19 NEW THINGS FOR A 19 YEAR OLD ME

One thing I’m really terrible at is New Years Resolutions. I set up big huge goals and then quit by January 21st and end up feeling awful about myself. I know at least one or two of you know what I mean, and I’m sure you will agree with me that it is no fun feeling like the rest of the year will be a waste because you were unable to go to the gym past January 21st. This year I decided that instead of New Years Resolutions, I’m going to do BIRTHDAY RESOLUTIONS. Which is basically the same thing because my birthday is two days before January 1st. But instead of making goals for the next calendar year, I’m making goals just for me for the rest of my life. Which is a little more intense now that I think about it, but at the same time it’s no big deal if I don’t do it all the time, because I have the rest of my life to master whatever it is I plan on doing.

Now, being 18 was pretty amazing. A lot of great things happened to me, including getting accepted into BYU (my dream school), getting my dream job, and then going to school and working my dream job, all while meeting so many great people and forming really great friendships. In ONE day I turn 19 and I’m really excited to see what this new age will bring. I mean, as soon as I turn 19 I’ll probably become extra mature and all of a sudden have pantsuits in my closet. That’s how that works, right?

Let’s be honest, not a lot happens when you turn 19. Turning 18 was fun cause it was all “wow! I’m an adult!” and even though that doesn’t really change many things, it was still exciting. Turning 20 will be exciting because, I mean, it’s TWENTY. That’s when the grown-up stuff starts to happen. So instead of looking at 19 as the boring in-between-the-fun-years year, I decided I’m going to look at it as the time-to-prepare-for-when-you’re-a-grown-up year.

So, without further ado, I present unto you,

Gabby Heroux's 19 Things To Do When You're 19 That Will Help You Become A Successful 20 Year Old (I Think)

1. ACTUALLY TRY TO MONITOR WHAT YOU PUT IN YOUR BODY

Being an (almost) 19 year old, my metabolism is, not trying to brag, phenomenal. In a few years, it won't be. I'm really terrified for that moment, to be honest, because I won't be able to swing the snacks-for-meals thing anymore. But, maybe it won't be so hard to make the switch from junk food 24/7 to healthy food 24/7 if I only eat junk food 12/7 and healthy food the other 12/7 during this transition year. Fruits, veggies, protein......I'm coming for you. #HealthyIsCool

2. GYMS ARE FUN NOT SCARY

This one kind of relates to #1 in that soon my metabolism will not be what it is now. I need to start working out now so I'm used to working out when I actually really need to start working out. I will most definitely not become a crazy gym rat, but my goal as a 19 year old is to go to the gym at least 4 times a week. Obviously I'll have weekends off, and I'm giving myself one free day a week because let's be real, 5 days a week is a little ridiculous.

3. READ MORE BOOKS

Hey guys, guess what!!! Reading a book is like watching an entire series on Netflix except instead of episodes, you read chapters, and instead of watching the people act out everything, you get to act it out in your head! How crazy is that!? BOOKS ARE AWESOME. They make your brain do actual work instead of just turning into mush. They're great to read while you're running on a treadmill at the gym. Because let's be real, in college no one has time to just sit down and read a book. So, do it while you're working out and BAM. Two bird with one stone. Two things you should be doing, all done at the same time. I might have spent all my iTunes Christmas money on books instead of music or movies. Not even mad about it. If the books I downloaded are good, I'll let you know soon.

4. JOURNAL. FOR FREAKS SAKE JUST DO IT

Here's a secret: I hate journaling. I hate it so much. I really just hate it with everything in my soul. Like, I really don't like it. But it seems like everyone in their 20s keeps a journal, so to prepare for being a 20 year old, I need to start working on writing in my journal. Maybe instead of actually writing in a journal, I'll just blog more. Because a blog is basically a journal but just on the internet, and for everyone to see. Okay yeah.

5. BLOG MORE

Like 70% of the reason I'm going to start blogging more is so I don't have to keep a journal (see item #4). But blogging actually really helps me to figure out what I've been doing with my life, and what I need to start doing with my life. Plus my mom likes it cause I go a little more in-depth with the details of my life than I do on Twitter. You're welcome, mom!

6. WEAR MORE LIPSTICK

I'm pretty sure a requirement of being 20 is that you have to wear lipstick most of the time. So, might as well start practicing this year. Taylor Swift Red Lips......here I come.

7. STAY POSI

Being a 19 year old, a lot of change is gonna come my way. A lot of good things will happen and quite a few bad things will happen too. THAT'S LIFE. The best part about life though is that you can decide to be happy no matter what you're going through. I'm excited for 19 because it's going to be a year of happiness and positivity and sunshine!

8. LISTEN TO MORE TAYLOR SWIFT

If you say you hate Taylor Swift, you're either lying to yourself or just haven't listened to her albums with an open heart. She is so talented. Her songs capture emotions so perfectly. If you haven't listened to her album, 1989, yet, go do it right now. Also I may or may not be listening to 22 semi-regularly to prepare for when I turn 22.....in 3 years. Never too early to begin preparing for a big moment in your life.

9. DANCE MORE

Mostly to Taylor Swift. But also just to whatever kind of music. Dance in your room! Dance in your shower! Please be safe though. Dance in the streets! Don't dance during class cause that could be awkward. Dance at football games! I dance every touchdown. Dance at the grocery store! But only if it's not too busy because people don't like when you run into them. Dance anywhere! Even if you're alone! Even if you're bad at dancing! Cause guess what? People don't care if you're bad at dancing! Just have fun and dance because dancing is proven to make you feel stronger and happier (see: self help books probably).

10. TALK TO OLD FRIENDS

Turning 20 is the year where you really let go of your childhood and completely move into adulthood (I think...once again, I'm no expert). While you'll be meeting a lot of new people, it's important to stay in contact with the people who were there for you way back when you were little. Send a text. Ask them how they've been. Listen when they tell you how they've been. Try to schedule lunch dates. Just do anything to remind the people you love that you love them. It's important.

11. DO THINGS THAT MAKE YOU HAPPY

Being in college, there's a lot of things that suck up your time. Studying, work, friends, studying, other responsibilities, and studying really takes up a lot of the hours that we have each day. Try and set aside time to do something that makes YOU happy. Whether it's reading, going on a bike ride, listening to music, playing music, eating......do something by yourself each day that makes you happy and grateful to be alive.

12. ACTUALLY STUDY BEFORE FINALS WEEK

I don't really feel like I have to go into detail with this one. It'll save you from a lot of stress, and probably help your grades a bit.

13. PAINT YOUR NAILS MORE

Having my nails painted makes me feel fancy, and feeling fancy is good. Also having your nails painted is a sign you have your life together, and I'm supposed to get my life together in my 20s, so I'll fake it till I make it.

14. DRESS LIKE YOU'RE GOING TO RUN INTO YOUR WORST ENEMY

Okay first of all, I hope none of you actually have enemies. BUT, besides that, this is pretty great advice. It doesn't mean you can't wear leggings & a t-shirt every once in a while, it just means you gotta be workin' it in those leggings, just in case you run into that girl from high school who was basically your rival. Always be prepared to win a fierce-off. ALWAYS BE FIERCE.

15. TRY AND BE AT LEAST 2 FOR 3 EACH DAY

Okay I'm gonna let you guys in on a huuuge Gabby Heroux secret. Every day before I leave, I make sure I am at least 2 for 3 in my appearance. Between hair, makeup, and clothes, I make sure to have at least 2 of those 3  categories be acceptable. That means if I'm not feeling like putting makeup on, I can still have a good day if my clothes and hair are looking okay. Don't wanna do my hair? If my outfit and makeup are on fleek, then I am still on fleek. 3/3 (hair, makeup, AND outfit looking fierce) means I'm gonna have the best day ever, 1/3 means I'm kind of struggling but can still get through the day, and 0/3 I might as well just stay in my room all day cause I deserve a day of rest if I'm that exhausted. It's a good system.

16. INVEST IN THE THINGS THAT ARE WORTH INVESTING IN

Invest in good shoes, good friends, and good outerwear. You'll thank me later.

17. STOP DOUBTING YOURSELF

Seriously. That thing that you want to do, that you don't think you'll be able to do? JUST DO IT. Because even if it's hard and you don't succeed, at least you did it. You got experience, you learned from it. So cliche but YOU'LL NEVER KNOW UNTIL YOU TRY. SO JUST DO IT. 

18. IT'S OKAY TO SAY NO

Know your limitations, and know that it's okay to turn something down if you know it won't make you happier. IT'S OKAY TO PUT YOURSELF FIRST SOMETIMES. Say no if you don't have time for something, or if you know you'll be too stressed out. I promise people won't hate you for it. They'll probably respect you for being aware of what you're capable of. And, if someone does hate you for putting yourself first every once in a while, they probably aren't the greatest person to be surrounding yourself with.

19. LOVE YOURSELF

JUST DO IT. LOVE YOURSELF AND DON'T BE AFRAID TO LET PEOPLE KNOW. YOU'RE AWESOME AND IT'S OKAY TO ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR STRENGTHS. IT'S OKAY TO BE CONFIDENT AND HAPPY WITH YOURSELF! PEOPLE WHO JUDGE YOU FOR BEING SECURE WITH WHO YOU ARE ARE PROBABLY JUST JEALOUS CAUSE THEY'RE INSECURE WITH THEMSELVES. SO DON'T PAY ATTENTION TO THEM. YOU'RE REALLY COOL AND CUTE AS FRICK AND SUPER SMART AND GOOD AT THE THINGS YOU DO. REMEMBER THAT ALWAYS.

Alright friends, if you made it through this entire list then I applaud you. I hope you all have a wonderful 2015. Friendly reminder that every season of FRIENDS is being added to Netflix on January 1st. Happy 'flixing, and happy new year!

XOXO,
gabs.

PS: tunes

Blank Space // Style (Taylor Swift Mashup) / Louisa Wendorff

I haven't stopped listening to this since I first heard it last Thursday. Absolutely amazing.

a literary analysis: Where Are You Christmas?

Okay so normally I am VERY AGAINST listening to Christmas music before Thanksgiving, but this past week Michael Bublé & Idina Menzel came out with their "Baby It's Cold Outside" music vid so obviously I HAD to watch it, and from that very moment, I have been all Christmas music all the time. Sorry Kaila.

Luckily I hadn't deleted my Christmas playlists from last year, so right after I listened to Michael and Idina sing to the heavens like the angels that they are, I dug the playlists out from my Spotify vault. I make a lot of playlists, so I had to scroll a long time to get to those babies. The two masterpieces of playlists that I have made are titled "Classy Christmas" (think lots of Harry Connick Jr, Zooey Deschanel, and Michael Bublé christmas albums up the wazoo. This is what I would play at a trendy holiday party and/or on actual Christmas) and "Turnt Christmas" (Justin Bieber Christmas album, Glee cast, Pentatonix, Mariah Carey, Destiny's Child......all of the faves. You know how we doooo). The only song that is on BOTH playlists is Where Are You Christmas by Faith Hill. 

THAT. SONG.

This song, without a doubt, is the greatest, most inspirational, moving, stunning, phenomenal, and beautiful Christmas song in the history of the past 20 years probably. Written in the year 2000, this song really set the bar for Christmas music to come for the rest of the century. Originally appearing in the cinematic masterpiece How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Faith Hill out-does herself both with her vocals and also the raw emotion she depicts throughout the song. 

When I started listening to Christmas music on Tuesday, Where Are You Christmas didn't come up on my shuffle until I was in my room just hanging out with my roommate Kaila. When the song came on, I literally started crying. The lyrics are just so moving and I had quite an epiphany while listening, which is what I want to share with you all today.

Let's set the mood: click HERE to listen to Where Are You Christmas, listen along as I analyze this song line by line. The lyrics are in bold, my commentary is in italics.

Where are you Christmas? Why can't I find you? Why have you gone away?

Christmas here represents youth. The singer is wondering where her childhood has gone. How did she grow up so fast? How has time passed so quickly? Where did the simpler times go?

Where is the laughter you used to bring me? Why can't I hear music play?

The singer is now reminiscing back to when she had no cares in the world. She is concerned that she can no longer "hear the music" that she used to love to listen and dance to. This is a metaphor for no longer being in touch with her inner child. She is too old for such things, though she longs to go back to the old days when she had no worries.

My world is changing, I'm rearranging. Does that mean Christmas changes too?

The singer is growing up, changing into a different person. She wonders if growing into the person she is meant to be means that she will no longer be in touch with the person she used to be. She's scared of all the changes, and is hesitant to let her old self go, even though she knows that is what she needs to do.

Where are you Christmas? Do you remember the one you used to know?

She is worried that she is now so different from who she used to be, that she won't even be able to recognize herself. She tries to remember who she used to be.

I'm not the same one, see what the time's done. Is that why you have let me go?

She's not who she used to be. Time has changed her. She wonders if because of these changes in her life, she is unable to stay in touch with the younger version of herself.

Christmas is here, everywhere. Christmas is here, if you care.

She realizes her youth is still here. The innocence, love, and ease she knew as a child can still be hers.

If there is love in your heart and your mind, you will feel like Christmas all the time.

She knows that through love, she can feel the same way she did as a child. She can feel the simplicity and happiness that she used to feel, all the time.

I feel you Christmas, I know I've found you. You never fade away.

Although she is grown up, the little girl who she used to be will always be in her heart. 

The joy of Christmas stays here inside us, fills each and every heart with love.

The joy she felt as a child, when everything was simple, easy, and beautiful, is carried along with her in her heart as she grows up. She knows she will always feel love through her memories.

Where are you Christmas? Fill your heart with love. 

Where is Christmas? Where is youth? Where are the old days? Things are different now, but staying full of love helps her to remember, always.

So like this was 85% a joke but at the same time, growing up is scary and hard and sometimes you just wanna go back to how things used to be, but even though things are so different, you can still be true to you if you focus on love and postivity!!! Don't let the cold scary world make you a cold scary person. As Kid President said earlier today in a tweet, "Be the reason somebody gives thanks this week. High-five." 

Happiness and positivity will always make you feel better than any kind of sadness and negativity ever will. SPREAD HOLIDAY CHEER AND JUST REGULAR CHEER TOO, EVERYWHERE YOU GO. AND HAVE A GREAT THANKSGIVING WEEKEND FULL OF LOVE AND HAPPINESS AND GRATITUDE! 

XOXO,

gabs. 

Listen to Christmas music before Thanksgiving. Or just wait till after Thanksgiving. Whatever you feel like. Just do you.

Baby It's Cold Outside // Idina Menzel ft Michael Bublé 

The cutest song/music video ever.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year // Pentatonix

Potentially the greatest and happiest Christmas song of them all. Pentatonix's version is fantastic. Blast this and dance around your house as you set up your Christmas decorations. Or don't. But if you do, I promise you'll have a great time.

THINGS I WISH I KNEW BEFORE COLLEGE/THINGS I LEARNED AT COLLEGE

Hi friends, sorry it's been so long.

My excuse: I just barely finished summer term at Brigham Young University, and I guess you could say I got swept away in the glamour of it all. I always knew I would love college, but this summer I realized how much I, like, love college. So many new people, so many new opportunities, and so many new adventures to be had. I feel like I've been in a 90s coming of age movie - think Clueless, or She's All That - and this summer was the 4 minute montage of the shy nerdy girl getting a massive makeover and transforming into the infinitely funnier, smarter, and more mature-ish form of her previous self. Although I most likely haven't grown up as much as I'd like to believe, I HAVE learned a lot about how to survive college, so here's a list of things I wish I knew before college/things I have learned while at college

THINGS I WISH I KNEW BEFORE COLLEGE/THINGS I LEARNED WHILE AT COLLEGE

1. NAPS ARE SO IMPORTANT.

         I always knew sleep was cool. I'm not going to lie, I slept a LOT my senior year. But, college has taught me the true beauty of naps, and how they can turn your entire day around and make you into a whole new human. An ordinary day in the life of College Gabby this past summer went something like this:

9:30: wake up, stumble out of bed, kind of get ready for the day

10-11: Book of Mormon class

11-12: FIRST LUNCH

12-2: Either Writing & Rhetoric or Career Explorations (depending on the day)

2-3: SECOND LUNCH/homework time

3-5: Work

5-6: DINNER/more homework time

6-9: Nap

9-whenever: nighttime festivities with my friends (Del Taco, scootering around P-Town, and foosball were some of our favorite things to do after dark)

whenever-9:30am: bedtime/basically just another small nap

Before college, I never would have DREAMED of taking a nap from 6-9. But, college changes things. I've adapted. This is who I am now. And I have learned to accept myself for who I have become.

2. A COMFY BED MAKES A HAPPY HUMAN.

         This one goes hand in hand with item number one. Your bed in college is literally your safe haven, your one escape from the outside world, the one place you can hide away. For this reason, it is necessary to spend as much money needed to make your bad as comfy as possible. On my bed, I have a memory foam mattress topper (Target), jersey sheets (also Target), a wonderful not-too-hot, not-too-cold comforter (Ikea) and super cute duvet cover (also Ikea), and really nice pillows (no idea where I got these....I'm sure you can find pillows on your own though). Coming home from a long day of classes/work/social interaction, it was amazing to just plop down on my bed and snuggle up in my comforter and take a deep breath of satisfaction. Spoil yourself. You deserve it.

3. GOOD FRIENDS ARE VITAL.

         Listen guys, I can not emphasize this one enough. It is so important to have good friends that you can just hang out with and be yourself around. I was so incredibly lucky to find some phenomenal people this past term, and they made my life so much easier. Whether it was 5:30 (am) Denny's outings during finals week, midnight scooter rides around campus, or Saturday stay-in-bed-and-marathon-Netflix-all-day girl time, my friends were always there for me when I needed them, and I tried my hardest to return the love. Not being around family for the first time of your life can be hard, but good friends make it not so hard.

4. GET ALONG WITH YOUR ROOMMATE.

         I super lucked out, because my roommate, Kaila, and I get along sOoOoOooo well. I went into college being kind of hesitant to share a room with someone I don't know very well, but Kaila is fantastic. She's kind of like my momager (mom-manager. Think Kris Jenner, except Kaila's 500000x better/100000x less crazy). Everyone in our friend group calls her mom because she's the most responsible one out of all of us, she looks out for us, organizes everything, and makes sure we all get fed and do our homework and stuff. But she's not a regular mom....she's a COOL mom. In all seriousness though, do whatever you can to be good friends with your roommate because they're gonna be the ones that buy you ice cream from the vendiez when you're sad, they're the ones who will make sure you get up for your 10am class, they're the ones that you'll stay up ridiculously late whispering to about each other's COD's (crush of the day....more on that later), and they're the ones who will put up with you when you're at your craziest/moodiest. A good relationship with your roommate will make your college life extraordinary.

5. IT'S OKAY TO HANG OUT WITH PEOPLE THAT AREN'T YOUR ROOMMATE.

         Although it's so cool having your roommate as your best friend, YOU DON'T NEED TO DO EVERYTHING TOGETHER. Kaila & I talked about this before we even arrived to college and became close friends. We decided that it's okay to do different things and hang out with different people. There are so many people you will meet and so many people your roommate will meet and sometimes you guys will just have to do your own thing. My main piece of advice here is don't get offended if your roommate does something fun without inviting you, and be happy for each other when one of you gets asked to do something crazy awesome. Jealousy is toxic and will ruin the fun times you guys have. Just have fun and look out for each other and everything will be good.

6. THERE ARE SO MANY BOYS. YOU CAN LIKE A LOT OF THEM. BUT STAY CLASSY.

         Kaila and I, the first week of classes, decided to make COD's a thing. COD's, or crush-of-the-day's, are a play on the whole "COW" thing from EFY. Basically we decided that each new day we would have a new COD. A new crush that we'd kind of obsess over, snapchat a lot, smile at during the day, text.....you know, just classic crush-esque things. At the end of the day when we were all tucked into our beds for the night we'd go into detail all of the interactions we had with our COD, and basically just talk about how cute they were. Despite the name, we didn't actually have CODs every day....that would just be ridiculous. We didn't even actually have actual crushes on most of the boys we deemed our COD. We were just appreciating the gentleman-y qualities and beautiful faces of our peers. One time, my COD was a grad student who opened the door for me. Obviously I didn't actually like him, but he made me happy and so I decided he was my COD. That's the beauty of CODs....they're like a whole new level of non-committal. Which makes them a perfect way to avoid marriage. The main thing that made CODs work though, was that Kaila and I only told each other about them...no one else knew, or will ever know, who our CODs were. This is how we stayed classy about it. There are so many men at college, so many options and choices and opportunities. You can like as many of them as you want, just be classy about it. CLASS WILL GET YOU SO FAR IN LIFE. I promise. Also, don't forget that there are other ladies out there too.... Happy hunger games, may the odds be ever in your favor. (Lol jk, the dating scene isn't that intense. Only kind of intense.)

7. THERE'S MORE ROOM IN YOUR CLOSET THAN YOUR MOM WANTS YOU TO BELIEVE.

         Sorry mom, but I had like 1/4 of my closet that wasn't full at all. I am grateful to you for making me limit what I brought though, because I only have things that I actually wear...crazy, huh!? Humans that are packing for college right now: if you can't decide if you should bring a sweater that you kind of wear sometimes, but not sure if it will fit in with your new "college look", bring it anyways. Even if there isn't room in your closet for it, you can stuff it in a bin under your bed. I promise you there will be a day when you're super grateful you brought that sweater. I do, however, recommend leaving a lil bit of closet space open to accommodate borrowed clothing/clothing you will inevitably buy when you go to the mall right by campus. Also bring a lot more hangers than you think you'll need. There's way more hanging up space than there is drawer space.

8. TRY NEW THINGS.

         This is so cliche it almost kills me to put it on this list, but college is the time to discover yourself. It's the time to really find out what YOU love, not just what your friends love, what your parents love, or what looks good on college applications. Are you interested in psychology? Take PSYCH101. Want to learn how to fight? The Ju Jitsu club sounds rad. Want to meet new people? DO ANYTHING. College is full of people trying to find themselves, and no one will think you're lame for doing something that really interests you. You just gotta do you, and be proud about it.

9. MAKE A REALLY LONG STUDY PLAYLIST BEFORE THE NIGHT BEFORE YOUR FIRST ASSIGNMENT IS DUE.

         Luckily, I started making my study playlist (titled rad and sad, you can follow it on Spotify HERE) last October, so it is a grand total of 11 hours and 53 minutes long, with 182 songs that are perfect for studying. Make your own study playlist before you need it - I can't tell you how many times I've been ready to do something but then end up putting it off because I need to make a playlist for it first. (basically every time I decide I wanna be healthy and start running/working out LOL.) This might only be a problem for me. But trust me, friends. Having a pre-made study playlist will help you sOoOoOo much late at night when you just need some calming tunes to get you through that essay. I promise.

10. LITERALLY DON'T WORRY ABOUT WHAT ANYONE ELSE THINKS OF YOU.

         College is a weird time for people. It's that weird transition time between high school and real life, where half of the people are mature(ish) and the other half still think it's cool to be mean. What I learned this past semester is that people will say mean things sometimes, and the only thing you can do about it is choose to ignore it and grow from it. The people who are making fun of you for doing something you enjoy only hurt themselves. You are a beautiful human being with so many amazing things about you, and if people choose to waste their time talking badly about you then that's their own problem, not something you can change. Coco Chanel said it nicely: "I don't care what you think about me. I don't think about you at all." Don't give mean humans the time of the day. They don't deserve your thoughts. Haters gon' hate. 

11. CLEAN YOUR ROOM REGULARLY LOL

         I never ever thought I'd say this but a clean room is so amazing to come home to after a long day of school/work/play. Cleaning your room up a lil bit, even like once a week, helps a TON so you aren't struggling to hide everything right before cleaning checks. I wasn't that great at keeping my side of the room clean, but Kaila has a habit of cleaning when she wants to avoid doing homework, so her side was almost always clean. Goal for this next semester is to keep my side clean too, so that our room overall is a clean and happy place. Trust me on this one, though...regular laundry time is a must. Kaila and I usually did our laundry around 3 in the morning on a random Monday/Tuesday night. Usually right before a test/quiz so we could stay up all night studying in the basement where there was no wifi aka distractions. Doing laundry regularly just gives your life order. Showering regularly is also very important. Just cleanliness in general. Don't forget the basics.

12. DANCE PARTIES ARE GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH

         Every once in a while, Kaila and I would just turn on the tunes and jam hardcore. That was so important. College is stressful and scary and intense, and dancing around to One Direction, Beyoncé, Spice Girls, and (of course) High School Musical forces you to let loose and relax. Mine & Kaila's number one song of choice is Miracles Happen by Myra, the one from Princess Diaries. It instantly puts anyone in a good mood and reminds you that MIRACLES HAPPEN ONCE IN A WHILE WHEN YOU BELIEVE, which is always a good thing to keep in mind. Dancing is good for your soul. Hands up, go nuts, get crazy.

13. DON'T STRESS

         Like I said, college is scary. It's okay to be nervous. Don't let your nervousness stop you from having a good time though. This is the time to make memories and have fun and experience life. Don't sweat the small stuff. 

14. DO YOUR HOMEWORK AT YOUR DESK

         I was gonna end this list at don't stress because that was kind of inspirational (I'd like to think) but I just remembered another thing that is important. No matter how uncomfortable it may be, do your homework at your desk. There were so many times that I would think to myself "I'll just do my homework in bed. Perfect idea." And then I'd end up falling asleep mid-assignment and wake up in a fluster the next morning with unfinished homework. Also, I'm pretty sure there's a study somewhere that proves students who do their homework at their desk gets higher test scores. So yeah, do your homework at your desk and remember you're an amazing human being that is about to take life by storm and dominate this whole college thing. (My sad attempt at making the last point on here inspirational and uplifting.)

Well there ya have it. My 14-point guide on how to dominate college. I hope you all are doing well and I want you to know that I love my family, I love my friends, I love my gospel, and I love my life. 

XOXO,

gabs.

PS: Leave a comment if you have suggestions on how to dominate college! 

PPS: Mail is cool. My address is 2107 Chipman, Helaman Halls, Provo, UT, 84604 :)

Also here's a good song:

Young Blood // Bea Miller

And another good song:

Shake It Off // Taylor Swift

(I'm only a little embarrassed to say I'm completely obsessed with this song)

OOPS

So, turns out this week was a really awful week to begin posting every day...I KNOW, EXCUSES EXCUSES. But on the real though, I am incredibly busy with my siblings being home from college, Cami's wedding, leaving for college/packing my life away, etc., etc., etc...... SO, I will actually begin posting every day in a couple weeks, once I get settled into college life and I'm not as stressed/busy as I am right now. 

AS A WAY OF APOLOGIZING, here are some pictures of cute baby animals. ENJOY.

XOXO,

gabs.

A BLOGPOST A DAY....

Hey guys. So, as we all probably already know, I'm not that great at making blogposts regularly. I had previously blamed it on being too busy/not having anything to write about, but I realize now that I was just making petty excuses. Earlier today I watched an interview with John Green, and one of the questions he was asked was, "How do you deal with writer's block?" He responded with, "My dad always says to me, 'A coal miner doesn't get to get coal miner's block. It's your work, do your work.'" And YES, I'm not a full-time writer, YES it's not my official job, and YES people probably wouldn't care if I stopped posting on here, but it is something I enjoy doing (believe it or not) and so I'm applying Mr. Green's wise words to this blog. KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS? Lots more posts. Cause I'm gonna do work.

Do not fear, these posts won't be random what-is-Gabby-thinking ramblings because that would probably be terrible. I'm going to attempt to have somewhat of a schedule, and post every business day, aka I get Saturdays and Sundays off, JUST LIKE A REAL JOB. Each day of the week will be assigned a general topic, and then every day I'll post something related to the topic of that day. SOUNDS COOL, HUH? Well, this is definitely something that might not end up happening. If it ends up being a failure, I'll probably just delete this post and no one will ever know how much of a failure I am. The plan is to not fail though, so let's do this.

Although I COULD tell you all the topics for each day of the week right now, I think I'll just let them be a surprise this first week. (This means I actually have no idea what the topics for each day are and am stalling). 

OH OH ALSO, I graduated last night! I am officially a high school graduate! One week from today I leave for college, and "I want you to know that I am both happy and sad and I'm still trying to figure out how that could be." -Perks of Being a Wallflower. Excellent book, however ridiculously sad and kind of depressing.

LOVE YOU ALL, and talk to you very very soon! Eeeeek!

Something to listen to:

Come Sail Away // Styx

This one has been on repeat the past couple weeks.

GRADUATING AND MOVING ON TO NEW ADVENTURES, SO COOL.

XOXO,

gabs.

UHM, WHAT

I've started this blogpost about 86 times now, but I always end up deleting everything because it just doesn't seem right. So here we go, TAKE NUMBER 87. AND GO.

In approximately 26 hours I will be a high school graduate. Wait........what? Yes, it's true. I, Gabby Heroux, am about to graduate from high school. And then just a short week later, I will be off to start my new adventure! I'm so incredibly grateful that I decided to do summer term at BYU, and although there will be so many changes and it will be a crazy summer, I can't wait to jump right in.

In honor of graduation, beginning college, etc., I made a list of things I wish I knew when I was going into high school and things that I want/need to remember going into my freshman year of college.

1. DON'T BE AFRAID TO BE OUTGOING. Going into high school I was hesitant to be outgoing around my peers because I felt like they would judge me, or label me as the "weird try-hard girl." Looking back, I wish I would have ignored the weird looks from peers and actually went around saying hi to everyone and been my loud, crazy self.

2. DON'T WORRY WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK. This one kind of relates to number 1, but it's a really really important thing to remember. I spent a large part of my high school years trying to please other people and trying to "fit in." I am starting to learn that in the real world (life after high school), people don't focus on the things that were "important" in high school. Instead, they focus on how you treat others, how hard you work, and how you act overall. I wish that I had focused less on how others thought of me, and more on developing my talents, helping others, and forming friendships.

3. DON'T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF. Don't worry about the little things you can't control. You have no control over them....so why waste your time trying to change them? Instead, focus on how you react to them, and try to be grateful for what you have! Dieter F. Uchtdorf gave a really rad talk about gratitude. You can read that HERE if you'd like. Highly recommended by me. 

4. BE HAPPY JUST IN GENERAL ALL THE TIME. If there's one thing I took away from my high school years, it's that happiness is a choice. Although the choice may be either easier or more difficult at times, it is ultimately a choice that you need to make. Wallowing in sadness does nothing for you, it does nothing for those around you, and it just leads to more and more sadness. That doesn't sound pleasant at ALL. By waking up each day and deciding to be positive and then continually looking for the good in everything throughout the day, every aspect of your life will become better. Your relationships with friends, teachers, and your family members will all be strengthened, and you will become more confident and more ready to take on the day's challenges. 

I learned a whole lot more in high school, but if I tried to write everything then this post would take everyone like 5 hours to read, and let's be real....that would be awful. So here is where I must end. Fun fact: next time I post I will be a HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE!!! Where does the time go!?

XOXO,

gabs. 

WAIT HOLD UP PS: Here's some music you should listen to.

For all of the graduates - 

Dream Big // Ryan Shupe & The RubberBand

and then this one is just really good - 

Falling In Love // Us The Duo

(These two are the CUTEST. They're married and they sing together and they are just so adorable it kills me inside a little bit. I've had their new album on repeat this past month!)

NEW LOOK?

Hi friends. If you've read my blog before, then you will notice that my blog (yet again) has a brand new look! If this is your first time coming on to my blog, don't worry. The previous designs weren't that fantastic. I really like this now though, so let's see how long it lasts. 

The month of April has definitely been good to me. I got to see my older sisters, I finished my longboard and have even practiced longboarding outside (I'm actually pretty good), and I FINALLY finished going through all my clothing/cleaned my ENTIRE room! It took me about a month, but I finally made it happen. Clean rooms rock. 

So, I've been reading a book recently and I want to share what I think about it with you. It's called I Am That Girl, written by Alexis Jones. I'm only on page 73, but it's already changed my life (in a cheesy "discover who you really are" kind of way). The whole message of the book is basically, 'find what you're passionate about, and then DO IT.' In the book, there's a quote from F. Scott Fitzgerald (excellent author, horrendously troubled man) that says, 

"For what it's worth: it's never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There's no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you're proud of. If you find that you're not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again."

I love this so much. How many times do we find ourselves getting caught in an everyday routine? Wake up, do the things we're expected to do, go to bed, repeat. Don't get me wrong, it's totally okay to have a routine, and we should definitely be doing the things that we're supposed to do everyday. I'm not suggesting that to make the best of your life you must avoid all things regular, ordinary, and day-to-day. I just think that our lives can be a little more than that. I believe that every day we should try to do something extra. Whether that thing is for ourselves, our family, our friends, or even a stranger. I think that by going out of our way to do something different each day, we can improve not only ourselves, but those around us. Making something of your life isn't a big extraordinary life changing event. Instead, it's made up of the little things you do each day to better yourself and strengthen the relationships with the people you love. 

Okay sorry, rant over. If you're interested in getting that book, you can buy it here. 

OKAY, last thing. Easter is this Sunday and I am so super duper excited for like 7 different reasons.

1. Easter food duh

2. Easter baskets

3. Half price chocolates the day after Easter.

4. uhm

5. I guess I didn't have as many reasons as I thought

6. THIS NEXT ONE'S REALLY IMPORTANT THOUGH

7. HE IS RISEN. I love Easter so much because it is the day that Jesus Christ was resurrected! I encourage all of you to go to THIS website and watch the video. It's absolutely beautiful. I know that because of Him, "Guilt becomes peace, regret becomes relief, despair becomes hope, and because of him there is no such thing as an end." 

I hope you all have an excellent Easter weekend! Thank you for putting up with my crazy rants. And don't forget to be grateful for everything, because life is pretty awesome.

Oh, I almost forgot. Here are some things to listen to:

Lanterns // Birds of Tokyo

Sing // Ed Sheeran

(This is Ed's new song, and it is SO good.)

Okay that's all.

XOXO, 

gabs.

DIVERGENT AND ALSO PANCAKES AND HEALTHY LATE NIGHT SNACKS

This is being written at late-at-night o'clock on Sunday. I'm just about to go to sleep, so obviously I should write about my life when I'm in an almost-asleep-but-not-quite state. Well, here goes nothing.

First item of business, I went to see Divergent on Friday with my little sister Christy.

THAT.

MOVIE.

All I can say is: IT WAS PHENOMENAL.

Theo James was in it, so basically even if all other aspects of the movie were terrible (they weren't, don't worry), I still would have loved it because he is THE PERFECT HUMAN BEING. Here are a few pictures of the beautiful man, just for fun and because I can.

LOOK HOW PERFECT.

Okay I'm sorry I'm done Theo James obsessing (for now). 

Other reasons Divergent was amazing:
1. Shailene Woodley ROCKS and totally owned her role.
2. THE MUSIC WAS AMAZING. Ellie Goulding was really involved in all of the music, and I love her so I was really interested to see what the music score would be like. I won't lie, I was a little wary before I saw it because having a popular musician involved with a music score can turn out pretty lame, but Ellie rocked it. There's one scene where her song Hanging On is playing (video of the song at the end of this post) and it probably changed my life, it was absolutely perfect and fit into the scene so well and asdfhajkgl I'm still stunned by it.
3. It was just perfect and everyone should go see it.
4. Theo James.


SECOND AND PROBABLY LAST ITEM OF BUSINESS.

Yesterday a funny little thing happened. I really wanted to make pancakes last night, so I texted my parents about it. Here's how the conversation went:

Me: Can I make Pancakes
Dad: I don't know.... But you may make pancakes if you can!
Me: When I was using can, I was using it's secondary modal form as a verbal modifier asking for permission, as opposed to expressing an ability.
Mom: I've never loved you more, Gab.
Me: Does this mean I can make pancakes?
Mom: Yep

I ended up not making pancakes, and instead had a healthy late night snack of milk, fruit, and watermelon!

SOOOOO fit and healthy.

Well, I'm getting pretty tired now, my friends. Goodnight, and have an excellent week!

XOXO,

gabs.

P.S. Here's the song I mentioned.

Hanging On // Ellie Goulding

Hi friends.

So, it's been a while since I've posted on here. 18 days, to be exact. It's not you, it's me. (Don't worry, I'm not breaking up with you.) The simple truth is that I thought nothing exciting/blogworthy was happening to me. But let's just think about that for a second. This is a blog about my life. Quite literally anything that goes on in my life is worthy of being on my blog. So, thus begins the first of (hopefully) many "Normal Day In The Life of Gabs" post.

First, let's talk college plans.

Last time we spoke, I had officially been accepted into the college of my dreams. I also mentioned that I found a roommate, and I am happy to report that said roommate and I are all signed up to live in the dorms together in the summer/fall/winter! Since we are doing summer term, our assigned housing registration date was the very first day that registration opened, which was definitely a relief. No 3rd floor room for us! I also mentioned registering for classes for the summer, and let's just say I'm really excited about my schedule. It's pretty easy, but not so easy that I'll be bored. AS IF I COULD EVEN BE BORED AT COLLEGE. Good one, gabs. Another summer term perk: since I'll be going into fall semester as a 2nd semester freshman, my date to register for fall classes is a good two months before all the other freshman that are starting in the fall. THIS IS FANTASTIC because it means I most likely will not have to take an 8am class, which I already know would be the death of me. One more exciting, college-related thing: My roommate & I officially have tickets to see Carrie Underwood at the Stadium of Fire on the 4th of July! She performed at the Stadium of Fire back in 2010 and they got her to come again this year and I am SO EXCITED. This concert will be a super fun way to start out this summer's crazy adventures. 

Moving on, let's chit chat about my clothing situation. 

Since we last talked, I have done 9 loads of laundry, and I'm estimating about 3 more until I'm entirely done going through everything that I own. I've gotten rid of about 2/3rds of my stuff, so that's good and also extremely depressing. I also realized that a majority of my clothing is either black, gray, burgundy, navy, or white. I don't really know what that says about my personality, and I don't really know if I want to find out....oh well. 

Another thing, I redesigned my blog.

Probably not the most exciting thing in the world, but I think it's cute and that's all that matters so HAH. 

Here's this last thing: this is a song that I've LITERALLY been ADDICTED to the past week. It's so catchy. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED: if you listen to this, it WILL be stuck in your head for approximately all day/week. 

Goodness Gracious // Ellie Goulding

Have an excellent weekend, my friends!

XOXO, 

gabs.

happy monday, this is March.

Today is Monday. As someone on twitter put it, 

#tru

Besides the whole "monday" thing, my life is pretty great. I got into the college of my dreams, I signed up for great classes, found a rad roommate, and now all I have to do is wait! ...and live up senior year because it should be one of the greatest years of my life and I shouldn't just breeze through it, I should appreciate all that I have while I can, yadadada. I've heard that so many times that I could probably recite a 5 minute speech with different reasons why I shouldn't rush through my last few months of being a senior and living at home. But I won't, because that'd be a pretty weird way to spend my time.

ON A DIFFERENT NOTE, it's MARCH! For those living not in Minnesota, march probably means sunshine, warm weather, and SPRING. 

NOT FOR ME THOUGH.

Oh no. Here in Minnesota, the snow is still taller than me. It really truly is bigger than me. I'm 5'2, and in some places there's around 6 feet of snow. 

THAT 

IS 

RIDICULOUS. 

For me, March brings a few different things. Warm weather not being one of them. 

1. March is the beginning of the 3 month long adventure of spring cleaning.

So, I have a pretty messy room. And when I say messy, I mean MESSY. But the thing is that it's not clutter or garbage or anything other than clothes....SO WHAT IF I HAVE A LOT OF CLOTHES. March is the time that I finally start doing all my laundry that I have neglected to do all winter. But this spring is extra special, because guess what? Dorms are TINY. And I am not about to bring ALL of my clothes out to college with me, or else I would LIT.ER.AL.LY be swimming in clothes. So, this spring I am going through all of my clothes and getting rid of a majority of them. Maybe I'll have a garage sale. Maybe I'll just give my old clothes to friends or goodwill or my little sister. I don't know. All I know is that by the end of April, my wardrobe will probably be cut in half. Which is technically very good, but I just can't stop thinking of how many clothes I will have to give away. A quote from the great book Perks of Being a Wallflower depicts how I am feeling nicely.

"...I am both happy and sad and I'm still trying to figure out how that could be."

2. MARCH BRINGS SPRING BREAK(s)!

Since I take most of my classes at North Hennepin, but still have one at the high school, I get TWO SPRING BREAKS. Or no spring breaks. But I'm trying to be positive, so I GET TWO SPRING BREAKS! 

North Hennepin's spring break is March 8th-16th, during which I still have choir. Maple Grove's spring break is March 29th-April 6th, during which I will still have my college classes. Even if I still have some school responsibilities during each of my spring breaks, it's not as much as I usually have, so I still plan on relaxing and watching a lot of netflix. 

Personally, I think we should have another Christmas this spring break, because spring break feels more like winter break than winter break did.....which obviously means that we should celebrate Christmas again. I don't know. Just a thought.

3. MARCH BRINGS OTHER THINGS! 

Although it's freezing outside, March is the month that most stores begin to put out their spring clothes. SO MANY ADORABLE CLOTHES THAT I REALLY SHOULDN'T BUY. Oh, what's new.

4. Last great thing about March: MY MOM WAS BORN THIS MONTH! I love my mom.

5. ALSO MY BEST FRIEND COREY WAS BORN THIS MONTH TOO! happy birthday bae.

ALSO, HERE'S SOME MUSIC YOU SHOULD LISTEN TO! 

This song is called Sonnentanz - Sun Don't Shine. It's originally by Klangkarussell (what a mouthful) and Will Heard, but my favorite version of this song is this Acoustic version, done by Will Heard & the lovely and ridiculously talented supermodel Cara Delevingne. Turns out the girl can sing too. That's just not fair.

Well, until next time, my dear friends.

XOXO, 

gabs.

MY DREAMS ARE LITERALLY COMING TRUE.

GUYS GUYS GUYS

I got accepted into BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY, aka BYU, aka GABBY'S DREAM SCHOOL.

I am so incredibly excited. Like, soooo excited.

Here's some great things about BYU:

1. For starters, it looks like THIS:

My sister took this picture TODAY. Look how absolutely stunning that is!

2. NOT TO MENTION, I GET TO BE WITH MY SISTERS.

sorry Christy, this was the only pic I had of Cami, Allie, & I. But I LOVE YOU SO MUCH and will miss you soooo incredibly much! #somuchlove

3. BYU IS THE GREATEST PLACE EVER???

I mean. C'mon. It's basically the 2nd happiest place in the world. 

(Behind Disneyland, duh. S/O to my disneyland crew. Love you guys.)

ALL THAT I CAN THINK ABOUT IS HOW IN 112 DAYS I WILL BE AT COLLEGE!

I'm doing summer term, so I'm planning on leaving June 16th. I'm taking Calculus 1 & Book of Mormon, so hopefully I won't be too stressed out. Yay for having brothers-in-law that are good at math and have to tutor you because they're related to you. 

I'M SO EXCITED TO BE A COUGAR!

song of the moment:

Strangers by Seven Lions with Myon & Shane 54.

THIS SONG IS SO MUCH FUN TO DANCE AROUND TO.

It's on the soundtrack for The Mortal Instruments. I have not seen the movie, but the entire soundtrack is really phenomenal. Highly recommended by this girl.

THANKS FOR LISTENING TO MY RANT ABOUT COLLEGE!

XOXO, 

gabs.