Life Update: Graduation and Goals

Hi everyone! I have returned once more lol. I'm sorry for the radio silence, so here is a brief update on what has been going on with me. I graduated from community college about 3 weeks ago, and I just went to orientation for Sacramento State on Monday. Other than that I have just been working like crazy and trying to find something full time related to my major.

I'm excited for this transition and excited that, after 3 years since leaving Concordia, I am back at a university ready to go!

And what the heck, here are my goals for my time at university:

• Join a club - believe it or not I have not joined a club since Concordia.
• Get into both the business and psychology major programs. Bit of explanation, both of these majors are impacted so, come September, I have to complete the supplementary application to be admitted to the major. 
• Here are my long term goals:
• Join an honor society
• Graduate cume laude - which means with honors, having a GPA higher than 3.5. Overall I am trying to aim for magna cume laude which is having a GPA between 3.75-3.889 GPA.

I hope you are doing well and having an awesome summer. Let me know if there are any posts you want to see :)

Big hugs from my computer to yours,

Kimmie

I've Been Accepted, Now What?

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Now that all decision letters have been sent from universities, here comes the even trickier part of the application process. Taking your acceptances and making a very critical decision about the next few years.

Here are some steps you will need to take:

1.  Evaluate your financial aid packages. There is something we can probably all agree on, college is expensive. It is also equally true that the amount of financial aid you get can sway your decision. It is important that you carefully review the amount of aid you will be getting per school and weigh your options.
2. Intent to enroll. Once you have made your decision it is very important to give the colleges your intent to enroll or not. These do have strict deadlines so keep track of them and make sure you give your decision prior to this.
3. Register for orientation. Orientation is where you will get to meet your counselors, get all information about classes, figure out how to register, etc. These are mandatory and extremely helpful.
4. Follow the check list. Much like the application process, the acceptance process has quite a few important steps and deadlines. Make sure you are frequently reviewing these and completing any necessary documents. Many colleges will have a checklist for you on their student portals.
5. Accept your financial aid. The offer you are given through the portal, or mailed, isn't enough. There are some parts of financial aid you will need to accept. Make sure you understand each parts of your offer, along with what is, and is not a loan.
6. Keep in touch with your counselor. The counselors at both your current and future schools can help you out in so many ways. They are the experts on this process and will answer any questions you may have, and keep you on the right track.

Overall, make sure you stay on top of all the deadlines because you don't want your acceptance to be revoked on top of something small. Such as...

Senioritus! It is a thing! And if not the most important, make sure you do not slack off, just because you've been accepted doesn't mean you're out of the woods yet. Keep in mind, your acceptance is pending the receipt of your final grades.

I know you will all do well and I wish you luck as you begin on the next step of your journey. (And good luck on finals!)

Good luck,

Kim

10 Blog Post Ideas

It can happen to anyone. You go totally blank and can't think of anything to write about or content to put forth. So, for those times, here are 10 ideas to get you going again:

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1. Your current favorite movie, book, song, food, etc. Let us know what's going on with you.
2. What's your vice? No one is perfect, this reminds us of that.
3. Advice - if you are good at something or have gone through something tough recently, give us some tips from your experience.
4. Worst movie ever, and how you would fix it.
5. Give your opinion on a hot topic right now. (The elections, candidates, Kesha, to name a few.)
6. Review your own blogging, give your reaction to old posts.
7. Psycho-analyze yourself  based on your favorite movies, your book shelf, etc. (Read mine here)
8. Top 10 played songs on your iPod, be honest!
9. Tell me about your weird pet peeves, explain.
10. Free write - just sit down and type what is on your mind. Edit as little as possible, and only afterwards.

Your turn! The final suggestion is to post your own ideas. Don't forget to leave me the link in the comments so I can check them out!

For further inspiration:

 - Daily Post at Wordpress has daily prompts and lots of helpful info.

 - My Pinterest idea board.

Project Pan 2016

Hi everyone, I will be continuing project pan into this year with some pretty ambitious goals. I picked out 20 items that I want to completely use up by December 31st. You can check out my original project pan post here, along with my 2015 wrap up.

Here is my list with my revisions in pink. I made these revisions in an effort to use up products that I don't really use and move them out of my collection. (Please forgive my handwriting)

I also made a broader list of goals of the amount of each category I want to use up. I want to finish:

- 2 bronzers	- 3 foundations	- 1 blush	- 1 lipstick	- 3 eyeliners
- 2 face powders	- 1 face primer	- 2 eye primers	- 3 concealers

I will be posting more frequent updates through my Instagram page, so be sure to check that out by clicking here or the button in the side bar.

I will keep you guys posted as often as possible. Will any of you be participating in project pan this year? If so, what are your goals? Let me know in the comments!

Have a wonderful day
<3 Kimmie

Exciting News and Updates

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Interwebbies! Ok, so since we last spoke here is the lowdown:

1. I am moving to a new place, still in the same city, but it is a very beautiful townhouse that I am super excited about. I will be moving this upcoming Friday the 25th, and I may post a couple pictures once I get everything set up.

2. I GOT ACCEPTED! After 2.5 years of hard work and dedication, I will be returning to the world of universities for another go. (I attended a university for a semester before life happened and since have been attending community.) I will be graduating in May with an associate degree for transfer in business and will be attending Sacramento State in the fall.

3. I did get in a car accident about a month ago, everything is alright, it was pretty minor.

4. Sleep schedule is still a horrific mess...yup probably not gonna change any time soon XD because who doesn't love a closing shift to turn around and work an early morning shipment and then close again that night....it is definitely a roller coaster. 

5. My schedule in general is still cray cray! Haha, if you have been following me at all you know that my life is pretty much always busy. As a college student working two jobs, I don't really have much time for a social life or my poor neglected blog. But I do try, I still love my blog very much.

6. The fur babies are still doing well. And for fun, here are some goofy pictures of them:

They sleep so weird....

During the moving process I will have some posts coming your way that are already scheduled and ready to go. I also have some good content for my College Survival Guide coming up soon! Starting with "I've been accepted, now what?"

If you have anything you would like to see me write about I would love any feed back and suggestions you have to offer :)

Have a wonderful day,

<3 Kimmie

Project Pan 2015 Roundup

Hey everyone, I know I am late to the round up considering that it is now February, but I figured better late than never. I didn't accomplish all of my goals, but, considering the fact that I started in about October/November area, I'd say I did pretty well. (You can check out my initial post here.) So, here we go:

Here is a picture of the overall products

1. Hit pan on the Walking on eggshells palette - Lid and Crease shades - Fail! While I did make a pretty good dip in these two shades, I sill have a ways to go.

2. Hit pan on Lorac 2 mini - Rosé. Nope, just a dip.

3. Hit pan on Maybelline Fit Me Powder - Did it ^_^ now to make as much progress as I can in the next two months. Dang! Look at that pan!

4. Finish Covergirl 3 in 1 Foundation - DONE!!! Woop Woop! I absolutely love this foundation and I always tended to get complements on my skin when I wore this. I wan to use up some of the other foundations I own first, but I definitely plan to repurchase this foundation. It also has a pretty good shade range so I would really recommend this to everyone!

5. Finish Dream Smooth Mousse - Ha, yeah no....honestly I hardly touched this foundation because even though it is the lightest shade in the range, it is still a bit too dark for me right now. I plan to use it up over the summer. I really do enjoy it though.

Products that weren't completely finished, but for some reason forgot to take out the smashbox primer!

6. Finish Smasbox Photo Finish Primer - Really proud of myself for finishing this! I have maybe one or two uses left if I really try and get all thats left at the bottom but overall I am calling it done. I really like it and do have another mini sample size, but I am looking forward to trying other primers.

7. Hit pan on Too Faced Milk Chocolate Soleil Bronzer - WOOOHOOO! This is the first bronzer I truly fell in love with. I am super fair so finding a bronzer that doesn't make me look orange or muddy is a mission. I definitely plan on saving up for the full size!

8. Finish Makeup Geek Peach Smoothie - Didn't totally finish it, but did make massive progress.

9. Finish Makeup Geek Creme Brûlée - Really close to finishing this, I had to repress it because of how far out to the edges it was getting. I am annoyed with myself for not taking a picture of it before I repressed it but oh well. I actually hit pan on the repress today.

10. Finish Makeup forever hd 117 - FINISHED!

11. Finish Neutrogena moisturizer - Finished! I really enjoyed this as a light everyday moisturizer. However, I want to give other ones a try and find something I really enjoy and can actually see benefits from, especially now that it is cold and my skin is even dryer than normal.

Products that I finished, plus my Maybelline concealer for some reason...lol

I am super excited to see the progress I can make in 2016. I have got some ambitious goals, keep a look out for that post!

Have a great day!

Kimmie

Items Every College Student Should Have in Their Medicine Cabinet

As I mentioned in my recent post, the cold season has finally caught up with me. I just got back from Walgreens to pick up cold medication and decided that I should do a post about the handful of items I feel like every college student should have in their medicine cabinet for when you get sick.

1. Some kind of Cold/Flu/Cough syrup - I pretty much always have day and night time cold medicine stashed away under my bathroom sink. I feel like you should always have a day and night time version, because when you have a lot of things to get done, the last thing you need is to be kept up all night because of *insert symptom here.* Also, the day versions are specifically meant to be non-drowsy so you can still kick butt.

Here is a little cheat sheet for what you want to look out for depending on your symptoms:
Sneezing - Decongestant
Cough - Cough Suppressant as well as something to get rid of mucus
Acetaminophen - this will help reduce fever and is also a pain reliever

2. Cough Drops. I always, always have cough drops because you never know when you are going to have a sore throat, dry, etc. I keep two types of cough drops around: one with Menthol and Luden's. When you have a painful cough or sore throat, you will want to get a cough drop with menthol in it because it works as an anesthetic which means it will numb your throat and help with the pain. My favorite are the Ricola Cherry Honey ones because they don't taste overwhelmingly like menthol and actually have a pleasant taste. Also, I keep Luden's around because I have been using these since I was little. They taste good and is amazing for just every day.

3. A thermometer - well...duh. You should always have this.

4. Tums - I always have tums or some sort of anti-acid because my stomach tends to over produce acid when I am stressed, but you never know when food is going to disagree with you, when heartburn is going to strike, etc.

5. Soup! Haha I wanted to include this because when you are sick classic Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup is a lifesaver.

For more info, you can check out my posts on how to avoid getting sick and what to do when you get sick.

Take Care,
Kimmie

Why You Should Start a Thankful Journal

I have been keeping a thankful/gratitude journal, off and on, since 2013 when my mom bought the book called "The Magic" written by the author of the famous book "The Secret." I did a post back when I first started, which you can check out here. Whether or not you believe in karma, "sending positivity out into the universe" and all that jazz, here is what I have learned from keeping one.

The concept is rather simple, I try to do this every morning when I wake up (or at least at some point in the day) I write down a list of 10 things I am thankful for, then reread what I wrote and say "thank you" in my head. I try to format it like, I am thankful for ____ because ____. For me, I don't mind repeating some things but I try to mix up the list rather than doing the same 10 things every day. It really makes you think and dig deep the longer you do this.

Here is an example from my Pinterest. You can find a lot of references, you can check out my writing board here.

You can do this however works best for you. I have a friend who only writes 3 items a day, but she challenges herself to not repeat things. I know when I do this I have gotten as far as "I am thankful for energy drinks for when I have early morning shifts." After a while you will figure out your own method.

That was the "what," here is the "why." I have noticed that during the periods of my life when I do keep up with my journal I am more positive and generally in a better mood. By starting your day out to take a few minutes and think of all the good things in your life, it really shifts your perspective.

Now, I personally feel like in some small way the more positive and happy you are, the more good things tend to happen. It's up to you if you want to believe this, but from my experience it does make life a bit brighter and easier to deal with even when life is starting to suck. I would suggest everyone give it a try, consistently for at least a month and see if it helps you.

In a world that can be full of constant bad news, stress, and unfortunate curve balls, it is good to bring a bit of the good back.

Have a great day you guys,
<3 Kimmie

Back to School - Organization tips

It is once again the start of a new semester and that means getting our lives back together after the holiday vacation and having to be an adult again haha. Here is what I do to get organized at the start of every semester.

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1. Always have a planner. I have been preaching this since I started my blog. I feel like one of the most essential tools in staying organized is a planner. You can use a paper planner, which is what I prefer, or you can use the calendar on your phone, or the plethora of apps out there designed for saying organized and on track. I'm currently testing out a few.
      *Look at your planner every day. This is where a lot of people fail, a planner isn't of any use if you don't utilize it.

2. Have at least one tab, or folder, for each class. My personal preference for organizing papers or handouts is through the use of a good old 3-ring binder. But, I know many people prefer to just use notebooks and folders. Regardless, I think it is important to keep the handouts and notes for each class separate so that way everything is easy to find, and you aren't digging through a jumbled mess of papers later.
      *This being said, if you are using a binder, I would suggest keeping one of the in-binder hole punchers handy so that way you can hole punch everything on the spot.

3. Use the syllabus to your advantage. The first thing I always do at the start of the semester is go through and look at the due dates. Most professors put an assignment outline/calendar on the syllabus which, although is subject to change, is one of the best tools the teachers can give you. I always go through and write the deadlines in my planner so that way I have all my dates in one place and can be able to plan ahead.

4. Have the right tools. I usually always make sure I have a couple different color pens and highlighters. Also, make sure you go through your pens and make sure they all work because I have done this on the first day of school, going to use a highlighter and having it not work.

Hope these tips help, let me know what your back to school routine is.

Good luck,
Kimmie

Ramen, Paniq Room, Mystery Science Theater 3000 and Getting Sick

I just got back from a mini vacation down in LA. I got to see my mom and sister, friends I hadn't seen in a long time, my high school teachers and co-workers from Northrop, went to my favorite restaurant, and was there for my friend Lelaina's 21st birthday.

It was a lot of fun and I was super excited that we got to go to Paniq Room. Essentially you are locked in a room with a theme and you have to solve clues and find the key to get out of the room within an hour. I thought I wasn't going to be good at it because typically I am not good at puzzles but I had the time of my life. I really encourage everyone to check it out. My best friend and I are wanting to go to the location in San Francisco. They did a segment about it the Hollywood one we went to on the news which you can check out below.

I am incredibly happy I got to see my mom because this was the first time I had gotten to see her since the end of June, and it is actually the longest I've ever gone without seeing her,my sister, or my aunt. We went to go see Star Wars together since my mom and sister hadn't seen it yet.

Also, my sister took me with her and her friend to go see Mystery Science Theater 3,000 doing commentary on the movie Starship Troopers. For those of you who were like me and have no clue what MST is, allow me to explain. Basically three guys watch a movie and will make funny comments throughout it as the movie is playing. I was laughing the whole time and they have a slew of movies that they have done this for.

I am glad though that I am back home with my kitties and my own bed. The annoying part is that I started coughing a lot yesterday and have had a killer sore throat since I woke up. But all in all it was a really fun 5 day vacation and I am so happy I got the week off work to relax.

I hope you all are doing well,
Kimmie

What's on my Mind - Free Write

Its 12:08 in the morning and I was sitting here thinking about what to write. I have a list of things I want to create posts on that pertain to my "blogging niche" college, life, makeup. But for some reason I couldn't think of anything, I was simply staring at a blank page. So I decided just to tell you what was on my mind, to just type and see what comes out.

Life scares me.  I am not at all good with change, and as I am coming up on what should be my last semester in community college, I am forced to face the inevitable changes that will take place in my life once more. I have placed my application for only one college, the one CSU closest to me, a risky move I know. But now that I have moved so far away from home, living in a new city and forced to start all over, I really don't want to relocate again. I'm scared that I won't be able to make new friends, that I'll be overwhelmed.

I feel so lost in my life right now. If you asked me what I wanted out of life a couple years ago, I could have easily told you where I wanted to go to college, grad school, what my majors would be, and what I wanted to do career wise and in Job's Daughters and in Demolay. But know I don't know. I feel like all my dreams have abandoned me. I still want to serve as Grand Bethel Girl to the state of California, but I feel like my chances are running out. My bethel is struggling to stay open and we haven't been pulled for a slot in quite a while.

I feel like I'm just drifting from day to day, surviving and trying to figure out where I stand. I feel like I am questioning everything in my life, wondering if I am doing the right thing? What choices should I make from here? Am I where I want to be? Where do I want to be? Thank God for my boyfriend being so understanding and always reassuring me, because we just hit three years, we have been fighting a bit recently due to how much stress we have both been under, and self conscious, anxious, able to jump to worst conclusion me, is even questioning our relationship thinking that "oh we are at the stage where most high school couples break up."

They all make it sound so easy when we are in high school. Go to college, graduate, get a job. No one ever tells you how to handle all the bumps in the road, the twists and turns, and the self doubt that gnaws at your mind. The world expects us to be so grown up and sure of ourselves, knowing what we want and how to successfully be an adult when, in many ways, we are still kids in our own rights. Figuring out the world, taking hesitant steps into adulthood, stumbling and falling. Someone should really write a manual for this insanity we call life.

Alright, well if you are still here reading this, I appreciate it. Sorry for any grammar errors, I was honestly just typing whatever came to mind. Let me know what content you guys would like me to post more of or if you have any suggestions for me. I hope you all have an amazing rest of your day/night and I wish you luck on your journey.

- Kimmie

Happy New Year!

Happy new year everyone! I hope you all had a fun and safe night. I don't know about you, but I am incredibly happy 2015 is over. It was a very rough year for me with a lot of ups and downs and things going wrong. I am hoping things will just be ok for a while, or get better.

I don't want to focus on the negative things right now, instead, here are some of the good things that happened this year:
- Made new friends
- Moved to a new place
- Gotten mostly A's and B's in school
- Gotten better at makeup
- Celebrated my 3 year anniversary with my boyfriend (and got a new years kiss)

I will be starting what should be my last semester in community college in two weeks and in the mean time, waiting to hear back from CSU Sacramento, fingers crossed! My goals for this year are just to work on myself and improve my state of living. Being more active with cleaning and exercising are at the top of the list along with doing well in school. I want to stop putting up with people who hurt me and remember that it is ok to be selfish when it comes to myself and that it is ok to put myself first.

I don't want to make and super specific or crazy difficult goals for this year, but I want to have just a few guidelines to work with. The only real specific goals I have are to read 20 books, and take some fun fitness classes like dance, because I have been wanting to do that for a while.

What are your new years goals? Let me know, and I wish you luck with them.

Take care,
<3 Kimmie