Taking A Year Off Of School

lol @ my hair thoooo

It's scary to think about, or even say, but officially one year ago I graduated from high school. One year ago I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life [ kind of - I'll explain later ]. One year ago I felt like a failure and like I was wasting my life.

Now, when I say I [ kinda ] had no idea what I wanted to do with my life, that's not entirely true. I knew I wanted, and still do want, to be an actress.  The college I planned on attending began providing a performing arts program which I was stoked about.

The only problem is that getting a job in the performing arts isn't guaranteed and my family would have preferred me studying for a career that's more stable [ since they are helping me pay for it I wanted to take their opinions into consideration ]. So I made a plan, study for a more stable career first and save money to pay for the performing arts on my own.

I had always planned on taking a year off of school to work because I spent so much time participating in extra curricular activities and doing homework that I never had time for a paying job. I wanted to be able to gain some experience and save money for school.

During my year off I also wanted to start this blog and a YouTube channel [ which I did, so, props to me ! links will be at the bottom ]. I always managed to find a way to put it off during high school so my year off was the perfect opportunity to start.

But now came the hard part. What kind of stable career would I enjoy ?

Something that I recommend doing if you're in the same boat as I was is asking your friends / family / neighbours, anyone who knows you and see what they think would suit you and do some research !

In my case, my family and neighbours suggested taking a Social Service Worker Program [ I do have friends I swear, but I don't quite remember if they suggested anything different at the time ]. They thought I would be especially good at it because I know sign language and that's not as common.

So, that's what I did. For each application fee you can apply to three courses, I chose Performing Arts [ I wanted to see if I could actually get in ], Esthetician, and Social Service Worker. For the SSW program there was a minimum requirement of 60 community hours in a related setting, I did mine at a long term care center [ which I am still at ].

This brings us to the present, I really enjoyed the volunteer work I was doing and was searching online, because I didn't really feel as excited for the SSW program as I felt I should be, when I stumbled upon a job listing for an activities coordinator for a long term care center. It stated that the required schooling was a recreation and leisure course.

I somehow was able to switch one of my applications to Recreation and Leisure Services and was accepted shortly after. I start school in the fall.

Long story short, figuring out what you want to do with your life is a trial and error process. If I hadn't tried to get into SSW I wouldn't have found the RLS program. As for the acting, yes I still am pursuing that [ I recently had a meeting about doing a short film in town ]. It's always safe to have a back up plan, even if it's just until you get to where you really want to get to.

Do you have any idea what you want to do with your life ? What are some careers you think would be cool to do ? Lemme know in the comments below !

xoxo - Gouu

Let's build a farm ! <3
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Sunshine Summer Salad !

I love salads in the summer, but it's hard to find one with lots of bold flavours and textures. I've combined some of my favourite salad foods to create this tasty and colourful sunshine summer salad !

This salad is surprisingly quick to make [ I wasn't even expecting it to be as quick as it was ], it takes about 5 minutes at the most.

You will need :

• your choice of greens [ mine is a spring mix, lettuce, spinach and a few other greens ]
• chicken strips, to make this a quick throw together recipe I use the maple leaf protinis [ in honey garlic ]
• a few cherry tomatoes
• orange mandarin slices, I prefer the ones that come in the can, they taste much sweeter
• blue cheese, the pre-crumbled is my favourite
• sunflower seeds, optional
• raspberry and white balsamic, vinaigrettes are great for the summer because they don't feel as heavy

Begin by rinsing your greens and gently patting them with a paper towel before placing them in your bowl.

Chop up your chicken and cherry tomatoes into smaller pieces [ I cut my cherry tomatoes into 1/4 bits ]

If you also chose to use the canned mandarin slices then I would recommend placing them on paper towel first the same as your greens. This is just to absorb some of the juice from the can they come in, otherwise you can skip this step.

Sprinkle some blue cheese and sunflower seeds on top, followed by the raspberry and white balsamic.

TIP : When pouring your dressing on top, hold the bottle with one hand and the lid / top of the bottle with the other. This will give you better control when pouring.

Comment below if you tried this out and what you thought about it !

xoxo - Gouu

Let's Be Friends ! <3

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What I Bring To The Cottage

Almost every weekend in the summer, I head up to my family's cottage with my grandparents. Having a basic list of things to bring really helps speed up the packing process. I do keep some clothes in a drawer at the cottage, but after being in there for a week they can sometimes start to smell a little musty [ plus sometimes bugs somehow get in the drawers ], so I use those for emergencies or if I'm helping out and it's a messy job.

My packing list is to last for about 2 - 3 days, Packing for a cottage, try to bring older clothes or ones you don't mind getting dirty.

CLOTHES

TIP : always pack for an extra day just in case.

• a sweater, for storms and nights
• two older t-shirts, ones that have been stretched, stained, or just old school / camp t-shirts
• one long sleeve, mosquitoes can be TERRIBLE in the summer. Long sleeves also come in handy in the off chance it rains, for chilly nights or if you plan on going canoeing to protect from sunburn [ ALWAYS use sunscreen ]
• one pair of full length jeans
• two pairs of shorts
• pyjamas, my pyjama shorts are fuzzy for extra warmth at night
• running shoes and flip flops

not pictured

• socks, underwear and bra are hopefully obvious things to bring ;)

TOILETRIES

I always try to bring the bare minimum, and no makeup.

• sunscreen, face and body
• chapstick and /or lip gloss
• toothbrush and toothpaste
• deodorant
• body spray / mist, I bring my least favourite one so I still smell decent but I don't waste my favourite 
• face wash, I'll usually bring an exfoliating face wash because it makes my skin feel cleaner when I'm spending the day sweating and possibly moving around dusty things [ plus my regular face wash is in a pump bottle so it's hard to transport without making a mess ]
• hairbrush

OTHER

TIP : bring a bit more than you think you will need, give yourself options, otherwise you'll probably not want to do what you packed for.

• sunglasses
• hair elastic[s], corkscrew bobby pins and a hair clip
• sketchbook
• puzzle books
• journals
• whatever book I am currently reading [ or a magazine ]
• collar and leash for my snookums aka Shadow [ don't judge me ]
• pencil crayons, pencil, pen, etc.
• iPod and headphones
• vlogging camera
• chargers

not pictured

• hat
• cellphone and charger, they were actually charging as I was taking the photos
• teddy bear, I like to have something from home to snuggle with
• movies, we have a load of movies already at our cottage, but if I have one at home I want to watch [ or a t.v. show ] I'll bring those as well

What is something you NEEEED [ or would need ] to bring to a cottage ? LEMME KNOW in the comments below !

xoxo - Gouu

Let's Be Friends ! <3

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PRODUCT REVIEW - E.L.F. HD Lifting Concealer

I used to use the Hard Candy stick concealer, and I did like it, but personally, I get dry skin when I don't use liquid makeup.

I've always loved E.L.F. products, but was never able to find them in stores after the Bargain Shop closed. I'm not the type to order makeup [ or clothes for that matter ] online because you never know how different the product will actually be / look.

I finally found a small section of E.L.F. products in Loblaws, a grocery store [ the LAST place I was expecting ], so naturally I was so excited,  I bought a bunch a bunch of makeup I didn't quite need to renew yet.

This concealer gives amazing coverage and covers all my dark circles under my eyes. A definite pro for this concealer is that it's cheap and you only need to use a small pea sized amount.

I would recommend this product to anyone who has dark under eye circles and is in need of a  cheap, full coverage and lightweight concealer.

I'm never going back.

xoxo - Gouu

Let's Be Friends ! <3

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May Favourites !

I'M FINALLY ON TIME <3 <3

BEAUTY

Chapstick
For some reason, my lips have been pretty dry this month so this stuff has been a lifesaver! I've been using the Coca Cola Cherry lip smackers.

Nivea Cream
Keeping with the theme of dry lips, this stuff has also helped immensely. After brushing my teeth I will apply a small amount around my lips [ underneath and on the bottoms ] before applying my chapstick. I find this really helps keep my lips hydrated and smooth.

Seventeen Magazine Eyeshadow
Last Christmas I received a subscription to Seventeen Magazine and with it came some free makeup. At first I wasn't completely sure if I was going to use it, but I decided to give it a shot. And, to be honest it's actually pretty good. It doesn't crease as much as my other eye shadows do, which I love.

ENTERTAINMENT

Bates Motel
A few weeks ago was the season finale of this incredible show ! After watching the first Psycho movie, I was hooked. And then I found out they were making a show out of it [ this was a few years ago ]. Freddie Highmore is sensational as Norman. LET'S BE HONEST the entire cast is absolutely sensational !

Keeping Up With The Kardashians
Reality shows are my weakness, and with Caitlyn Jenner finally introducing herself to the world it has become so much more interesting.Watching the family process the information and the overwhelming support [ the majority of ] people have for Caitlyn.

FOOD / DRINK

Avocado
Avocado is my favourite when in a sandwich or as guacamole [ recipe coming soon ! ]. I usually eat it on toast as part of my breakfast to give me an energy boost for the day.

Lemon / Lime Infused Water 
I've drunken so much water that after a while it can start to get boring, so adding lemon and / or lime to my water, especially in the summer, helps me stay refreshed and cool. A bonus of this water is that if I'm at work or out and I get hungry but can't necessarily stop immediately to eat, it helps fill me up until I can go get a snack.

Peach Mango Tea
I'm a big fan of tea, and the peach - mango tea from Lipton is super refreshing and tasty for the summer. I'll usually have it as an iced tea for the hotter days.

OTHER

Dream Dictionary Book
I've been having some pretty weird dreams this month, like weirder than normal, so it's been interesting to see what the book says the main elements may mean.

The Outdoors
After being cooped up all winter, I've been loving outside. Here in Canada it's just now starting to feel like summer, so I have my windows open so I can hear the birds as I wake up in the morning. As soon as our pool is open you can bet I'll be out there taking in a bunch of sun [ with sunscreen on of course!  ].

SONGS

[ in no particular order ]
Honey I'm Good - Andy Grammer
Let's Not Be Alone Tonight - R5
Want To Want Me - Jason Derulo
Somebody - Natalie La Rose FT Jeremih
Lean On - Major Laser
Talking Body - Tove Lo

BOOK

Lies - by Michael Grant
[ #3 in the Gone series ]

What were your favourites this month ? Let me know in the comments below !

xoxo - Gouu

Let's Be Friends ! <3

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Prom Glitter Nails

For prom I wanted to do a nail look that is simple and elegant and not too loud, as the dress is usually the main focus of a prom look.

WHAT YOU NEED :

• Wet n Wild Wild Shine Protective Base Coat [ optional ]
• NYC Prospect Park Bloom
• Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Strobe Light
• Wet n Wild Wild Shine Clear Nail Protector [ optional ] 

Start with your base coat [ optional ] and apply 2 - 3 coats of your nude polish.

Taking your glitter nail polish, without wiping the brush, you'll want to put the glitter solely on the base of your nail. After you have done that, wipe the brush on the bottle as best as you can and slowly and gently cover the rest of your nail with the clear polish and only a small amount of glitter. They key to this step is to just keep as much of the glitter at the base of your nail as possible. [ it gets easier with practise ]

sorry the photos aren't the greatest

Finish with your top coat [ optional ]

shout out to my snookums <3

What did / does your dress for prom look like ? COMMENT BELOW ! :)

xoxo - Gouu

Let's Be Friends ! <3

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I vlog ? !

Hello ! So, yes, I recently started a vlog channel on YouTube. I've been wanting to do it for a while and had planned to do it at the end of summer, but I realised with me going back to school in the fall I probably would make an excuse to not do it.

I said to myself " Now or never " [ I prefer the now ]. So here it is ! Be sure to subscribe and like it, pretty please.

https://youtu.be/47QJ2pginv8

Also, so sorry for the bad editing [ mostly ] at the beginning and end. I was just too excited to try ' practise ' editing. Hopefully, I'll get better . And for some reason it didn't give me ANY options for a thumbnail ? !

xoxo - Gouu

PRODUCT REVIEW - Abreva

Everyone knows cold sores SUCK. They usually last at least a week, they can be really painful, they can knock your confidence down and they're just annoying and a bit embarrassing.

I've had cold sores before, but they were never really too bad [ as far as I can remember ]. But my more recent ones just make me want to hide in my room and avoid all social activities. I basically freak out when I think I MIGHT be getting a cold sore.

When I get a cold sore, I get them on the corner of my mouth making it painful to open my mouth and occasionally causing the sore to split open if I open my mouth too wide [ delaying the healing time ].

I've tried pretty much all of the natural remedies, and while they work for some people, they unfortunately don't seem to work for me. So, I began searching for reviews of some products I could get at the store to help. I had the polysporin cold sore patches in mind, but I couldn't find any reviews for them. That's when I stumbled onto Abreva.

All of the reviews I read for Abreva were positive except for maybe 2 or 3 [ I read at least 25 - 30 ] so I figured it would be worth a shot. Now, one of the reviews had mentioned how the product comes in a small tube for $20. So I did have a heads up going into the store that this would be a bit more expensive than I would've expected.

the tube of abreva compared to my hand

After trying this product it is definitely worth the money, and a total lifesaver. I would / will recommend this to anyone who is struggling with cold sores. You hardly even need any, so it will last a while.

On first application Abreva relieves the itchy / tingly sensation as well as moisturises, which is my case was especially helpful because, as I mentioned, mine are on the corner of my mouth. This stuff allows me to actually open my mouth [ so I can eat burgers ;) ].

Waking up the first morning after using Abreva was amazing. It was already minimized in size and redness and was completely gone in 2 - 3 days compared to 7 - 10 days without it.

Try to apply it as soon as you can, but either way, it still works wonders.

And obviously, do some research yourself as well first. Check the website to read the reviews yourself [ and make sure you're not allergic to any ingredients! ]. If you have any concerns talk to your doctor as I am faaaar from a professional.

Have any home remedies worked for any of you ? Let me know which ones in the comments below !

xoxo - Gouu

Let's Be Friends ! <3
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