Are you an Influenster?

Blogging is fun. It not only allows you to connect with amazing new people and things. it allows you to influence others. Before I started blogging I loved to review products. As you heard many times if you read my blog daily, I love freebies. I love to enter contests and giveaways and am pretty fortunate to win every once in awhile. One day while I was online writing a review for one of my favorite products, someone asked me if I was an "Influenster". I had no idea what they were talking about, because I didn't think I influenced anyone and that word up there seemed like it was spelt wrong.

A few minutes later I received an email invite to a website called Influenster. I decided to sign up and see what this "Influenster" was all about. I quickly realized it was everything I was already doing. It was a community where you could write reviews, ask and respond to questions, and earn badges for doing so. Then I noticed they took this a step farther and offered some of their members what they like to call a VoxBox. Now you are probably sitting there thinking, "A what?!"

(Source)

A VoxBox is a themed box full of goodies. You get to try out all of the products in the box and then do little missions to earn more badges. All of the products are full size and they usually all have something to do with each other. I was lucky enough to participate in the Optic White VoxBox and the Go VoxBox. The Optic White VoxBox was full of all the Optic White dental products which was a lot of fun. I love to try new hygiene products. The Go VoxBox was all about fitness. I think this was my favorite box yet. I had all kinds of healthy goodies in it to try. You can check out my review on it {{ here }} to see all the goodies they sent me!

I have been an official Influenster since January of 2012. They have changed and evolved so much in the past almost 3 years and I love it. They are always working on making this better for all of us who want to help people and companies better understand products. For all you App fanatics they also now offer an Influenster App. You can download that in the App store that corresponds with your phones operating system. 

If you like to influence people in a positive way and have fun while doing it, this is the place to be. Run on over to the Influenster website and get yourself looking around and JOIN! You won't regret it!

Body Image

Unless you are living under a rock, you probably noticed a pretty ridiculous photo showing up all over the internet. You know the one of Kim Kardashian breaking the internet? I will not post the photo here because there is no need. You probably have fallen upon it if you frequent the internet at all. It was really hard not to see a photo of it, even if you really didn't want to.

Anyways, the point of this post is to talk about body image especially during the holidays. We as humans are very visual creatures. We thrive on the things we can see and sometimes that does more harm then good. As a society we believe the images of women that are thrown in our faces daily are the normal way to do look. Take for example; most magazine covers or characters we see on tv are super thin and have perfect makeup all the time. Now women believe they need to be super thin with a ton of makeup on to be desirable. 

Don't get me wrong, I am huge into fitness and being healthy, but I also know it is almost impossible for every women's body to be a size 0. Young girls see these images and think they need to look that way to fit in. I am a short person clocking in at only 4'11''. I will always be so called "small" but I am in no way ever going to be a size 0. I have wide hips and thick thighs. It doesn't matter how much I work out, they aren't going to just disappear and become tiny with a thigh gap.

Fast forward to the holidays. There is a lot of food and a time to indulge. You can still indulge without going overboard. You should never be afraid to eat a Thanksgiving meal because you believe it will make you fat. You constantly hear people complaining they gained 10 pounds over the holidays. This is just so hard to do unless you eat a few thousand extra calories everyday during that time period. Ladies you will be fine to indulge a little.

Now back to the photo of Kim Kardashian. She is known for her larger backside, and you know what? That is great. I'm glad she is not ashamed of it. However, I am not all that thrilled that she did it in a way that was super fake. They have photoshopped the crap out of it. It makes me angry that we can't just be ourselves when it comes to showing the world what we got. It sends the wrong impression when we rely on photoshop for ever single picture we take, to make us look "good". How are people supposed to recognize you when you are just being you?

I hope everyone enjoys the holidays. Have a piece of pie. Get a little more stuffing. You can do all of that in good moderation. Be happy and enjoy every minute of it. Love yourself and others will too. Remember looks and beauty change with age. If you spend to much time focusing on it now, you will miss out on life.

Love you all! Have a great Thanksgiving and have some pie! <3

The Magic of Gift Cards

The holidays are quickly approaching and as you scramble to get your shopping done, you see that huge rack of assorted gift cards. You can practically buy a gift card for anything you could think of these days. They are great for that person you have no idea what to get for or that person who has everything. Have a picky teenager on your list? Get them a gift card! How about that best friend who changes her mind often? Gift card! These cards are a lifesaver and the perfect gift when you get stumped.


Now gifts cards are great as gifts for others, but why can't they also be used in other situations? Today I am going to give you other ideas for using gift cards outside of the holiday season.

#1 Saving Money:
  •  Eating out: Do you go out to lunch EVERYDAY at work? If you are trying to save some money, cutting back on eating out will save a lot. Buy yourself a gift card to the place you frequent the most in the amount of 1 meal and use it as a treat. You still get to pick the day you go out, but you will cut out 4 days saving you up to an average of $40 that week. 
  •  Coffee Fanatics: Do you frequent Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts to much? Buy yourself a gift card in the amount of 2 drinks that you love. This will allow you to still enjoy your favorite treat, but it becomes just that: A treat. It will save you cash in the pocketbook and cut down on the "crack" that coffee tends to become.
#2 Fitness:
  • Rewards: We all reward ourselves when we are on a fitness journey. When we hit those milestones its nice to buy ourselves something nice. Come up with an amount that works for you and when you meet that milestone use your gift card. It is a motivator without breaking the bank. 
  •  Treats: You are allowed to treat yourself to a not so healthy snack once in awhile. This is where the gift card comes in. Use it similar to the saving money category. Load enough on the card to buy 1 treat. You can do this weekly or monthly. Your choice. Either way it saves you money and calories!
#3 Kids:
  • Allowances: Money is fine, but kids sometimes are impulsive and buy things they don't need. Set them up with a gift card for something you know they want. This will help from frivolous spending and allow them to buy that item they really want.
#4 Online Shopping:
  • A reloadable visa/mastercard is great for online purchases. You can shop online and ease your mind knowing you aren't handing out your credit card information.
  • If you like to sign up for free offers or trials, it's a good idea to use a prepaid card so you don't get charged if you forget to cancel. I often use this option for my freebie addiction and I ALWAYS forget to cancel if I don't want to continue with the service. 
So there you have it. So many options to use a gift card outside of gift giving for others. What would you use them for? Leave me your ideas below!
 





Thursday Thoughts

Hi folks. I haven't done much blogging this week that wasn't for a giveaway and such, so today I wanted to tell the world some of those thoughts that have been on my mind this week.

1. The number one thought on my mind this week and for awhile now is, where the heck are all of the NY bloggers?! I don't mean NYC bloggers, I mean upstate and central NY. I am getting pretty jelly seeing all these great blogger meet ups. I would love to be able to network and get together for some wine coffee and have some good conversation. If that's you, PLEASE please send me a message!

2.  Speaking of NY bloggers, how the heck is it even possible that Buffalo just got slammed with almost 80 inches of snow. You didn't read that wrong, 80 FREAKIN INCHES of SNOW. I don't even know how to comprehend that. That's like a season of snow. Not 48 hours worth of snow. I am praying everyone is safe and staying warm. People are trapped in their homes and a dreaded warm up is happening next week AFTER they are forecasted to get another 24 inches of snow today.

3.  The holidays are quickly approaching. Thanksgiving is already a week a way. Better get moving if you haven't finalized your menu and shopping! With the holidays there are a lot of holiday giveaways sprouting up all over. In fact there are TWO on my page alone. I am co-hosting Cashing Through The Snow and a Kate Spade Cozy Giveaway. Get entered!

4.  In case you missed it, I am hosting a Holiday Tea Swap. My thoughts on this is, why are people commenting about how great an idea it is, yet not signing up? I am a fairly new blogger so I am still building my readership, but why are people afraid to enter my little swap?  I am not asking people to spend any amount of money, you can mail them virtually for nothing in an envelope and you get to meet a new friend! Give it a shot and, try some new tea, and meet a new friend! Sign up{ here }

5.  I got a fitness watch FINALLY. I went with the Garmin Vivofit and I LOVE IT. Its purple and I have kept it on all day and night. It tracks my steps, calories, and sleep. Its pretty fantastic. It's not uncomfortable to wear and it really is giving me a good idea of how many steps I am taking everyday. I would highly recommend it if you are in the market for one.

Well there ya have it. My thoughts for the week. Leave me a comment and let me know what you're been thinking this week. Happy Thursday!

I'm linking up today!
Treasure Tromp
The Grits Blog - Little Friday Linkup

Giveaway Numero Dos!

Hey guys! Back again to tell you about ANOTHER great giveaway I am participating in this week. Yesterday I posted {{ Cashing All The Way }}, a giveaway where you can win $195 buckaroos! Today you can enter to win some pretty fab Kate Spade goodies!

Also don't forget I am hosting a Holiday Tea Swap! If you love tea and want to try something new, sign up! Sign ups are until November 30th. You will get your swap buddy on December 1st. Lots of fun!

 

Sign Up For The Holiday Tea Swap!



KSIt's snowing in the midwest. And maybe Texas too! As we brace for the Bomb Cyclone (this year's Polar Vortex), some of my blogging buddies came together to cozy you up with a Kate Spade Cozy Giveaway. It includes the cutest KS earrings that you've seen on all the blogger's wish lists (maybe even your own), some Kate Spade socks with some fab polka dots, and a $10 Starbucks gift card to warm you up as you cuddle up wherever you are. IMG_9184
novemeber
Anne | Betsy | Bex
Liz | Trish | Linda
Faith | Nina | Emelia
 
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Swap Time! + Holiday Giveaway!

Hello there lovelies! Its Monday, Thanksgiving is next week and I'm finally starting to feel the holiday bug. It's been cold out, and we even saw our first snowfall up here in the north. One of the things that really gets me prepared for all the cold days is a nice cup of tea. I am kind of a sucker for holiday teas.All of the aromas of spices just makes me warm to the core. Thinking about all of the options out there I thought, there has got to be some I never tried because they don't carry them in my area. And like that the Holiday Tea Swap was born! This will be a fun way to swap and try new teas as well as make a new friend. Send a cute holiday card along with some of your favorite teas and viola! All of your tea wishes are met!

Here are the deets:

 

~ Sign ups start today and will run through November 30th. I will randomly draw a name for everyone (You may not get the same person you are sending to) and notify you on December 1st.

~ Please send a minimum of 3 teas to your swap buddy. This is meant to be a swap to experiment with new teas so I am not asking you to send boxes of tea. Just send a few new teas for your buddy to try out.

~Because you are not sending out boxes of teas this should be easy to get shipped out. Please have your teas send out no later than December 10th.

~I will add a link up for everyone to link up a blog post about their swap so we can all see what everyone got to sample! This linkup will go live on Monday December 22nd.

~You do not need to be a blogger to participate and this is open internationally!

I really hope you will participate! This is going to be so much fun!


{{SIGN UP FOR THE TEA SWAP HERE! }}

~~~**~~~

 

I am also apart of a wonderful giveaway this week! What better way to get in the mood for the holidays then to win some CASH?! Here's your chance. Enter below. I will also be posting ANOTHER giveaway I am apart of tomorrow because silly me didn't realize both of these giveaways would be happening the same week! Lots of fun ahead! See you tomorrow!

Ruffles and Rain Boots Motherhood and Beyond Our Poole House Leapfrog and Lipgloss Jordans Onion The Deliberate Mom French Robin Designs Girl on the Move The Trish List Coffee With Jamie JENerally Informed Image Map  Don't forget to visit the beautiful ladies who brought you this giveaway!

Jen of JENerally Informed ♥ | Jennifer The Deliberate Mom ♥ | Celeste of Leapfrog and Lipgloss ♥ | Julie of Girl On The Move ♥ | Lauren of Motherhood and Beyond ♥ | Sarah of Ruffles and Rain Boots ♥ | Tammi of French Robin Designs ♥ | Jordan of Jordan's Onion ♥ | Trish of The Trish List ♥ | Jamie of Coffee With Jamie ♥ | Holly of Our Poole House
  Ruffles and Rain Boots Motherhood and Beyond Our Poole House Leapfrog and Lipgloss Jordans Onion The Deliberate Mom French Robin Designs Girl on the Move The Trish List Coffee With Jamie JENerally Informed Image Map
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Winter Reading- Updated Book List

So on Monday I posted I was going to partake in a winter reading challenge. I did not have books picked out yet so I decided since I have picked out most of my books I would give a quick update.


5 points: Free book of your choice : I was to the library and picked out a book the day I decided to do this challenge so that book is going to be Tales From My Closet by Jennifer Ann Moses (298 pages) Finished 11/13/14)

10 points: Read a book written by an author who has published at least 10 books: This was easy because it seems like most of the authors I wanted to read have put at out at least 10 books. I have been meaning to read  The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. So perfect choice. (292 Pages)
10 points: Read a book of short stories. TBA

10 points: Read a book with a food (not a drink!) in the title: This is such a fun topic so of course I had to pick one with a cupcake in the title! I will be reading How to Eat a Cupcake by Meg Donohue. (309 pages)

15 points: Read the first book in a series that is new to you (so no rereads for this one!): There are so many series out there that I want to read so this was hard. I decided to read Matched by Allie Condie. (369 Pages)

15 points:
 Read a book that was originally written in a language that is not your native language: This is an interesting category. I had fun looking these books up. I decided on a book originally written in German called Inkheart by Cornelia Funke. This is also book 1 in a series! (548 Pages)

15 points: Read a book written by a local author (either an author from your state if you live in the United States, or in your country if you live somewhere else—note: author must be from where you currently live).  TBA

20 points: Read a "bookish book" (in which books play an important role, e.g. the setting involves a bookstore or library, a major character is an author, or a book that celebrates reading and books: TBA
 
20 points: Read a book with a direction in the title (N, S, E, W) TBA
25 points: Read a book from a genre you don't usually read. I really wanted to read this book even though it wasn't in my normal go to type of book. My Notorious Life by Kate Manning.

25 points: Read a book with a song lyric in the title. Be sure to tell us the song name and artist as well! TBA

30 points: Read two books with a different meal in each title (e.g. breakfast, lunch, dinner, supper, brunch; update: meals like feast, banquet, picnic will also count, but try not to get too "creative" with your meal words!). TBA

So that's what I have picked so far! If you have any suggestions let me know!


Wellness Wednesday: Massage is saving my life

Seven years ago (Veterans day to be exact) I was riding in the backseat of my brothers sporty Subaru Impreza WRZ. Remember when they were cool? I was bundled up in the backseat on a trip home from my grandmothers. It was a 2.5 hour drive and we were in New Jersey. 7 miles from the Pennsylvania border. 45 minutes from home. I had dozed off when I was suddenly woken from a bad dream. I looked around. I had no idea where I was. Everything hurt. A lot. I heard screaming and yelling. It finally became clear to me. I had just been in a car accident.

I felt a sharp pain in my leg. I glanced down at it and realized it was crushed into the door. My head also hurt. With good reason. It had gone through the window.  I instantly started to cry, then scream. Where was everyone else? I know I wasn't traveling alone. Where was my brother? I tried to find him but couldn't move. A man came up to the car asking if I was okay. He couldn't open the door and I was in hysterics at this point. Emergency vehicles arrived quickly expecting the worse. I was removed from the car and was able to see the scene. It was awful. That sporty cute little WRZ had gone head on with a big SUV. That little car saved my life.

It was truly a miracle. We all made it out alive. Rescue workers in shock. They had prepared for the worst. I would have to if I arrived at that scene. It was a miracle and the scariest day of my life.

Car Accident

Today I am a perfectly healthy 31 year old. I count my blessings everyday. With numerous stints in physical therapy and lots of love and support I am back to as close as I can be to normal. I will never have a normal right hip or knee again. They will always cause me discomfort and pain at times. I already have arthritis starting and more days then not my hip bone is up in my back. I over compensate a lot and that doesn't help either. I needed a plan and something to help with relief.

Massage.

Massage has become my gift from god. Not only is beneficial to my injuries, it is also relaxing. Any injuries you have will be upped when you are stressed. Massage is a great way to release tension and clear the mind. Regular massage can help with issues like anxiety, headaches, fibromyalgia, TMJ, and many other ailments.

I am lucky to be able to get regular massage through a woman I clean for. We trade services. I clean her house every Sunday and she gives me a massage. She is excellent at what she does and has been really beneficial to some of my injuries. I am able to see her regularly and she knows where my problem areas are. She is able to continue to work on muscles that need some extra love because she is familiar with them.

Recently I have been going to the gym more often and experimenting with new exercises. Because of that I have really upset a muscle group in my left hamstring. It has been sore for weeks and I never thought to bring it up in my massage sessions. On Sunday night when I was talking about what areas I wanted to focus on I talked about my sore leg. She was able to focus just on that area and all the surrounding muscles that connect to that area. I have been sore from the massage, but the muscle finally feels like it is loosening up. It doesn't help that because of my permanent injury to my hip these problems are reaccuring. Every week is a battle but massage is helping me through it.

Lots of benefits guys. Shop around and find someone you like. Your body will thank you for it.

Have you had a massage? Do you enjoy them? Do you have injuries that a massage helps?

Winter Reading List

On Saturday I finally became the proud owner of a library card. It was a spontaneous decision and I couldn't feel more motivated to start reading more books. Up until now I have really been lacking in the reading department. I have quite a few books I purchased at the book sale earlier this year. I intended to participate in a Summer reading challenge that I failed miserably at only reading 1 book. Now that winter is approaching, there is nothing I love more than snuggling up on the couch in my blankets with a hot cup of coffee or tea. The perfect equation to add a book. It also works out that the Semi-Charmed Winter 2014 Book Challenge just launched on November 1st. I can totally get on board.

 

General Rules:

Challenge will start November 1st and run through February 28th, 2015. All books must be at least 200 pages in length and only 3 can be rereads. You may use audio books as loon as they meet the criteria. 

Categories

10 points: Read a book written by an author who has published at least 10 books
10 points: Read a book of short stories.
10 points: Read a book with a food (not a drink!) in the title.
15 points: Read the first book in a series that is new to you (so no rereads for this one!).
15 points:
 Read a book that was originally written in a language that is not your native language.
15 points: Read a book written by a local author (either an author from your state if you live in the United States, or in your country if you live somewhere else—note: author must be from where you currently live).
20 points: Read a "bookish book" (in which books play an important role, e.g. the setting involves a bookstore or library, a major character is an author, or a book that celebrates reading and books. Examples: The Book Thief, The Shadow of the Wind, The Thirteenth Tale, etc.)
20 points: Read a book with a direction in the title (N, S E W)
25 points: Read a book from a genre you don't usually read.
25 points: Read a book with a song lyric in the title. Be sure to tell us the song name and artist as well!
30 points: Read two books with a different meal in each title (e.g. breakfast, lunch, dinner, supper, brunch; update: meals like feast, banquet, picnic will also count, but try not to get too "creative" with your meal words!). 

So there you have it. The categories. I have no decided on any books yet since this was a last minute decision so I will check back in next week with what I decided. I know what my winter is going to look like. Cozy and adventurous!

Do you participate in book clubs or book challenges?

Let's get organized!

Happy Saturday! It's a cold one here in Upstate NY (36 Degrees!). I think it's Mother Nature's way of telling us winter is coming and we best get ready. We had our first accumulating snow yesterday. Nothing over the top but it was sticking to the ground for a few hours. It never seizes to amaze me when I see the first snow related accident into the ditch. It's like people forget what it's like to drive in snow from one year to the next. I mean come on, we only get around 5 to 6 months of non snow months. It can't be that hard to remember.

Anyways, now that it's going to be consistently cold outside, it's time to start getting organized. The summer months are much to precious to waste indoors cleaning, so now that I will be spending more time inside I want it to be clean and organized. I am not the biggest fan of winter, but I must admit I love to make my home feel warm and cozy this time of year. I like to pull out the seasonal candles and decor to make my home feel inviting. I however can't do that until I get cleaned up.


Today I want to share my tips for getting stuff organized in a smooth way. No chaos here. Once I am done writing this post this is how I am going to spend most of my weekend. I can't complain to much. I will be doing this in my pajamas with a hot cup of coffee just inches away at all times, and music jamming in the background. Cleaning and organizing doesn't have to be a bad thing :) Follow these tips and you will be on your way to less clutter and a happier living space:

  • Make a list of all of your rooms you want to tackle. List everything that needs to be accomplished in each room. Not all rooms will need major attention, so this will help give you a starting point.
  • Pick the rooms that need less attention first. This way you can whip through them and leave the biggest areas for last. For me the rooms that need the least attention are my dining room and bathroom.
  • Remove all clutter off of all surfaces first. For example if you are in your living room and your coffee table is cluttered with magazines or dishes, these can be eliminated quickly by putting the dishes in the kitchen and recycling the magazines/flyers.
  •  Now that you can see all of your surfaces, wipe down and dust everything. Don't forget to dust around the ceiling and in corners. Cobwebs can be hiding anywhere, and getting them cleaned up is the first step is getting that clean feeling in your space.
  • Next I will tackle any cabinets or closets. Pulling everything out if usually the best plan of attack. For example, in my bedroom closet I hang most of my work clothes and store my shoes, bags, coats, and any other little thing that doesn't have a place. Often it looks like a bomb went off in there any is very hard to find matching items. Pulling everything out makes this an easier job.
  •  Now that you have everything out, sort through things that you use and things that you don't. Bag up anything you haven't used in 6 months. Chances are if you had no use for it in 6 months you probably won't use it.
  • Once you have sorted and bagged up some stuff, take care of the rest of the clutter and things on the floor. Put everything away in its place. 
  • Now that you have wiped everything down, got rid of cobwebs, organized its closet/cabinet space, and cleaned up the floor you should be able to vacuum or sweep. You always want to save this to the end. 
 There you have it. A plan of attack to get clean and organized. And you did it all in your pajamas. Pretty sweet deal! I hope you get some things accomplished this winter!

What is your plan of action when it comes to cleaning and organizing?

Sweet dreams are make of these

Do you have a long work day? Do you have a lot of stress in your life? If you answered yes to either of these questions, you probably have a hard time relaxing AND drink a lot of wine.. If you have a hard time relaxing, you probably have a hard time getting to sleep or may wake up with a wine hangover. I can relate and have spent months trying to find things to help me relax. Thankfully I have found a few products that have come to the rescue.



After a long stressful day, I find I need to set the mood to relax. I love to light candles, especially ones with warm, comforting scents. Lately I have been burning my vanilla cupcake candle from Bath and Body Works. The vanilla scent makes me feel warm and safe, allowing me to relax. During the summer months I would follow up with drinking a glass of wine and taking in the comforting smells. Now that it has become colder out, I opt for a hot cup of tea.

After enjoying my beverage of choice, I like to take a hot shower. The hot water relaxes my body and allows me to further de-stress. I apply a generous amount of my Aqua Spa body creme in Relax. It is a combination of lavender and chamomile. The scent lingers a long time and smells amazing.

After my shower I like to read a book and have a glass of Tart Cherry juice. Tart Cherry juice is a natural source of the hormone melatonin, which helps with sleeping and insomnia. I notice when I drink the juice, I am less restless and get a better nights rest. Anything that isn't a man made chemical and helps me sleep is A-OK in my book!

Now that I have relaxed with my yummy smelling candle, slathered myself in calming body creme, drank my juice, it's time to head to bed. I already feel much better and less stressed. I add one more final touch to the routine, which is spritzing my pillow with Febreze Sleep Serenity in Lavender. Its the perfect ending to my long, stressful days. I also use Lavender oil which is not pictured, which is also great. Sometimes grabbing the spritz bottle is easier, but the oil is 100% more effective.

So there you have it. My relax routine for those crazy days.

 How do you deal with stressful days? Have you ever used any of these methods? Tell me below!

Linking up with  Treasure Tromp for Treat Yo Self Thursday and The Grits Blog for Little Friday :)


Treasure Tromp
The Grits Blog - Little Friday Linkup

Love me some goals!

A new month and new goals to be met. I love goals. They help me stay focused and motivate me to continue on. Octobers goals were really all rolled into one thing. I worked on interacting more and setting a schedule for blogging. I think I did a pretty good job with that. I have made some new friends, my numbers are up, I am sponsoring more blogs, I was accepted to Blog Her, and I overall feel like this blog has done some growing in just a months time. What more could a little blogger ask for?


Now for November I am going to set some more goals. Not just blogging goals. Life goals too! Lets see if I can do it!
  • "Operation Healthy"- getting my booty to the gym at least 4 days a week!
  • Set up sponsorships right through the holidays. Such a great gift for me and the blog I sponsor :)
  • Keep my Facebook fan page updated regularly.
  • Grow my Twitter followers to 550 (Currently at 459)
  • Prepare ahead and have a stress-less holiday season.
  • Get all of my Christmas shopping DONE :)
There you have it. My November goals. I know I can do it!

Today I am thankful for lunch hours. It is so nice to be able to step away from the office for an hour to destress and get yourself back in the game for the afternoon!

Make it a great Tueday!

Dia de los Muertos

November came in with a vengeance. Windy, cold, and grey. What better way to celebrate Día de los Muertos? (Day of the Dead). This is a celebration of the dead, a joyous time to remember and celebrate the lives of our loved ones that have passed on. It is often associated with the sugar skulls we tend to see around Halloween. Recently I have had a handful of friends lose their parents. It reminds us that life is precious and we need to cherish the ones we love because we never know what tomorrow will bring.  Dia de los Muertos is just what I needed to find comfort in tragedy.


A friend had a small gathering to remember the loved ones we have lost. It was hosted in her beautiful library in her home. A fire was cracking as the focal point and we all sat and talked and laughed, making the hard times easier to pass. We drank chicha morada, which is a corn based drink with sweet spices mixed in. It is served warm to symbolize blood. It sounds odd, but is a very tasty. We feasted on apples, carrots, hummus, olives and cookies.


I really enjoyed having a few hours to just remember and be happy. I don't like thinking that we are all getting older and these things start to happen more frequently.

Have you ever celebrated Dia de los Muertos? How did you do it?

As I mentioned in Saturday's post, I want to use this month to talk about the things in life I am thankful for. Since I did not post yesterday I will post 2 things.

Sunday: I am thankful for patience. Sometimes this is needed and if people can't be patient with you, it makes for a worse outcome.

Today: I am thankful for my job. Even though it is hard on Monday's to get up and get going, I am thankful I am able to support myself thanks to my job.

What are you thankful for today?



November=Blog-vember

Well hello there November 1st, AKA "buy all the leftover Halloween candy now that its 70% off" day! Now while we are out there ravishing all the Halloween bins, Christmas is being forced on us. That's right, as you're digging through a bin full of candy take a look around you. There's Santa mocking you. Or Frosty wiggling his ass in excitement. It's a little depressing to say the least. Some people even woke up today to a little winter snow. ICK! It's a sure sign that the magic of Fall is slowly diminishing and winter is creeping up on us.

If you're like me, winter is fun when we get up on Christmas morning and there is a nice coating of white on the ground. Then after that, it can go back to being in the 60's throughout winter. In a perfect world (or Florida?) this may happen. But sadly I live in Central NY, so that wish isn't coming true ANYTIME soon. Even as a child I was not a fan of snow. I blame this partially on being raised in the south and enjoying my mild winters. But as an adult there is no such thing as a "snow day". My job is open come hell or high water.

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Okay I do not want to turn this post into all the reason I do not like Winter, but it kind of went that way for a minute.. Following the breadcrumbs I laid for myself, I will get back on subject. November. November is a month of many things.I was surprised at how many great little quirky days November hosted. On top of having a month full of men (and some women) not shaving we also have:

National Vegan Month
National Novel Writing Month
American Diabetes Month
Aviation History Month
Peanut Butter Lovers Month ( I could get on board for this..)
Chemistry Week (First week of November)
Game and Puzzle Week (3rd week of November)
Book Lover's Day (November 1st)
Daylight's Saving Time (Don't forget to turn those clocks back tonight!)
Day of the Dead (November 2nd)
Marooned without a Compass Day (November 6th- For all your pirates out there!)
Chaos Never Dies Day (November 9th)
Sadie Hawkins Day (November 13th- Ladies ask those men out!)
Electronic Greeting Card Day (November 17)
World Hello Day (November 21)
Thanksgiving! (November 27th- Eat, Drink and Be Thankful!)

There you have it. Some fun days that are celebrated throughout November. I didn't list them all because there are tons of them, but these were some of my favorites. Now take a moment to think about something you are thankful for. I am going to list something everyday I am thankful for this month.

Today I am thankful for this blog. It gives me an outlet and lets me interact with all of you beautiful people. Make it a great Saturday!