Fit-Trish: Healthy Snacks!

Welcome back to the second week of Fit-Trish where I share with you tips on leading a healthy lifestyle on a budget! If you missed last weeks premiere post, you can find it here. Just to recap, last week I offered you the best thing you can do for free to help you live that active healthy life. This week I am talking about snacks! Just because they are snacks, doesn't mean they are bad for you. Remember that. We all need that little something to hold us over in between meals. I have put together a few of my favorite on the go snacks for you to check out.

Almonds, Fiber One, Vitamin Shoppe
I like things that are convenient on the go. These are a few of the things I have been trying out.



 I am very fond of anything gummy. I found these Fiber One gummies at Walmart. They are fruit snacks for adults! They are packing the fiber so you can feed your sweet tooth while filling up. A pack of 10 at Walmart is $2.00. I think that is pretty darn cheap considering the kids snacks can cost up to $4.00 a box!


Almonds have always been a favorite of mine. They can be quite pricey so this isn't a snack I purchase all of the time, but when I am looking to treat myself I will splurge. They help you cut cravings down in between meals and they have healthy fats. I recently got a Vox Box from Influenster (See the button on sidebar) and this lovely little bag of blueberry almonds by Blue Diamond was included. They are really yummy and really hit the spot. If you are craving almonds you can always go for the store brand which tends to be cheaper and tastes just as good!


Another product I received in my Vox Box was the Next Step Jaxx Shaker Cup from The Vitamin Shoppe along with some samples of their Fit N Full shakes. I have tried these and as much as I have a love/hate relationship with shakes, this one isn't bad. I can't use this as a meal as the packet indicates but it is a nice snack for in between meals for me.  I am a really big fan of the shaker cup more than anything and plan to use this for all kinds of things in the future! Surprisingly it isn't expensive at all! You can get the shaker cup for $5.99 on The Vitamin Shoppe's website. The Next Step program looks like a great program, but if you are on budget like me that will probably be a little to pricey. As an alternative you can pick up a protein powder at your local grocery store or make smoothies with fresh or frozen fruits and veggies. 


 Speaking of fruits and veggies, they are probably the best thing you can do for snacks. What I normally do here to keep the cost down is buy only what is on sale that week. This way you are keeping costs down and you get to switch it up every week. Sometimes you can also get cheap fruits and veggies from a local farmers market. I also like to buy cheese when its on sale to cut into cubes and take as an on the go snack.

Don't be afraid to experiment with your snacks. Switch it up weekly to keep interest. You don't want to deprive yourself to the point you dive into a bag of chips or devour a whole pack of oreo's in one sitting. I find switching up the fruits and veggies along with my gummies seems to keep me pretty satisfied. These items aren't breaking the bank and I am starting to feel better about my choices. 

What do you think of my favorite snacks? Do you have favorites? Please share you ideas! 

Thank you for stopping by! Hope to see you back next week for more tips to a healthy lifestyle on a budget!

Xo Trish
Let's Be Social

#TBT - Kinda

A little over a month ago now I decided to move my blog from Weebly over here to Blogger. I am really happy with Blogger and all it has done for me in the past month, but I am still a little sad that my very first blog posts in the blogosphere did not get to come with me. I have decided to do a few "throw back Thursday" posts where I will feature an old post. I feel it is only fair to them. Yes I referred to my posts as "them", but these were my first steps into the world with my words and I feel some of them deserve to shine again over here at my new home. This week I am going to post one of my last posts before moving, so its only just over a month old. Oddly enough it was also posted on a Thursday. So without further adieu, an old new post!

You Can Find Inspiration In The Weirdest Places

Originally posted: 04/24/2014
 
I was having a hard time deciding on what to blog about today. I really didn't want to talk about the vehicular manslaughter that occurred this morning when a bunny jumped out in front of my car. I am still angry at myself for that. I got to work and wanted to think happy thoughts to get my mind off the horribe drive in. The first thing I did was check my email.

I don't know about you, but junk mail is off the hook these days! I'm pretty confident that 98% of my daily mail is junk and spam. I enter a lot of sweepstakes and such, so I shouldn't really complain but omg! As I was weeding through the 10,000 junk emails for the 3 I actually wanted to read something caught my eye. An email subject said, 'This email will inspire you'. It got me thinking. Junk mail has a very good way of pulling you in to read them. Make you almost click on that link before you come to your senses and move on. That email wasn't all that inspiring by the way, but it did inspire me to write this.

Next time your blood pressure is rising as you weed through all that junk stop a minute to read some of the subject lines. That email about losing 20 pounds by Memorial Day probably wont really help you lose weight, but It could inspire you to write about your fitness tips or maybe start your journey to weight loss.

That email that will promise you the top 10 tips on revamping your living room could inspire a blog on your own livingroom and your decorating tips.

Or perhaps that email about that hot date you need to take can inspire a date night for you and tips you would give on making it a magical night.

I always strive to turn anything negative into something positive. You will never get rid of spam 100% so embrace it with new ideas and inspirations for your everyday lives. It sure took my mind off that poor bunny this morning.

Make it a great Thursday!



Treasure Tromp



Xo Trish
Let's Be Social

June Goals



May was a crazy busy and stressful month for me. I enjoyed every moment of it, but because of it I want to set some positive goals for June and keep with them. I keep telling myself if I meet all of my goals I will treat myself to something fun. Now lets see if I can do it..

1.  I need to get my voice back. I am setting a goal to be more vocal and proactive in my workplace. I cannot change the things that bother me if I do not speak up. This will be a hard one for me but I did take the first positive step yesterday and I am excited to see where that will lead.

2. I signed up for a gym membership on Memorial Day. I am setting a goal to go at least 3 days a week this month, working up to 5 as I get into the swing of things.

3. I want to explore more of the city I live in. There is so much I have not seen and its been a few years since I moved here. There is a lot going on this month and I need to set a goal to make it to more events and see more of what this city has to offer.

4. I want to cook more meals. I have been slacking in that category lately. I want to make at least 2 meals a week this month from scratch.

5. I am going to stop saying I am to busy. No one is that busy that they can't to stop and smell the roses. There has been a lot of loss around me lately and it reminded me that tomorrow is never promised. Start living your life to your fullest because it won't stop for you because you're "to busy".

6. And last but not least I will work harder at writing about the things I am passionate about. I have to constantly remind myself that this is my little space and I can say as I wish. I need to stop thinking of the people who are reading it and rolling their eyes or feeling offended by an opinion I have. Now don't take this the wrong way, I never want to be negative or offend someone, but you can't please everyone!

What goals are you setting for June? Anything major? Does making a list help you achieve them?

Xo Trish
Let's Be Social

Ithaca Festival Parade- Picture Heavy!


Happy Monday! I hope your weekend went well. June is here and all things summer start lingering on the mind. I can't help it. Everywhere I go I smell wonderful bbq cooking, I see kids running around in the park, and I hear music being turned up while the windows are being put down. Its a great feeling. I had a wonderful first experience last Thursday where I attended the Ithaca Festival Parade. I have heard it is a really unique parade and one you have to see at least once in your life. Let me tell you, it didn't disappoint. The only way I could really capture the uniqueness of this parade was to take photos. I have picked out the more unique ones to show. I hope you enjoy and get a chance to visit this parade in the future!
Lots of people!
Stilts!
Ahh Fun stuff!
Horses

Mini car
Balloons

Make Fire!
Groovy truck!





Cupcakes!
Birth Control Man?
Lots of culture here
Now the one thing I have always heard about as a must see is the Ballerina Volvos. Yes there are no words for how unique this is, You really need to experience it in real life, but until you do here is an idea of what to expect!



Add caption



*All of these photos were taken by me. Please do not use without my permission.*

There you have it! The most unique parade I have ever been to! Have any of you been? Whats the wackiest parade you have ever attended?

Xo Trish
Let's Be Social

Lets wrap it up May!

May as a whole is normally a pretty great month for me. It is the early stage of Summer and who couldn't love that? The weather starts to get warmer, those grills come out from hibernation, and people get REALLY busy. Looking back on this particular May, I realized I had a pretty big month for myself and this blog. I have learned so much in a short period of time and I think that entitles May to get an "A" in motivation and growth. Not every moment was rainbows and kittens, but what it did do was help me see the bigger picture in where I am headed.

To start off, May brought me sickness. Now you are probably thinking, "why is this significant?" The reason this is significant is not only did I get Strep Throat, I got it 3 times! It made me realize how stressful my life has been over the past few months and how it makes me that much more prone to getting sick. This was significant in me deciding to start managing my stress better and leading a healthier lifestyle! That brought on my first series that just started on Friday.. Fit-Trish: A guide to healthier lifestyle on a budget. I am hoping to post every Friday easy ways to keep yourself on track without breaking the bank. I hope you will join me in leading that happy, healthier life!

One of my favorite moments of May was traveling down south to visit an old friend who I met first in Kindergarten.  This was a long time in the making and when the opportunity came up, I jumped on it. It has been roughly 18 years since I last saw Jennifer. We were both going into 8th grade the last time we crossed paths. We are now in our early 30's with lives of our own. It was such an exciting adventure and I shared it for everyone to see: My trip to the deep south! I hope you enjoy the pictures!

One of my most commented on posts of May was my post about why I loathe social media in the summer! There are so many social media trends that seem to up the ante in the summer. If you missed this funny little rant, make sure you check it out here!

Last but certainly not least, I took on a summer reading challenge this month. It is definitely something I needed to do. I love reading but have really gotten away from it over the last few years. The challenge I am participating in is the Semi-Charmed Summer Book Challenge. I figured now is a better time than any other to update my reading list which was originally posted here. This is a good way for me to track my progress as well. I hope you all decide to read this summer! I am always looking for recommendations as I haven't completely filled my list yet!

1. Freebie: Any book that is at least 200 Pages long:
2. A book that was written before you were born (1982): Wuthering Heights
3. Finish a book that you couldn't finish the first time around: Divergent by Veronica Roth
4. A book from the children's section of the bookstore: 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
5. A book that is on the New York Times Best Sellers List: The Goldfinch by Donna Tart
6. A historical fiction book that does not take place in Europe:
7. A book that another blogger has already read for the challenge:
8. A book with "son(s)", "daighter(s)", or "child(ren)" in the title: Please Excuse My Daughter by: Julie Klam (Currently reading)
9. A book that was/will be adapted into a movie in 2014: A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby
10. A book written by a blogger:
11: A biography, autobiography or memoir: Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Woman's Prison by Piper Kerman
12: A pair of books with antonyms in the title:

As you can see I am still looking for some books for some of the categories. If you have any recommendations please sent them my way! I have completed 2 books and I am reading another. I feel like I am doing better than I anticipated I would. I have until the end of August to complete! Let me know if you are also doing a challenge!

I have had a pretty busy month. I also failed to mention at the beginning of this post that I have officially been moved over to Blogger for a month now! I am absolutely loving it here and feel I have grown so much with my writing and audience. June should be an even better month! I am going live with a new layout next week as well as a link up to help celebrate it! I hope you will join me in this exciting time and milestone for this blog!

Goodbye May, you are now wrapped up! Hello June!

Xo Trish
Let's Be Social