Friday!

I am sitting here watching a movie that I rented from Red Box.. and I already don't know what it is I'm watching. That kind of bugs me when the movie just bombs so quickly I turned to blogging instead, using the movie as background noise. Anywho, that is not what this post is about. The end of August is quickly approaching and that also means this weekend is a 3 day holiday. I just returned from a vacation and I am still not quite back on track with my usual schedule. Because I was just away I am using this long weekend to catch up here, and to relax. So today I wanted to talk to you all about what's going on in September.

First, I want to mention I am hanging out on 2 sidebars in September. You can catch me over at Becoming Adorrable and Helene In Between So excited to be sponsoring those ladies! Some of my favorites reads come from them! I also just finished up sponsoring The Grits Blog, which I recommend 100%! I am not sure I would ever be able to offer sponsorships on my blog due to my life full plate, so I give these ladies credit!

Also equally important: Starting September 1st I am going to be working more on my Facebook page. Please do me a favor and like my page! Much appreciation!

Next up, I am starting a new mini series on Monday (Yes as in Labor Day). I am so excited to bring you all some great new content with the help of a few lovely blogging ladies. Stick around for some fun and good laughs! This series will run through the second week of October.

I just wrapped up Blog Staycation 2014. That was such a fun and educating experience. I really enjoyed collaborating with other bloggers, and these ladies really were awesome to work with. I learned so much about hosting an event, as well as time management. We are hoping to do another one of these soon, so I hope to see more friendly faces next time around!

So there you have it. Updates and goals for next month! Happy Friday everyone!



My Blog Staycation Wrap Up

Oh Em Gee this week has been B-U-S-Y! I just wrapped up the Blog Staycation 2014 with my lovely co-hosts Julie, Jen, and Farrah. Make sure you stop by their pages and show them some love, because they truly are amazing! The Blog Staycation was an event to bring together bloggers and help them get their blogs organized as we truck into the Fall.



I had a little bit of a conflict when I realized the planned dates for the staycation was inter-twining with my vacation. I was going to be out of town for the grunt of it and I had a little panic attack trying to get everything together and ready for the launch and then the 4 days of events. (I ended up having more time when events went on then I though, which was AWESOME!)

With that being said, the most important things I learned during the Blog Staycation was time management and multi-tasking. I could plan ahead with great content AND enjoy my time away knowing everything was taken care of. This is such a great goal for me. Time management has been hard lately, and I nailed it this past week!

I connected with some great bloggers. So many creative minds in one place really got the ideas flowing. This motivated me to get my September schedule planned. A new series is in the works, which will ultimately lead to some other plans for the Fall. I also toyed around with some other ideas which I am really excited about. I couldn't have asked for a better group to explore my blogging goals with. I cannot wait to do this again soon! Please follow me on Twitter and Facebook to stay up to date on when the next event will be!

Have you ever participated in a blogger event? Did you enjoy it? What do you think about the online events? Tell me below! 

Don't forget to link up if you participated in the event! We would love to see what you accomplished!



Stayed tuned for my Maine Recap. I had a great time with some amazing photos! You can expect to see that early next week! Happy Thursday!  

   

Welcome Trish while I am away!

Hey guys! I am currently away and having a blast up in Maine with my love so, Trish over at Beyond the Khaki Pant was ever so kind to stand in. You can't get one Trish, you get another! I am so excited to have her here today! One of my favorite topics is doing things on a budget and Trish sure delivers some great tips today! Enjoy and see you back here on FRIDAY!

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Title: Date Night Ideas on a Budget|| Trish @ Beyond the Khaki Pants

Hi Trish List readers, my name is Trish. I blog over at Beyond the Khaki Pants. I know, kind of a funny name. [Check out my blog to find the inspiration behind the name.] Doing things on budget is something that I am passionate about. A big inspiration behind my blog is financial freedom and independence. I am so happy to be filling in for Trish talking about ideas to keep the magic alive...and the savings account! 

Just because you’re married or been together with your spouse for a while, doesn't mean that you can’t still date. Unfortunately, life doesn't always allow for fancy or luxurious dates. I know this. Both my husband and myself have been through graduate school. Those years were especially tough on budget. Even though we were getting by on very little income, we were newly weds and beyond excited and in love. Rather than sitting at home doing nothing, we started to get creative on how we would now date. Gone were the dinners out. Gone were going to concerts and sports events. Even going to the movies was too expensive. Which really isn’t saying a whole lot- movies are stupidly expensive now. An added bonus?? Even though now we are both working (ie, we’re DINKs) we still try to date this way. Hello, savings!

Here are some ideas that we have tried over the years. Many of them are free. The others are minimally expensive ($15 or less). All of them are as fun as you make them to be! 

9 Date Night Ideas on a Budget

Date Night Ideas on a Budget - Beyondthekhakipants.com
//Have a ‘Goals Night’. I know this might not be the most romantic date, but it can be fun and inspiring. Take out something to write on (a notebook, a poster board…whatever) and sit down with your spouse. Brainstorm and then write down your goals, as a couple and an individual. Include personal, relationship and professional goals if you wish. It’s great to do this over a good bottle of wine and dessert. The best part of doing this regularly is that it’s fun to think about things you’ve accomplished and inspiring to think of what’s to come!

//Picnic at a local park. Avoid the high-cost of eating out, pack your own meal and head to the best park in your area. Leave the technology at home (or at least in your bag) and connect with your spouse. Without interruptions. Especially in these last weeks of summer, getting outside to picnic is an easy solution to date night. 

//Find free events in your city. In Seattle, there are nights where the city puts on a free concert or movie showing. Take advantage of these free events. There are more free events happening in your city than you think. Check out your city's website and search for free events.

//Game night in. Channel your inner child and pull out your favorite board game. My husband and I usually try to do game nights as a group date-night, because most games are more entertaining with four people rather than just two. Throw in some good food or a bottle of wine, even better!

//Groupon a couples event. There are such fun ideas on Groupon for date nights. Everything from cooking classes, to pie making classes, and couples massages. Be on the eye for something in your area. These can vary in price, but if this is your only date of the month that costs money, it might be worth it to splurge $40 for the two of you. Groupon rates highly depend on where you live and the cost of living of your city. These events are likely something you otherwise would not have thought to try.

//Make [a new] dinner together. With this pinterest day-and-age, there’s no excuse for not being able to find something new to try. Pin something that looks interesting, go to the store and get the necessary ingredients, make the dish together. Pretty simple. And fun. And when the dish goes south because it’s the first time you tried making it, you can laugh and choke it up to being a funny memory together. Like the time I tried to broil something for the first time… 

//Try a sport together. Easy sports for date night could include a tennis match at the neighborhood park or going to the local golfing range to hit a bucket of balls. Whether you have the equipment or not, renting shouldn’t be too expensive. Usually the more terrible you are at the sport, the more funny it becomes. Like if you saw me with a golf club…

//Start a project together. Carpe diem on that “to do” list. Sometimes, the things we have to do are not that hard, but starting them is. Pick something fun. (ie…don’t pick weeding) Been meaning to refinish that coffee table? Make a date out of it. Added bonus, crossing that project off the ‘todo’ and getting something beautiful out of it. 

What are inexpensive dates you and your significant other like to do?? What would you add to the list?


Connect with Trish from Beyond the Khaki Pants on Twitter, Pintrest, Facebook or Google!
Trish www.beyondthekhakipants.com

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One last thing before I go.. Over the past 4 days I have been co-hosting the Blog Staycation 2014 with some great ladies. I am out of town and did not get a chance to write up my experience yet with the weekend but I want to give you all a chance to link up if you participated. Let us all see what you accomplished!  Expect my post on Wednesday ;)




   
   

Blog Staycation: Photos

Hello there! Welcome back to Blog Staycation 2014! Are we having fun yet? There have been some fun topics already! I know I am learning a lot! Yesterday I wrote about scheduled posts and why they are a blessing! Today I want to talk about the importance of using photos in your posts.

Bloggers come to the internet to talk about a variety of topics. Anything from experiences to DIY tutorials. With our words, we create a picture. Because we all think differently, we all create different pictures in our minds. This is where inserting a photo would be helpful. We want to create a picture of our topic, but we also want to show what it is we are talking about.

If I were going to write about a crafting project and I told you all about it, how to make it, and what it SHOULD look like at the end, do you think you could do it? You probably could. But if I added some photos, you would be able to see the finished project. You would know what it was supposed to look like at the end.

Same thing goes for an experience. Anyone can write about their experience at a concert, but would you want to read it if there were no photos to go along with the story? Humans are very visual creatures and we enjoy to see what you saw in those moments. A good writer can create that picture for you, but in certain scenarios when you are talking about something that happened, it is best to provides photos.

When deciding to use photos, it is best to use your own. You do not want to get yourself into a situation where you used someone else's work and did not give credit for it. There are sites out there that allow you to use their photos for free, but they don't always have what you want. I suggest taking your own photos and editing them from there. You are probably thinking,  "Really? I don't know how to take photos!" That's okay. It is really easy to take a basic photo for your blog.

First thing you want to do is make sure you have enough light. Natural light is best. This is why you see a lot of bloggers outside when they are using photos in their posts. The natural light will show true colors and won't make everything look yellow. If you absolutely can not go outdoors, open up your curtains and blinds and let the light come in. Turn on an overhead light and use a backdrop. You can create a backdrop easily if you are just photographing small items. Use white paper. The white paper brightens up your photos which eliminates the yellow cast you tend to get indoors.

If you are photographing yourself it is easiest if you have someone to take the photo for you, or invest in a tripod for your camera. The same rules apply here as above. Move on outdoors or come inside and stand in the natural light. See the difference below?

Left photo there was no natural light, right picture I stood in a well lit area with a white background

Once you are done creating your photo, if any editing needs to be done I recommend PicMonkey or Canva. They both offer free options that have basic options for your needs. Both programs are user friendly and help you along the way. I suggest playing with the options to get a feel of what they offer and what you want. You can change colors, add text, add icons, and the list goes on.

Now you are all set to add photos to your writing. Paint that picture and then show it to us. I hope this was helpful and it gives you an idea of why using photos are important and why good photos matter. You do not have to run out and buy a fancy camera right away. I took both photos above with my smartphone. Just play around and see what you get!

Are you using photos now? How do you take them? Do you enjoy mini photo shoots? Tell me below!


Although Blog Staycation 2014 is nearing the end, that doesn't mean you can't continue to learn new things for your blog. I hope to see you all around again! I have enjoyed sharing content with all of you!



Blog Staycation: Scheduled Posts

Welcome back to another day of Blog Staycation 2014! Yesterday I talked about why it is so important to interact with your readers. Today I want to talk about how to manage a blog with a full time life. For me personally, it is REALLY hard to post everyday on top of social media to go along with it.. I work a very demanding job that keeps me in the office about 10 hours a day. However, I still manage to get my post live AND social media in all day while I am working. I do this with scheduled posts.

Scheduling your posts ahead of time does not work for everyone, but I find it to be a blessing When I get free time I sit and write all of my thoughts down. Those thoughts become my blog posts for the next week. Now that I have blogs ready to go, all I have to do is schedule them to go live on the specified day. Easy peasy!

We all know social media is a HUGE part of blogging today. We need social media to alert readers of new postings and projects, to inspire, to gain new readers, and the list goes on. If you manage a full time job, have children, other responsibilities, or just want to have a real life outside of your blog, scheduling social media posts is the way to go. It allows you to have a social media presence without having to spend all day at your computer.

Facebook now allows scheduled posts. You have to have a fan page for this option. The option is easy and before you know it all of your posts are ready to go. All you have to do is click on the clock (Diagram below) and choose your date and time. Voila! You are all set. No more sitting on Facebook all day!


There are a bunch of programs out there to help you manage Twitter. I personally have used Twuffer and Tweet Deck. I prefer Twuffer, but Tweet Deck also helps you manage all of your tweets on top of scheduled tweets. I have also heard good things about HootSuite. These programs are similar to scheduling posts on Facebook. You type in your post, pick a date and time and it saves it and schedules it. The picture below shows how to schedule a post using Twuffer.


 Now that you know how to schedule all of your blogging needs, get out there and live your life! I really hope this helps, because I know for me if these options were not available I would not be able to stay up to date with everything. 

Do you schedule your posts? What do you use? What techniques have you came up with that works?  Share them all below!

Thanks for stopping by for Blog Staycation 2014! I hope you are enjoying it! Follow along on Twitter with #blogstaycation. See you tomorrow!


Blog Staycation: Interacting with your readers

Hi everyone! Yesterday we kicked off Blog Staycation 2014! As promised we will be bringing you  tips on getting your blog organized and ready to interact with your readers. I could find no better way to start of this event, than to talk about why it is SO important to interact with ALL of your readers.
I understand that not everyone who gets into blogging is looking for mass amounts of readers, but it would be nice to go have SOMEONE looking at your daily posts. As bloggers we need other peoples opinions on what we are writing. The content we put out is hard work. We take time out everyday to bring the best content we can to the internet for the world to see. There is no reason why we shouldn't ask for feedback and get to know our readers.

Asking for feedback is important. If you don't ask, you won't know. A few ways to do this is:
  • Host a poll: Ask your readers questions about your blog. Be specific because chances are if they are willing to take your poll, they will give you honest feedback.
  •  End of post questions: Ask your readers questions in relation to the post. This will strike up conversation and help your readers relate to your content, and you get to know your readers.
  •  Use Social Media: Social media is a great way to connect with readers. You can ask for feedback with simple tweets like "I love reading about food, what about you?" or "I love so and so's blog, who do you read?" Questions like these will engage your readers to tell you what they like without feeling like you are being pushy. 
Talk to your readers! Interacting with your readers gives you a feel for what they like and why they read the blogs they do. Make sure you follow these tips to keep your readers coming back:
  • REPLY TO COMMENTS! This is a biggie. If you aren't replying to your readers, they have no real connection to you and probably will not be back. 
  • Reply to E-mail: Whether it be a simple compliment, complaint or collaboration, reply to your emails. Replying to a compliment will show you care about you readers and are excited that they are excited. Sometimes that complaint can make your blog better. More eyes on your content can see things that you may miss. Maybe a business opportunity comes up, but you are not interested, replying that you are not interested is professional rather than ignoring it. There may be something in the future you are a fit for, and they will consider you again.
  • Participate in chats: Whether it be Twitter chats or Facebook chats, get involved! You get to meet other bloggers and readers this way. Host your own or participate in ones already established. Either way you are interacting and getting feedback.
Help your readers: Helping our your readers in anyway you can, will always bring those readers back. Positive actions bring positive feedback:
  • Bloggers: If your reader is also a blogger, visit their blog! Leave comments! Help them the way they help you.
  • Shops: Do you have a reader who has a shop? Visit the shop. Buy something if you find something you love. Give them feedback.
  •  Ect: Engage in anything your readers throw at you. Maybe they are hosting a blog hop, or a link up, or even an e-mail chain. Check it out. This doesn't mean you have to get involved, but at least give it a chance. You may find something new and exciting you never would of though of on your own.
 So what do you think? Do you interact enough with your readers? Is there something on this list you need to work on? In what ways do you interact with your readers?

Thank you for stopping by and I hope you are enjoying Blog Staycation 2014! Make sure you follow along on Twitter with #blogstaycation!


Could you do it?

Recently I have noticed a graphic being posted all over Facebook. It says: No Cellphone, No Facebook, No Computer Access, No Wifi. For 3 months and you get $3 Million dollars. Could you do this?

Source


At first I thought heck yeah! I would love to disconnect for a few months and earn a cool $3 Million in peace and quiet. Then my blogging side screamed at me: WHAT?! How are you supposed to keep up your blog? Connect with people? Make your readers happy? My mind instantly snapped back to reality and remembered how much we all rely on technology and social media to stay connected. Once I was able to get my thoughts collected and together, I figured out how I could accomplish this AND keep up my blog... Now only if this challenge were real.. I'd have that money by Christmas!

First problem: No Cellphone. This one could be tough because I only have a cellphone as a telephone option. I also use my cellphone to connect to the internet to use social media. Only when you stop and think about this, do you realize how much you really are using your phone.

My solution: Sign up for a home phone. In emergencies this probably is a good thing to have on hand. My current internet provider has a phone number all set up for me already, and once I decide to go that route, the cost really isn't that much.

Second problem: No Facebook. This one is easy for me. I only really use facebook to look at other peoples photos and upload my own. My blog's Facebook has not had much success and with all the changes Facebook keeps throwing at us. I may stop using it anyways! Twitter is the way to go for my blog's sake!

My solution: Pick up the phone. Yeah that real phone that you have (Or have to hook up). Call the people you want to stay in touch with. Want to share photos? Write letters! I love to write and receive letters! It is much more personal and something better in your mailbox than JUNK! If you are interested in becoming pen pals, email me! (Serious inquiries only!)

Third problem: No Computer Access. This one is another tough one, especially as a blogger. We need our computers to bring content to the interwebs. We use our computers to interact with people which includes commenting and messaging other bloggers. We do research. All kinds of stuff just to bring you, the reader great content.

My solution:
This solution has 2 parts because I feel this one is the hardest to give up as a blogger.

Part 1
 Lets assume you have a start date that is at minimum a week away. Lets also assume you have been blogging for more than 90 days. You now have 90 days where you will not be able to access your computer. This is where you get stealthy.  Check your stats. See which posts could use some lovin'. Get yourself set up with a program like Hootsuite or Twuffer. Pre-schedule your tweets and Facebook posts through the 90 days you will be absent. All of those posts will now be getting exposure while you are sitting around relaxing with a cocktail.  Next write as many blog posts as you can and pre-schedule those posts and social media mentions. Now for me, I only blog 3 days a week so I only need about 36 posts to share. That seems like a lot, but once you get your archives out there you may cut down your new posts by half.

Part 2
As bloggers we need to interact with our readers and other bloggers. You can still interact with your readers by posting questions in your blog posts. You will also have to post a disclaimer that you will be away and ALL of their questions and comments will be answers as soon as you are back. Now as far as commenting on other bloggers pages, this is where you ask for forgiveness ahead of time. I would lead off with a post explaining the challenge you are taking as well as your plan for the next 90 days. People will see how much work and effort you put into scheduling content so your blog doesn't end up stagnant. If they can't appreciate it, maybe they weren't really that great a blogger friend to begin with!

Fourth Problem: No WiFi, This would not be a problem at all being you are already giving up your cellphone and computer access.

Solution: None. You have already solved all of the problems that would need WiFi in the previous problems.


Now I understand this sounds completely ridiculous, but think about how much money you would get at the end. You would put the work in, and be rewarded 3 Million big ones at the end. The least you can do is comment and reply to everyone who left messages while you were away :)

*Quick Tip* You can also use some of these solutions if you are going to be away on a vacation or extended holiday. I pre-schedule tweets a lot when this happens, as well as posts. It helps take away the stress of doing it last minute before you go away.

So what do you think? Could you give up all of these things for 3 months? What would your solutions be for this? If you write about it please come back and share with me!


Manic Monday

Happy Monday!! This week is going to be super busy as I prepare for Blog Staycation 2014 (It's not to late to sign up!) as well as a trip to Maine! It is going to be a crazy 7 days where I am trying to plan posts for the staycation and set time aside to relax! Well as they say, just another manic Monday!

I mentioned in my {post} last week that there have been some things both personal and blogwise that I wanted to make. I figured with the crazy week I have coming up, starting the week off with a poll wouldn't be so bad. It would help me get some insight on the blog so far, as well as some info on where this blog should be heading. The fall is coming up quickly, and that means more time to explore my writing abilities. I want to come at you with new content, fresh ideas, giveaways, and so much more! I want this to be a place where you feel comfortable coming back day after day.

Please do me a favor and fill out this quick survey. It will be quick and easy and be very useful for me. You can access the poll here --->The Trish List Poll

Thank you in advance and I hope you all have a great week!


Weekly Wrap

Hey loves! Sorry I have been a little MIA this week. It has been one of those crazy weeks where anything that could of went awry did. I started training my replacement so I can move on to my new position.

  • I started the week off reviewing some pretty great organic beauty products! I am a fan, and I'm sure you will love them to! Check it out if you are looking for some new healthy products for your skin.
  • I just wrapped up a month hanging out on The Gits Blog where I guest posted on Tuesday. I really wanted to do the 5 photos that make me feel beautiful challenge, so I did it!. I had a great stay and would recommend her sponsorship to anyone looking to try one out. She was very helpful and answers all my questions promptly. She gave my blog some nice exposure and I would do it again in a heartbeat!
  •  I had a lot of guest posts this week, which helped out a lot with my crazy week. My new blogging buddy Trish (Us Trish girl stick together!) over at Beyond the Khaki Pants asked me to guest post while she was on a much needed Hawaiian vacation. I posted about the transition aftermath of accepting a promotion in the workplace. I am so proud of that one! Please stop by and say Hello to Trish and check out that post!
  • Now just as one sponsorship is ending, I also started a new sponsorship this week over at Becoming Adorrable. I am so excited to be hanging out over there and can't wait to give you all the fun details when my time is up! 
  • Blog Staycation 2014 is right around the corner and I want to use this moment to remind you all to get signed up! We have a lot of stuff planned to help you get yourself organized and ready for a fall full of blogging! It will be a good time and lots of learning! Hope to see you there!
I hope you all had an amazing week and even better weekend! See you back here on Monday, where things start to get even more hectic!



Special Day!

Today is a special day: it is not only my Mom's birthday, I am also being featured over at The Grits Blog! Run on over and check out my guest post on 5 Pictures That Make Me Feel Beautiful! I have been wanting to do that challenge forever now, so what better time than now?

I am also starting my first day of training my replacement so I can move on over to my NEW position! You heard it right, I have been promoted! So excited to start something new in my career. I posted back a few weeks ago on how awkward it can be to go through an internal interview. (You should read it, it's funny!). It paid off in the end and now I am moving on up!

So far this week is looking up! Lots of exciting content coming up for the rest of August. I hope you will all stick around to experience it all! In the meantime if you are not following me on Twitter or Instagram, you are missing out folks! I love to post daily inspiration and humor on Twitter, as well as update you on this space here. On Instagram, ANYTHING goes! I love to take spur of the moment photos of things. You never know what will show up next! I have kind of given up on Facebook, anyone have any tips on making it work?

Anyways have a great Tuesday everyone!


Going Organic: A Review

Lately I have become really concerned about the products I put in or on my body. It has been on my mind for awhile now, but became more of an issue when my skin really started to become unmanageable. Everything I have been using seems to make my skin worse. A few weeks ago Kate over at The "Florkens" posted about switching over to kinder beauty products. This really got the wheels turning and I went on a mission to see which products I could cut of of my daily health and beauty routine.

Coincidentally I came across an opportunity to host a Party with a Purpose sponsored by Acure Organics. I was provided some full sized products to try out and a link to this awesome video that explains why a lot of our beauty products today are toxic for us. Check it out because it is super informative about our everyday products.




After I watched this video I was so overwhelmed with all of the products I own now and what they all have hidden in them. I couldn't wait to try out something new, hoping they would help my poor skin! Acure sent me 5 full sized products to try out.

organic beauty
Aren't they pretty?!



 From left to right:

1. Cell Stimulating Body Wash: First of all I LOVE the color of this packaging. This gel wash includes moroccan argan stem cell plus argan oil, sea buckthorn plus CoQ10. This stuff smells AMAZING. I would describe it as an almond cookie. I only needed a little bit and this stuff made me feel squeaky clean with its rich lather. I really enjoyed this one. No irritation and it smelled lovely.

2. Day Cream: This one of my favorite products out of them all. I have been using this on my face every morning and my skin feels amazing. This cream has Gotu Kola Stem cell plus 1% Chlorella growth factor. It is geared for normal to dry skin and firms, hydrates, and restores your skin.

3. Sensitive Skin Body Wash: Unlike the first body wash I tried, this one is a cream. This is an unscented wash (It does has a faint floral scent) that has CoQ10 plus Argan stem cell. It is very moisturizing and doesn't cause any irritation. It made me feel nice a smooth when I was done.

4. Conditioner: This conditioner is very similar to the Cell Stimulating body wash. It has a lot of the same ingredients: Moroccan Argan Stem Cell plus Argan oil, CoQ10, and Omega 7. It smells the same too. The yummy almond cookie smell. This conditioner is geared towards normal to dry/damaged/curly  hair. I don't use much conditioner in the summer but I used a little and it did smooth out my wild frizz I have been experiencing. I felt a little oily after but my hair tends to do that in the summer. I can't wait until the fall when I can try it out again and give a better review.

5. Unscented Argan Oil Cleansing Towelettes: So far these are my favorite. I can be pretty lazy when it comes to washing my face at night. These are so easy and gentle. My skin feels clean and no irritation occurs. It takes off my makeup with ease and doesn't leave any residue.  I would recommend these to anyone who is always on the go (or lazy like me)!

This brand so far has me hooked. I really need to purchase some of the face cleansers. They also carry some pretty cool lip glosses.  I recommend checking out their page (here!) and having a look. They have a lot of information about stuff in everyday products and they even sent me a booklet with all of the ingredients they use and what they are. Very cool stuff.

What organic products have you tried? Send me your favorites! I am in need of new stuff.

Happy Monday ALL!

(I was sent all of these products free of charge in effort to share the message with my friends. I was not compensated any further for posting this blog. All opinions are my own)



Ch-Ch-Changes!

Hello there fellow readers. Thank you for stopping by on this beautiful Friday! Now if you are a regular reader you know I normally post a fitness post today... However you will not be reading about fitness today. if you follow me on Twitter (You don't? What are you waiting for! Follow me now!) you would know I have been having a lot of moments in my life where I have realized things need to change. That also includes my blog. Hold up! Before you ask, I am not going anywhere. I am just planning to work harder on my space on the internet. I want to bring more fun and insight to you all. I want to make this blog a place where you want to come back and read day after day.. I know what you are thinking.. That's what they all say! You have my promise I am going to work harder and make this place better for all of you.

  • The first thing I am going to do in effort to clean this place up and get fresh new ideas rolling, is co-host as well as participate in the first annual Blog Staycation! If you are unfamiliar, you must check it out! It is going to be fun, informative and there will be surprises! Who doesn't love surprises?
  • The second thing I am going to do is become more involved with my readers and other bloggers. I love to see what everyone is up to. Projects, vacations, fun events.. You name it, I want to read about it! I am always looking for new people to collaborate with. If you want to collaborate or need help with an event please feel free to email me!
  •  The last thing I am going to do (Well not really... This is always going to be a work in progress..) is clean things up on here, I am going to link things together that need to be together. Get a little more organized so you guys can find what you are looking for with ease. I hate a blog where I can't find things, and I know my blog has become that blog! Yikes!
I hope you will join me on this journey. I enjoy coming on here everyday and seeing all of your comments and posts. It makes me so happy to be apart of the blogosphere. I hope you all have a wonderful Friday and an even better weekend!

Are you making any changes in your life? How do you deal with change? Share with me in the comments!

Check out my highlight!

Happy Thursday everyone! We are almost o the weekend and there's no better way to celebrate than to be highlighted over at The Grits Blog! I have been having a blast hanging out on her sidebar for the past month! Ashley is such a sweetheart and you should all hop on over to check out my answers to her fun questions and look around! She has such a fun blog with lots of topics!

I hope the rest of you week flies by! Make it a good day folks!

THANK YOU!

Happy Wednesday Everyone! I just wanted to take today to say THANK  YOU to all of you that are coming  back everyday to see what I am up to. You guys rock and I love you for it. It really puts a smile on my face to see your comments and to read your emails. I have not been feeling the best lately and I think I finally have a real reason why. Writing this blog helps me escape my stresses and lets me be in a place where I am happy.

Next week I will be back with new topics that are jam packed with information, laughs, and  just good fun reading. This week has been kind of lax while I sort out some personal stuff. I appreciate your understandings and kind words as I sort these things out. Friday I will be explaining a little bit of whats going on, so stay tuned!

I hope you all have a great day and I will see you back here Friday!

Getting crafty with gift giving

I have always thought of myself as a crafty do it your-selfer. I can navigate myself through the craft stores like its nobodies business and if there is a sale on sparkly things, its all over! Once Pinterest was born, it became even more evident that I could make stuff and have it come out well. There have been numerous projects I have taken on and surprisingly succeeded at. No Pinterest fails yet...

So over the weekend I decided to get all my crafting stuff out. We are only a few days into August and I am already starting to think about Christmas presents. Yes I said the "C' word. I craft my way right through the holidays using my ninja crafting skills. Homemade gifts to me are more personal and tend to get more use. I find it more successful to make something for my friends and family rather than trying to pester them into telling me what they really want.

Do you do like receiving homemade gifts?

This year I wanted to get started early because I have SO many great ideas. I need to plan out my ideas in order to get them all done in time for the holidays. Homemade gifts can sometimes take some time, but that's the magic of the gift. Seeing the person fall in love with something you made for them. Something you put your time and energy into just for them. If that is not a gift, I don't know what is.

Everyone has a skill. Whether you realize it or not, you probably can do something that your friends can't. Use this to your advantage when thinking about gifts. Just in case you can't think of something right off the bat, here are so ideas for gifts using different skills..

*Are you crafty? I'm sure you own some scrap booking paper and modge podge. Use these items to make coasters! There are so many variations to them online. Find one you like and get to it!

*Do you like to bake?: Who doesn't like food around the holidays? Whether you decided to bake cookies or throw together one of those cute little jars with all the ingredients, its sure to be a hit with everyone on your list.

*Are you an artist?: Do you paint or draw? You could always frame some of your prints and give them as gifts. People love art, but a lot of time won't spend the money on it. Pay attention to your friends when you show them your latest master piece. They may be hinting they want something for their living room. Instant gift idea!

*Do you like to take photos? Same concept from above. People love stuff with great images, but not everyone  has the eye for a really great shot. Use your photos to make personalized gifts.

*Can you knit or crochet? Make scarves!  These a great gifts for the holidays and people love them! You can personalize these into colors you know the recipients will love.

 Now those are just a few ideas. There are so many options. Search Pinterest and you will have more ideas than you have time for. Spend some time looking and planning and you will have yourself some great homemade gifts come Christmas time!

Do you make homemade gifts? What do you like to make? Tell me below!



Let's Be Social!

Blog Staycation 2014

Wow wow wow.. I can not believe this blog is 3 months old already! I feel like I just started yesterday and here I am 90 days in..  I have learned so much and yet I feel like I could still learn tons more.  I could spend weeks reading all the things I think I need to read to get my blog viewed, liked, followed, ect. So now that I have come this far I figured, why not join up with some wonderful ladies and help you all while helping myself. Yep you heard me right. I want to introduce you to something special. Something that came out of a normal chat with some inspired blogging ladies. Ladies (and gentleman respectively) welcome to Blog Staycation 2014!!


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 August 21 at 5pm PST.  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!


We’d love to have you share about this with your blogging friends, and you can use #blogstaycation on social media when you share this post!

Grab the button and join in the fun!


Are you convinced you need to join us for this awesome time?  Then sign up HERE
We can’t wait to go on a blog staycation with YOU!

Trish, Julie, Jenn & Farrah

Fit-Trish: Healthy Recipe + Giveaway!

Welcome back to another week of Fit-Trish. A series where I talk about fitness and getting healthy on a budget! Check out the new series page where you can find this whole series in one place along with any other series I may do in the future!

This week I wanted to share with you a quick recipe. This is a healthy, inexpensive recipe that you can make in a hurry. I have had this for both lunch and dinner and either way has been delish!


Ingrediants:
1 Whole Wheat Pita
Hummus of your choice
Tomatoes
Greens
Deli meat
Olive Oil

 Preparation:
Cut your pita in half and spread some hummus (I chose roasted garlic)  in both pockets as your base condiment.
Layer your deli meat in next (I chose oven roasted turkey breast).
Stack in salad greens and cut up tomatoes. (Add more veggies to your taste)
 Now your pita should be full with all the goodness.

If this is for lunch I just leave the pita as is. A nice quick lunch option with healthy ingredients. If I am having this for dinner I toast the pita with all of the ingredients in it. I add a little bit of olive oil to a saute pan and leave the pitas in until they are light brown and crispy on each side. Only about a minute on each side. Now you have a quick dinner with some warmth.

This whole preparation with toasting the pitas should only take 5 minutes tops. Below is a finished dinner version of this recipe. Lightly toasted with major taste factor!


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Its Friday and I am participating in a Giveaway! Take a  look and get your self entered!

Brought to you by Ellovi

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Happy Friday and ENJOY!