And I rambled on..

If you're reading this, it means I managed to get myself up out of bed and hit publish before I headed off to work. While I am typing this I am also entering as many 12 days of Christmas contests as I can and day dreaming about my new planner that isn't scheduled to arrive until January. Boo. It's going to be a long day.



I didn't have any real ideas on what to post about today, so I am winging it. I have always been really good at winging things, so lets see where this goes. Today is already December 9th. We have
two and a half weeks until Christmas and three weeks until we go into 2016.

I am looking forward to 2016. I know a new year doesn't necessarily mean everything will magically change and the world will get better, but there is hope. 2015 had a lot of good things for me. I got engaged and I found a new job that I love. It also brought me a lot of challenges and tried my patience way past the limits I am used to. I know this is a part of growing as a person, but it also makes life very difficult at times.

No, I am not going to cry you a river over that.

The point is, is that no matter how you look at the changing of the year, it gives us a reason to want to change, or fix the things we aren't happy with. It gives us a chance to "leave the past, in the past" so to speak. As humans we are creatures of habit. We can get so stuck in our ways, even if they are toxic that it is easy to keep digging a rut. For me, if I look at the new year as a fresh start, I can slowly remove myself from that rut and move forward.

Anyone else think like that?

I am already wrapping up the year in my thoughts. Thinking about all the stuff that happened in 2015 and what I want to accomplish in 2016. As I said in my goals post, I am using December as a month to have fun and enjoy myself. That is part of the reason why I am rushing to write this before I go to work today. It is helping me let loose a little and remember my original goals in life. To remember my dreams.

I am slowly getting back to that "go getter" attitude I had when I got out of college. I am remembering all of the things I wanted to accomplish and are applying them to the life I am living today. I am excited to see what 2016 has to hold, and how much more fun I can get myself into before the year ends.

Lots of holiday parties and get togethers coming up in the next few weeks. I attended my old jobs Christmas party this past weekend. I am attending one for my new job tonight. Another get together is happening Friday and then again on Saturday. I decided to host a holiday gathering myself on Wednesday of next week. I think I am fulfilling my goals just fine!

I am sorry if this is a rambling post. It is what I had at 7am! I hope you all have a great day and I will see you all back here on Friday!

Trish List signature

Happiness is..

Let's stop living on the negatives and start living on the positives. Today I wanted to catch those small moments over the weekend that really made the difference. They weren't huge extravagent things. They just made me happy.



Happiness is that moment on Friday afternoon when I realized I had a good week and it was time to go home to my family.

Happiness is a Saturday morning yoga class to clear my mind.

Happiness is discovering a wellness gift fair just blocks from my home.

Happiness is warm apple cider and good company.

Happiness is reuniting with co-workers for a night of cocktails, music, and laughs.

Happiness is snuggling up on a cold night with R, talking about our day. 

Happiness is finishing a book that took a little longer than anticipated.

Happiness is a Sunday visit with the future in-laws and feeling comfortable.

Happiness is a quiet Sunday evening to collect my thoughts.

Happiness is getting my Christmas cards done early.


How was your weekend?


Trish List signature

Never feel guily for having fun

Today I wanted to take a minute to catch up with you all. I have once again been a little MIA. This doesn't mean I do not care about this space, nor does it mean I do not care about all of you. If you read my goals for December you would have seen that I am using this month to let loose and have fun. I think this year has been a very hard a stressful one for me. I rarely let myself just relax and enjoy the little things around me.

I am trying to get back to a place where I can feel like me again (More about that soon. I promise). The me that enjoys travel, and playing with my makeup. The me that gets excited over entering sweepstakes and gets that child on Christmas morning feeling every day when I check my mail. The me who loves to laugh with my friends, no matter what the situation is.

I want to be the best person I can be, and right now the way I am doing that is by disconnecting a little more and spending more time on things that I enjoy. I have been writing a lot. I have been coloring in my adult coloring book. I have been entering more sweepstakes (There are SO many 12 days of Christmas giveaways going on right now FYI). I have been spending time with friends.

It has been a really great experience for me and it is allowing me to deal with some of the issues that have put me into this hole. I am able to wake up feeling more cheerful and less drained. I am hoping to be able to continue that feeling through the month and into the new year.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Do lots of fun things and don't feel guilty for it!

Trish List signature

Operation Eat, Drink, and Be Merry

Blogging can be challenging at times, but so can life. This is why I try to set some healthy goals each month to keep me on track. We are in December now and I can honestly say that by setting these goals along with linking them into my happiness project I feel like I have made a difference this year. I am not going to 100% evaluate all of that yet as we have not finished out the year, but I am going to pat myself on the back for making it to December and not quitting half way through.



Now let's see what I accomplished in November.

Personal Goals

Budgeting: I always feel like I do a good job in this area. I have been very mindful to what I am spending and where I am spending. I was able to take care of most of my Christmas shopping during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. I didn't spend a fortune and feel like I got a nice assortment of gifts.
Wellness: I am halfway through my 6 week yoga class and I am really happy I made that decision. It is a great way to let off some stress and I have learned to love this new studio. I am also eating better. I didn't overdue it at Thanksgiving and am drinking more water. I even made it back into the gym a few times. Baby steps.
Reading: I finished 1 of the 2 books I took out from the library. The second one is due back this weekend and I just didn't get as much done as I had hoped. I am working on finding more time to sit down and read. So a 50 % on this goal.
Grateful: I am back to writing in my journal. This has been extremely helpful for remembering to notice the small things. Appreciate the small things. I am reminding myself daily why I am lucky to be here and happy. So far it is really helping. Something I need to continue on indefinitely.

Blogging Goals

I feel like I have come to this space more often in November in a more motivated state. I had ideas and I wrote about them. It is always going to be a work in progress but I feel like things are slowly changing in my life and that will reflect here. All I can say to that one is continue to bare with me!

December Goals

I have one goal this month. That goal is going to be something I needed to set for myself a long time ago and actually follow.

Eat. Drink. And be Merry!

Yes, that is going to be my goal for the month. I am going to spend as much time laughing with friends and family, enjoying festive cocktails, sampling yummy treats, and participating in all the fun events that I can. I need this. We all need this. Let loose and enjoy the reason for the season folks!


What are you going to accomplish this month?


Trish List signature

Awesome Things: December Edition

Why hello there December. So nice to see you. SO glad you are keeping your cool temps at bay.. remind Winter to do the same once she gets here as well. (Knocking on all the wood in the house now. No way am I going to jinx the warmer temps we have been getting up here in central New York!) Anywho, today I am excited to be co-hosting The Awesome Link up with Anne over at Love the Here and Now!

So let's see what's currently cooking in the awesome pot..

December Birthday


The holidays are in full swing and I get to end the year with not only a party into the new year but with another birthday. I am a new years eve baby so there is normally not a problem finding a party, but it is hard to find people to celebrate the birthday side of that day. One thing I do look forward to is lunch with my mom. It is a new tradition since I moved out of state. She takes me to lunch when I can come visit and we order the works. Appetizers, festive drinks, yummy entrees and of course dessert!

The place we do lunch every year for my birthday! Always decked out beautifully!

Journalling


I have recently gotten into writing in a journal. I am debating starting a second one. The reason for this is the one I have been focusing on is a personal one about how I am working on me. It gives me daily quotes to help remind me that I am doing okay. I have enjoyed exploring my thoughts on a personal level but am not wanting to expand into other things. I think keeping those things separate would work best for me. 

Adult Coloring Books


My creative side has really shown lately with the writing and now the coloring. Having a book to color in is not only relaxing but gets me excited to get off my computer. I feel like all I have done over the past year is waste a lot of time surfing the internet for no real reason. Being able to disconnect and do something else is really making the difference. 

Swaps!

I keep missing all of the fun swaps out there, but I think I will be on the list for all kinds in 2016. Speaking of swaps, have you joined my Holiday Tea Swap?! Nothing like sampling some new teas for the winter season. 


Black Friday/Cyber Monday

I'm not gonna lie, I did a little shopping this year. I am a sucker for a good deal, and man did I hit the jackpot this year! Not only did a get some great Christmas gifts for my family at the outlets, I also was able to find myself a deal on upgrading my cell phone (FINALLY!) without having to pay that ridiculous monthly fee all the phone companies are charging there days. I call that a super win!

Dream

Another outcome of Cyber Monday.. I was able to snag an amazing deal at Dream Midtown in NYC. It has been my "dream" to stay there forever! I have a kanji tattoo on my foot that says "Dream". It is there to remind me to never give up. When I found out there was a hotel with that name I wanted to go, but alas it was way out of my price range. Now me and R will be staying there for our anniversary in March!


So much awesome happening! I hope you all have some awesome to share with us! Link up below!
  The Awesome Link Up with The Trish List www.lovethehereandnow.com




Trish List signature