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Showing posts from 2015

An Open Letter to the Ones Who Missed Out

Dear Ones­­­ Who Missed Out,               You have crushed me. You have made me feel completely worthless. You have made me feel like I was never meant to be happy. You have made me cry countless times. You have made me stay in my bed at night cradling my broken heart. You have made me think that I’m not good enough. You have convinced me that I’m not pretty enough. You have made me feel like no one would ever want to fight for me. You have made me think you were the best I was going to get. You made me believe that you were the only one I deserved. But the thing is, you were so wrong to do that.  [source]               I am none of that, but I want to thank you. In crushing me, you helped me build myself back up with experience. In making me unhappy, you helped me find happiness within myself. In making me cry, you helped me grow stronger. In cradling my broken heart, I have restructured it so others like you will never hurt it again. In making me think I’m not good enoug

The Perfect Holiday Movie Checklist

Well friends, Christmas has passed, and I'm going to be honest: I was not in the Christmas spirit whatsoever. It has been difficult to be away from my family and friends. I missed out on treasured traditions and family time. Most people would have been rushing around to do their shopping and probably ranting about their encounters on Facebook. This time of year, it is of the utmost importance to take the time to relax and watch the adored Christmas movies. For me, it was a good reminder of the Christmas season and the bustle around it. The people at Casper have created my perfect Christmas movie list as an incentive to stay in bed and relax. You don't need to ask me twice! Also, so be sure to check out their Twitter page. You won't regret it - it's highly humorous.       1. An Outrageously Comfortable Mattress Let me tell you, a comfortable mattress is an amazing thing to find. I miss my bed from home. It has the best mattress. My bed in my university acco

Lessons Learned: Becoming an Adult Version

I’m back. My life is different, and I’m not surprised that I’ve taken so long to get myself back into blogging. But nonetheless, here I am, and I have lessons to share! The thing is, I’ve been away from home for exactly 83 days now (yes, I’m keeping track), and I have been exploring a brand new version of myself. That new version is adult Daniella. Legally, I am an adult, but I don’t feel that way at all. I feel like I’m in this weird purgatory between teenager and adulthood. I now realize that the adult feeling isn’t going to hit me like a tonne of bricks. It’s going to be a process made up a small “adulting” moments. So in my 83 days in Leeds, this is what I have learned about being an adult so far. 1.        Getting lost is the best way to find your way. I could get into this meaning in an analytical sense, but I mean this quite literally. A few weekends ago, I went on a weekend trip to Bath with my friends. We were on a walking tour of the city, and they actually ended up le

Monthly Favourites- September 2015

I knew it was going to take a while for me to settle in and get to a routine. That being said, I completely could have written a couple posts ahead of time to make sure you all weren't left in the dust. But we're over it. Aaaaaand guess who got sick again while being in Leeds for ONE WEEK. This girl! Much like my situation in March, I also had another hospital visit. So a couple of these have to do with that. But here we go! 1. Neck Pillow I'm one of those people who is out as soon as we're off. I had two flight to Leeds, and I slept the entire second flight. As soon as we were in the air, I was asleep, and I didn't wake up until the plane hit the ground. My dad, knowing this about me, decided to buy me a neck pillow because let's face it, sleeping upright takes a toll on your neck. Newsflash: life changer. I'm not kidding. I have never slept more comfortably on transportation. 2. Leeds I love it here. I LOVE it here. It is so beautiful, and I c

Head vs. Heart

“But he gave me butterflies,” she whispered. And she was right; he did at one point. If it were up to her, they would be in the same position. He would be kissing her nose, and she would be running her hands through his hair. They would wake up groggy because they are not morning people. He would make her coffee even when he doesn’t drink it himself. She would laugh at his jokes knowing he just wanted to fill silence. In her mind, he was it. He would have loved her dad. He would have fallen in love with her passion. The reality hits her once in a while; she wasn’t good enough. The butterflies that once inhabited her innards are gone, but they left a ring of dirt. With their absence went the memory. His voice no longer lingers. His exact words no longer wander and worm their way through her mind. All that remains is the memory of his touch: his caressing her hair, his lips on hers, his arms pulling her closer. She doesn’t know why he is still on her mind. She doesn’t know why she

Monthly Favourites- August 2015

Here's something I learned about myself: If I'm not in school, I'm taking a vacation from literally everything. I find it so hard to keep track of writing and posting. But at least I kept track of my monthly favourites. I'm really not too sure where I see this blog going this year seeing as I'm moving to England in about a week, but I'll keep you posted. Anyway, here was my month: 1. Smartfood I don't know why, but I have been just craving Smartfood all month. I promise, I do share it with others. At the same time, I also admit that a majority of work lunches have been comprised of Smartfood and some kind of fruit. I mean, I love cheese. We all know that about me. So it's natural that cheesy popcorn is one of my favourite snacks. 2. Any.do  [source] This is an app that has saved my life. I can't remember where I heard about this, but I know I got it off of a blog. I am one of those people that likes making lists. I feel good about cr

Lessons Learned: Friend Breakup Edition

So my life is changing. In less than a month, I’m heading to England. And as the summer is coming to a close, I have been through a lot. I think this has been my most social summer yet. But when that comes around, so does some drama. As I have mentioned in a previous lessons learned , drama is a thing you just cannot escape no matter how mature you are. It is not easy to deal with. I’ve been through it this summer. I’m sure you read the title: friend breakup. It happens. And here’s what I learned: 1.        You shouldn’t feel obligated to keep someone in your life. We’re going to call this friend Taylor because it’s gender neutral. Taylor told me a while ago that they consider me one of their best friends. We were hanging out all the time. They called me when they needed to talk about their life, and took me out when we both needed some time to chill out. When it comes down to it, Taylor was not making me happy. Despite Taylor considering me a best friend, I simply could not

Monthly Favourites- July 2015

The amount of times I have changed my mind about what my favourites were over the course of the month is ridiculous. This was a month of work, work, work. As I mentioned, I have finally decided to get my life in order, but the rest of the month was all about swimming lessons. I ended up having a split shift where all I was doing was teaching. I'll admit that I am one of the only ones, but I prefer teaching over guarding any day. Everyone thinks I'm crazy. 1. La-Roche Posay Ultra-Fluid Lotion SPF 60 So I'm a lifeguard. I'm in the sun all day. And I HATE sunscreen. I hate the greasiness, and I hate the way it makes my skin breakout. However, this sunscreen for my face has changed the game. I got this stuff a couple years ago as a free sample in one of the small tester kits, and I was sold. I've been using it ever since, so the label is so worn out.This has a matte finish, and it feels so good. You only need a small amount to cover your whole face. And it works.

There's Something You Should Know

My sister is the most important person in my life. We have a weird relationship. I have grilled cheese every Friday. If we have lunch on a Friday, I’m expecting grilled cheese. If you make me watch a scary movie, you’ll have to sleep with me for a week, and the light will stay on. I hate the smell of oranges. If you offer me an orange, I’m probably going to ask you to peel it for me. I enjoy naps. It is my personal opinion that three naps a day is the perfect amount. I am pretty much an expert on cheese. I can identity types just by eating them. I have a happy vein. When I get over-excited, it pops out on my forehead. It takes a lot to get me truly angry. If I’m angry, you really screwed up. I was bullied by exclusion in elementary school. As a result, I often feel out of place in social groups. I’ve been blamed for issues in my household. I often feel guilty for no reason. I am direct, so I will never beat around the bush. I will call you out, and people don’

My Reason to Restart

This is a longer version of what I wrote two weeks ago.  As an update from then: I have cleaned my room. And that was today, so that barely counts. I had a spur of motivation today and took control. As my floor become more and more visible, I came to a realization: I'm an adult and I need to start acting like one. I have grown so much this past year , and it's about time that the rest of my life catches up. I'm moving to a new continent by myself in less than two months. Time to be an adult. I'm not going to bore you with my huge game plan to accomplish this. Just let me tell you how this will affect you.  The gateway to adulthood is ahead. This blog started as a way for me to put some creativity out there. Since then, I think I've lost that. I am more me than I've ever been, but this blog has not been a reflection of that. I'm not looking forward to writing anymore. It feels like a chore because nothing is truly original anymore. So things are about

Pinterest Challenge- Birthday Cake Truffles

Here's my dessert plight: my family hates sweets. I know. I don't understand how I'm related to any of them. I adore desserts. The thing about this treat was that I made it for a work birthday party. And it was amazing. Everyone loved it. And just look at them. They are a thing of beauty. This is the second time I've made truffles, and there is one thing I don't understand: how on earth do the people who make these make them so perfect? Chef in Training nailed the look, and I really don't get it. If anyone has a tip to dipping truffles, let me know.       Ingredients:   - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened - 1/2 cups sugar - 1 tsp. vanilla - 1 1/2 cups flour - 1/2 tsp. salt - 1 cup yellow cake mix - milk - sprinkles - white chocolate for dipping     1. Mix the butter, sugar, vanilla, flour, salt, and cake mix together.  2. Add as much milk is needed to mix everything together. 3. Mix until it reaches a sticky consistency.

Summer Scrapbook Saturday #9

I have a day missing. I cannot, for the life of me, remember what I did on Monday. I also went out for ice cream on Thursday with Marlee, but I completely forgot to take a picture. In hindsight, I probably could have used a picture from one of the other times I went out for ice cream. I've been doing that a lot recently. But what else is summer for?       (left to right)   1. On Monday, I met up my best friend Julia for our classic date: Starbucks and Indigo. We hadn't seen each other for a while and had a lot to catch up on. We had coffee first and wandered around Indigo for a while. I went in with the mission to get Mamrie Hart's  book. I came out with a new journal specifically for England and new note cards. It was all necessary.   2. Summer is rough on the skin. I haven't been following my regular skin routine because I'm in the pool for about six hours a day. Because of the sun and chlorine and sunscreen, my skin has become so dry. It feels

I Suck at Organization

I have a confession. Organization/cleanliness is my worst trait. Why? Because I am neither organized nor clean. I can fake it very well. In my professional and scholarly lives, I pull everything off. I am always on time. The only time I ever handed essays in late was when I got mono. But the organization lacks in my social and personal life. I am always late for social engagements. I always say that time is my worst math. When I’m getting ready, I misjudge how long it will take to do so. My emails are constantly backed up. I often write blog posts the day of. And, as I look around at the disaster zone of my room, I have this awful feeling bubbling up in the pit of my stomach. I need to pull it together. I love the idea of organization. Sometimes, I’ll find a new technique, and I’ll stick to it for a week or so, but sooner or later, it all falls apart again. I could not tell you how many times I’ve had moments of inspiration and watching it all crumble around. However, I love the i

Summer Scrapbok Saturday #8

Apologies for a day late post. Yesterday was crazy, and I was running around all day. You'll hear about it next week. I started work this past week, and I am just feeling tired. I'm doing early mornings (early by my definition), and I have a split shift, and I'm still trying to get out and do things, so my body needs a sleep break. (moving left to right, top then bottom) 1. There have been so many festivities surrounding my sister's graduation. This is the last one, I swear! Last Saturday, we had a tea party and gave her the presents. She's going into kinesiology this coming fall, and a friend of mine suggested that I buy her a textbook or a book about bones for her. It was great idea, and she absolutely loved it! 2. Sunday night was my Aunt's last night with us. We decided to have a movie night, so we set up downstairs with chips and popcorn and Root Beer. We watched Julie and Julia which is an awesome feel good movie. 3. I started work on Monday. I

Monthly Favourites- June 2015

Bad quality photos alert. Someone (who may or may not be me) forgot that this was the last day of the month. So I rushed to get some pictures done. Forgive me. I can describe this past month in one word: busy. Weekdays were dedicated to promo team, and weekends were dedicated to recertifications for lifeguarding. I have been unable to sleep in for a few weeks, and I am feeling it in my bones. However, it has been a rewarding month. Promo team is one of my favourite parts to my job. So let's see some other favourites. 1. Microsoft Surface 2 I have my computer back. Due to an unfortunate dropping (it wasn't me for once), I have not had this since my birthday. I love the Surface 2. I have found it very easy to use, and technology does not come easy to me. It has been extremely helpful for blogging, and all my setting are saved permanently. It has been brilliant. Since having it back, I have been more productive with it. 2. Coffee As I said, I have been busy. On top

Summer Scrapbook Saturday #7

I'm exhausted. That's all I have to see. I've taken pictures of some specific things, but this week has really been all about work. I've been working and training and running all over the place. I'm the kind of person who really likes to sleep in once a week. The absence is noticeable in my life. Other than that, I took some selfies. (left to right) 1. My sister graduated on Thursday! Brianne and I made a deal that we never have to go to each other's graduations. But Wednesday night, my parents took her out for a fancy dinner downtown. So we got all dolled up and went out! The food was to die for. 2. I have two weddings to attend this summer, and my mom and I went out to look for a dress. I found the most adorable dress. It's very 50s housewife, but I absolutely love it. I promise to post pictures. 3. This picture makes no sense without explanation. Monday night, there was a huge storm. I ended up sleeping on my sister's floor that night becau

I Am #AERIEREAL

Here’s a shocker for everyone reading this: I am not skinny. Summer is here, and I know this can be a vulnerable for those who don’t have “bikini bodies.” And I get it, I really do. There are times when I have wanted to cover up or stay wrapped in a towel. But that’s no way to have fun in the summer. My weight and body is something I have come to accept. I love myself just as it is. This is not easy, especially when there are so many images that invite me to think otherwise. A rare case of a brand offering support for girls who are not perfect is Aerie ’s No Touchup Campaign. I can’t remember when it was launched, but I was extremely happy to see models just as they are in their ads.  [source] This is a good step in the right direction when it comes to positive body image. Girls can come to accept freckles, body rolls, and tattoos. Aerie primarily sells bras, underwear, and swimwear. Let’s face it, even the best of us don’t always feel comfortable mostly naked. By seeing mode