Life Update, and Learning Not to Worry

Hey Everyone out there in the blogging universe. For those who read this blog I apologize for always being sporadic with posting. To say that life has been hectic lately would be a massive understatement.

So many things have been going on in my life with huge changes coming very shortly in the future, working on average 25 hours a week at my job, balancing 16 units this semester, and as the icing on the cake, my stress level has been through the roof. As a matter of fact, last Monday I collapsed at school, temporarily lost consciousness and had to have the paramedics called on me because I had a panic attack to the point that I couldn't breathe.

So yeah, my life has been a massive roller-coaster of change, emotion and stress and everything else you can imagine. But in all this there is one thing I have learned, and it is that we can't always fix everything. Some things we simply cannot control and we waste our time worrying about these things.

A few weeks ago my boxing instructor asked us all to sit as he shared his secret with us. He told us that when he was in his 20's he was assisting his elderly neighbor with her lawn. He asked her, if she could change anything in her life, what would it be. She sat and thought for a moment, then she looked him in the eyes and said "I wouldn't worry so much. My husband and I bought this house after we were married, we have two beautiful children, and our own business. And I can't say how many times I worried about if we were going to make it. Worried about if my children were going to have a good education. Worried if we would have enough money for the house payment, or if our business would be successful" he looked at us and commented that these are all things that seem worth worrying about in life but she finished her story by saying "My house is paid off, we sold our successful business for quite a bit of profit, my children are grown and all had wonderful childhoods and wonderful educations. If I could change one thing, I wouldn't worry, because in the end we can't change if some things fail or succeed, but we can change how we approach it."

My Sensei, as he prefers to be called, often sits us down for these life lessons. He told us that if he could impart to us any lesson out of the entire time he has with us, it would be to not worry. To look at the things that make us worry and ask ourselves "can I fix this?" And if the answer is no, set it aside for now and continue on. There is no sense wasting precious time out of our lives worrying about the things that we can't change, the things that we have no power over. Because in the end, that worrying wont change the outcome, it will only add more stress on us.

With the recent events in my life, at first I thought he was wrong. I thought "of course I should worry about what is going on, it is going to affect my life in a huge way." I stressed for so long that I put myself in the hospital. And only now that I found my solution do I realize how silly I was for putting myself through that much stress. I refused to look at the bright side, I just filled my head with everything that could potentially go wrong and cried and was scared. I never stopped to think about the good and I let it interrupt my whole life.

So I would like to pass this lesson onto you. Even though I am not deeply religious I would like to share with you the words of the Serenity Prayer, because no matter what religion you are, or even if you are not, it is a wonderful message. It says: "[God] grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change what I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."

These words have meant so much to me since the moment I first heard them. We should change what we can, but be able to understand and accept what we cannot. It does not do to dwell on what we cannot change, what we regret, or things that have passed. One character from the movie Under the Tuscan Sun says another line that I cherish, "regrets are the past crippling us in the present."

Don't let your fears control your life. Don't let the negative people in your life deter you from your path, even when they are the ones closest to us. And remember, not to worry. Because in the end, it will all come to a resolution whether it is one we can control or not, we must accept that.

I hope that this in some way helped you. And if you are in a hard place in your life, remember that you are not alone, you are strong enough to face this challenge and it to shall pass, and you will be stronger because of it. And even when you are feeling low and may feel like no one believes in you, remember that I believe in you, even if I am just some words on a screen, I have faith that you can overcome whatever comes your way!

Hugs from my computer to yours,
<3 Kimmie

Why I Have Trouble with Change!

So in life one of the hardest things for me is to deviate away from the "plan" I have in my head. And even though logically and rationally I know that isn't always the best thing but I have been this way for a while. The reason I decided to post about this is because I am going to be moving within the next several months and the trepidation of said move is really starting to get to me.

To get personal, I think the biggest reason why I am like this is because when I was younger, after my dad left things were constantly going downhill, or going wrong, or just something new was always falling apart. So in order to help me cope I created this plan in my mind to help me get through the day or just help me get through life. I thought that if I followed this plan and keep myself on track that everything would be ok and work out.

Admittedly I do have pretty bad anxiety and abandonment issues that I am fairly certain play into how stressed changed me so that is something I am working through on my own. But here are a few of the things that help me work through anxiety and accept change more:

- Look on the bright side. I don't know about you guys but one of the bad habits I have when it comes to change is freak out about all the negative things and things that could go wrong as if I am planning for failure. I am constantly needing to remind myself that change is a good thing and could potentially make my life exponentially better.

- Get a support system. Thankfully I will be moving up by family and my best friend is transferring to San Fransisco State in the fall which is only about two hours away from where I will be living. So I will have her and two of my family members all within an hour - two hour drive away. Plus my cousin is the one reminding me of how this will be good for me. Much needed at this point!

- Take a breath! Another one of my big problems is taking on more than I can handle or trying to fix everything around me rather than ever taking the time to realize that I have to take care of myself. That is why this move is such a pivotal point in my life, because I am doing something that will be the best for me in the long run even if at the moment I feel like burying myself under a blanket and running from it. I have to remind myself that my health, sanity and well being is and always will be the most important thing and I have to take care of myself even if it is hard emotionally.

I hope these few tips helped you guys or maybe you could relate in some way, shape, or form. If you have any tips or advice to help with dealing with the stress of change please let me know in the comment section!

Hugs from my computer screen to yours!
<3 Kimmie

5 Places I Want to Visit Before I Die

Here is a quick look into my bucket list and places I want to see before I die.

1. Mendenhall Ice Caves - Juneau, Alaska. How freaking cool is this!

2. Isle of Skye, Scotland. This place is so utterly gorgeous and on top of that I have always wanted to visit Scotland since it is a major part of my heritage.

These are the Fairy Pools.

3. Haiku Stairs - Oahu, Hawaii. These stairs are often referred to as the "Stairway to Heaven" and allows you to look over almost all of Oahu. I believe it is technically closed to the public, but I have a friend who lives there and says many people still hike the long trek up.

4. Glowworm Caves in Waitomo, New Zealand. How many times can I say "OOOOOHHH, AAAAAHHHH!" This looks so amazing and I think it would be a wonderful experience.

5. Petra, Jordan. Dude, it is the scene from Indiana Jones, the Last Crusade!

Hope you enjoy and let me know of any places you would want to visit in the comments :)
<3 Kimmie

The Fear: Getting Sick!

It is the bane of pretty much everyone I have ever met, but it is worse when you have class or work or various other commitments in life. Yes, I am talking about the thing we all dread, getting sick. Especially this time of year when it is the cold and flu season, we are all a bit more susceptible I am going to share a few tips for avoiding getting sick or just getting over your cold faster.

1. This is the most basic of all tips, the thing they have been teaching us since we can remember, WASH YOUR HANDS! This little thing is so incredibly important because it prevents the passage of germs. I would also suggest carrying around a small thing of hand sanitizer from the drugstore or Bath and Bodyworks. They are inexpensive and fit in your backpack, purse, pocket, etc. and especially with how germy college campuses can be, this will come in handy!

2. Don't over work yourself and get those Z's. One of the biggest reasons I get sick is because I am famous for burning the candle at both ends, over working myself and not getting enough sleep. So this is defiantly one area I need to work to improve on. But the more strain and stress you put on your body, the more likely you are to catch a cold because your body isn't fully on its game or it is exhausted. Your sleep is your body's time to repair itself and fight off any potential threats, it is why when you are sick you just want to sleep.

3. Make sure you take your vitamins. I would seriously recommend just everyone, make sure you take a daily vitamin, or at the very least vitamin C to help keep your immune system up and to just help your over all health.

4. Don't forget the C. Vitamin C seriously is amazing stuff and really does wonders. According to WebMD, "the benefits of vitamin C may include protection against immune system deficiencies, cardiovascular disease, prenatal health problems, eye disease, and even skin wrinkling." So yeah, it recommends taking 500 milligrams a day. I would suggest either just daily vitamin C supplements or EmergenC powder packs. This stuff is amazing, especially when I am getting sick it helps so much.

5. Tea time! I absolutely love tea, and let me tell you why it is amazing. Tea has antioxidants which can prevent cancer, hydrates your body, can lower the risk of Parkinson's Disease, and has a whole boatload of other health benefits, some of which were reported on by a little publication called Time Magazine. Health.com quotes ear and throat specialist Dr. Murray Grossman who said "drinking the tea and breathing in steam stimulates the cilia—the hair follicles in the nose—to move out germs more efficiently. Lemon thins mucus, and honey is antibacterial."

6. H2O! Water, water, water! I cannot stress enough how important it is to stay hydrated and believe it or not drinking water is one of the best things you can do for your body. It helps flush out your system and when your body is 80% water, it is good to keep that level up and water in stock lol. One of the main reasons people get sick is dehydration and being sick also makes you dehydrated, so...enough said?

7. Get vaccinated. The flu shot is really a life saver. Many places offer the vaccine for free or at a low cost. Make sure to check the wellness center at your school.

If you are sick:

Take advantage of the wellness center on campus. They have actual doctors and nurses that can steer you in the right direction and help make sure you get back to feeling like yourself quicker.

Don't risk it. Get some sleep, don't push yourself. If it comes down to going to class or work when you feel horrible, possibly getting others sick and making yourself worse vs. taking one day off to sleep, go with the sleep. Your health should never come second. I know I said in my post about going to class that I am the kind of person that goes to class when I am sick, but I still know my limits and I know when to take the day off, you should too.

To reiterate,  drink lots of water, get sleep, take the right kind of medicine for your cold or flu and make sure that you are taking the steps needed to feel better.

Hope this helps, good luck!

<3 Kimmie

Lustables Vol. 3

Welcome back for Volume 3 of "Lustables" as we delve back into my makeup wish list! 

Too Faced Individual Shadows in Petals to the Metal, Cop a Teal and Poison Orchid. Such pretty colors and I just really like the formulation and feel of Too Faced eye shadows, I think these would be really fun for a pop of color and I would love to add these to my collection. Swatches of Poison Orchid and Petals to the Metal here and Cop a Teal here.

Mac Mineralized Skin Finish in Lightscapade. AHHHH this is so pretty! I cant even begin to describe how gorgeous this is! It just makes the skin look so luminous and amazing, it makes me think fairy or mermaid for some reason. In my opinion it can make the skin look ethereal and just beautiful! It is what this girl is wearing:

Becca Mineral Blushes. These blushes are so absolutely beautiful. They aren't sparkly or shimmery but they have the most beautiful sheen to them. These were made wildly popular (and constantly unavailable) by YouTuber Jaclyn Hill. The colors she mentions as her favorites are Wild Honey (peachy nude), Sweet Pea (rosy plum nude) and Flowerchild (peachy pink, gold highlights).

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette. This palette is so beautiful and I have heard so many good things about it. Every time I go into Sephora I walk past this, look at it swatch it and just oogle over it but then I look at the price tag and reminded of why I don't just grab it, put it in my bag and walk up to the cashiers. But one day, I will have you!

Hourglass Modernist Eyeshadow Palette. These eyeshadow palettes are brand new from Hourglass and they are so beautiful! The pigmentation is spectacular and formulation is that which you would expect from Hourglass, creamy and bendable and definitely oogle worthy! But once again, the price tag makes me sad and I will continue dreaming of these until I have the guts (and the funds).

What are some of the items on your 2015 makeup wish list? If you have these products, what are your thoughts on them? Hope you enjoyed and good luck,

<3 Kimmie

My 2015 New Years Resolutions

My New Year’s Resolutions

       - Go for a walk regularly. Develop a schedule and stick to it. Aim to get set into a routine.

       - Try to eat vegetarian one day a week. I know a few people who do this and it has helped them by keeping their diets a bit healthier.

       - Encourage a positive attitude and try to be more optimistic. Keep a journal of things I am thankful for.

       - GO TO BED ON TIME! I have a horrible habit of not falling asleep until after 11pm or after midnight when I have to be awake by 6am. I am going to try to stick to a regular bed time; I think this will help stop me from being constantly tired.

       - Keep in touch with family and friends. Call my dad and grandparents at least every other week. I am not the best at keeping in touch but I am going to make an effort.

       - DON’T PROCRASTINATE! This is one of the reasons I get to bed so late, haha. I do have a pretty bad habit of procrastinating that I would like to try and break this year. I will definitely be googling tips on how to break this habit and the biggest part will be just forcing myself to follow a schedule and stop saying “5 more minutes” or “eh, I’ll do it tomorrow.”

Hope you all had a happy holiday season and new year and I wish you all luck in 2015.
<3 Kimmie

Pros and Cons of Online Courses

Source

Ok, so now that your in college you will be in charge of your own schedule and planning out the classes to take. When looking at the available classes you are presented with a choice, take classes traditionally or online. So what do you chose? Now a-days more and more classes are being offered online, but are online classes really better than traditional classes?

Flexibility: When it comes to online courses there is more flexibility provided to students, especially those who do have full time jobs because it allows for planning around your schedule, where as traditional classes there is a set time. You can move at your own pace, plus, who doesn't like the idea of taking a class in your pajamas.

Telecommuting: One of the major pluses to online courses would be not having to worry about being close campus, or if you are someone who travels a lot or has medical issues you wouldn't have to worry about potentially missing classes often. This also fits in with the flexibility aspect.

Discipline: One of the most difficult aspects of online classes is discipline. You have to take charge and actually make sure that you watch any videos, review any lecture slides or material that is posted for you. It is very easy to forget about staying up to date with class material since there are no regular class times to attend. You do need to consider if you have the discipline required to stay active with an online class.

Social: Another argument presented revolves around the seeming lack of social interaction with online classes that you would get with a traditional in class experience. In addition, you would have relatively less access to your professor with an online course.

Feedback: If you have a question, rather than simply meeting with your teacher and getting it answered, you have to wait for an email or message board response.

Technological Challenges: You always have to understand that there may be technical issues with the server, portal, your computer, etc. These are road bumps that you should have a back up plan for.

I hope these pros and cons helped someone out there understand online classes more and see if you want to take an online class and make the decide, online vs traditional?

As always, good luck!
<3 Kimmie