Less Cocktails more...

These hiatuses from writing always end up being so much longer than I intend them to be. 

Let me tell you something people I am a planner, a scheduler, and agenda maker, so I could kick myself for not scheduling time to sit down and write in my blog more often than I do.

It's not hard, I have a zillion thoughts running through my mind at any second of the day. The tough part is figuring out what to write. What will interest people, what will interest people that clicked on a blog called Cocktails and Confetti. That struggle is real. When I started this blog a little over two years ago I was recently single, living in the city, literally drinking cocktails and waking up with confetti in my hair. Those days were a complete blur (some of the best) but they feel so far away now.

My life has done a 180 since starting this blog and honestly, I have thought about changing the name several times, I mean what good is a blog title that I can't even relate to anymore. It could more accurately be called Wine and Cheese, Miller Lite and Chicken Wings - those pairs are more my style now a days. I don't wake up with confetti in my hair trying to piece together the night before, I wake up with a game plan for the day and errands to run.

At first I was really depressed about that, I mean don't get me wrong I am not depressed with any aspect of my life but it was a huge milestone to realize that this blog that I started just for fun has become a place of harsh reality. I mean I used to write these blog posts hungover on a Sunday morning in my bed while binge watching trashy tv for several hours; texting friends from the night before figuring who went home with who, who was the drunkest girl at the party, where my credit card ended up...you get the picture.  Now I sit here in bed (I haven't gotten any less lazy, don't worry) still on a Sunday but with a glass of wine before I get ready to make dinner...talk about a 180. 

I often sit down and contemplate starting a new blog, with a new title, a theme, a purpose, you know something that I could write in every week, something that would keep readers coming back, something I could schedule and plan out...but then I think how boring. The whole point of this blog was to rant, to express, to literally put my thoughts in writing so I could organize them and figure out what I was doing. This wasn't about being scheduled, it wasn't about being on time, it wasn't even for other people - it was all for me. I am 100% grateful for anyone who comes across this blog and decides to spend any of their time reading this since these posts are my experiences, my opinions, my lessons learned...

I am not going to promise that this is epiphany, that I will change who I am, that I will write more, that I will go out and drink cocktails, and have wild crazy nights where I wake up to my apartment covered in confetti. That's not what this blog is about. (also I feel like I promise that to my readers, like once a year - insert eye rolling emoji here.) This post is literally to acknowledge how far I have come. 

This blog has become more of a symbol of where I have been, how crazy and unpredictable life can be. Two years ago if you would have told me that I would be with living with my boyfriend, working at a place I love, owning the world's greatest dog, and being extremely happy with my life I would have laughed at you and offered you a cocktail. But here we are. It only makes me excited and anxious for where I will be in the next two years - hopefully with the same man & the same dog :)

Wherever you are reading this blog, cheers to this crazy unpredictable life!

Here we go again...

So I am at it again, leaving one job and on to the next.

That is 3 jobs in 2 years…for those of you who have been keeping score.

I am headed back to the company that gave me my first real job out of college. Now going back a bit wiser, a bit more mature, and with a helluva lot more experience.

I can only imagine that some of you are pretty shocked…some of you are probably disappointed, most of you are probably rolling your eyes that I am leaving yet another job, and I bet there are a handful of people out there who are laughing at me for being so indecisive. And believe me I have been through all of those reactions and emotions (and then some!). 

Although I am excited about returning to my former place of employment, don’t get me wrong, this wasn’t an easy decision. I am not going back because it was easy work and my other jobs go too hard or anything like that. 

I know you are looking for the whole story, so here it is!

I left my first job about 2 years ago for an amazing opportunity that was literally handed to me on a silver platter. Being at my first job for two years and not knowing any better I jumped at the opportunity for more money, a better title…. and well that’s about it after those two things I was hooked. I said see you later and headed on for bigger and better things – so I thought. 

The first lesson I learned was that you don’t deserve respect you have to earn it. This isn’t a light bulb moment and don’t think I am some spoiled brat but I had never been in a position where I had to work so hard off the bat. From day 1 I was picking up where someone left off and it was A LOT of work. I put my head down and got to work and for about 3 straight months I pulled 13 hour days, worked on the weekends, had no social life... AND then realized I hadn’t made a single dent in the work load….it was too much for one person. I was overwhelmed all the time, I was constantly in a bad mood and was quick to snap at my new co-workers (and I can’t apologize enough to my friends and family who had to listen to me vent outside of work!), and I was quickly burning out. I asked for help and no help was received. After having a hard look in the mirror I realized that my quality of work was much more important to me than the quantity of the work and I was being stretched too thin. 

When I left though I hadn't realized how much of an impact I had made on this business and it was amazing to hear this from so many co-workers, members, and board directors, I had earned their respect, the respect I had been working so hard for. 

After leaving job #2, I found myself at job #3 in a whole new wheel house that was totally amazing! There was so much to learn, so much to do, and the people I worked with loved to have a good time. Well as the story goes, the rose colored glasses faded after a few months and I began to realize that the role I was in wasn’t where I wanted to be. I didn’t have the skill set needed nor  the environment that encouraged growth and development. The people I worked with made it easy to get through the day but at the end of the day I felt depleted and somewhat useless not being in love with what I was doing day in and day out.

Scared and embarrassed that I found myself yet again in an ugly predicament I consulted the wisest person I know…mi madre; who I think hides her irritation with me with laughter and eye rolls. She explained a few pros and cons to me about leaving yet another job but at the end of the day pointed out that I am at the point in my life where I have the flexibility to move around – to make the changes that I need to make in order to be happy. I’m not married, I don’t have kids (other than Bruce, but he could be fat and happy anywhere) and I have been smart with my savings…these things are huge factors in my decision to quit a job and take a new one.

Both previous jobs have been incredible experiences not only have I grown professionally but I have learned a shit load about myself as well. I have met amazing people – job #2 probably had some of the funniest people I have ever met and I hope to stay in touch with these lovable clowns for years! It also taught me that work is work – I would spend 8 straight hours, 5 days a week working – going from one task to the next. 

This was no joke. 

But it taught me a lot. 

A lot.

Job #3 – was a whirlwind. The people I worked with were a rowdy bunch who loved to joke and have a good time – they were a family! And although I got only a glimpse of it, they have a good thing going. They laugh, cry, argue, and play jokes on each other and it’s great! 

Let’s be honest, I love a good challenge. I am ready for the next phase. I have already pinky-promised my mom that I will be at this job for the next 3+ years so on the job front it better be a smooth ride from here. 

Cheers to the next one!

Makeover!

The blog needed a refresher..more to come on why now was the perfect time.

Check it out, let me know what you love, hate, want changed, or you can't find!

Cheers to makeovers!

That time I only drank juice.

So because I literally jump on pretty much every bandwagon that has ever existed, it was only a matter of time before I tried a Juice Cleanse. I searched around and found one that was (sort of) in my price range and seemed manageable. I ended up with Karmic Fix 
(this is in no way a review, promotion, or blast of Karmic Fix, it’s more of rant from a basic white girl doing a juice cleanse).

So instead of going day by day and telling you how angry I was for 3 straight days every hour on the hour. I will just summarize the 72 hours of my juice cleanse because let's be honest after the first hour of doing a juice cleanse time is a blur.

But first let me introduce the juices, Karmic Fix gives your 6 juices for each day which from what I researched was a lot and to me 6 juices during the day seemed a heck of a lot better than the 3 juices other companies were offering!

7am 

Blueberries, Strawberries, Cherries, Banana, Spinach, Flax, and Chia Seeds  

What a way to start the day, after drinking this I literally thought I could conquer anything. Each day I would wake up, chug this juice down and would head to work, thinking to myself alright this juice cleanse isn't so bad!

10am 

Kale, Celery, Cucumber, Dandelion, Parsley, Cilantro, Ginger, Lemon, Apple 

All right not my favorite. Manageable though but I HATE cilantro and parsley so I knew I wasn’t going to like this one but after not consuming anything all morning but drink #1 I was ready for something!

12pm 

Carrot, Ginger, Turmeric, Pineapple, Orange, Cucumber 

Now this is where I caught on that this was going to be a tough couple of days because I didn’t like this drink either – it had CHUNKS in it. Big chunks of pineapple or carrots or something that when plugging my nose and drinking this juice it was quite disturbing to feel a big chunk of something hit the back of your throat.

3pm 

Kale, Parsley, Celery, Lemon, Habanero Pepper, Apple and Mustard Greens

Every day this drink made me really really angry. See that bolded ingredient – I mean are you kidding me?? So get this…this drink is called Spicy Kick and it does just that! It literally burns the back of your throat, it doesn’t taste great either so you take a big gulp – your throat is on fire you take another big gulp to calm it down and then your throat is on fire again – repeat until your drink is gone and you are searching for water. Out of all the drinks – I drank this one the fastest. I see what you did there Karmic, I see what you did there.

5pm 

Date, Banana, Cacao, Himalayan Salt, Vanilla, Cinnamon, and Hemp Protein

 Holy heaven! Okay not heaven but a sweet relief after the others were painfully disgusting. I actually looked forward to this one. 
I don’t know if there is anyone else out there that gets off of work and after a day of sitting at a desk... in a chair... staring at a computer is totally and completely famished but I am – like "cut off an old lady in line at wawa and not think twice about it" famished. Yeah so this drink is the "drive home drink" that helps me deal with the traffic and the idiot drivers on the road, it actually tastes good and has a sweet chocolately flavor!

Alright side note because I know you are thinking already this doesn't seem that bad or that hard– well let me be the first to say I had to cheat every day! Hear me out I always packed an emergency bag of carrot sticks in case the stomach rumbling got too out of control or if my hanger was out of control for the workplace. 

However, the fix does advise that if you feel you need to eat something do so, fresh veggies, almonds, raw fruit are all encouraged. So when I got home at night and wanted nothing more than a large juicy cheeseburger and French Fries I would cut up some tomato and cucumber and make a salad or have a side of sautéed zucchini and squash; while my boyfriend proceeded to finish off a Bertolli for 2…by himself. So sue me that I couldn’t stick to the ALL juice diet – but talk to me after you do a three day cleanse…if you’re still alive! (currently writing this while on day 3 sorry for the dramatics, let me grab a carrot stick and calm down!)

7pm 
Watermelon, Strawberry, Cucumber, Lime, Triphala Tea

I loved this drink, so after I cheated and had my all veggie dinner this was the perfect dessert – I mean it wasn’t brownie sundae perfect but it was sweet, light, fruity and I would drink this drink really slow or over ice so that I would forget that I was hungry until I went to bed. Which ended up being like 9:45 or 10pm every night because they encourage you to get lots of sleep (OR to stop thinking about how hungry you are!!)

Overall it was the worst three days of my life, just kidding, sort of. 

It was fine, would I do it again, NO. 

Am I glad I did and can check it off my bucket list, YES!

If you’re thinking about doing a juice cleanse, don't. You can find several articles that give you good hard data against doing this that I completely ignored because I am stubborn and pig headed about things.

So if you are like me and MUST do one; 

• I recommend you search around and find the right one for you. 
• I recommend that you read the ingredients in the juices before blowing your entire savings account on a juice cleanse (because that is how expensive they are!) 
• I recommend you do it with a friend, a co-worker or a family member - someone who can commiserate with you so that you aren’t going at it alone!
• The final thing I recommend is to not talk to anyone about it, seriously! Listening to someone talk about a juice cleanse is downright miserable. Remember this is something you wanted to do; you are doing it by choice. No one is forcing you to only consume liquids…you chose to do this. 

Now do you feel stupid? Cause I sure as heck did.

Lastly, remember this isn't an easy way to loose weight, it takes a lot of focus, hard work, and willpower and isn't all that good for your body. So before thinking "hey I really wanna loose five pounds I will do a juice cleanse" remember you are about to deprive your body of what it needs and cause you some serious embarrassment with all the stomach rumbling that will happen!

The only positive is that I got a lot more steps on my Fitbit because I was walking to and from the bathroom peeing SO MUCH!

Cheers to never drinking juice again…well until I make a cranberry vodka 

Doubt is the devil.

Have you ever been so sure of something and then one person whispers something that throws your whole world for a loop and you start doubting every choice you have ever made.

Doubt is a terrible thing; it sneaks into your mind and makes you think about the choices you have made in your life. Even the most confident decisions, the decisions you have never once doubted – you start to re-think them… all of them. Then you wonder if you have been making bad decisions your entire life and let’s be honest if you have ever met me you know how many bad decisions I have made.

Have any of you seen those Prego Sauce commercials – where a woman walks up to a sauce tasting stand in a grocery store and tries two different types of spaghetti sauce, one store brand and one Prego brand. After she taste the sauce and wonders why she has been choosing store brand she  “reflects” of what else she had been choosing wrong – BAM. Doubt. 

 She imagines her life and what it could have been like if she had gone down a different path. 

Doubt is when one little thing, comment, suggestion, or idea makes you re-think choices you have made that lead you to the point you are in your life or even worse if you re-think the path that leads you to your future. Ugh.

Now that example is extreme – that lady is not any better or worse off because she has been buying store brand pasta sauce but it’s the principal of the matter that we have very little self-confidence in our decisions once someone disagrees with us.

There are a variety of different ways to deal with doubt – a personal favorite is to call my mom and have her tell me what to do – since, let’s be honest, she is the smartest woman on the planet – even if it takes calling her 5 times back to back to let her think there is a serious emergency! But come one, when you questions life choices you made it pretty much is an emergency.

Step 1 – the first thing you should do whenever doubting a life choice is to listen to the voice of reason, whether that be a parent, a significant other, a friend, or another family member. Hearing someone else’s opinion on the matter can be a huge help. You aren’t going to be able to please everyone but hey that is okay because it is your life which leads me to Step 2…

Stop worrying what other people think. Your life is your life and I am not saying do whatever you please and disregard the opinions of the people, friends, family who have stood by you as you have made terrible decisions in the past because let’s be honest if you are anything like me – you have made at least a handful.

Your opinions, choices, thoughts, feelings are yours and as much as other people want to tell you how to feel, what to think, and what to do it’s not their place. Hopefully, they have your best interest in mine and hopefully they only want the best for you. But ultimately you have to live your life, do what you want, make those regrets, and gain as much experience as you can.

 I am constantly learning tough lessons – since I feel like I say that in every post. Life is full of tough lessons and I am slowly but surely learning them. As I learn I like to share, not to scold, not to preach…but honestly for you to hop on board the hot mess express and learn along with me.

Now repeat it with me…doubt is the devil. It creeps into your life without a hint of caution but beware my friends kick that douche bag devil out of your life asap. Listen to your gut, you are the only person who knows what you truly think, feel, and believe in. Stand Tall. Stand Confident. Stand firm in your decisions, make the regrets you need to make, live YOUR life and do what is best for you. Everything else will fall into place.

Adios Doubt!

Big 2-6!

Last year was the Big 2-5 and I thought that was a big deal. 

Yeah turning 25 was something pretty impressive but you know what’s not impressive, how much I have aged in the past year!! 365 days have gone by, but it feels more like 1,658 days have gone by – that number is totally random, stop trying to do the math. The point is that after you leave college, after you have the fun in your first few years of being 21+, it LITERALLY all goes downhill. Yeah I can rent a car now – whoop whoop! But other than that what am I looking forward too?

I am officially over the hump and now in the later part of my twenties – this is a huge milestone because I now, by unwritten laws, have to stop being trashy when I go out and have to start being classy. No more Friday nights where I go out and drink way more than I should and come home and eat way more pizza than I should. Now, are the Saturday nights spent at a bar with friends until about 11pm when the young twenty something’s come in – by the time they finish up their pre-game party I am already at home on the couch with my flannel pajama pants and a glass of water and Advil by my nightstand. Ugh.

Don’t get me wrong I occasionally have a few rowdy nights where I have one too many drinks and things get weird but those are few and far between and when they happen I am pretty much immobile the next day and feel worthless. 

It’s ironic because this blog post could not have come at a better time (I did that on purpose, it’s not ironic at all) this past weekend actually marked 4 years since my graduation. It was commencement weekend at good ol’ LC and the alumni social media account asked alumni to post pictures from their own commencement. I HATE, HATE, HATE (HATE) how far I had to scroll to find a picture from my commencement!! I don’t have any on my phone! I had to search my Facebook page for like 12 minutes – gross! Scrolling on Facebook directly correlates with how old you are and how lame you have become – it's science. 

So by this point you have either rolled your eyes at how dramatic I am being, you have stopped reading because you think I am some whiny millennial, or you are trying to remember if you have a bottle of wine at home that you can open up tonight... 

Again, with all my posts, don’t get me wrong, as much as I complain I do kind of look forward to these next couple of years a lot of my best friends are getting married, people are having babies, some of my closest friends have kick-ass jobs and are killing it which allows them to spend  WAY too much money when they come to visit me, I can plan vacations that are more elaborate than going to the mall for the day – there are benefits to aging and becoming older, wiser, and more mature. 

This post isn’t to shit on becoming an adult 
(that’s what my other posts are about). 
This post is to 

1. Acknowledge my birthday- hello!! 

2. Acknowledge my birthday – whoop whoop! 

And 3. To say See Ya Later to the first few years of my 20’s and What’s Up to the second half of my 20’s!

Cheers to over the hump and to the years ahead!

Optimism vs. Pessimism

"When you wake up every day, you have two choices. You can either be positive or negative; an optimist or a pessimist. I choose to be an optimist. It's all a matter of perspective." – Harvey Mackay

Well what if I don’t want to be!  Do you ever have one of those days where you know anything that can go wrong will go wrong…one of those days where you know you are going to have just a day full of bad luck. You find yourself saying “I cannot catch a break” or you feel as if you are already getting kicked while your down..well that is your 20’s for you! Just Kidding – but not really.

So in just a few short days I turn the big 2-6 which means I am officially in the later part of my 20’s and be warned there will be a woeful post and a goodbye to my youth – bleh! But this post is not about that, it is about the pessimistic glasses that I sometimes wear and for some reason cannot take off.

If you are a devoted reader to my blog, which you should be, you have read post after post of how I am the conductor of the hot mess express which is my life – 
well this post is more about how I view my life then the actual events of my life. 

So my mother, is literally my saving grace some days, but is more importantly my rock and by that I mean every time I feel like I am just floating around with no direction, she brings me right back down to Earth with a big ol’ reality slap – don’t worry I have an example…

So a few weeks ago, I was having my melodramatic whiny moment where I think my life is complete crap. With a simple roll of her eyes and a few mom-ish one liners, she brings me back to reality – and it becomes clear that I am simply wearing my pessimistic glasses again. For every 5 things in my life that go right, one goes wrong and I find myself focusing on that one thing instead of 4 awesome things that I should be totally grateful for. But instead of noticing those things, to me it feels like one bad thing after the next – this is NO way to live. 

 I cannot be the only one out here who does this!  Is there anyone else who feels as if they can’t catch a break, or if you utter the words “why me” more than once a week?  
It’s not that you are a pessimistic person and I am not saying go be an optimistic person but I think that before we go around worrying about all the bad things in our lives let’s take a look at all the good things we have going for us.

I often have to remind myself of this when I’m in a bad mood – for whatever reason it may be – but if I get hung up on something, I need to let it go. Focus on the positive, learn from the negative and move on.

Yeah yeah yeah…easier said than done. 

On a brighter note here is a picture of my dog in a rain coat...

From one pessimist trying to be optimistic to another – Cheers!

Adulting; doing what you have to do, not what you want to do.

So where is the code red when you are child that says, don’t grown up. I have written posts like this before because I hate being adult and I have for years, so nothing new here. But I have come to terms with what being adult is.

Doing what you have to do, not what you want to do.

Here me out, because being adult doesn’t suck all the time (but it does most of the time). I think you just get to a point where what you are okay with what you have to do, or if you are lucky, you love what you do and you don’t feel as if it is a job, chore, requirement, etc. 

So I don’t want to clean my house on the weekends, I don’t want to go to work Monday-Friday, I don’t want to drop hundreds of dollars to fix my car, I don’t want to spend half of my pay check paying back my student loans…but I have to.

Driving into work this morning it hit me, I want to stay home with my dog every day, I want to take a sunny day during the week and hike some of my favorite trails, I want to spend more time with my friends, I want to have more time for myself..but I can’t because I am too busy doing the things I have to do.

I can’t quit my job to hike all the time. I can’t skip cleaning the house to hang out with my friends.  I can’t go on vacation like I would like to because I need new tires on my car – that is being an adult. 

When you are not an adult if you want to go hang out with your friends on a Saturday afternoon – you can, because your mom is at home cleaning the house and there will be dinner on the table when you get home. 

Your parents plan a whole vacation and all you have to do is show up and have fun. Being adult is sacrificing what you want to do for what you have to do. That, my friends, is a very very tough lesson to learn.

If you know anything about me, I am constantly having epiphanies, I know I am literally the most dramatic person in the world, but I have these moments of clarity, where suddenly I know what I want to do with my life.

This often happens with work – I have been job hopping for the past few years because I cannot find something that satisfies me (that is what she said, for all you pervs out there!) But honestly it’s the truth and it is because I keep finding jobs that I have to do – jobs that have benefits, a salary, etc. Think about it for a minute – if you could do any job in the world what would you do? There are a handful of you out there who would think about your current job and that is awesome for you. But a majority of us are doing our jobs because we have to not because we want to. Is this any way to live?

The problem is that when you first get out of college the idea of making money is so overpowering – for the past 20 something years you had to ask your parents for money if you wanted to do anything big. You don’t even pause for a second to think about what you want to do or what you are good at. You have this idea that once you get a job you will have the money to do whatever you want and at that time, that is all that matters. Welp, too bad,  all that money you make starts going to the things you have to pay for – student loans, rent, utilities, car payments, etc – sucks doesn’t it. When that moment happens…you’re an adult. You don’t have the time to even think about what you are good at, what do you enjoy doing, what would you do if money didn’t matter.  

All you can do is cry and grab a glass a wine cause you have 50+ years of this, so buckle up.

Cheers to Adulting...

Change...

Change is a funny thing. 

I am not talking about those pesky metal coins that clink around at the bottom of your purse or somehow get wedged into your couch cushions.

Change, the kind of change that happens after years and years pass – think about 5 years ago, heck think about a  year ago how much have you changed?  How is it that day by day we don’t feel a difference but looking back a year ago, how different my life was, who I was, where I worked, who I was dating, my goals, my future – everything seemed so set in stone and here I am a year later and I have no idea how and when it all changed. 

Isn’t it crazy how that happens – it also blows my mind – what will my life be like next year, in 5 years, in 10 years!

Change is scary, don’t get me wrong I am the first to admit that I LOVE my comfort zone, I love routine, I love planning. Change can literally ruin your day, but it can also be one of the best things to happen to you.

Take this blog for instance, when I first started writing I was bitter, getting over an ex-boyfriend and writing about one drunk escapade after the next. 

Flash forward to now where I am very happy with my life, I have a good job, an amazing boyfriend, the best dog in the world, and I am planning for the future. 

My whole outlook on life is different, more positive, less bitter, same amount of wine... (some things don't need to change) A year ago I couldn’t plan what I wanted for dinner let alone how much money should go into my 401K. 

Do you ever look back at a situation and think why the heck did I handle it that way, knowing how you handled it today would be ten times better. Part of change is growing up, part of change if gaining experience; and a big part of change is who you have in your life at the time.

You know what the worst part of change is – how other people handle it. When they don’t accept change and instead of acknowledging it; they deny it or worse they just get angry. 

You can’t control change, I believe that everything that happens in your life is an opportunity for growth and development and sometimes change shows you a new path that you never knew you wanted, needed, could go down.

I would like to say that I embrace change, but I would be lying. My new goal, however, is to embrace change -  I love where I have been and I can only imagine what the future has in store for me.

Cheers to Change!

Where is my green grass?

So I am currently learning a very very tough lesson…the grass is not always greener.

Have you ever heard this expression – you probably have if you don’t live under a rock. I have been hearing this expression since I was a child. It’s often said as an expression of warning, that you should be thankful for what you have; don’t yearn for what others have because you don’t know the whole 

situation. The grass may look green but it might not be the kind of green you are looking for.

I think anyone who is reading this can relate to a time or instance where this has happened – if you haven’t  - come hang out with me and I can give you some of mine! 

I don’t like to say I have regrets about making decisions, because I really do believe that everything happens for a reason – most of the time even in the worst situation you gain strength, experience, patience, or learn a hell of a lot more about yourself.

Do you ever make a decision and feel more lost then you thought you would? That is where I am in life right now. I made a decision to go to the other side and check out the greener grass and guess what – the grass ain’t all that great! And now I am lost. I can’t go back to the other side, cause I left there not wanting to go back. Now I am on this “green” hill and I don’t want to be there either. And to be honest it kind of just feels like I am rolling downhill, let’s not be extreme and say to rock bottom, but you could say it’s not the top of the hill where I thought I would be!

What’s my next step? Are you ever scared to take the next step when the last leap wasn’t a good one? I don’t see a “greener” hill nearby? How long do I stay on this green hill that is starting to look yellow and brown! 

I know this isn't an advice column and most of my blog posts are often fun, light, or crazy sarcastic - I bounce around, you get it- but this one sincerely is asking for advice. I'm not perfect - shocker! - I make mistakes and like I said before, I don't have regrets but my decisions do make me hesitate in taking the next step...whatever the next step may be...

Cheers to greener grass!

Spring in RVA

As mentioned in my previous post I wanted to highlight some of my favorite Spring Activities…because in case you missed it..Spring is the best…correction Spring in RVA is the best!

One of the many reasons that I love spring is that because it’s still cool enough that you can wear leggings and a light jacket – not hot enough yet to be in tank top and shorts…home girl needs to slowly ease her way into shorts and tank tops…because this glow in the dark winter body ain’t cutting it yet!

You still get warm enough that you have those days where the sun is so warm and it feels so damn good!

When you have days like those let me encourage you to…

find a brewery or restaurant with a porch and grab a beer with friends. It is amazing what the warm weather will do to my attitude and social life. Come spring I crawl out of the cave I have been hibernating in for the past several months – I call up the friends who I haven’t talked to since hibernation and I strongly request brunch or happy hours with them!!

Next - do anything near the James River – walk, hike, run, picnic, layout, heck even get in the river! In a kayak or canoe of course cause if you get in that water now you are frickin crazy and you had too many mimosas at brunch my friend.

Festivals 

RVA is literally known for the festival playlist- there are a ton all year long but they really kick off the Festival season in May

If you haven’t checked out the Dominion River Rock Festival at Brown’s Island – mark your calendar now(May 20-22nd)! Even if you don’t want to, like to, or have the energy to be active there are all these vendors there handing out free stuff, there are plenty of things to watch, participate in IF you want, and of course beer trucks and food vendors (and of course it’s FREE to get in but they encourage donations!). If the weather is nice plan to be there all day!!

Arts in the Park, this sounds cheesy, and for old people and maybe it is but go ahead and mark your calendar and check it out – April 30th and May 1st – its FREE and there are tons of local vendors and vendors from all over the U.S.A. The event is not dog friendly but it’s something that you can check out for a few hours and then head home to hang with your pup!

Friday Cheers  – okay this one is a cheat cause I have never actually been to one, BUT I know I will LOVE this once I go! So this is not a free event and it is not dog friendly BUT it is outdoor concert series at Brown’s island that starts in May and goes throughout the summer ever Friday. They bring local talent, breakout bands, and national acts to Brown’s Island and it usually cost between $5-$10 to attend. You can bring lawn chairs, blankets, or walk around while the bands are playing! Again, I have never been, but what is not to love?!

So the next thing that is clutch about warmer weather is ALL the Farmer’s Markets in Richmond!! I am a huge fan and I have such a tough time finding people to go with me cause usually the best time to go is at the ass-crack of dawn! (Well like 8am which during the summer is the WAY too early!) Richmond has a ton, I suggest you try them all once since they all offer something a little different. My favorite is the South of The James, there is a great set of nature trails right there in Forest Hill Park so I love to walk/run/hike those and then after I am all good and sweaty walk around the Farmer’s market and pick up some local finds!

The Bizarre Bazaar –  I don’t even know how to describe this event – it’s like a MASSIVE craft show but the best part of it this event is the people watching. It’s not my favorite event because it’s indoors BUT again the people watching is on point!! This is the Spring Bizarre Bazaar which is held at the Richmond International Raceway and  is the weekend of April 1st through the 3rd – this is NOT to be confused with the Christmas Bizarre Bazaar which is a whole other monster in itself. I love this event, but before entering, make sure you have a water bottle, wear walking shoes, and take a deep breath because it’s a mad house!!

Side Note: This post was supposed to be posted two weeks ago....sorry you missed this event, mark your calendar for next year!

This post is MUCH longer than I was originally planning but this doesn’t even touch the million of warm weather activities I like to do. To find out more, find me on a porch sippin mimosas this weekend.

Cheers!

Hello Spring!

This post is like SEVERAL days late but, better late than never is sometimes my favorite motto.

Can we just have a moment of silence for the fact that the cold nasty disgusting hateful winter weather is behind us..or at least it better be. 

Mother Nature don’t fuck with my heart. 

I will cut a bitch. 

Spring is my absolute favorite time of year…you can just tell that people are READY for winter to be over. Even those people who love snow, cold weather, hot chocolate, snuggles and all that other crap that is great for like…oh I don’t know…one weekend!

It depends where you live, here in RVA it seems like winter starts right around the middle of November and wraps up at the end of February..you get those occasional cold days in early October/November and we certainly get the weirdo cold days in March and into April – Lord knows we have been known to get a snow day or 2 in April. But, overall, St. Patrick’s Day is my light at the end of the tunnel that winter days are behind us.

Spring is the best.

Warm, sunny days, but still chilly at night, so your wardrobe is that perfect mixture of summer and winter. People are stoked because they know the warmer weather is coming and I don’t know about you but RVA is fucking active. People love being outside even if outside means dragging your couch out to Monument Avenue and drinking beer – which involves heavy lifting – so I repeat RVA is fucking active.

RVA is the best of both worlds – I know I am super biased – but you have your downtown area with bars/restaurants, etc but then you have the James River running RIGHT THROUGH downtown. So you get all your river activities, hiking trails, river walks, paths, and most of them walk right past or lead to a bar or brewery – I am onto you Richmond…you’re not a dumb city…you’re not a dumb city at all.

My all time favorite Spring activity is either on a Saturday or Sunday – cause hello Full Time job takes up ALL of my week day life – after crushing a Spin Class at BOHO Cycle Studio (yes, this is a plug!) I grab the BF and the Pup and head to, what I refer to as Riverwalk, but the correct name is the Belle Isle Suspension Bridge downtown. We walk the bridge and the trails that are back there, when the water isn’t too high there are tons of rocks to walk out on and actually lay out on when the weather is warm. 

After hiking, walking, climbing, exploring..let’s be honest a girl is hungry there are tons of restaurants and bars downtown but my favorite place to hit up after hiking near the James is Legend Brewery which has a big porch outside that looks at downtown Richmond. I love the beers, I normally get the flight to taste a little bit of everything and their food is pretty good too!

Don’t get me wrong I have tons of favorite warm weather activities, especially in the Richmond area this is just my most favorite…post to come with MORE spring time activities in RVA :)

Cheers to Spring and Hallelujah! 

Spark.

I recently had a few minor mental breakdowns in the past couple of weeks. Trust me when I say they were minor cause, I have had full blown major earth shattering breakdowns and these were very very minor. 
These aren’t in any sense physically harmful but let me tell you something they are mentally, spiritually, and emotionally exhausting!

Let me explain…do you ever have one of those days..weeks …or maybe you have felt this way your whole life…where nothing seems to be going terribly wrong but you’re just stuck. Maybe your career isn’t as gratifying as it used to be, your favorite workout class has lost its luster, your favorite beer doesn’t taste as good as it used too, or Lord help you, if your bedroom life seems to be suffering. 
Like I said it’s nothing detrimental to your physical or mental state but your emotional state is just blah.

I think I finally figured out what causes this rut. My constant need for more. Hear me out.  I would love to see my friends MORE. I would love to travel MORE. I would love to feel MORE satisfied at work. I would love to try new things MORE. I want to listen to music MORE. I want to spin MORE. I want MORE free time to myself. And I know some people are thinking then just do it, quit whining and make time for these things. 

However, it is so much easier said than done! Do you ever work a full day, didn’t really accomplish that much and then come home and are exhausted…why is that? Where did my energy go? Did my work chair just suck it right out of me??

No. I lost the spark. Your spark is what keeps you going, it is how you thrive. Doing what you love keeps you going. Surrounding yourself with things you love. Negative energy is a real thing. I hate that I am 25 and just learning this. But living, working, or surrounding yourself with negative energy really will suck the life out of you.

My question to you all is how do I get that spark back. Am I just being a whiny millennial? Am I just being a brat cause I don’t have time to sit around listening to music and drinking wine? How do you find the time to keep your spark?

Please don’t take this next comment as preachy, it is more so a reminder to myself, you NEED to find those things to look forward to: finishing a project at work, mastering a new recipe, killing that sprint set in your spin class, whatever makes you happy and encourages you to take it to the next level and not just to slide out of your comfort zone but to full on PUSH you out of your comfort zone.  

In the famous words of Nike..

Just Do It

Cheers to 365!

So I want to give fair warning this is going to be a gushy blog post...they aren't normally, so if this is by chance the first time you are reading this blog please don't let this you deter you from reading my other posts!

Today is just extra special for me!

So today the boyfriend and I are celebrating a one year anniversary...yeah yeah I know most of you just rolled your eyes and are like "okay cool, I've been with my boyfriend for four years" and that is awesome for you guys..that's also because most likely you are a normal human being.

I, however, am not.

One year getaway at Castle Hill Cider in Keswick, VA

I will be the first to admit..I am completely ridiculous. I am moody, whiny, frustrating, and down right stubborn. The amount of times I have been irritated but not even sure why is way too many to count! So for me to not only find someone to tolerate me for up to a year (that isn't family) but is a good looking, smart, determined young man is incredible. And is absolutely 100% something to brag about..and celebrate!!

Let me tell you about this kid, he is something special, real special.

So we met back in February 2015, our first date was one for the books. 

We had brunch at a local spot and the kid could not be outdone. 

You know how on your first date you do the small talk -

Where are you from? 

Do you have any siblings? 

How do you like Richmond? 

What's your favorite color?

..blah blah blah. 

Well we get passed that stuff and we get to the 

Tell me a time you did something crazy

 Tell me your favorite place you have ever traveled

 If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?

 Tell me the dumbest thing you have ever done

Well they are typical questions I ask. 

Of course I have my stories already picked out but this kid, out of no where has to top every answer I have. He's done something crazier, he's done more of it, he's been further away..GOD it was irritating. I was done. 

I was like no way, this kid is a showoff. 

Turns out his confidence, need for adventure, and life experience is one of his most attractive qualities!

Well fast forward a few months and several MUCH better dates, he asked me to be his girlfriend! Want to hear how ridiculous I am...I even gave him 24 hours to back out of it!!

Well thankfully, neither of us backed out and 365 days later here we are :)

This post isn't just to inform you all that I am celebrating a one year anniversary..cause lord knows that is lame... but it is more of a huge thank you to the boyfriend for all the incredible adventures, the hand holding & shoulder to cry on, the love & support, the push when I needed it, the laughs, and the journey that has been this past year.

Cheers to 365!

AHA! Moments...

I have never claimed to be a wise person, my most inspirational conversations usually happen in a bar bathroom or after a full bottle of wine and I start speaking like Yoda.. “move on you must girl” or “better men you will find”. 

With that being said I LOVE inspirational quotes and sayings. I come across one every now and then and it gives me body chills. I am like this is great, I was never motivated before, now I am. I also LOVE life lessons, when someone tells you something or you experience something then your whole life seems to make sense….you ever have one of those moments? Where you are like AHA! This is why I am the way that I am!!

Well I have compiled a few of my favorites…don’t get me wrong, these could do nothing for you, but they are just little statements (6 to be exact) that allowed me to have AHA! Moments and form some sort of clarity to this hot mess express I have been riding..

1.       Listen before speaking…this was a revelation to me. This leads me to believe that people out there have something more important to say then I do. Blasphemy! Well they aren’t wrong, you have two ears and one mouth for a reason. Do double the amount of listening that you do speaking…this my friends, is life changing.

2.       Celebrate progress… we so often focus on beating ourselves up when we CAN’T do something and we aren’t celebrating when we CAN do something.  I got out of bed today. High Five.  I didn’t kill anyone on my way to work today. High Five. I made it to Friday and haven’t quit or gotten fired. High Five!

3.       Don’t burn bridges…this one was tough since I hate people. Well not all people but most people. Some people are stupid and sometimes you just want to tell them they are being stupid. Well don’t. Whether it be a friend, a coworker, your waitress, your boss, a family member…don’t mess up that relationship. Because 10 to 1 the Universe will place them back in your life at some point and get a good laugh…don’t let the Universe laugh at you! I believe everyone comes into your life for a reason, either to teach you a lesson, for you to gain an experience, or honestly to teach you patience. Learn that lesson, hold your head high, mumble curses under your breath and move on.

On the other hand, there will be people who come into your life and you won't be ready to walk away from them…they are your champions. Recognize them. They are the people who support you after you mess up a big project. The people who help you make the deadline. The people who help you finish the bottle of wine so you don’t experience that terrible hangover the next day.  Every time you see them thank them for being there…cause when the going gets tough…they are the ones you want to have around.

4.       Try new things…dip those toes in the water! People who are too scared to try new things piss me off. You will never know unless you try. Don’t be a “what if person” , be a “I’ve done that person” those people are way cooler, are way more interesting, and are usually way more attractive. Be that person.

5.       Personal Brand. This is something that was seriously an AHA! Moment for me. What do you want your brand to say about you…for awhile from looking at me, mine said..homeless - and for someone who is not homeless that’s not the way to go about it. What do you want your brand to say about you…go out there and dress the part, act the part, live the part. 

The advice part comes in here…cause I know you were dying for my advice...don’t live someone else’s brand. If you're not sure where to start that is fine. No one builds their brand overnight, it takes time, patience, and commitment. Don’t copy someone else style, choices, opinions cause you want to be like them. Your style, choices, and opinions are unique to you and probably way better than what’s her face anyway!

6.       Let Mistakes Go. Life isn’t perfect. Alright  let me repeat that one…we are on the last one so this is the big one…FOCUS…Let Mistakes Go. Shit happens. Life doesn’t always going according to plan. We fuck up every now and then. The great people, acknowledge it..laugh about it, make a meme about it, send it to all of their friends, learn a valuable lesson and move on. It’s how we come back from those lessons that makes us absolute rock stars. Be a rock star.

And just for fun BONUS one.  LOVE. When all is said and done love the people who are in your life. They are amazing people..if they weren’t amazing you wouldn’t keep them around. Love your friends. Love your dog. Love your family. Love your significant other. Love everyone who has made your life better somehow cause love is all that matters. Just simply..love more.

Cheers! 

x