Monday Morning Confess Sesh

Sometimes Monday mornings call for random thoughts and bullet points, don't you think? In no particular order, I confess:

• I need a lot of sleep. At least 9 hours a night is ideal. I don't know how people run on 5-6! That being said, as an adult I've noticed that I can go down to 7 hours more regularly (but I'll still need to binge after a while to make up for it)
• I hate wearing pants
• When I do wear pants, jeans specifically, I wear them a whole lotta times before washing them. In fact, I think a whole two month period went by without me washing my jean shorts while travelling. Gross? I dunno. But think about how often you really wash your jeans. And to that asshole who stole my clothes on the beach -- haha joke's on you. Hope you like my dirty laundry.

Completely unrelated to this post but I think we can all agree these two are adorable

• I really like when the toilet paper roll faces down. And the lid closed after use. Who needs to look into your toilet bowl? No one
• While we're on the topic of bathrooms and such, I absolutely hate popping a squat. In Korea all the squatter toilets forced me to get over this, but 3+ years of comfortable living in Canada has me back to my old ways. Fortunately things were fairly decent throughout Central America but I did have an especially gross encounter in Guatemala involving neither toilet paper nor a toilet seat. TMI again? Sorry, moving on...
• I'm not picky about which wine I drink. Red, white, zinfandel... As long as it's at least 10% I'm down. I say at least 10% because no Arbor Mist is not real wine
• I don't understand why everyone's so into Greek yogurt. I much prefer probiotic yogurt. Greek yogurt by itself? Boring. I like to add a little bit of honey and berries to sweeten it up 

• If I can buy it, I don't DIY it
• Earlier this month I talked about how I'm trying to focus less on makeup but now that I have access to more than my 8 travel makeup essentials, I am (sadly for my credit card) slipping back into my old ways. I've been looking for a light foundation that's super quick to apply and offers a bit more coverage than my usual nothing. I just spent way too much money on Tarte Amazonian mineral powder foundation but let me tell you -- I love it! It's a breeze to apply and blend, plus its buildable coverage is perfect for summer
• This post from Jen on declaring bankruptcy describes exactly what I feel when I talked about starting freelance writing 

• I really miss the ladies of Antigua, Guatemala who had the best (and cheapest!) selection of fresh cut fruit. Oh how I loved those sweet mangoes!
• I woke up on Friday morning and decided to finally get my hair cut. An hour later, five inches of my brown locks were scattered around me on the floor. Whaaa? I didn't realize I had so much hair to spare until it was already cut. Check out my twitter page if you want to see a pic. I'm now the official wearer of an angled bob -- what do you think? You likey?

Hope your Monday morning is off to a good start. Have anything you want to get off your chest before the week begins? Tell me in the comments below!

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My Travel Makeup Essentials

For a low maintenance makeup routine in a hot and humid environment, only my tried and true makeup favourites would make it into my backpack for my trip to Central America. I slipped back into a low key routine quite easily, especially during the days as I sweat easily. I knew I wanted a natural look with a dewy finish, so what made the cut?

In order of application...

• Smashbox illuminating primer >> great for variable skin tones and mattifying my skin; I love the glow I get from this primer!
• Smashbox concealer in medium >> solid coverage from only a little bit of product. Fortunately my skin miraculously got better while I was on the road so primer and a little concealer under my eyes was all I needed cover-up-wise
• Benefit tinted stain in cha cha tint >> buildable coverage for my cheeks and lips
• Laura Mercier translucent powder >> sets my face makeup without adding coverage; leaves my skin breathable
• Smashbox brow powder >> long lasting formula that stays put! Much better than Anastastia brow powder in my opinion
• MAC black liquid liner >> a little goes a long way with this liquid eyeliner
• Cover Girl last blast mascara >> the winner in my battle of the mascaras holds up great in the heat! The curl I get from this mascara is incredible
• The Body Shop bronzer in apricot >> for nights when I want that extra special radiant glow that leaves people asking, "Hmm, you look all dewy, what did you just finish doing?" ;)

These makeup items give me a great range of products to work with if I have an extra 10-15 minutes to get ready. If it's too hot or too early, I skip makeup altogether and go au naturel.

What makeup do I regret bringing?

• Revlon BB cream >> I naively brought my winter shade which was pretty much useless within a week (I tan very easily)
• Red lipstick >> I brought it just in case I wanted to spice up my look, but I didn't reach for it once. My coral shade of Revlon lipstick was much better suited to the rest of my palette
• MAC mascara >> I justified bringing an extra mascara because it was in a small sample container and it wasn't waterproof like my Cover Girl, but the formula didn't hold up in the humid weather

Have you tried any of these items? What's on your go-to list for travel makeup essentials?

Linking up with Style Elixir.

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3 Life Lessons I Learned From Scuba Diving

It feels exhilarating the first time. With one hand on my mask and one hand on my waist, clunking around quite awkwardly in my flippers as I shuffle to the edge of the boat, I count to three and take a giant step into the water. My vision is consumed by blue as I fall deeper into the ocean. I inhale and the air enters my lungs with a calming hiss. I am breathing underwater.

Scuba diving is an experience not quite like any other. After earning my open water certification in Utila earlier this year, I got a few dives under my belt in Central America and learned some life lessons along the way.

1. It's okay to drop dead weight. Almost all scuba divers wear weight belts to help balance out buoyancy issues. If we're overloaded, we're told to drop weight to help bring us back to a position where we can float comfortably. That's applicable in real life too – sometimes it's necessary to drop the things that are bringing you down in order to focus on the true priorities that make a positive impact in your life.

2. Don't be in a rush. Rushing your diving ascent or descent is painful and dangerous as your body doesn't have enough time to adjust to the pressure. Similarly, constantly moving from A to B without taking a break to be present in the moment or reflect on the journey isn't good for anyone. Slow down! Take the time to be in tune with your body and have quiet moments with yourself. Think about what makes you happy and do it more often.

3. Just keep breathing. One of the most unsafe things you can do when beginning or ending your dive is to hold your breath. On my first afternoon diving I had a minor freak out underwater (a very small freak out unlike that time in Belize) when we were practicing our skills. I tried to clear water from my mask unsuccessfully. With my mask off my face and my eyes tightly closed, I was only 3 meters below but starting to panic. I wanted to ascend immediately until my instructor put her hand on my arm to remind me she was with me. I focused on the hiss of the regulator and drew in deep breaths. “I can still breathe, calm down. I can still breathe,” I told myself. No matter what is thrown your way, no matter how anxious or heartbroken or discouraged you may feel, just keep breathing. Life will continue. Just keep breathing because you're stronger than you know.  

Have you learned any unexpected life lessons from trying new activities? Share with me in the comments below!

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