Keeping goals can be tough at times, but they really are helpful for personal and professional growth. May was really rough for me, and the only real goal I set for myself was adjustment. Moving in with R was definitely hard and a major adjustment, but while trying to work on that my job became extremely demanding and I fell ill. I am a strong believer of stress and illness going hand in hand. I certainly burnt myself way out this month and so many things suffered because of it. This space included.


With this all said, I am not sad to see May go and to set some healthy goals for June. Each month I have set a happiness project goal with a word that will define what I am working on. I believe June needs to be Balance. We are in our halfway point in June for 2015. I am going to look at what I already have accomplished this year and what else I need to do to get back on track. Balance it all out.

Goals I set this year and how I need to re-work them:

•  January - Re-Focus & Relax - I need to get back to focusing on what's important and finding ways to relax to make the stressful days a little less harsh on my body. I need to look at this blog again and get things back on track to what I was working towards in April.

• February -  Friendship and Fitness - I can't remember the last time I have been to the gym or practiced yoga. The yoga alone will help with both January and February goals. I am doing good in the friendship department for once, but need to nail down some fun summer adventures with them.

•  March - Getting Organized -  For the most part I have felt pretty organized even with all of the chaos going on. I am missing my planner due to the first move and that has thrown me off a bit, but I seem to be doing okay. The real challenge will be once the new move is complete. 

• April - Opportunities -  I had quite of a bit of opportunities to participate in. I also really started to re-vamp my blogging brand. I had so many ideas and such. I need to get back to that and put myself back out there. Continue to show growth in my personal and professional life. 

 So there is what I need to re-work this month. Get everything back on track. I also need to get my summer bucket list prepared and have some fun. The demands of May really threw me over the edge. May didn't bring all bad though. I was featured in my very first online magazine and I got to visit with an old friend who was in town for the big graduation of a friend. There's always a silver lining folks.

May your June be great! :) Farewell May.

Happy Friday! Just wanted to check in and say I am still alive. Had a medical emergency ( I will share more about this next week) that has kept me down this week. I can't wait to get back and involved with everyone again! I promise I am not being anti social or ignoring all of your wonderful comments and blogs. On my down time I  have read a bunch of new blogs and I am so excited to keep coming back for more!

Have a great weekend all!

Everyday I feel like I get more and more behind here on this space. I have a million ideas I want to feature and just like that they don't happen. I am a true believer that we should write for quality and not quantity. I also believe that if I promise to write 3 days a week that I should. See the issue? I feel conflicted.

Lately something has been really off and I have no motivation at all. Just a few short weeks ago I had every intention of relaunching my brand and starting some new things. Yet here I am still struggling to get anything launched.

I though having the long weekend would help me get back on track but that only landed me in the hospital with an off the wall diagnosis. Now that gives me one more reason to not get motivated. One more reason to worry.

It's supposed to be summer and things are supposed to be great, but why do I get the feeling this Summer is going to give me a run for my money? And not in the good way.

Anyone else feel like this? Something got you stalling?  I'd love to know I'm not alone, but also not looking for pity. Just love hearing your stories :)

Happy Tueaday.

Happy Friday! We have made it to the first holiday of the year and the official kick off to summer! I hope you all have long weekends full of fun. I decided to take the day off today and enjoy a 4 day weekend. After the crazy week Infelt like I deserved it. We found out lots of depressing things at work and I have a bacterial infection in my ear that is requiring 500 ml of antibiotics FOUR times a day! Thats cray cray! Only me.

 I am also headed to the airport to pick up one of my bestest friends who is flying in from Los Angeles!
It has been a long time and to be reunited again even if it's just for a day, is great! I will also be headed to see some family and good friends back home. Nothing makes me more happy then spending time with all of the people I love.

I hope you all have an amazing few days and have a couple of summer kick off drinks for me since I will not be drinking. Boo to antibiotics! See you all Monday!

Are you suffering from digestive issues? Does your stomach frequently feel upset or sick? You may have a sluggish digestive system. I know I suffer from these issues daily and sometimes just want to give up on food all together. I have tried so many things to help, but my body is weird and doesn't like to cooperate. That's when my massage therapist recommended I try abdominal massage.


One of my massage therapists co-workers specializes in abdominal massage and was willing to work with me for nothing. I was a little skeptical at first because I have never had my stomach massaged and had no idea what to expect. I was scheduled in for a 90 minute massage, which is my normal time, but did not work on my stomach the whole time.

Kathleen, who did the massage, said you must work up to the abdominal area. She started my massage like any other massage, with my back, arms, legs, and neck, before working on my stomach. Because I am having digestive issues and sometimes constipation, she focused on my intestines. She gently massaged them to soften them up, allowing any toxins being stored there to be released. She was able to soften everything up and was even hearing some healthy gurgles coming from deep within my system.

After the massage I was instructed to drink lots of water and to relax for the rest of the night. No marathons for me. It has been a few days since my massage and I have definitely noticed some changes. She told me sometimes these things take a few sessions to really get everything working properly again, so I am planning on scheduling some more time with her in the next week or so.

Have you ever experienced with alternative medicine to treat ailments? What have you tried? Would you ever have an abdominal massage?

So much thrifting happened over the weekend. It made my little heart happy.  I mentioned on Friday that we have a pretty amazing book sale here in Ithaca. It takes place the first 3 weekends of May and again for 3 weekends in October. The prices are amazing and you can stock up on some pretty great reads.



Last weekend I took my mom for mother's day because she is a bookworm to the max. She was looking for a specific series of books in which she had the first 3 books and there were a lot more out there. When we looked last weekend they had a few of the books but they were so scattered so she decided not to buy them. I had promised her I would go back this past weekend to buy them for her at the cheaper price.

Little to my surprise when I got in on Saturday, they had the WHOLE series! I was able to buy book 4-12 of this series for only $4.50. She was so excited! This is why I love local events. This is such a special event where people come form all over to search for books. I am already looking forward to October!

My next stop was the Thrifty Shopper. It's kind of like a higher end Salvation Army. They were having a store wide 50% off sale. I walked out of there with 6 items for under $20. My best find by far was a pair of NYDJ (Not Your Daughters Jeans) jeans that were in excellent condition for $4.99. These jeans retail brand new for $120!

Sorry for the crappy photo!

I also scored a brand new with tags Gap denim skirt, JCP brand lime green shorts (SO IN LOVE), Nike leggings, Lee Slimming jeans, and an Old Navy t-shirt with faux leather accents. I think I did pretty darn good. Getting myself all ready for summer!

What did you all do this weekend? Are you into thrifting? If so what are you favorite finds?!

Well folks this is a little late today, but better late than never right? As I was thinking about what I wanted to focus on for today's post, I really thought about my local area again. It has so much to offer and so much to do. A little something for everyone so to speak.

Today I wanted to tell you about a little something called the annual book sale. This is like Christmas for the bookworm. It is literally an enormous warehouse full of books. Full of books that are categorized and sorted by author. It's easy peasy to go in and find what it is you're looking for.. if they have it.


The book sale is brought to us by a group called Friends of the Library. It runs for 3 weekends every May. Prices start at $4.50 and decline in price everyday. This weekend is the final weekend and you can expect to find prices starting at $0.50 on Saturday and $0.10 on Monday. As you probably guessed, the selection gets a little slim as the weekends go on, but if you're lucky or just one of those people who can read anything, you will still walk out of there with something.

I took my mom last weekend for Mother's Day, as she is from out of state and never experienced this before. She is also a big bookworm. The vision of my dad running around behind my mom with a toppling pile of books was enough for me. She left the proud new owner of 8 books and only spent $16.00. She found books she was genuinely looking for which was even better!

I walked out of the book sale with 2 books. One being the ever so popular Husband's Secret in hardcover. It looked brand new. Score! For only $2.00 I couldn't resist. You all know how anything thrifty makes my little heart swell with joy.

So if you love books, love a good deal and will be in the Ithaca area this weekend, stop by and see what gems are left! They all must go, and who better then you? I hope you all have an amazing weekend with lots of joy and laughter!

As I sit here listening to the rain fall, I started to think about all of the things I have accomplished already this year. It's hard to believe we are already almost halfway through 2015. I know I am pushing it but really, its May 13th already! I have been keeping a happiness project and May has been kind of undefined. May is a month of adjustment for me.


There is patience to be learned everyday in my new surroundings. I am doing the best that I can.

It also shows how much love I have for R. He is my world and I want to do anything I can to help him get things back on track. Using all of the skills I set for myself each month has allowed me keep calm and stay sane. I have started a wellness journey where I have learned to meditate and practice yoga to help ease my mind. I  have met some new people who make my life better. I have become more organized and learned how to keep a proper planner.

May, may be a month of adjustments, but I feel like I have all the tools I need to get it done. I have grown so much this year already that facing new challenges as these are not going to scare me. I feel healthier then ever and my head is clear. I can make decisions and not feel guilty or confused by them. I can stand up for myself and not feel guilty about it.

It's going to be a great month, and I can't wait to see what June has in store for me. We will be moving into a beautiful new townhouse with lots of land and just enough away from town to feel like we are in the country. We will be 10 minutes from everything yet have a quiet neighborhood. I can't wait to share it all with you as it comes!

I hope you all are having a great May and are feeling accomplished! Happy Wednesday :)

Whew! What a crazy couple of weeks it has been! In case you haven't noticed, The Trish List got a new look over the weekend! (Jenn over at Business, Life & Design did an amazing job!) We grew up.. sorta. May 1st was my 1 year bloggy birthday and with all of the craziness going on in my personal life, I neglected to celebrate my first year of blogging. I am so proud of myself for sticking with this and writing even when things got tough. I would often have moments when I thought "Do I really want to continue on?"


I am so glad I decided to keep writing for you all week after week. I have met so many wonderful people and learned so much from each and every one of you. As all bloggers point out, this can become a full-time job on top of our full-time jobs, whatever they may be. We put lots of sweat and blood into these spaces. Hours are spent on writing, photographing, exploring, editing, and reaching out. I couldn't of done it without all of you! My readers, fellow bloggers, and innocent bi-standers. You all make coming here and writing daily fun and enjoyable!

I can't wait to see what year 2 has in store for me and for all of you. I have lots of ideas and things I keep promising and then push back, but now that things seem to be slowing down for a few weeks I can get some of this stuff rolling! I am always looking for ways to collaborate so please feel free to reach out if you have any ideas!

I hope you all have an amazing Monday and week to follow. I will see you back here Wednesday! Keep on keepin' on folks!