7 Tips to Dress Well on a Small Budget

Hey friends!

It's been a while. How are you? That's good. I'm doing good, thanks!

I'm not a well-respected fashionista or anything, but I do like to dress well when I'm in the mood. (We have our moments, right?). And, sadly, I have many friends who don't dress well at all. Some weren't blessed as I was with a blunt and classy older sister to mentor them. Some just don't care. Some don't have the time. Some don't have the money.

I'm here to help those who, like me, want to dress well but are on a small budget. How do you do it?

1. Figure Out Your Go-to Source.
   I'm gonna pull a Donald Trump and say: CHINA! Honestly, I sometimes go as cheap as stuff from China like on AliExpress and eBay. I have a friend who only gets clothes from Thrift Stores and still rocks it. If you're comfortable with used clothing, there's always a local Buy & Sell page. I have friends who go to Walmart and Costco for clothes. My go-to cheap places are H&M and Old Navy. For Canadians there's also Ardene, Garage and Urban Planet; they're crap but pretty cheap. Those have been the cheapest sources in my experience -- China, thrift stores, buy and sell pages, grocery stores, and those cheap stores I mentioned.
2. First and foremost, figure out what is flattering for YOUR shape.
   What may look good on the girl on the cover of Vogue might not look flattering for you. And that's fine! Don't beat yourself up over it. Some people have approached me saying "Well it's easy for YOU to dress well, you have a perfect body and everything looks good on you!" False. I just figured out what suits me and from there I refuse to purchase or wear anything that doesn't flatter me.
3. Only buy it if you LOVE it, if it SUITS you, and if you WILL wear it.
   If you don't feel beautiful in it or can't name an event where you would wear it, don't buy it. Even if your friends insist that it's on sale and you just HAVE to take advantage of it, or your mom insists that it's trendy because her hair dresser's daughter has it. It's YOUR body and money and if YOU don't love it and if it doesn't flatter YOU and YOU won't wear it, don't waste your money. Even if it's a $3 Armani top. Think about it: If you buy 12 $3 tops you never wear and end up giving away as opposed to one $30 top that you do wear, you save money by just buying the $30 top.
4. Start at the cheapest stores first.
   Whenever I have something in mind, I start at cheaper stores like Old Navy or Ross. If that store doesn't have the item, I work my way up via price range. That way you KNOW you're getting that item in the lowest price. In a way, it also saves you time.
5. Make a Shopping List of what you NEED and Stick To That.
   You can even categorize it. You can categorize in terms of how soon you need it, what you need it for, etc. Go on Pinterest or look at fashion websites to figure out the season's trends and see what you like. Even TV shows can give you ideas. I always go on Pinterest or even Google and find out the trends for the upcoming season and I make a specific list from there -- like a pair of burgundy pants, or a striped shirt, or a black cardigan, etc. This might sound obvious, but how many times have I gone to the mall at Boxing Day with no purpose and bought something cuz it was cute but never wore it because I didn't really need it and it wasn't trendy?
6. Sometimes, you gotta invest.
   Some items (like shoes) are worth paying a bit more. For example: I got a pair of boots for $40. 4 months later, I had to throw them out. Then I got them in real leather and all these things that make them good quality for just under $200. 5 years later, here I am writing this post while my boots are still in good condition. Think about it: the cheap ones cost $120 a year while the good ones cost $40 a year. Figure out what items are worth investing. For me, it's the items I will wear the most often for as long as I can, like the boots. A shirt on the other hand, I might only wear for six months because then the weather will change and by the time the weather will come back to that temperature, it won't be trendy. So I usually get it for the cheapest price.
7. SALES!
   If there's a store you really love, it might be worth it to sign up for notifications on sales. My sister does that with Zara and saves a lot of money that way. Another thing is going to the sales rack. I love Tommy Hilfiger, but because it's over my budget, I go to the clearance rack and find a lot of things I love.

Anyways, I hope this helps. It's been a while since I've posted so I just published without proofreading. So don't mind any typos. I'm going to bed now. BYE!

Dear Bernie Supporters

With all my conservative political posts the past few months, y'all know I don't support socialism, Bernie Sanders, or his proposals. Having said that, I'd like to address my friends, particularly the Bernie supporters. We may disagree in our political views, but I respect you, which is something I'll probably never say for Hillary supporters. You see, the only reason why I don't support Bernie is simply because of his policies, but I know he's a good person and loves the country. Hillary, on the other hand, is a lying, power-hungry human being (on top of her flip-floppy plans).

And believe it or not, I know how you feel and I'm kinda bummed too. It's sad to see a candidate who is honest, well-meaning, with a clear record, and who truly represents the political party and what the voters want, lose to a corrupt self-serving dishonest politician. And then have insensitive, ignorant outsiders come and tell you your nominee is the nominee because people in your party were stupid enough to vote for them, even though you and your friends don't support this person. I have no idea how Hillary, who is less likely to beat Trump, got the nomination. Maybe she did win fair and square and this is just democracy. Or there is something fishy in the system. I have no idea.

I feel the same way with the Republican party. How did honest, experienced, well-meaning people like Marco Rubio or John Kasich lose to a loud-mouthed, incompetent, hated person like Donald Trump, who by the way has little to no chance of beating Hillary? People said it's because Republicans have become that stupid. And I believed it until I saw Bernie lose to Hillary. Unless Republicans are stupid enough to vote for Trump and Democrats are stupid enough to vote for Hillary, it doesn't make sense. That was when I asked myself: When did the mainstream media's voice speak louder than that of the people? When did it overrule democracy? Do most people just vote for whoever the mainstream media endorses rather than do their own research? Are they ignorant or do they not care? Or was there something in the system that wasn't right? It doesn't add up.

So, my attempt in this post is to create a sense of unity among people who want strong, honest, patriotic leaders. Regardless of whether you're a Republican or a Democrat. I know this coming fall will be mostly a vote for "the lesser of two evils" and we may disagree on who is less evil than the other. I personally believe that Hillary Clinton is worse than Donald Trump. Not because she's a Democrat, but because of the kind of person she is and what she stands for. Trump is pretty blunt about how he intends to ruin America. Hillary on the other hand does her specialty -- she lies. Who knows what damage she'll be doing? I personally don't trust her. She was negligent in Benghazi and lied about it. She put national security at risk with the email scandal and lied about it. Everything she says is a lie. How can I trust someone like that? You may disagree and say Donald Trump is worse. And that's your right and I will not be a condescending jerk about it. But I will not stop voicing my opinion about how I feel about Hillary Clinton.

At the same time, please know that I have been trying to be more respectful for those who think differently and to see things from their perspective and will keep doing that. Though I won't tailor my views to please anyone, I also won't get into heated debates over this. And so far this helped me become more pragmatic with my views and to grow to respect Bernie and his supporters. And I still respect all of you, even if you vote for Hillary Clinton. No matter who you vote for, I will still consider you my friends. I've learned that it's not worth it to lose friendships over sports teams or political parties.

Many people have tried to shut down my desire to voice my opinion of this election simply because I'm not an American citizen. My question is, my opinion should be the least threatening to anyone, BECAUSE I can't vote -- so why try to stop me from speaking up? My intentions when expressing my political views is to give people a different perspective and, for lack of a better term, let it off my chest. I know I can't vote, but that shouldn't keep me from having an opinion. Especially regarding the country whose relationship with my country is pretty important to mine. And I visit the USA quite often, so it feels like my uncle. I always say Brazil is my mother, Canada is my father, Portugal, Italy, and Japan are my grandparents, and the USA is my uncle -- not my immediate family, but still family.

Salt is to Pepper as Priesthood is to...

During my internship in Ontario, one of the coordinators asked me if women could be priests or leaders in my religion. I said only men are called as Bishops and Stake Presidents, but only women are... and before I could finish my sentence, he interrupted me and said my religion was sexist and misogynistic.

The way I see gender roles in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints isn't different from popular belief in Mormon culture -- men and women are different. One is not better than the other, but rather complementary. 

Let me start off by defining what the word "complementary" means... I googled it and this is the result you get:

"Combining in such a way as to enhance or emphasize the qualities of each other or another.

synonyms:	harmonious, compatible, corresponding, matching, twin; More
antonyms:	incompatible."

I really like this definition. Together, men and women enhance or emphasize the qualities of each other. Ever observed a healthy couple where the wife makes the husband want to be better (and vice-versa)? Or when you didn't realize a person had particular qualities or attributes until they were in a relationship with the other?

That is the church's stance. To prove my point, here is what an Apostle (Elder Cook) had to say about it: "Wives are equal to their husbands. Marriage requires a full partnership where wives and husbands work side by side to meet the needs of the family." It gets better: "Much of what we accomplish in the Church is due to the selfless service of women. Whether in the Church or in the home, it is a beautiful thing to see the priesthood and the Relief Society work in perfect harmony. Such a relationship is like a well-tuned orchestra, and the resulting symphony inspires all of us."

Contrary to progressives' beliefs or claims about Mormons, women are NOT seen as or treated inferior to men. In fact, I sometimes think women are put in a higher pedestal than men. How many times on my mission did the Sister Missionaries get the better apartments? How many times did my mission president enforce chivalry on the Elders but never told us how to act or behave towards them? How many times did my old Bishop tell the young men to respect the young women? How many times do you hear general conference talks about men treating their wives with respect as opposed to the other way around?

That's not to say men are suppressed in the church. My point is, as you experience full membership in the church, you realize that women are praised, honoured, and valued much more than you think. It is easy to think men are viewed as superior beings in the church if you experience the gospel in a superficial level. Yes, if you go to a sacrament meeting, you will see mostly men in the stand. But as you fully engage in the gospel, particularly when you make sacred covenants in the temple, you'll see that women have been just as vital to the administration of the church all along. We COMPLEMENT one another. We NEED each other. A wife needs her husband just as much as the husband needs his wife.

Let's talk Priesthood. The Lord does not call the qualified; He qualifies the called. Men have the Priesthood so they can become qualified for their exhalation. Literally. The saving ordinances for all those who are seeking their eternal salvation are: Baptism, Receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, Initiatory, Endowment, and Sealing. However, for men, there's a twist. After receiving the Holy Ghost, men are REQUIRED (yes, required) to receive what's called the Melchizedek Priesthood. And once they've been ordained as such, they are under sacred obligations to live obedient and virtuous lives. Only by the receiving of this power to act in God's name, can they qualify for the Celestial kingdom.

Women, on the other hand, get to skip that requirement. For some reason, God looked at us and said, "You don't need it. You may waive this requirement." Why, I don't know. But what I can say is that it does say something about our roles. Something great. There is something divine within us that make us just as qualified as a worthy Priesthood holder without having been ordained as one. What it all boils down to is, we don't need it. I was publicly rebuked for saying that once, but I stand by it nonetheless.

So why? Why don't we need the Priesthood? What is it about us that allowed us to skip that saving ordinance? Our initial instinct is to say "we are capable of bearing children". I couldn't agree more. I have a testimony that through motherhood, we are under a sacred calling from God. In the words of one of my favourite YW hymns, Come Take a Little Hand, "There’s a very special bond between a mother and her God. She serves him in a very sacred way. He sends a child to earth and trusts him to her care, To learn of life, to work and pray."

But what about the women who can't have children? Or who never meet their soulmate? Or women who do have children, but send their kids to daycare as they fulfill their careers? Are they denying their divine role as women? Are they breaking an unwritten rule? No! No no no no NO!

One can say, "Well, if they desire it, then they'll be blessed." I agree. But I think there's so much more to that. I think there's a lot more that women can do to make this world a better place than just wanting a kid. We should never restrict a woman's divine purpose to solely being a stay-at-home mother. I know women who never had children but are closer to Christ than many stay-at-home moms.

I've come up with a list of roles for women to complement the priesthood.

1. Develop charity: The Relief Society motto is "Charity Never Faileth" -- everything we do in RS (i.e. Visit-teaching, feeding missionaries, etc.) is centered around charity. One of my favourite scenes in the Joseph Smith movie is when Emma Smith sees a woman in need and says, "let me help you, sister." a simple line that sums up the obligations that we as women have. I read an Ensign article about the Relief Society's charity towards one another. "There are many other wonderful sisters who are living Paul’s definition of charity. They are meeting the challenges of life and facing them with courage, faith, and, oftentimes, joy. With charity, we will not fail." I love that statement. It is through charity that the Relief Society, the world's largest women's organization, has purpose and is standing strong. Elder Marvin J. Ashton said, “The best and most clear indicator that we are progressing spiritually and coming unto Christ is the way we treat other people.” 
   
   
2. Pursue a career: While I do have a testimony of marriage and motherhood, I don't believe a career woman will be denied the blessings of exaltation. If a woman desires to pursue a career even though she is married with children and still somehow manages to be faithful and loving to her family, I am more prone to applauding her than judging! Some of the most amazing women I know were career women. There is nothing different or unique about pursuing a career; it just means that particular woman chose to handle more on her plate. And if she's not married then heck! Why not? In fact, I think by pursuing a career, the woman is serving God by contributing the talents He has blessed her with to the world around her. Teachers, cops, employers, lawyers, psychologists, doctors, politicians, nannies... every job gives you an opportunity to serve society. You also meet people who you can be an influence and example to. You show appreciation to God by developing and multiplying the talents you were blessed with.
   
   
   
3. Bear witness: Men and women are both entitled to the gift of the Holy Ghost, which enables us to receive revelation. Women are also allowed to (even expected to) pray and read their scriptures whether it be privately or publicly, just as men are. Men are expected to serve honourable full-time missions and proselyte; women are simply welcomed to do so if they desire. Women can go on the stand and give talks or bear testimonies just as much as men can. A woman is never deprived of expounding her knowledge of the gospel or let alone sharing it. In fact, we are expected to bear our testimonies and to be good examples.
   
   
   
4. Hold leadership positions: Only women can be called as leaders in the Primary organization (an organization strictly for 3-11 year-old boys and girls), Young Women (an organization that helps girls between ages 12-17 develop their testimonies, comprehend their divine identity, and other virtues), and Relief Society (the world's largest women's organization). God not only allows, but trusts exclusively women to these sacred leadership roles. Like in a choir, the Bishopric may be the soprano singers, but without the women's harmonious services as the alto, tenor, or bass singers, the song performance is incomplete and lacking "flavour".

I'm just scratching the surface. There is so much more to that. Women can do so much, which is why our expectations aren't as concrete as those of men's. Just as our Heavenly Mother is kept sacred and Her existence is not as objectively clear as is our Heavenly Father's, so our roles are still not as objectively clear as men's. We don't know little about our Heavenly Mother because She is inferior, but because She is extremely sacred. Analogously, anyone can enter a church building and see a majority of men sitting on the stand during sacrament meeting, but it isn't until they have been a member for at least a year and are worthy to enter the temple that they see women officiating in sacred ordinances equally to men. So our roles are not inferior, they are just sacred.