6. I don't ever ever ever ever want to visit these weird american landmark tourist places. ex. The Grand Canyon. Why? I don't know. I always say I want to travel but when I say that the only thing I picture is other countries. These places here seem too close to home for me and I am not feeling it.

7. After graduation I never want to step a foot in my high school again. Not for a reunion, not to visit old friends/teachers. NEVER. 

8. I will never voluntarily put insects, snails, squid, or any other type of foreign animal thing in my mouth. call me uncultured, or close-minded I don't know. But I'm not doing it. It took me long enough to finally order my sushi raw. Baby steps 

9. I don't ever want to garden. There are people you can hire for a reason. Why am I going to kneel in my yard for long hours and play in the dirt when I can A. hire someone to do it, or B. Go buy an already potted plat. It's nonsense!

10. I don't want to run a marathon. I am not made for running, I'm barley made for walking. I feel like it's just something you can either do or you can't. Maybe I'll walk a few in my lifetime but I can promise you will never see me so much as jogging in something of this nature.

While there are more and these are only a few I could think of I feel it gets the point across. People set these goal and all these things they want in life but what about the things you don't want to do. Just think of all the stuff that you hate and compare it to all the stuff you love. Is it even? or Are you more of a lover than a hater?

                   -Until Next Time, XO

"We view the world in the way that we choose to."   

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Reaching My Limit | Basically Nonsense

|Female 18, Stressed Out & Done|

     I almost had nothing to write about this week. I was stuck, but I don't think it was because I was suffering from a bad case of writers block. I think that it's mostly because of my attitude of things lately. 

 I don't even know where to begin with the things going on right now. Maybe I can just start with school. First of all the Senior Class Counselors are pretty much useless. There is honestly no other way to describe them but, useless and rude! Let's start with last year, the end of my Junior year. I go to the counselor to start making my schedule for the next year and I have it all already planned. When I get there I was asked the normal question that everyone I'm sure is asked, " Do you know what you want to go to college for?" Now let's just begin by saying this is the stupidest question I have ever been asked, I am 18 years old, not even close to the halfway point in my life, and I have these people asking me to sit down in a chair and tell them how I want the rest of my life planned out! It's so frustrating. I don't know what will happen when I go to college or where I am going with my life. Sorry I didn't exit the womb with my life plan typed out in MLA format and all my reasoning cited. Anyway, I tell this woman what I tell everyone when they ask me, I want to get a Psychology degree. This conversation should have been done at this point right? NO! this adult woman who was hired by the public school system proceeded to scoff at my plans and say to me " I meant do you want to go to college for something that will get you a job, I'm pretty sure the garbage man has a psychology degree." HOW DARE HER! What does it matter whether or not I am going to get a job with that degree. I'm sorry I live in a place where every boy is either a fisherman or works at the chemical plant, and every female is a housewife or a nurse. Don't judge my life. I guess it is easy to get into the counseling business since these half taught rude bitches can do it.

So long story short, now I'm basically in a bunch of honors courses I didn't pick and that are dropping my GPA because it makes the school look better to have a higher ratio of honors kids. They've turned school into something that I can't stand to get up for in the morning. I should be embracing my senior year and hanging out with my friends and family before I go god knows where in a year. I shouldn't be home crying over a graphing calculator and turning in 4 page essays on the first week of school. And, on top of all of this when you go to them to ask if they can switch you to an easier class because it's just not possible; they pretty much tell you it's your fault that you don't understand and you " need to find more time to study" while also saying you should join after school activities so it looks good for college resumes. 

 So pretty much my life is stressful mess. I don't understand any of my pre-calc work because my teacher is the definition of a fucking idiot, my anxiety is through the roof because i'm in a school of 1700 people and my teachers seem to think that me not being able to talk in front of 30 people whom I've never spoken to is just my way of defying them and it's "disrespectful", and I kind of really want to be in a relationship because, well, I don't really know why. Maybe it's because everything else sucks so much and I need something good. But let's not talk about my love life, or lack of one. I'll save that for another post..

For now I'm just going to go read a good book and try to make the most of my senior year, as crappy as I know it's going to be. Maybe I'll try to make friends with more people and laugh a little more, but as of right now I'm signing off and going blast pop punk as a wallow in self pity.(lol)

      -Until Next Time, XO

" All that is gold does not glitter. Not all those who wander are lost. The old that is strong does not wither, deep roots are not reached by the frost." J.R.R. Tolkien

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Making Your Own Happiness | Basically Nonsense

|The Little Things|

FRIDAY FRIDAY FRIDAY! It's finally Friday. That means the end of the first week of school, which I would rather not talk about because it was just as bad as you would think, and the first official Friday blog since i changed the posting date on here woo!

I wasn't sure what I was going to write about today. I mean, I could do the regular thing and talk about my senior year first week adventures, that's what I had planned, I could mention that I took this super attractive teachers class but I don't have him til my next semester, I could mention that super cute foreign exchange boy, or talk about how my school is so cold you could build a snowman in the classrooms; But I though that was so boring and just not what I wanted to recap. Then, as I walked into my third period fine arts class my teacher had up this quote by Lena Horne, " It is not the load that breaks you down, but the way you carry it.", that's when I got to thinking. Why sit here and complain about the same things I was complaining about last year, and the year before that, and every year since about 6th grade, when I can look at all the positive things that are going on on a daily basis instead?

So, I decided to write a list of the little things that make me happy and maybe they can help you be happier, or even find the things that help you carry your load the right way.

1. That one pen that writes so perfectly that you never want to use another one.

2. Standing on the edge of the water at the beach and letting the waves hit your ankles.

3.The smell of freshly cut grass.

4. A nice warm cup of tea and a good book

5. The window seat.

6. When little kids draw you pictures.

7. Getting something you ordered in the mail before it was supposed to be there.

8. Any kind of baby animal. (Even better if it's in real life so you can pet it).

9. Having exactly what you need exactly when you need it.

10. Walking in the park.

11. Having someone you really want to talk to talk to you first.

12. The half smile people give you when you make eye contact.

13. Boys who smell nice.

14. Painting.

15. Hugging someone taller than you.

16. When old ladies compliment you.

17. Falling asleep to the rain.

18. doing absolutely nothing on a Sunday

19. when all of the kernels in the popcorn bag pop.

20. Seeing someone who deserves it be happy.

21. Finding money you didn't know you had.

22.Clothes right out of the dryer.

23. Cats.

24. Actually getting real letters in the mail. Not just random things.

25.The first sip of your drink when you're really thirsty.

26.Waking up before your alarm.

27. People watching.

28. Smelling something familiar.

29. Laughing till it hurts.

30. Random dance parties with friends.

31. Fresh strawberries.

32. A perfect cup of coffee.

33. Being able to see the stars at night.

34. Fall weather.

35. Perfect Naps.

So that was just 35 of mine, and trust me I could go on forever. But, the point was that it doesn't matter whats going on at the current moment because there is always some brightness in the dark areas. don't let all the small negative things in life bother you so much. Enjoy what you have while it is still there....ha maybe I should learn to take my own advice occasionally.

          -Until Next Time, XO

" Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times if one only remembers to turn on the light."

 

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A Change Of Plans | Basically Nonsense

| From Daily To Weekly|

With my recent lack of personal time and the VERY fast approaching day that is school I have come to the realization that daily blogging is just not something I can keep up with at this present time. I have decided that what would be best for my self and for the content of this blog would be to just put out a post weekly. As can be seen in my last few post my content is getting worse by the day. I know I will be very caught up in after school commitments and AP classes so I think Weekly is an amazing choice. 

So, from this moment on ' You Daily Does' is going to be no more. I changed the title to 'Basically Nonsense' because well that's what this is. It's me talking nonsense most of the time on the internet do I found it fitting. I will leave my other post up and my blog will be all the same the only change will be that instead of daily there will be a post up every Friday evening.

so every Friday I will bring forth a lovely post closed off with my quote of the day. Maybe it will relate maybe it won't but as usual 

     -Until Next Time, XO.

"Don't count the days, make the days count."

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Teenagers | Your Daily Dose

|Trying To Clear The Confusion|

I hear it constantly. How this generation is reckless and they try to grow up too fast, but, are they really? 

 

 When you take a step back and look at your life it feels like 7 years old was yesterday. 2009 still feels like last year and I'm pretty sure I must have been in a coma for the past 6 birthdays because I don't remember this much time passing. I look at older people in my life and I realize they are almost done. Its not a very pleasant thing to say, I know, but it's true. No one lives forever and even if you want to live in a fantasy land where mom and dad live forever and you get to eat cookies in your hello kitty bedroom til the end of time it's just not how the world works. I don't think it's that this generation is "growing up too fast" I just think this generation is a lot smarter than they get credit for. These kids are trying to make the most out of what they have. They are growing up in a time that is full of split families and mental disorders. The kids in this generation see the world on a bigger plane. They can hop on to the internet and see tragedy from every corner of the world. So, I don't think they're reckless or stupid; I think they are aware. 

 

I know that one day I'm going to have to grow up and get a job. I won't be able to stay up til 3am doing things I'm going to regret the next day, or maybe not even remember. And know, that's scary. so If I want to ruin my liver and sleep my days away now I think there is nothing wrong with it. Just like there is absolutely nothing wrong with staying at home with your friends watching Netflix til the sun comes up. Everyone only gets one shot at growing up, only one shot at life and I think they deserve to do it however they please. 

* I know this blog was quick and all over the place but it's just a topic I think about often and whenever I try to put my thoughts about it into words it usually sounds weird so this is the best I could do. so, I'll let John Green close this off for me. I think he gets across what I'm really trying to say in this whole ramble.

"When adults say, "Teenagers think they are invincible" with that sly, stupid smile on their faces, they don't know how right they are. We need never be hopeless, because we can never be irreparably broken. We think that we are invincible because we are. We cannot be born, and we cannot die. Like all energy, we can only change shapes and sizes and manifestations. They forget that when they get old. They get scared of losing and failing. But that part of us greater than the sum of our parts cannot begin and cannot end, and so it cannot fail." - John Green, Looking for Alaska

                     -Until Next Time, XO.

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My Unhealthy Dilemma | Your Daily Dose

| Saying It VS Doing It |

I can't be the only one who has been on this never ending journey to healthy living. I see all of these people who run 6x a week and drink half of the pacific ocean in water daily and I wonder, Was there a time when they struggled? When I started this kick of wanting to be healthier a few years back I thought it was going to be the easiest thing I ever did. I mean I was the kid who always ate ALL of my fruits and veggies. I loved them! While I did have my lazy moments as a child for the most part I loved all thing active. I'd jump on the trampoline for hours and run around my yard. I liked fruit juices and water ( soda wasn't something we kept in the house, and I'd request something green with every meal. So, why can't I just kick the Pizza and Coke now. You would think I'd be easy. I mean you can't teach an old dog new tricks but that doesn't mean he forgot the ones he already knew. Right?

  Well, apparently it is very possible to forget. I still love healthy food all the same but it's like over the years with new technologies being thrown my way and a fast food joint on every corner, it's impossible to do the right things anymore.

I wanted to change that. At least for myself. Freshman year of high school I was on a roll. But it wasn't a very good one. It consisted of Veganism which lasted for about eh, 3 days (I really like cheese). So, I tried being a vegetarian, that lasted a tad bit longer; I fancied the vegetables and I actually felt a little better, less headaches and things, but after about 2 weeks that was over and I was back on buffalo wings. I had realized that even while on these great health kicks I wasn't exactly being healthy. I mean being a vegetarian only lasted so long because cheese pizza was okay to eat. I had realized that I was terrible at being healthy and decided to give it up. 

As time went on I still had this nagging feeling telling me that I could do better so I started to eat more vegetables with my meals. Stuck to salad and yogurt instead of fries and ice cream. But just like every other time, I failed to stick with it. And on top of it I had never really kicked soda. Which had become, and still is, my biggest problem. 

It's not just what I'm putting in my body that is my problem either. It's what I'm putting out; which is absolutely nothing. I've tried all the workouts at this point Yoga, squats, cardio, lifting, pretty much everything, but I still never stick with it longer than a week. I'm usually too "busy" or "I'll do extra tomorrow to make up for it". I've realized that it's just not going to happen. I'm not active and there is nothing I can do about that really. Or is there? Because I i'm too busy to workout or cook a healthy meal but what am I too busy doing? Why do I have the time to order a pizza and watch 4 seasons of a show on Netflix but I don't have time to do sit ups and bake a piece of chicken? 

 I think it's a mind set. As a society we look for convenience in things but what we don't realize is we could be taking the same amount of time to walk around the block or drink a glass of tea. So, in order to get back on track this year, starting to day I'm going to set small reachable goals for myself. I'm not aiming to get fit or look any different than I do now. I'm not doing it for that. I'm doing it because I want to be healthier on the inside. 

So starting to day I've decided to start drinking more water and tea. I'll have soda but only once a week. depriving my self is not going to get me anywhere that's just going to make me want it more. I'm going to try to do at least one small active thing a day. Maybe do some squats in between shows I'm watching or maybe some leg lifts while i watch Netflix. I know it seems funny and not every effective but it's a start to something better. I'm not going to stop what I like doing to do other things. I'm simply going to add more things in. Like taking the stairs instead of the elevator. I'm also going to cut back on all these bad foods. I mean I'm still going to eat them on the reg do not be fooled but I'm going to try to eat more of the healthy foods in a day so the other ones seem more like a snack! The goal is to eventually be able to do only both in equal amounts but for now I'm just going to try it at my own pace and see what happens.

 You don't have the be great to start but you do have to start to be great.

        -Until Next Time, XO.

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A Day Off | Your Daily Dose

|Netflix & Food Parties|

Picture courtesy of my friend Shaye

Today was not particularly monumental. I got up, made breakfast, scrolled through my social media, wondering how the hell these people managed to post so much in a lousy 8 hours, then i got fed up and just searched the cute boys I was trying to stalk because that was honestly way more simple, Then I began to get ready for my day of fun. It's not what you think. It mostly consisted of me and my group of friends playing hide and seek in our school theater and eating pizza.

 I mostly making this blog to hold up on that promise for "daily blogs". Sometimes life is just poo though. I am now home and thumbing through Netflix not sure of what i want to watch. But I will say this. There are WAY more interesting blogs to come. I have them planned out and ready. I'm super excited to get this blog started and I honestly think I have it in me to juggle School, this blog, and my theater work. Fingers crossed. But I did take a few cute pictures of my outfit and I thought I would share that. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

  Also, I wanted to add. There has been this...let's call it a situation going on for a while now and I'm not even sure the root of the whole thing or why any of it happened. I've been waiting an entire summer for ANYONE to just tell me what the poop is going on but no one did and now everyone is pretending like nothing happened. I feel like I'm stuck in some crappy lifetime movie and I can't get out. I'm confused. Not sure if I'm still angry; I'm not really sure what to feel but I just cant seem to shake this feeling that forgetting about it like everyone else is pretending to do is not going to solve anything. I know people say forgive and forget but I feel like that is way easier said than done.                                       

“He was gone, and I did not have time to tell him what I had just now realized: that I forgave him, and that she forgave us, and that we had to forgive to survive in the labyrinth. There were so many of us who would have to live wit things done and things left undone that day. Things that did not go right, things that seemed okay at the time because we could not see the future. If only we could see the endless string of consequences that result from our smallest actions. But we can’t know better until knowing better is useless.”

—	Looking for Alaska by John Green

   -Until Next Time, XO.

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Fernweh | Your Daily Dose

|A Passport & Way Out|

The title of this entry may confusing for some; Let me explain..

  Fernweh is a German word which literally means "Farsickness" or "Longing for far off places". You may have heard the more common word used to describe this which is Wanderlust.

wan·der·lust

  (Noun) A strong desire to travel.

                   I realized at a young age that it was something I wanted. While other kids were asking for new toys I would ask my mom for trips. I would pretend that my yard was an African Safari and hunt squirrels ( never actually catching any). I'd watch the Mary-Kate and Ashley Movies, Like Passport to Paris and Winning London, and then go in my room to act out the movies word for word like I was actually in these far off places and those movies where just dramatizations of my life. It's a shocker I didn't take up acting, My mom should've pushed it. And now, I'm about to graduate high school,leave for college; I know I should be more excited. I mean I'm finally done! Over 12 years of being locked in a building for 8 hours with people I hate and getting fed worse than a prisoner on death row, all gone. But it went by so fast now that I think back and it makes me wonder. What would it be like, to just quit school and travel the world. Go all the place I've always dreamed about and more. Maybe I would learn more that way.

 It's such a weird feeling. To be in love with these places I've never even been to. I've never stepped foot out of America, but I know. I know that this is what I need to do in life. To see all these place in real time. I'm tired of looking at pictures and dreaming I was there. I'm tried of telling my parents that I want to do this instead of wasting away at an in-state university and they just say okay, maybe you can study abroad for a semester. Just wait a few years. But the thing is, I've wait 18 and I'm tired of waiting. 

It scares me sometimes. I look around in this small, (quite closed minded) shithole of town I live in and I realize that this could be my life. I could be locked down in this place with an education that won't give me anything more than a stressful nine to five job and a pool of debt to drown in. I don't want that. I don't want to stay home because other countries can be dangerous, So can my backyard but I still go out there. Yeah, it would be great to settle down, have a family one day, and a good education with a stable job. That all sounds peachy, but that's not what I want. At least not right now. All I really want to do is spend my life traveling. I want sip tea in every country. I want to try new foods and swim in waters I've never seen before. I want to be able to write about the great things I've seen. I want stories that I can tell my grand children one day; about how I had to stay in this shady hostile this one time because money is tight when you travel and how I spent my birthday one year with lions in Kenya. I want to make new friends in every country so when I die my funeral will be over capacity. I want to lay in bed when I'm 90 years old and I want to be able to look back on my life and feel satisfaction. To know that I did everything with my life that I wanted and even if I didn't, I filled the space with new places. 

With that said, I leave you with this. Until next time XO...

" I beg young people to travel. If you don't have a passport, get one. Take a summer, get a backpack and go to Delhi, go to Saigon, go to Bangkok, go to Kenya. Have your mind blown, eat interesting food, dig some interesting people, have an adventure, be careful. Come back and you're going to see your president differently, no matter who it is. Music,culture,food,water. Your showers will become shorter. You're going to get a sense of what globalization looks like. It's not what Tom Friedman writes about, i'm sorry. You're going to see that global climate change is very real. And that for some people, their day consist of walking twelve miles for four buckets of water. and so there are lessons that you can't get out of a book that are waiting for you at the other end of that flight. a lot of people - Americans and Europeans- come back and go, "ooh". and the light bulb goes on". Henry Rollins

  

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Summer Haul | Your Daily Dose

|My Summer Favorites|

    With the end of summer rapidly approaching I thought it was the perfect time to share all of the things that have been my life support for these last 2 months. Now, this is not everything. Mostly because that would've been a never ending post. This is more of a "list of things I never realized I needed" post.

    So, without further ado I give you my summer must haves..

Summer Beauty Faves

The Simple products have been my best friends this summer. I got them after noticing that my face had been so dry my makeup was peeling off and I looked like a shedding snake. The cleansing wipes have been life savers whenever I slept away from home and may not have had the time to properly wash my face or if I was sweating too much. I felt like the facial scrub got rid of so much excess dead skin and really left my face feeling brand new. And to top it all off this hydrating moisturizer left my skin soft and not oily like many others I've used in the past. Then, the best part is that all of these products are very affordable!

- Cleansing Wipes (http://goo.gl/HdcCTo)

- Facial Scrub (http://goo.gl/PHNoMo)

- Light Moisturizer (http://goo.gl/Ry0Zq1)

Now, What I found myself reaching for on the reg, were these babies. Bath & Body Works was having this semi-annual sale in June; and I'm a sucker for sales and scents! 

I got 2 body sprays in the scents of Oahu and Endless Weekend. Both of these sprays have wonderful summer smell to them but my personal fave it the Oahu. It smells like coconuts! The Malibu Heat lotion is great for a beach trip or to just have in your bag if needed but i wouldn't recommend it as an everyday body lotion, it's quite heavy. And the little Coastal Surf & Sun hand sanitize was just too cute to pass up!

- Bath & Body Works Website (http://goo.gl/LmrTjI)

  

I have had my hair many colors. Not just over these last 2 months but just in a general time span. But, as far as this summer is concerned, I've gone from blonde to blue to brown all in only 2 months. Now, that is in no way health for you hair and i also do not recommend. My hair is pretty dry now and it was breaking off so I really needed to step my game up and nurse it back to health. I've been taking Hi-Potency Biotin pills once a day and spraying in some of Organix Coconut Water Hydrating Oil into my hair while it is still damp. To refrain from using too much heat I purchased Beyond The Zone Sea Salt Spray in order to give some texture to my already quite curly hair. Now let'd talk about this, Not Your Mothers dry shampoo. This stuff has been my best friend for a good while now,even before the summer. I love it! Washing your hair everyday can be super bad for it so investing in some is honestly the best choice I've ever made.

- Dry Shampoo (http://goo.gl/52JiiQ)

- Sea Salt Spray (http://goo.gl/nnSk2C)

-Hydrating Oil (http://goo.gl/jiFzEy)

-Biotin Pills can be purchased at any vitamin shop locally to you and they all pretty much work the same.

It's summer! The least thing anyone wants is to feel like they are drowning in their own make-up. For my everyday foundation look i decided it was my best bet to stay light. So instead of a thick foundation and concealer i used Maybelline's Dream Fresh BB cream for a nice coverage. I would usually top that off with Rimmel London's Stay Matte Powder which will take out any shine one your face. I highly recommend. In my purse I would carry Neutrogena Mineral Sheers to just wipe over my face when needed throughout the day.

- BB Cream (http://goo.gl/IvzIZq)

- Mineral Sheers Powder (http://goo.gl/VsCSzA)

- Stay Matte Powder (http://goo.gl/otfKCz)

I have had this e.l.f for a long time now. I ordered it online with a gift set of mineral makeup and never used it for the longest time. Mostly because it just seemed too pink for me and I didn't want to look like a chubby baby ( I have a round face, it's a struggle). So, I finally started using it this summer. I figured my face could use a little color, being as I never leave the house to actually get color, and I fell in love. This blush is such a nice light shade of pink it really looks so natural and great; It also contains the smallest hint of shimmer which really help highlight your cheeks. It is a perfect blush for everything.

- e.l.f Mineral Blush (http://goo.gl/xp3vlP)

The crazy thing is, this product was an accident! I had a party to get to and in the process of getting ready i realized i was completely out of all liquid liner in my entire makeup bag. I know, you're probably thinking Oh. My. Gosh. did you cry?! Well, yea...I almost did. Anyway, on the way there I stopped at my local drugstore and decided to just grab a liner to pop on in the car. I quickly scanned all of the liners and saw this was a felt tip ( My fave) and swiped..That sounds like I stole it, I did not steal! I just swiped it all the way to the cash register. Now, when I got to the car frantic that I was running late, as usual, I quickly tore open the package and put this baby on. I then realized it was brown.. Now usually a creature of habit and despising change you would think I'd hat this but, I actually realized I loved it! It made my eyes seem to pop a little more and it blending with my eye shadow making the line just seem more natural. So, if you've never tried brown eyeliner this one would be great for your first one.

-Liquid Liner (http://goo.gl/4YCS19)

These 2 lipsticks are my life. The coral one was bought a while back and i really love wearing it to very layed back things like to the beach or a nice trip to the park. It really adds color to a natural makeup look. The other, more neutral color, was purchased for my junior prom last year. I honestly use this lipstick probably everyday. It give a fuller effect to your lips and really makes them pop without drawing too much attention away from the rest of your face. 

- Rimmel Lipstick, Kate Moss Collection (http://goo.gl/qWGoGE)

- Maybelline Colorsensational Lipstick (http://goo.gl/bkkIcG)

The final product I've been using on a daily basis is a nail growth activator. Now, being a recovering nail biter I try so hard to grow out my nails just a little bit but every time it fails miserably. When i ran across this stuff I was intrigued. And now i can say I am quite satisfied. Don't get me wrong its not going to give you claws but it will help make your nail a tad bit 

stronger

      -Nail Growth Activator (http://goo.gl/S0TTnX)

Summer Music Faves

     So this was a hard one. Music is such a big part of my life and I listen to it while i do everything From brushing my teeth to scrolling through my social media feed and to say that one song is my my favorite would be a lie. I decided i'd limit my self to sharing with you my top 5 most played songs this summer.

  -American Girl (Alex Goot, Luke Conard, and Landon Austin) http://ow.ly/wccX6

  -Clarity (Alex Goot, Luke Conard, and Landon Austin)

   http://ow.ly/wccX6

  -Happy Little Pill (Troye Sivan) http://troye.si/vanTRXYEpreorder

  - You Need Me, I Don't Need You (Ed Sheeran) http://smarturl.it/x-itunesdlx

  - How To Be a HeartBreaker (Marina and the Diamonds)http://goo.gl/grz1Ps

Hopefully all of these things continues to bring me the joy they did all summer but for now I am going to go enjoy them during this last week of summer 

                              

"Cause a little bit of summer is what the whole year is all about" -John Mayer

                      -Until Next Time, XO

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Arsty Fartsy | Your Daily Dose

|An Art Filled Sunday|

   Yea I Know I said I was going to do one blog a day but I never said I wouldn't do more. so, to lighten up the mood from my last post I wanted to share how i spent my lonely Sunday. Who knows maybe it will give anyone else reading this the artistic push they need to try out a new hobby

To start I transformed my usually boringly painted nails to something a little more interesting. I took a deep navy blue and painted all of my nails except my ring fingers. I used a clear coat with speckles of white and blue to spice those up a little. Then, I painted my ring fingers with a bright blue and with a skinny brush ( not sure what they are called. i'm not nail artist) decided to draw on cute little union jacks...

  The next artistic event in my day was not planned. I ran across this box of multi-colored oven bake clay; Most likely from one of my many trips to Hobby Lobby. I left it sitting on my table for a good hour while I scrolled through Tumblr, Caught up on all of my YouTube subscriptions, and finished my photo shoot for pop glam on Kim Kardashian Hollywood. But, after running out of things to do i figured, why not! and I sat down at the dinning room table and made the cutest little elephant...Which I later left in the oven too long and ruined.

Now, the final Art project was not just a Sunday art day project. I had previously started to, or shall i say attempted to, draw the wonderful Jim Chapman. Now i'm no artist and I will never claim to be one but, I am pretty happy with this drawing. The picture i took was mostly to be artsy and not to showcase anything because it's not that good. But, here is the last thing that was done on this art filled Sunday.

        

"The Earth Without Art Is Just EH" -Unknown

-Until next time, XO

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Panic Attacks & Anxiety disorders | Your Daily Dose

|Understanding It|

     When I first started to realize that something was wrong; that other people didn't feel this way on a normal basis I wanted to learn more. In my 6th year of school I was put into a class to "help us on our journey to finding the career best for us" and I realized what i wanted to do. I wanted to understand myself more, know the facts because maybe if I knew what it was exactly I could overcome it. From that day on it was settled i wanted to study psychology.I wanted to know why people have these issues. I wanted to help people, because in this day and age all these professionals that are there to help you, know nothing more than what they have seen in movies or read in a text book. For someone to understand the feeling they had to have experienced it. While I realize I am no doctor or no type of special help I thought maybe if I put it out there I could help the people who have told their friends or family members to just "Get over it" and to "Put yourself out there" realize the only thing they are doing is making it worse. It's like telling someone who afraid of the dark to let you lock them in a dark room and when they tell you they want out and that they don't like it you simply tell them its okay, stop worrying, everyone is afraid of the dark a little, so was I, just get over it.... It's just not that simple.

  Many people are unaware of what Anxiety Disorders are...

     What exactly is Anxiety Disorder?

Now, Anxiety is a normal human emotion. Everyone will experience it once in their life and there is no doubt about that, but Anxiety Disorders are a little different. An anxiety disorder can completely disrupt a persons normal every day life to the point where it can consume them. An anxiety disorder is a serious mental illness. For people with anxiety disorders, things like worry or fear are constant and overwhelming, and can be crippling.

There are 4 Big Anxiety Disorders:

  

   Panic Disorder - People with this condition have feelings of terror that strike suddenly and repeatedly with no warning. A panic attack can give you feelings of choking, chest pains, sweating, and heart palpitations. A panic attack can strike at any moment with no warning and can also be triggered by and intense feeling of worry or stress.

   Social Anxiety or Social Phobia - This disorder involves an overwhelming worry and self-consciousness about everyday social situations. The worry often centers on a fear of being judged by others, or behaving in a way that might cause embarrassment or lead to ridicule.

   Specific Phobias - A specific phobia is an intense fear of a specific object or situation. These are things like, a fear of heights, or being afraid of snakes. The level of fear is usually inappropriate to the situation and may cause the person to avoid everyday situations.

   Generalized Anxiety disorder - This disorder involves excessive, unrealistic worry and tension, even if there is little or nothing to provoke the anxiety.

   While symptoms will vary depending on the type of anxiety disorders the general symptoms may be:

  -Feelings of panic, fear, and uneasiness

  -Problems sleeping

  -Cold or sweaty hands and/or feet

  -Shortness of breath

  -Heart palpitations

  -An inability to be still and calm

  -Dry mouth

  -Numbness or tingling in hands or feet

  -Nausea

  -Muscle tension

  -Dizziness

                                                                                             

    For almost 8 years I put off telling people about the constant battle I was having with myself on a daily basis. I wouldn't talk to my friends because, why would they understand? and I held back on telling my family because the comments were always the same "It will pass" "Its all in your head" or my personal favorite " Why don't you just stop worrying about it". That one always makes me laugh. What people tend to forget is that talking about something as personal as this disorder is hard and when they put it off as something that you should just "stop" it makes you feel worse. Like you're burdening them with you problems and when you leave they talk about how stupid you sound worrying about things that shouldn't matter

      In my 18 years of life I have been lucky to only have to experience 2 panic attacks, but I can say they were the scariest moments of my life. Since about the age of 12 I have been struggling with social anxiety and a mild case of generalized anxiety. While things are getting to be less difficult they are a far way from easy. There has been times when I have lied to friends when they asked me to hang out because it doesn't matter if i'm in a room full of people who asked me to be there I feel like no one really wants me there. It's like that small nervous feeling you get when you walk pass a group of people whispering and laughing so you think they are talking about you, except, its not a small fear anymore. Its a nagging feeling you have in every room you walk in or out of. You stay close to people because you're scared if they have a moment when you're not around they are going to laugh at you. In your mind no one ever wants you around and it doesn't matter if they tell you other wise. The only times you can feel comfortable enough to be somewhat normal is if you're surrounded by people that make you feel that way and even then you will fight trying not to stumble on your own words. But, social situations aren't the only times I get this strong feeling of dread and stress. I can't do normal things either. Like every time I step foot into a car and that door shuts my heart starts to race. My mind goes through all of the things that could go wrong; All of the things that could kill me. So, I've vowed that from now on I'm going to work on all of these issues. and sharing this little bit is helping already, but, I have also realized i'm going to have to do it alone, because every time I've shared a step up on the latter with people, they just knock me down three more. They don't take it seriously. They take it as a joke. That me not being able to do things is ridiculous and childish. But the truth is they don't really understand; No matter how much they want to pretend they do.

           "Nobody realizes that some people expend tremendous energy merely to be normal" -Albert Camus

                      

                                    -Until tomorrow,xo

  

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