TINDER TRAPPED

online dating. 

i know i know i know. 

i'm clearly a masochist. 

why o why do i do this to myself? oh i know why…i actually listen to my friends sometimes. (clearly i need to reevaluate these peeps. ha.) wait. can i consider tinder online dating? i mean it's just a phone app. hmm. that doesn't make it sound so bad right? 

okay so i'm getting ahead of myself. for those of you who don't know…tinder is a relatively new dating site that is literally only available on smartphones. defined by wikipedia..Tinder is a matchmaking app that facilitates communication between nearby users. It is used for dating as well as other kinds of networking. and for some…that "other kinds" part of the definition is taken literally. if you know what i mean. (i won't go into detail since the mom unit is reading. hi mom.) so i was kindly/forcefully introduced to this app by a friend of mine who's daughter met her current boyfriend through it. it took about 2 months of constant " have you signed up for tinder yet? what have you got to lose?" before i would jump on this highly addictive train. oh and what do i have to lose you ask? well in the beginning i would have said…my dignity, my pride and my overall self worth. ha. clearly those things have gone to the wayside. bring on the swiping. 

how it works. 

so after you download the app you quickly realize it's a facebook trap. yep! you can't have tinder without a facebook account. now some of you may know this but for those of you who don't… i'm not a facebook fan. i had it back in college and once i entered the real world it got a little over the top for me. I DO NOT CARE TO READ TIMELINE UPDATES THAT YOU MADE CHICKEN. ATE THE CHICKEN. PHOTOBOMED THE CHICKEN. AND CLEANED UP THE CHICKEN. anywho, i digress. fast forward to my friend having to literally set up a facebook account for me and teach me how to use it again. yes you read that right. i literally set up a fb account to meet guys. (i'm fully aware of how sad and pathetic that sounds. no need to comment about it.) after a quick fb 101 and 5 uploaded photos later... i was set up and the insanity began. 

now unlike other dating sites i've tried; there is no long drawn out bio section or personality assessment. you literally swipe to the right if you fancy the persons face/body/hair/random life or drinking quotes and to the left if you don't. yep. it's that simple and that shallow. after a few swipes you start matching with people. these matches occur only if both people have swiped to the right. and this is where i have to say…tinder is quite phenomenal. 

so you know how on other dating sites there is this long drawn out back and forth of whether this person likes you or just looked at your profile and didn't say anything. which in turn makes you fully aware that said person thought you were either hideous, poor or uneducated based on your profile stats. well tinder makes it quick and dirty. if someone doesn't like you…

YOU NEVER FREAKING KNOW. HELLO SELF-ESTEEM BOOSTER. 

 if they do like you (or i guess your face) IT'S A MATCH! 

please notice the time…insomnia =tinder swiping
oh and i'll let you keep wondering which one is walter ;)

as you can see…once you have matched with someone you have the option to send a message to your new "friend" or you can "keep playing." i have to admit i've only ever reached out first when wine was involved. hello liquid courage. whoops. 

now i've officially been on tinder for 5 months and been on roughly 12-15 dates! (pause for gasp.) 

and i'm still single. 

yep. that's right. i have not found "mr. right swipe" yet. what i have found is…guys who

-think showing me their biceps in a selfie is a must

-bluntly ask me if i "do" or date white guys….(hello clearly i'm a fan of all races….we were just matched which means i swiped you right fool!)

-have pictures of themselves with a celebrity as if that celebrity is going to be hanging with us on our date or on a daily basis. just because you ran into guillana rancic at her restaurant doesn't mean you are friends.

-start conversations off with "yo girl. what up?" STOP. 

- immediately tell me "i'm new to this online dating thing." aren't we all dude? you don't have to disclaimer anything to me. i'm clearly here too. 

- flat out ask me if i'm here for dating or mating? i mean legit question but can we at least discuss the weather, sports, hometowns and what we like about chicago first?

-say "happy hump day" and then add a wink face. ABSOLUTELY NOT! 

-only have group photos as if they are trying to fool you with trickery and deceit. UMM HELLO I KNOW WHICH ONE YOU ARE. THE ONE WHO KEEPS MAKING A DUCK FACE IN EVERY SHOT. JUST OWN IT. 

last but not least...

- actually use professional head shots as their profile pic. are you kidding me with this mess. i'm not a model agency.

people people people. why o why?

what is a girl to do? will i ever learn? 

THIRTY

so it's official. i'm 30. 

i guess it's time to reflect? 

(which we all know just means me ranting for a few lines. hang in there)

now i'm sure most of you are expecting a doom and gloom post. well i'm sorry to disappoint but i may be the only woman on the planet who is over the moon excited about turning 30. twenty schmwenty! 

i recently just read a quote by olivia wilde that sums up how i feel pretty much to the word. "You're 30: You know stuff now. Your 20s were for 'ducking up,' as my auto-correct would say, and learning from those mistakes. (For instance, never again will I convince myself that sleep is for sissies and go straight from a party to the airport. You will not 'sleep on the plane'; you'll vomit in the security line. Go to bed.)"

tell em' olivia!

what is it about this number that freaks everyone out? i mean i have actually lied about my age. and i'm not talking the typical i'm 21 when i'm not lie. i'm talking about meeting someone who was older than me and actually being embarrassed that i was in my 20's. i'm not sure if anyone else feels this way but it's like the moment you tell someone you are in your 20's they start looking for someone else in the room to talk to. cause you clearly haven't "lived" enough to know anything. am i right or am i right? since i was a kid i have always felt drawn to older friends. i blame my mom. i mean when most kids were eating paste i was sitting in on tupperware parties and singles groups. while they gabbed... i read, crocheted, colored and listened in. silently promising myself i would never do those things. ha! decades later and the view hasn't changed very much. insert knitting for crochet and wine for coloring... no more sitting at the kiddie table for me…i'm 30! let me in! let me in! some of my best friends in the world are woman who could quite literally be my mom.  there's just something about talking to someone who has been through way more than you in the sense of years but can keep it real without mothering you. (you know who you are! xoxo)  

i'm not quite sure what or why it is... but turning 30 just gives me hope. the kind of hope that makes nothing feel impossible. here's my theory…(feel free to ignore. i'm ranting remember!) it's like i was handed a map and a pair of blinders when i turned 18 and was told "now have at it". naturally i tossed that map right out the window and did my own thing. on december 26th of 2013 i got that map back. but this time i threw the blinders out the window and can perfectly see my path and can't wait to navigate. (wow that was deep right?)

i feel like i'm really coming into that time in my life of knowing who i am and what i want. (it's the new year…just go with me. i'm feeling all optimistic and gooey with hope.) the last ten years have been such a roller coaster and i feel like i'm finally coming down from the bumpy ride looking back and thinking…

"man. look how far i've come!" 

as far as i'm concerned 30 can bring it! 

We got this! What up! 

and now for a little thanks…

these last two weeks of birthday celebrations have made me feel so loved by the amazing humans in my life. have you ever had that moment when you are sitting with a group of people you love…look around and you realize that no matter how good or bad things are…you are still truly blessed to have them in your life? well i have had quite a few of those moments over these last couple of weeks and feel like one lucky girl. who would have thought that i would be entering my thirties with some of the best friends i have ever had. i mean come one…isn't it a proven fact that you lose "friends" as you get older...just due to the turbulence that is everyday life? well i clearly have been blessed by the friend angels and blew that theory out of the water.  

oh and here's a bit of a photo dump…                                                        

what my definition of love looked like in 2013

 

NEVER SAY NEVER…I DID AND LOOK WHAT HAPPENED

its happened. 

and i said it NEVER would.





I HAVE BECOME OBSESSED WITH WORKING OUT

say what? 

uh huh…i said it. 




hell has frozen over.



i. tanyel robinson. have become a workoutaholic. 
(for those of you who know me…insert eye roll and loud hysterical belly laughing now.)

i can't exactly pin point the exact moment this insane brain breakdown happened. but i'm pretty sure it was somewhere close to the moment i split my pants bending over during xmas break while digging for extra marshmallows in my mom's pantry. (yep…the marshmallows that already come in the hot chocolate mix i like weren't enough…i needed more. go figure)

this of course lead to me saying what everyone says that time of the year…"i will start 2013 off right…i'm gonna start working out!" 
(after these two cups of hot chocolate that is…the mugs were filled. no one likes a food waster)
now i have always been the girl who has embraced the jiggle. you know…the little extra fluff you tell yourself is "curves" and "bootylicious." well i don't think splitting my freaking pants is what destiny's child was talking about. hello new years resolution.

so 2013 began. i woke up on jan. 1, dusted off the old tae bo dvds and let billy blanks kick my butt up and down my apartment. 
now this is where my mind starts to blow…
to my surprise...i woke up the next morning and did it again. 
and then the next morning….again….WHO. AM.  I?

fast forward 4 months and here we are….up to 5 days a week of working out. 
22 lbs down & 27 inches lost overall and counting...
(oh what's that? oh yes…that loud noise you hear is me cheering myself on!)


now you are probably wondering why i'm telling you this? 
is she bragging? 
is she trying to promote something? 

nope…this is me holding myself accountable. telling myself…"self! you told the world about this little journey you are taking…so now you gotta keep it up!" and that's just what i'm gonna do. 
(oh and by world... i mean…hi mom!)

now i know there are a lot of people who document their weight loss and fitness routines with pictures. well my fellow loveys…i'm not that person. i'm going to do you all a favor and not subject you to pictures of me in a sports bra and biker shorts that clearly make it look like there are two pigs in a blanket fighting. 

you are welcome. 


but what i will do is share with you a few things i've learned along the way…
just in case there is anyone out there that is reading this and recently had a "pants splitting" moment and needs that extra cheerleader in their corner. (i think i'm an awesome cheerleader! fyi.)

(disclaimer: i'm no health/fitness professional…so what i'm about to say…works for me. i have no freaking clue if or how it will work for you! but hey…motivation is motivation right?)


here goes…

my walk to the zumba…not to shabby

1. don't get bored

if you are like me and get bored just thinking about doing the same workout …then don't. change it up. i literally do something different everyday of the week. 

(clearly i take this literally…that first picture is only some of my dvds)

2. take one day at a time. 

i actually don't even think about my next day work out until it's about to happen. i feel like when I've set certain weight loss goals for myself in the past…i hit that goal and start to slack off because i think i'm done. i have come to the realization that this is a lifestyle change…not just a short term goal. 

I WILL NEVER BE DONE

3. reward yourself. 

for every workout i do... i reward myself with something. right now i'm doing tiny rewards…example: i can't watch any of my tivo'd shows unless i have worked out that day. or another example would be…i'm a huge reader…i won't let myself even look at the current book i'm reading until my work out is done. don't be afraid to plan large rewards as well. i have set a 6 month reward of new workout clothes. this may sound a little crazy but hello… have you see the cuteness that is activewear these days. 

oh let me show you

here , here oh and here

oh and did i mention there are shoes involved?

(i never thought i would get so excited about a sneaker…but who am i kidding. a shoe is still a shoe)

4. don't feel pressure to join a gym. 

i feel like when people start working out…they feel the need to join a gym. i'm not sure why we are programed to think this way but it's cray cray. a gym can be intimidating or nerve racking…for me anyway. what i did was just start out at home in my living room. i could dress the way i wanted, look the way i wanted and just focus on the workout and not who was around me or looking at me. let's all be honest with ourselves…we have all been there…you are on the treadmill or stair master at your local  gym and you spot mr. hot or miss hot looking at you…what happens…you become self conscious. you may begin to not breathe as heavily or grunt (i'm a grunter…this is about me after all).  

 Last but not least

5. find one work out that doesn't feel like a workout. 

wait..does that make sense? what i mean is... find something that feels more like you are having fun then working out. hmm…that still reads weird to me. anywho.…my example is zumba. a friend of mine found a promo online one day for zumba at a studio near my apartment. (not a gym! more of a zen place people gather and sweat. haha) a lot of people i know have taken zumba classes and i was hearing all sorts of buzz and rave reviews. so i figured what the heck…let's do this. i had never been to a group workout class before a day in my life. (wait...does going to step aerobic class with my mom in the 90's count? she stepped…i did homework. ah the life of a single mom. :) those were the days.) 

so i had no idea what to expect and just went on in with an open mind. 

AND MAN WAS IT THE BEST DECISION I EVER MADE. I AM NOW ADDICTED. 

(if you are in chicago and wanna check out the best studio and zumba instructor…check out Indigo)

and for those of you who aren't in chicago or you wanna zumba in the comfort of your own home; check out sue's youtube page. amazing videos to help you lose the jiggle. and who doesn't like a little booty shakin' music while you sweat. 

indigo….cute right? so not intimidating.

view from indigo…this just makes me happy!

so there you have it.

whew….that was a little wordy. 

if you made it down here you didn't fall asleep while reading…

hooray & thanks ;)

here's to staying motivated

now let's go show the jiggle who's boss. 

Tunes of Exploration

Is it seriously August already?

Unacceptable.

Have I really been here for 5 months already?

Is it just me or does time just fly by after you turn 25 years old? You know when you were like 15 or 16 and you are literally wishing, hoping and praying that time would speed up? Well I'm at the point in my life were I want to go back to the 15 year old me and give her a good slap and say... "Why are you rushing your life away.
Live.
YOU DON'T HAVE ANY BILLS!!!!!!"

Okay...now that I got that out...



This time of the year is officially crazy mode at work.
(Stylemax...Bridal...etc. dresses, dresses and more dresses galore!)

So whenever i get the chance i make a point to get out and make the most of my time off.
Lately i have been on an 'explore & jam out' kick.
aka:
when i just walk around until i can't walk anymore while snapping pix and listening to my fav tunes.

YES I'M STILL IN "I CAN'T BELIEVE I LIVE IN CHICAGO" MODE.
BARE WITH ME.
IT'S GOING TO LAST FOR A BIT.

Here in the city...or any big public transportation city I would guess; music is all around.
You can't go 5 minutes without seeing someone here with earbuds in or an iPod. You don't realize how much down time you have during a commute; until you don't have a car anymore. who knew)

Well with all this time on my hands; i have started making playlists for pretty much every occasion.
Morning Commute. Evening Commute. Chicago Transite. Exploring. People watching.
did i mention how much i love music?

So I thought i would share with you some of my pix and tunes.
And yes...I'm still insanely obsessed with instagram... enjoy!


Happy Hump Day!

Farmer's Market

1. I Will Wait - Mumford & Sons

2. The Motherlode - The Staves

3. We Owned The Night - Lady Antebellum

4. Everything - Michael Buble

5. Pencil Full of Lead - Paolo Nutini

6. The Maker - Dave Matthews Band

7. You Give Me Something - James Morrison

8. Edge of Desire - John Mayer

9. Demons - Imagine Dragons

10. Dreamgirl - Dave Matthews Band

11. In July - Ernie Halter

12. Daylight - Maroon 5

13. Mr. Man - Alicia Keys

14. Lover to Lover - Florence + The Machine

15. Brand New Day - Joshua Radin 

Discovered I have a farmer's market two blocks from my house. joy.

go to trio

how fresh is your honey?


Beach Walk
1. You are the best thing - Ray LaMontagne
2. We Found love - Rihanna
3. Love - Sugarland4. Brand New Key - Melanie
5. Shake It Out - Florence + The Machine
6. Real Love - Ryan Shaw
7. My Love Is Your Love - Whitney Houston
8. Ok, It's Alright With Me - Eric Hutchinson
9. Princess of China - Coldplay
10. Chariot - Gavin Degraw
11. The Way You Make Me Feel - Michael Jackson
12. Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You - Lauren Hill
13. Crazy Love -Ernie Halter

love a good stoop

walking distance to the beach

and no...I was not on the Segway tour.
But i hear it's great...

More tangled stories to come...
Promise

xo

T

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IS THE NEW MATCH

Now... as many of you may know or have guessed... I'm single. 

surprise surprise. 

a single woman living in chicago. 

groundbreaking.

So naturally every time i walk out the door of the apartment; there is potential that i could meet mr right or mr. right now...

With that said...in my 72 hour jump from suburb to city; I made the decision to sell my car when i moved here and join the nonexclusive public transportation club. {explains #1 & #2 of my previous entry}

what was i thinking? oh right. i'm a horrible driver.

My feelings about public transportation have drastically changed in the past 6 weeks. When i first started riding the bus; i was the scared passenger that didn't want to touch anything, had my cta card out before i even saw the bus {as if the bus driver would not let me on without seeing it first}, never sat down in fear of missing my stop, always kept my eyes straight ahead to learn my surroundings and of course never talked to anyone.

Fast forward to today and BAM! i feel like an old pro. I'm sitting down, card stays in purse until on bus {the wind will blow it out of your hand}, still don't touch anything except the hand rails {that won't change} and i actually look around and see who's on the bus. These may seem like small things to you but they are huge things to me. 

Since i have become more comfortable on the bus i have started to notice quite a few hottie mchottersons ride the bus as well. who knew? not me because i was too busy not missing my stop. 

Well now i've seen the light...

HOT GUYS RIDE THE BUS.

This brings me to why i called this entry "Public Transportation is the new Match.com"

A few weeks ago i got on the bus as usual; settled into a seat and put my headphones on and was enjoying my ride; when "mr. hot" got on the bus.
Now i have seen a lot of hot guys since i moved here but this was different.
Ladies, you know when you see a guy that literally makes your jaw drop, the nervous feeling waves over you and you actually catch yourself staring.
well mr. hot is this for me.
As i'm sitting on the bus trying not to stare i look over at him and realize he's looking at me. yep.
it happened. that moment where you meet eyes with someone and you actually feel like "okay, this person might dig me like i dig them!" 

Two stops later i'm off the bus knowing i will probably never see this guy again. I mean you very rarely see the same people on the bus right?

.....................WRONG........................

Four days later i get on the bus just like every other day. not even thinking twice about "mr. hot". i look up and see him standing at the bus stop as we pull up. in a quick second i swing my bag open. grab the gloss, apply. check reflection in window {wind really isn't friendly to short hair} as best i can. and i'm ready.

mr. hot gets on the bus and starts to walk closer to where I am sitting. I quickly take off my sunglasses {my roommate has kindly told me i look stuck up and high maintenance with them on. thanks.} He keeps walking back and i finally get the nerve to look up and he walks past with a smile. he sits diagonally across from me. after a few time passing glances... my stop is coming up. i get up and start to head to the back of the bus when suddenly the guy in front of me decides he's going to stop without any warning. i go to grab on to the rail when i look down and realize i'm standing right in front of mr. hot. legs straddled and all. Just as i start to get my balance the bus starts to move again and i go to grab the closest signal cord which happens to be right next to mr. hot's head and then it happened....the most embarrassing thing. i hit mr. hot in the face with my boob. i kid you not. happened. {for those of you who don't know...my lumps aren't oranges by any means. melons people. melons.} mr. hot got a face full. in the wake of my mortification i quickly pull back my melon and start stuttering out an apology. " omg i am so so sorry!" and what does mr. perfect/mr. hot say you ask? best thing ever. " oh no. trust me. it's totally fine!"
I cough out a giggle and say "great. thanks!" {what? great tanyel. really?} and off the bus i go.
i have a feeling this counts as a first date right?


So for those of you who may hate or fear public trans....

I have to disagree. who knows.
the next one may be the one.

i consider this an ice breaker. don't you agree?


here's to hoping.
here's to mr. hot!!!
Thanks for making my week.

NFT: Not For Tourist

I have officially been here a month and a half!!! Wahoooooo.
i'm still alive.

A month and a half ago I quit my old job, got a new job, moved to chicago with two suit cases, and started my new job all within 72 hours. Anyone out there that has been wavering on a life change and scared to take the leap...well i'm here to tell ya. step out in faith and it's crazy how things work out.

1st Day

A couple of days before I left Indy; one of my friends gave me a book called
NFT: Not For Tourist.
Chicago edition.
(Thank you L.W)

This book tells you every thing one feels they should know when moving to a different city. awesome right? right!

or so i thought...

Today i have decided that since i have been here a whole month and a half (still feel like a tourist) i should share some of the wisdom i have had the pleasure of learning in my short residency here in the windy city so far...

SO NOT IN THE BOOK!!!!!!!!

1. IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A MAN...

     A. Get on a freaking bus or train. 

     B. Go to grocery stores right after work. 5-7pm. HELLO MAN MECCA.

2. Don't try to look sexy while standing on the bus. YOU WILL FALL. 

3. Any fluid on the ground could be and probably is pee. WATCH YOUR STEP

4. Cvs & Walgreens for wine. They have at least one bottle on sale. 

    Not the time to be a wine snob. do we really care?
    no!
    it's wine on sale.

5.  Last but not least... Don't text and walk. YOU WILL GET HIT BY A CAB.
     THEY DON'T CARE

I'm sure I will have more in the future but for now...there you have it.

words of wisdom for me. Common sense to most.


Happy Hump Day!!!