Revenge

I don't believe in revenge , though sometimes, I wish that I did. Sometimes. Then, after I'm finished being angry, I'm glad that I don't. If that makes any sense.

At the Mall

Being in my mid-twenties, sometimes I get hit with the "Wow, I’m an adult" feeling. The feeling that I am no longer carefree and naïve. Little things, such as, having to apply eye cream at night, or realizing my metabolism has slowed down. To bigger things, such as having responsibilities to myself, my family and my friends. If I make a mistake, it's up to me to fix it.

Sometimes, I want to go back to those times where I didn't have to be as responsible, those teenager years. I usually smarten up pretty quickly, and instead of yearning for my youth, I am grateful for some of the wisdom I have acquired over the years, instead.

Take last Friday, for instance. I spent a good 3 hours in the mall while waiting to meet up for dinner with a friend. In those god-for-saken 3 hours, I got tired of roamig the stores (shopping is more fun with people), and sat down to read my finance book, "She Laughed all the way to the Bank."

Surrounding me were a bunch of teenagers. Girls with tight clothes with TNA labels, giggling and flirting with the boys. Guys with baggy pants, only about 5 sizes too big for them held up by belts to their knees, trying to be all "cool". All texting on their Blackberries and rifling through their Lululemon bags. They took pictures of themselves, sitting in each other laps, with their digital cameras and complained about homework and working.

You know, back when I was in high school, these were probably the cool kids. Popular kids. The kids with friends who hung out in crowds by the entrance to cafeteria. Whereas me and my friends hung out in the library. Doing our homework.

I still don't have a Blackberry, though I do have a super cute Nokia (which I got for $0). I still haven't bought an article of clothing from TNA. Or Lululemon. (Though I have been tempted to on a couple occasions. Then reality slaps me - a tank top for $54?! Puh-lease!!) And, yet, I'm probably the one with the income to do so (compared to teenagers who probably earn minimum wage).

But the difference (well, one of them) between those girls (who represent what I wanted to be back when I was a teenager) and present me, is that, I realized my mom was right when she said that your friends won't care about what you wear. In high school and middle school, when all the cool kids had their brand name clothes, and cool accessories - it's part of what made them fit in.

I'm so glad that that part of my life is in the past. That I am now wiser, and realize how silly I used to be when I had those moments to want to fit in with crowds of people who weren't even interested in me. And I am very thankful for the wisdom my parents tried to pass on to me about making friends. You only need a couple good ones. And those good ones, could care less about how you look.

Now, applying eye cream doesn't seem so bad :)

Blogging is...

Hmm... So, I've been slacking here, but that hasn't stopped me from reading other - more committed bloggers - blogs.

Sometimes I feel like life just passes us by. The next thing we know, a weekend has come and gone. A week has come and gone. A month has come and gone. I mean, wasn't it just yesterday that I started university? Wasn't it just yesterday that I was traveling the world as a carefree exchange student?

I feel like life passes us by so passively sometimes, and I feel like blogging (or writing) is a great way to capture how we feel at that exact moment in time. Whether this feeling be of intense happiness and hope. Or extreme despair and sadness. A memory which pulls at our heart strings. A feeling of regret of hurt we might have caused.

And sometimes, it's nice to just look back at randomness in life.

For instance. Skin care products. Yep. Huge part of my life.

Ask any girl her skin care regime, and most of us stick to it religiously.

Throughout my life, this skin care regime has changed, and whenever I reach a plateau of something that works, I stick with it. Usually it takes a few months to refine it. But I think I got it just right about now. I do it every night and morning. I even get grumpy when I have to skip a night. What can I say, I am a creature of habit. :)

I'll also include the price I paid for it, since it's one of my back burner goals to start a personal finance blog. Though, that would probably be anonymous :)

Morning regime:

SpectroGel
$11.99 (on sale at Shopper's Drugmart - I think you can get it for cheaper at Wal-Mart / Zellers) I use this without any water in the morning, and massage for at least a minute before rinsing it off. One bottle lasts me about 4 - 6 months.

Neo Strata Glycolic Acid Toning Lotion + 2% Clindapak
$65 (I get this with a prescription since I tend to break out) I use this all over. Great product. 100ml lasts me about 4 months.

Clindoxyl Gel
free (Since I get this in sample sizes from my dermatologist) I use this for spot treatment only.

Yves Rocher Line Smoothing Eye Cream
$14.50 (at 50% off sale) I use it in the morning and at night since my eye lids are the only part of my face that is dry. And I don't want wrinkles. One tube usually lasts me about 4 - 6 months.



I don't use much make up during the day. Blot powder. Eye shadow and eye liner are my dailies. 5 minutes :) I have come to love MAC. Blot powder usually lasts me a while - 6 months. Eye shadow - 1 year. Eye liners 4 - 6 months for liquid, and up to a year on pencil.



My night routine:
Marcelle Aquarelle Purifying Cleansing Gel
$6.50 (at buy one get one free sale. Score!) I love this, it removes make up and it's gentle. Lasts about 5 - 6 months.
Differin Acne Gel
$65 (I get this prescribed from my dermatologist.) One tube lasts about 3 - 4 months.
Of course, can't forget that eye cream from above! I use that at night, too!

Voila! That's it.

Cold outside

On days like this (i.e., -30 C), I like to just hibernate indoors. A warm bowl of soup. A hot cup of tea. Snuggling under blankets and being as close as possible to my electric heater in my basement apartment.

Then I think about the lady who was standing outside Victoria Park subway station, asking people for money so she could buy food for herself and her daughter. I'm not sure if she has the option of coming home to a warm place. Or if she could provide that to her young daughter. How do people who are less fortunate than I survive this type of crazy weather?!

New Years Resolutions :)

I know. This is a cheap post. Not very creative at all. Oh well :)

1) Have more fun.
I feel like I've lived most of my life doing the "safe" and "right" thing. Maybe it comes with being the eldest child, and coming from a conservation family. This isn't to say that I will go out and do something crazy. Just maybe be a little more daring, a little more silly, than I am used to.

2) Healthier eating habits
I've cut back on eating out a lot since last year. Of course, I love a good meal out every now and then. Let's face it, I'm no Iron Chef. However, I want to make eating out a conscious choice, instead of simply because I have no food at home. I'm also trying to incorperate more soy and less red meat in my cooking.

3) Exercise on a regular basis
Since the winter bluse have set in and I really don't feel like running (or going anywhere) in minus 20 degree C weather, I have invested in some "home gym" items, such as dumb bells, and exercise balls, tae bo dvd's, and exercise videos. I have volleyball on Mondays, and I'm going to get up at 6am so that I can exercise for an hour before heading off to work 3-4 times a week.

4) Track my expenses
I don't think I am a very frivolous person, however, I also realize that I don't know how much I spend on my expenses. After I start doing that, I will also start looking to having an "emergency fund", some savings, and maybe even look in some investments. We'll see. One step at a time.

5) Be less forgetful
I am going to try really hard on this one. Post it notes? I'm not sure.

What are your new year resolutions? :)