Spring Reading List 2017

You guys, I am such a slacker! I am excited though to share my Spring reading list with you all. I have what seems like a bazillion books laying around my house, yet always seem to find the need to buy another 5 or 6 here and there. I have decided to put my foot down.



My community has a Spring and Fall book sale where I can get some great books for as low as a quarter. That sale is coming up in May and I REALLY need to read some of these books before I go buy some more. It will kill me if I can't attend, but I need to have some restraint. So I have decided to challenge myself to read these 6 books before the sale comes. I have a nice little mixture of different genres so I am hoping to get them all done.

Me Before You by JoJo Moyes - I have been wanting to read this book forever. I did cave and see the movie, but I still want to get this one read. I found it at the Fall book sale for super cheap and have no real excuse on why it isn't read yet.

Breakfast with Buddha by Roland Merullo - I started reading this LAST Spring right after I brought it home from the Spring book sale. I am almost halfway though, but for some reason just put it down and never picked it back up. It's not that I didn't like it. I am really not sure why it never got picked back up. I am not a quitter so I am going to finish this book!

This Year I Will... by M.J. Ryan - I have had this book for awhile now. I found it on clearance and really wanted to get it read early this year. I am going to power through this one because self-help is my new favorite kind of book!

Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick -  I got this for my birthday in December and keep looking at it and just haven't had the interest to read. I am going to get this one done because I love Anna and can't wait to read her book!

The Night Circus by Erin Morganstern - I picked this one up at the Fall book sale as well. It has been reviewed all over the place as an amazing book, so that is why I got it. Again, just never picked it back up after it came home. I am excited to read something different.

Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty - So this one is on my kindle so I have no photo of it. I started reading this a few weeks ago. It has been SO slow moving for me. I have heard wonderful things about Liane's books. I am wondering if I just started off with the wrong "first" book. Can someone please tell me it gets better or maybe that other books are faster paced? I am at 48% and it is kind of driving me nuts to read.

I may add books to this list as I go on, but this is a good start for me.

What books are you reading this Spring?




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Little Updates

I had every intention of posting something else today, but my kidney stone, Cal had different plans. Yes I named my kidney stone. I mean It is something that is giving me all kinds of problems, so it should have a name. Like a hurricane or snowstorm.

Anywho.. What I had planned today was my Spring reading list. I have so many books laying around that it is time to get reading. The Spring book sale is coming up and I really need to put a dent in these stacks I have before buying more.

I think I have about 6 I am going to actively try to get done by June. This may be upped as I get through the books.

I am excited for all of them so they should go fast.

Check back tomorrow for my reading list.

Happy Wednesday!

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Weekend Recap- No Pictures Necessary

I am not one to do many recaps of my weekend. I certainly don't do one every week. I do however want to get back into doing reviews and such on all sorts of things, not just my weekend. I also thought this past weekend needed to be reviewed because many people wanted to know what it was like to have a kidney stone. So here we go..

If I had to rate this weekend between a 10 and I want my money back, I would definitely want my money back pronto. To bad there isn't refunds on life right?

I went to CrossFit for the first time last Wednesday. I wanted to be a bad ass and show the world I could do it. It was free trial night and I dragged along a friend and we had at it. After my first "warm up" I felt crappy. I had a raspy voice and I couldn't stop coughing.

I trucked along until we got to the burpees. I hate a burpee on a regular day, but this was something else. I was in pain. Things did not feel good at all. This was beyond the pain of what a burpee brings to the table. I had to discontinue them. I finished up my workout with just rowing, which was fine.

Thursday I was pretty sore as expected. I made it through my work day pretty uneventful. I felt like I was starting to feel worse as the end of my day neared, but I figured it was just my body being tired from the intensity I put it through.

I laid down to watch Big Little Lies on HBO streaming, and had the sudden urge to pee. There's no other way to say that statement, so I'm sorry if that's TMI. I had drank A LOT of water during the day because of my 5 day challenge. I could not go at all. It was odd. As I wrapped up I got the worst pain shooting up my left side. It was between a cramp and a sharp pain.

I immediately went to lay back down. The pain got worse. I called my husband and practically yelled on the phone that he needed to get home ASAP. He was like a minute from the house, thankfully. We got in the car and headed to urgent care, because it was closer than the ER to our house.

I felt like all anyone wanted to do was ask me a million questions. I was in so much pain at this point I was very agitated. Everything became an annoyance. I didn't want to answer anymore questions about where I lived or when my last period was. I just wanted some damn relief.

I was to the point where no position was comfortable. Pain was intense and I honestly just wanted to be put out of my misery. I had been in the exam room for almost an hour with no examination. I finally walked out of the room and said, "this pain is so bad, can someone just please put me out of my misery?"

Like magic a doctor appeared.

I was finally given some pain medication and a CT scan was ordered. The medication was not doing anything. It did not touch the pain. The doctor ordered a shot to be given. At first that didn't work either. By the time the CT scan was ready I had some relief. I was so grateful. I went through my test and felt like it was all over.

As soon as I got back to the room, the pain was back. Seriously?!

I continued to be asked to give urine samples and drink more water. It was frustrating. I just wanted to know what was going on with me and if I was going to make it alive out of this exam room.

Finally, the results were in. I was being blocked by a 2mm kidney stone. It was trying to pass. The doctor felt I needed to pass this one on my own, so she gave me all of the warning signs of needing medical attention, along with prescriptions for more medicine and a strainer. I was finally going home.

We stopped at McDonalds because I was hungry, tired, and needed something bad. I don't often like cheeseburgers, but when I'm distressed apparently a McDonalds double cheeseburger is where it's at. I was in heaven eating my burger and fries. I took my pain meds and tried to sleep. Nope.

I was just too wound up and uncomfortable at this point. I ended up sleeping a few hours on the couch. Had my good moments and bad moments through the weekend, and here I am today wondering if this stone will ever pass.

I am feeling much better today. But I think I still have a stone. I'm wondering if it will get more painful as it makes it's official exit or if the worst is past me.

In the meantime I am going to try to work today, see what happens. I am hoping this will just be a distant memory and I won't ever have to deal with something like this again.

I appreciate all of the love and support I have received through this rough time. I hope none of you ever have to go through this.

Happy Monday Ya'll!


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5 Day Goal Challenge: Vol. 2


I am going to start posting this challenge on Sunday's so the goal is set and ready to go for Monday mornings. For those of you new to the 5 Day Goal Challenge, it is a small goal set to help you reach your larger goals. Reading my intro post will give you a better idea of what I believe the purpose is for smaller goals.

For last week I challenged myself to drink 80 ounces of water a day. I can honestly say I don't know why I challenged myself this much water, as I did not meet that goal each day until Thursday and Friday. I did however up my water intake quite a bit, so I call that a win.

Part of me wonders if by upping my water intake set things in motion to my kidney stone episode. On Thursday at about 6pm I was laying down watching TV when I got this sudden urinary track infection feeling, that sudden urge. You know what I mean. So off to the bathroom I went. I suddenly had the most awful cramp and pain in my left side.

I immediately went to lay down in bed. It just got worse. I called my husband and told him he needed to get home immediately. I needed medical attention. By 9:30pm I was diagnosed with a kidney stone that was travelling through my system. I had a partial blockage which was what brought on the pain so quickly.

I have really upped my water intake through the weekend to help flush that baby out. As of now it still has not come out, but I am hopeful that will be soon.

So for this coming week, my goal is going to be pretty chill. I had originally planned to get to the gym 5 days this week, but that isn't happening until I am all better from this fun experience I've been going through.

I am thinking this week I am going to write letters to all my friends. One letter a day. I have been wanting to get back into writing actual meaningful letters to all my friends whom I don't see on a regular basis. This might be the perfect week to get that done. Not a lot of effort required to do that.

What goals are you setting in motion this week? Will you join me in taking this 5 day challenge?




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Confessions of a Yoga Teacher in Training: Vol 1



They say immersing yourself into the practices and teachings of yoga can be life changing. They say it can be an emotional rollercoaster, where every loop you twirl can be different. They say you will be lonely. They say you will feel liberated.

What they say, is all true. It is really hard to explain this journey out loud. It is so challenging, yet so rewarding. You have moments where you feel amazing and strong and like you can rule the world. You also have moments that make you feel uncomfortable both physically and mentally.

I just finished my third weekend training and I had a really great Saturday training. I felt strong and moved through my practice very fluidly. Sunday I came in and my energy was all out of wack. I felt very off, but not 100% sure how to explain that feeling. My practice wasn't focused. I didn't feel great.

By the time savasana (relaxation pose) came I was exhausted. I laid still and for the first time in my training I felt connected to my inner voice. I heard what needed to be done to move forward in a situation that has been dragging me down for way to long. It was very uncomfortable for me to accept this.

It is times like this that remind me why I am doing this. Why I want to surrender myself to my intention. I want that release. I want to let go of all of the pain, both physical and mental that I have carried with me for so many years. I want to fully know myself and be confident in teaching others who want the same.

My journey is only just beginning, yet I already feel so different. Yesterday I took a yoga class at my studio where I'm training and my teacher asked if I wanted to teach some of his class. I said yes. This isn't something I would of done just 2 months ago. I felt the answer in myself to do this. I felt confident and comfortable leading the class and it made me feel strong.

I cannot explain how great it was to share my teachings with others. I am confident this is what I want to do. It was like the universe knew I needed an answer. Now I know.  I am so grateful for this opportunity.

What practices have led you on a journey to your own self? Do you practice yoga or something else? I'd love to hear about your journey!



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