Dream Job

Here we are again at another Monday. If you're like me, Monday is so hard to get moving. Another full week ahead at a job I am not in love with. This thought brought me the idea to write about what my dream job would be if I could have it. Monday wouldn't be so bad if you absolutely loved your job.

Do you all remember Samantha Brown? She hosted a show called "Great Hotels" on the travel channel. I loved that show. Samantha would travel to hotels all over the United States and do all of the things it was known for. Everything from eating the signature dish in the restaurant to visiting the local area. It was pretty awesome.When I watched the show I always thought, "wow, that is a pretty sweet job. How can I do it?" I love to travel. I would go somewhere new every week if I could. My dream job would definitely include traveling to great places with great spaces for sure.

Now I would of course take this to another level. I would need to spend at least a week at the hotel because I would need to see everything in the area. I would want to experience not only the hotel but the foundation to why that hotel is special and why the area makes it special. I would have my camera in hand to take photographs and capture the magic the location has to offer. I have a passion to take beautiful photos of beautiful places. I strongly believe every picture tells a story and not one person can tell the same story of the same setting.

Since I am planning to stay a week at each location I will surely meet new people. You will meet locals and other travelers alike. The locals want to showcase their home and show you more of it. Travelers will want to tell you about their homes and where they are headed. This is the perfect way to build new relationships and also connect with new places and spaces to visit.

If I could get up every Monday and be in a new place to explore with my camera and new people to meet, I would have my dream job. This would make me happy. This would make my blog happy as well. Lots of tails to be told, and lessons to be learned. Now all I need is someone to sponsor my travels and I would be set to create. If only dreams came true...

Happy Monday all! Make it a good one!


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Sunday Social!

I decided it would be fun to link up with the Sunday Social with Neely and Ashley! Get to know me a little better by taking a look at my answers to the questions.. then answer them yourself!





 1. What was your college major? Did you ever change majors? I started with a Business Administration degree and ended up focusing on Marketing. I graduated with a Bachelors degree in Marketing.  I am also a certified Optician.

2. Best purchase you’ve made lately? It would honestly have to be the 3 bras I scored from the Maidenform flash $8.00 bra sale! You can't beat 3 bras for under the cost of what one would cost!

3. Something silly we don’t know about you and go… I love to make up words to songs on the radio as I am driving. I belt my little heart out with my new made up words. Yes people do stare sometimes. hehe.

4. Favorite Holiday? I am really starting to love Memorial Day. It represents so many things and you normally get really nice weather!

5. The first thing you do when you wake up? Turn off my alarm which leads to me checking social media since my alarm is my phone.  (Super bad habit by the way.. )

Happy Sunday All!!



Fit-Trish: Stress! It's making our bellies bigger!

Welcome back to another week of Fit-Trish: A series dedicated to fitness on a budget. This week is going to a be a little bit different to past weeks. It is 6:30am and I have decided to re-write my post today because I wanted to discuss something that's been slowing me down in my fitness journey.



I have been writing this series now for 5 weeks. I am starting to feel discouraged in my weight loss journey. Not because I am not following my plan I made for myself, but because I am not seeing the results yet. Now you are probably thinking, "Really? It's only been 5 weeks girl?!" Let me explain.

Stress has a huge chunk of my daily life,I know I have written about this before, but I feel it is a very important part of a lifestyle change . Stress can do some funky stuff to our bodies, and weight gain is one of them. I woke up early this morning to research stress and what it's doing to my body physically. I did this because I have noticed my stomach seems to bulge out more lately than it did before I started being healthy.

I came across an article on Women to Women called "Weight Loss and Adrenal Stress." This article is geared towards women and it really hits home. Stress causes weight gain when the adrenal glands are over worked. The body prepares for disaster and starts storing fat and calories. This ultimately leads us to crave more good, lose energy, and that leads to weight gain. This weight gain normally is localized to the stomach area. The adrenal glands will release cortisol in excess amounts when we are stressed. It will stay elevated in our bloodstreams causing our glucose levels to stay elevated in our abdominal calls. This is what is causing the larger waist.

I thought I was doing a better job at managing my stress. Maybe I was for a little while, but I can definitely tell its elevated again and I feel helpless in making it go away. I wrote about some of my stress related symptoms here. Most of those symptoms seemed to have gotten better, but not noticing my stomach growing rather than shrinking gets very discouraging.

I am going to follow these steps listed in the article to see if I can start to maintain and balance the cortisol levels in my system.
  • When you eat matters: Eat smaller meals in regular intervals. Don't starve your body.
  • Have healthy foods on hand: Better snacks choices help reduce the cortisol overload.
  • Supplement your daily diet: Take a daily multivitamin which helps control cortisol.
  • Disconnect: Shut off all electronic devices by 8pm and relax with something like a good book..
  • Sleep: Get to bed by 10pm. Make a goal to sleep 8 hours so our body's recharge and regulate.
  • Exercise: Try to take a 15 minute walk after meals. This makes our bodies and our minds happy.
  • Have fun: Enjoying your time is very important in maintaining stress. Do it often!
  • Don't forget to breathe:  Deep breathes help to calm your body down. 3 or 4 deep breaths often make us feel better.
  • Just let it go: (No not the frozen song.. ) At the end of the day remember yourself. You cannot EVER make everyone happy. You must make yourself happy first. Help where you can, but if you are not happy, you can't really make someone else happy. Always remember that!
Now that is a great list in which I am going to follow this weekend and see how it goes. My best friend will be in town with my goddaughter who is 4. We will be doing all kinds of fun things so it will be easy to disconnect and have some fun. I am going to fight my work stress and let it go.

Have a great Friday everyone. I hope this helped some of you fighting that pesky stomach bulge. Stress is a very real thing and it really does a number on us. Let me know if you are planning to follow these steps or if you have your own methods of dealing. I'd love to hear them!

I went to the Grammy's!

Welcome back to another edition of my version of #TBT! Every Thursday I will be featuring a post that was originally posted on my old blog that couldn't be transferred over here to Blogger. This week's post was an actual #TBT post where I shared my ultimate bucket list cross off. I hope you enjoy it!

#tbt: A bucket list item checked off

Originally Posted: 05/01/2014

 
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Why am I so shiney?!
It is only Thursday and I am completely wiped out. I admit I am taking the easy way out by posting a throw back Thursday post, but I at least made it a fun one! But first a little back story on this one. There is a great story behind it. Promise.

Ever since I can remember I wanted to go to music's biggest night, the Grammy Awards. In my little girl mind I was going one day and no one was going to stop me! Funny I never had plans to be an actual musician, but I had big plans otherwise.

When I turned 18 and was old enough to "gamble" as most sweepstakes are categorized this way, I began to enter contests for trips to the Grammy's. Mostly through magazine entries because back then (I make myself sound sooooo old) we had internet but there weren't as many options like we have today. I would search and find any contests related to the Grammy's (There weren't many.. trust me I looked) and entered them all. This process went on for years.

The internet became more and more about social media and brands connecting with all of us out in the interwebs so to speak. More and more opportunities came up to enter giveaways and contests. I was now in my mid twenties and was starting to doubt my little girl dreams. I decided to add that dream to my "bucket list" and move on. If it were meant to be it would happen (That doesn't mean I stopped entering contests though! Addiction,).

I had made a few life changes towards the end of my twenties and was in a dark place. I was unemployed, in a horrible relationship, and just plain depressed. It also didn't help that it was December. And winter. My only out was surfing the net and entering contests. Yes, yes I do have a problem. I entered thousands upon thousands of contests in just a months time.

I found a job in January, met new people and things looked up. Then it was July. July of my 29th year. The best July of my life (So far..). I was searching through my junk mail.. random I know. There is a story behind that but we won't get into that today, or maybe ever. There it was. An email claiming "YOU ARE THE WINNER! CONGRATS". I was hesitant to open that email. What had I won? Why is it in my junk mail? Is this a scam?
I opened it. Thank God. I just found out I had won a trip to the 55th Annual Grammy Awards. Still skeptical I made a few phone calls before I completely freaked out. It was legit. My dream had come true. My biggest bucket list item had been crossed off. It had only taken 29 years of my life, but I was on my way! Never give up on that dream!

Okay so that turned into the longest #tbt post ever, although I'm not sorry. To this day it still excites me to remember that day. A dream come true. No story about the trip itself today, as this has already went longer than anticipated. You will just have to come back to see that post! It will be fun! I swear!

So there you have it. I did indeed go to the Grammy's and I will write about it someday on this blog. But let this be a sign that you to can win if you just keep on trying. Your dreams will come true! It only took me 29 years :)

Make it a great Thursday all!

Treasure Tromp

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Who needs TV when you have Youtube?

I was watching some YouTube videos last night when I realized how much I trade in my tv watching for YouTube surfing these days. You really can find ANYTHING on there. When I say everything I mean it. YouTubers make me laugh. They show me how to do things. They educate me. They entertain me. They make me feel like I can do anything. So where am I going with this, you ask? It got me thinking about how these people are getting in front of a camera every week and showing you their world. They are brave and get treated all sorts of ways just by putting themselves out there everyday.

It got me looking through my subscription list. I don't have a ton but the ones I do have, I have been watching for years. Some of these people have been doing this for so long, its like a favorite TV show. You can't get enough and hope it never gets cancelled, so to speak. I noticed a majority of my subscription's are beauty related. These ladies helped me learn how to use and put on makeup. A lot of them younger than I have really grown up on these channels. Some have families now, major beauty careers, or even their own brand lines. They do it all and they choose to show you. This is awesome to me because I don't have the guts to do that. This blog is it for me. My world in words, but probably never in videos.

I felt this was a good time to introduce you all to my favorite YouTubers. These are the faces I enjoy watching when I need a break from the world. I pull up these channels and watch as I am working on my blog, or working on something else that is keeping me glued to my computer for the evening.

  • XSparkage: Leesha was probably the first channel I subscribed to. She always had bright fun makeup tutorials that kept me coming back for more! 
  • Leesha Vlogs: Leesha now only does great beauty tutorials, she also vlogs! She is about to become a mommy so head on over and watch her adventures to parenthood. 
  • Elle Fowler: Elle has been at this awhile and she has really done a lot for herself. Between her and her sister, they have their own brands. I love watching Elle because she is always changing it up.
  • Its Judy's Life: Judy has a great vlog. She and her hubby Benji really bring you life unedited with their toddler and new baby twin girls! Lots of fun there! Be sure to check her out! (She also has a beauty channel but I prefer her vlog :)
  •  Jenna Marbles: Ok anyone who needs a laugh, check out Jenna. She is funny and crude, but hey I like it!
  • Ray William Johnson: I don't know what it is about this channel but I am always laughing with all the random finds around youtube! Check it out for a big laugh!
So there you have it. My favorite youtube channels to watch when there ain't $h!t on the TV! Do you all have any favorite channels you watch? I am always looking for something new to keep me interested so pass along those links! Or do you yourself have a channel? Post the link!

Happy Hump Day!!

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Who doesn't love a weekend with hamburgers?!

Happy Monday all! I had a busy weekend celebrating 2 birthdays and the official start of summer. Now nothing says summer like a big ol' juicy hamburger! I was lucky enough to be selected on Crowdtap to host a McCormick Grill Mates party. I was so excited to get this opportunity and to be able to use it for the kickoff of summer AND a birthday party all in one! How convenient!



I received a nice sized box of goodies from McCormick to incorporate into my BBQ fun. The box included (From left to right):
  • Memphis Pit BBQ Rub
  • Steakhouse Burgers- Steakhouse Mushroom Seasoning Mix
  • Smokin' Sweet Tea Marinade
  • Tennessee Smokehouse BBQ Rub
  • Steakhouse Burgers- Smoky Applewood Seasoning Mix
  • 2 Montreal Steak Sauces
  • Worestershire Pub Burger Seasoning
  • Chipotle & Roasted Garlic Seasoning
  • 3 Montreal Steak Seasoning
  • Steakhouse Burgers- Classic Burger Seasoning Mix
Most of these seasonings were new to the Grill Mates collection. Right away the wheels were turning on how I wanted to incorporate these into my party. I decided on making some sliders so all of my guests could sample the flavors before deciding on a burger. I never made sliders before and was happy to find slider buns at my local Wegmans. This made it more exciting for me. Mini buns for my mini burgers!

 
I rushed home on Friday to start prepping my food. I was going all out. Cutting up onions. mushrooms, tomatoes, and peppers. Pulling out all of the condiments in the house. These babies were going to be epic. Once I got started I realized I had never made sliders before and I didn't have a grill ready to use. My guests were going to be arriving soon and I wanted to have the first set ready for their arrival. I decided to bake them! I decided for my first run I was going to use the Classic Burger seasoning, Smoky Applewood seasoning, and Steakhouse Mushroom Seasoning. I rolled out little burgers mixing in the seasoning as I went.


 I baked the 6 little sliders for 10 minutes on each side. They smelled amazing and my guests starting showing up. I quickly assembled the sliders so I could get the party started with some yummy food!


 The first 2 are Smokey Applewood. I added some sauteed onions and BBQ sauce to give it a nice flavor. The middle 2 are Classic burger. I added a tomato slice to give it presentation. The last are the Mushroom burger.  I added sauteed onions and mushrooms to give it a flavor that was out of this world.


All of these burgers were a hit. I really loved the Mushroom burger. The flavor was amazing. I also really liked how juicy they were doing them in the oven. I will definitely do it this way again. We moved on to the regular sized burgers on the grill. I decided I wanted to try the Worestershire Pub Burger Seasoning. The flavor was amazing. So in love with all of these seasonings.

I am so thankful I had a chance to try out these seasonings from McCormick. They were all a hit and I will be buy more in the future. I want to thank Crowdtap and McCormick for this opportunity. I found some products I probably wouldn't of bought otherwise.

Now spill it. Have you ever used any of these seasonings? How do you like your burgers? Do you bake them or grill them? Tell me in the comments!

Fit-Trish: Drink it up

Welcome back to another week of Fit-Trish. A weekly series where I talk about getting healthy and fitness on a budget! I have covered quite a few topics already so if this is your first time, check them out, here, here, and here!



This week I wanted to talk about another important necessity for a healthy lifestyle. Hydration. We need to drink in order to keep our body from dehydration. The most important beverage we should be consuming is water! Water is a not only important to any weight loss program, but it is something we need to live. Our bodies are made up of mostly water, and depriving it of water can often cause dehydration. It is often said that one must consume 64 ounces of water a day to help stay hydrated and to flush toxins from the body.

I hear a lot of complaints when it comes to drinking water. Most people say they don't like the taste and often skip it. This leads to drinking more sugary beverages like soda and juice. This week I want to bring you a few alternative options to help you consume more water and cut out the sugar.

My favorite go to alternative when I am craving soda is a flavored seltzer. Seltzer provides the carbonation you crave when you want a soda, but without all the sugar and calories. Seltzer comes in all kinds of flavors so there is something out there for everyone. My personal favorite is Polar. They have tons of standard flavors and they also come out with seasonal flavors.

I am just a little obsessed!

Seltzer can also be used to cut down the sugar in drinks such as orange juice or cranberry. I mix 1 part seltzer to 1 part juice and that cuts down the calories by half. My ultimate favorite is the virgin fuzzy navel. This is one part orange juice to one part peach seltzer. Speaking of fuzzy navel, you can also use seltzer in your alcoholic drinks. Replace the soda with seltzer and you will be cutting out all kinds of calories!

My next option for drinking less sugar is to use a water enhancer. These come in all sorts of flavors and formulas. Most of them are sugar free and are naturally sweetened. I have been using a brand called Stur. They have a handful of flavors and the taste is good. It helps me drink more water through the day.

No matter which way you do it, cut down on the sugary drinks and down some water. If you can't do water all the time, try these alternatives and see how you do. What is you ideal way to cut out the sugary drinks? Do you like seltzer? What about water enhancers? Let me know!




Healthier choices, healthier me

I know it isn't Friday, but I wanted to post about my fitness journey today. I never really talked about my goals and why I decided to finally take the plunge into a healthier lifestyle. I will be back Friday with my normal Fit-Trish post. I have some exciting topics coming up in the next few weeks!


There are quite a few reasons why I decided to join a gym and get healthy. Back in 2007 I was in a really bad car accident that has left me with a permanent hip and knee injury. It was determined by a jury that I was not permanently injured and nothing further happened. (Sometimes the law sucks ya'll). I have been living in pain off and on since then and was told a good way to help was to strengthen my core muscles and the obvious option of taking off some weight.

I have exercised off and on through the years but never really kept a schedule. I would get into those moments in life where I was depressed, or busy, or any other excuse I could come up with to not workout. The past few months for me have been very stressful at work and it was physically making me ill. I have posted about my struggle with stress. (Check it out of you are lost in finding a reason to why you aren't feeling good.) I have found by eating a better diet and working out regularly has helped me to feel less stress with is leading me to feel better.

This is going to be an every day battle for me. But I am ready to take it. I love food, but not just food in general, I love carbs! Breads. Cakes. Cheeses. Those are the things my little heart desires. I find myself reaching for the rolls, or the cakes, or the breads when there is food laid out in front of me. I am changing that day by day and learning to make better choices. I am replacing those things with more water, fruits, veggies and smaller portions. I will not deprive myself of having something, but I am going to have less of it. I think its a good plan for me.

I am only 4'11. My ideal weight for my height falls between 90 and 120 pounds. I am aiming for 115 pounds. This leaves me 35 pounds to lose. I am at the heaviest I have ever been and my body knows it. I feel sluggish and tired all of the time.I know I can do this. Not only do I want to look good, I want to feel good. I plan to have children one day and I want to be able to enjoy them. Run with them. Play with them. Having bum body parts can get in the way, so I am making the better choices now before it's to late.

How do you lead a healthier lifestyle? Do you do it for yourself or for some other reason? Tell me your stories! I love to hear them!

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I'm no Daddy's girl

Father's day was yesterday and it always seems bittersweet to me. You see me and my dad never had a good relationship when I was a child. I have never been a daddy's girl. I don't dream of the day my dad will walk me down the aisle and dance with me at my wedding. It's not because I don't love him, it's just not how our relationship works.

My dad has never been big on showing emotion. This is hard when you are a little girl. I had a younger brother, and it seemed at the time, like he showed him more affection. Today I would have a different response to how my father treated my brother verses how he treated me. Now I see that he treated my brother as the baby he was, and me as the responsible bigger sister that I was. At the time it was hard. I did not feel like he loved me, like he loved him. I spent many years in denial, thinking I was not good enough. I did everything I could to make him and everyone else see how good I was. I got good grades, went to college and got a job.

Today I share a better relationship with my dad. I still may not be a daddy's girl, but I know my dad loves me and has respect for me. He respects all of my accomplishments and makes me feel like it was all worth it. I learned how to take care of myself and that is a gift. This is not saying he does not help me now. He would be there to help in anyway he could if something were to happen.

I enjoy having a relationship with my dad as an adult. We are able to talk and sometimes it even makes sense. That may again sound weird, but my dad is not a talker. He doesn't like to show his emotions, or talk about his feelings. When I have an accomplished conversation with him, it most likely was something to do with music or the weather. But again, that's good for me and my dad. It works.

Would I change the way me and my dad are now? Absolutely not. I like where we have come, and where we are headed. We spent Father's Day together, and even though it wasn't as traditional as some, we had a good time. I hope everyone else out there enjoyed some special moments with their father's and will cherish them all.



Trish-Fit:Take a hike! Trade in your gym for the outdoors!

Welcome back to another week of Fit-Trish! Every week I will post a new topic on how to stay fit and lead a healthy lifestyle on a budget. This is my third week and so far I have covered  the most valuable free thing you can do to help enhance your weight loss goal. You can take a peak at week 1 here-->(Valuable for weight loss) Last week I discussed some healthy on the go snacks. You can check that post out here-->(Healthy on the go snacks) This week I want to talk about some good old fashion fitness: Take a hike! Or take a walk. Whichever you prefer :)


The weather is getting nicer and nicer by the day. (Okay if you live in central NY it is a gamble, but I'd like to believe it is getting nicer everyday). The warmer weather gives us an opportunity to be outdoors more which leads to more free exercise! Taking walks or hikes is a great cardio option. It is recommended that you get at least 30 minutes of cardio a day to help with weight loss.

 If you are a beginner you can start off by walking around your neighborhood on flat land. This will help you get used to being on your feet for long distances. Once you feel comfortable walking around your neighborhood you can take it to the trails!

Depending on where you live, you can probably find a park or trail where you can walk on different landscapes. I like to go to my local state parks where the trails are listed and rated by difficulty. This helps you decide what level works best for you. I like to pick moderate to difficult hikes to really get my heart pounding and the sweat pouring. I normally try to take a half hour to an hour hike or walk 3 times a week.

Like any other fitness plan, you want to make sure you are in good health before taking these hikes. This is why it is a good idea to start off easy until you get the feel of it. Always make sure to stretch before going for long hikes. You don't want to pull a muscle while out in the middle of nowhere on a trail. Carry a bottle of water with you. If it is warm out you need to rehydrate to keep yourself from feeling sick. Make sure you have comfy sneakers. You don't want your feet screaming at you 10 minutes in. That's no fun!

So what do you think? Are you ready to challenge yourself and get out there on the trails? Hiking is very rewarding and you get to see some pretty sites along the way. So what are you waiting for? Dust off those sneakers, wash your comfy workout clothes, grab a buddy and get out there!

Happy Fitness Friday!

Why I attend events: a #TBT post

It's that time again! I am going to feature a blog post from my previous blog as a #tbt. Last week I featured a blog writing inspiration post, which you can recap here. This week I want to feature a post about why I attend events. They are so much fun, especially if they are free. This one happened to be free and had a lot of fun goodies!

Events will do your skin good..

Originally posted: 04/13/2014

 
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A couple of weekends ago I was very fortunate to be able to attend Real Simple Magazine's Beauty and Balance Weekend. (I am love with their magazine, btw). It was a weekend in NYC geared towards woman and simple pampering. I was elated to be able to go and get a facial courtesy of Amore Pacific and a beauty makeover courtesy of Benefit Cosmetics. There were many mini complimentary services (beauty makeovers, facials, manicures, fitness classes, cooking demos, and more!) offered over 2 wonderful days.

One of the things I took out of this weekend into my everyday life is a moisture bound hydration spray from Amore Pacific. It was a deluxe size sample in the awesome goodie bags that were handed out. I have been using this mist every morning to wake myself up. It hydrates my skin without drying it out. It also doesn't irritate or clog my pores. It is a very light mist that you spray with a misting pump all over your face. It feels super refreshing and it wakes up my skin instantly in the morning.
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It is uniquely formulated with pure stabilized bamboo sap in lieu of distilled water. It provides immediate and long lasting hydration as it veils the skin in a delicate mist of mineral rich moisture holding botanical agents. This product is also dermatologist tested. They do not test on animals.

It does not contain any:
- Sulfates
- Synthetic Dyes
- Petro-Chemicals
- Phthalates
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If you need a quick pick me up this would be the stuff to try. It is a little pricey at $35 for a 2.7oz bottle, but so far I would purchase a full size bottle of this because I love how it makes my skin feel. Check it out if you are looking for a good skin pick me up! AmorePacific

Now bringing my thoughts back around.. Always attend free events in your area! If it interests you go. You never know what kind of knowledge you will walk out of there with. You will also most likely walk out with free stuff too. I really enjoyed my weekend in NYC with Real Simple and am always on the lookout for other events where I can go network and meet new people. Mingling at these types of events are a great way to learn about other events and opportunities. So gather up some friends and head out to an event near you! You never know what lies ahead! 


I hope you enjoyed this past post! That was a great day for me and my friends. So glad I had the opportunity to attend and write about it! Before I am done rambling on here I wanted to take a moment to gush about how much I LOVE my new layout and design! What do you all think? Lemme know if the comments!


Make it a good Thursday everyone! Treat yo self to something great! <3


Treasure Tromp

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Things I notice at the gym

For anyone who reads my blog regularly, you know I recently started a journey to living a healthier lifestyle. Along with a healthier lifestyle comes my least favorite thing in the world: working out. Ugh, do I HAVE to? In order for me to be motivated to actually work out, I joined a gym. This is my second full week of going and man have things changed since last time I was at a gym. (It's been 3 years). Although these things may not have changed, but maybe it has to do me going from a small privately owned gym to a chain. I am going to Planet Fitness because well its cheap, and I'm broke. Here are the the things that I have noticed since joining my new gym:



1. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE is wearing ear buds. It is apparently not proper gym ettiquete to physically speak to others at the gym. You put in those ear buds and off you go.

2. Now that you have your ear buds in, you must also never make the mistake of making eye contact with any other individual around you. This may lead to socialization and unnecessary talking.

3. There is apparently a guys section and a girls section at the gym. And what I mean by this is, ladies you stay on the treadmill! Do NOT, I repeat, Do NOT get off and use a machine. Those are only for the guys in the house. You must live your life doing cardio only!

4. If you are like me, and venture into the machines, you will have every dude staring at you. I am still not sure if this is a death stare or an impressed stare. I will get back to you on this.

5. The ladies travel in packs and the men are solo. I saw the occasional couple, and they stayed in the cardio area together. I risked it and went alone. I did not have my posse with me, but I also realized its not a bad thing! I enjoyed my me time at the gym.

You see I thought the gym used to be a social place. Now it seems like you are there to do your thing and leave, unless you brought your posse, then you speak to them. I almost felt uncomfortable with all the awkwardness around me. I mean sure, I was there to get my fitness on, but come on people! We can smile, and make small talk from time to time. We can un-glue ourselves form our phones and interact with society for a little while. No one is there to piss in your cheerios. We can all use the machines, and not segregate ourselves to one area or another.

Okay this turned into a little rant, which was not intentional, which is also why I love blogging. The point I am making is why must every activity we do in life consist of us being on our phones and avoiding other people? I don't know about you, but once I leave the office these days, I am so done with electronics. I want to workout, listen to the music around me and interact with people from time to time.

What do you all think? Is this pretty common at your gym as well? Do you prefer to be left alone and get the work done, or do you enjoy a friendly chat with what could be a new friend or workout buddy? Lemme know!


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I went camping!


A few weeks ago I posted a blog (Check it out here) about all of the "common" things I have never done. One of those things was camping. I added it to my list of things to do this summer. I got a huge surprise this past weekend, and was able to cross it off. Me and my sweetie went to Watkins Glen State Park. It was such a beautiful weekend and the park was gorgeous.

Watkins Glen is a great place to visit regardless if you are camping or just looking for a beautiful place to hike. There are many trail options as well as picnic areas and playgrounds. There was even a wedding going on while we were there this weekend! Next time you are in central New York I recommend this. I am lucky enough to have this in my backyard.

My favorite part about this park is the gorge trail. The waterfalls are stunning and I got a workout. I really had an amazing experience. Everything went smooth and it was the perfect pick for my first time. I think the only thing I would change on my next experience is packing an air mattress or more padding. My back HATES me today!




The scenery was beautiful. Here's a glimpse of how my first camping experience went!

I love the gorge trail! This basin is shaped like a heart.

Camp site
Fire!
Smores!

I also forgot to mention, I forgot alcohol. Who does that?! Next camping trip will def include some alcoholic beverages! So glad my first experience went good. Can't wait for the next!

What did you all do this weekend? Have you ever been camping? Did you love it? Hate it? Why?


Xo Trish
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Fit-Trish: Healthy Snacks!

Welcome back to the second week of Fit-Trish where I share with you tips on leading a healthy lifestyle on a budget! If you missed last weeks premiere post, you can find it here. Just to recap, last week I offered you the best thing you can do for free to help you live that active healthy life. This week I am talking about snacks! Just because they are snacks, doesn't mean they are bad for you. Remember that. We all need that little something to hold us over in between meals. I have put together a few of my favorite on the go snacks for you to check out.

Almonds, Fiber One, Vitamin Shoppe
I like things that are convenient on the go. These are a few of the things I have been trying out.



 I am very fond of anything gummy. I found these Fiber One gummies at Walmart. They are fruit snacks for adults! They are packing the fiber so you can feed your sweet tooth while filling up. A pack of 10 at Walmart is $2.00. I think that is pretty darn cheap considering the kids snacks can cost up to $4.00 a box!


Almonds have always been a favorite of mine. They can be quite pricey so this isn't a snack I purchase all of the time, but when I am looking to treat myself I will splurge. They help you cut cravings down in between meals and they have healthy fats. I recently got a Vox Box from Influenster (See the button on sidebar) and this lovely little bag of blueberry almonds by Blue Diamond was included. They are really yummy and really hit the spot. If you are craving almonds you can always go for the store brand which tends to be cheaper and tastes just as good!


Another product I received in my Vox Box was the Next Step Jaxx Shaker Cup from The Vitamin Shoppe along with some samples of their Fit N Full shakes. I have tried these and as much as I have a love/hate relationship with shakes, this one isn't bad. I can't use this as a meal as the packet indicates but it is a nice snack for in between meals for me.  I am a really big fan of the shaker cup more than anything and plan to use this for all kinds of things in the future! Surprisingly it isn't expensive at all! You can get the shaker cup for $5.99 on The Vitamin Shoppe's website. The Next Step program looks like a great program, but if you are on budget like me that will probably be a little to pricey. As an alternative you can pick up a protein powder at your local grocery store or make smoothies with fresh or frozen fruits and veggies. 


 Speaking of fruits and veggies, they are probably the best thing you can do for snacks. What I normally do here to keep the cost down is buy only what is on sale that week. This way you are keeping costs down and you get to switch it up every week. Sometimes you can also get cheap fruits and veggies from a local farmers market. I also like to buy cheese when its on sale to cut into cubes and take as an on the go snack.

Don't be afraid to experiment with your snacks. Switch it up weekly to keep interest. You don't want to deprive yourself to the point you dive into a bag of chips or devour a whole pack of oreo's in one sitting. I find switching up the fruits and veggies along with my gummies seems to keep me pretty satisfied. These items aren't breaking the bank and I am starting to feel better about my choices. 

What do you think of my favorite snacks? Do you have favorites? Please share you ideas! 

Thank you for stopping by! Hope to see you back next week for more tips to a healthy lifestyle on a budget!

Xo Trish
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#TBT - Kinda

A little over a month ago now I decided to move my blog from Weebly over here to Blogger. I am really happy with Blogger and all it has done for me in the past month, but I am still a little sad that my very first blog posts in the blogosphere did not get to come with me. I have decided to do a few "throw back Thursday" posts where I will feature an old post. I feel it is only fair to them. Yes I referred to my posts as "them", but these were my first steps into the world with my words and I feel some of them deserve to shine again over here at my new home. This week I am going to post one of my last posts before moving, so its only just over a month old. Oddly enough it was also posted on a Thursday. So without further adieu, an old new post!

You Can Find Inspiration In The Weirdest Places

Originally posted: 04/24/2014
 
I was having a hard time deciding on what to blog about today. I really didn't want to talk about the vehicular manslaughter that occurred this morning when a bunny jumped out in front of my car. I am still angry at myself for that. I got to work and wanted to think happy thoughts to get my mind off the horribe drive in. The first thing I did was check my email.

I don't know about you, but junk mail is off the hook these days! I'm pretty confident that 98% of my daily mail is junk and spam. I enter a lot of sweepstakes and such, so I shouldn't really complain but omg! As I was weeding through the 10,000 junk emails for the 3 I actually wanted to read something caught my eye. An email subject said, 'This email will inspire you'. It got me thinking. Junk mail has a very good way of pulling you in to read them. Make you almost click on that link before you come to your senses and move on. That email wasn't all that inspiring by the way, but it did inspire me to write this.

Next time your blood pressure is rising as you weed through all that junk stop a minute to read some of the subject lines. That email about losing 20 pounds by Memorial Day probably wont really help you lose weight, but It could inspire you to write about your fitness tips or maybe start your journey to weight loss.

That email that will promise you the top 10 tips on revamping your living room could inspire a blog on your own livingroom and your decorating tips.

Or perhaps that email about that hot date you need to take can inspire a date night for you and tips you would give on making it a magical night.

I always strive to turn anything negative into something positive. You will never get rid of spam 100% so embrace it with new ideas and inspirations for your everyday lives. It sure took my mind off that poor bunny this morning.

Make it a great Thursday!



Treasure Tromp



Xo Trish
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June Goals



May was a crazy busy and stressful month for me. I enjoyed every moment of it, but because of it I want to set some positive goals for June and keep with them. I keep telling myself if I meet all of my goals I will treat myself to something fun. Now lets see if I can do it..

1.  I need to get my voice back. I am setting a goal to be more vocal and proactive in my workplace. I cannot change the things that bother me if I do not speak up. This will be a hard one for me but I did take the first positive step yesterday and I am excited to see where that will lead.

2. I signed up for a gym membership on Memorial Day. I am setting a goal to go at least 3 days a week this month, working up to 5 as I get into the swing of things.

3. I want to explore more of the city I live in. There is so much I have not seen and its been a few years since I moved here. There is a lot going on this month and I need to set a goal to make it to more events and see more of what this city has to offer.

4. I want to cook more meals. I have been slacking in that category lately. I want to make at least 2 meals a week this month from scratch.

5. I am going to stop saying I am to busy. No one is that busy that they can't to stop and smell the roses. There has been a lot of loss around me lately and it reminded me that tomorrow is never promised. Start living your life to your fullest because it won't stop for you because you're "to busy".

6. And last but not least I will work harder at writing about the things I am passionate about. I have to constantly remind myself that this is my little space and I can say as I wish. I need to stop thinking of the people who are reading it and rolling their eyes or feeling offended by an opinion I have. Now don't take this the wrong way, I never want to be negative or offend someone, but you can't please everyone!

What goals are you setting for June? Anything major? Does making a list help you achieve them?

Xo Trish
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Ithaca Festival Parade- Picture Heavy!


Happy Monday! I hope your weekend went well. June is here and all things summer start lingering on the mind. I can't help it. Everywhere I go I smell wonderful bbq cooking, I see kids running around in the park, and I hear music being turned up while the windows are being put down. Its a great feeling. I had a wonderful first experience last Thursday where I attended the Ithaca Festival Parade. I have heard it is a really unique parade and one you have to see at least once in your life. Let me tell you, it didn't disappoint. The only way I could really capture the uniqueness of this parade was to take photos. I have picked out the more unique ones to show. I hope you enjoy and get a chance to visit this parade in the future!
Lots of people!
Stilts!
Ahh Fun stuff!
Horses

Mini car
Balloons

Make Fire!
Groovy truck!





Cupcakes!
Birth Control Man?
Lots of culture here
Now the one thing I have always heard about as a must see is the Ballerina Volvos. Yes there are no words for how unique this is, You really need to experience it in real life, but until you do here is an idea of what to expect!



Add caption



*All of these photos were taken by me. Please do not use without my permission.*

There you have it! The most unique parade I have ever been to! Have any of you been? Whats the wackiest parade you have ever attended?

Xo Trish
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Lets wrap it up May!

May as a whole is normally a pretty great month for me. It is the early stage of Summer and who couldn't love that? The weather starts to get warmer, those grills come out from hibernation, and people get REALLY busy. Looking back on this particular May, I realized I had a pretty big month for myself and this blog. I have learned so much in a short period of time and I think that entitles May to get an "A" in motivation and growth. Not every moment was rainbows and kittens, but what it did do was help me see the bigger picture in where I am headed.

To start off, May brought me sickness. Now you are probably thinking, "why is this significant?" The reason this is significant is not only did I get Strep Throat, I got it 3 times! It made me realize how stressful my life has been over the past few months and how it makes me that much more prone to getting sick. This was significant in me deciding to start managing my stress better and leading a healthier lifestyle! That brought on my first series that just started on Friday.. Fit-Trish: A guide to healthier lifestyle on a budget. I am hoping to post every Friday easy ways to keep yourself on track without breaking the bank. I hope you will join me in leading that happy, healthier life!

One of my favorite moments of May was traveling down south to visit an old friend who I met first in Kindergarten.  This was a long time in the making and when the opportunity came up, I jumped on it. It has been roughly 18 years since I last saw Jennifer. We were both going into 8th grade the last time we crossed paths. We are now in our early 30's with lives of our own. It was such an exciting adventure and I shared it for everyone to see: My trip to the deep south! I hope you enjoy the pictures!

One of my most commented on posts of May was my post about why I loathe social media in the summer! There are so many social media trends that seem to up the ante in the summer. If you missed this funny little rant, make sure you check it out here!

Last but certainly not least, I took on a summer reading challenge this month. It is definitely something I needed to do. I love reading but have really gotten away from it over the last few years. The challenge I am participating in is the Semi-Charmed Summer Book Challenge. I figured now is a better time than any other to update my reading list which was originally posted here. This is a good way for me to track my progress as well. I hope you all decide to read this summer! I am always looking for recommendations as I haven't completely filled my list yet!

1. Freebie: Any book that is at least 200 Pages long:
2. A book that was written before you were born (1982): Wuthering Heights
3. Finish a book that you couldn't finish the first time around: Divergent by Veronica Roth
4. A book from the children's section of the bookstore: 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
5. A book that is on the New York Times Best Sellers List: The Goldfinch by Donna Tart
6. A historical fiction book that does not take place in Europe:
7. A book that another blogger has already read for the challenge:
8. A book with "son(s)", "daighter(s)", or "child(ren)" in the title: Please Excuse My Daughter by: Julie Klam (Currently reading)
9. A book that was/will be adapted into a movie in 2014: A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby
10. A book written by a blogger:
11: A biography, autobiography or memoir: Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Woman's Prison by Piper Kerman
12: A pair of books with antonyms in the title:

As you can see I am still looking for some books for some of the categories. If you have any recommendations please sent them my way! I have completed 2 books and I am reading another. I feel like I am doing better than I anticipated I would. I have until the end of August to complete! Let me know if you are also doing a challenge!

I have had a pretty busy month. I also failed to mention at the beginning of this post that I have officially been moved over to Blogger for a month now! I am absolutely loving it here and feel I have grown so much with my writing and audience. June should be an even better month! I am going live with a new layout next week as well as a link up to help celebrate it! I hope you will join me in this exciting time and milestone for this blog!

Goodbye May, you are now wrapped up! Hello June!

Xo Trish
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