Do you ever have one of those weeks where nothings going right, and everything's a mess, and nobody like's to be alone. Woops quick Avril Lavigne break there. But seriously sometimes those weeks happen and there is really nothing we can do to make them better other than staying positive. For me, last week in my personal life was a complete hot mess. Blog wise I had an awesome week. I banged out some pretty great posts that I was really proud of. How does that seem to happen? Has that ever happened to you?

Because last week went so crappy I need to eliminate my negativity this week or else I will be back on the oreo and cheesecake diet. No kidding guys I had cheesecake and oreos everyday for breakfast and dinner last week. I was REALLY going for comfort food there. Because of it I feel absolutely horrible about my fitness and really need to step it up this week.

Here is some Monday Motivation to get us going for the week!

Happy Saturday evening everyone! I wanted to let you all in on a little giveaway I am participating in.. I am gearing up with Trish over at Beyond The Khaki Pants and some other great ladies to bring you all a $50 Amazon giftcard! Good Luck!



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More recently my company has been working on company morale and how to make us all feel appreciated. We have an activities committee in which I was appointed to. One of my fellow co-committee peeps suggested learning more about the company and pairing it with a wine tour. I can sign off on ANYTHING that has the word wine in it. So last weekend me and 23 of my coworkers and family members boarded a limo bus (heck yeah!) and headed off to a museum in which has a lot to do with the company I work for today. A work field trip if you may. So here ya have it.. Pictures from my adult work field trip (that included WINE)...

Do you have something you want to do, but no one wants to do it with you? We all have those moments and think, "Well I guess I won't do it then. Right?" Wrong. You should never be afraid to do something alone. Turn a negative into a positive by having a "me" date. Not sure how to do it? Here's my story and tips on having a date with yourself.


A few weeks ago I was out of town with the boyfriend and he had some meetings to attend without me. I found out the city had a super mega huge mall that had every single store I have been wanting to go to but I didn't have them local to me. So I could do 1 of 2 things. I could check out of the hotel and go with the boyfriend to his meetings and sit and be bored for hours OR I could check my sassy self out of the hotel and head on over the that fab mall. Which option did I choose? The mall obviously! What would you pick?

The mall was pretty quiet as it was the middle of the week. First plan of action: Find the map. As I went on looking for the map I passed a few of the stores I had been wanting to visit, so I stopped in. I had no schedule to follow. It was just me and the mall. Because the mall was slow, employees had more time to spend with me. I stopped into Teavana first to get some tea. I had a wonderful chat with the lady at the counter. She was able to explain everything I needed to know because I asked. I spent a good half hour with her and left a very happy customer. Tip: Go to stores/places you really have interest in. This makes it more comfortable to talk to people.

Next I sat down and enjoyed my tea. Once I finished my tea I browsed a few stores. I took my time which nice because there was no one to bug me about wanting to go somewhere else.  I then laid my eyes on Lush. One of my favorite places to venture into. Because I had time, and always wanted to sample more of their products, I was able to sit down and have a skin care demo. This was amazing. I got my hands all scrubbed and massaged. I tried lotions and powders galore. Had I been with someone else, I probably wouldn't have stopped for all of that. Tip: Sit in an open area and people watch. This makes for an interesting activity and can help make you feel more comfortable.


After Lush, I got hungry. It was lunch time at this point. This is where it gets nerve racking. Dining alone. There were so many great restaurant options in this mall that I couldn't pass one up for a quick McDonalds lunch or Taco Bell. I wanted to sit down and enjoy a nice adult lunch. And so I did. The waitress was very friendly and even made sure to check in on me often in case I was in need of anything. She thought it was so cool I was dining alone. She brought me a free dessert. It was really sweet of her. I never felt weird. It was a pleasant experience. Tip: Bring a book to read. When you are waiting for your food to come, this will come in handy to help pass the time.


After lunch I got word that the boyfriend would be along to pick me up within an hour. That was perfect because in front of my was Sephora. I could spend hours in there if someone let me. Today I really did have an hour I COULD spend in there because I wanted to. I went in like a kid in a candy store and I played. Seriously, I tested all kinds of products. No one was pestering me to move on to the next store. It was an interactive experience if you will. Tip: Go to places that you can interact somehow. It really makes the alone thing seem minor. If something is occupying you, who cares!


The boyfriend picked me up, but not before taking me to the Cheesecake Factory for some yummy cheesecake slices to take home. All in all I had a great experience on my "me date". I visited places I wanted to see and got things I wanted to buy. I never felt rushed or out of place. I have come to enjoy these days. You get so much done and get to do the things you want to do without someone slowing you down.

Have you ever taken a "me date"? How was it? Share below!

*Just a little FYI: I am taking over the Blog Baton today on Instagram. Follow along: TheBlogBaton. If you are not following me personally on Instagram follow me here--> trishfromthelist

I just love a good Halloween party! But what I love more is decorating. Over the weekend I threw a little party to get in the Halloween mood. I put together my whole party for under $40 including food and decor. Let me show you what I did!

I have a great entry way in my apartment. I wanted a way to greet my guests to introduce them to the party. Since I really love wine, and drink it regularly I picked out some empty bottles with spooky art on them. I then went to the dollar store and found light up LED wands and stuck them in the bottles for a spooky look. I also picked up some LED tea lights and a black gauze curtain to tie it all together. Voila! A simple (and cheap) entry way for my guests!


Next I wanted to make sure I had a focal area for the party. For me that was the drink table. I decorated a table with spider webbing and plastic spiders (Again from the dollar store).


 On the table I needed to add more focal points. I had a beautiful wood bowl I got somewhere and never used so I went to the local pumpkin patch and picked up some small pumpkins and squash. It was a heck of a lot cheaper to purchase from the farm and I will still use the squash for food later on. It's a win/win. I also stopped in to Pier 1 Imports where they had all of the Halloween decor on clearance and I picked up those cute little mummy and bat ornaments along with those cute as heck cups. I closed the look with some dollar store lights to wrap around the bowl to give it a more festive look.

Next I needed a great drink for my guests. I really wanted to make an apple cider sangria, but did not have a big enough pitcher for it, so I used what I had. I had 3 carafes ranging in 3 different sizes. I decided to make it a "mix your own" drink. In the largest carafe I poured some cheap pinot grigio, honey crisp apple, a cinnamon stick, and 3 mini bottles of caramel vodka. In the second carafe I poured more pinot grigio, and in the third I made hot cider and let it chill. Now my guests could pour the wine mixture into the wine and add cider if desired.


So there you have it, some cheap ways to decorate! Shop the dollar stores, use what you have, and make it work! Some of the best ideas come out of what you already have. I hope you have a great Monday!