Tea Time with Hil

Happy Hump Day! Not going to lie, I've been so out of it this week. For one, I'm tired. The past few days I've been trying to go to bed before my usual 11:00pm but I've been focused on finishing a scarf that I've been working on and always lose track of time. Secondly, some weeks, I just feel meh. Not sad, not angry, not emotional. I'm content but just meh. Almost like I'm on cruise control trying to get to Friday. Trying to get to the light at the end of the tunnel, so that I can relax my brain and not have to think about work and what I need to do. It bothers me that I don't have enough time to do all the things but that's not a realistic goal.   I'm one of those people who is always thinking about the next thing, which is good & bad. Good because I'm always prepared but bad because I'm always worrying about the " what if's ". I also tend to be a pessimist in most areas, I use it as a defense mechanism. But having t...

Here I am for the second time today, serving up the tea! Am I the only one who struggles with finding a routine that works? Probably not, but sometimes I feel like I'm on this little Island where time flies by and you can't figure out how to fit everything that you need to do in the 24 hours that we all get everyday. One of my realistic goals for 2020 is coming up with a daily routine and sticking to it. Coming up with a routine isn't the issue, let me repeat the real issue that I hinted in the sentence before, STICKING TO IT . I've been reading article after article and doing my research on how to make an effective daily/weekly routine... so here I am, sharing the wealth lol. First off, I had to ask myself, what areas are you struggling in daily/weekly? For me, I really need a solid morning routine. I'm the person who hits snooze 3 times, then wakes up at the very last second and rushes to get ready... which then causes self inflicted anxiety (because I...

I'm a few days late with my Favorites but that doesn't change the moments I loved last week, so I decided to share anyway! My favorite things and moments include: Ordering Save the Dates for our upcoming wedding. Can't wait to send those out next year! Finishing the Rhythm + Flow  series on Netflix. If you are a Hip-Hop fan, you'd love this show. It's basically like watching the Voice but geared towards rappers. I hope it gets another season. Starbucks Peach Ice Tea Lemonade ! I know it's Fall and everyone is all for the hot drinks right now but I just now discovered this particular drink at Starbucks and it's the bomb. Black Tea. So over the last week or so I've been really loving my hot tea as well. Something about this time of year makes certain things taste even better. Joann's Fabric had a great sale and on top of that, I earned a $5 off $5 reward, so of course I stopped by Friday to see what I could find. Can't pass up a good coupo...

Happy Hump Day! Last Friday I skipped my Friday Favorites because I was in one of my favorites cities, Chicago . If you know me, you know Chicago has a special place in my heart. I took my first trip to Chicago with my Mom when I was in Middle School (#girlstrip) and we've continued to go back over the years. My Mom and I took my fiancé along with us in 2012, and since then, he and I have been back 6 times. Total, I've probably been there 9 times. And no, I don't have any family there lol. Anyway, you get the point, I love it . It never gets old. I often joke that it is my second home, aside from my actual home in my small-ish town that I'm from in the Mitten (which I also love). I'm going to break down why Chicago means so much to me and the things I love to do whenever I go! When we go to Chicago, we always stay Downtown on the Magnificent Mile. There are some pros and cons though. It's pretty pricey to stay directly downtown but you're right whe...

Happy Monday ! Am I the only person who notices how fast time is flying by! Geesh, it's almost November. I'd be lying if I didn't say how excited I am for the next two months though. I love Thanksgiving and Christmas, this is my favorite time of year. I always joke and say I am a Christmas Elf 🎄 , because I truly love the holiday cheer. I mean it's October and I'm already working on my Christmas Playlist. Once November 1st comes, it's Holiday tunes until December 31st (sorry to all family and friends, you have been warned in advance lol). Part of the Holiday Season is buying gifts, at least for me it is. I get so much joy out of giving gifts to my family and friends, finding them things I know they will love! Since I am a true Christmas Elf , I figured today's Tea Talk should be about my gift buying tips and tricks . You don't have to break the bank to give someone you love a nice gift, so let's get into it! The first thing I do when preparing t...

Happy Wednesday ! We are half way through the week and I woke up this morning thinking about the concept of self-care. I feel like self-care has become a huge topic in the last few years but growing up, I don't remember hearing much about the importance of having a self-care routine! Self-care is "an activity that you do to take care of yourself mentally, emotionally and physically". With that being said, I mentioned in Monday's Tea Talk that I sometimes forget how important it is to take care of myself on a deeper level. I've been brainstorming about things I enjoy doing that would double as self-care. I want to make more of an effort to check in on myself, instead of running on E. Here is what I came up with! Doing a face mask ! Simple right? Doesn't take up much time and is a form of pampering yourself. Not only are you taking care of your skin but you get the entire spa vibe in the comfort of your own home. You can find face mask at all price ranges, b...

Whelp, another weekend has gone by and it is Monday once again. To piggy back on my last Tea Talk on Seasonal Friendships, over the weekend I was reflecting a lot on the roles we take on in our relationships with people. As I mentioned in that post, we all take on different types of roles and expect different things from the people in our lives. I tend to be the shoulder to cry on, all in and invested, I have your back, let me check on you during your time of need type of person in peoples lives. This is the tone I've set. Sometimes being all of these things for others leads to disappointment, because it's not always reciprocated. I often end up getting the short end of the stick or let down when I need people to show up for me. I've always been a trusted source for those who know me. People tend to tell me things they wouldn't tell anyone else; they trust me and my opinion. With that, I know it's hard to share certain things and I'm always honored to be that...

Whelp, it's Friday Favorites time again. This particular post allows me to share the things I'm loving. Instead of focusing on all the things that could've gone better, I'm working on reflecting on the things that did go right; big or small. So here we go... My favorite moments and things included: Getting my engagement pictures back from the photographer! They're beautiful, she did such an amazing job. I'm having a hard time choosing my favorite lol. Booking consultations for our wedding cake and flowers for next month. Two more things off the list! Can't wait!  Starting the decades series on Netflix's! There are 4 parts: 70's, 80's, 90's and 2000's. I finished the 70's over the weekend and just started the 80's. Let me tell you, it's good stuff! First of all, I always joke that I am a old woman at heart, so learning all this history is giving me life . Each decade is broken down into 8 episodes. Can't wait to dive ba...

Up until I was about 18 years old , I thought all friendships were meant to last forever . Yes, that may sound silly but from my experience, I hadn't lost many friends. Granted, I've never been one to have many friends to being with, which may be why the friends I do have, I tend to hold near and dear. Growing up, I always had a best friend . I mean a ride or die, we spend all our time together, wearing matchy outfits, kind of friend. I was so grateful for that friendship during that time in my life. I've always been shy and introverted, so making friends isn't always the easiest thing for me. Granted, I had a few other friends of course but they weren't my BEST FRIEND . I remained friends with this person for 10 years. Our friendship lasted from the tail end of elementary school (when we first met) up until the beginning of my sophomore year in college. That's a long time right?!  But just as things begin, things end and our friendship ended 9 years ago, ab...

Happy Monday! The weekend flew by, per usual, and here we are with a new week ahead. Over the past few weeks I have been thinking a lot of about the year ahead and working through unsuccessful goals I set for 2019. Ultimately, I'm hoping to restructure how I set goals, so that 2020 will be an even better year. First off, I have to stop setting unrealistic goals. Sometimes I go into the year biting off more than I can chew. For 2020, I'm hoping to set simple goals that are effective and yet obtainable. So I asked myself, why did most of my 2019 goals fail? After a few weeks of soul searching, I realized it was because I put way too much pressure on myself. I have to start thinking about what goals will really benefit me and my mental health, but also which goals will make ME happy. I have to set priorities and ask myself, what's important?! Often times I set goals like, workout every day... then I look back like, sure, I'm totally going to go from barely working out ...

It's October ! I can't believe that we are at the tail of end 2019 already. First of all, I love the Fall 🍁which I mentioned in my weekly favorites last week, so I'm all for the fact that it is October.  What I'm not all for is the fact that it has felt more like Spring lol. I need the leaves to begin to fall, chillier temperatures (but not freezing), sweaters, scarves and way less rain. Then it will feel like Fall to me.  On the other hand, it is starting to get darker earlier, which usually is a true indicator of Fall.  Daylight saving is around the corner, and I can't pass up an extra hour of sleep.  Something about transitioning into a new season makes me so tired, it's like my body is trying to figure out what the heck is going on. I'm hoping in the upcoming weeks to get back in the swing of things and get my Fall routine going! Slowly but surly it'll happen. Never fails that I'm always a few weeks late to getting in the groove of seasonal ...