"Me-time" tag!

I found this "Me-time tag" from Weylie on YouTube, and I thought it was unique and creative to try. I will have the entire list of questions posted after my answers so you can join in on the tag. Enjoy x

What do you watch or read during me-time? 

Currently I am reading a book by Nicholas Sparks titled The Longest Ride. During me-time I typically would watch either Friends (go figure) or, a chick flick.

What do you wear during me-time? 

During me-time I wear sweatpants and a comfortable t-shirt. I typically do not wear makeup because I usually plan my day around either not leaving my house, or dressing comfortable enough to leave my house. 

What are your me-time beauty products?

Beauty product wise, I love face masks. Face masks are peaceful and always leave your skin looking rejuvenated. Clay or exfoliant masks are my go-to.

Current favourite nail polish? 

As it is the holiday season, I am obsessing over red nail polish. I have a large collection and I alternate between colours of what I feel I want to wear and I definitely have to say red. Red polish by OPI or Essie. 

What do you eat/drink during me-time? 

I do not change my morning routine (cereal, and coffee) however, I eat lighter than I usually would during "me-time". I'm not sure if it is because I have a day planned surrounding myself or I am a minimalist in terms of food. Other than coffee on a normal day, I have water and tea. 

Current favourite candle? 

I will spare holiday scents because it is something obvious to consider however, my favourite scent at the moment is honey suckle by Bath and Body Works. 

Do you ever have outdoor me-time? 

Depending on the season, yes. During the summer I tan outside or go swimming during me-time and I find it is a treat!

Would you ever go see a movie alone?

If it is a movie I know I will have nobody go with me to see, then yes but I usually don't. 

Favourite online shop? 

I never shop online but when I do it is usually Urban Outfitters.

Anything to add? What else do you do during me-time? 

I guess this can go along with the nail polish question because I love to paint my nails during me-time. I am more concentrated and I feel I do a better job painting!

The questions: 

What do you watch or read during me-time?

What do you wear during me-time?

What are your me-time beauty products?

Current favourite nail polish? 

What do you eat/drink during me-time? 

Current favourite candle?

Do you ever have outdoor me-time? 

Would you ever go see a movie alone? 

Favourite online shop? 

Anything to add? What else do you do during me-time? 

Applying to University for the first time

So you applied to university for the first time. Congratulations! After all of the payments are received you can now officially play the waiting game: e-mails will start rolling in and you will begin to feel popular again. It is a different feeling than most, as you anticipate a response. This response will ultimately determine where you will be next year in September. The worst part? I would say it is submitting all of your documents in a timely manner but in all honesty, it is waiting for their decision. From the time you apply, to the time you submit everything - you are left busy and with always something to do. In that meantime, when everything is said and done, you have nothing to do anymore. All you have to do is, wait. It is a grueling process as you wait because you begin to question and doubt yourself ... it is an unruly cycle that will mandatorily come to an end. It can take up to two months for a university to give you their decision. Is it because they don't want to give you an early acceptance? Maybe. Is it because they are prioritizing amongst the "better" students and feel you deserve to wait? Possibly. Regardless of the reason, you will be given a yes or no answer and here is my advice: 

1) Do submit your documents at once. 

As I said before, this is a tedious process. Depending on your educational experience and what program you are applying to, you will need to submit your high school transcripts and if this isn't your first time, post-secondary transcripts, as well. My best advice is to have everything send at once. This ensures accuracy on your end, and as your documents get sent out to the different cities, it is rest assured the mailman did so in one shipment. 

2) Check your e-mail as often as you can.

You will be getting many, many e-mails. From welcomes to "Your Next Steps", e-mails are your friend. Sometimes too if you are lucky, the university may e-mail you to notify a change on your account and to check immediately because it could have to do with an admission decision, or letter. Make sure the e-mail you choose is an active account with a clean and updated inbox.

3) If you have questions, ask.

I am a big motivator when it comes to having questions and wanting answers. Questions from did you receive my application? to my account is not working properly and even to I am very eager and interested in this program, is there anyway to determine when I will receive a decision?. I find the best way to ask your question is again, through e-mail because it is personalized and if asked properly, there will be few miscommunications. Again, this can give you a +1 for the admissions advisor because they see your interest and desire -- I highly recommend!

4) Choose your university wisely.

The ultimate question is this: Why do you want to go there? Is it because of the campus? The social life? or Academics? Whatever your reason is, please be assured this will affect your experience if you do get accepted. And yes, distance matters. It sounds amazing going to a school that is a few hours away from home, but until life happens and your away to school, things can change. Choose a university that fits your lifestyle, and make sure you are comfortable with your decision because you are paying money just to get in. 

5) Read admission criteria carefully. 

So you like this program ... but little do you know this program requires a grade 12 math requirement you don't have. What do you do? Some universities have leeway when it comes to small requirements to their program. But please, do not oversee this fact because you will eventually need that grade 12 math requirement. Make sure the program you choose is in your interest, skill, and something in which you excel in and not because the program title makes you sound smart. 

I hope my tips are helpful and if you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comment section. If you are one of the students awaiting a response, or you are just beginning to apply; good luck and relax. You will find the process easier than then anticipation itself and if a university happens to deny your application please do not take it to heart as there will be other opportunities to come within your lifetime. 

Gingerbread Cookie Recipe

My gingerbread cookie making was a success. I refrigerated the dough for around 5 hours, and the consistency held up though for some reason, parts of the dough became crumbly. The taste of the cookie outweighs the process and I had to share with you lovelies! Hope you enjoy. 

Ingredients:

3 cups of all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

t tablespoon ground ginger

1 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

1 large egg

1/2 cup molasses

2 teaspoons vanilla

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 deg. Prepare baking sheets by lining with parchment paper.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves until well blended.
3. In a large bowl (KitchenAid's great for this) beat butter, brown sugar, and egg on medium speed until well blended.
4. Add molasses, vanilla, and lemon zest and continue to mix until well blended.
5. Gradually stir in dry ingredients until blended and smooth.
6. Divide dough in half and wrap each half in plastic and let stand at room temperature for at least 2 hours or up to 8 hours.
7. (Dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, but in this case it should be refrigerated. Return to room temp before using.) Preheat oven to 375°.
8. Grease or line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
9. Place 1 portion of the dough on a lightly floured surface.
10. Sprinkle flour over dough and rolling pin.
11. Roll dough to a scant 1/4-inch thick.
12. Space cookies 1 1/2-inches apart.
13. Bake 1 sheet at a time for 7-10 minutes

Finished product: 

Link to original recipe

How fast time flies (It's November!)

To think we are in the month of November, and the year is almost to an end. It is amazing how fast time flies and while I know everyone says this, I can't believe it. The essence of time is something to cherish and always keep sacred. Never take a moment for granted, live to the day, and accomplish your dreams. I am a lover of Christmas, and you will be seeing festive and Holiday posts that inspire me. 

Thanks for reading, and here's to November.

My skin care routine, and why less is more

I vividly remember times of when I had flawless skin. I was a lucky teenager and never suffered from horrible or serious acne, only the casual pimple yet I still had the urge to wear foundation. Now ladies, you know where I'm going with this. We are grown to see these actresses on screen and assume either a) they were born with God-sent skin or b) their foundation is magic. Regardless if our skin is indeed, flawless; we are our own worst critic. I am a firm believer foundation did in some way alter my skin and if I honestly knew the ingredients in my foundation it would somehow be easy to figure out what my skin reacted to. If you are curious, I use Lancôme's Teint Idole Ultra 24H foundation. I swear by it, it's that good. I even went as far as finishing an entire bottle which in essence took me more than 2 years to do and repurchased. 

I started my "official" skin care routine when I was 17 or 18 because it was a time where I started to notice small things, and slowly introduce myself to the massive world of skin care. I was subtly brainwashed (or brainwashed myself) into the regimen of skin care: cleanse, exfoliate, tone, moisturize. It was something I thought I knew clearly, and my skin needed most but in reality it wasn't. I have used products not limited to Spectro Jel, Morning Burst, Neutrogrena Makeup Remover wipes (it burns!), and St. Ives to expensive creams such as, Estee Lauder. 

When I realized nothing helped my poor skin, I stuck to a very simple regimen. I instantly cut out toners, and cleansers and stuck to baby wipes. O. m. g. Words cannot express this little discovery made for little people I needed to get the word out. I use Huggies Soft Skin with Shea Butter. The wipes are thick, and moisturizing that cleans the skin very well. I use the wipes once in the morning, and night though in the summer I squeeze in more time because Canadian summers are unforgiving with heat, and skin. In addition to this, I use Bioderma to remove eye or face makeup and Clean and Clear's Persa Gel 5 spot treatment very sporadically. This little regimen has helped my skin and saved me tons of money. The most expensive product I use on my face is Bioderma which is retailed at 22$ CAN and it lasts you months. If you're wondering what I use to moisturize my skin, I don't. I only moisturize my eyes with POND's before makeup application, and I lightly mix it in with my foundation to lighten the coverage. POND's is a very hydrating moisturizing cream dedicated to dry skin and is only needed lightly if you have normal to combination skin. When I say "less is more", I mean it. I am all for your own personal skin care routine, however, with so many years of trying and figuring I realized it wasn't fair to myself, my skin, and wallet to constantly buy new products because none worked. I treat my skin to weekly or bi-weekly face masks as well to refresh myself. Back in my glory high school days, I discovered Montagne Jeunesse. They are a natural, and animal-cruelty free company and their face masks are SO good! I have literally been buying these hidden beauties for more than six, seven years. I find treating my skin with a face mask, adds onto a healthy and soft look. 

If you are at all curious or interested in any of the products listed above, I will share the link.

Huggies Soft Skin with Shea Butter
Bioderma for Sensitive Skin
Clean & Clear Persagel 5
POND's Dry Skin Cream
Montagne Jeunesse Face Masks

Delicious Coconut Macaroon Recipe

Hello my lovely readers! This past weekend I felt spontaneous and baked coconut macaroons. Needless to say they were delicious and thankfully I was able to make around two dozen with the recipe below! Enjoy x
note: the photo is the finished product and was taken after many, many dessert enthusiasts decided to eat the macaroons!

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon flour

1 1/2 bag of coconut

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup granulated sugar

5 egg whites

To do:

Set oven to 400 degrees. On the stove top, use a heated double boiler and combine 5 egg whites to granulated sugar, until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, and pour egg and sugar mixture into separate bowl to mix up to the point of the consistency of a thick meringue. Combine coconut and flour and pour into egg white mixture. Stir ingredients together until you create a strong batter to place on a non-stick baking sheet - I personally used parchment paper. 

IMPORTANT TIPS:

The recipe I used said to bake for 10-15 minutes. I found 8 minutes to be enough because the macaroons turned golden brown. If you want your macaroons to be lightly done, I suggest baking for 6 or 7 minutes maximum.

If you love coconut but find the amount of coconut to be much, melt dark chocolate in a double boiler and drizzle onto the macaroons. I find this cuts the sweetness and adds a beautiful touch. 

Another useful tip is to store in a dry place. I refrigerated mine though I found the macaroons to sit better wen they are at room temperature. Store in an oven, or container. 

Thank you

Thank you to anyone and everyone who has viewed, read, or lurked my blog. It means a lot and I thoroughly enjoy creating blog posts for you to read xx