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Showing posts from December, 2015

My New Years Manicure!

Hello! I just got my nails done for the New Year and I'm completely in love. It's a shellac manicure in the colour "Glacial Mist" which is the most stunning, sparkly ice blue. I'm obsessed. It's part of the CND Shellac Aurora collection (I previously got Nordic Lights, a sparkly purple, which was also so so incredible) and I have nothing but amazing things to say. What do you think? How are you doing your nails for the New Year? xo

10 Things I Wish I Knew When I Was Younger

Dear younger me, There are so many things I wish I knew when I was your age. There are a lot of things that you will unfortunately learn the hard way, but I wish I had someone to tell me (and if they did tell me, I wish I really listened). 1) The friends you make in high school will not be your friends forever. No matter how much you tell yourselves that you will, many of you will drift apart and that's totally okay. Don't bring yourself down trying to hold onto a friendship that's run its course. Not everyone you meet is meant to be in your life forever and you will meet other people who will fill that space. 2) The only person you should be wearing makeup for, or dressing up for, is yourself. If it makes you feel happy, go for it. But don't change your appearance because you think people will like you better for it or pay more attention to you. Believe me, those aren't the kind of people you want in your life anyway. 3) Do not be in a rush for your "

Is Boxing Day Really Worth It?

Honestly, I'm getting really sick of all the hype around boxing day. I'm not denying that there can be great sales on this day, but it comes to a point where, are we buying this stuff cause we really need it, or are we buying it cause it's a great deal? Shout out to everyone who worked in retail today; I've been there and I feel your pain. Your hard work is truly admired. So. I attempted to go shopping at the mall today, to check out if the deals were really worth it, but honestly, I didn't get past the parking lot. It was insanity. You'd think the stores were just handing things out for free. You can defend it all you want, but you and I both know that at least half of these so called "sales" are really not even worth it, and those that are come with wild crowds and endless lines. And as much as I love a good deal, there is no way in hell that I'm going to swim through massive crowds and wait in line for 45 minutes just to save 40% on somethi

What A Difference A Day Makes

Just a little something for you all to take a listen to today. This little girl's voice gives me chills, it is truly so lovely to hear something so inspirational and soulful from such a young girl. If only I was so talented at 8 years old! Hope you're all having a lovely day xo

Merry Christmas!!! (Blogmas Day 25)

Hey everyone! Just a quick post to wish you all a very Merry Christmas! I hope you're all having a great day with loved ones and are feeling all of the love and happiness! I had so much fun with Blogmas this year and I'll definitely be doing it again next year! I hope you all enjoyed reading these posts as much as I did writing them! Have a lovely day, whether you celebrate Christmas or not <3 xo Dina

It's Christmas Eve! (Blogmas Day 23 & 24)

Hey everyone! The past 24+ hours have gone by in such a flurry of excitement and productivity for me, I honestly cannot believe it's already the 24th! All my gifts have been bought, wrapped and placed under the tree. My pumpkin pie is baked and ready to eat and my cake is baked, leveled, stacked and crumb coated! All I have left to do today is to decorate my cake which sounds like a pretty fun Christmas eve activity to me! Along with Christmas eve supper and then Christmas movies and hot chocolate!! I have to say I'm a bit sad that after all this fun buildup, Christmas will be over once again. But the next few days will be tons of fun and I'm super excited! What are you guys doing today? Do you have any Christmas eve traditions? Happy Christmas eve everyone! PS. would anyone be interesting in seeing the final product of my cake once it's decorated? It's a pumpkin and spice cake with a cinnamon cream cheese icing!! xo

Holiday Baking Plans (Blogmas Day 22)

Alright, so I'm officially stressing out. Every year for the holidays, I always bake a lot. However this year, I think my plans are a bit too ambitious for the amount of time I have left and the sheer amount of things I need to get done before the 24th. (Which is in 2 days by the way, in case anyone wasn't keeping track.) I figured that writing out this blog post will kind of serve as a bit of a reality check and planning guide for myself to get on track as to where I need to be. Because, I don't know about you guys, but I go all out for Christmas, but I don't usually wait until the very last minute to get started. Here's the situation: What needs to get done in the next 48 hours: -Finish Christmas shopping -Wrap said gifts -Bake gingerbread cookies -Bake a pumpkin pie -Bake a cake -Possibly bake a cheesecake Obstacles in my way: -I work every evening from 5pm-nearly midnight -I have to babysit every day from 11am-4pm and have no means to leave the

(Last Minute) Christmas Shopping! (Blogmas Day 21)

Hey everyone! I took a small break from Blogmas the past couple days just to relax and recharge post exams, but I am back now! Yesterday I had such a nice (although hectic) day of Christmas shopping with my boyfriend. The stores are so unbelievably busy, which I'm sure anyone reading this is like, duhhhh, but I'm used to getting my Christmas shopping done well before the last couple weeks of Christmas, so this is new territory for me. It was slightly disappointing to be honest, because besides the fact that the lines to pay (and sometimes even just to get into stores) were insanely long, but also because the stores just seemed so understocked. There were so many things that I expected to find at certain stores and they just didn't have any. I spend the entire day shopping and I'm still missing so much! So now I have to squeeze in shopping time between my work schedule and babysitting my sister who is now done school. Which likely means I'll be finishing my s

Freedom and Festivities!

Hello once again lovelies! As you can possibly tell, I am in a fantastic mood, because I just finished writing my last exam of the semester and I am officially on break! I'm also halfway through the Nursing program which makes me 1/2 of a nurse or something ;) I'm so happy to be done but I've just realized how much I have left to do! Only 7 days until Christmas and I'm still missing tons of Christmas gifts, I have tons of wrapping to do and lots of baking! I'm so excited!!! Let the holidays begin for real now! xo

Currently Stressing: The Sequel (Blogmas Day 18)

A visual representation of me writing my exam Hello hello! Once again, as you are reading this, I'm writing my (thankfully final) final exam of the semester! So unfortunately no fantastic post today (maybe). I should have planned ahead for these posts, oops! I promise to make up for it with awesome (and possibly double!) posts for the next week for Blogmas! Hopefully you're all having a great day! Let me know what you're up to, as I'm sure its far more fun and exciting than what I'm up to! xo

These Are A Few Of My Favourite Things... (Blogmas Day 17)

Hey everyone! So this will be a very quick little post since I desperately need to get back to studying but I'm starting to feel more in that warm fuzzy Holiday mood and I thought I'd share a few of the things that make me happy this time of year when I'm feeling down. I'm honestly so grateful for how amazing my friends are to me. Even though it's pretty much the busiest time of year for us all, they still manage to be there for me when I need them most and I appreciate it beyond belief. It makes everything so much better when I'm feeling down. On a less serious note, here are the other things making my down days a bit better; Sweet hot chocolate with a mountain of marshmallows Candy canes! Wrapping gifts with music on in the background How pretty the twinkling lights of the tree are when its dark The gorgeous Christmas displays in the windows of stores Warm blankets fresh out of the dryer Someone holding you when you don't fe

Gingerbread Cookie Decorating! (Blogmas Day 16)

I make gingerbread cookies every year. I love the fun of decorating them and I think they make a really cute little gift to give people when you go over for a visit. I haven't gotten around to making any yet (thanks a lot, exams), but I have been looking around for some inspiration on how I should decorate them this year, and I have found TONS which I thought would be nice to share with you all! How do you decorate your gingerbread cookies? Let me know in the comments! xo

Currently Stressing (Blogmas Day 15)

A visual representation of me at the moment Hello everyone! Unfortunately, if you were hoping for a wonderful, festive blog post today, you may be disappointing. As you read this, I am currently writing my Nursing final exam for the semester. So forgive me for not having time/feeling creative enough to write a fantastic blog post. If I'm not passed out from exhaustion, I may post a little something extra for you all tonight... but if not, I wish you all a lovely day and hope your December so far has been fantastic! xo

5 Cute Winter Date Ideas! (Blogmas Day 14)

Hello everyone! So, for those of you in a relationship, I completely understand that sometimes its hard to come up with creative date ideas that also keep the season in mind. It can get a bit dull always going out for dinner and a movie all year around. So here are some suggestions for festive date ideas for the winter season! Hopefully you enjoy them and try some of these out! Skating The most typical (and super fun!) date during the wintertime for me is to go skating together. Usually at a festively decorated outdoor skating rink, but it could be indoors if you live somewhere that doesn't necessarily get too cold! It's a fun, active date that you'll both enjoy. Hopefully at least one of you can skate well though, cause it might not be so fun for the both of you ending up falling on your butts! This is definitely a date you should try at least once with your significant other. Stay in and watch holiday movies Ok, hear me out on this one, since I know it doesn

Fashion Inspiration for Holiday Parties (Blogmas Day 13)

Along with the chilly weather, holiday music and festive decorations, December also brings along another yearly favourite: Holiday parties. Be it for work, with friends or with family, you will most likely attend a holiday party/get together or two during the month of December. So, be it formal or casual, evening or daytime, if you're looking for some fashion inspiration, you've come to the right place! I've gathered a few of my favourite formal and casual looks that will be perfect for any holiday party. A lot of these would also look fantastic on New Years Eve too! As you'll probably notice, I'm loving cute sweaters when it comes to casual looks and when it comes to formal holiday wear, I'm all about sequins! I can't resist a little sparkle! Which ones your favourite? Casual looks: Formal looks: Happy partying! xo

'Tis The Season For Finals (Blogmas Day 12)

Dear overwhelmed college students swamped in studying for finals, I feel you. Finals season sucks. And it sucks the fun out of the anticipation of the upcoming holidays. It's not fun having to debate; "do I go out and do my Christmas shopping, or continue working my way though this never-ending pile of notes to prepare for this exam?". It's really hard to get in the holiday spirit with these looming deadlines and exam dates approaching far too quickly. 15 weeks worth of Nursing classes and 15 weeks worth of Microbiology in a span of 4 days? No thanks. So shout out to all you students out there still hanging on and looking forward to the break. Know that soon all those all-nighters, countless cups of coffee, endless note taking and highlighting will all be worth it as you follow your dreams! And congrats to those of you who have made it through your finals and are getting much deserved rest! Please remember that your grades do not define you and as long as you t

5 Amazing Holiday Recipes! (Blogmas Day 11)

Hi everyone! So as you all know, I'm very into Pinterest and trying out tons of recipes, and I have just been drowning in tons of amazing holiday recipes that I just had to share with you all. Super festive and delicious! These would all look so nice on a holiday dinner table! Let me know in the comments if you'd like me to share more! (Cause believe me, there is many many more) Enjoy!! xo 1) Pear, Pomegranate and Spinach Salad Recipe here 2) Hot Chocolate Cookie Cups Recipe here 3) Chicken Parmesan Meatballs Recipe here 4) Honey Roasted Butternut Squash with Cranberries and Feta Recipe here 5) Pork Tenderloin Stuffed with Shallots, Poached Pears, and Blue Cheese  Recipe here 

Wrapping The Presents!! (Blogmas Day 10)

Anyone who knows me knows I LOVE wrapping gifts. I'm the sort of person who goes all out with this; pretty paper, ribbons, bows, name tags and all. Does anyone else love wrapping gifts all pretty? Especially with some Christmas music (or Vlogmas videos) in the background! And I must say, I'm pretty good at wrapping them too, so I'm usually the designated gift wrapper in my house (minus my own, of course). Although, can we all just take a minute to acknowledge the most frustrating things about gift wrapping? Awkwardly shaped gifts Cutting wrapping paper too short Running out of tape halfway through a gift Running out of wrapping paper or ribbon and not being able to finish a gift Cheap/Thin wrapping paper that doesn't glide with the scissor when you cut it I just want to say that I think that actually taking the time to wrap a gift and make it look nice is so important. The effort of doing that really shows that you care and lets be honest, it looks SO

The BEST and EASIEST Waffle Recipe! (Blogmas Day 9)

When it starts to get chilly out, I find myself making waffles pretty often. In fact, our Sunday breakfast usually consists of waffles of some kind. And in my house, I'm the designated waffle chef. I have the best recipe for waffles that are truly delicious AND any lazy chefs dream; its all done in one bowl, with ingredients everyone has in their kitchen. Literally foolproof and delicious. Perfect for Christmas morning! Makes anywhere from 8-12 waffles, depending on the size of your waffle iron. Ingredients:  2 cups of All-Purpose flour 1 tablespoon of baking powder 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar 1/4 teaspoon of salt 2 eggs (beaten) 1 teaspoon of vanilla (but you can add another 1/2 teaspoon if you want a stronger vanilla taste!) 1-3/4 cups of milk 1/4 cup vegetable oil Directions:  1) In a big bowl, combine all the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, sugar and salt) 2) Create a well in the center of your dry ingredients and add your wet ingredients 3) Mix

The Best Things About The Holiday Season! (Blogmas Day 8)

Hello and welcome to Blogmas Day 8! I did a post like this back in the fall and I really felt like doing another one! With the help of my lovely best friend Tracy, we came up with a list of the absolute best things about the Holiday season! Hopefully you all agree! Let me know what your favourite things about the holiday season are in the comments!  Festive decorations everywhere! Christmas movies on TV The food The first snowfall Time off from school Wrapping gifts with pretty wrapping paper and bows (even if you're not great at it) Advent calendars The smell of freshly baked cookies (and Christmas dinner!) Baking gingerbread cookies Christmas music Decorating the tree Putting cookies out for Santa on Christmas eve Warm sweaters and fuzzy socks Hot chocolate Christmas scented candles! Ugly christmas sweaters Stockings filled with little gifts Christmas shopping! Waking up on Christmas day Decorating gingerbread houses Spending tim

4 Reasons Why You Should Have A Job While You're In School (Blogmas Day 7)

I used to be the kind of person who refused to have a job during school semesters. I explained it by saying I wanted to be completely focused on school and not have any other distractions keeping me from getting the highest grades possible. I would work during my summers, but as soon as the fall semester rolled around, I'd remain unemployed so I could put all my time into my studies. However, as you get older, life happens and your parents can't support you 100% forever. So having a job became necessary for me. Maybe I've just been spoiled and everyone reading this right now is like well duhhhh. But for all you lazy girls like me who don't want to work during the semester, have a quick read. I now realize that not only is having a job while you're in school totally possible, it's actually beneficial. And here's why. I'm not suggesting you work 30+ hours while also going to College full time. While I do know some people who can somehow manage this, I

Weekly Pinterest Picks: Christmas Tree Inspiration (Blogmas Day 6)

Hey everyone! Welcome to Blogmas day 6! As I mentioned in a previous post, today I'm going to be sharing some inspiration for Christmas tree decoration! There are honestly some incredibly gorgeous trees online and it makes me so envious! I wish my house was bigger so I could have a huge tree like some of these! But regardless, if you're looking for some decoration inspiration, or you just love looking at Christmassy things like me, enjoy! :) p.s how cute was that ombre/rainbow one? I'm in love! xo