Motivation for Your Monday

I hope your Christmas was wonderful! We had a great time with lots of family and friends that included parties, Christmas celebrations, late nights, early mornings, and lots of good food! Now, I am ready to sleep, sleep, sleep. Funny, but a nap is definitely in my schedule for today- along with a few meetings and lots and lots of writing.

This 27th year of life has been pretty incredible for me and for a few other people out there as well. Personally, I have accomplished a few personal goals like hiking on the Appalachian Trail and conquered some fears like speaking in front of 1,500+ people. The hubs and I have also started on a few projects that we are so excited to see completed and in a few months the gala that I am chairing will help raise a lot of money for kids!

Goodness, it does feel like this whole year has been a life changer and now I am so excited for the next. And as for motivation, both of these videos are incredible. It is simple amazing what people are capable of doing! This is a great reminder that when we come together and work for good, there is no limit to what we can do. And hopefully, this will help you make some great new goals for the new year, just like it inspired me :)

So, what has been your favorite part of 2014 and what are you looking forward to in the coming year?

October Book Club and September Reads

Well hello there October! I am not quite use to see you around here. It amazes me that September has come and gone and we are into October already. I know, broken record. This seems to be my exclamation at the 1/3 mark of every month: "whoa! how did we get here? I am pretty sure it is supposed to be January still." You have already heard it about nine times now, and I am sure you will hear twice more before we welcome in another year.

But, we have more important things to talk about today than those long days and short years. Today is about books and books we have read or are reading, to be more specific! For those who have been following since August, you know that I have started up a book club with some friends and invited the internet to come along. Last month was book number one. My selection. We Were Liars. I had heard next to nothing about it other than it was a must read and to look at no reviews until I was finished. For this reason, I will have my review in a well marked "spoiler" area at the bottom of this article. You have been warned.

For those who are considering reading it though, I will say that it is good for those who like a mystery. If you like romance or rom coms or anything happy and Sophie Kinsella-esque, prob not for you. Otherwise, read it for sure you Withering Heights lovers!

Now, for October. Since it's October, spooky month of the year, and since Gone Girl has been released, the girls decided together that we should read it. Yes, Gone Girl is October's book of choice! I have been wanting to read this one for a while and have picked up and put down a few other books of her's in the past... "Her's" being author, Gillian Flynn.

After reading the book we will all go to dinner and the movie together. Oooo, I cannot wait!!!! What makes this even better is that the new [massive] mall is opening super close to us and there are so many new and yummy places to go to eat. And, since I have learned that food drives me more than most things, a new place to eat with friends sounds like the. best. thing. ever.

We will be seeing the movie in early November and I am thinking the review will be up after watching the movie and so we can have a movie + book review of awesomness shortly after. That means you have plenty of time to read-up before we talk about things next month and the article will be a 3 for 1! So far I am about 25% through and thinking, "hm, pretty good." But, my friend just finished it and her text said, " omg omg omg omg omg omg omg ." So I'm thinking it gets way better. Interest piqued? Go read it!

And for some We Were Liars spoilers.... Ready?

Spoilers! We will talk the ending of We Were Liars here.

Ok, this book was a quick read. There are still some things that I am confused about but my main response is WHHHAAAATTTTT?!?!?! Seriously. Ok. How? What?

Yes, I think that sums it up quite well. Oh, and also THE DOGS?!!!??! Ok, that sums it up.

First off, anyone who saw that twist coming without knowing anything about the book is a modern day Sherlock Holmes. Congratulations, now don't do heroin. For the rest of us, I think a re-read may be in order. I mean really, was everyone just playing along with her or were they completely unaware of the crazy going on? I don't know. I do know, however, that looking back, it is soooo obvious. That's why they were so freaked about her jumping off the cliff and why they never got her gifts and why they never went to dinner with the fam! It is also the reason no one called her- something that seriously angered me when I was reading it.

Oh, I just feel so bad for Cady. How awful knowing that everyone you truly love is gone and it was your idea that got them there.

Really, why could they not just get out, then light the fire? whhyyyyy? Also, check the rooms for dogs. Also, not be drinking before doing something so dangerous. What makes it even worse though is that the act produced the desired outcome. The sisters no longer argue, Grampa still plays sides but is nicer about it at least, and material things do not seem to matter quite as much. 

E. Lockhart did a great job with this one. I loved the writing style, loved the story, and loved the message behind it. Family. Mistakes. Childhood. Growth. Love. Forgiveness. I also liked that the protagonist was not really a protagonist at all. She is not someone who you would want the life of or someone who anyone would like to embody. She made some serious mistakes and was a bit self centered. Sometimes, we need a few examples of how to be by seeing how we should not.

Also the love that Johnny, Mirren, and Gat showed for Cady is incredible. Seriously. Feeling the transition of how I thought of them when they seemed to be leaving Cady out to how I feel about them now is incredible. E. Lockhart definitely took us through the ringer on that one.

The only downside is not seeing the aftermath. I would have loved to see Cadence come to terms with the loss, visit Raquel and Gat's Mom in New York, and read bedtime stories to the little's. I would also like to see her go back to being a blonde and forgive her Dad. So really, I loved it, but I would have loved it even more with an epilogue.

Oh, and if you want some more reading/entertainment, read the Good Reads reviews. They are epic.

So, how did you like it? When do you think the movie will come out and who are your dream stars for it?

6 Health Questions I Do Not Know the Answer To

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There are plenty, and I mean plenty, of ways to find out information on the internet. But, no matter how hard I look, a few questions of mine have still gone unanswered. Like most with a question, my first stop is the internets and it's wealth of knowledge. Unfortunately, these answers seem to not exist or I am at a loss for where to find them. 

I, therefore, set these questions out to the internets. Do you know the answers to any of these or have questions like them? 

1. What is a healthy body muscle percent?

We all know about body fat percentages, BMI, water percentages, and visceral mass, but what about muscle percent? Is there a healthy amount or is it just whatever is left over after everything else is a healthy number? 

2. Should I be sore after a workout?

This one is a little less of an unanswered question and a little more of a question that has many answers, all going in different directions. It also seems to change whenever the mood strikes. Is being sore a good thing for muscle growth like some say, or does it mean we breathed and drank to little?

3. Does height really make a difference to BMI?

It would make sense that it does since BMI only really covers two dimensions and we are three. But, would we have really gone this long in the health industry with something that measures us all wrong? I don't know... we did it with food. 

4. Give me real foods that are healthy and not fads

This is more a statement than a question. I am a bit simple when it comes to food and prefer to stay away from fads and "secret foods that will increase energy and health". I love spirulina and kale and vitamin B12, but there are so many fad mixes and sugar replacements out there; can't we just be healthy without jumping on a band wagon? 

5. Is a gym membership worth it?

We know that working out in groups is better for keeping us on track with our fitness goals, but do gym memberships count as groups? This is something I have been wondering as I have been taking more Orange Theory and Hot Yoga classes throughout the week. Unfortunately, I have found no conclusive data that shows a marked difference between health of non-gym and gym goers to share with you. 

6. What should I avoid to loose weight?

Haha, I tricked you on this one! There is a very good answer to this and one that will have it's own blog post quite soon. People have a predisposition to eat and not eat certain foods from the three categories- fats, carbs, and proteins. One of these three is harder for the body to breakdown and will cause weight gain. Thankfully, close monitoring of how what you eat effects your body, or, a quick genetic test will give you the answer.