Book Worm

  
   It is to my delight that I have found more time to do the thing I absolutely adore; Reading! While enjoying a very beautifully crafted latte this morning, I finished reading Fifty shades of Grey, the first book of a very intense three book series by E.L. James. Similar to most books I fall for, this one ended with such a bang that I felt compelled to run straight to the book store and purchase the second book, Fifty shades darker. Instead, I bounced back to the second book of The Hunger Games series, Catching fire. Much like fifty shades, the hunger series has caught my interest by surprise. In my absolute excitement, I wanted, almost needed, to talk to somebody about what I had just read. To me, the second best thing to reading is sharing your experience with fellow enthusiastic readers and hearing their input. With that being said, I thought that a book club should be put into order. If enough people show interest, I figure we could recommend, discuss, share, and learn about old, new, and upcoming books. (Maybe even coffee talks, who knows?!)
If this is something you would be interested in, lets make it happen! I would love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or suggestions on how to go about this, leave your ideas in the comment box below.
-Brittney

My beautifully crafted latte!

I wish I may, I wish I might.

   I'm sure I'm probably five years behind on this news, but how cool is the idea of an Amazon wish list? If you've ever struggled in deciding what to get a friend, family member, or loved one, worry no more. Not only can you add items from the Amazon's site to your list, but you can also add items from other sites. What makes this so fantastic is that you can search for a person, and if they have a list, goodbye indecision. Sometimes it's difficult to shop for people, so it's always helpful to have a better understanding of needs. Wish list are surprisingly fun to make, and even more fun to look up. Let the wishes begin! :)

Things to remember.....

 

   With age, our memory begins to fail us all. It starts with misplacing keys and leads to leaving the remote control inside the refrigerator. I'm only 22 and my memory has already started to plummet. Fortunately not to that extent just yet, but it would be nice to avoid it for as long as possible. Although it is probably impossible to remember every single little thing, these few things I find important to remember.

-Eat Breakfast. (It's the most important meal of the day!)
-Drink a lot of water. (It does the body good in almost every possible way.)
-Take vitamins/prescriptions. (healthy body, healthy mind)
-Brush teeth. (In the morning AND at night)
-Manners! 
-Smile :)
-Laugh. (even if it's fake, it makes me feel better)
-Physical activity- walking, working out, or just about anything that involves moving the body.
-Stay organized- less room for loss and disaster.
-Birthdays-People love um!
-Appreciation- for family, friends, and loved ones.
-Sleep. zZzZz  (AT LEAST THE MINIMUM)

Tips to help boost your memory: TRAIN YOUR BRAIN!
Listen and pay close attention.
Exercise your body, which will exercise your brain.
Concentration games such as word puzzles, word finds, and Sudoku.
Drink coffee- it is known to help keep you focused, as well as almonds, green tea, and dark chocolate.
Drink wine- has a fun little ingredient called resveratrol that helps boost the blood flow in the brain. (Only about a glass though, because alcohol also kills brain cells.)
De stress- Less to think about.

What are some things that help you remember stuff?

The Happiness Project

 

   It is with much excitement that I finally finished and get to discuss a New York Times bestselling novel, The Happiness Project. Author, Gretchen Rubin, is an average type of gal with a good job, healthy family, and loving husband. Although her life may appear perfect on the outside, she admits that she yearns to become a happier person and recognizes that she is not living her life to it's fullest. Gretchen introduces her journey to happiness in noticing her every day routine and how she began taking things for granted. She states that in doing so, "I had a sudden realization: I was wasting my life." 

That was the day she decided to set up a list of personal resolutions for each month of the year. Starting with January, Gretchen recognizes her faults, insecurities, likes, and dislikes in a journey to ultimate happiness and self discovery. What makes this book a fantastic read is just how raw and down to earth Gretchen is. She is every average American, male or female, who is content with their lives, but thrive for extra excitement and overall happiness. In her journey to "Be Gretchen", she discovers that happiness is not an object, or having everything that you ever wanted, It's a state of mind.

"You are not happy unless you think you are happy."

The entire book is a warehouse of positive ideas and inspirational quotes.  A few fun quotes that stuck with me was ,"It is by spending oneself, that one becomes rich" and "One of the best ways to make yourself happy is to make other people happy; one of the best ways to make other people happy is to be happy yourself." Gretchen didn't need to change her entire life to be happy, she just recognized what made her happy, and ran with it. I highly recommend this easy read to anyone looking to enhance their happiness, look on the bright side of life, and try something different for a change.

Here's how she did it:
(keep in mind, every happiness project is different)

January BOOST ENERGY (vitality)
*Go to sleep earlier
*Exercise better
*Toss, restore, organize
*Act more energetic

February REMEMBER LOVE (marriage)
* Quit nagging
*Don't expect praise or appreciation
*Fight right
*No dumping
*Give proofs of love

March AIM HIGHER (work)
*Launch a blog
*Enjoy the fun of failure
*Ask for help
*Work smart
*Enjoy now

April LIGHTEN UP (parenthood)
*Sing in the morning
*Acknowledge the reality of peoples feelings
*Be a treasure house of happy memories
*Take time for projects

May  BE SERIOUS ABOUT PLAY (leisure)
*Find more fun
*Take time to be silly
*Go off the path
*Start a collection

June MAKE TIME FOR FRIENDS (friendship)
*Remember birthdays
*Be generous
*Show up
*Don't gossip
*Make three new friends

July BUY SOME HAPPINESS (money)
*Indulge in a modest splurge
*Buy needful things
*Spend out
*Give something up

August CONTEMPLATE THE HEAVENS (eternity)
*Read memoirs
*Keep a gratitude notebook
*Imitate a spiritual master

September PURSUE A PASSION (books)
*Write a novel
*Make time
*Forget about results
*Master a new technology

October PAY ATTENTION (mindfulness)
*Meditate on koans
*Examine true rules
*Stimulate the mind in new ways
*Keep a food diary

November KEEP A CONTENDED HEART (attitude)
*Laugh out loud
*Use good manners
*Give positive reviews
*Find an area of refuge

December BOOT CAMP PERFECT (practice what you've preached)

Interested in starting your own happiness project?
Check out Gretchen's' toolbox to get started
www.happinessprojecttoolbox.com