So it has been 5 years....

I always meant to keep up with blogging because it is such a release for me and something I truly enjoy. I got to share things I enjoyed and while I hoped others would read it, it was more of knowing it was out there that brought me joy. It also kept me more in line with my reading goals, trying new wines, different recipes, and pretty much just keeping me out of my comfort zone. I thought about the blog over the years, but man time sure does fly by. In that time I also thought about my two boy's getting older and both playing baseball, my oldest also playing water polo. I became a mom that wrapped her identity completely in her children's activities and honestly if you'd asked me anytime recently what I enjoyed doing, I'd say reading and change the topic.

This last rolling year has made me reevaluate a lot in my life and as lost as I feel right now, I have decided to start the blog up again and see where I evolve. These last twelve months have brought the deaths of two beloved pets that I had had since they were young, my grandmother's death to which I am still in immense pain over, and the straw to break the camel's back......my mother's death a little over 3 weeks ago. I am broken and right now I do not know if it is beyond repair. My mom and I talked a couple times a week for often 2-3 hours at a time and I think that adjustment of not being able to call her has messed with my head more than anything. As I sit here right now, I have the inclination to pick up the phone because I know she'd be so happy to hear from me and interested in whatever I had to share. I'm 36 years old and I no longer have my mother.

Reflecting on that, it is also important to list what I do have because I AM grateful for that. I have my husband, my two wonderful boys, my sister, my dad, nieces, nephews, mother in law, my father in law, two sister in laws, a brother in law, a wonderful extended family, and a beyond incredible group of friends who keep my head above water just as I feel like I'm slipping under. Thank you for reading so far if you have and if you haven't I can't blame you lol....but I can tell you that this was my reintroduction post and that I am just going to jump back in. I have a lot of books to get back to reading and reviewing, new food and cocktail recipes I'd like to share with you, and some new wines that you just might enjoy! Stick with me....somehow, someway I will find myself again.

My review: The Andy Cohen Diaries

   


   I recently finished The Andy Cohen Diaries and it was just what I needed right now! I have been struggling to getting back into making time to read lately and this had been on my "to read" list for a while, so it was the perfect choice for me! I am a big fan of Andy Cohen and if you enjoy watching him on t.v, this book is definitely for you.

   Andy shares his day to day experiences and a lot of funny stories that grab your attention. He definitely does not disappoint when it comes to sharing stories about the celebrities that he knows and stories about what goes on that we just might not catch on Watch What Happens Live. While yes, it is shallow and completely first world problems you are reading about, it is nice to sometimes just check out from the stress in your life and read about someone else's life.

   The book reads just as Andy speaks, so really you can picture him saying everything, which makes it even better in my opinion. There are so many parts in which I just literally laughed out loud because Andy is so completely open with everything going on in his life. His snarky comments were especially entertaining to me as I think many can relate to thinking similarly at times, just not actually saying it out loud. I think the book was enjoyable overall and I would definitely recommend it to my friends as a great book to read by the pool or take on vacation.
 
 

It has been a while....

I feel really awful that I have neglected this blog that I really do love for so long! I've been thinking in my head about all that I want to say and share....and finally today I decided I just needed to bite the bullet and just share. It's been a very challenging last year and instead of embracing my business and hobbies, I have thrown myself into my boy's activities completely. Their sports and other activities are incredibly important to me and I enjoy them, but I feel like I have lost the spark that I had for anything outside of that.

About a year ago I was at a point were publishers were regularly sending me books to read and review and I was really growing in that aspect of becoming a credible reviewer. Randomly getting a package from a publisher was never a surprise and when all is said and done, reading and reviewing books IS something I have a passion for. I have a stack here right now that I still owe reviews to and I will make good on that commitment! I want to get back into that and see where it takes me and I feel like it was definitely the best escape from any stress going on in my life.

My business has definitely been put on the back-burner as well this past year and I am really unhappy about that. All I can do is learn from the mistakes that I have made and move forward and if I really do have the desire to succeed, than it is time to put everything in motion again. I believe in Beachbody, all our programs and Shakeology, and it is just about helping others reach the goals that they have set. I am going back to the basics again and just focusing on helping one new person a day! If I can do that, then I know I will be making a difference in this world. :)

In closing, thank you for reading this! Thank you to my followers and to my friends who have stuck by me this last year. I made it a lot harder on myself than I needed to that is for sure!

Starting up the 21 day fix again since I have had some pretty awesome results my last two rounds with it. Let me know if you are interested in join my support group and going through it with us! To my publisher/author friends, I AM going to be carrying your books with me from here on our with me at all times and I am determined to get the books done ASAP and the reviews to you very shortly. :)

I wish you all the best and you WILL be seeing more of me around, I promise! :)

My review of "The One Thing"

I was fortunate to receive a copy of “The One Thing” to read and review from my online book club 12 books and the author Gary Kelly with Jay Papasan. Thank you very much to 12 books! If you are not yet a member, you should absolutely check it out http://www.12booksgroup.com/ .

The idea this book is that in order to the most effective version of yourself, at any given time, it is important to maintain your focus on one thing at a time. The book uses a lot of visual examples which I found to be incredibly helpful in truly grasping the authors point of view.

I absolutely felt that at times the author was speaking directly to me. The ability to stay focused on one task at a time can be incredibly challenging when we have so much distracting us at any given moment. When you write out your daily to do list (and should if you don’t already), there is so much we put on the list that is not actually productive to hitting the ultimate goal that you.

The author used many many examples of individuals who have become successful through having the focus and drive in the field that they have chosen. It is honestly making the choice to make new habits and having the discipline to follow through on the activities that are inline with our “one thing”.

The One Thing does not simply apply to business and career objectives. I believe that it can apply to any situation going on in your life in which you feel needs to be focused on more. I would recommend this book to fellow business leaders, friends, and anyone that is looking to understand why things might not be going the right way for them. After reading this book, I have taken a more direct and concise approach to my business. I am focusing on the activities that are in fact get me where I want to be. This book can definitely change your life for the better if you will simply apply the advice Mr Kelly and Mr. Papasan give.

A Layman's Guide to Managing Fear: Using Psychology Christianity and Non-Resistant Methods review

A Layman's Guide to Managing Fear: Using Psychology Christianity and Non-Resistant Methods was an excellent, to the point, read. I enjoyed the way that the author wrote the book so that it would be easy to understand by all.

The content of the book was based on the fact that anxiety and fear is something that we generate within our brain. Often times it is irrational and not well thought through and I know from personal experience that this is true. I enjoyed the examples that the author used to describe how scenarios can play out in our head and how we fail to recognize how scenarios can play out okay if we would just let it happen.

The religious aspect within the book was also of interest to me because it is not often discussed in anxiety/fear books. I do believe that my friends that are non Christian would not want to read a book with any religious aspect to it, but I would still ask them to look past it in order to receive the overall message of the book. This book was a quick read, but don’t mistake it for lacking substance. It is something I would recommend to friends that battle anxiety and/or fear.

Start With Why review

I received a copy of “Start With Why” to read and review from my online book club 12 books and the author Simon Sinek. 12 books has been a great source of personal development and I am very grateful to be an active member of this group.  This book was a book that I had heard about from other leaders in my network marketing business, so I was very glad to have the opportunity to review this book for the book club.

The basis of this book is that there is more to being a leader than just getting things done. As a leader you need to be able to inspire everyone to take action and to do that you need to be able to reflect your why clearly. Your why is your reason for being in business, the underlying goal you have to help others, your mission in life; Your why can be simply what gets you up every morning and what motivates you to work through the rough patches you will inevitably hit.

I really enjoyed all of the examples that the author used to show examples of businesses having success by following their why and examples of businesses that have been in it for the wrong reason and have failed. Simon Sinek was excellent in conveying these stories to the reader and uses examples of businesses that we are all well aware of (Southwest Airlines, Apple, Microsoft, Walmart, Costco, etc).

I would recommend this book to fellow business leaders, friends, and anybody looking to understand business dynamics (why many fail and few succeed). After reading this book, I have found myself thinking often what is the driving force behind what I do? What gives me energy just when I think I have none left? Very important stuff to reflect on if you want to have a successful business and leave a legacy that others will use as an example in their lives.

My review of Covet by Tracey Garvis Graves

Thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Dutton and NetGalley, I was given the opportunity to read and review Covet by Tracey Garvis Graves. I was very excited to read this book as I am a fan of the author and her other book On the Island.

This book grabbed my attention from the beginning and held it through the end of the book. The basis of the book is a woman who is married and feeling lonely as her husband cuts her off emotionally and is traveling a lot. The woman meets an Police Officer who takes an interest in her as a friend at first, but he begins to develop romantic feelings towards her. She resists the feelings at first, but the loneliness gets to be too much for her and she begins to let herself return those feelings.

The main character of the book, Claire Canton, was very relatable in her emotions and you could not help but understand her feelings and have empathy for her. While the book is predictable in many ways, it was well written and you had a deep understanding of all the characters and what was going on in their head. There was definitely a lot of psychological understanding as to the characters point of views as it switched every few chapters. I felt that it gave the book a little more depth as to how the emotional connection developed between the characters.

I enjoyed the ending of the book and felt that the author did a great job of giving the story a good ending from all of the main character’s perspectives. It was definitely something that made me think and even after finishing the book, I thought of the situation that Claire got herself into and ultimately understanding the start of an emotional affair. It made my eyes mist up at the ending of the book and how it played out in the final chapters. I would recommend this book to fans of the author and those looking for a good book that is an easy read, but at the same time has some depth to the feelings of all the characters.