3 things I learned in my 27 years

Okay, okay, I know I'm going to get shade from some people because they think I am pulling the "wise, old owl" card when I'm only 27. There, I said it, I'm ONLY 27 years young. But I defiantly feel like I have dealt with alot for the average person of this age. This post is by no means stating that I am old. I am just sharing my musings with others who may have experienced similar. Also, If you are reading this post for love advice, turn away now. I am very limited with my "Love" experience. However, I do touch on it at one point. 

So, now that we got the disclaimer out of the way, I'm here to share my thoughts. I turn 27 this month and I have admit, I don't feel like I should be that old. It feels like I was just crying over turning 20 like 5 minutes ago. Yes, I cried. Today I shall take my life experiences, pop them in a juicer and extract my life lessons. I hope you will find this interesting, so let's get into it. 

1. You Will Always be Tested

At work, in love and in life,  you will always be tested. At work, they will test your limits, your worth ethic and even test your loyalty. They will see how far they can push you before you will snap and stand up for yourself. They will even make you question your sanity. I have worked in retail for 10 years and I have never had a job where they don't pick on something. Now let's be honest here,some days I'm extremely unmotivated but even on my hardest working days there is something that they aren't pleased with.

 In Love, you will be tested by the person who shows interest. They will see how far they can push your morals, try and make you jealous, even test how far you will go to get/keep them. In life, you will always be tested to some degree. Even your sanity will be tested at some point, and if you dont already know what I mean, don't worry, you will.

2. You never know what you are capable of facing until you have no choice but to face it. 

Before I lost my Mom last year I, never in a bazillion years, thought I could face losing a parent, especially my mother. I was forced to do the unthinkable. Forced to plan a funeral, forced to pass by her room everyday,  forced to go on without her. Forced to make decisions without getting her feedback. Forced to live without my best buddy. But I did it, and quite brilliantly,  I might add. I am living life, it's not easy, but I am doing it regardless.  So, when, in life, you think you could NEVER deal with something, don't underestimate yourself. You are stronger than you might think.

3. No Matter how bad things get, it will get better.

There have been countless times in the last 27 years where things have been bad, so bad thay I never thought life would be the same. I even anticipated what it was going to be like living in misery (ah, the brain of an overthinker). But you know what? It does get better. You will go back to being yourself and life will balance out. It never stays bad for long and once it does get better, you will realize, it won't be the first or the last time things will seem bad. Life has a way of throwing a monkey wrench into any and all situations, not to be pessimistic or anything.

The best piece of advice I can give it grab your surfboard and go with the waves. It's the only way you can prevent them from crashing over and consuming you.

Bottom line friends, life is rough and you will learn your own lessons. These are just some of the ones I have learned personally.  Let me know below what some of your life lessons have been. Until next time...

Can we just talk about anxiety for a second?

Update + Blog Plans

Take a Sneak Peek into my Garden + My Lemonade Recipe

Hello Friends, 

             I am so sorry about the slacking I have been doing lately, I have been extremely busy for the  last couple of weeks and getting a chance to sit down and write for you guys has proved a challenge. I do have some adventures planned for the summer and I hope to blog them for you guys. 

               Today I am sharing a look inside my garden! If you follow me on instagram, you know that my hybrid Tea Roses are my pride and joy and that I have been really helping my mom work on getting our garden in ship shape this summer. We moved into this house about two years ago and the yard was unkempt and disastrous. My Mom actually wept when she saw the state of our yard. So, for the last two summers, we have been working at it and we are finally so happy with it. I only wish I had a before and after shot of this place. 

Pretty pleasant to look at, eh? (I'm so Canadian) Today, whist cleaning up the yard and enjoying the weather, I decided to whip up a pitcher of lemonade. Lemonade is pretty straight forward but I thought I would share my easy little base recipe. 

I start with a clean pitcher (duh Sarah!) and add about a cup of lemon juice, a cup of sugar and pour in about 5 cups of water. Stir it up and garnish with lemons and strawberries. You can add sugar or lemon juice to your taste, but I thought this worked perfect for me. Also, you can throw in some fresh mint to add some more flavor. 

I hope you all enjoyed a sneak peek at my garden. Follow me on instagram for all my garden updates. 

Until next time...

May Blog Challenge - Day #6 What Are You Afraid Of?

Good Day friends & blog readers,

                 Today's blog challenge post-What are you afraid of?

Alright, so this could be something stupid, like, the dentist, which yes, I am afraid of but I'm not about to go on a rampage about the dentist. I could also write about my strange phobia of seeing things under water...but I have talked about that before.

            Today I'm going to talk to you about something I am actually so terrified of and super uncomfortable with. And that thing is Change. I cannot count how many times I have written a poem or journal entry with the title Change. It can't be one of the most terrifying things ever, because we are taken out of what we know and thrust into the darkness. Like, legit, if I switch the furnature around in my room, I will bump into something in the dark!

            But in all seriousness, change can mean alot of things to alot of people. I think I like the farmiliar, I like knowing what way the road ahead is winding. If I don't know what is going on around me, how can I possibly be okay?  

                I remember when I moved from my old how into my new house. The house looked almost the same because we stayed within the same complex, but my room was about 3 times smaller than my last room. I remember about a week after moving in, I literally sat in my floor and had a meltdown. I had no idea how I was going to live in such a small room! Eventually I got used to it and I now love my room.

         I guess I have been portraying change in a very negative way. There are alot times change is good. For instance, when someones health changes for the better or when we decide to change our lives for the better. But I think that is more of a gradual change, so we have time to adjust to it.

Anyways, until tomorrow friends...

May Blog Challenge - Day #4 Your Proudest Moment

Hello friends,

    Your proudest moment - today's blog post.

     This was one I was dreading because I have had so many proud moments. We all have moments where we thrive on pride because we have been complimented or had a pat on the back for reason or other. It was definitely a difficult post to come up with. And then I remembered something, a day where I decided that I was going to do what God wanted me to and what in my heart, I wanted to too. My proudest moment was July 10th, 2004, the day I was baptized as one of Jehovah's Witnesses.

     I remember being fearful because I knew I would be tested greatly. A teenaged girl in high school who was about to get baptised, how could I not be tested? But I also knew how forgiving God was, and that although I was determined to stay faithful, if I fell, God would help me back up and forgive me. But only if it was truly a mistake.

      I remember walking across the stage after I answered my affirmative yeses, and sweating like nobodies business. But I also remember the look in my parents faces when I was finally dunked. And how I felt so thankful and proud to be sopping wet. I still cannot believe it's been almost 11 years since I took the plunge (literally!) I tried finding a picture but could not find one for the life of me. 

Anyways loves, see you tomorrow! 

May Blog Challenge - Day# 4 Your Dream Job

Hello peeps!

           So, we have arrived at blog challenge day 4, You dream Job. This one was actually super difficult for me to come up with because there are so many amazing and cool jobs out there. But I think I figured it all out. This isn't a real job but it's my "dream" job, so if this was a dream, I could possibly get paid lol. My dream job is... A traveller. 

So, yes, there is no such job and just "travelling" that exists in life, that I know of anyways. I don't mean a job where I travel for work, but more of a traveler where I literally travel around and taking in the sights, sounds and smells of some of the amazing places of the world. 

Eating a baguette at a cafe in Paris, shopping in a market in Israel, eating a plate of spaghetti and meatballs in the Tuscan countryside. There are so many amazing things I want to see in this world, on this amazing planet that we walk on. Could you imagine showering in a waterfall in Costa Rica and getting paid for it? Like, duh! Who wouldn't? 

But *sigh*, sadly, No such job in this life, LOL. So, obviously, it really is my "dream' job. 

Anyways, I'll see you tomorrow loves!! 

May Blog Challenge- Day #1 Your Blog's Name

Hello all my fellow Sardines,

                  So, I have decided to take part in a monthly blog challenge! Jump with me! If you aren't familiar with what a "blog challenge" is, I shall explain. So, for 1 month, count em, 1, I have to try and post once a day. Now, I am behind a day but it's better late than never, right? I found this challenge via Pinterest (Pst! If you aren't already following me, there is a link in the side bar).

So, how about we get started?

Today, we discuss my Blog Name. I know alot of you wonder why my blog has a name like "Not Your Average Sardine" and you have merit for wondering LOL I mean, who names their blog after an oily fish that  comes in a peel back can? About 2 years ago When a new girl named Nora started at my place of work, I began calling her 'Noreen" eventually to balance out my calling her 'Noreen" she began calling me Sardines, because you know my name is "Sarah". Make sense? Not really? lol

Regardless as to whether it made sense of not, it stuck and my nickname is now Sardines. Gotta love when one of the girls calls my nickname and the customers look all confused.

I eventually changed my Instagram name (Again, if you aren't following me on IG, the link is in the side bar) to Not Your Average Sardines. Because unlike real-deal sardines, I do not live in an oil slicked can or get eaten and I'm not a fish, I am a human. See? Not an average sardine? When I decided to become a lifestyle blogger vs. a beauty blogger, I decided to change my blog name to Not Your Average Sardines. I feel like it really makes it personal and people relate to personal.

So there you have it, day #1 of my May blog challenge. Since I'm behind a day, I am off to write my Day #2 post.

See you in a sec!

Getting Candid- 10 Weird Things about Me

Hello my little chocolate eclairs,

        

 Today I am getting personal so you guys can get to know The Sardines a bit better. Most of us have something weird about us that we usually tend to hide. HA HA!  So, here is me opening up my heart to y'all and giving you 10, count em, 10! Weird facts about me. Let's do this, *deep breath*.

1. I like the smell of anything made of sponge/foam. Yes, you read that correctly. I like foam, like foam rollers, foam mattress pads, foam ANYTHING. I have been caught sniffing foam rollers more than once. Usually this ends with the person walking away slowly and pretending that they didn't see it. Ha!

2. I am scared of seeing things underwater. I am not sure how this started, to be honest. They say any sort of phobia is stemmed from something, but I have no idea how this came about. When I go to the zoo, you will not get me into those observation tunnels. LOL

3. I am obsessed with vacuums. Yes, vacuum cleaners, vacuum smells (safe to say, I have a thing for smells), vacuuming things.

4. I have not gone nail polish free in 4 years. I cannot remember the last time I had 'naked' nails. I just feel like when my nails aren't painted, they get snagged on things. I just feel like things run smoother when my nails are painted.

5. I cannot turn my sarcasm off. I am really bad at holding my tongue when it comes to sarcasm. Sometimes, I don't even realize I am doing it...until someone gets offended. Maybe I should just change it to, I offend people without even realizing.

6. When it comes to men, I have no type. I like what I like. I don't really find one type of guy attractive. Also, when it comes to guys, if I am going to ever like you, in a romantic way, I usually know my atleast the 2nd time meeting you. The odd occasion it takes 3 time.

7. When watching a movie, if the actors are kissing and there are people in the room, I can't look at the screen. I guess this stems from me being a really private person. I don't care for PDA.

8. I have never been on a plane. Yup! I am 25 and never been on a plane. I don't even know how I'd react! Like, turbulence.. ?

9. Sometimes, I google slang words that I don't understand, because I'm afraid to ask. Words like 'Swag', yeah, I had to google that one. Is that so weird?...I'm old. 

10. I must have a bath or shower before bed! Even if I had one before I went somewhere that night, I have to take a bath or shower before I put my Pj's on.

So there you go! I know there are probably weirder things out there that people do (seriously, just watch any episode of My Strange Addiction) but I wanted to get candid with you guys. Hope you enjoyed. And let me know some weird things about you, if you dare.

Until next time...

Spring 2015 Nail Polish Haul

Hello Loves,

     First off, if you follow me on Instagram, I did post saying that I was going to be posting a spring makeup look. Unfortunately, this week has been horrible, lots of family things that have prevented me from posting. I am still unsure if I will be posting that blog yet but in the meantime, here is a spring nail polish haul for you.

I just cleaned out my nail polish collection and I needed some fresh colors to paint on the digits. So here we go ;) oh, yeah, before we begin, I just want to say that all these shots were taken in my new DIY lightbox. Hope you enjoy!!

China Glaze Gelaze (Needs a LED light to cure) Left: Too Yacht to Handle, Right: That's Shore Bright

China Glaze- Bottoms Up

China Glaze- Son of a Peach

China Glaze- Lotus Begin

China Glaze- Highlight Of my Summer

Orly- Key Lime Twist LE

Until next time...

Nail Polish Selections for Spring 2015

Hello,

      Happy Thursday everyone! Almost Friday! Yaaaaay! So, today Im going to sharing some of my favorite nail polishes for the time being.

As spring approaches, I feel like I need to get more into a softer and more femine color scheme but also keeping some of the edgyiness that goes with the winter months. Here in the Great White North, we dont really get a real deal spring. Its more of a jubble of days that range from 10C to about -3C. So it can really go all over the place. I feel like that is why I like to still have that edgy yet soft nail that can work on both sides of the thermostat. I have been into nuetrals as of late and here are some of my picks. I have not swatched them but they will be pinned to my pinterest board soon for swatches.

· Essie - Chinchilly (a light mauvey gray) Seen in picture.

· O.P.I - Tickle my France-y (A nude toned pink)

· O.P.I - Funny Bunny (a milky sheer white that can be build for a more opaque finish)

· China Glaze - Below Deck (Mid-toned mauvey gray)

Thanks for reading loves. Let me know below what some of your spring favorites are!!!

Bookish Diary #1- Uninterested or Busy?

Hello Lovers,

       So today we gotta talk about when it is extremely difficult to get into a novel. Lol so this might seem weird to a my fellow bookworms but it also might be a very relatable thing too. I recently ordered a book online by one of my favorite authors by recommendation. Even though she is my favorite author, I have not read all her books, which again may seem weird to all my fellow book lovers. The book is called The King's General and it is by the author Daphne DuMaurier. If you arent sure who that is, she wrote Jamaica Inn (my all-time favorite novel) and she is also the mastermind behind Alfred Hitchcocks The Birds. Actually, Alfred Hitchcock covered a few of her works, the ladder, Rebecca and a horrendous version of Jamaica Inn.

Anyways, I am finding it extremely difficult getting into this novel for more than one reason. I think a big reason is that I actually have no time to read. I work so much and when Im not at work, I am running errands or catching up on housework. Sometimes I will schedule time to sit and read, but by the time its slot comes around, I am wiped out. Another reason may be this, the book is super thick and one problem I have with Daphnes works is the amount of description she uses. Oh my word! Sometime we can go a whole chapter of decribing how the waves of the sea crash together. Don't get me wrong but sometimes there is too much decription to handle. I can read a super exciting chapter filled with romantic dialogue and then BAM! We are back to the waves.

So tell me everyone, should I step away from this book for now and try picking it up again later or should I push through in hopes I will hit a point where I cant put it down?

Current Netflix Obsession: Downton Abbey

Good Evening! Hope you are all having a fantastical night. I want to let you all in on a recent guilty pleasure of mine. A little show called Downton Abbey. I am pretty sure I am the last person on the planet to start watching this show and it has already had a full 4 seasons. Anyhow, after hearing nothing but good things about this show and also knowing that it was a period drama, I finally caved and started the series. I have to be honest in saying that I was very surprised that the show is so popular. Not because it is a bad show but rather because it is such a clean show. There is not much cursing/swearing, if any. The sexual content is low and it has nothing to do with vamps. So, why is Downton Abbey so popular and why does it have such a following? Two words, Maggie Smith lol. Yes, this legendary actress has this show by its nuggets. Although her part is meanial, she gives the show the edge it needs. I rarely find myself grinning so much as when something witty slips out of Lady Violets mouth.

Aside from the great Maggie Smith, this show has some pungent story lines, dripping with a ton of drama. But not teenaged drama or whiney drama. It has a dose of more realistic (for the period) drama that is more relatable.

As far as ships go, this show has too many to count. Great chemisry between the actors. By the way, did I mention how amaze these british actors are? Sheerly brilliant! A great cast of actors who fill their characters shoes well.

I am only on season 2 but so far, so good.  I am pleased with the series as a whole. If you like period dramas, then this is for you.

Get on netflix now and watch this show if you have not already.

XXO

A Few Beauty Favourites To Share

1. Too Faced Hangover RX Primer - I use this lightweight primer as a moisturizer before makeup. It creates a nice dewy finish under your makeup for the day.

2. MAC Face and Body Foundation - This foundation is feather light and buildable. This foundation has a light dewy finish but set it with powder and you have a matte finish. When this foundation sets, it lasts forever. A great summer foundation.

3. The Balm Mary-Lou Manizer - My Holy Grail highlighter. This foundation is a highly pigmented, champagne highlighter. This gives a light glow to even the fairest skin.

4. Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette - I have had this palette for a while now and I literally use it everyday. My favourite colours are Limit and Nooner.

5. Coastal Scents 6 Contour Palette - This palette is dirty cheap and it great for a contour beginner. Even though these guys are cheap, they are extremely pigmented! They are also matte so they create a natural light contour.

6. Too Faced Better than Sex Mascara - My absolute favourite mascara!!! This guy is they most expensive mascara I own, but it is worth every penny. Gives great volume and length without alot of clump. LOVE!!!

Rant:Over-Confidence or Insercurities?

Hello Everyone,

          Yet again, sorry about being MIA. Life continues to throw stones at us but so far I am still swinging a bat. I just want to give you a bit of an update on the blog and what is coming. As mentioned in a previous blog post which I will link here, I have decided to turn this blog from a beauty blog into a lifestyle blog. What exactly is a Lifestyle blog you ask? Well, I won't be as focused on beauty. I want to revolve around alot of different things such as home decor, fashion, food and sensitive subjects. Ofcourse, I will still talk alot about makeup but I want to be able to cater to everyone. Also, I have another announcement. In a few days time I will be yet again changing the name of my blog. I am changing it to reflect a more personal value that I feel like this needs. Some of you may be extremely stumped by the new title but I will explain when I reveal the new name.

       Moving on to today's post, while pinning recently, I came across a quote that really stuck out to me. It was so simple. As you probably know, it is the picture posted and it begs the question, if someone brags about the way someone speaks of them or how amazing they look, are they over-confident or are they just plain insecure? This is something that is very near and dear to me, because through out my life I have had many who have stumped me on this question. Growing up insecure with who I am, I often thought people who bragged about themselves we just very confident and I almost wanted to be them. But as I grew up and my personal confidence began to grow, I realized things. I post alot of selfies, as many of you may know if you follow me on instagram. Alot of people seem to think that I am insecure with myself because I post so many. I have sat down, mind-boggled, thinking that maybe they were right.I'd think: I do like my makeup in this picture, and the filter makes my skin look flawless and my eyes look crystal blue. I had to come to the conclusion that posting selfies doesn't make me insecure.

     On the other end of the scenario, there are people I know who brag about how beautiful, fit and young they look. They brag about pick-ups, hook ups and how everyone is in love with them. They also make you feel like you aren't any of those things and that you need to change. They don't encourage you to love the skin your in, but rather, they want to rip you to shreds. Why? Well, here is my theory, I am plus sized, to some, fat, chubby, thick, meaty, large, whatever you want to call me. But I am truly okay with where I am at. Unless I feel like my health is at risk (which I don't) then I am good. People who have it all, always want more, they will never be happy unless someone else wants to be them. And when they see that I have no desire to be them, they wonder why, what is wrong with them? nothing! I just don't need to be you to be happy. So, yes, I believe that those people, are insecure, not over-confident, plain, old fashioned, insecure. So, yes, I take alot of selfies. Am I insecure? No. I just like how crystal blue my eyes look with this filter. Do I have my insecure moments? Absolutely! Who doesn't? But I am not a star shining a bright as I can while still wishing to be as bright as the sun. I am happy and no, I most certainly do not want or need to be like you. You be you. I'll be me.

  

   I hope this rant made sense and I hope you can all relate. Thank you if you stayed till the end.

Until next time...

XXO

D.I.Y TEA TREE OIL TONER

Hello Beautiful, 

         Today I am going to give you a super easy and quick recipe for my current toner. When I say the words easy and quick, I mean it. This toner works best for oily or blemish prone skin types. Because it uses tea tree oil it works as an anti-bacterial to help fight new breakout and because it uses witch hazel it helps dry out the skin a bit and helps swelling to subside. 

Recipe

• I bottle of witch hazel (I purchased this 473 ml. bottle from Target for a mere $3 CAD)
• 10 drops of pure 100% Tea Tree Oil (I purchased mine at whole foods for $8 CAD)

 

 All you need to do it drop 10 drops of tea tree oil in your bottle of witch hazel. Note: If you have extremely sensitive skin, then I suggest diluting this with distilled water.  Give er a shake and voila! You very own homemade toner! I usually apply this with a cotton round after washing my face and follow up with a moisturizer and eye cream. I find this really helps to keep my acne at bay and under control. It is also natural which is also a bonus. I hope you enjoyed this quick post and let me know if you give it a try.

Until Next Time...

MY EVERYDAY MAKEUP ESSENTIALS

90's Lip Trend ♥

Hello Beautiful People, 

Makeup for Teenagers ♥

Suzy Shier Nail Polish Review ♥

Today we are going to talk 'real bargains'! If you know me personally, then you know that I am literally a nail polish junkie. And if you don't know me personally then Im here to tell you, I AM A NAIL POLISH JUNKIE! Being a junkie basically means that you have every color in the rainbow but you still don't have EVER color in the freaking rainbow, you follow? Anyways, I am always on the hunt for the next big color or even just a color that I have never seen before. Whilst shopping with my sister and our best friend Mikayla (SHOUT OUT!) a few weeks back (I mean like 2 month ago lol) at Urban Planet, I saw these two awesome colors of polish in the 'impulse buy' section near the checkout. Ok, so I work in a beauty supply store so I usually don't buy alot of polish outside of my work, let alone a clothing store polish, but I caved because I had been looking for similar colors everywhere. They were only $2.80 before tax, so I thought how could I go wrong? I ended up buying two, a pale green and a fun bright lavender shade. I will be honest in saying that I didn't have very high hopes for these guys. I was expecting a polish that lasted an hour and then chipped off, but boy was I wrong! I really gave this polish a run for it's money. After a day of opening boxes stocking shelves and typing on a register all day, the polish was still in tact! Plus, not only did it last a day, but it lasted 4 days and even still looked great! I took it off mainly to change colors. I do, however, have a few minor complaints about this product.
#1- Odd shaped bottle. This bottle is a rectangular cube shape, so the brush handle is a bit bulky to hold steadily.

#2- Uneven application on lighter colors. The Lavender went on nice and smooth with two coats. The green, however, took a bit more work. 3 coats and still a bit uneven.

#3- Don't have shade names. These guys do not have names!!! Gahhh! So frustrating! So, when someone says 'I love your nail shade!', Im all like, 'thanks! It's the lavender looking on at Urban Planet'. This is super annoying.

So, beside a few minor, and I do mean trivially minor, flaws, I would say this polish is awesome and surprisingly good. I would say for the $2.80, these are a steal. Go get them now!

Until next time...

*This post is hella not sponsored*