The best birthday gift

So today is the day. The end of another year. Another birthday. I also am sitting here reflecting on the fact that so much has changed for me in the last 8 weeks. A whole entire year and 8 short weeks of it made the difference for me. It goes to show that any amount of time can change the way a person lives their life.



There are 2 things that have happened in those 8 weeks that have really made the difference. They will send me into 2016 as a 33 year old with a new vision. Those 2 things are finding a new job and meeting my new therapist.

I  have made it no secret that I have been burnt out and unhappy this year. You saw that in my writing. You saw that in my inconsistency. I was in desperate need of a change. I was in desperate need of a new point of view.

Making the decision to change jobs was not an easy one, no matter how unhappy I was. It was familiar and I was comfortable there. We must remind ourselves that just because we are comfortable, doesn't mean we can use it to justify our unhappiness. The opportunity came up quickly and I knew in my heart I needed the change. Before I knew what I was really doing I accepted the job and sat on it for a few days.

Putting in my notice was really hard. In those days leading up to my decision I saw things in the people around me that made me remember why I once did love that place. I saw the kindness in the coworkers that became my friends. The friends who became my family. I was shown such respect and kindness in my last days. I almost felt guilty for leaving.

I stood my ground and left with my head high. I knew it was time for something new. A new chapter in my life. It was my last day at my old job that I got the call about my new therapist. I had been waiting 2 months for a replacement due to my therapist moving out of the practice.

I started my new job on a Monday and met my new therapist the next day on Tuesday. They have both opened my eyes to new ideas. They have both shown me that I have been unhappy for way to long.

I am happy to say, that today, on my birthday, I am finally ready to move past all of the sadness and pain I have held onto this year. I am ready to take on 2016 as the strong person I know I am. That is the best birthday gift I could ever give myself. Letting it all go. Setting myself free. Setting up myself for great things to come.

It also makes me a little less bitter that I have to share my birthday with the entire world ;)

Happy New Year!






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Year End Honesty

As R and I drove back from my parents house on Christmas night, I was lost in thought about how this year didn't go as planned. At first I was sad and a bit upset about this, but then I started thinking. Was it really as bad as I thought it was, or was this the normal thought for this time of year?  Christmas always seems like the time of year when we all focus on all of the things we don't have. The year is ending and we focus on what we didn't accomplish.  Why do we do that?

I started thinking back to all of the things I wanted to accomplish in 2015. I started thinking about this blog and what I posted here. It started out as a place to write down my thoughts on products and ended up turning into a diary of sorts. Even when I talked about something specific, I still tied it into my everyday life. You can't really write about something you didn't experience right?

I looked at past posts and realized how often I gave excuses for things I didn't do, or places I complained for not good reason. Was I really that miserable this year? Had I allowed myself to get so far into the negative that I forgot about the good things?

I thought about the things I didn't post about. How I reconnected with a friend from my past, only to have it cut short by his untimely death. It makes me wonder why these things happen as they do. Then there was the uphill battle of depression. I fought the feelings so much this year, only to finally give in and realize I needed to do something about it. I lost my relationship with my brother. We have not really had a conversation in 6 months. I dealt with getting engaged and not having the support from people we hoped would be there for us.

The lessons I learned this year can be looked at as struggles, but looking at them now, I understand they have shaped me into something I thought was long gone. I still have fight in me. I can still stand tall and find strength in the hard times. R always told me he fell in love with me because of how strong I was. He admired my will to fight even when everyone tried to prove me wrong.

That alone makes me want to do better. Be better. Move forward and think about the positive.

I know who I am. If you don't, maybe it's time you get to know me.

Even with all my struggles, I am still ending this year with things I am proud to say I accomplished.

I found a new job that I absolutely love to go to everyday. I thought that was an impossible goal. It does exist if you are willing to take a risk.

I have friends and family who are willing to stand behind me no matter what the circumstance.

R and I are still in love and ready to take the next step into marriage in 2016. We have been through hell and back, but we are still here and are excited more than ever to start our lives together.

As far as this space goes, I got myself on and off track what feels like a million times this year, but I am not going to look at that as a failure. I am going to see it as testing the waters. Taking risks. 2016 is going to be an open canvas and I can't wait to see what I create..

Thank you to all of you who have stood by my side this year. It was not only me going through this roller coaster, but you all were along for the ride. Whether we have met before or not, I hope to spend more time with you in the upcoming year. I hope to get to know you all even better. And most importantly I hope we all can continue to help one another grow and prosper in whatever it is we want to accomplish.

If I don't see you again before then, have a happy and safe rest of 2015. Don't sweat the big things and focus on the little things you can change to make the big things happen!

MUAH!



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2015 Yearly Wrap - Part 1

It's that time again. We are running out of days in this calendar year. We are all scrambling to achieve all of our goals and then somewhere in the middle of December we all say screw it, and focus on Christmas. Today I want to start recapping my year. It has been a real roller coaster, but I think by documenting it properly, I can see where I went wrong. What I can do to change it. And what was the best parts. I am going to do this in 3 increments. So that means 4 months each week for 3 weeks. Lets see how January - April went...

January 

 

I started my year in Nashville. It was a birthday present from R (Remember my birthday is New Years Eve). I had a magical time but I wish the weather would of been nicer! It was colder in Music City than it was in Times Square folks! While on this trip I also got to visit Louisville, Kentucky where I have family. It was amazing to see cousins I haven't seen in years and to meet my 2nd cousins. My uncle was a fabulous host. Such a great start to the year.

I also decided to start a happiness project. My first goal for the project was R & R (Re-focus and Relax)



While on the runway getting ready to head home to New York I signed up for a 6 week Stress Relief Yoga class. That was probably one of the best ideas I made all year. It started my journey to dealing with stress in a better way. It also inspired me to write some yoga newbie tips..



One of my most viewed of the year was written in January. How to order eyeglasses online. I loved this post because I spend a good portion of my adult life working in the optical business. It went on to be featured later in an online publication for women! I was an optician and sometimes miss working with people to find the perfect look for them!

February

 

February was a pretty chill month for me. My happiness project goal was Fitness and Friendship. I did really well this month, meeting a new friend who has become a close friend.

I wrote a fun post on creating your own spa experience at home with Bath Teas. It snowed a lot. Winter was pretty over the top this year. I don't recall many times when there wasn't some form of snow happening. 

Me and R attended a Valentines brunch at a friends house where she make homemade heart pop tarts! They were so good!


I attempted an e-book reading challenge that failed miserably. Maybe I will try again this year. See what happens.

I ended the month with a yoga-thon! It was a lot of fun on top of challenging. 

March

 

March brought on another round of The Blog Staycation. I absolutely love the resources and community this event brings to the table of blogging. Look for information soon for the winter 2016 Staycation!

My March Happiness Project goal was organization!

I attended a Pi day party at a local brewery. We brought pies, they supplied the beer. It's a win/win!


I started a 10 minute fitness challenge on my blog that kind of died out quickly. I need to get back into that in 2016. I always enjoyed it!


April

 

I started gearing up for my move. My lease to my apartment officially ended on April 30th. I was moving in with R and was quickly trying to get some organization into effect. My happiness project goal was organization part 2. I didn't get as much done in March as I had hoped to this goal got extended and accomplished!

I wrote a lot about wellness in April. This was more to help me achieve all those goals I set for myself, and maybe help someone else. I wrote about many topics including exercise, water, and not feeling well due to stress

I attended my first ever fancy tea party and cut my hair! I attended a lot of local events which really made me want to blog more about my city. I did some and then fell uninspired once again. Another goal to get back into in 2016.


I hosted my final party in my apartment. It was so bitter sweet. I loved that little house!


So there you have it! My first third of my year! Stop back next Monday to see part 2!


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Friday Moments

You know that morning where you're quickly running out of time and your computer decides to do every update humanly possible to slow you down? Yeah that's this morning. I am going to truck through it though and give you the top five moments/things of my week. I feel like it was a pretty fulfilling week and I am excited to share with you.

R's (AKA my old job) Christmas Party

I left my job in November, but not before putting the finishing touches on the Christmas party. You see I was on the activities committee at work, so I got to do fun stuff like that. It was a lot of fun to visit with my old co-workers on Saturday and see the vision we had come to life. It was a good night.


Finished a book... Finally!

I finally finished Landry Park. In case you didn't already know. I am a YA fanatic. I have been severely lacking in reading this year, so 1 full book read is a pretty big accomplishment to me. I really enjoyed the book and am looking forward to the second/final book, Jubilee Manor.

My Wednesday Night..

I attended/worked a fun little party! Let's just say it was pretty amazing because puppies and kittens :)


Planning for 2016

I ordered a Spark Planner from a Kickstarter a few weeks ago. It is going to be such a great tool for 2016. It is going to help me get back on track and remember to dream. I am also starting to look into travel in the new year. It used to be such a passion and I have lost that lately. I have some really awesome ideas and I can't wait to share them all with you!

Festive Gatherings

I have had many gatherings this week and I am ending my work week with another one. Meeting up with some old coworkers this evening for some cocktails and appetizers. Really looking forward to it! I will go into the weekend ready to get our tree and finish decorating before going to another party. I am really loving this month so far!

Happy Friday!


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And I rambled on..

If you're reading this, it means I managed to get myself up out of bed and hit publish before I headed off to work. While I am typing this I am also entering as many 12 days of Christmas contests as I can and day dreaming about my new planner that isn't scheduled to arrive until January. Boo. It's going to be a long day.



I didn't have any real ideas on what to post about today, so I am winging it. I have always been really good at winging things, so lets see where this goes. Today is already December 9th. We have
two and a half weeks until Christmas and three weeks until we go into 2016.

I am looking forward to 2016. I know a new year doesn't necessarily mean everything will magically change and the world will get better, but there is hope. 2015 had a lot of good things for me. I got engaged and I found a new job that I love. It also brought me a lot of challenges and tried my patience way past the limits I am used to. I know this is a part of growing as a person, but it also makes life very difficult at times.

No, I am not going to cry you a river over that.

The point is, is that no matter how you look at the changing of the year, it gives us a reason to want to change, or fix the things we aren't happy with. It gives us a chance to "leave the past, in the past" so to speak. As humans we are creatures of habit. We can get so stuck in our ways, even if they are toxic that it is easy to keep digging a rut. For me, if I look at the new year as a fresh start, I can slowly remove myself from that rut and move forward.

Anyone else think like that?

I am already wrapping up the year in my thoughts. Thinking about all the stuff that happened in 2015 and what I want to accomplish in 2016. As I said in my goals post, I am using December as a month to have fun and enjoy myself. That is part of the reason why I am rushing to write this before I go to work today. It is helping me let loose a little and remember my original goals in life. To remember my dreams.

I am slowly getting back to that "go getter" attitude I had when I got out of college. I am remembering all of the things I wanted to accomplish and are applying them to the life I am living today. I am excited to see what 2016 has to hold, and how much more fun I can get myself into before the year ends.

Lots of holiday parties and get togethers coming up in the next few weeks. I attended my old jobs Christmas party this past weekend. I am attending one for my new job tonight. Another get together is happening Friday and then again on Saturday. I decided to host a holiday gathering myself on Wednesday of next week. I think I am fulfilling my goals just fine!

I am sorry if this is a rambling post. It is what I had at 7am! I hope you all have a great day and I will see you all back here on Friday!

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Happiness is..

Let's stop living on the negatives and start living on the positives. Today I wanted to catch those small moments over the weekend that really made the difference. They weren't huge extravagent things. They just made me happy.



Happiness is that moment on Friday afternoon when I realized I had a good week and it was time to go home to my family.

Happiness is a Saturday morning yoga class to clear my mind.

Happiness is discovering a wellness gift fair just blocks from my home.

Happiness is warm apple cider and good company.

Happiness is reuniting with co-workers for a night of cocktails, music, and laughs.

Happiness is snuggling up on a cold night with R, talking about our day. 

Happiness is finishing a book that took a little longer than anticipated.

Happiness is a Sunday visit with the future in-laws and feeling comfortable.

Happiness is a quiet Sunday evening to collect my thoughts.

Happiness is getting my Christmas cards done early.


How was your weekend?


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Never feel guily for having fun

Today I wanted to take a minute to catch up with you all. I have once again been a little MIA. This doesn't mean I do not care about this space, nor does it mean I do not care about all of you. If you read my goals for December you would have seen that I am using this month to let loose and have fun. I think this year has been a very hard a stressful one for me. I rarely let myself just relax and enjoy the little things around me.

I am trying to get back to a place where I can feel like me again (More about that soon. I promise). The me that enjoys travel, and playing with my makeup. The me that gets excited over entering sweepstakes and gets that child on Christmas morning feeling every day when I check my mail. The me who loves to laugh with my friends, no matter what the situation is.

I want to be the best person I can be, and right now the way I am doing that is by disconnecting a little more and spending more time on things that I enjoy. I have been writing a lot. I have been coloring in my adult coloring book. I have been entering more sweepstakes (There are SO many 12 days of Christmas giveaways going on right now FYI). I have been spending time with friends.

It has been a really great experience for me and it is allowing me to deal with some of the issues that have put me into this hole. I am able to wake up feeling more cheerful and less drained. I am hoping to be able to continue that feeling through the month and into the new year.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Do lots of fun things and don't feel guilty for it!

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Operation Eat, Drink, and Be Merry

Blogging can be challenging at times, but so can life. This is why I try to set some healthy goals each month to keep me on track. We are in December now and I can honestly say that by setting these goals along with linking them into my happiness project I feel like I have made a difference this year. I am not going to 100% evaluate all of that yet as we have not finished out the year, but I am going to pat myself on the back for making it to December and not quitting half way through.



Now let's see what I accomplished in November.

Personal Goals

Budgeting: I always feel like I do a good job in this area. I have been very mindful to what I am spending and where I am spending. I was able to take care of most of my Christmas shopping during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. I didn't spend a fortune and feel like I got a nice assortment of gifts.
Wellness: I am halfway through my 6 week yoga class and I am really happy I made that decision. It is a great way to let off some stress and I have learned to love this new studio. I am also eating better. I didn't overdue it at Thanksgiving and am drinking more water. I even made it back into the gym a few times. Baby steps.
Reading: I finished 1 of the 2 books I took out from the library. The second one is due back this weekend and I just didn't get as much done as I had hoped. I am working on finding more time to sit down and read. So a 50 % on this goal.
Grateful: I am back to writing in my journal. This has been extremely helpful for remembering to notice the small things. Appreciate the small things. I am reminding myself daily why I am lucky to be here and happy. So far it is really helping. Something I need to continue on indefinitely.

Blogging Goals

I feel like I have come to this space more often in November in a more motivated state. I had ideas and I wrote about them. It is always going to be a work in progress but I feel like things are slowly changing in my life and that will reflect here. All I can say to that one is continue to bare with me!

December Goals

I have one goal this month. That goal is going to be something I needed to set for myself a long time ago and actually follow.

Eat. Drink. And be Merry!

Yes, that is going to be my goal for the month. I am going to spend as much time laughing with friends and family, enjoying festive cocktails, sampling yummy treats, and participating in all the fun events that I can. I need this. We all need this. Let loose and enjoy the reason for the season folks!


What are you going to accomplish this month?


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Awesome Things: December Edition

Why hello there December. So nice to see you. SO glad you are keeping your cool temps at bay.. remind Winter to do the same once she gets here as well. (Knocking on all the wood in the house now. No way am I going to jinx the warmer temps we have been getting up here in central New York!) Anywho, today I am excited to be co-hosting The Awesome Link up with Anne over at Love the Here and Now!

So let's see what's currently cooking in the awesome pot..

December Birthday


The holidays are in full swing and I get to end the year with not only a party into the new year but with another birthday. I am a new years eve baby so there is normally not a problem finding a party, but it is hard to find people to celebrate the birthday side of that day. One thing I do look forward to is lunch with my mom. It is a new tradition since I moved out of state. She takes me to lunch when I can come visit and we order the works. Appetizers, festive drinks, yummy entrees and of course dessert!

The place we do lunch every year for my birthday! Always decked out beautifully!

Journalling


I have recently gotten into writing in a journal. I am debating starting a second one. The reason for this is the one I have been focusing on is a personal one about how I am working on me. It gives me daily quotes to help remind me that I am doing okay. I have enjoyed exploring my thoughts on a personal level but am not wanting to expand into other things. I think keeping those things separate would work best for me. 

Adult Coloring Books


My creative side has really shown lately with the writing and now the coloring. Having a book to color in is not only relaxing but gets me excited to get off my computer. I feel like all I have done over the past year is waste a lot of time surfing the internet for no real reason. Being able to disconnect and do something else is really making the difference. 

Swaps!

I keep missing all of the fun swaps out there, but I think I will be on the list for all kinds in 2016. Speaking of swaps, have you joined my Holiday Tea Swap?! Nothing like sampling some new teas for the winter season. 


Black Friday/Cyber Monday

I'm not gonna lie, I did a little shopping this year. I am a sucker for a good deal, and man did I hit the jackpot this year! Not only did a get some great Christmas gifts for my family at the outlets, I also was able to find myself a deal on upgrading my cell phone (FINALLY!) without having to pay that ridiculous monthly fee all the phone companies are charging there days. I call that a super win!

Dream

Another outcome of Cyber Monday.. I was able to snag an amazing deal at Dream Midtown in NYC. It has been my "dream" to stay there forever! I have a kanji tattoo on my foot that says "Dream". It is there to remind me to never give up. When I found out there was a hotel with that name I wanted to go, but alas it was way out of my price range. Now me and R will be staying there for our anniversary in March!


So much awesome happening! I hope you all have some awesome to share with us! Link up below!
  The Awesome Link Up with The Trish List www.lovethehereandnow.com




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Book Store Magic

I could write about my weekend or maybe how my Thanksgiving went, but today I want to write about my trip to the book store. I know that may sound weird, but I went into a Barnes and Noble this weekend and it was like walking into a candy store as a child. Anyone else feel like that?


Me and R were running errands and I had this urge to stop in and browse. I didn't have anything in mind to buy, but it doesn't matter to me. Book stores are magical this time of year. It doesn't matter if you walk into a small private boutique book store or a large chain. They are all decked out for the holidays and feel warm and inviting.

I am a sucker for all of the little gifts and paper goods. Planners, journals, games, and books. It doesn't matter to me. They suck me in. I wandered around for what seemed like hours losing myself in all kinds of creative thoughts. I was amazed to see all of the adult coloring books and adult connect the dot books. These all made me smile and laugh at the same time. So many feel good memories coming out of these things. I began to make a mental wish list. Things I needed to have. Things I wanted to give as gifts.

The book store reminded me that the world is still a place of mystery. We can read books to help us discover some of these wonders. I enjoy escaping into these stories. They help me flex my creative muscles and remind me to keep on dreaming.

I left the bookstore reminding myself that books can help us. From readings someone else's story to reading a fantasy that doesn't really exist. We can relate to these stories and work them into our own lives. We can work on coloring books and relax our minds. We can write in journals and create our own stories. Everything is magic when you enter a book store. Do you agree?

Now I need to write about what I put on my mental wish list. That is for another day though!

Also as a reminder, when you pick up those new books, you mat want to have a big hot cup of tea..  Don't forget to get signed up for my 2015 Holiday Tea Swap! It's a little magical itself.

Happy Monday Folks!




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2015 Holiday Tea Swap!

Now that I have recovered from my food coma, stayed up WAY to late shopping online deals, and have a quiet house to enjoy, I figured it's time to get the Holiday Tea swap under way!


If you aren't familiar with my tea swaps, this is the 2nd annual holiday swap and the third total I have offered on my site.  I am a sucker for holiday teas and thought it would be fun to share my love with you all. The swap allows you to be partnered up with another tea loving buddy to swap your favorite teas.

Sign ups start today and will close on Saturday, December 5th. I will get all buddies emailed no later than December 6th.

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

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

Please have packages sent out no later than Wednesday, December 16th.

Last year I asked everyone to include a Christmas card with their packages since this will be arriving right around Christmas. This is optional, but a nice touch for your buddy.

If you have any questions or concerns please let me know. As always use this as a way to have fun!

Sign up for the 2015 Holiday Tea Swap!

 

 Happy Sampling!


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Thanksgiving Eve + Announcement!

How in the world did it become Wednesday already? I am so not ready for Thanksgiving yet! Are you?
So much to do before the family is upon us. Do you cook or do you go to someone else's house? This year is our turn to do the cooking so we will be cooking our little hearts out starting tonight. Trying some new things this year due to my new found allergies to dairy. Should be an interesting day!

Anyways... Enough blabbering from me. Today I wanted to make an announcement. Seeing how it is that time of year again.. I thought I would bring back.. wait for it... 

The Holiday Tea Swap!

I am so excited because I love drinking tea and who doesn't love a good holiday flavored cup of goodness to get you through? On Friday I will have the official sign up form. Sign ups will be open for a week and you will get your buddies on December 5th. All packages are going to be due to be sent by December 16th. 

I will get into more details on Friday. But in the mean time start thinking about that you want to buy! I love trying new teas and this was a hit last year. Can't wait to see what everyone gets!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone!





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Managing Seasonal Depression

The holidays mean different things for different people. Some people love the idea of shopping, parties, and all around cheer. Others dread it. Not because they are trying to be a Grinch, but because this is the time of year when seasonal depression rears its ugly head.

Seasonal depression can happen for many reasons. Remembering the loss of a loved one. Stress. Family issues. The list goes on. With the days being shorter and the temperatures dropping, hiding in our homes sounds like a great idea. I have a spoiler for you. It's not.



Now I am not a doctor or in any way telling you how to deal with depression, but I can tell you I have been in multiple situations with people from children to the elderly who have dealt with some pretty bad depression. Myself included. Today I want to tell you how I have dealt with seasonal depression and what has worked for me and the people around me. I am hoping some of the tips that have helped me in the past will help one of you.
 

Self love 

 

First and foremost, love yourself. When times get hard we tend to put everything else before our own health. Do little things for yourself. Enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning. Write in a journal. Smile at yourself in the mirror. You woke up today. You get another day to love yourself.

Limit Alcohol and Sugar

 

I know you are probably thinking this is impossible. Everywhere you turn there are sweets and parties with endless holiday drinks. The truth of the matter is, when you add sugar and alcohol to your diet when you are already feeling blue, it can give you a sugar spike and then bottom you out, making your mood even less desirable.

Exercise


Hitting the gym or a quick yoga session can really help bring you back to center. If you don't have time to do a full workout, sit quietly at night and meditate. Only 10 minutes of quiet can make the difference. If that is not your thing take a 10 minute walk during your lunch. Getting out into the fresh air helps boost energy and can help shift your mood to a better one.

Socialize


Accept invites. If a friend invites you to lunch, go. If a co-worker invites you to a party, attend. Getting yourself out of the house and connected with the world keeps you from being alone to your thoughts. You don't have to be a social butterfly or center of attention, but being around others can boost your mood if you let it.

Arts and Crafts

 

Running low on the dough and stressing about gifts? Working with your hands helps your mind stay busy. Not only will you be creating meaningful gifts for your friends and family, you will be saving cash and giving your mind some exercise. It's a win/win if you ask me.

There are so many ways to help beat the blues, but I hope these 5 ideas can help you out. Making time for yourself and letting yourself relax can make all the difference.

One last thought. Make sure you also check in on your loved ones. If you notice anyone having a hard time, don't be afraid to reach out. Maybe even offer them some of these tips if they are struggling. Most people suffering from depression is looking for someone to talk to at their own pace.

Make the difference this holiday season and take your life back. Happy Holidays all.




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Sunday Rambles


I had every intention of writing a lot in November. I had ideas and things I wanted to get done. November has proven to me once again that life is unpredictable. You never know what is going to get thrown at you. Today is November 22nd and Thanksgiving is next week. I am already 2 weeks into my new job and 4 weeks past putting in that notice. Crazy huh? Where does the time go?


Last weekend I felt good about writing. I even wrote and scheduled 2 posts, which did actually get posted. On Monday I posted a little update on my life and Wednesday I had a fun post of Bachelorette Ideas for every taste. I really felt like I was back on the blogging horse. I had every intention of sitting down last week and writing up a post for Friday. A full week of scheduled posts. Well as you saw, it didn't happen.

Between the new job and a situation that came up at home that was unexpected, I failed to do what I intended to do. Again. Does this make me a horrible blogger? Am I allowed to claim human? Either way I am hoping as the holiday season comes and goes I will be more involved in taking this space back to where I started to go last month.

I really want to talk to you guys about the yoga class I am taking and how the new job is going. I want to fill you all in on my weight loss journey and how the wedding planning is going. I am excited to share with you all of my freebie tips and how to save over the holidays. Those are the reasons I started this blog. I want to get back to that and away from the fillers I feel like I have been posting.

Now I need to find that inspiration and motivation. I feel like I am seeing that a lot here in the blogging world lately. Lack of motivation. Burnout. Writers block. Must be in the air?

What do you all do to get past some of these challenges? I would love to hear what you are doing.

Now I need to get moving so I have some stuff to share next week. Have a great rest of your weekend!


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Bachelorette Party Ideas

Wedding planning is fun, but what really gets me excited is what is going to happen for my bachelorette party. A part of the planning that I don't have to plan. I know my girls will do me right by this, but just in case today I decided to come up with a list of fun ideas.

There are so many ideas out there that don't have to do with going to a bar and getting drunk. Some people may appreciate this, but me personally have not been a big drinker, and would prefer to do something fun with my girls that will be remembered. Here is a list that I think can cover everyone. There are ideas of all kinds and tastes.



Paint and Sip

Who doesn't like to drink wine and paint pretty pictures?  Paint nights are popping up all over the place and area fun way to get together with your favorite ladies and have a good night of laughs and art!

Karaoke

Ladies, I know we all are secret divas who want to belt out a good tune from time to time. Why not rent a private room at a karaoke bar and have some fun? Most places provide props that will enhance your rock star moments!

Glamping

I am not a huge fan of camping but glamping is something I can get on board with. Spend a weekend with your favorite gals and brave the great outdoors in your luxury tent. Who said camping isn't luxurious?

Casino

Love is a gamble right? Head out to a casino and take a risk! A casino offers a lot of options. From fine dining, to shopping, to nightclubs, and of course slot machines! 

Spa weekend

Who doesn't love a good pampering session? Head out to a local spa or take it one step ahead and head to a resort where you will be pampered all weekend. Massages, facials, and mani/pedis sure sound like a good idea to me!

Wine tour

Living in the Finger Lakes, and getting married at a winery, I can vouch for this one. It is SO much fun to hop from winery to winery, sampling delicious wines. Depending on what time of year you are planning this, you can participate in a themed tour, which is always a good time!

Tea Party

Last spring I attended a real fancy tea party in my community. It was SO much fun! I enjoyed all of the little finger sandwiches and snacks. I think this would make a lovely bachelorette party or even better, a fun bridal shower!

Comedy club

Looking for a night of laughs? Why not go to a comedy club? It doesn't matter if you travel to a large city or something local. They tend to be a good time not matter the size or place. 

Road trip

What better way to fully get to know everything about your friends than to share a car with them on a road trip? You can make this a long trip or just a quick weekend trip. Visit someplace near by you have been meaning to visit, or plan out a route and play it by ear!

Bucket list night

Do you have something you want to do before saying "I Do"? Get those bucket list items crossed off in a wild fun weekend with your girls as your backup!

Pin up photos

Every girl wants to feel glamorous and sexy from time to time right? Hire a photographer or head to a studio that offers these photo shoots and have a good time with your ladies! It has been a bucket list of mine for many year!

So there you have a it ladies. Some fun ideas for your bachelorette party. Get to party planning!





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Howdy!

It feels a little foreign to be writing here today. Getting back into the groove of things this week for sure. Let me take you back 2 weeks so I can bring you all up to speed on what's been going on in my life.

The week of November 2nd was my last week at my old job. Not only was it a long week of training, it was also a very emotional week. This place has been my family since I moved to Central New York 4 years ago. Although I knew it was time to move on, it didn't make it any easier. My week was full of lunches and meetings. I had to rack my brain on all of my daily tasks to pass along to my boss. My job was a new position when I took it last year so I am really the only one who knew what I did.

I rounded up my week with send off drinks at a local bar. It was great to be showered with love and support. Something I wasn't expecting.

I took Friday off to get some things squared away. It was nice to have the house to myself. I got so many things done that I've put aside for other things. Saturday the 7th I started a new yoga class series. A nice beginners class to get myself back into the groove. My body was in desperate need of some quiet time to stretch and listen. I look forward to sharing all that I learn with you all here on the blog.

Sunday I went with a friend to a concert. We went to see Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox. It was AMAZING! I would recommend the show to anyone looking for a fun night of song and dance.

Now I will take you into last week. My first week at the new job. I was super nervous as anyone would be. You never know if you made the right decision until you jump right in right? I arrived at 9am and was greeted with flowers and baked goods. It felt good to be wanted.

I had an exhausting week of learning new things on top of adjusting on some new medicine for my stomach. I came home every day ready for bed. Blogging went on the back burner and sleep became my number one priority. Friday came and I was thrilled to see 5 o'clock. I needed some rest.

I settled into bed early when news starting coming in about the deadly attached in Paris. Just when I thought my stomach would finally settle down, it was full of knots again. This world is such a scary place anymore. We shouldn't have to be frightened to go out into the world. We shouldn't have to look over our shoulders or be suspicious of people around us. I wish we could all get to a place where peace was the number one priority.

Wouldn't that be nice?

With that I am going to leave you. This was quite mismash of a post, but I wanted to give a nutshell version of what I've been up to. I have a few posts written and scheduled for the week. I will see you all back here on Wednesday!

Make it a good one.




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Friday Happy Dance!

I don't know about all of you, but I'm tired! The past 2 weeks have been full of changes and they are sure taking a toll on my energy. I am hoping to get myself back to a regular schedule next week, but again I am not making any solid promises.

As most of you know I started my new job this week. Transitioning from one job to another is always stressful, especially when you try to teach as many people as you can how to do your old job before you depart. No fun.

I've spent this week learning my new job. So far I love it. So much information to learn. I feel like my new job has a purpose and it makes me feel good about going in everyday. I know its only been 4 full days, but I already feel at home there.

It's been a good change. I'm very happy with my decision. I am planning to write up a whole post about this next week. Stay tuned and have a wonderful Friday! Do a happy dance!


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Post-Sunday

I kind of feel like I've been leaving you all hanging. I really am sorry about that. I never realized how much work goes into wrapping up a job before moving on to the next one. Today is the day. The day I start a new chapter of my life.

I hope you guys stick with me as it may be a bumpy road. Getting acclimated to my new job may take me away from my normal posting schedule. I don't want to make any more promises I can't keep. I'm not taking a break but I want to forewarn that I may miss a day or 2 once in awhile.

I'm finally to the point where I can tell myself that it's okay to take time for me. If that means skipping a blog day, I will be okay with that. I hope you are too.

As we get closer to the new year I want to do more with the blog. I want to help it shine. I know my strengths on how I need to do that and right now I know those strengths are not there. As I work on me a bit, this space will also grow.

I suppose I should wrap this up and get myself ready for work. I hope you all have a lovely Monday. I'll see you all real soon!

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Tired Wednesday

Some days I am tired. Today is one of those days. Lots of tossing and turning and no sleep tend to happen more and more these days. Stop back tomorrow for a real post.

Happy Wedneday :)

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Let's get this party started: November Goals

When I got out of bed this morning I looked at my white board and it said " September: Write Everyday." It was at that moment that I realized that today is November 2nd. Part of me panicked for a moment. Where did October go? Did I even accomplish anything last month? The other part thought, "Today is my fathers birthday! I didn't even get him a card!" This has been my life lately. Breezing by with a lot of scatter thrown in.

Good news is, I DID accomplish some things last month and my dad isn't a card guy. I will call him later and he will be okay with that. Now on to what I did do in October:



Finish my writing class

Does it count that the class ends this Friday the 6th? I am on track to finish with a little catch up this week. I'd say this is a win. I am checking this off as done. 

Send out 2 pitches to brands

So I failed at this one. I kind of knew I would in a way. After I made the goal I decided to revamp a few things again. That made me hold off on pitching brands. I think I am going to hold off doing that until the new year. So many things to get up to speed before then.

Post more photos of myself

I feel like I did a good job with this. I did post a few photos of myself, including a halloween makeup tutorial. I want to call this one a win as done. 


November is going to be a weird one for me. I noticed last month I used the word transition as my theme but I feel like this month is going to be more of a transition for me than October was. I am going to have both personal and blogging goals because of this. I am starting my last week at my current job and will be starting my new one next week. That in itself will be a transition.

Personal Goals

Budgeting: This month I am going to make up a budget for 2016. R and I are getting married and are planning to buy a house in the next 2 years. Last night I paid off two credit cards due to budgeting and frugal spending. This was huge for me. I am so close to having all of my debt paid off. I have been able to do this with my lack of spending. I only spend when necessary. I do a lot of free offers so I do not buy a lot of my personal hygiene and beauty products. I also shot consignment a lot when it comes to clothes. I do not feel like I need to spend triple the cost on some of these items.

Wellness: I am signed up for another 6 week yoga class to relieve stress. This will help me both with my fitness and my stress level. Transition times like changing jobs can be really stressful. Having an outlet like yoga and meditation is super helpful. 

Reading: I put this on my list a lot, but I need to get more reading time in. I really enjoy getting lost in a good book, but I often put it on my back burner for other things. I have 2 books right now from the library and I am going to get them both done this month if my life depends on it!

Grateful: I know this is a weird thing to add to a goal, but sometimes like everyone else, I do forget to stop and acknowledge the things I am thankful for. I know even when the times get tough, I do have a support system. I am going to use this month to really reflect on that and get myself on a track to think about this daily, rather than set it as a goal. 

Blogging Goals

I have had a hard time with my blogging goals lately. I have let all the craziness around me get in the way of my focus on this space. I am hoping with the new job and changes coming in my personal life I will be able to really set some goals for December and into the new year. For now I am going to work mostly on those personal goals and hope they work into this space here. 

What are you planning for November?






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Sunday Snaps

Happy Sunday. Did we all survive Daylight Savings Time? I know I was grateful for the extra hour of sleep I received this morning. Also welcome to National Novel Writing Month AKA NaNoWriMo. We also have a National Blog Posting Month AKA NaBloPoMo for us bloggers. Are you participating in either of those? I can't commit but I will try.. Now let's see what I accomplished this week.


ICYMI: Blog Posts of the Week


Monday I wrote about a simple Halloween craft that involved wine and glow sticks. Pretty cool right?

On Wednesday I was feeling a little dramatic so I posted about my friend "Zoey the Zombie". She totally plans to crash my wedding!

Friday got real. I completed my first week of my "two weeks notice" and felt extremely drained. What better way to describe it then with gifs?

Coming Up Next Week


On Saturday the city of Ithaca hosted a Wizarding Weekend that literally came together in 2 weeks. 1 week if you count the part where they realized they were expecting thousands of people. I was fortunate enough to attend and got there early to get some photos.  Stay tuned for my account of how that went down.

Also expect to see my November goals and maybe a fun post about thrifting!

See ya tomorrow!







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My week in GIFS + Diagon Alley in Ithaca!

Guys, let me start off with a big sigh of relief that this week is coming to an end. I don't know if you all heard, but I put in my two weeks notice a week ago and this week has been really hard for me. I am preparing for a transition period. Lots of deep breathing!


Now I need to get through another week that doesn't feel so awkward. I think I was asked about 10 times this week what it is I actually do as my job. That tends to get awkward fast.


Also I am not sure what it was, but I did not sleep well this week. R was away on business but I don't really think that was the whole issue. I went to bed exhausted and woke up even more tired than I was the previous night. Must of been all of the soul searching and decisions I made. The coffee was my BFF.


I finally got out all of my makeup and did a Halloween look for the blog. I had so much fun creating Zoey, the glam zombie. I hope you check it out. It's really an easy process to make brains and lacerations on your face. And you get to play with makeup! Win/Win.


All in all I am looking forward to R coming home tonight and hanging out on my couch. But I won't actually hang out on my couch because its Halloween weekend and I am going to make the most of it. Did you hear Ithaca is turning an alley into Diagon Alley from Harry Potter? It got some major press this week! It has been respectively renamed to Wizardly Weekend but is still expecting thousands of people!

I will be attending because, why not?! After that I am hoping to attend a Monster Bash hosted by some of my friends from the radio station. Stay tuned next week for my report on this wizard and monster weekend! Stay safe out there boys and ghouls!


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Wedding Wednesday: Bridesmaid from Hell (Literally!)


Meet Zoey.



Zoey's that girl you had to include as a bridesmaid in your wedding because she's your fiance's sister's cousin half removed who kind of pushed her way in. You know the type. The one you always regret letting your guard down for because she always ruins the day.

Well, Zoey showed up to the wedding ready to party as expected. She was all glammed up and ready to steal the show. She had her hair done and some pretty dramatic makeup. Something seemed different about her, but I just couldn't put my finger on it.

I hadn't seen her since the night before, when she went missing during the bachelorette party. She got a little out of hand and disappeared with a guy she was chatting up. What she failed to mention when she showed up to the wedding, was that she had been attacked by a zombie!

No zombie bite was going to stop Zoey from showing me up at my wedding! Even with zombie tendencies, Zoey still managed to steal the show! I knew I should of told her no!

Want to get glammed out like Zoey this Halloween? This is a super easy look that can be as severe or as simple as you'd like. The best part is, all you need for this fun look is toilet paper, glue, and some red eye shadows.

 Glam Zombie Makeup 

 

Start off this look with a clean face. Make sure all of your makeup is off. This will help the "brain" and "lacerations" stick to your face.

Grab a roll of toilet paper and some non-toxic glue. This will be on your face so you may want to spot check it on your skin before starting in case of sensitivities.

Rip off 3 sheets of toilet paper and wad it up. Apply glue to the toilet paper. This will turn the toilet paper into a sticky moldable consistency. This will be your "brain". Repeat for laceration.

Mold the toilet paper into the shapes you want and gently apply to your face. You don't want the pieces to become flat, so make sure they both still have some depth to them.


Once you get the molded toilet paper where you want it on your face, allow it to set for 2 minutes. Because this look was going to be a glammed out look, I went ahead and applied some primer and foundation to my face while it dried to save time. You can skip this if you are only looking for a brain and laceration look.

Once the molds were set, I took 2 different red eyes shadows that I had laying around and brushed the color onto the molds. There was no real science to this except I kept applying until I liked the shade. Don't be afraid to get this on your face as well. The more blood the better right?



If you are only looking to add a brain and a laceration, than you can stop here! So simple and easy for a quick Halloween costume. You can also add more now that you can see how easy it is to make lacerations out of toilet paper.


I went ahead and added some dramatic eye makeup and some more red marks on my face. I wanted to look like I earned those cuts!


So there you have it. A quick and easy last minute Halloween costume. Will you try this look?

I hope you enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed creating this look! 

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