Periscope!

Happy Monday! To be honest I have never been so happy to see a Monday. This past weekend was intense with all of the moving, rain, and tension because of being tired, cranky, and overworked. This is what moving a whole house can do to you in miserable weather.

So today I wanted to bring a little sunshine (because hey if you're in the northeast you probably haven't seen the sun for days..) and announce something fun. If you're a fan of The Bachelorette and are on Periscope, join me and my partner in crime, Nikki tonight as we broadcast live during the show. It's sure to be entertaining! You can follow me at @TrishListBlog and Nikki at @nicoletta182.


Pour  yourselves a glass of wine, turn on The Bachelorette and let's have an entertaining convo about all that drama! Hope to see you all there!



Trish List signature

Mid-Week Update

I don't normally do a mid-week update but I have not had a chance to do much on the blog this week in preparing for the move starting tomorrow. Over the weekend was R's birthday and we went away to a lovely little cabin in central NY. We had a really nice time and I expect to write a review of the whole trip either Friday or early next week.

I have a swap sign up going on for the Summer Tea Swap 2015. If you like hot or cold tea this is a swap for you! Head over and get yourself signed up!

I also have made an almost certain decision that I am going to attend the Blog Her conference in NYC next month. I have a place to stay and the tickets aren't that bad for the price so it may happen. Anyone else planning to attend? I would love to meet up!

I will officially be in my new apartment this weekend with R. So excited to make this final move and start making a place feel like our home. Once I am all settled I can start focusing more on the blog and getting all those fabulous ideas out into the world!

How's your week going so far?





Trish List signature

Summer Tea Swap 2015

Hey guys! I'm so excited for this tea swap! I hosted my first tea swap back over the winter and that was a lot of fun! Now I want to link up people who want to sample some summer worthy tea! Whether it is an iced tea bag or something you  think would make a good summer tea, send 4 or 5 different bags (or loose) for your partner to sample! What better way to kick off the start of summer?




The sign ups will start today and run through next Sunday the 28th. I will partner everyone up and get you in touch with each other by Tuesday, June 30th. Get to know your partner a little and then have your packages out by July 15th. A link-up will follow to show off your favorite new tea's!





Trish List signature

Summer Tea Swap

Hey everyone! So back in the winter I hosted my very first swap, a holiday/winter tea swap. It was a success for me, having 6 participants. It also helped start a new friendship for me locally, which was pretty awesome. The other awesome thing is she thought I should also host a summer tea swap. So today I want to announce the Summer Tea Swap 2015. More details and sign ups coming Friday. Just wanted to get the ball rolling and get the word out! If you are a tea drinker (yes iced tea counts!) come on back Friday and get yourself signed up.



Happy Wednesday!

Trish List signature

Wrap ups, updates and such

Do you ever wake up on a Monday morning and think "This is going to be the week that I get my shit together" and then you have one of those weeks where you feel like you are being dragged down? Well that has been my week every week for the past 8 weeks. It's not because I am choosing not to make things better, but with the move, my job, and life and general I have been feeling really overwhelmed lately. Today I decided would be a good day to update you on my life, my blog, and everything in between. Kind of a wrap of the past 8 weeks of sorts.

As most of you know I made the decision to move in with R. I officially moved in with him the first week of May. The transition period has been really hard for me and work being very demanding these day I have just felt utterly drained. Between all of that I got a rare infection in my lymph nodes and that has dragged me even further down. I have decided June was going to be the month that I finally get it all balanced. I need to. It is really unhealthy to be so stressed and worn out all of the time.

The good news is R and I will be making our final move in 10 days into our new townhouse. I am beyond excited to have all of the moving done and a space to really call our own. Right now I feel like I am living in R's home, even though he wants me to make it feel like mine as well. Anyone who has moved in with anyone into their current spaces, knows this is hard sometimes.

Something else that has made me a little off lately is the misplacement of my planner. It has been missing since the initial move from my apartment to R's. I never thought I would feel so lost without a little book, but I am. I started to rely on it and now it's frustrating not to have it in front of me. Anyone else have that problem?

Okay now onto blog news. I am not the happiest with my blog content lately. I feel like it has been forced and not well thought about. I felt like I have just published stuff to get it done. I am in the process of re-thinking my writing and getting stuff in order. I want this to be a space people want to come back to time and time again. Right now I don't feel like that is true. So come July expect to see better content and more personal blogs. I have failed on a few series and such and I want to make sure those come to life soon. No more excuses.

Now as far as social media goes, I have been lacking there as well. I am more of a fan of Instagram lately and Twitter has definitely suffered. I am not trying to ignore anyone or not follow back. I've just been really scare there lately. Facebook has been neglected for a long time now. Anyone still using it? Now for the newbies. I am now on SnapChat  (Find me @thetrishlist) and Periscope (@TrishListBlog). I am still getting the hang of using both of those. I am a little late to the SnapChat party but I feel like I am happening with the Periscope! Anyone else using them?

Anything I've missed? Anything you want to know? Let me know in the comments! Thank you all for being patient with me and I look forward to more interactions with you all in the upcoming weeks!

Happy Monday!






Trish List signature

4 Things and It's Friday!

Happy Friday! I felt like doing something fun today, so lets do that 4 things thing. Here goes nothing!

Four names people call me other than my real name
  • Trish (Real name is Tricia)
  • Shorty (This is an every day occurrence at work!)
  • Bumps (Don't ask)
  • That's about it.. not many names.
Four places I have been
  • Canada
  • NYC
  • Texas
  • Bahamas
One of my favorite pictures I have ever taken! Nassau is beautiful.
Four things I do not eat
  • Black licorice
  • Meat loaf
  • Anything cooked rare
  • Anchovies
Four things I am always saying
  • "Told ya!"
  • "And this is my life. Really?"
  • "Smile, it won't hurt you!"
  • "Is it Friday yet?"


Four places I have lived
  • Los Angeles, CA
  • Staten Island, NY
  • Corpus Christi, Texas
  • Seattle, Washington

    Okay so not taken in Los Angeles, but I like this photo taken at a PA ice sculpture event I went to last winter :)
  
Four movies I have watched more than once
  • The Craft
  • Where the Heart Is
  •  Pitch Perfect
  • Iron Man (All of them)
Four places I would rather be right now
  • Nashville, TN
  • London, UK
  • Greece
  • Arizona, cause why not?



Four books I recommend
  • The Happiness Project
  • Gone Girl
  • The Left Behind Series
  • They Poured Fire On Us From the Sky
Four television shows I watch 
  • Nashville
  • The Vampire Diaries (oh yeah!)
  • UnReal (My new fave!)
  • Younger
Four jobs I have had 
  • Receptionist 
  • Coupon Counter (Oh yeah that exists!)
  • Optician
  • Operations


Trish List signature

Wellness Wednesday: Whole30

Well it's time.. for real this time. I am done feeling overweight and sluggish. I am taking the plunge and doing Whole 30. What is Whole 30 you ask? It is a dietary choice to cut out all processed foods, dairy, and grains. Basically eating only whole foods. Things you do not have to alter to make it what it is. Think veggies, fruit, grass fed meats, healthy oils, and spices. Oh and no alcohol! You do this for 30 days and see how you feel. It's a reset of sorts.



When I first looked at the program I got a little nervous. I love yogurt and bread. They are the things I go to when I am lazy and don't feel like cooking. Then it dawned on me, they are easy things to eat, but I never feel good after having them. There is no point in eating something that will make me feel crappy afterwards.

Yesterday was my first official day on the program. I had watermelon, a banana, and black coffee for breakfast. I drank lots of water to fill myself because honestly I was hungry by 9:30am. I also didn't prepare well for my breakfast so I am going to do better today. You can have eggs so I plan to make myself a spinach and egg scramble.

For lunch I had an orange and a steamable bag of spinach. I have been on a spinach kick lately so this was a pretty normal lunch for me. Today I am making tuna salad with avocado, onion, and cucumber. I will put it over a bed of salad. A little salt, pepper, olive oil, and garlic will make this delish!

After work I went to the grocery store to stock up on more essentials so I won't be unprepared for the rest of the week. I picked up grass fed ground turkey. I came home and make a turkey burger, minus the bun seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic and hot sauce. I paired that with a spinach, mushroom, and cucumber salad topped with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Also as a treat on the side cut up a sweet potatoes and made roasted medallions. They were so good! I haven't decided on dinner yet for tonight but I'm sure it will be yummy!

So overall, my first impression of the program is, be prepared. If you do not have the proper food you will be hungry and you are more inclined to cheat and eat something you shouldn't. I feel better prepared for today so I don't feel like I will be as hungry and I will get by easier!

Have you tried out this program? How did you do? Did you last without alcohol, bread, and dairy?

Make sure you check out my delish wine cocktail I indulged in the night before the program started. It was SO yummy!



Trish List signature

The Bachelorette: A Cocktail

When I found out R was going to be out of town for a few days I instantly texted one of my girlfriends to plan a girls night. She is also husband-less at the moment so getting together to drink our sorrows away.. okay to drink and watch bad tv, was in order. She has been dying to try out this yummy chocolate based wine she picked up on a wine tour.

I picked up a bottle of bubbly and headed to her place to watch my first ever episode of The Bachelorette. I don't know about you, but if chocolate, champagne, and strawberries doesn't remind you of The Bachelorette, I don't know what will. Well other than drama of course, but we can't put that into a drink. The drink can sure bring drama though. I think.

So without further adieu I give to you our cocktail concoction: The Bachelorette:

1 Part Chocolate Based Wine
1 Part Champagne
Garnish with a strawberry (Or put them in the wine like I did later!)

Not the best photo ever, but it reminds me of a cherry cola!
Oh the drama.. :)


Linking up today with the ladies over at The Sequin Notebook for the Monthly Cocktail Link-Up!

Trish List signature

Feeling Grateful

Do you ever have those moments that really open your eyes? For me it's usually in the hardest times that I realize how grateful I am for the little things. I also realize in those moments how ridiculous I can be sometimes. But it's human nature. We all have those moments that aren't exactly our best moments. Today I am going to focus on the good moments. What about you?

R left early yesterday morning for a business trip. It is his first business trip since we have moved in together. He will be gone for 4 days. I was upset about this at first, but have come to see it as a blessing. I haven't had a minute to myself since we moved in together. Between moving, kids, and events, we have been on the go non-stop.

I stepped back this morning and realized I needed some alone time. I needed time to practice my yoga, lay around in my pajamas, work on my blog, and most importantly a quiet house. I will get 4 full days of quiet. This is huge for me. I came from living by myself in a quiet environment to a house with 2 part time loud kids.

It also brings me to my 1 month point of surviving new things. I have lived here for 1 month and although it hasn't been the easiest transition, I have finally felt grounded enough to get back to doing the things that make me happy. Even though R is away this week, I still have the beautiful flowers he sent to me on Wednesday sitting on the kitchen table to remind me that he loves me.

Now it's time to use this time wisely and embrace the silence. Today I am grateful for the time alone to collect my thoughts and get back to balance. I hope you all have a wonderful week. Keep a grateful heart through it all and it will all be okay.


Ember Grey


Trish List signature

Five Love Friday

It's been a pretty good week for me for the most part. I wanted to share 5 things I loved this week.

One:
No more medication! I am feeling much better from that awesome rare infection I got over Memorial Day weekend. I never really talked about it in detail, but seriously who gets an infection common in young boys as a 32 year old female? Only me.



Two:
The blogging community is so good to me. I can't even begin to thank everyone who reached out privately to check in on me while I was under the weather. This is what makes coming to this space and sharing my world with the world worth it.

Three:
I got a surprise on Wednesday from my "Secret admirer". Well not really but a gorgeous flower arrangement was delivered on from R but they forgot to include his name on the card. I like the secret admirer idea better. Cause ladies just cause you have a man doesn't mean he can't still be your admirer :)


Four:
Peace and quiet. Work was so much more lax this week with the removal of all upper management. They all had a conference for most of the week and getting work done was SO much more enjoyable without someone breathing down my neck. It really is a morale booster ;)

Five:
Today is Friday. It is also bagel day at work. It is also national donut day. Make sure you go get your free yummy treat. I will have to do that at lunch time of course. Also have so many great people to visit this weekend with so many different parties. Let summer begin!



Have a great weekend folks!


Trish List signature

Wellness Wednesday - Teatox!

Summer is desperately trying to push it's way in and that can only mean one thing. Sundress and shorts season! Am I right ladies? This makes me all kinds of happy because I just bought myself a pair of really cute lime green shorts! I can't wait to rock these all summer long while the sun shines down on me.

Not best picture ever though.. oops
Now the harsh reality of the warmer weather, is noticing I put on a few pounds. I would feel more comfortable rocking my new favorite shorts if I could get rid of a little bit of that bloat I put on while hibernating all winter. I was also having some stomach issues so that never helps the belly.

Because I was having so many issues with my stomach I was afraid to do a lot of dieting or over working my body in the gym. This is when I discovered the teatox that was sweeping the nation. I don't know about you, but I really love a good hot cup of tea.


When I was sent the 14 day Skinny Teatox, I felt like my prayers were being answered. It was simple and included one of my favorite relaxers. A bit cup of tea. The 14 day Skinny Teatox came with day tea, evening tea and a cute little strawberry tea infuser. The day tea is a loose tea while the evening tea comes as a tea bag.

The instructions are very easy. One cup of day tea either in the morning or afternoon for energy and a cup of night tea every other night to help detox and cleanse. You are also instructed to eat a diet full of fruits, vegetables and whole grains and to drink plenty of water.

I was only able to experience the Skinny Teatox for 5 days before I had a to stop due to being sick (unrelated to the tea), but in just 5 days I could feel the difference. I didn't feel as bloated and my cute lime shorts were fitting a little looser. I really enjoy the taste of the tea and plan to start it back up again this weekend.

Summer is knocking on my door and I am ready to look and feel great. So I'm gonna pour myself a nice hot cup of tea and call it a day. I will feel better for it tomorrow. Interested in pouring yourself a cup as well? Head on over to The Skinny Teatox and get yourself started!


*The 14 Day Skinny Teatox was given to me in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


Trish List signature

Summer Bucket List

With summer right around the corner, (although most people signify Memorial Day as the start of the summer) it's time to start planning all those fun trips and adventures. This year I have decided to make a small bucket list of sorts, of all the things I want to do.

What do you all have planned this summer? Anything special? I know out of all the things I have on my list, Glamping with my girlfriends and renting a cabin for a romantic weekend with my love is on top of my list! Tell me your list in the comments!

Trish List signature