My non-recap of 2016

This is the time of year where you see everyone recapping their year and their favorites. I have decided not to do that this year. Not because I have nothing to recap or nothing that stuck out, but because I want to look forward rather than behind. I spent a good portion of my year struggling with my own demons along with all the crazy that comes with life.

I don't see 2016 necessarily as the culprit to having a said "bad year". We all run through cycles where things can be really good or they can be really bad. Sometimes right in the middle. It seems like more people were vocal about how bad this year was, but that doesn't necessarily mean it was the year.

I will be happy to see 2016 go, just as I am glad to see every year go. It's inevitable. Time continues, even if we aren't ready. I enjoy starting with a fresh slate to re-evaluate what I can do to make the next year better.

And if I must put out into the universe one great thing about 2016, it is this: I learned a whole lot about heartbreak and unconditional love all at the same time. It was a wonderful thing to learn as I was able heal some parts of my life that I was hanging onto.

Now onto to 2017 to continue the journey of healing. And a journey it will be..

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Holidays 2016

I hope each and every one of you have a magical holiday. Whether you are celebrating Christmas or not, I hope the magic of the season brings you together with your friends and family.

We are quickly approaching the new year, which is celebrated near and far. I hope you can all reflect back on your year and apply what you learned to the upcoming year. We never know where another year will take us, but we do know time will keep on.

A friend of mine and I always send each other cards, where we end our writings with "20XX" will be our year!" and then we talk about our year and see if we felt it was our year. It really does put perspective into your thinking when you have someone to discuss it through.

As the year comes to an end and I get a little older, I can only hope to be my best self and never allow someone to take that away from me.

Merry Christmas and a Happy Holidays to you all!

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Blogging Progress Report 2016

Christmas week has officially snuck up on us. Are you done with your shopping? I'd like to answer that question with a big fat yes, however I am not done yet. Seems to be a trend for me every year.

I know I had said I am on a blogging break, and I really have been, but I wanted to take a moment to write a few things as we lead into the crazy weeks that are "the" holidays.

I am planning to write a 2016 wrap post, and that will come next week, but this week I wanted to take a moment to just reflect on what this blog has been to me this year. Kind of a reminicing blogging progress report.

Looking back at the archives, I feel like I started this year off strong and with a positive note, and gradually through the year I went down hill. I found myself complaining here more often then I would have liked, and that bothers me. It bothers me because 1. I don't like to read about someone complaining over and over again on their blogs and 2. I could have done something to fix those issues. I could of kept them to myself.

I felt like I came here to get justification for my struggles. Like I owed you all an explaination on why I was absent, or always complaining about something. Part of that happened because I felt like I was obligated to write here 3 times a week. No ands, ifs, or buts about it.

After numerous blogging breaks and some crappy posts, I am finally to a point where I won't blog just for the sake of blogging. I noticed as the year started to end, my blogs made more sense to me. They had reason. They weren't posted just to get something posted.

I have learned a real lesson this year. No matter how crappy I am feeling in real life, I can't let that reflect on the blog over and over again like a broken record. I have learned that if I am having some trouble keeping things straight here, I will write about it once, let everyone know where I'm at, and move on.

I think that makes the most sense.

Overall I think I did okay this year. I was consistant, but not in the way I had anticipated. Next year I would like to blog with more passion and purpose. I want there to be reason to have you all back. Not have you all leave thinking, "Dear Lord, this girl complains to much!".

I really hope you all will join me in 2017 for a bit of a shift in content here. I will speak more about that in my wrap up post next week.

In the meantime, have a wonderful and safe holiday week! I hope it is filled with friends, family, spirits, and good food.

From my family to yours, Merry Christmas!



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Yogi Christmas Gift Guide

I announced last week that I am going to be starting my 200 hour yoga teacher training in January. Now that I am all signed up and accepted, I need a few things. I put together a Christmas wish list of sorts that I am looking for this year, and in return I hope it helps you shop for the yogi in your life.

For me, I am all about learning and training, as I will be spending a lot of time on my mat over the next 4 months. I added things to my list that would be useful and handy for my training. I threw in a few fun items too, just because.

Yogi Student Wishlist

1. Yoga wheel: I am not very flexible in my back. I have seen the wheel being used to help with back bends and other poses that require some flexibility. This would be a real blessing to anyone in my boat with the flexibility issue.

2. Blanket: I don't know about you, but when I start my savasana, I get really cold. My body relaxes and my body temperature goes down. Having a nice blanket to carry with me would be helpful.

3. Ombre leggings: I just really like these. I was at a point where all I wore was black leggings. They aren't fun. If I am going to be living in leggings more often, I might as well make them fun to look at!

4. Yoga mat: I have a mat currently, but just like everything else, mats do need to be replaced. Mats can be as simple or as fancy as you'd like them to be. For me, as long as I don't slide and it's not paper thin, it will be sufficient.

5. Sweatshirt: I am going to be training through the whole winter. It will be cold. Having a fun sweatshirt always makes it better. When you look forward to wearing youe winter wear, it doesn't seem like such a chore to go out.

6. Tank top: Just as much as getting cold can happen during your practice, so can getting warm. Having fun tank tops to practice in are always a good time. Plus I am going to miss pigging out on things like tacos..

7. No slip socks: I rarely ever wear socks when practicing, but again it will be winter and it will be a long day. I am going to want something I can put on my feet that won't cause me to slide on the mat.

8. Mesh leggings: Again these are just fun. Yoga can be as fashionable as you want. Sometimes it will be fun to put on something different to practice in.

9. Yoga block: Props are so important as I mentioned with the yoga wheel. We all need a little help sometimes to learn new poses. Having a nice cork block can make all those challenging poses a little easier.

10. Bag: Finally, you need something to carry all of these things in back and forth from classes. I really like this one because it fits everything and your mat has a place to go. This is probably what I'm hoping for the most this year!

So there is my wish list/gift guide. Is there anything I missed? Are you a yogi looking for some new stuff for Christmas? Let me know in the comments what you are in need of!


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Christmas in the Bahamas

Sometimes you have to love Facebook memories. Today a photo popped up reminding me that 6 years ago I was in the Bahamas. It was a beautiful photo of the ocean and blue skies. It had me thinking about how great it was to spend a week on a tropical island so close to Christmas.


We (my brother and roommate at the time) were in Nassau. It never dawned on me when we booked the trip that we would be there a week before Christmas. I was so excited to see the island all decked out for the holidays. The tree above had all kinds of shells as ornaments. It was super pretty with the pink building in the background.


We spend our days exploring the island and getting to know the locals. The weather was chilly for the locals (only 60 degrees on some days), but that didn't keep us northerners from swimming in the ocean and running around in only cardigans to keep warm.

 
The scenery was breathtaking, and the rum was a plenty. We took one guided tour of the island which provided all you could drink rum punch. It was pretty amazing. As you see in the above picture, Bacardi was pretty big there..

The island was pretty busy, and the shopping was insane. I am convinced if you couldn't find it on this island, it doesn't exist. The main shopping area of Nassau, which is conveniently located down by where the cruise ships come in, range from small boutiques, to high end stores. Everyone was Christmas shopping while we were there and it was so hard to navigate through the sidewalks.


 We only went down to the main shopping areas 2 days of the 7 we were there. It was so overwhelming. We instead stayed on our own private beach (we stayed at a small place that wasn't as resorty and enjoyed the beach to ourselves most days).


Having the opportunity to spend a week away before Christmas on an island who was also deep in the holiday spirit was amazing. I really enjoyed having that opportunity and I recommend everyone to do it at least once.

I sure do miss waking up to this every morning.. We had a balcony and it was glorious.


 Have you ever spend the holidays in a tropical setting? What about in a place opposite than you currently live? IE saw snow for the first time?

Let me know below!

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Whatcha Up To?

Happy Thursday!

As I mentioned on Tuesday, I am planning a break this month into January to prep for my yoga teaching certification as well as time to do things that I love in hopes to bring the stress level down a bit. I am deep into entering every single 12 Days of Christmas giveaways. I swear almost every company on Facebook is hosting something.

Fingers crossed that I win something this year!

I just wanted to give a little glimpse into what's been going on in my world lately.

I am just over a month into treatment for GERD. For those of you not familiar with it, it stands for Gastoesophageal Reflux Disease. I have had suspect for over a year that I had acid reflux issues. It really came into play around the end of October where I had extreme heartburn all the time. Nothing I did made it better.

I went on meds that made no difference at first. I saw a new doctor and we have a plan in order. I am starting to feel better, but let me tell you.. acid reflux and heartburn are no joke. If you have even the slightest feeling you may have it, please get seen. It can cause a lot of damage if not treated.

I am still on the fence on if I want to tell my story here as to why I have been under extreme stress for the second part of the year. I have been working on a post for a long time, and I just never feel ready. I also know I in no way have any obligation to talk about my struggles here, but I feel some days like I owe an explanation of my vague complaining and why I am always stressed out.

I am hoping that taking this break and starting with the yoga next month will really help me heal. Maybe then I will have the strength to write about everything that has happened.

I can be honest about one thing, and that is, this blog became very uncomfortable to me at one point last year. Sometimes when we put ourselves out there, we have bad days. We write things that bother others. These things happen all the time, and it has happened to me. I have never quite recovered from that one incident.

I am working on moving past how that incident made me feel. I am working on making this space comfortable again. I am also reminding myself that not every person will love what I write, but I know in my heart that I write from the heart and truth within myself. I accept that not everyone will love me and my writing, but I can't control that, and that's okay.

So tell me. Whatcha been up to?



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I have an announcement

Soooo I totally dropped the ball on posting yesterday. I really had every intention of starting the week off on the right foot, yet here we are.

I have some really exciting news to share as well as an announcement about this blog.

As we all know, life happens. It has some unexpected twists and adventures that it likes to take us on. I have had a whirlwind of twists this year, and I am ready to slow down the whirlwind and do something for me.

I took a risk and decided to apply for my 200 hour yoga teaching certification. I am happy to announce I was accepted into the program I wanted last week and will officially start training in January. I plan to graduate in May with no real idea on what I will do with it yet. For now I am super excited, and ready to finally do something that is soley for me.

Now as far as this blog goes.. I have decided to take a small hiatus for the rest of December and possibly into January. I have to see how things go with the training. I want to use this month to to my advantage and get lots of reading and relaxing in. Lord knows my body is going to need it once training starts.

I am not planning to completely quit blogging, but I also don't know what my life will look like between January and May. I have thought about sharing my journey and hoping it is found useful to someone out there. I also have some posts already planned out that I will be sharing throughout the rest of this month and into January.

I didn't want to go completely rogue, and also didn't want anyone thinking I stopped reading their blogs. I am still reading as much as I can. I am not commenting much, and I am sorry for that. I am going to try to set one day aside to read and comment. I enjoy keeping up with a lot of you.

2016 has been one of the craziest years to date for me. I sometimes wonder how I survived it in one piece. This is why I know the yoga path is the path for me. I'm ready to heal and reconnect with myself.

I hope you will all stay with me and check in from time to time. This isn't goodbye, but until I see you again.

Happy December. May it treat you well as we transition into 2017

<3



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Friday

Nothing to exciting today. Event planning this morning and a half day to do whatever I please.

It's been a long week, and I'll get more into that next week. Make sure to stop by on Monday as I have a few announcements to make.

Pop around the blog if you're new. Lots of stuff to discover.

Have a wonderfull weekend!

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Christmas Gift Guide for the Newly Weds

The holidays are upon us and one thing that always seems to stress everyone out is gift giving. It's not because we don't like to shop, it's because we never quite know what to get the ones we love. Today I wanted to focus on a gift guide for newly weds. I myself am a newly wed and this will be my first Christmas as a Mrs.

After the wedding is all said and done, we look around our homes and realize we will need some things Whether we didn't get everything we put on our wedding registry, or we simply didn't think about all of the practical things we would actually need.

The list is meant to be fun and useful. If you're shopping for a newly wed, or you're a newly wed yourself, I hope this list finds you well.

Newly Weds Gift Guide

This list at first may look confusing, but let me explain why I chose all of these items.

  • Measuring cups: For starters these are really festive and have really cute writing on them. We both enjoy cooking, so having measuring cups are really important and often forgotten as a gift idea.
  • Mr. and Mrs. stemless wine glasses: These are just for fun. No one really NEEDS these but they are fun to break out on special occasions. 
  • Fluffy bath robes: Have a romantic night at home and slip into a comfy plush bath robe. They are perfect for cold nights or when you just want to hang out on the couch all day together.
  •  Canisters: I am actually really sad I didn't put these on my registry. We have so many different things we could use these for, both in the kitchen and out. Maybe Santa will get the hint. ;)
  • Eye mask and ear plugs: Ladies (and gentlemen).. I don't know about you, but my hubby snores and loves to stay up reading his kindle. The honeymoon is over real fast when you aren't getting enough sleep. Black out those lights and noises early on. Your body will thank you.
  • Cooking utensils: This bamboo set is beautiful. Having spatulas and slatted spoons are real essentials in the kitchen. You miss them when they are missing. 
  • Kitchen scale: I cannot tell you how many recipes I have made that asked me to measure out something by weight. This is especially helpful when you are watching your portions. Get one. It's a game changer. 
  • Point and shoot Camera: Yes I know, we all have cellphones with camera's, but it's fun to go on little adventures with your significant other and snap photos along the way. They are pretty compact and can fit easily into pockets. Capture all your moments together.
  • Gift Cards: Sometimes people just enjoy purchasing their own gifts. Many people find this option a cop out gift, but really, sometimes this is really what someone wants. Besides you can use gift cards for so many things. I show you in this post. Check it out. 
  • Weekend bag:  It's nice to have a bag to be wisked away for a weekend with. It's purpose is to hold clothes for each of you for 2 days. It really comes in handy if it's hard to get away often but you take many weekend trips through the year. 
What would you add to this list? Anything you really needed but didn't get and hoped for as a Christmas gift from loved ones? Share below!


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A few thoughts for a Monday..

Just a few thoughts today...

I had a nice Thanksgiving and enjoyed 4 days off filled with family, cat snuggles, and yoga. I am very grateful for all of it. Family is always comforting, Hugging my kitties makes me happy, and yoga was a great way for me to get my head cleared.

Today is Cyber Monday. There are a lot of great deals out there if you are one for shopping online. I personally love to look for travel deals. A little tip I like to share is, follow people on twitter. So many great deals go live on there!

The Holiday Tea Swap sign ups close today at 11:59pm EST. If you are interested in joining in, please get signed up as soon as possible. I will have all swap buddies e-mailed by Wednesday. I really hope you will join us.

I have a few announcements coming up in the next few days. Stay tuned.

May your transition back into a work week be smooth and your week be full of love. 



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Happy Thanksgiving

I just wanted to pop on here real quick to wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving. Even if it is a holiday you do not celebrate, take today to reflect on those things you are thankful for. We can never do that enough.

I wanted to challenge myself to write down as many things as humanly possible that I am thankful for, as to remind myself to not only dwell on the bad. Here goes nothing..  (In no particular order of importance)

I am thankful for my husband. Even though we don't always see eye to eye, we keep each other in check.

I am thankful for my mom and dad. They have been my rock this year when other outlets didn't seem to deliver.

I am thankful for the friends who have become family. The ones who will let you cry on their shoulder or scream until you feel better with no judgement.

I am thankful for Rick and Grace (my cats). They have offered so many laughs and snuggles in the short time we have had them in our home. They make this house a home.

I am thankful for my job. I work in a very rewarding position and even today, when many people are off with their families, there are amazing people tending to the animals. There is no holiday when you have live animals to care for.

I am thankful for this blog. As much as I have neglected it this year, it is still here when I need a place to release my thoughts. It has brought me some new friends and has taught me so much. I get to be my own boss here and have opportunities because of it.

I am thankful for my readers of this blog. Some of you have become friends. Some of you have become my cheerleaders. Some of you are strangers who comment just to put a smile on my face. I love that and I love all of you.

I am thankful for the medications that are making it possible for me to eat on a daily basis. My stomach has not been the happiest this month, and even though it's been rough, these pills have made it bearable.

I am thankful for all of our women and men in uniform helping to protect me on a daily basis. I am forever grateful for them and their sacrifices to their own families to protect us.

I am thankful for the home I live in and the shelter it provides me. I have more than many people in this world and I never want to forget how grateful I am for that.

I am thankful for the greater power, whomever that may be, who does show me from time to time that there is a bigger purpose to all of this. There is someone watching over us, even when we struggle.

I am thankful because I am alive. I woke up today, and I am breathing.

Happy Thanksgiving all. <3



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3 Holiday Stress Relief Options



Thanksgiving is in 3 days! Can you believe it? That means Christmas is only 34 days away. Are you ready?

If you're like me, you are already in overdrive getting everything into order. You see, this is my first holiday season married. We are hosting our families this year for both holidays. I made this request last holiday season, when we had to travel from house to house, day to day.

It was exhausting! I am cutting out my stress by staying home (Although I know for some, this makes people more stressed out, but for me, I love to entertain in my own home).

Today I want to share with you 3 stress relief options to get you through whether you are hosting or traveling to visit friends and family.

1. Give yourself a timeout: When I am feeling stressed I pull out a book and make myself a cup of hot tea or coffee. The book takes my mind off of anything that is chaotic around me and the hot beverage warms me up and brings me comfort. 

Taking time away from the stress doesn't necessarily make it go away, but can help you clear your head and get you back in the game. It may also help you see what is really stressing you out and get you more focused on the fun side of the holiday, rather than the stressful side.

2. Make lists: I know, I know, everything you read these days talk about making a list. So would it really surprise you to see that making lists really work? I find myself making lists through out the year, but around holidays, they become extra handy.

Anything from planning your menus, to buying gifts, to simple things like, cleaning the house. If you have it written down somewhere, you won't forget to do it. Just make sure the list is somewhere you can see it, so it doesn't become lost or an after thought.

 
3. Ho'oponopono: This word may sound weird, but it's meaning is so powerful. This is a practice of either sitting solo or in a group and saying (or singing) I'm sorry, Please forgive me, Thank you, and I love you. This may sound odd, but when I went to my first session as a group, it was so beautiful. Signing those words out loud, with a group was so healing. It brought tears to my eyes.

During this practice you are allowing yourself to forgive not only yourself, but anyone else who may have hurt you. You can do this by yourself, quietly singing to yourself or saying it over and over in your head. I would recommend doing this for at least 15 minutes in a quiet environment. It is so balancing and healing.

Bonus: Also, another way to be stress free is to meet new friends and drink hot drinks. This is the last full week to sign up for my holiday tea/coffee swap. Get yourself signed up so I can partner you up with your new friend next week!

What do you do to keep the stress at bay? Share you thoughts in the comments!


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High Five for Friday!

It feels like ages since I've done a H54F post! I feel like I  have a few things to talk about, so let's get to it..

1. R and I hosted a successful Friendsgiving on Saturday. We had, including ourselves 12 adults, 2 small children, and 2 energetic cats. We were able to squeeze everyone into 3 tables pushed together. It was pure amazingness! (Yeah I know, not really a word.. lol). We made the soup from our wedding (Mushroom Merlot.. to die for by the way), a 11 pound turkey, 2 kinds of stuffing, sweet potatoes, and a sweet potato cheesecake. Friends brought other sides and beverages. All in all an amazing feast!

She was helping and got worn out fast.. I did clean this off before the guests arrived..

2. LulaRoe announced their Elegant Collection this week and the pieces are TO DIE FOR. I can only hope to get my hands on something. If you aren't familiar with LulaRoe, you are probably living under a rock, because it is so hot right now. Not only is it comfy, but it is stylish. I feel like I wear something from their line weekly.

(Source)

3. I am celebrating my 1 year anniversary working for the SPCA. It is such an amazing and rewarding job. I get to be apart of saving innocent animals lives when they had nowhere else to go. The time and effort these amazing people put into these animals is overwhelming. I couldn't imagine a more rewarding career.

4. Being that it is mid-November, I wanted to do a small happy dance that the temperature has been pretty amazing. We have gotten some 60 degree weather and that is pretty great. I hear that may change this weekend, and we might get some of that 4 letter word that no one likes to say, but I will admit, we have been blessed with the weather we have had.

5. I want to remind everyone that I am hosting a tea (and coffee) swap. Sign ups are open until November 28th and all buddies will be announced by November 30th. It is a fun way to meet someone new and you get to sample some new tea or coffee. Sign up for the Tea Swap today!



In case you missed it...

Dear America, Today is Veteran's Day
Weekly Wins: Vol. 4
Wellness Wednesday:  Live in the present

Have a great weekend!


Linking up today with:

Wellness Wednesday: Live in the present

Sometimes we all need reminders to live in the present and tune into our own emotions. Someone posted this lovely little guide on Facebook (I have no real source to this, please let me know if it's yours). 

I felt like it was perfect for this week, as there are still so many raw emotions out there.  

Have a great Wednesday. Listen to what your emotions are telling you. 



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Weekly Wins Vol. 4

Today is a very special "wins" post. I am not only going to tell you my weekly wins, but a special win today as well. Might as well get right into it..

Special Wins


Last week marked my 1 year anniversary taking a chance on a new opportunity. It was an opportunity that excited me more than I could ever have imagined, and scared me on different levels. I left a cushy "corporate" job with good pay to work in non-profit. I took a leap in faith to try something new in hopes to de-stress my life. To help get myself away from the 50 hour work week.

Today I can look back on my whirlwind of a year and feel completely comfortable with the leap I took. My job is not only rewarding, but has some of the most resilient I have ever met. I get to help make a difference in my community and work with some crazy talented people.

I am so grateful. 

I am hoping to put together a post about what I have learned this year in a non-profit setting, and what you should know as a potential donor. I really can't wait to share this all with you!

Health Wins

 

I have been diagnosed with acid reflux. It doesn't sound so scary, but in reality with the stress I have been under lately with some family stuff, it completely set my gallbladder off on a rampage and I have some stomach ulcers. How is this a win you may ask? Well I am finally finding some relief with the use of some medications. I am not a big medication person, but I was in such agony, I needed to ask for help. I am on the mend and making some lifestyle changes to get myself back on a better track. 

Personal Wins

 

Me and R had a successful Friendsgiving on Saturday. We hosted 12 people and it went super smoothly. We had some great food with some great friends. Bring on Thanksgiving!

Blog Wins

 

The win here, is just posting regularly. I am also engaging more on my social media sites. I had some new followers through the week, which made me happy. Also, my annual Holiday Tea Swap is back. I would love if you joined us! Coffee is a new option this year! If you want to join and aren't into tea, we will partner you with another coffee lover! Get yourself signed up!

How was your week?



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Dear America; Today is Veteran's Day


*I took this photo many years ago while traveling over the George Washington Bridge in NYC. Today I feel like it represents what the country is feeling today. Nothing is clear, things are wobbly, and the flag is in limbo. It is eerily beautiful, and represents this post perfectly.

 I was kind of on the fence about what to write today. Today is Veteran's Day. Today is also the first day I have formulated a thought on what to write on our recent election. In sorts they both go hand in hand. Never forgetting why Veteran's Day is observed. Is it irony today?

Veteran's Day came into play at the end of World War I. At the eleventh hour on the eleventh day of the eleventh month. Formally Armistice Day, it was formally renamed Veteran's Day in 1954.

Today we remember all military veterans. We remember and thank them for all they have done to make this country great. Not great again. Great now. They risked their lives to help make this country a safe place to live for all. I still believe they will do this, even in our times of darkness.

We cannot forget the wars they have fought to make us a great country. To turn our backs now on America would be a huge disrespect to our veterans. When we are in our darkest hour we need to all stick together and put out into the universe all the love, light, and positive thoughts we have in us. All the beautiful souls will come together and make America shine when the world sees us as broken.

We may be broken, but that means we can be fixed. We can dance through this storm to see the rainbow.

It's been 2 whole days since the world learned who the 45th president of  the United States of America would be. Donald Trump has made it into our White House.  Are we all still in shock? Yes. Can we get through this? Absolutely. We can't turn our backs now.

WE MUST LEAVE OUR HATE BEHIND.

I don't care what your reasons are for hate, but at the end of the day, the only person who can change your ways is YOU. Please see that and be the change we need. Every day opens new doors to correct the wrong in our hearts, our communities, our states, and our country.

Be the change we are all seeking. 

Please start today.



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How I Wore My Lularoe: Wedding Edition

To help forget the election results, I bring to you a fun post! I get to look back on all of my outfits through my wedding "season". I didn't realize until the other day that I wore LulaRoe for all of the events leading up to my big day. Today I am showing you how versatile LulaRoe is and how they have many pieces that are not only stylish, but also very comfortable.

I jumped on the LulaRoe wagon back in July and I currently own more than I want to admit. Everything I own, I wear regularly, so I don't feel guilty for my purchases.

For my bridal shower I wore my Amelia. A comfy dress with a zipper in the back. You can also turn this dress around and wear with the zipper in the front. I paired this with bride socks.. Nailed it!


For my bachelorette parry, I chose this flirty get up. I paired a salmon top with my lovely Cassie. A stretchy pencil skirt that works on any body shape. And let's not forget that pink tiara veil to bring it all together! (Yes I am holding a VERY large stein with water in it. Blame October fest!)


For my rehearsal I word this Fall patterned Carly dress. Its a high low design that feels like you're wearing pajamas, while looking stylish. Now wearing those 4 inch heals were NOT like wearing my PJ's but hey, it was for the wedding right?


I felt very comfortable through all of my events. Are you a fan of LulaRoe? What are your favorite pieces?

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2016 Holiday Tea Swap

It's that time of year again! The weather is getting chilly, it's getting dark at 4:30pm (I hope you turned your clocks back this weekend or you're early today!), and the holidays are right around the corner. I can only think of one way to make that better, and that's with a big cup of hot tea! Today I am brining back my holiday tea swap.


If you aren't familiar with my tea swaps, this is the third annual holiday swap and the fourth total I have offered on my site.  I am a sucker for holiday teas and thought it would be fun to share my love with you all. The swap allows you to be partnered up with another tea loving buddy to swap your favorite teas.

New this year is adding the option of coffee. It is not required, but you will see on the form you can check if you are open to receiving some coffee as well with your swap. You may also sent K-Cups in any form if your swapper indicated they have a Keurig.

Sign ups start today and will close on Monday, November 28th. I will get all buddies emailed no later than November 30th. All packages must me mailed by December 12th. If this will be a problem, PLEASE let me and your swap buddy know.

There are a few rules (Only to make this a fun and fair experience for everyone!):

I am asking that everyone provides at least 4-5 bags of tea for your buddy to sample. You may include more.  You can do this in anyway you choose, but I ask that you include a little blurb about each so your buddy knows what it is they are sampling.

If you are not going to meet the deadline or have any issues, please send me an email ASAP. I want to make this an great experience for everyone involved.

Last year I asked everyone to include a Christmas card with their packages since this will be arriving right around Christmas. This is optional, but a nice touch for your buddy. You may also include anything else that you feel either goes with your tea choices or you just feel like putting a smile on your buddies face.

If you have a blog, I am going to host a link up at the end of this. It would be fun to see what everyone gets! If you post about it, use the hash tag #TLTeaSwap2016

That's it! Have fun with this! Let's get the holiday season started off right! Please fill out the form below to get signed up! Happy sampling!

----> 2016 Holiday Tea Swap <----


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Weekly Wins Vol. 3

It's that time again. Talking about my wins of the week. It's such a positive way to identify good things in life rather than focusing on all the bad.


Health


  • I have identified a problem with my health, so now I am working hard to get things better. Even though it was a tough week when it came to the foods I chose and the way they made me feel, I have been able to set myself on a better path to what needs to happen this week.

  • I attended my 2nd yoga class in the 7 week course I signed up for. I love it more and more each time I go. My body is happier and I am starting to feel less distracted. Such a win for me.

Personal


  • This week I posted some photos from my wedding. It was nice to take time out to remember how great the day way, even when things aren't going great in other areas of my life currently. Any little moment or event can pull us out of that bad place we go when we worry, and my wedding photos reminded me of that.

  • I kicked ass at work this week. I kept up with everything and was able to leave my desk on Friday afternoon clean and nothing sitting to deal with on Monday. This is an ultimate win for me.

  • I am working on a plan for 2017 to keep myself focused and motivated on getting my life back to a place where I am happy. I have identified what things need to change and how to do it, now I just need 2017 to get here so I can implement them!

  • I FINALLY caved and bought some new pants and a few other items for the winter. The win here was I got a pair of jeans, a dress, a sweater, a cardigan, a jacket, and a belt for about $17. Gotta love thrifty shopping!

Blogging


  • I blogged 4 days during the week plus today, so 5 times! This is probably the win I am most proud of. I have been more consistent lately and my stats are proving it. I am seeing more traffic and more engagement. Now I need to keep it up!

  • I have decided to host my 3rd annual holiday tea swap. Last year wasn't the greatest turn out as I got the information out later than anticipated and it fell right in the middle of the holiday swing. I am going to put that announcement out this coming week, so if you love tea, come back and get signed up!

All in all I had a decent week. I am working on time management and organizational skills this coming week. I have really lacked in these things lately and that can make all the difference. Can't wait to see what the week holds.

What were your wins this week?





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Friday Happiness

Happy Friday Y'all! I hope it was a great week and an even better weekend. I'm going to leave you with the cutest picture ever. Okay I may be biased, but how happy does this sweet girl look? Grace is one spoiled kitten!



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A Winery Wedding Story

Today is the day.. I get to share with you my most exciting day to date. My wedding day. If you have been following along in this series, you know what's gone on up until this point. If you haven't, I suggest you read my engagement story, and follow right on through until you get back to this post.
I'm going to jump right in... These are just a few of my favorite photos! Maybe I will do another post down the road with more detail..  Non professional photos first.. then the professional :)

Wedding Date: September 24, 2016
Wedding Ceremony: Private lake house on Cayuga Lake
Reception Venue: Knapp Winery
Photographer: Tom Mizzoni Photography and all my friends!

Morning mimosas!
The beautiful bouquets! All done DIY minus mine on top
Creeping on my guests..

The most beautiful background for a wedding ceremony!
We did! We're married!

I was IN LOVE with my centerpieces.


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