Sugarbriety... what???

For the past 10 days, my leadership class had an "optional" challenge of doing the sugarbriety challenge.  This means we couldn't eat sugar (it's so yummy...), refined grains (my life source), or dairy (my source of fat).

FOR 10 DAYS.  10 WHOLE DAYS.

I failed. Miserably.  On the 8th day, I gave up, I couldn't do it anymore.

Partially because I was losing an extreme amount of weight.  Mostly because I was tired, hungry, unsatisfied, and wanted to feel like a human again.

I ate all of the chocolate when it was over.

I'm going to be honest, it would be effective if you needed to lose weight–I can't deny that.  But I wanted food, and it didn't work for me.

I can seriously say it was the most pointless pain I had ever put myself through.

You say you like chocolate?

NO. YOU CAN'T.

You want a bagel for breakfast?

HAHA NOPE YOU CAN'T HAVE IT.

You want to have ice cream for Mother's Day?

NOPE. YOU DON'T FRICKIN DESERVE IT.

Do have any idea how difficult it was?  Do you?  DO YOU REALLY?

I'm sorry, it's something I feel very passionately about, I like food.  And eating.  Well, eating mostly.  It's one of my passions.

So yeah, if you're looking to lose weight, go for it.  If not, I don't recommend this challenge unless you feel like being overly exhausted, aggravated, and craving only the things you are told you can't have.

Image Creds:quick memes

I want to finish by thanking anyone who is reading this blog or has read this blog at some point this year.  Although my blog isn't popular like this amazing one, or this one, I found out that I genuinely like writing every week.  It was homework that wasn't tedious, it was more of a way to express my feelings about things I liked or hated (like this one).

So.  Yep.  Hope you enjoyed all of my rants and sob stories and lists, because I know I enjoyed yours.

Ciao Bella!

A day in the life of...

A nerd (according to me)...  An overachiever (according to friends, not myself)...  A crazy person (according to my older sister)... A normal teenage girl (according to my parents, but they're wrong).

Okay, so maybe in actuality, a part of me is in each of these categories   I watch nerdy TV shows.  I do all of my homework.  I overreact to certain things.  I like friends, food, and clothes, along with a lot of other girly teenage things.

So yeah, I fit in to each and everyone of these categories.

Image Source: memecrunch

Needless to say, fulfilling all of these things make me feel like this:

Image Source: Go Running Blog

Now on to the actual point of the post... my life (I wrote that using a smeagol voice... that's creepy).

1.  Wake up (this only occasionally works, sometimes it takes more than a few tries).

Image Creds: funnycutepics

2. Put on clothing to look like an actual human being

THAT complicated...

Image Source: memegenerator

3. Make food, so that I can continue to function

Image Source: diylol

4. Bus ride... finally something not too bad (if you have a friend on your bus, at least)

Because Logic...

Image Source: owned

5. Two Periods (Either Math and Biology, or AP Geography and Chinese)

I just really like this meme, okay?

Image Source: Five Cool Things

6. Lunch. Friends.

Image Source: memegenerator

7. Two more periods (Either Manufacturing Tech and Leadership, or Public Speaking and English)

What can I say?

Image Source: Five Cool Things

8. Depends on the day: Sometimes, one. Sometimes, all of these things...   Either: Volunteer at the Park City History Museum or Furburbia Or: a sport (depends on the time of year...) Or: Go home to do the work of the home  Or: Hang out with my friends (assuming it's a Friday)

I bring it on myself, really.

Image Source: troll

9. If I'm not already home, arrive home.  Shower if needed.

All of the good shower memes were blocked... stupid filter

Image Source: catplanet

10. Dinner.  FOOD. What can I say?  It's a big part of my life.

Image Source: diylol

11. Homework. DUH. DUh. Duh. It's actually not that bad.

Image Source: memegen

12. Read the books with the words to fall asleep.

Image Source: booknerdreviews

13. Sleep... Want more of it.

Image Source: creatememe

5 must haves

This week, I have been experiencing some writer's block, so this idea was stolen from my bestest friend Lulu.

In life, there are always things that you always have to have with you at every single moment of every single day.

Some of mine are pretty normal, while others, well, not so much.  So here goes it, my five must haves.

1.  Headphones

Headphones are great, well, in every way.  Music, videos, and everything else that have any audio are great when you're bored waiting for the bus or waiting for your physical therapy to start (a story for another time...).

The biggest plus is that you can use them to get rid of the annoying thoughts in your brain.  Blast some music in your ears and after a while, you start to feel better.

Image Courtesy: Jacks Surf Boards

2.  Vaseline

I'm not completely sure about this, but I've heard that most lip balm companies put chemicals in your lip balm to make your lips feel more dry.  Effective marketing?  Probably.  Customer needs satisfied?  I think not.

I get dry lips and cracking lips a lot, and vaseline is my go to item because of it.  I really love not feeling a blistering pain every time you smile, so it's definitely a plus for me.

Image Courtesy: Amazon

3. Extra Hair Ties

I HATE having my hair in my face for tests.  It's my pet peeve.  I generally find I get lower test scores because of it too.  Because of this, I always keep an extra hair tie on my wrist, for any moment I may need it.  So, to any of ya girls out there, or guys with long hair,  if ya need an extra hair tie, there's a good chance I'll have one for ya. 

Image Courtesy: Ali Express

4. Calculator

Revealing the nerdy (very nerdy) side of me, I ALWAYS have a calculator on me.  Usually, it's a huge TI-84 graphing calculator, but it's at least the one on my phone.  I can math, but I'm bad at division–really bad.  So, my calculator is my needed friend.

Image Courtesy: Wikipedia

5. Lotion

Kind of an extension from vaseline–my skin get's dry on a constant basis.  I always have a travel sized lotion in my backpack for those times that I can't stand it (and those I can too).  I love love love Bath and Body Works.  They've saved my skin more than once...

Image Courtesy: BaBW

*insert inspirational quote here*

I'm not going to lie and act like I'm cool.  I'm not.  I'm a sucker for great quotes.  I think that quotes have a lot of power.  They can make you laugh, cry, try harder, relax (something I need a lot), etc. etc.

*This post is getting serious. Fast.  Oops.*


But when I say quotes, I don't mean insta captions of facebook comments.  I mean genuine quotes that can motivate you.

"If you're not making mistakes, then you're not doing anything. I'm positive that a doer makes mistakes."

-John Wooden

Basically saying that if you're doing something, you're going to make mistakes, and that's betten than not doing anything at all.  I love this quote because I make a lot of mistakes, and it makes me feel like even though I mess up, at least I'm beating people on the couch. 

You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You're on your own, and you know what you know. And you are the guy who'll decide where to go.

-Dr. Seuss

English translation please?  Basically you are in charge of yourself, and no one can change where you are going if you don't let them.  I like this quote because I think it's important to go for whatever you want in life, and not to let other people influence your future.

Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.

-John Wooden

Bee Positive! Haha (:  but seriously, that's what this quote is (:  

image creds: skreened

The best revenge is to be unlike him who performed the injury.

-Marcus Aurelius

This quote is basically refuting the idea that revenge is sweet. It's about being a better person than the one who brought you down.  This is really important in my life because I used to be brought down a lot, but I got through it and I'm a better person because of it. 

*The way I interpret these quotes may not be the original meaning or what you think.  Please don't hurt me if you disagree (: 

**I apologize for such a serious post... Oops (:  

***Thank you!  I really appreciate you reading my blog (:

Why am I me?

"Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You!"

  -Dr. Seuss

Everybody is their own individual person, as illustrated in the quote by the Einstein of poetry/kids books, Dr. Seuss.  

We are different because of our genetics of course, but what about our environment?  The things we experience, the things we are drawn towards, and, of course, the media.

There are several specific things that have changed the way I think, act, or view the world.  

For some of them, I don't exactly know how they changed me because I encountered them when I was too young to remember my exact age.  For others, it's obvious how they changed me.  

Here are just three of the things that have changed me.  Of course, there are sosososososo many more (:

1. Desperado

Desperado is a song by the Eagles.  The lyrics are super meaningful, and the music itself is... well... amazing.  But it's more than the lyrics and the tune that are important to me.  Rather, it's the fact that my dad used to (and still occasionally does) sing it to me before I go to bed.  A lot of the time with music,  I think it's the experiences we have with the songs that make them special. 

Image Credits: pinterest

2. Matrix Club

Matrix Club was the club I was a part of in Hong Kong.  We worked with refugees, and it made a huge impact on me.  I learned so much from it - more than I have from any other experience.  I learned empathy, which is a big deal to me. I think empathy is the most important thing anyone can ever learn.  Matrix Club also made me realize how messed up our world can be, but also how wonderful it can be, how strong a person can be, and how much impact one person can make.

3. The Breakfast Club

Image Creds: Movie Pilot

In my movie blog post, I said that the Breakfast Club was the only movie that changed my life.  It's hard to explain why I love this movie so much, honestly.  I guess, for me at least, it's a metaphor for all of the people in the world.  No matter who you are, where you belong, you have serious problems.  It also is great because I think each one of the kids in it is represented in a little part of everyone - there's always part of you that's smart, that's rebellious, that's a diva, that's competitive, even that's a little bit crazy.

And that's what makes us who we are. 

Festival of Color

The Festival of Color took place in Spanish Fork last weekend.

I have wanted to go to a Holi festival (a festival in Hinduism, the predominant religion in India) since I saw it take place on the Amazing Race when I was just a little kid.  When I found out that there was one in Utah and my friends were going, the amount of excitement I was experiencing was probably a bit too much to be healthy.

On Saturday morning, Lulu, Joe, and I piled into Joe's family car.  The car was stocked with water, towels, and sheets to cover the seats with when we were covered with colored corn starch (all courtesy of Joe's dad).

When we arrived at the festival, I honestly was skipping down the side of the road.  Okay, maybe not skipping, but I definitely had an enthusiastic walk. gait. run...  I don't know...

At the end of the day, you could definitely say I was sufficiently covered with colored dust.  I may have gotten a bit in my eyes, and a lot in my lungs.  I also may have accidentally thrown a bit into some other people's eyes (I'm sorry about that... again... It was an accident... I'm sorry... Please, forgive me...), and covered a few other people with starch.

But all of it was totally worth it.  It was so so so much fun (:

Joe, Lulu, and I (from right to left) about half way through the festival (:

Image Courtesy: Joe's father (:

My clothes at the end of the day... My shoulders and face suffered the most (:

From Left to Right:  Sky, Joe, Lulu, Grant, and I

Noah's being cool in the front

Image Courtesy: Joe's dad, again (:

Makeup, Clothes, and other Girly Things

No, don't worry, this will not be a post about how to put on makeup or how to curl your hair, but rather my opinions on certain girly things that are considered normal.

*Wait, normal?  What's normal?  I'll add quotation marks.*

"Normal"

Yes, that's much better.

Thank you to lol zombie for my new favorite picture (:

First of all, makeup.

This seems to be a big issue of controversy right now.  Most girls in my grade, including me,  wear makeup. Most girls think it's worth it, some guys think it's stupid, and some don't seem to have much of an opinion on it, which I find interesting.

However, to you guys out there who think I'm wearing makeup to impress you, that's not why I wear it.

I wear it for me (:

Surprise!

*Woah, what?  Girls don't try to impress every single guy they talk to?  What is this madness?*

If I look in the mirror and think my eyes are a bit brighter and that makes me feel better about myself, who are you to say that I shouldn't wear it?

That's not to say I think that girls should pile on makeup, because there's definitely a point where it goes to far.

But, to you girls out there, if that's what makes you happy, go for it (:


Next, the only logical thing to follow makeup, hair!  

Yippee,  everyone's favorite subject

*haha, that's a funny joke right there*

Ok, so it's not that I don't give a thought about how my hair looks because I spend approximately five minutes a day on it collectively, what I don't understand is waking up an hour earlier than you need to just so you can add some curls...

...or make it completely straight.

Either way, I'm a strong believer in sleeping (although I don't get much of it...) instead of making yourself look fantabulous.

So clothing, probably my favorite subject actually.

What can I say, I like clothes.  I'm not a "fashionista" or whatever it's called by any extent of the imagination, but I do like to have a large selection.

My mix of clothing is eclectic, from normal things from forever 21 to pants from Thailand to maybe a few too many pairs of pajama pants, I just like clothes.

One thing that's not big in my closet is anything uncomfortable... especially skirts...

*kudos to anyone who can wear a skirt everyday.  You are a superhero.  I don't know how you do it, but keep doing it because you look good. I'm impressed with your ability to look put together every day.*

**I really hope that no one thought that last note was sarcastic, because it wasn't...  I should probably be more careful about that...**


I apologize for my ranting... and if you do anything I mentioned in this (good or bad in my opinion...), keep doing it if it makes you happy, because being happy is the most important thing (: