Happy Friday! This is going to be short and sweet. A little something to get the weekend started. I want to share with you a great new service that I encountered at Blogger 2015. If you're an Amazon shopper you will want to check out Jet. Jet is a membership only shopping network that saves you money on the items you are already buying.

They made a pretty great video explaining exactly how it works. I recommend watching it!

I really like making goals for myself. They show me that even through the hard times I am accomplishing things, even if they are small. July was kind of a wash with goals, but this month I want to focus on forgiveness. There are so many things I have held onto that aren't doing me any good. I want to finish the summer on a happier note and start Fall with a clean slate.



My happiness project is more than halfway complete for 2015 and I can honestly say they have really pushed me to try new things and set goals that normally would have been left on the back burner. I have had so much personal growth thanks to my commitment to this project. Not only is is helping me focus on me as a person, it helps me focus on this blog. I have some big plans, so let's see what I want to accomplish this month:

• Sponsor 3 new blogs: I was on a roll for a while and I had my ad all over, but things changed and I stopped sponsoring. I really want to get things back in order and start introducing my blog and content to new people. 

• Pin more!: I keep saying I am going to use Pinterest more, and then I forget about it. I know it will only help me to be more involved. I am going to make a good effort to be more visible this month. Wish me luck! (and add me on Pinterest :)

• Series: I have a series I have been itching to get moving. I am going to get everything in place this month to debut it in September. I am really excited and out of all the goals I am hoping this is one of the ones I accomplish. 

• Media kit: One of the most valuable things I learned at BlogHer 2015 was that I needed a media kit. I have since created one, but have been shy to share it with anyone. I am going to start putting some miles on that baby starting now! 

I'll let you all know how I do next month! Have a great Monday!

Thank you first full week of August for showing me what summer is really made of! July really brought me down, so I am really excited to report all of the great things August has shown me thus far. I figured I haven't done a fun Friday post in awhile so I am going to list some fun things that happened this week and continue this high right through the month.

1. I FINALLY crossed something off my bucket list that has been sitting there for awhile. I went on a self guided wine tour with R and some friends around Seneca Lake in the Finger Lakes. We had a gorgeous day with good wine, good food, good laughs, and great friends. If you missed my post Monday about it, recap it here: Wine Tour: Seneca Lake

 
2. Guys I am officially happy with my scale. I stepped on it the first time in months and it actually told me I lost some weight! This was HUGE for me. It has been a long battle and to see 15 pounds gone really make me feel good. I talked a little about my struggle on Wednesday. If you are interested in my weight loss journey you can read about it here: My Weight Loss Journey

Guys I have a butt! Hard work is paying off!

3.  My House Party kit arrived! These boxes always make me so happy because the goodies inside are always so much fun. This is my 5th party in 2 years and the first one that was sponsored by an adult beverage and was geared not only towards women. This one is fantasy football themed and sponsored by a Whisky.


4. Having wine is always fun especially when it's free. My local wine store hosts weekly wine tastings on Thursdays and this week they were hosting wines that come from Italy and Greece. Its really cool because not only do you get to taste new wines, they educate you about how it was made and what region it comes from in each country.

5. I have finally laid out a plan for the blog for the Fall. So many new fresh ideas and making the blog more fresh and clean. I can't wait to share it all with you. One thing in particular that I'm excited for is the third Blog Staycation! So much learning to be had!

Have a great weekend folks!

Linking up today for H54F , That Friday Blog Hop, Oh Hey Friday!

As I stand in front of the mirror, I have a glimmer of hope that something has changed. Thought after thought enters my head as I stare intently at myself. "My pants seem to be fitting looser and I think my shirt feels more comfortable." "I think my stomach might look smaller, hard to tell today". Then the thoughts go the other way. "Maybe I am just hallucinating. No weight has come off." " You're not beautiful. You are fat." "Nobody likes you anyway."

Self esteem plays a large part in this battle. When you are used to hearing negative things from the people around you, it is hard to believe in the good things. A year ago this month I went on a "sleeping" medication to help me get better sleep which was the excuse my doctor used for my stomach issues. I had been battling stomach pains, fatigue, and weight gain.  She claimed I needed to get better sleep and eat better.

 I became very active at the gym and even took a regular yoga class. No matter how hard I pushed myself the pounds kept packing on. I changed my diet, even eliminating foods with no change. Good news was my stomach stopped hurting and I thought I was sleeping better. Although I wasn't quite sure I wasn't sleeping good prior to the medicine.

I went in for a 3 month check and the doctor asked how I was doing. I told her my pain was gone, but I just couldn't get this weight to come off. She once again told me I needed to exercise more and eat better. I explained over and over again that I've been the most active I've ever been and my diet was the cleanest it's ever been. She sent me away with only asking that I continue to take the medication and continue to be healthier.

My job hosted a Biggest Loser competition in January. I weighed in at the heaviest I have ever been in my life. Each weigh in I barely lost anything if I didn't gain instead. I was frustrated and ashamed all at the same time. Nothing fit. I wasn't comfortable in my own skin. I had to make a change. I finally made an appointment with a new doctor. The first thing she confirmed was the medication was causing the weight gain even when my previous doctor told me that wasn't my problem.

Another thing she confirmed was my life environment was stressful. I needed to cut my stress out to get feeling better. I stopped taking the pills that day. Although my home environment is still very stressful and some of the people surrounding me are still verbally abusive, I am doing better.

For the first time in a year I stepped on a scale and was happy with the result. I am down 15 pounds since I stopped taking those pills back in April. I feel like I have some control back in my life. I am finally allowing myself to see the positive changes. No more negative sound bites in my head.

People do not have the right to make you feel insecure in your own skin, why should you do it to yourself?