Australia Actually

Merry Christmas & warm wishes to you who's reading this :) I can't believe another year has gone by. So many things have changed, but that's part of the beauty of life, right? It's so weird to see my family and friends grow: people leaving, people coming in. If there's anything i've learnt this year, it's that we need a strong foundation or network of people that we can count on through the years. I'm so blessed to have kept a handful of people on my side, even though sometimes I feel like I could do a better job of keeping in touch :p For so long now, i've been wanting to send mail to my friends in the Philippines. It's been eight years, and I still haven't sent a single one. I'm determined to do something about it in the coming year! And I wanna do a better job of keeping touch with friends here too :)

Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree... i'm gonna miss how you add sparkle and glam to my living room!! 

Highlight of the night: Meeting 3-week old Luke for the first time. He is SO TINY. I tried to hold him, but I obviously have a specialty for making babies cry :'( Anyway, I was so excited to give him my gift which was a onesie that said "Best gift ever"!! I thought it was the cutest thing, him being a December baby and all :D

Merry Christmas from us to you! I love these people!

Mmmm delicious fruit cake from T&T!

Pizza, Turkey & Mash + Filipino food = Best of both worlds! This is how we roll :p

Goodnight guys!!! Hope you had a great Christmas this year <3

Love,

Chelsea

Good morning! I had the strangest urge to listen to Britney Spears this morning, and i'm talking about Britney from 1999 to 2003, because it brings back good memories of me and my old cassette player. I was a little bit sad for some reason, and I needed Britney to balance me out. Some days, it's Disney, some days, it's Britney. Anyway, first stop today was the bank! I took the chance to wear these waterproof boots that I got yesterday (from a brand called Sorel), and i'm so happy that I got them because my other boots were not meant for walking in snow and sludge. With these, I feel like I needn't be too careful and they'll be able to handle the harsh winter weather!

I drove to Chinook to do the last bit of my personal shopping, since I will be working on boxing day and won't have time to go then. I got myself a candle from Urban Outfitters called "Moon Sparkle" (which smells AH-mazing btw!!), a fleece hoodie from North Face, a $12 top/dress from Topshop, and another pair of Aritzia leggings. I tried to leave a.s.a.p so I could hang out with Jesse and his fam for a bit!

Awww. Tita assigned me a Christmas stocking too!!! I don't wanna be cheesy but it means the world to me that she'd even think of it. Super thoughtful gesture. I can see where he gets it from. <3

Sushi Mori with the parents and sister :)

We saw Star Wars!! I actually enjoyed it quite a lot! And i'm obviously a huge fan of kick-ass leading ladies. YASS. We need more strong female characters on screen!!! Keep 'em coming! 

Got home and opened a few presents, among them this delicious box of Lindt chocolates. They're gorgeous and decadent. I've been lusting after this box for a year now, and i've finally got my hands on it. *evil laugh*

How was your Christmas eve? Mine was honestly spent writing this blog and getting nostalgic with Britney Spears in the background. hahaha. I think i'm just gonna get ready for bed, turn on my fairy lights, and light up my moonsparkle candle and call it a night. Our family Christmas party is gonna be tomorrow and I can't wait to see my new baby nephew!!!

Xox,

Chelsea

Today was dedicated to tying up loose ends, and buying last minute gifts! As I mentioned before, Jesse and I had an agreement not to splurge on X-mas gifts this year, and we stuck to a $20 gift exchange. It was his time to pay up today :) YAAAAAS. We decided to meet up at Kensington to visit my favourite tea shop. As usual, I missed a few turns and got lost on the way! 

At Oolong tea house. The tea here is so much more potent than the famous brand I like to buy mugs from :p They were busy today too; people catching up for the holidays, or maybe even out on a date? It made me curious about how to tell whether two people just met that day or have known each other for years. 

Just met that day: Each person would try to look nice for their first date, even if it's freezing out. They will also try and carry less crap with them.

Known each other for years: Goes into the cafe looking harassed by the cold weather, heavy bags in tow...throws crap all over the table...

I reckon that's one way to tell :p

I picked Winter Dream & Pumpkin Spice Cream. They smell soooo delish. Can't wait to try them!!!

Had the cheeseburger with blue cheese at Burger 320. Mmmm... so tasty :)

Also had to stop by four other places after this...haha! At the end of the day, I finally bought everything I needed. Last thing to do tomorrow is to wrap up a few more gifts, then I'm done! 

Good night,

Chels

December 18, Friday: Excuse my hobo outfit. I just felt the strong urge to wear my comfiest clothes for the exam. I was quite hangry in this photo because I hadn't eaten for 6 hours at this point, and I also had to navigate downtown traffic in sh*tty, snowy weather. I usually avoid driving downtown. lol. However, it was definitely worth the drive because I got to see my friend Minah again!!

We ate at Sun's BBQ restaurant right up at centre street. The drive there was also horrendous. hahaha. Once in, the restaurant was like a JUNGLE. Let's just say that we were forced to sit in a corner and we encountered a few sour-faced waitresses. We were also so close to sharing a seat with 4 other people in a round table. Wow, that would've been massively awkward! However, the food was excellent and I would definitely come there again for the chow mein (my favourite chinese dish!). 

Afterwards, we went to Chinook so I could start my christmas shopping :) I had soooo much fun with this girl. I can't believe I only had half a day with her!! Everyday is so precious when you only get to see someone once or twice a year. I'll miss you! Take care in YEG <3 

December 19, Saturday: I had one hell of scary drive on my way to Chinook (again) after work today. It got me so scared that my mood became somber; and the only way to remedy it was to buy a coat and a sweater from Topshop. HEEHEE. Shopping = therapy. I met up with my friends for our yearly Santa pic, then we had dinner at Gaucho's afterwards. 

2008 VS 2015

Our group of friends have become so massive... we had a long table to ourselves. The food was soooo gooooood. But it was soooo expensiveeee. LOL. Here's a photo of Arianne, Rem, and I, otherwise known as the "Cholas". I had such a fun time with these two, and of course, the rest of the people we were chatting up with all night. Our yearly dinner is always something I look forward to :)

December 20, 2015: Another reunion today! We met up with my girlfriend Allyson over pho for lunch. It was her first time sitting down with Jesse and chatting up with him <3 It always makes me so happy when the boyfriend gets along with important people in my life, and vice versa :)

This was the dark-green, moss-coloured coat that I got from Topshop. Jesse got me the exact same one, but in caramel, for my birthday a month ago. I love it!

Two hours later, we were making ginger bread men at his friend Annky's house. The one on the left is Elvis, and the right one is supposed to be a construction guy. lol.

Jesse's artful depiction of Santa claus!

December 21, Monday: I'm exhausted, to say the least. Was able to wrap a few presents this morning, then I started feeling really sick.

So what I did was fix myself a little lunch, put on Disney short films from Netflix, bundled up in bed, and took a nap. I then went to work at 2 p.m. It was a nice, slow shift, thankfully.

Only 3 days til Christmas!!!

YAY!!!!

xx, 

Chelsea

Monday: Good aftie! About to leave for work :)

Tuesday: Came to work in the morning, went to an exam review at school, then put in a few hours at the library. I fancy this little art gallery they have going on at the TFDL.

Tuesday: Drove home in terrible weather condition! Oh, and i've finally experienced "skidding" on snow. I skidded like, ten times today. LOL. woohoo!

Keep calm and enjoy life!

Thursday: One last sift through my notes before my final exam (yes, it's for the class that I hate haha)

We survived the final!!! It went better than I expected :D

"You are so special...how did the universe come up with you?"

I guess vandalism isn't so bad as long as it spreads positivity? hehe

I'm writing my last final exam tomorrow at 8 a.m, bright and early! Tomorrow is gonna be a busy one so i'm gonna rest my head xx

Love,

Chels

Happy Sunday! Yay :) Went to Cross Iron Mills for a bit of shopping today. One of my favourite things to do is to shop around during Christmas season... actually, it's something I like to do anytime of the year hahaha. Out of all the occasions and seasons that we celebrate, Christmas is my favourite. I love this time of the year; everything just seems so cheery and bright! 

Today was not about me though :P I'm planning on buying a few things for boxing day... need to be patient and wait for December 26... it's killing me a little inside ><

I had such a craving for mediterranean food, specifically the chicken and hummus/tzatziki combo.

Before going home, we stopped by TNT supermarket to grab some snacks. Look how pretty these little cakes are!!! I adore them. 

Cute Christmas bear with a toque! 

Lastly, one thing that I got for myself at the mall today was this CD. I cannot tell you how excited i've been since I first laid eyes on it! What got me excited was the music selection, and most definitely the artists who've decided to cover these classic songs <3 It's safe to say that I listen to the weirdest range of music in my car.. I have Missy Elliot, an 80's mix CD, Coldplay, and now this Disney album, LOL.

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The affirmation for today is: I am a wonderful person. We may not be perfect beings, but let's try to find one good thing about ourselves, and really try to capitalize on that. For example, one 'wonderful' thing about me is my sense of optimism. I always think that i'm gonna turn any situation around to my advantage. "I'm gonna make the best of this", and if I don't, I still use the situation to strengthen and enlighten me. I know sometimes it's easier to focus on the things that are going wrong, but always remember that you are a wonderful person. And if you still feel crappy, go find a wonderful person who will cheer you up. Stick to those who make you feel wonderful about yourself, and avoid those that make you feel otherwise :)

Xo,

Chelsea

Rise and shine! Got on the road at 7:50 a.m to get to work, and it was CRAZY foggy outside!! I was slightly freaked out cause I couldn't see much ahead of me. I finally know what a pilot feels like when he's driving through a cloud. It felt like Silent Hill out there. Matter of fact, it still does, even though it's already 8:10 p.m as I'm typing this. 

On the plus side, it was SUNNY today!!! I always complain about the blinding sunlight but boy was I ecstatic to feel it on my face :) My mood really gets affected by the weather, bigtime... 

Exchanged something at Sephora after work, then went to meet Jesse at Hotpoint. Let me just say how crazy the drivers were around Chinook mall. People are getting stressed with their last minute shopping :p

Thought it would be fitting to end our night with our favourite (crack). I mean.. spicy beef hot soup. We've been steadily addicted to this stuff for more than a year now. LOL. Idk what they put in it, but it's so damn good!! 

Xo,

Chelsea

[Dec 11, 2015]. My day off today! I slept in til about 10 (was having crazy dreams again.. which I quite enjoy actually) then got ready for a late Christmas lunch with the co-workers at the Keg. It was so nice getting together out of work for a change. 

Afterwards, I killed some time before meeting Jesse, and hung out at Starbucks. I attempted to read the book for that one class that I hate, and they might as well have written it in greek because nothing made sense to me. I do not speak the technical language that they wish for me to study. So I'm skipping that chapter and I'm gonna keep going until I find something that I can connect to. Lol. 

Peppermint mocha, no whip <3

Quick stop at Walmart :)

Have a good night!

Xo,

Chels

Sorry, no affirmation today, but here's a rant instead:

There's so many things that attribute to confidence, but today I'll use calmness as an example. I'm finding it quite hard to tame my nerves for an exam I'm having next week. I literally cannot make sense of the prof's powerpoints or thought pattern in general. It feels like she's stringing one subject after another, without really expanding on any one real topic. The readings have no direct relation to the powerpoints (I'm guessing she thinks they're important in some way?) I am incredibly frustrated about this because none of her notes have one singular theme, and they certainly have no flow. I am so mad. I really have to calm the f*ck down. 

WORST. PROF. EVER.

WORST. T.A. EVER.

I went on ratemyprof & found solace in the fact that a lot of people felt the same way about her. She teaches a 200-level class like it's a 400-level class, and after everyone pretty much shat bricks for the reflection paper and midterm because she graded really hard and provided no support nor detail, she had the audacity to tell us that we had to "work for it". 

I'm literally on the verge of flippin' a table here. No, erase that, I've flipped many-a-hypothetical-tables in my head at this point already. I think I'm calming down now. I haven't found a resolution, except to stop reading her damn powerpoints and attempt to read the book instead. At least the book will have coherence and will actually MAKE SENSE. 

At least this meme makes me laugh. 

Sorry you had to see this side of me; but i'm only human and I do get angry too. I really value honesty and i'd hate for my readers to only be getting one side of the story. I like to keep it real as much as I can!

Hope you still love me,

Chelsea