That's a Wrap! - Blog Staycation Edition

I don't know about you, but I had a lot going on this weekend. And when I say a lot, I mean I spent a lot of time on my couch. Now you are probably thinking, "How did you have a lot going on if you spent it all on your couch Trish?" Let me explain.

I just wrapped up the Blog Staycation. If you aren't familiar with it, it is a blogging event that I co-host where you get your blog to do list taken care of. You make lists, meet new people, and get tips and ideas on how to make your blog grow.

Last year when we launched the event, I was out of town for most of it, so I was no able to host any of the events. This year I made sure I was free and hosted my first Facebook chat. I have to say it was amazing. I enjoyed connecting with fellow bloggers while engaging conversation about informative topics.

If you did not participate this time around, we will be hosting another event later this year! Make sure to join our Facebook Group for all kinds of blogging help along with filling out this form so we can update you on any upcoming events!

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Now a couple of announcements and reminders:

I know it seems like I forgot about this, but I am hosting an e-reader reading challenge that launched March 1st. It goes through to the end of May. I am giving away a $25 Amazon gift card to one lucky participant who completes the challenge! There's still time to get involved!

I am starting a new series! Thanks to the staycation for getting my butt in motion on this one. Expect to see it launch next Thursday, April 9th. This series is going to focus on a day in a life of a short girl. I define short girl as anyone under 5'4". I will bring weekly tips and inspiration to all the shorties of the world :). Send me a message if you have a story to share! I want this to be a group effort used to inspire!

I launched a reader survey a few weeks back and I am still looking for your feedback! Please take a moment to fill out this short 5 question survey that will take you a minute at most!

Now last but certainly not least, please link up your Blog Staycation experience! We would love to hear how it went and what you accomplished!

I am so grateful for all of you who participated in the Spring 2015 Blog Staycation! Stay connected and you will always have backup! :)



Grateful Heart w/ Ember Grey



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Blogging for you

Sometimes it is really easy to forget why you started to blog. You forget you had a passion to write and have your voice heard. Instead you stress over every post because it isn't as good as so and so's. You see a trend and now you need to do that too. Gotta keep up with the Blones' (haha like Jones').



Starting today I want  you to forget about everything else you are reading and focus on you. Come back to center and really engage in the vision you had with then you started your blog. Ask yourself these 3 questions:

What is the main reason I started my blog?

Am I proud of the content I am putting out?

What is it that I am really good at and can bring more great content to my readers?

Were these questions easy to answer or did you get stuck? Chances are if you got stuck you are not being true to what you really wanted to do with your blog. You are to hung up on what everyone else is doing to stop and write for you.

Now don't get me wrong, I don't mean writing for you in a way that you shouldn't try and engage with your readers, but writing for you so your readers know the real you. Does that make sense?
Write what you are passionate about. Let your readers see you get excited over something you love. Make them want to come back for more so every time is something new and exciting. Once you get that you are golden.

I hope if you didn't take anything else out of this post, you will stop and check in with your goals. Make sure you are on the path you set out to be on. If you aren't start fresh tomorrow and let your greatness shine through.

Make it a good one and always remember being YOU is the best trend you can follow.

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The Blog Staycation Resources!

Happy Friday! We made it. Today's post is geared towards my fellow bloggers and those who may be interested in starting a blog. If you follow me on Twitter, you have probably noticed me using a hash tag a lot lately. That hash tag is #BlogStaycation. If you're like me you probably get curious and click on it to see what it is. Maybe you didn't but are still think, "what the heck is #BlogStaycation?!" Well my friends you are in luck. Today I am offering up an explanation. An ultimate Blog Staycation Resource if you will. Here we go!



Founders:
Trish @ The Trish List
Julie @ Girl on the Move
Jen @ Jenerally Informed
Farrah @ The Reflective Mama (Not participating this time around)

How did the Blog Staycation come to be?
It all started last summer (2014) in a SITS Girls Saturday Morning Twitter chat. There were some comments about wishing there were a better way to stay organized in blogging and a time to set aside to get it all done. Julie chimed in about taking a Staycation just for the blog. All 4 of us joined forces and threw around ideas. In August 2014 the first Blog Staycation was launched!

We had about 50 participants in the first  4 day staycation. We have doubled our attendees in just 7 short months. The Spring edition of the Blog Staycation has just over 100 participants! 

Okay, so you told us how it started, explain exactly what it is we must do?
The Blog Staycation is 4 days dedicated to getting your blog "to do" list done. We offer daily emails, chats and guidance to help you achieve your goals. You can participate in as many days as you'd like moving at your own pace! There is no pressure to attend any events and you can stay completely anonymous if you'd prefer. At the end of the 4 days we wrap it all up and offer a link-up where you can show everyone what you have achieved and connect with new bloggers! It's really a win-win all the way around if you ask me!

Okay I decided I need to participate. How much does it cost?
Absolutely NOTHING! It's free! The Blog Staycation is an online event where you can choose your own adventure if you will. We are all here as support and idea sparkers, but ultimately it is you who is doing all the work on your to do lists.

Now what?
I want to offer up some of my links from last year's events to get an idea of what to expect when you are participating in the event. 

The first Blog Staycation Announcement
Interacting with your Readers
Scheduled Posts
Photos!

This year we are doing things a little bit different, but this happens when you start to grow something. We are still offering up daily e-mails and chats, but we will only feature 1 blog post a day to keep it less confusing! That's not to say we won't be throwing in some bonus links and surprises here and there!

4 Day Schedule
March 26th - Blogstaycation Kickoff Twitter Party
March 27th - Facebook Chat #1 - 11am Eastern Time  (Join!)
March 28th - Facebook Chat #2 - TBD (Join!)
March 29th - Twitter Party Wrap Up - 9:30pm Eastern

For the Twitter Parties make sure you are following all of us on Twitter!
Trish @TrishListBlog
Julie @jmdenouden
Jen @QueenMomJen

Also find us with the hashtag #BlogStaycation. You can post there throughout the event to connect with other fabulous bloggers we well!

Well guys there you have it. The run down of what to expect and when to expect it during this installment of the Blog Staycation! Stay tuned more for inspiring posts of ideas and ways to get you motivated all weekend long! I hope to see you all around! Have a wondeful Friday!




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Influenster XO VoxBox + Giveaway!

Man do I love a good box full of goodies (For free!). I got another VoxBox from Influenster in February and it always excited me to see what's inside! I did a quick unboxing of it here. This particular box was called the XO VoxBox. Let's get straight to the goodies:


Colgate Optic White Toothpaste and Toothbrush with Built in Whitening Pen: I have tried these products out in the past with Influenster. I liked the toothpaste and the whitening pen that came with the toothbrush. The toothbrush itself was very harsh on my gums. It felt very abrasive and I didn't feel like it was making any difference other then sore gums. I give the toothpaste and pen a B and the toothbrush a D.


 Tide + Febreze Laundry Pods: I gotta say I was really excited for these. I really love the pods for laundry. They are convenient and make laundry time easy. All you have to do is pop in the pod and you are all set. I liked the smell of these and how soft my clothes felt after washing. I give these an A!


Skinfix Hand Repair Cream: This stuff was okay. It didn't strike me as any different then any other hand cream. There was no scent and it made my hands feel less dry, but again nothing special about this particular formula that I noticed. It is in sample size so it's convenient to throw in the purse for on the go use. I give this a B.


 Frizz Ease Beyond Smooth Shampoo, Conditioner, and Primer: I really loved this product, but since I started using it, I  have broken out on my neck. I am not 100% sure if it is a coincidence or if something in the formula caused it. I have never broken out before on my neck/hairline before where my hair hits so I am hoping it is just a freak thing cause I really liked how this made my hair feel. Because of the breakout possibilities I am going to give this a B.

Along with the products this box also included a free month of Adore Me, a sleepwear/lingerie company. I was able to pick something out for Valentine's Day which was pretty sweet. I picked out a cute romper and it even arrived on Valentine's Day! I really love it. It's good quality and fits well.
I will be doing a review on that soon so stay tuned!

 If you have any interest in this service, you can sign up using my --->  referral link and your first purchase is only $25. I also just noticed they carry swimwear just in time for the warm weather! Check it out cause you can't beat $39 for a new bathing suit ladies (or $25 using my link)!



 I have to say overall I was not as impressed with this box as I was with the last 2 I received. 2 of the items in the box were items I have received previously from a brand challenge. Maybe it's just me being cranky but I give the overall box a C. I do this because again 2 of the items are from a previous box and 1 of them possibly broke me out.

As always if you are interested in Influenster, you should sign up! It's one of my favorite sites!

What do you guys think? Good box or could it of been better?

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I am so excited to be participating in such a fun giveaway this month! Thanks to Emily over at the Freckled Fox for hosting such an awesome giveaway! Get yourselves all signed up and entered cause who wouldn't want to win a new CAMERA?!
It's an amazing feeling to send off such an amazing camera to one of you guys, knowing what a massive difference it will make for your blog or shop, or just every-day photography in general:) Even better than that though, is introducing so many of you to this group of such lovely shops, and such hard-working and inspiring woman! I can't tell you how relationships online have influenced my life for the better, so make sure to take a minute and go say hi!
Dressing Dallas      |     Emma Cristy      |     Hello Rigby     |     Dottie Box
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I'm so privileged to have the support of such an awesome group! There are so many involved because we wanted to amp up the prize package, so settle in with a favorite beverage or snack and don't miss out on any of the many entries! You never know which one could be the winning pick!! Here we go:


A couple specs about the giveaway:
- the giveaway will run for ten days after which the winner will be selected at random, contacted, and announced via this post, the post of the day, and all social media outlets! Please check all those places before asking weeks later who won? :)
- Again this is open internationally! hooray!
The winner will receive the Canon Rebel T5i in a kit with an 18-135mm lens, a battery and a battery charger, camera case, tripod, SD card, lens cleaner, and lens hood:) 
- Winner's entry will be verified before the public announcement.


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10 Minute Challenge

There has been a lot of response to the 10 minute challenges I have been doing at work so I decided to put together a 10 minute office workout that you can do quick and easily at the office. This has helped me break up my day when I've been sitting a lot. Thankfully most days for me includes lots of running around, but I do get those days where I need stretch my legs and get my heart pumping.



All you need for this challenge is a timer, sneakers, and non-restrictive clothing.

2 Minutes: Warm up. I suggest taking a brisk walk around your office or doing jumping jacks at your desk. This will get your muscles warmed up so you do not hurt yourself.

2 Minutes: Do 3 sets of 15: squats. Rest for 30 seconds between each set.

2 Minutes: Do 2 30 second planks with 30 second rests between each.

2 Minutes: Do 2 30 second sets of tricep dips. 30 second rests between each.

2 Minutes: Finish up with jumping jax.

Make sure to stretch it out at the end if you are feeling any tightness or soreness. Always go at your own speed. If something does not feel right, then stop and modify it to make it comfortable. Drink plenty of water through the day to stay hydrated.

*Remember to always consult your doctor when starting a new workout practice. I am not a doctor nor am I a certified trainer. These are exercises I do daily at my own leisure. 

So what did you all think? Easy enough right? Would you want to see more of these? Lemme know in the comments below :) Happy Monday!



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H54F: 5 Favorite Wellness Items

Happy Friday! I'm still on the wellness/health kick. I think it's something I am adopting for life. I feel much better when I am being healthy and taking care of my well being. Today I thought it would be fun to tell you about my top 5 wellness things that have really put me on track for a better and healthier life.


Exercise

1. My yoga block! I picked this baby up at T.J.Maxx for $4 a few weeks ago. I have used it for all kinds of yoga poses as well as stretching techniques. It really helps a short girl like me work into some of the poses where I feel my arms or legs are to short to reach. It also doubles nicely as a photographing platform. I have put a few items on it to get a nice picture with a black background. Score!


Pedometer, Fitbit

2. Always loving my Garmin Vivofit. It counts my steps and gives me daily goals. It also monitors my sleep and reminds me when I have been sitting for to long. It works on bluetooth and connects right to my smartphone. I love how it updates everything right there and lets me see goals and participate in challenges with other users.


Healthy Eating

3. I have been eating a lot of chia seeds lately. They go great in smoothies, oatmeal , salads, or just sprinkling them over anything really. You can also use it to make pudding. Once submerged into a liquid the chia seeds form a gel like case around them. Sounds weird, but they are super good for you and help you feel full!

Fitness, Energy, Diet

4. Thrive is always a help when it comes to my health and weight loss. I know I have talked about it before but this stuff really is the real deal. It is not a weight loss diet, it is a daily supplement that replaces all the vitamins we are missing. I have more energy and motivation to get out and do the things I need to do. I am currently doing an experiment on how I feel without Thrive. I can tell you I am tired and cranky. I don't want to do anything extra and my stomach has been upset. My anxiety has been showing more and I just feel like yuck Starting back up on that this week for sure!

5. 10 minute fitness challenges! Every Tuesday and Thursday at work I have the opportunity to participate in a 10 minute challenge at lunch time. It is a great way to get you moving during the work day and to get your heart pumping. This is especially good if you are sitting a majority of the time at work. It has certainly gotten me more motivated to get up and move!


Dreams

I keep writing down my dreams, and crossing them off. Which ones are really my dreams? And which ones are just fantasies? Is there a difference? Am I being greedy by wanting such great things for myself? Some days I think so. Other days I jump on the "If I can dream it, I can do it" train. But once I peel off all the layers of these thoughts, what is it that I really want?



I just turned 32. I am working on building a life for myself now. My 20's were a learning experience full of fun and failure. Which makes sense right? So here I am standing at a crossroads. Which way should I go? The certain paved road or the uncertain dirt road? I want to leave all of these questions in the powers that be, but I need to also have some say in my life.

Back in college I wanted nothing more then to work in entertainment marketing. I went to school, graduated with honors and shipped out to Los Angeles in effort to make that dream happen. I had an experience of a lifetime but then home sickness happened. As things were slowing down and money was becoming more scarce I panicked. I booked a flight home, and on take off my dreams of entertainment stayed behind. That was 10 years ago this coming summer.

Now I am sitting here wondering, do I have a new dream? Or was that it? Did I leave it behind when I boarded that flight? It's still a question that haunts me daily. I am still very unsure of that answer. Today I am making myself a new life once again, but this time with the man I want to spend my life with. That is also my dream. Get married. Buy a house. Have children. Grow old together.

Can I have both? A family and a dream career? Is it to late to jump back into what I started 10 years ago? I'd like to say no, it's never to late, but again I panic.

Today I am linking up with Love the Here and Now for Wednesday Wishes. Today I wish for you all to follow your dreams and be happy with that path you choose!

What do you guys think? Is it ever to late to reach your dream?

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Weekend Wrap

How can it be Monday already? This weekend flew on by! Probably has something to do with it being Pi day. It was an epic Pi day being the date was 3.14.15 and of course if you celebrated at 9:26:53 you were really into it then! (Pi= 3.141592653).


Being I work at a scientific place and I have friends who are teachers and such, we all decided to get together and have Pi(e) and beer at a local brewery. It was a pretty great choice as we all contributed a pie or snack and then supported a local business by drinking their beer. Sounds like Heaven right?



Along with that awesome time me and R went and saw 2 apartments. We really liked both of them, and they were the first 2 we actually considered for our June move. One was an old original home in the town I currently live in. It was massive in size and had a super cheap rent attached to it. The second was closer to my job and only 3 years old. It had adequate space but nowhere as big as the first and with a much larger monthly rent. I wish I took pictures to show!

We have a lot of thinking to do. I would love to get it all nailed down soon so we know where we are going come June. Now in the meantime I need to get this apartment packed up and moved. No fun!

Oh I almost forgot, I had one other event on Saturday. It was a busy day for sure. I met up with a friend to support a local high school. They were putting on "Into the Woods" as their spring play. I didn't get a chance to see Into the Woods when it came out in the movie theater back in December so this was definitely a fun alternative!


Sunday was much more quiet, which I liked. Although there was some unexpected snow on the ground. I mean come on it was 45 degrees out Saturday and in the 50's today. Where did this snow think it had a place to jump in? Anyways, I started the day with breakfast at the best diner in town (and cheapest lol). I had yummy pancakes and eggs. And of course you can't forget the coffee.

Me and R went and packed up a few boxes in my apartment and moved them to his place. It is so bittersweet. I love my apartment but I know it is time in our relationship to move forward with our lives together. Remind me to tell you our story sometime. We have been together just over 2 years and it's been quite the journey for sure.


After moving the boxes we relaxed a little before doing some weekly food shopping. I have had some major face breakouts over the past 2 weeks and I can't shake the feeling that it's something I am eating. I bought only fresh and unprocessed foods for this week. It is time to figure out this issue once and for all. I'll keep you updated.

I hope you all had a great weekend as well! Happy Monday!








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Lets talk about me!

Christine over at The So-Called Homemaker said I should fill this out so I’m going to!  I encourage all of you to do this, too…such a fun way to get to know each other!

Favorite pet I ever had:
Oh my what a hard question. I have a a few cute little handsome kitties steal my heart in my life. I still have 2 of them around. Bean and Rocky. Both living with my parents and as happy as can be!

Favorite food I’ve cooked:
I really love to experiment with food. Lately I am experimenting with lots of healthier options and I have really enjoyed cooking sweet potatoes. They are so versatile and good for you!

Teacher who changed my life, and why:
My photography teacher in high school really touched me. She always drummed to her own beat and taught me it was okay to do the same. Don't be like everyone else just because its easier. I still love photography and she really helped me fine tune the eye I already had. 

The best paid entertainment I’ve ever seen:
I am a huge music fan. I would have to say some of the concerts I have attended have really blown my mind. Both on the local bands and professional levels. I don't think I could choose just one but that is always my escape when I choose entertainment. 

Favorite hobby activity that makes me get lost for hours:
Freebies and blogging. I get so sucked into all the things that the internet has to offer. I love to sit and read great blogs and search for my next freebie. Sometimes it sounds silly, but I have it down to a science and its worth it.

My greatest skill (past or current)
I have excellent listening skills but I still think I am pretty great at photography. I enjoy it and I know a lot about it. I could talk to someone for hours about it if given the chance.

The best advice I’ve ever been given:
No one has the right to discount your own life or choices. They may disagree with your choices but that doesn't mean they get to make you feel bad about it. 

My favorite flower or plant – personally grown:
I love lillies. They are beautiful and always come back every year just as beautiful as ever. 


The most favorite gift I’ve ever gotten – what and from whom?
My boyfriend took me away to Maine within the first few months of dating. It was an absolutely beautiful weekend with beautiful memories. I will always keep that in my heart and as a gift I will never forget!

My most suspenseful moment:
Waking up from a bad car accident not knowing where I was or if anyone else was alive. It was the most suspenseful and frightening moment of my life. Something I will never forget but wish I could.

My most unexpected achievement:
Moving to Los Angeles and being able to survive by myself alone in a big crazy city!

My favorite paid employment, ever:
Hmm.. Probably working in the prep-room of a world class spa. It was only part-time but it was so fascinating to learn about that world and how quick those ladies and gents have to move in between massages and facials. So much chaos goes on behind the scenes of such a relaxing place!

The favorite dessert I’ve ever eaten
I love cheesecake of any nature! All flavors and varieties!


The most scared I’ve been by a bug or critter:
Hmm.. I don't know when the last time was I was really scared of anything like that. Not many memories of crazy critters or bugs. 

My favorite household chore:
I really do enjoy vacuuming. I could vacuum all day if you let me. 

Favorite item no one knows I own:
What an odd question. I don't think I own anything that I love but no one knows about it. 

The prettiest shiny object I’ve ever owned:
Well.. at the moment I haven't owned much that was shiny except these shoes! lol

 
Favorite outdoor smell:
Burning of leaves in the fall. Such a great time of year.

Favorite song I ever danced to and with whom?
I'll get back to you on this one.

The favorite place I have ever traveled to where I’d spend my whole life if I could?
The Bahamas. I went for a whole week and lived like a local just enjoying the culture. It was so great and beautiful.

The most significant change I’ve had to go through and how it made me better:
Moving myself out of state away from everything familiar. I had to learn to live and I have really made my own life that I am proud of. It has been hard and there's been plenty of bumps, but it's been very rewarding as well.

Favorite environmental sound (rain, thunder, etc.)
Rain for sure.

Best time I’ve had playing with a pet
I love getting my parents dog all wound up. He gets all jumpy and dances. He is an English Bulldog so that can get very fun to watch.

The favorite picture I’ve ever taken?
That's a hard one! I have so many, but let's go with this one: It's like the sign is saying "Stop and look up! It's so beautiful up there!




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Announcement!

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a fantastic weekend. I know up here in the tundra of NY we had some pretty awesome weather. Yeah it was only 40 but man was that nice! So today I wanted to make a special announcement. If you have been following me for awhile, you are already probably familiar with that I'm about to tell you. Drum roll please...

I am teaming up once again with Julie from Girl on the Move, and Jen from Jenerally Informed to bring you the second installment of The Blog Staycation! If you remember, we did the first ever
Blog Staycation back in August of 2014 and it was a huge hit. Unfamiliar with it? Let me explain.

The blog staycation is a span of 4 days where you dedicate yourself to working on your blog. This means taking care of some of those to do lists, bring more productivity, and meeting some other fantastic bloggers! You can choose whatever it is that you want to work on. You can participate in all 4 days or only what works for your schedule. We will be hosting Twitter and Facebook chats to get everyone pumped up!




Here are the important details that you need to know!

Who Can Join? ANY bloggers…doesn’t matter where you live or what kind of blog you have!

When Is It? The Blog Staycation will launch with a Twitter party on March 25th at 9pm EST.  Then the fun continues all weekend long and here’s the great thing…you can do as much or as little as you want!

What Will Happen? We’ll kick the party off with a Twitter chat and then from there you can decide how you want to participate.  You can stay in your house all weekend and just work to your hearts content on your blog.  You can join in a few Facebook chats over the week to get support and ideas for some of the things on your to do list.  You can choose to just set aside one hour a day during the weekend and work on  your blog.  Do what works best for YOU!

Anything Else?  We can’t tell you everything, because there needs to be a few surprises!

I Have a Few Questions…We’d love to answer those for you!  Comment below or email me!
Got it? Get signed up below!
 I want to participate in the Blog Staycation!

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Unboxing of Influenster XO VoxBox

Happy Friday internet! Since it is Friday and all we can think about is the weekend, I figured I wouldn't make you think to much. I'm unboxing my Influenster XO VoxBox today. All you have to do is watch!



I will be doing a review on all of the products next week so stay tune! Thanks for watching and Happy Friday!



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Where my short girls at? This one's for you.

I measure in at a tall 4'11". Yeah you read that right. You're probably thinking, "aww that's so cute! Everything must look so cute one you!" Wrong. I swear people who make clothes assume someone of my height should also be a size 0. Not only do I need to be a size 0 but I also have to have no chest or booty. In the words of Meghan Trainor, I am all about that bass.

So today I wanted to talk a little bit about the struggles I have encountered being under 5 feet tall (in gifs!)

1. Maxi Dresses. Nuff said.

2. Men love to call your shorty. Like I've never heard that one before guys.*rolls eyes*

 
3. You can't ever escape the words "Short" or Petite" because all of your clothes indicate your vertically challenged height on them.

4. No matter who you stand next to, you always feel like a small child.

 
5.Nothing is ever set up correctly for you. It's assumed everyone is at least 5'7".

 
 
6. Shopping online is a nightmare for pants. If I've never worn the brand before I normally won't purchase online. 
7.Me trying to get onto anything high up. It especially looks true to us shorties trying to get into a large truck.
8. "You can lose weight so much faster because your're short." Um what? Yes that was said to me once.

9. Exercise equipment is not always petite friendly. See exhibit A.

Yeah there's the story of my life. Always the short end of every joke. No pun intended. I think I am going to do a short series on the struggles of being a short girl. I will most likely post places to shop and ways to make your height work for you. What do you think? Would you read? Lemme know if the comments!


Are you short? What drives you nuts about your height? Tell me :)

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10 Awesome Things - March

Today I am participating in Love the Here and Now's link up- 10 Awesome Things. I missed this last month, so when I saw Anne's reminder tweet I made it a point to sit down and start a draft. Lots of amazing things going on, so 10 awesome things will be easy to list ;)

1.  We have had 5 full days of temperatures in the double digits. Folks after weeks of negative and single digits, this is SO awesome! 30 degrees is the new 70 degrees! (I kid, I kid but seriously, yesterday I went out at lunch and was like, do I need a coat? No it's warm out. I'll just put on the fleece. True story.

2. I am apartment hunting! If you read my March goals yesterday I let out a little ditty about moving out of my apartment at the end of this month and then moving AGAIN in June/July to an apartment that better suits the needs of both me and my boyfriend. Because I have somewhere to go at the end of this month, it isn't as stressful as it could be so its pretty freaking awesome to look at all those new places!

3. I am FINALLY starting to lose all of that stress weight I put on over the past year. I added 30 pounds to my small frame (I am only 4'11") making me the heaviest I have ever been.  I was really beyond frustrated with the weight being I was working out 3-4 days a week on top of cutting back portions and eating healthier. The belly fat was just not budging! I owe it mostly to my Thrive supplements and my new favorite past time: Yoga.

4. This dress. So. In. Love. Awesome. 


5. St. Patrick's Day is in March and I am as Irish as they come. I have made it a tradition to make the trip home on the weekend that is closest to the 17th (It's on a Tuesday this year) to have corn beef and cabbage with the folks!

6. I ordered some new hiking sandals on Sunday in hope that it will hurry winter along. I am just dying to get out for a nice hike in the state parks. Unfortunately it's been so cold this winter, I haven't gotten to go at all.

7. Coffee. Cause who wouldn't add it to a list of awesome?

8. I joined Bulu Box. I am so excited to receive my first box this month! My interests have changed so much in the past year. I am pretty sure I am cancelling Ipsy for this. Oops!

9. Blogging has finally become a habit for me. I don't feel like I need to force it anymore. (Well not force it cause I don't like it, but you know what I mean right?) My creative mind is flowing.

10. Lots of awesome things coming this spring on the Blog. I am hosting my first ever e-reading challenge. It started on Sunday. There is still time to join in!

Looking forward to rocking March with all of these awesome things!

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When goals bring out emotions

Whew, was it just me or was that just February that just whizzed right by us? I feel like it just started. I sat down to write in my journal which I swore I just wrote in yesterday, and the last date was February 1st. I set up February to be a month full of friends and fitness in reference to my Happiness Project. What I didn't realize is the specific combination I put together to achieve those goals, were very emotional. So let's see how I did.


1800 Minute Challenge and Eating better (The fitness part of my month)

So when I originally planned out February and doing better with my fitness, I had EVERY intention of getting to the gym 3-4 days a week. With the bitter cold and crazy snow we have been getting that didn't exactly happen, however that doesn't mean I didn't step up my fitness this month.

I had Yoga classes every Thursday this month and decided to practice more frequently at home. I also took up some barre classes online. Between both of those activities and choosing better food options, I feel like I did a great job. It also encouraged me to participate in a Yogathon. I did two 75 minute yoga classes back to back, and man did that burn! 

I finally saw weight loss and mostly thanks to my Thrive system for that. It's kicking belly fat's butt and finally giving me a smaller waist! And it is getting small, trust me I got the measuring tape out ;) 

So I would say I kicked butt on that goal. Now this is a goal I am taking into March because my 1800 Minute challenge is still going as well as my Biggest loser challenge at work.


Two new friends and re-kindle old friendships (The friend part of the month)

Well again this was a pretty crazy goal on my part, but I will say I needed to face this. It has been way to long that I have tried to make new friends or reconnect with old ones. It is really rough to move away from all the people you love. It's even harder when you realize they are moving on in their lives when yours seems to be standing still.

So as far as the meeting two new friends, I actually succeeded! I went to a brunch at a friends house in early February and clicked with another girl who was invited. We have since chatted back and forth trying to work out a time when we can get together. (She is a grad student so I get it, she's busy).

The next is a girl I meet via Twitter who lives in my community. We have tweeted back and for for a few months and I actually had a chance to meet her at an event on Fat Tuesday, but chickened out. So I then made myself send her a message asking her out for coffee or tea. We had a friend date this past Thursday!

Now about the re-kindling part of this goal. I was better at getting in touch with people. Trying to make some plans once the weather is cooperating. It was nice to chat with some folks who I see on my Facebook daily, but that's all I know about them anymore. It also brought up some emotions. It made me realize some things (Things I don't wish to share yet) that make me sad. Things I know I need to personally work on to make them better.

Conclusion of both goals

Now I said at the beginning of this post that these topics brought lots of emotions. One of the reasons, and I didn't realize this at first, but Yoga is known to bring out all kinds of emotions. You are working on mindfulness and meditation along with conditioning your body.  Some poses can really be emotional and I learned that, as much as it hurt to come to some of those emotions, it was okay. I was able to face them and let them go. 

Same thing with friendships and relationships in general. Sometimes it takes you digging up the past to realize why you aren't so close to someone or why you have trust issues. Your past relationships sometimes explain your current relationships. Emotions will come up and that's okay too. It is a good thing to be able to learn from these things and make your current and future self better.

Because of both of those goals, February was very hard. But not hard in a sense that I wanted to give up, but hard that it made me aware. That is a very good thing. I am proud of the goals I met and glad they challenged me in ways I wasn't expecting.

Ongoing Goals

Reading is going to be an ongoing goal for me. It helps with stress and my wandering mind. Not only did I read this month, but I decided to organize a reading challenge! The E-Reader Challenge started yesterday (March 1st) and will continue until May 31st. I am offering a prize drawing at the end for a $25 Amazon Gift Card.  Check out the categories and link up here--- > Challenge Sign up!

 March Goals- Getting Organized

I am going to be moving out of my apartment and into my boyfriends apartment at the end of March. I need to start going through things so we can combine our things without to much clutter. (Spoiler alert; I will be moving AGAIN in June when we move out of his apartment into another apartment better suited for both of our lives).

Speaking about organizing, I need to get my blog functions more organized. With all of the stuff going down this month I need to get my posts organized as well as my schedule. I do not want this space to suffer because my real life is nuts. So hopefully you can expect regular M-W-F posts like they are now. If I miss a day, you will understand right?

Both of those things in mind, I really need to start utilizing my planner more. I need to start keeping track of everything going on so I don't burn myself out. It doesn't seem like a lot of stuff but getting organized is hard work! I also need to add in work functions and regular social functions and my month is pretty much shot!

So there you have it folks. I rocked February's goals and March could be another challenging one, but I have faith I can get it done!

What are your March goals?