16NITION Dance Party

Each semester before finals a student-led organization throws a huge UV light dance party! It helps us relax and let loose before the stress of finals week. This was my second time going, and it was amazing! I'm absolutely dying today, but I keep telling myself it was worth it. It's hard being in so much pain when you're just trying to do the things you love.

Aubrey and Me

Unfortunately I took the video on Snapchat so it is sideways.

The Time is Now

Dear Representative, 

The time is now. We need to pass a comprehensive medical cannabis program here in Iowa. My name is Noelle Larson, and I am 19 years old. For the past four years (1,460 days), I have been in non-stop, widespread pain. I do not even remember what it is like to not be in pain. I'm tired of being denied a medicine that could potentially change my life in favor of medications that carry substantial risks like addiction, seizures, overdose, and death. Cannabis has been found to have no lethal dose, so why is this not an option in my treatment?

There are hundreds of thousands of Iowans that could benefit from a comprehensive cannabis program. Add just one caregiver to one of those people suffering, and a program like that could positively affect millions. Improved health would mean more time with spouses, kids, parents, and friends. It would mean more people being able to pursue an education and join the workforce. It would mean not having to rely on pharmaceuticals to get through the day, but a plant. 

78% of Iowans are in support of the legalization of medical cannabis, so what is holding you back? If 78% of your fellow legislatures in office supported a comprehensive medical cannabis program, this bill would have already been passed. Isn't that your job as a representative to represent what your people, your constituents want? 

Positive things are already happening in states where comprehensive medical cannabis programs are in effect. Opioid overdoses have dropped by up to 25%. Cannabis has been proven to prevent the tolerance to and withdrawal from opioids, and can even make a previously ineffective dose of opioids effective again. Some states like Michigan, Arizona, and Oregon have created substantial surpluses through medical cannabis programs.

Many patients reported using medical cannabis is favor of alcohol, illicit drugs, and prescription drugs. When asked why, the patients cited less adverse side effects, better symptom management, and less withdrawal potential as reasons. 

We do not have time to wait for another bill to come around. Help the thousands of suffering Iowans now. Please vote YES to a comprehensive medical cannabis bill this week.

What's in my Gym Bag?

What do you bring with you when you go to the gym? I always make sure to bring my Breath of Fresh Air Lush toner water to freshen up my face afterwards. Influenster also sent me some wipettes from Sweet Spot Labs to try out. They are perfect for after the gym to freshen up your face, body, and "sweet spot". They left me feeling soft and fresh, not wet or yucky! I definitely think I'll be picking up a pack next time I'm at Target! I also bring my hairbrush, deodorant, perfume, and protein bar for afterwards. 

To learn how you can get free products to review click here.

Bonfire

I've been struggling a lot mentally and physically these past couple days. It seems like my anxiety is making a comeback. I'm hoping it's because of the caffeine in the tea I have been drinking. So I'm hoping that stopping that will stop the anxiety. Anyways, today around 1:00 I was struggling and so I prayed to God about something. I wanted to hangout with one of my friends, but didn't know if I could handle it emotionally or physically. So I asked God that if I should hangout with them, that they would text me and I wouldn't initiate it. And 5 hours later... I got a text from Kaylee asking me to go to a bonfire tonight! 

It was amazing! I love being around people and getting to be myself. And, one of my favorite parts about summer is bonfires! I love the heat, the smell, and the chance to be with friends. 

Matt even got out his guitar so we could sing worship music around the fire. But of course my chronic illness wasn't getting the attention it wanted so it threw a hissy fit. The pain hit hard and quickly so I had to leave and go back to my bed. It's disappointed when my chronic illness is the one throwing the shots, and I just have to listen because I don't want things to get worse. It gets really frustrating and depressing at times, but I'm trying to learn to live with it. I just wish I could live my life on my terms. 

Best Mascara

If you guys were wondering what the best mascara in the world is.... This is it! The Expressionist mascara from W3ll People! It's all-natural, nontoxic, no nasties mascara. Plus it makes my lashes look AMAZING! Long, thick, and gorgeous! So glad I got a sample of this in my Birchbox last year. I had some points that we're going to expire, so I decided to buy the full size with $10 off using my points! Now I can throw out my sample size! You can get it at Target, W3ll People, and Birchbox. 

NYC Lovatics Lip and Cheek Tint

Using the NYC Lovatics Lip and Cheek Tint that I got from Influenster to try out for free 💗 I actually really liked the color (001 Cheeky Pink). I only used it on my lips for this picture since I thought it would be too strong for cheeks! But overall I really liked it.

Here is the link to learn more about getting FREE products in return for reviews and posts. -> www.influenster.com/r/1735878

Sociology Written Assignment- Race

Well since this blog is called "The Life of Noelle", it makes sense to write about what happens in my life. Well for my Sociology class we have six written assignments due throughout the semester. Today written assignment number five is due. This assignment's instructions were to write about race: what is our race? How did it affect us? etc. Well since I like to make people think, I decided to post my paper on here. It was supposed to be 2-3 pages, so obviously my whole thought on this issue is not represented. Plus it's not an English class so I don't put much effort into these papers. Anyways, please read it and comment with your thoughts!

All our lives we are told that we are different based on our skin color. Society has created stereotypes to go along with ethnicities. For example, being Asian means that you are smart, being Mexican means that you are lazy, and being African-American means that you are a criminal. This belief that one racial category is superior or inferior to another is called racism. Race is different than ethnicity in that race is, “a category of people who have been singled out as inferior or superior, often on the basis of real or alleged physical characteristics such as skin color, hair texture, eye shape, or other subjectively selected attribute” (Kendall). I am part of a race that is considered superior to other races. I am white, but this idea that white is superior needs to end.

            It doesn’t take very long in life to figure out your race and place in the world. As a kid you notice everything. Why is the sky blue? Why is the grass green? Why is her skin color darker than mine? Your parents may not tell you at the time, but while growing up you will notice that certain skin colors get viewed and treated different than others. It was especially apparent during high school. We had a relatively large amount, compared to other schools in the area, of Bosnians at our school, and they were considered smart, rich, and knew how to party. This is an example of stereotypes. Stereotypes are defined as, “overgeneralizations about the appearance, behavior, or other characteristics of members of particular categories” (Kendall). We also had a large amount of African-Americans. For the most part they were considered troublemakers, players, etc. You had a few exceptions of the athletes. Then of course were the whites, which allowed for more diversity in how people viewed them. They weren’t confined to one stereotype in people’s minds. I was lucky that way.

            I floated between social groups throughout middle school and high school trying to find my place. Emo? Check. Nerd? Check. Athletes? Check. Popular? Check. I finally found my own circle of friends that didn’t necessarily fit with a group. What’s interesting is that while changing groups, the overall perception of me didn’t change. This might not be the case for someone that’s African-American. An African-American athlete is viewed much differently than an African-American loner. Why does someone’s skin color weigh so heavily on our views of him or her?  

            Since I am from European ancestry, I fit into the “white” race. I have fair skin, blue eyes, and blonde hair. Because of this I have not experienced a lot of discrimination because of my race. However, it seems as though society wants races to stick with their same race. When people go out of their assigned race and hangout with people from another race, there are labels put on them. I pick friends based on personality and whom I get along with. In high school, it just so happened that those people were African-Americans. When that happened, people started to look at me differently. It got even worse when I started dating guys from different ethnicities. I was put into the stereotype of trashy, poor white girls who date black guys. It didn’t matter that it was far from the truth. People saw what they wanted to see.

Besides that small instance years ago, my race has worked in my favor. People do not judge my race as lazy, criminal, savage, or dumb. They expect good things from someone with white skin. Just because this issue doesn’t affect me or maybe even you, doesn’t mean that this isn’t a huge problem in the United States. Stereotypes, racism, prejudice, and discrimination are still a prominent problems that affect million of people in the U.S. daily. We need to take steps each day to eliminate the idea of “race.” No one is inferior or superior based on their skin color or other physical attributes.