It's that time of year again. Mixed and intertwined in the holidays is my birthday. Last week I told the story of my birth and how hard it can be sharing a birthday with New Years Eve. If it's not New Years its Christmas that is pushing its way into my festivities. There is ALWAYS a party but it is never really for me. I go to parties and people are ready to party and quickly wish me a happy birthday and then it's over. That's where my mom comes in. She always goes out of her way to make me feel special on my birthday.


My mom works for a company that owns a fancy restaurant in the area. Every year she gets $50 to eat at the restaurant as a holiday gift. Since I've moved away we created a new tradition: she saves the gift for the whole year and we go to a fancy lunch for my birthday. Something I always look forward to. This year is a little different, however. My other half is planning something super special and we will be away (Its a surprise on where we are going!). I decided this weekend to go and visit home, and my mom was ready to celebrate my birthday, even if it is a few weeks early!


The restaurant is located on a beautiful lake and has some stunning views throughout the year. They decorate it all up for the holidays making it festive and inviting.

Me and my mom splurged and had some festive drinks to start our celebration. My mom had the "Snowball" and I had the "Festive Spiced Sangria". So yummy!


Next came out appetizer. A crab dip in a pretzel bowl. It was so creamy and delicious! With sides of crackers and breadsticks, this was the perfect start to the lunch,

I love to rant and rave about how much I love fall. All of the pumpkin spices and lovely scents. There isn't much that can outshine those favorites.... However one thing that only comes out in the winter months is back in my life, and I couldn't be happier. I am talking about Green Mountain's Golden French Toast coffee. I can't wait to get home on a cold night to brew up a hot cup of this liquid heaven.

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I love the aroma as it brews. The scent of french toast wafts towards my nose, making me anxious for a taste.  It takes me to Christmas morning, enjoying a big breakfast with my family. When it finally finishes brewing, I add just a splash of whole milk and devour it as if it's my last cup. I have to stock up because once winter is over, so is this amazing cup of Joe.

Do you have anything that only comes around in the winter that you are obsessed with? Have you tried this coffee? Do you have any suggestions to something similar?

Happy Thursday, and drink lots of hot beverages! :)

This week I have decided to take it easy. My Thanksgiving week was pretty stressful and I am using this week to try and get back on track. So today I felt it necessary to talk about all of the shows I have been binge watching on Netflix. Who doesn't love a good Netflix binge?!

Once Upon a Time: I started watching this back when it came out and somehow got away from it in the second season. I decided to go back and give it another try, and so far it has not disappointed!

Lilyhammer: This is a Norwegian television show. Me and the other half started watching it on a whim when we wizzed through House of Cards and Orange is the New Black. It is also a Netflix original. Season 3 was just released and I am loving it. If you love mob shows this is for you!

Revolution: I got into this show late in the game. I watched all of season 1 in like 3 days and went onto Season 2 to find out it was canceled after. I love the concept of the show and can't understand why it got canceled! Darn ratings!

Now I need to find something new to watch! I saw House of Cards comes back at the end of February and no word on Orange is the New Black, so throw me your ideas on new things to binge!

Have a great Wednesday!

Oh my word.. It's December 1st folks! I am so excited to finally make it to December. Not because it's the holidays, but because this is the month of my birthday! I graced the world with my presence on December 31st as a New Years Eve baby! Now don't go asking my mom why she didn't hold out to bring in the first baby of the new year. It will probably result in bodily harm since A. She gets asked that ALL the time and B. She was already in labor with me 26 HOURS when I decided to come out at 2:39 IN THE AFTERNOON. There was NO WAY she was ever going to hold off another 9 1/2 hours to deliver me.

So now that you have heard the story of why I am not a new years baby, I wanted to announce that this month I will host my first ever giveaway on this site. I will go into more detail of that as we get into the month. I want to host something that ends on the 31st, when it will be considered a party! If you have any interest in helping me host my birthday party, e-mail me! I am still kicking around some ideas, but I want to make it a fun and exciting giveaway/celebration.

Now that I got the exciting part posted, I need to talk about the fact that I completely neglected promoting my blog last week. With Thanksgiving and all the crazy that came with it, I completely let me blog down. I wrote some pretty great posts, and yet not many people saw them. So I want to give them all the love they all deserve and promote the heck out of them this week!

First up: Who doesn't love a good gift card? Not only do they make good gifts, there are so many other useful things you can do with them. Check them out here---> The Magic of Giftcards

Next up: Check your body image at the door this holiday season. Reasons why you can still indulge on the holiday and not completely ruin your hard work: Body Image (A little rant)
Last, but certainly not least: Do you consider yourself an Influenster? Blogging comes with some big shoes to fill, so why not influence in positive ways: Find out why I am an Influesnter and how you can be too!

So there you have it folks. December is going to be an awesome month, and I'm starting you off with some pretty awesome posts. I hope you have a great week!

Blogging is fun. It not only allows you to connect with amazing new people and things. it allows you to influence others. Before I started blogging I loved to review products. As you heard many times if you read my blog daily, I love freebies. I love to enter contests and giveaways and am pretty fortunate to win every once in awhile. One day while I was online writing a review for one of my favorite products, someone asked me if I was an "Influenster". I had no idea what they were talking about, because I didn't think I influenced anyone and that word up there seemed like it was spelt wrong.

A few minutes later I received an email invite to a website called Influenster. I decided to sign up and see what this "Influenster" was all about. I quickly realized it was everything I was already doing. It was a community where you could write reviews, ask and respond to questions, and earn badges for doing so. Then I noticed they took this a step farther and offered some of their members what they like to call a VoxBox. Now you are probably sitting there thinking, "A what?!"

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A VoxBox is a themed box full of goodies. You get to try out all of the products in the box and then do little missions to earn more badges. All of the products are full size and they usually all have something to do with each other. I was lucky enough to participate in the Optic White VoxBox and the Go VoxBox. The Optic White VoxBox was full of all the Optic White dental products which was a lot of fun. I love to try new hygiene products. The Go VoxBox was all about fitness. I think this was my favorite box yet. I had all kinds of healthy goodies in it to try. You can check out my review on it {{ here }} to see all the goodies they sent me!

I have been an official Influenster since January of 2012. They have changed and evolved so much in the past almost 3 years and I love it. They are always working on making this better for all of us who want to help people and companies better understand products. For all you App fanatics they also now offer an Influenster App. You can download that in the App store that corresponds with your phones operating system. 

If you like to influence people in a positive way and have fun while doing it, this is the place to be. Run on over to the Influenster website and get yourself looking around and JOIN! You won't regret it!

Unless you are living under a rock, you probably noticed a pretty ridiculous photo showing up all over the internet. You know the one of Kim Kardashian breaking the internet? I will not post the photo here because there is no need. You probably have fallen upon it if you frequent the internet at all. It was really hard not to see a photo of it, even if you really didn't want to.

Anyways, the point of this post is to talk about body image especially during the holidays. We as humans are very visual creatures. We thrive on the things we can see and sometimes that does more harm then good. As a society we believe the images of women that are thrown in our faces daily are the normal way to do look. Take for example; most magazine covers or characters we see on tv are super thin and have perfect makeup all the time. Now women believe they need to be super thin with a ton of makeup on to be desirable. 

Don't get me wrong, I am huge into fitness and being healthy, but I also know it is almost impossible for every women's body to be a size 0. Young girls see these images and think they need to look that way to fit in. I am a short person clocking in at only 4'11''. I will always be so called "small" but I am in no way ever going to be a size 0. I have wide hips and thick thighs. It doesn't matter how much I work out, they aren't going to just disappear and become tiny with a thigh gap.

Fast forward to the holidays. There is a lot of food and a time to indulge. You can still indulge without going overboard. You should never be afraid to eat a Thanksgiving meal because you believe it will make you fat. You constantly hear people complaining they gained 10 pounds over the holidays. This is just so hard to do unless you eat a few thousand extra calories everyday during that time period. Ladies you will be fine to indulge a little.

Now back to the photo of Kim Kardashian. She is known for her larger backside, and you know what? That is great. I'm glad she is not ashamed of it. However, I am not all that thrilled that she did it in a way that was super fake. They have photoshopped the crap out of it. It makes me angry that we can't just be ourselves when it comes to showing the world what we got. It sends the wrong impression when we rely on photoshop for ever single picture we take, to make us look "good". How are people supposed to recognize you when you are just being you?

I hope everyone enjoys the holidays. Have a piece of pie. Get a little more stuffing. You can do all of that in good moderation. Be happy and enjoy every minute of it. Love yourself and others will too. Remember looks and beauty change with age. If you spend to much time focusing on it now, you will miss out on life.

Love you all! Have a great Thanksgiving and have some pie! <3

The holidays are quickly approaching and as you scramble to get your shopping done, you see that huge rack of assorted gift cards. You can practically buy a gift card for anything you could think of these days. They are great for that person you have no idea what to get for or that person who has everything. Have a picky teenager on your list? Get them a gift card! How about that best friend who changes her mind often? Gift card! These cards are a lifesaver and the perfect gift when you get stumped.


Now gifts cards are great as gifts for others, but why can't they also be used in other situations? Today I am going to give you other ideas for using gift cards outside of the holiday season.

#1 Saving Money:

•  Eating out: Do you go out to lunch EVERYDAY at work? If you are trying to save some money, cutting back on eating out will save a lot. Buy yourself a gift card to the place you frequent the most in the amount of 1 meal and use it as a treat. You still get to pick the day you go out, but you will cut out 4 days saving you up to an average of $40 that week. 

•  Coffee Fanatics: Do you frequent Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts to much? Buy yourself a gift card in the amount of 2 drinks that you love. This will allow you to still enjoy your favorite treat, but it becomes just that: A treat. It will save you cash in the pocketbook and cut down on the "crack" that coffee tends to become.

#2 Fitness:

• Rewards: We all reward ourselves when we are on a fitness journey. When we hit those milestones its nice to buy ourselves something nice. Come up with an amount that works for you and when you meet that milestone use your gift card. It is a motivator without breaking the bank. 

•  Treats: You are allowed to treat yourself to a not so healthy snack once in awhile. This is where the gift card comes in. Use it similar to the saving money category. Load enough on the card to buy 1 treat. You can do this weekly or monthly. Your choice. Either way it saves you money and calories!

#3 Kids:

• Allowances: Money is fine, but kids sometimes are impulsive and buy things they don't need. Set them up with a gift card for something you know they want. This will help from frivolous spending and allow them to buy that item they really want.

#4 Online Shopping:

• A reloadable visa/mastercard is great for online purchases. You can shop online and ease your mind knowing you aren't handing out your credit card information.

• If you like to sign up for free offers or trials, it's a good idea to use a prepaid card so you don't get charged if you forget to cancel. I often use this option for my freebie addiction and I ALWAYS forget to cancel if I don't want to continue with the service. 

So there you have it. So many options to use a gift card outside of gift giving for others. What would you use them for? Leave me your ideas below!
 

Hi folks. I haven't done much blogging this week that wasn't for a giveaway and such, so today I wanted to tell the world some of those thoughts that have been on my mind this week.

1. The number one thought on my mind this week and for awhile now is, where the heck are all of the NY bloggers?! I don't mean NYC bloggers, I mean upstate and central NY. I am getting pretty jelly seeing all these great blogger meet ups. I would love to be able to network and get together for some wine coffee and have some good conversation. If that's you, PLEASE please send me a message!

2.  Speaking of NY bloggers, how the heck is it even possible that Buffalo just got slammed with almost 80 inches of snow. You didn't read that wrong, 80 FREAKIN INCHES of SNOW. I don't even know how to comprehend that. That's like a season of snow. Not 48 hours worth of snow. I am praying everyone is safe and staying warm. People are trapped in their homes and a dreaded warm up is happening next week AFTER they are forecasted to get another 24 inches of snow today.

3.  The holidays are quickly approaching. Thanksgiving is already a week a way. Better get moving if you haven't finalized your menu and shopping! With the holidays there are a lot of holiday giveaways sprouting up all over. In fact there are TWO on my page alone. I am co-hosting Cashing Through The Snow and a Kate Spade Cozy Giveaway. Get entered!

4.  In case you missed it, I am hosting a Holiday Tea Swap. My thoughts on this is, why are people commenting about how great an idea it is, yet not signing up? I am a fairly new blogger so I am still building my readership, but why are people afraid to enter my little swap?  I am not asking people to spend any amount of money, you can mail them virtually for nothing in an envelope and you get to meet a new friend! Give it a shot and, try some new tea, and meet a new friend! Sign up{ here }

5.  I got a fitness watch FINALLY. I went with the Garmin Vivofit and I LOVE IT. Its purple and I have kept it on all day and night. It tracks my steps, calories, and sleep. Its pretty fantastic. It's not uncomfortable to wear and it really is giving me a good idea of how many steps I am taking everyday. I would highly recommend it if you are in the market for one.

Well there ya have it. My thoughts for the week. Leave me a comment and let me know what you're been thinking this week. Happy Thursday!

I'm linking up today!

Hey guys! Back again to tell you about ANOTHER great giveaway I am participating in this week. Yesterday I posted {{ Cashing All The Way }}, a giveaway where you can win $195 buckaroos! Today you can enter to win some pretty fab Kate Spade goodies!

Also don't forget I am hosting a Holiday Tea Swap! If you love tea and want to try something new, sign up! Sign ups are until November 30th. You will get your swap buddy on December 1st. Lots of fun!

Sign Up For The Holiday Tea Swap!

It's snowing in the midwest. And maybe Texas too! As we brace for the Bomb Cyclone (this year's Polar Vortex), some of my blogging buddies came together to cozy you up with a Kate Spade Cozy Giveaway. It includes the cutest KS earrings that you've seen on all the blogger's wish lists (maybe even your own), some Kate Spade socks with some fab polka dots, and a $10 Starbucks gift card to warm you up as you cuddle up wherever you are. 
Anne | Betsy | Bex Liz | Trish | Linda Faith | Nina | Emelia  
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hello there lovelies! Its Monday, Thanksgiving is next week and I'm finally starting to feel the holiday bug. It's been cold out, and we even saw our first snowfall up here in the north. One of the things that really gets me prepared for all the cold days is a nice cup of tea. I am kind of a sucker for holiday teas.All of the aromas of spices just makes me warm to the core. Thinking about all of the options out there I thought, there has got to be some I never tried because they don't carry them in my area. And like that the Holiday Tea Swap was born! This will be a fun way to swap and try new teas as well as make a new friend. Send a cute holiday card along with some of your favorite teas and viola! All of your tea wishes are met!

Here are the deets:

 

~ Sign ups start today and will run through November 30th. I will randomly draw a name for everyone (You may not get the same person you are sending to) and notify you on December 1st.

~ Please send a minimum of 3 teas to your swap buddy. This is meant to be a swap to experiment with new teas so I am not asking you to send boxes of tea. Just send a few new teas for your buddy to try out.

~Because you are not sending out boxes of teas this should be easy to get shipped out. Please have your teas send out no later than December 10th.

~I will add a link up for everyone to link up a blog post about their swap so we can all see what everyone got to sample! This linkup will go live on Monday December 22nd.

~You do not need to be a blogger to participate and this is open internationally!

I really hope you will participate! This is going to be so much fun!

{{SIGN UP FOR THE TEA SWAP HERE! }}

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So on Monday I posted I was going to partake in a winter reading challenge. I did not have books picked out yet so I decided since I have picked out most of my books I would give a quick update.


5 points: Free book of your choice : I was to the library and picked out a book the day I decided to do this challenge so that book is going to be Tales From My Closet by Jennifer Ann Moses (298 pages) Finished 11/13/14)

Seven years ago (Veterans day to be exact) I was riding in the backseat of my brothers sporty Subaru Impreza WRZ. Remember when they were cool? I was bundled up in the backseat on a trip home from my grandmothers. It was a 2.5 hour drive and we were in New Jersey. 7 miles from the Pennsylvania border. 45 minutes from home. I had dozed off when I was suddenly woken from a bad dream. I looked around. I had no idea where I was. Everything hurt. A lot. I heard screaming and yelling. It finally became clear to me. I had just been in a car accident.

I felt a sharp pain in my leg. I glanced down at it and realized it was crushed into the door. My head also hurt. With good reason. It had gone through the window.  I instantly started to cry, then scream. Where was everyone else? I know I wasn't traveling alone. Where was my brother? I tried to find him but couldn't move. A man came up to the car asking if I was okay. He couldn't open the door and I was in hysterics at this point. Emergency vehicles arrived quickly expecting the worse. I was removed from the car and was able to see the scene. It was awful. That sporty cute little WRZ had gone head on with a big SUV. That little car saved my life.

It was truly a miracle. We all made it out alive. Rescue workers in shock. They had prepared for the worst. I would have to if I arrived at that scene. It was a miracle and the scariest day of my life.


Today I am a perfectly healthy 31 year old. I count my blessings everyday. With numerous stints in physical therapy and lots of love and support I am back to as close as I can be to normal. I will never have a normal right hip or knee again. They will always cause me discomfort and pain at times. I already have arthritis starting and more days then not my hip bone is up in my back. I over compensate a lot and that doesn't help either. I needed a plan and something to help with relief.

Massage.

Massage has become my gift from god. Not only is beneficial to my injuries, it is also relaxing. Any injuries you have will be upped when you are stressed. Massage is a great way to release tension and clear the mind. Regular massage can help with issues like anxiety, headaches, fibromyalgia, TMJ, and many other ailments.

I am lucky to be able to get regular massage through a woman I clean for. We trade services. I clean her house every Sunday and she gives me a massage. She is excellent at what she does and has been really beneficial to some of my injuries. I am able to see her regularly and she knows where my problem areas are. She is able to continue to work on muscles that need some extra love because she is familiar with them.

Recently I have been going to the gym more often and experimenting with new exercises. Because of that I have really upset a muscle group in my left hamstring. It has been sore for weeks and I never thought to bring it up in my massage sessions. On Sunday night when I was talking about what areas I wanted to focus on I talked about my sore leg. She was able to focus just on that area and all the surrounding muscles that connect to that area. I have been sore from the massage, but the muscle finally feels like it is loosening up. It doesn't help that because of my permanent injury to my hip these problems are reaccuring. Every week is a battle but massage is helping me through it.

Lots of benefits guys. Shop around and find someone you like. Your body will thank you for it.

On Saturday I finally became the proud owner of a library card. It was a spontaneous decision and I couldn't feel more motivated to start reading more books. Up until now I have really been lacking in the reading department. I have quite a few books I purchased at the book sale earlier this year. I intended to participate in a Summer reading challenge that I failed miserably at only reading 1 book. Now that winter is approaching, there is nothing I love more than snuggling up on the couch in my blankets with a hot cup of coffee or tea. The perfect equation to add a book. It also works out that the Semi-Charmed Winter 2014 Book Challenge just launched on November 1st. I can totally get on board.

General Rules:

Categories

Happy Saturday! It's a cold one here in Upstate NY (36 Degrees!). I think it's Mother Nature's way of telling us winter is coming and we best get ready. We had our first accumulating snow yesterday. Nothing over the top but it was sticking to the ground for a few hours. It never seizes to amaze me when I see the first snow related accident into the ditch. It's like people forget what it's like to drive in snow from one year to the next. I mean come on, we only get around 5 to 6 months of non snow months. It can't be that hard to remember.

Anyways, now that it's going to be consistently cold outside, it's time to start getting organized. The summer months are much to precious to waste indoors cleaning, so now that I will be spending more time inside I want it to be clean and organized. I am not the biggest fan of winter, but I must admit I love to make my home feel warm and cozy this time of year. I like to pull out the seasonal candles and decor to make my home feel inviting. I however can't do that until I get cleaned up.


Today I want to share my tips for getting stuff organized in a smooth way. No chaos here. Once I am done writing this post this is how I am going to spend most of my weekend. I can't complain to much. I will be doing this in my pajamas with a hot cup of coffee just inches away at all times, and music jamming in the background. Cleaning and organizing doesn't have to be a bad thing :) Follow these tips and you will be on your way to less clutter and a happier living space:

• Make a list of all of your rooms you want to tackle. List everything that needs to be accomplished in each room. Not all rooms will need major attention, so this will help give you a starting point.

• Pick the rooms that need less attention first. This way you can whip through them and leave the biggest areas for last. For me the rooms that need the least attention are my dining room and bathroom.

• Remove all clutter off of all surfaces first. For example if you are in your living room and your coffee table is cluttered with magazines or dishes, these can be eliminated quickly by putting the dishes in the kitchen and recycling the magazines/flyers.

•  Now that you can see all of your surfaces, wipe down and dust everything. Don't forget to dust around the ceiling and in corners. Cobwebs can be hiding anywhere, and getting them cleaned up is the first step is getting that clean feeling in your space.

• Next I will tackle any cabinets or closets. Pulling everything out if usually the best plan of attack. For example, in my bedroom closet I hang most of my work clothes and store my shoes, bags, coats, and any other little thing that doesn't have a place. Often it looks like a bomb went off in there any is very hard to find matching items. Pulling everything out makes this an easier job.

•  Now that you have everything out, sort through things that you use and things that you don't. Bag up anything you haven't used in 6 months. Chances are if you had no use for it in 6 months you probably won't use it.

• Once you have sorted and bagged up some stuff, take care of the rest of the clutter and things on the floor. Put everything away in its place. 

• Now that you have wiped everything down, got rid of cobwebs, organized its closet/cabinet space, and cleaned up the floor you should be able to vacuum or sweep. You always want to save this to the end. 

 There you have it. A plan of attack to get clean and organized. And you did it all in your pajamas. Pretty sweet deal! I hope you get some things accomplished this winter!

Do you have a long work day? Do you have a lot of stress in your life? If you answered yes to either of these questions, you probably have a hard time relaxing AND drink a lot of wine.. If you have a hard time relaxing, you probably have a hard time getting to sleep or may wake up with a wine hangover. I can relate and have spent months trying to find things to help me relax. Thankfully I have found a few products that have come to the rescue.



After a long stressful day, I find I need to set the mood to relax. I love to light candles, especially ones with warm, comforting scents. Lately I have been burning my vanilla cupcake candle from Bath and Body Works. The vanilla scent makes me feel warm and safe, allowing me to relax. During the summer months I would follow up with drinking a glass of wine and taking in the comforting smells. Now that it has become colder out, I opt for a hot cup of tea.

After enjoying my beverage of choice, I like to take a hot shower. The hot water relaxes my body and allows me to further de-stress. I apply a generous amount of my Aqua Spa body creme in Relax. It is a combination of lavender and chamomile. The scent lingers a long time and smells amazing.

After my shower I like to read a book and have a glass of Tart Cherry juice. Tart Cherry juice is a natural source of the hormone melatonin, which helps with sleeping and insomnia. I notice when I drink the juice, I am less restless and get a better nights rest. Anything that isn't a man made chemical and helps me sleep is A-OK in my book!

Now that I have relaxed with my yummy smelling candle, slathered myself in calming body creme, drank my juice, it's time to head to bed. I already feel much better and less stressed. I add one more final touch to the routine, which is spritzing my pillow with Febreze Sleep Serenity in Lavender. Its the perfect ending to my long, stressful days. I also use Lavender oil which is not pictured, which is also great. Sometimes grabbing the spritz bottle is easier, but the oil is 100% more effective.

So there you have it. My relax routine for those crazy days.

 How do you deal with stressful days? Have you ever used any of these methods? Tell me below!

Linking up with  Treasure Tromp for Treat Yo Self Thursday and The Grits Blog for Little Friday :)

A new month and new goals to be met. I love goals. They help me stay focused and motivate me to continue on. Octobers goals were really all rolled into one thing. I worked on interacting more and setting a schedule for blogging. I think I did a pretty good job with that. I have made some new friends, my numbers are up, I am sponsoring more blogs, I was accepted to Blog Her, and I overall feel like this blog has done some growing in just a months time. What more could a little blogger ask for?


Now for November I am going to set some more goals. Not just blogging goals. Life goals too! Lets see if I can do it!

• "Operation Healthy"- getting my booty to the gym at least 4 days a week!
• Set up sponsorships right through the holidays. Such a great gift for me and the blog I sponsor :)
• Keep my Facebook fan page updated regularly.
• Grow my Twitter followers to 550 (Currently at 459)
• Prepare ahead and have a stress-less holiday season.
• Get all of my Christmas shopping DONE :)

There you have it. My November goals. I know I can do it!

Today I am thankful for lunch hours. It is so nice to be able to step away from the office for an hour to destress and get yourself back in the game for the afternoon!

Make it a great Tueday!

November came in with a vengeance. Windy, cold, and grey. What better way to celebrate Día de los Muertos? (Day of the Dead). This is a celebration of the dead, a joyous time to remember and celebrate the lives of our loved ones that have passed on. It is often associated with the sugar skulls we tend to see around Halloween. Recently I have had a handful of friends lose their parents. It reminds us that life is precious and we need to cherish the ones we love because we never know what tomorrow will bring.  Dia de los Muertos is just what I needed to find comfort in tragedy.


A friend had a small gathering to remember the loved ones we have lost. It was hosted in her beautiful library in her home. A fire was cracking as the focal point and we all sat and talked and laughed, making the hard times easier to pass. We drank chicha morada, which is a corn based drink with sweet spices mixed in. It is served warm to symbolize blood. It sounds odd, but is a very tasty. We feasted on apples, carrots, hummus, olives and cookies.


I really enjoyed having a few hours to just remember and be happy. I don't like thinking that we are all getting older and these things start to happen more frequently.

Have you ever celebrated Dia de los Muertos? How did you do it?

As I mentioned in Saturday's post, I want to use this month to talk about the things in life I am thankful for. Since I did not post yesterday I will post 2 things.

Sunday: I am thankful for patience. Sometimes this is needed and if people can't be patient with you, it makes for a worse outcome.

Today: I am thankful for my job. Even though it is hard on Monday's to get up and get going, I am thankful I am able to support myself thanks to my job.

What are you thankful for today?

Well hello there November 1st, AKA "buy all the leftover Halloween candy now that its 70% off" day! Now while we are out there ravishing all the Halloween bins, Christmas is being forced on us. That's right, as you're digging through a bin full of candy take a look around you. There's Santa mocking you. Or Frosty wiggling his ass in excitement. It's a little depressing to say the least. Some people even woke up today to a little winter snow. ICK! It's a sure sign that the magic of Fall is slowly diminishing and winter is creeping up on us.

If you're like me, winter is fun when we get up on Christmas morning and there is a nice coating of white on the ground. Then after that, it can go back to being in the 60's throughout winter. In a perfect world (or Florida?) this may happen. But sadly I live in Central NY, so that wish isn't coming true ANYTIME soon. Even as a child I was not a fan of snow. I blame this partially on being raised in the south and enjoying my mild winters. But as an adult there is no such thing as a "snow day". My job is open come hell or high water.

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Okay I do not want to turn this post into all the reason I do not like Winter, but it kind of went that way for a minute.. Following the breadcrumbs I laid for myself, I will get back on subject. November. November is a month of many things.I was surprised at how many great little quirky days November hosted. On top of having a month full of men (and some women) not shaving we also have:

National Vegan Month
National Novel Writing Month
American Diabetes Month
Aviation History Month
Peanut Butter Lovers Month ( I could get on board for this..)
Chemistry Week (First week of November)
Game and Puzzle Week (3rd week of November)
Book Lover's Day (November 1st)
Daylight's Saving Time (Don't forget to turn those clocks back tonight!)
Day of the Dead (November 2nd)
Marooned without a Compass Day (November 6th- For all your pirates out there!)
Chaos Never Dies Day (November 9th)
Sadie Hawkins Day (November 13th- Ladies ask those men out!)
Electronic Greeting Card Day (November 17)
World Hello Day (November 21)
Thanksgiving! (November 27th- Eat, Drink and Be Thankful!)

There you have it. Some fun days that are celebrated throughout November. I didn't list them all because there are tons of them, but these were some of my favorites. Now take a moment to think about something you are thankful for. I am going to list something everyday I am thankful for this month.

Today I am thankful for this blog. It gives me an outlet and lets me interact with all of you beautiful people. Make it a great Saturday!

I am super nervous right now. I have what I feel like is my first "big girl" assignment at work today. Remember back in August I told you guys I got promoted? If you are new here, check that out *here* and then check out my take on the "internal interview". Anyways since I haven't really given an update on how the new job is going, I figured I could give and update and tell you why I'm so darn nervous!


I officially took over my new position on August 21st. It has been a whirlwind of emotions and struggles. The position I was promoted to is a newly created position. I also mentioned somewhere along the way that my new counterpart was my supervisor. She is now my equal. If that isn't awkward, I don't know what is.

So I got an office, and a new desk (Like literally brand new guys! I got to order it and watch it be built...) and last but certainly not least I got a window. Office with a view. Yep.. Moving on up! So now that I'm all moved into my fancy new office and fancy new title, I started to wonder, what exactly was I supposed to be doing? Because the position is brand new, no one knew what I should actually be doing. Of course they all had ideas, dreams, wishes, and all that jazz, but no real structure.


I came from a pretty demanding position (Read my funny take on "What's my job again?") so sitting around twiddling my thumbs was not my idea of work. I spent a good portion of my time on Facebook because I honestly had nothing to do. I would get assignments that were meant to last a day, but seriously? Adding someone's name to a copy list for email was not my idea of an "all day project." That took me 2 seconds. Literally. I came home and questioned my choice of taking the new position.

So fast forward to today. My job has definitely picked up. I am constantly running and working for lots of different people. My priorities change daily, and I am still working on a schedule that works for me. I think I am doing a great job and have gotten numerous emails from my coworkers telling me the same. It feels good to know I am making a difference somewhere. People appreciate the work I am putting in. Things with the boss turned equal are going well too. We get along better then I had anticipated and we work together nicely to get stuff done.

All in all I am happy with there my position is headed.  It was really looking like a lost cause in the beginning but I am glad it has made a turn for the better. Now back to today. Yesterday the CEO of my company came into my office and gave me and my counterpart we were going on a walk through with him and a select few others. Our bosses didn't even know we were going to attend this walk through. I had to make sure I looked my best today so I can make a good impression. So here goes nothing!

Wish me luck and I'll fill you all in later on how it goes!

I am linking up with Treasure Tromp and the Grits Blog today!

This week I have really picked up the pace when making sure to get to the gym and eat better. On Monday I told you all that I had a REALLY bad week last week when it came to food. I managed to get myself to the gym 4 days last week which was great, however due to my carelessness to only eating bad stuff, I am paying now. The sugar alone has reaped havoc on my face. I have red blotches and under the skin breakouts that hurt a lot. I felt very sluggish and unmotivated on top of that. Not so much fun.

I am treating this as a public service announcement to all of you. Think next time you want to fall off the wagon with your fitness, remember this story. Now everyone is different on how they react to certain things, but I do remember a dietician telling me once that EVERYONE has a sugar intolerance to a point. It is not good for our systems in large quantities.

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!



a Rafflecopter giveaway

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!