Book list!

Wowwweeee who knew that life could be so busy!

Anyway, one of my ideas for this year is to read 100 books and blog about each one in some form or another. I had a list of 100 books, but I had already read a few of them, so I was just going to find another list and replace the ones I had read and add them to my current list. But then I looked at my current list again and saw that there were things like "Harry Potter Series" and "The Lord of the Rings Trilogy" and I took those out because an entire series does not count as 1 book. Long story short, the list I'm giving you is a combination of a couple "100 books to read before you die lists"

1. Pride and Prejudice- Jane Austen
2. Jane Eyre- Charlotte Bronte
3. To Kill A Mockingbird- Harper Lee
4. Wuthering Heights- Emily Bronte
5. 1984- George Orwell
6. His Dark Materials- Philip Pullman
7. Great Expectations- Charles Dickens
8. Tess of the D'Ubervilles- Thomas Hardy
9. Catch 22- Joseph Heller
10. Rebecca- Daphne Du Maurier
11. Birdsong- Sebastian Faulks
12. Catcher in the Rye- JD Salinger
13. The Time Traveller's Wife- Audrey Niffenegger
14. Middlemarch- George Eliot
15. Gone with the Wind- Margaret Mitchell 
16. The Great Gatsby- F Scott Fitzgerald 
17. Bleak House- Charles Dickens
18. War and Peace- Leo Tolstoy 
19. The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy- Douglas Adams
20. Brideshead Revisited- Evelyn Waugh
21. Crime and Punishment- Fyodor Dostoyevsky
22. Grapes of Wrath- John Steinbeck
23. Alice in Wonderland- Lewis Carroll
24. The Wind in the Willows
25. Anna Karenina- Leo Tolstoy
26. David Copperfield- Charles Dickens
27. Emma- Jane Austen
28. Persuasion- Jane Austen
29. The Kite Runner- Khaled Hosseini
30. Captain Corelli's Mandolin- Louis De Bernieres
31. Memoirs of a Geisha- Arthur Golden
32. Winnie the Pooh- AA Milne
33. One Hundred Years of Solitude- Gabriel Garcia Marquez
34. A Prayer for Owen Meaney- John Irving
35. The Woman in White- Wilkie Collins
36. Anne of Green Gables- LM Montgomery
37. Far From the Madding Crowd- Thomas Hardy
38. The Handmaid's Tale- Margaret Atwood
39. Lord of the Flies- William Golding
40. Atonement- Ian McEwan
41. Life of Pi- Yann Martel
42. Dune- Frank Herbert
43. Cold Comfort Farm- Stella Gibbons
44. Sense and Sensibility- Jane Austen
45. A Suitable Boy- Vikram Seth
46. A Shadow of the Wind- Carlos Ruiz Zafron
47. A Tale of Two Cities- Charles Dickens 
48. Brave New World- Aldous Huxley
49. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime- Mark Haddon
50. Love in the Time of Cholera- Gabriel Garcia Marquez
51. Of Mice and Men- John Steinbeck
52. Lolita- Vladimir Nabokov
53. The Secret History- Donna Tartt
54. Count of Monte Cristo- Alexandre Dumas
55. On the Road- Jack Kerouac
56. Jude the Obscure- Thomas Hardy
57. Bridget Jones's Diary- Helen Fielding 
58. Midnight's Children- Salman Rushdie 
59. Moby Dick- Herman Melville
60. Oliver Twist- Charles Dickens
61. Dracula- Bram Stoker
62. The Secret Garden- Frances Hodgson Burnett
63. Notes From a Small Island- Bill Bryson
64. Ulysses- James Joyce
65. The Bell Jar Sylvia Plath
66. Swallows and Amazons- Arthur Ransome
67. Germinal- Emile Zola
68. Vanity Fair- William Makepeace Thackeray
69. Possession- AS Byatt
70. A Christmas Carol- Charles Dickens
71. Cloud Atlas- David Mitchell
72. The Color Purple- Alice Walker
73. The Remains of the Day- Kazuo Ishiguro
74. Madame Bovary- Gustave Flaubert
75. A Fine Balance- Rohinton Mistry
76. The Five People You Meet in Heaven- Mitch Alboum
77. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
78. Heart of Darkness- Joseph Conrad
79. The Little Prince- Antoine De Saint-Exupery
80. The Wasp Factory- Iain Banks
81. Watership Down- Richard Adams
82. A Confederacy of Dunces- John Kennedy Toole
83. A Town Like Alice- Nevil Shute
84. The Three Musketeers- Alexandre Dumas
85. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory- Roald Dahl
86. Les Miserables- Victor Hugo
87. For Whom the Bell Tolls- Ernest Hemingway
88. The Stand- Stephen King 
89. A Clockwork Orange- Anthony Burgess
90. The Scarlet Letter- Nathaniel Hawtorne
91. Something Wicked This Way Comes- Ray Badbury 
92. Rabbit, Run- John Updike
93. Fight Club- Chuck Palahniuk
94. Slaughterhouse- Five- Kurt Vonnegut 
95. To the Lighthouse- Virginia Woolf
96. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest- Ken Kesey 
97. IT- Stephen King
98. The Hunt for Red October- Tom Clancy
99. On the Beach- Nevil Shute
100. The Red Tent- Anita Diamant 

Let me know if there's any duplicates and I'll change them! I'll update you all on what I'm reading as I go along. 

Random funny video #2

He's not only good looking and an incredible singer, but he's also pretty darn funny! 

 

Update and Things to Come!

Hey all!

So seeing as how I haven't blogged for a while...I thought I'd give you guys a little update as to what's going on and some ideas I have for future blogs!


Here's something for your listening pleasure while you read :)



So right now it's exam time and it's hit full throttle. I have one on December 9th, 14th and 17th. So I will be a giant stress ball until December 17th at noon. 


Despite my crazy busyness, I have been pondering about the blog and the direction I want it to go in the new year.




So just in case you didn't know, I love reading. I love to read every chance I get (except for textbooks of course!)


There are many lists of "100 books to read" out there. I'm working on compiling my own, and my goal would be to complete the list in one year. During/after the process, I will blog about the particular book that I'm reading, and give you guys my opinion etc. 


Also, something I thought would be fun would be to do a "photo blog". What I thought I would do is "a day in photos". I would take pictures throughout my day, and post them to the blog. I'll go on some sort of adventure or something so the pictures will be more exciting then getting up, going to work etc. (Let me know if you have ideas!)




Also, there will be a shout out blog coming before Christmas!




So that's about all that's going on. Let me know of any ideas you have or if you like/dislike what I've come up with so far!


Much love, and happy holidays!

Ranting

Why hello all!!

First of all...a shout out has to go to all the people from outside Canada who have seen/read my blog! It's absolutely incredible to me that I have the ability to touch people from outside my very small circle! It excites me like you wouldn't even believe. 

Again, I'm at a loss as to what to write about. I feel like I've used this blog to vent out all my negativity and there hasn't been many positive posts. Gee I'm boring hey?

What can I say? This is really the only place I rant. 

So here's a little song to enjoy while you read. It's one of my favorites when I'm in a bitter mood. It usually makes me feel better :)
 

Something has been sitting in my gut for over a week now. I'll be honest, I've been a bit hesitant about writing about it, because there's a lot of negative feelings going on right now towards a specific human being of the male gender.

That's right ladies. You can breathe easy. This one isn't about you.

It astounds me how dumb boys are. 

I know. Guys say the same thing about us. 

But seriously.  

And I seem to attract all the guys that have GREAT initial charm, then once you spend a little time with them, god forbid get attached , it's like the inner ass comes out for you to see. No more mister nice guy. 

I haven't got the patience anymore for that bullcrap. 

This is probably the 2nd time I've been really affected by the person of the opposite gender. I'll save the explanation of the first time for another post. 


Briefly though, the first one made me realize how important it is to stand up for what you believe in. I thought I really understood that after my experience with him. 


Boy was I wrong.

This time made me even more clear. In fact, I feel like stronger person because of it. 

The stupid thing is though, I'm still hurt by the second one. 


Even though he's given me all this strength to stand up for what I believe in, it's the judgment he put on me that hurt the most. Especially after I was nothing but supportive of him and his beliefs and aspirations. I didn't necessarily believe in all of them, but I still was there, I still listened, I never even pushed my faith and he still had the audacity to judge me.


OUCH. That smarts. Like pulling off a band aid really fast. But the pain still lingers. I'm probably way overreacting, but there's just something about the whole thing that seems unfair to me.

There is light at the end of this tunnel however.


I've never felt this strong in my faith. 


Having the experience that I had with him gave me the understanding that if he can feel so strongly about what he believes, why the heck can't I have strong beliefs. Not only that, why can't I feel free to express them?

It's unfair to me that people can be vocal about their beliefs about abortion, war, same sex marriages and other controversial issues, but people who believe in God or religion have to be careful about what they say because they can't force their religion on people. I'm not saying everyone is like this, but generally, it feels like "religious people" have to be the most careful.

I think that bothers me the most. Experiencing this firsthand, it seems very hypocritical to me. For example, he can be very vocal about whatever topic he wants, but if I were to say anything about religion, you can bet he'd have something to say about it and that it probably would be something I didn't want to hear. 

I do understand that it's not fair to force religion on people. That's not the way God want's "Christianity" to be. It's entirely a relationship which takes a lot of time and work. 

But do know that if you're going to push your beliefs on me, that I will definitely be very vocal about my own. Especially when you offend me. That takes a lot of work. I'm a pretty tolerant person, but when you offend me, you've really offended me. 

After going through what I went through, I feel like I now truly have the ability to  be strong in what I believe in, and let no one get in my way. 
 

But where's the line? When do we have to be careful when we talk about something like abortion? Is religion something that's considered "controversial"? Because I think controversial topics such as euthanasia or abortion go through cycles where one month all you hear about is same sex marriage this and marijuana use that, and then the next month we're on to something else. 


But "religion" gets lost in the cycle. It's the elephant in the room so to speak. 


I actually hate the word "religion". It really doesn't at all describe what it is to believe in a God who loves you despite circumstances that might lead you to believe otherwise.

It also makes Christianity seem like this "imaginary" thing. Like, "how is there a God if there's so much suffering" etc. Those are questions Christians themselves don't have the answer to. It doesn't mean that there is no God, it's just the way life is. If this world were perfect, heaven wouldn't exist.  Adam and Eve changed the way Earth is from the very beginning. Unfortunately, it was just downhill from there. 


It's about having faith that a God like The Bible describes can exist, and standing up for that, even though people will not believe the same thing.


So that's my mini-rant on God and religion for the moment. I'm very interested in your comments on this. Also, I'm very sorry this is so long! I just had to get it all out of my system :)

Random funny video #1

Here's a video for all you Twilight haters. 

And maybe for you all who may like Twilight..


And for those who are actually neutral about the whole thing.

Just a really really funny video. 







Also!

The blogs URL is changing as of tomorrow to otherfunthings.blogspot.com as of tomorrow. Why the change? It just seems more fitting than emmajantz.blogspot.com

Enjoy your day!

The Golden Rule

"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" is the Golden Rule for a reason. It's meant for you to look inside yourself, and then love others and therefore treat them, as you do yourself. Because hopefully, you love yourself (to an extent) and then treat others accordingly. 

You have to wonder about those people with low self esteem issues.

And if you wonder about those people, you have to really wonder about those people who love themselves too much.  

It astounds me how people can treat themselves like gold, and be so passionate about only the things that they are interested in, and then turn around and treat others like they shouldn't even exist.

How does that even work? 

I get so frustrated when I find myself being treated poorly by others. Especially by passionate people. Because if you think about it, the people who are truly passionate should be the ones that treat people well. But a lot of the time, they aren't. They're too focused in themselves that when they do take a look at others, they only catch the things that they perceive to be negative. Then they take the quickest opportunity to call them out on their 'negative actions'. 

What bugs me even more, is when the I have been nothing but supportive towards someone, and they turn around and treat me like crap. That makes me so mad. Don't judge me when I have been nothing but there for you. 
 

It seems to me that we're losing touch of the basics. We're too focused on culture, the media, and even education. Things like education are important, but they can get in the way of the basic things of life. Not everyone in the world is blessed with the ability to become educated (I know this doesn't seem like a blessing, but it really is); and those people are relying on each other to get through every day. I can't imagine that people in poor countries treat their close friends like a pile of garbage. A lot of times, they're surrounded by so much death, they don't even think about saying something unkind to their neighbor. 

I know I may have used an extreme example here, but I feel like I need to get this point across. It's so hard to fully understand how blessed we are and how good we have it, that we forget about the basics of life. Like our family and friends. The people in our lives that are there for us when the rest of the world isn't. Don't forget about those people. They're just as important as you are.


My goal? To be as kind to people as possible. Even those people who are jerks to me. Why? It's what God wants. For those of you who read the blog and don't believe in God, try to be kind to people anyway. Think before you speak. What goes around comes around, and things you say and do will get back to you one way or another. 

Ideas please! Oh, and thanks!!!

Hello all my lovely readers!

I wanted to let you all know that it's really exciting for me to hear the positive things that I've been hearing about the blog. Too all my friends, it's really great that you guys are reading it and enjoying it! If you have anything you want me to write about...let me know! I'm open to whatever! (As long as it isn't too scientific or anything and I have to spend hours of my time researching because I have no idea what the heck you're talking about.) 

As I've said on previous blogs, it's not easy to put yourself out there sometimes and say what's truly on your mind. So it flatters me that people would not only bother to read and find out what's really on my mind, but that you guys are liking it!

So today, I'm asking you guys for suggestions on topics. I'm having major writers block!

Also, should I do shout outs to people every once in a while like my fellow blogger and lovely friend Tyler-Rae? (Do check out her blog. It's fun to read! http://typeacenlove.blogspot.com/.) 

How about posting a video of the week? Something from Youtube or some other site that I enjoyed, found interesting, or something to cause thoughts to ponder like my It gets better post? (see...October I believe..)

Did we like the inspirational lyrics post I did yesterday? Should I do more like that? (Maybe funny ones next time?)

How did you guys like the product review post I did? Let me know, I can do more of those as well! 

I'll always post about random thoughts I'm having, random experiences I want to talk about, things like that. But when things are dull...I still would like to blog! 

Give me your opinions and let me know..I'd LOVE to hear what you guys are interested in!

:)

Inspirationals and Words to Ponder

Lyrics

Don't be shocked when people die,

be suprised

you're still alive

Cassie (acoustic)- Flyleaf

Everyone gets what they want too fast

these days

no one knows

the way to make things last  

The Rock and the Tide- Joshua Radin

If today was your last day

and tomorrow was too late

could you say goodbye to yesterday? 

If today was your last day- Nickelback

 And oh, I know you don't believe in me.

Safe in the dark, how can you see? 

Weight of the world- Evanescence

Making every kind of silence

it takes a lot to realize

it's worse to finish than to start all over

and never let it lie

Perfect- Hedley

Do you want it enough?
Do you want it at all?
Should you need it at all..it takes a minute to see
Do you want it enough?
Do you want it at all?
Should you need it at all...
Do you want it or not?
I get it-Chevelle

I want to believe
In the light of a dream
Place that we go
World that we know 

In the layer
In between 
this life and a dream
In a place tied to past
I should've known that it never lasts...
Believe- Morgan Page

  

  

xox :)

Hold the wheel and drive

First of all, a song of the day!

This is an artist whose album just came out last month I believe, and let me tell you, it's incredible! If you like Justin Nozuka's latest album, chances are you'll love Joshua Radin! His new album is called The Rock and the Tide. You should really check it out on iTunes but I'll post one of my faves on here for now. I'll probably post more in the future :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHCzp-3sBp0&p=CDBB9DFFE5C76252


I'll post more songs of his from youtube if better videos come up because this isn't the song I was hoping to post but it's still good nonetheless! So far, they're crappy or the songs aren't available :( (I was hoping to post song called the rock and the tide for those interested!)

I was driving to the mall, en route to my haircut, and I had a bit of a thought. I do a lot of thinking in my car by the way.

First of all, the colors are stunning this year aren't they? I love this time of year when the leaves are brightly colored. 

The field in front of my house about a month ago. It was so beautiful at the time, my camera didn't quite capture it though.

Second of all. Driving is kind of like life.

How the heck did I come up with that? Allow me to explain.

I tend to look in my rear view mirror a lot when driving. And not to admire my reflection. I'm not quite that vain.

Sitting here thinking about it, I'm not entirely sure why I do it.  But I'm constantly checking my rear view mirror. It really is a dumb habit to have, because really I should be focusing ahead. (I do focus ahead so don't go and think I'm a terrible driver, I just tend to take a lot of glances in my rear view mirror)



It's a lot like life. I tend to dwell WAY too much on the past. What's done is done. I need to start every day brand new, and forget about the mistakes I've made. I can't change the past. But for some strange reason, I have this habit of focusing on the past, to the point where I don't even know how to completely look ahead. I'm consistently taking those quick glances in my "rear view mirror" so to speak.

And I'm not sure how I can relate this to the experiences of life, but I hate tailgaters. Seriously. What makes me laugh is when someone who is tailgating you goes around you and hits the first red light and you're right behind them. TOO good. Karma's a bitch. 

So what happens when we're speeding through life?

We don't take the time to "STOP and smell the roses." (Yes, I'm going to use one of those painful cliches.) 


You know what we also forget to do? Stop and THINK. Or even God forbid RELAX.


We're so uptight these days. Myself included. There are days when I'm so uptight I can't even think straight. When I'm noticing this in myself, I try and stop, take a deep breath, and refocus. 

Take right this very moment. I'm having a mini panic attack about tax homework and the tax midterm in two weeks. I'll be lucky if I pass the stupid thing.  AND there's a yoga class at my church of all places tonight which I've been wanting to go to for AGES. My internal battle right now is whether to go or not. I haven't been to yoga in an embarrassingly long time, and it really would be good for me, but do I have the time? But then I think to myself, if I don't go, am I really going to do my homework anyway? Probably not.


It's difficult in school to not be up tight. Especially people like myself who put a lot of effort into everything they do. But even now, there are some things in my life that I absolutely refuse to stress about.

Last year, I stressed out way too much, and it wasn't healthy.  I look back on it now, and realize that there might've been a reason I wasn't feeling well a good chunk of last year. Maybe because I overstressed. 


I decided to prioritize the things I was going to "stress" about. And really, I decided that generally I was going to do less stressing and more living. It's still something I'm working on, but generally, I'm finding that it's working out. I'm happier, and I generally feel better. 


Prioritize things that are important to you. Make a list that's either physical, mental or both. That way, when you're thrown a curve ball, you can decide "is this something I can deal with right now?" Because you can't do everything all at the same time. 

Some people thrive on doing everything at once. That's fine, if you can handle it. But that's where the list comes in handy. 

Top the list off at 10. And put the most stress on the top 3-5.  Don't make a list of 10 things you'll stress about 100% of the time. Make a list of 10 things, and divide 100% of your time and energy into those 10 things.


So put say 30% into your first thing, 25% into your second thing etc. 

I think doing something like this helps a person keep balanced. Otherwise, you have no idea where to focus your attention. 


So. Take a moment. Don't speed your way through life. Figure out where your priorities are so that you can use your time to the fullest. Don't look back, just keep trucking forward.

Be who YOU are. IT GETS BETTER!

Happy Wednesday all!

I hope you find today's blog an encouraging one!

So I was on YouTube, and I happened to stumble across a video from Perez Hilton. Let me start off by saying that I do NOT like Perez Hilton, but what caught my attention was the title; "Adam Lambert: 'It gets better.'" I LOVE Adam Lambert. This video made me love him even more. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_QVknV-M6U&feature=topvideos



Now, let me let you all know that as a Christian, I do not believe in being gay, but I am NOT going to shun someone because they are gay. I don't believe that God shuns ANYONE whether they are gay or not. I know there are Christians out there who will disagree with me and that's fine, but personally, I will not judge people that way. That's entirely up to Him. I am in no way good enough to even go there. 

What I do love about this video, is that he's encouraging people to be themselves. He is focusing on the gay community (the video is in support of the Trevor project thetrevorproject.org), however, generally speaking, he's encouraging people to step outside the box and be honest with themselves no matter how hard it is. Because as cheesy and cliche as it sounds, it is not easy to be 100% who you want to be. 

It's interesting to hear Adam say that people are 'afraid' of others who are different, and that's why bullies are who they are. I never thought of it that way, and it's a weird thing to wrap my head around.  When I'm afraid of something, I just avoid it as much as I possibly can. 


I guess the idea of fearing a lifestyle is what's so confusing to me. If someone chooses a lifestyle, how can you fear it? They aren't forcing YOU to live that lifestyle, so what's there to fear? Especially when it comes to being gay. I mean, I may not understand their lifestyle, but I definitely don't fear it. It's their choice, and really, it's not a big deal to me. Maybe it should be, but it isn't. How can I fear somebody sleeping with someone of the same gender? It's not a pleasant thought, but as I said, I'm not forced into their lifestyle, so I can't fear it. 


"What you're doing by being who you are, is you're keeping it real, and you're being really brave." Isn't that the truth! It's so easy to look at the decisions people make, the lifestyle choices people make, and judge them for it, gossip about it etc. But what business is it of ours? We're not them, we don't know what's important to them, what they're values are etc. We may not agree with the decisions they are making, but why can't we just take a step back, think before we speak, and either let them be, or be an encouragement?


There is so much negativity around us nowadays. It's such a frustrating thing to live in a world with as much negativity as there is. I'll come right out and say that I'm not the most positive person all the time. There are a few things that will really get to me. But when it comes right down to it, I try to be as positive as I possibly can in all situations. Being negative is not good for you in any aspect of life. "You have to be strong, and you have to pay attention to the positive."

When you look at someone, there will always be a first impression. When you see someone you know, you'll have an instant impression from past experiences, things you've heard 'through the grapevine' etc etc. I have it to. It happens. It's human nature. 

"There is so much more to me, than who I choose to sleep with." THAT right there is the kicker.There is SO much more to people than the decisions they make. Sometimes it's the decisions that make a person, but it's about taking the time to dig a little deeper and find out which one is which for a particular person. 

If you understand what it feels like to be fearful of a lifestyle, I encourage you to overcome that. Stop attacking people because you fear their lifestyle. You're fearful of a gay lifestyle? How about you take the time to sit down with someone you know who is gay, and talk about it. Find out why they chose to become gay (I don't believe that a person is born gay, maybe ask if they feel that's how they were born), maybe ask how their friends/family feel about it. Dig a little deeper. Let them know that you don't necessarily agree with their lifestyle, and from now on, you'll try your best to overcome that. 

I don't care who you are, but everyone has feelings that can get hurt. Everyone has something that will offend them. They may seem like the hardest people on the planet, but even the hardest person on earth has feelings whether they want to admit it or not. Stop thinking about only yourself for just one minute. Because that one minute can change someone's life for either the good or the bad.


Next time when you look at someone, and you get that first impression, if it's negative, try and turn it around. If it's positive, be thankful you have someone in your life you can feel positively about. Not everyone has that, and it's the cause of so many suicides around the world. We need each other. We need someone to watch our back, and to be kind to us when we need it. What we don't need, is people who put us down, and are just generally negative influences in our lives. 


Be that positive influence. People around you will be thankful for it, and be more loyal to you. It'll be more beneficial to everyone around you, and it may even turn into something that people pay forward to others.  Let's make life a better experience by overcoming the negative and bringing more positive.

Too many thoughts!

WOWEEEE It has been FAR too long since I've posted last!

Lemme tell ya those freaking midterms are a killer!

I have been soo busy the last couple weeks I've barely had any time to sit and think about anything other than Management Accounting and Canadian Income Tax (blech!) for the last 2 weeks. 

And even now, I feel like I have so much on my mind right now to tell you guys about, that I can't even figure out how to put it all down...there's spiritual stuff I'm trying to figure out....

relational stuff....

and just generally life stuff!




And you know, Thanksgiving weekend really got me thinking, how much are we actually grateful for? Do we really understand how much we have? It boggles my mind every day.


Take a look around you. You're probably inside somewhere, so there are walls around you, a roof over your head, it's probably warm. If not, you most likely have a sweater, socks, or a blanket within reach. How ridiculous is that? And it seems so silly to be thankful for that kind of stuff, because everyone around us has those kinds of things. But think about it. There are people in the city you live in who have to sleep outside because for whatever reason, they are without a home. 

We should really be thankful that we wake up in the morning never mind the fact that we have so much STUFF. 

I'm not going on and on about this to make you all feel guilty, but it's something to think about.


Every day, we should wake up and be thankful we can open our eyes and walk around. We should be thankful that we can get into our car and drive every morning never mind how cold the car is. 

Every time you complain about something, think about something related to the complaint that you can be thankful for. It's something I'm striving for, and I think we can all live a happier life because of it. 

And take it one step further. Tell God how thankful you are for that specific thing, and pray that He'll help you understand how much He's given you. 


Have an awesome day!

Oh happy day!

Hello my lovely readers!

Just thought I'd let you know all know that the last couple days have been much happier! My perspective on life is definitely brighter.

So, I thought I'd change up the post today.

Instead of being a vent on life and it's experiences, I thought I'd do a product review! These are always fun, and generally speaking really helpful!

Most of the reviews will be on beauty products, or skin care products so if you're not interested/not into that kind of stuff, then this isn't for you! I am in no way a "beauty guru" but these are all things that I've learned as I've recently started experiencing with makeup and makeup products.

I'll try and post pictures for as many products as possible!

The first thing I'm going to talk about is all in the same company. I've recently (within the last 6 months) been introduced to a company called Lush. I say introduced, but it's really re-introduced. I used their "bath bombs" and such when I was younger but since I stopped using those, I stopped shopping there altogether.


However, I do have skin problems, and a friend of mine was telling me about how great their products were! So I began to try them!

Just as a side note, and something to keep in mind when using Lush products; their products do not have chemical preservatives. So when you are storing products such as their shampoo bars and soaps, you have to keep them in a place where they aren't constantly being hit by water or sitting in a pool of water or they will disintegrate. 

The first thing I tried is a facial mask called "catastrophe cosmetic". For whatever reason, I can't find the product on their website...but it's a really great mask for people with problem skin. It has roses and blueberries I believe, which are good antioxidants, and great for the skin! This product does have to be kept in the fridge, but, it comes in a small container so it takes up barely any room. 


The next Lush product I tried was their shampoo bars. Yes, it is a very strange thought, and yes, I was skeptical. However, they are absolutely amazing! The main thing I was skeptical about was whether they lathered or not. Nothing bothers me more than soap that doesn't lather. So I wasn't convinced. The woman who was helping me however, showed me (in her hands) that the product in fact does lather, and believe me, it does!

I've tried two of their bars so far. The first one I tried was for dandruff, and it's called "squeaky green". Now it looks gross, and the smell of it doesn't appeal to all noses, but it's not overpowering, and it seemed to help a little bit with my dandruff problems. The only problem I had with it is that it seemed to weigh down my hair. I have very fine hair, so I do have to be careful what products go in my hair.

The other shampoo bar I tried is called "Seanik". This one promises to 'liven up dull, flat hair' and it does just that! It's VERY volumizing, and didn't weigh down my hair as much. I'm not very fond of the smell of this one, so I'm not using it very much. Here is the link to the solid shampoos on the Lush website: http://www.lush.ca/shop/products/haircare/solid-shampoos/


Lip scrubs are the next thing I tried from Lush. I do like this product. The small container is packed with exfoliant, and it's all natural, so you can just lick it off! I believe there are 3 flavours; mint, bubblegum, and chocolate mint. 

The last thing that I've tried from Lush, and probably my favorite product so far for the smell alone, is a soap called "honey I washed the kids". This is the most amazing soap I've ever had the pleasure of using. It has a very soft, smell. It smells like honey and caramel, and a little bit of coffee. It's amazing! And again, I had to ask if it lathered, because if it doesn't I won't buy it. But it does! My only minor problem with this one is I'm not sure how long it will last me! I'm taking good care of this product (see side note), and it just seems to be getting significantly smaller each time I use it. So we'll see. I might provide an update later just to let you all know how long it lasted me.


I believe that is all the Lush products I wanted to talk about...I definitely recommend you try their stuff out! Do talk to the ladies working there if you have any questions. I do find the women in the Kelowna store can be pushy though, so be aware!


The next thing I'm going to talk about is Quo makeup brushes. I have one brush from them, which is an eyeshadow brush, and I'm not a fan. I haven't had much experience with makeup brushes so far, but I just don't like this product. You don't get a lot of product on the brush, and the application is messy. Very frustrating for someone who is just starting out in the makeup world. The reason I chose to purchase this product is because of it's price. I didn't want to spend the $27 that M.A.C charges for their brushes, so I decided to go cheap. Not worth it. 

The brands that I would recommend for brushes is Elizabeth Arden and Lise Watier. The brushes are not too outrageously expensive but they aren't super cheap either. I have the foundation brush from Elizabeth Arden (pictured above) and the concealer brush from Lise Watier and I LOVE them. They are definitely brushes I will be taking care of and using for a while!

Moving on to MAC. I recently bought their tinted moisturizer, and I have to say, for the amount of money I paid for it, I'm a tad disappointed. The color is good, but it sweats off and at the end of the day, and I look oily. I don't really have oily skin, but I have problem skin. I tried it again yesterday, and I needed it to last me 9 hours, so I tried putting a powder over it, and that definitely helps. But I also prefer a more matte look over a sheer look, so that could also be my problem. But to me, "sheer" shouldn't mean "oily", and that's honestly how I felt I looked at the end of the day.


I believe that's all the product knowledge I have for you all today! Hope you enjoyed it, and let me know if this is something you want me to do again! Much love!

This is personal today.

Do any of you have a friend who's always the person who sees the light at the end of the tunnel?

Normally, that's me. But today, not so much. I'm just bummed right out today. It's one of those days where no amount of angry music, happy music, will boost my mood (which let me tell you, if one thing should boost my mood, it should be music). So if anyone has good guaranteed-to-work mood boosters, post in the comment box!

I feel like somebody unzipped my body, ripped my heart out (catch the reference?) stomped on it (this is where the reference stops and my originality comes into play) gave it back to me, then said "here, deal with what you've done". When really, what did I do besides give you my heart? YOU'RE the one that stomped on it. YOU pick up the broken pieces. YOU massage it better. (Like THAT'S ever going to happen).

There are some things that will put my light out, and as a Christian, I'm supposed to let my light shine for others. Which most of the time, I understand and feel I can accomplish. There are days however, when I'm faced with certain situations where this stumps me. 

It comes back to dealing with people. Doesn't it always? 


I've come to the conclusion that I'm too nice. I'm kidding. But seriously.Time and time again I'm giving people the benefit of the doubt, and it feels like every time that happens. I get burned. So that little light that's shining 'before men' is getting a little too 'hot' and burning me. Not a fun feeling. 

What's interesting about some people is their lack of listening skills, combined with their ignorance. In the past 4 days, I've had 2 conversations with two separate people, where I've told them things about themselves that they should work on, and they TOTALLY missed the cue.  

 It's so difficult to be friends with someone who doesn't get a hint. Even the most obvious ones like when you're trying to have a private conversation with someone and the other person won't go away, or when you're trying to work on something and a friend doesn't get the hint that you might be too busy to talk to them.


Those are really minor problems. There are more serious issues that people need to understand about themselves, and where, as a friend, we can give 'subtle hints about' such as when people undermine others. Yes. This came up in one of the conversations I had. The person I told this to, did the standard 'yeah I know', but didn't really get the point. This person felt only their experiences were the truly difficult ones, and no one else in the world was going to suffer quite like they were. Which, in some ways is true, but it doesn't give anyone the right to undermine people.


I don't care who you are, or what you're doing with your life, other people have experiences and hardships too. They may not be ANYTHING like yours, and you may think that what they're experiencing is minor, but sometimes people want to talk about things, so you need to shut your mouth, keep your opinions to yourself, and listen. Because you will get nowhere in life being THAT self absorbed. 


There are people out there who just don't get it. They have no idea how to listen, and they have no idea that what you're telling them might actually be applicable to their life. Nobody likes to hear that they aren't perfect. Nobody likes to hear that there are things they do that annoy others. But that's just too bad. Wake up genius, you're not perfect, and neither am I. I in no way, shape, or form, walk around like I'm the best thing going. I know my imperfections. Maybe I know them a bit too well, so you can add that to the pile of imperfections I've got going for me. You want perfect? Buy a Barbie. She's got a perfect figure, and she won't complain. In fact, she won't even talk to you. Have fun with that. 
 
 As crappy as I feel some days, I have no desire to be 'perfect'. Because really, who decides what's perfect? I know some people who I definitely wouldn't want to decide what's perfect and what isn't, and in no way am I trying to tell you my opinion of perfection. I'm expressing how I feel (which is the point of a blog, no?). 


I should in no way have to explain myself when I tell you that my day was awful. Or when I'm feeling stressed out about something. Or when I'm just not feeling happy. Everybody feels, and everybody thinks their feelings are more severe than others. But that doesn't mean that one should have to explain every minor detail when they're having a conversation with someone.


What I am trying to say, is don't let your feelings get to your head. You may have traveled many exotic, exciting places. You may have suffered greatly in your life. There are other people in the world besides you (SHOCKER ALERT!) so be considerate. The world does not revolve around a single person or a group of people. Think before you speak or act, you never know how you will affect people.

Blogging=Communicating...right?

So to anyone who has kept up to date with the postings, you'll know that when I started this blog, I had no idea why I even bothered. I never would've imagined that it would've given me the confidence boost that it has. I'm working harder and harder on speaking my mind, and letting people know how I truly feel, and lately, it has worked to my advantage. Not only does a person become more aware when they communicate, they have the potential to even laugh more. 

I'm starting to realize how much more I need to communicate, and it actually isn't as scary (in some cases) as I figured. Now, I even look forward to communicating!  (Some of the time anyway...)


However, there is still a small part of me that wonders why the heck do I bother? Nobody really cares do they? What do I have to tell people? Apparently, people do care, and I have more to tell than I actually realized.

I should probably further explain why communication isn't natural to me.

First of all, I'm just a quiet person. I'm not the loudest person in the crowd, not the first person you hear when you enter a room etc. I just wasn't brought up to be loud. Being an only child, I guess I didn't need to be loud. 

Second of all, by nature, I'm a listener. I love to listen to others, and help out when I can. I'm way more comfortable doing that, and again, for those of you who have read the previous posts, know that this is why I feel like I'm here. To be around when people need someone to vent to.  

 It's funny how often we think we're on the same page with someone, when more often than not, we're at other sides of the table. Which is why it's so important for people to talk to each other, and for open communication to happen. 


And to be truthful, I don't think I'm the only one who's scared to death of communicating. Of speaking their mind. It's a scary thing to let yourself become vulnerable. There's a high potential for the other person to judge you, and in the end, the person letting themselves be vulnerable feels like an idiot. That's so wrong. 


It's amazing how often relationships end due to miscommunication. You might think that you couldn't have been any more clear, but without clarification, how do you really know? Words can mean many different things, and to add to the complication, the way words are said and body language play roles in how things can be interpreted. Sometimes, what isn't said is also taken into consideration. Proverbs 16:22 says "Understanding is a fountain of life to those who have it, but folly (recklessness) brings punishment to fools." In other words, when we understand the entire picture, it makes life a lot better, and when we don't take the time to clarify things, we are being foolish. 

But a lasting relationship isn't just about communication, it's also about being a good listener. Sometimes what makes communicating difficult, is when you're trying to communicate with someone who isn't a good listener. That person you talk to that doesn't quite hear you and jumps to their own conclusions, or doesn't quite understand the seriousness and laughs or is judgmental. It's situations like that that make communication scary. But we have to take the leap in order to find out who we can talk to about certain issues, and also to properly maintain a relationship. 

But I think the ultimate key to communication is being open and honest. Which is what I'm working on I guess. I don't know. I'm just working on communication in general. Life is too short to have regrets. Communicating shouldn't be one of them whether you spoke too soon or not enough. Live life how you want to, and based on what you think is important. Don't let people get in your way!