Book Review

Hi friends! How's it going!? It's been awhile since I've been in touch and I'm sorry for that. I love this creative space that I've created but I've just had a lot going on and frankly, I'm just tired! It's hard after a long day at work to stare at a computer and write. I end up putting words on the screen that in my opinion, are lackluster and uninspired. I never want this blog to be that. I'm working on planning my posts and writing them beforehand so I don't have to just slap words to paper.

Linking up with Molly and Katie!

But any who...I'm happy to be back with y'all. Today I'm talking books! I've always been a reader so this is right up my ally. Let me say, these books are pretty dang shallow. I apologize in advance! But like I mentioned before, I'm tired...so the last thing I want is to crawl into bed at night and read a heavy, dense, read. Ya know? Well here it goes!

1. Grey by E.L. James

Okay, I fear the wrath of judgment upon me. I won't sit here and sugarcoat it for you but I love the 50 Shades series. Don't let your mind go to dirty places because I know it is! I'm a sucker for a good mindless read about romance. It's not the most thought provoking book I've ever read but I had no intentions of it being that. So when the book was becoming popular I decided to jump on the bandwagon. I read all 3 books. Twice. I also went to the premiere of the movie as well. I should feel shame, but alas I don't.

When I found out that E.L. James was coming out with a book from Christian Grey's perspective I grabbed it up. It's basically the same storyline but from a different point of view. It gives you insight into what he was thinking throughout the story specifically how much he cares for her and how much his childhood has scarred him. If you liked the 50 Shades of Grey trilogy, you'll like this read.

2. I Said Yes by Emily Maynard Johnson

Dang, my reads are looking for shallow right now. A little background information for you, I'm nosey by nature. Even when I was a little child, I always wanted to be "in the know." So this book was right up my alley. Ever since Brad's season on the Bachelor I liked Emily Maynard. She was pretty, dressed well, graceful, sweet, and kind. At least, that's what I saw from the show. So I was thrilled when she became the Bachelorette. Throughout the years I've followed her on social media and have enjoyed seeing glimpses into her life.

Amazon suggested I buy her book so I decided to give into my nosey nature and do it! I ready it in 3 days. It's a really easy, quick read. It's basically about the pivotal moments in her life and how they have shaped her into the woman she is today. I love how she tied her faith throughout the book as well. It's a good read if you're a fan of hers.

3. Balancing in Heels by Kristin Cavallari

I think we all have celebrity "girl crushes" out there. I mean I don't mean you really have a crush on them but more so you really like them and for me, like their fashion, diets, family, etc. Well that being said, Kristin Cavallari is one of my ultimate girl crushes. She is pretty, fashionable, a health nut, a mama, a wife, etc. I just love all that she embodies. So when Amazon suggested I preorder her book, I listened. I read this book in less than 24 hours. Yep, kid you not. That being said, I didn't stop, drop, and read...it's somewhat of an easy, quick read. It's formatted less like a novel and more like magazine if that makes sense.

She goes into detail about her family life, her journey to health, fashion, beauty, and business ventures. I particularly enjoyed the sections that focused on diet and fitness. She even includes some of her healthy recipes as well. I made the "caramel" bites and ate them up! If you have an interest in Kristin or want to read about her wellness passion, I think you'll enjoy this book!

I also have some books I've started and plan on finishing shortly...

1. Unqualified By Steven Furtick

2. The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd

3. FINALLY finishing The Last Anniversary by Liane Moriarty

...so stay tuned for my thoughts on those books after I wrap them up.

I love reading! It's a great way to escape what's going on around you and focus on another world. What are your favorite books? What books should I read next? Happy Hump Day!! xo

Friday Favorites

TGIF!! Can you believe it is already March 18th!? I surely cannot. I think time moves a whole lot quicker when you work at a desk job all day. Spring is in full gear here in Charlotte. It's warm during the day with the sun out and the mornings and evenings are cool. I love this time of year and would be perfectly okay if it was like this year round! But unfortunately, this will be short lived and the unbearably heat will be here. Sigh. Well, I'm soaking it up while I can. Anyways...today I'm linking up with Andrea, Narci, and Erika for Friday Favorites. 

ONE 

On Monday I shared a day in the life of moi. It was pretty much an ordinary day for me...working out, eating, working, etc :) If you haven't had a chance to read it, check it out here! I've been working on a post that documents what I eat and how it's made me successful in weight loss, so this post gives you a little preview. 

TWO

 On Tuesday I got Kristin Cavallari's book. On Wednesday, I finished her book haha! I read it so quickly. I really enjoyed it. I've had a girl crush on her since back in her Laguna Beach days (aging myself, here). She has great taste, eats healthy, and is a business woman #girlpower

It's a really quick and easy read. I've been working on a book review post so stay tuned for a full recap!

THREE

I saw this post while mindlessly scrolling through Instagram the other day. It spoke to my heart because it's what I truly believe.

I know that someone out there needs to read this and someone needs to hear this. Your happiness is paramount. Nothing else nor no one else can make you happy until you love yourself. I talked about my revelation about this here. If you haven't checked it out, you should. I talk about how I'm dating myself and what impact that's had on my life. 

FIVE

   Well, if you follow me on Instagram and/or Snapchat the "cat" is out of the bag! I have a new family member...

...Gigi!! Look at my little nug! Gigi fell into my lap. My friend, Sara, has a frenchie, Winston, who she (and me too!) adores. The breeder had mentioned that she had a 1 year old pup who she had purchased to breed but ended up being too small. She's out of the puppy phase, potty trained, and crate trained. I was intrigued. Fun fact about me...when I've made up my mind I move quickly. I'm very decisive and once I decided I was going to get her we packed up on Saturday to grab her.

She's pretty shy but at the same time spunky. She snorts like a pig when she's happy, when she eats, and even when she's pouting. She hasn't quite figured out how to tell me she needs to potty and she refuses to walk on a leash. Straight. Out. Refuses. But she's mine. She's my little piglet and I love her to pieces.

All the dog mama's out there...any tips, secrets, ideas, etc. I should know? I had dogs growing up but this is my first pup all on my own! I would love to hear any suggestions.

My weekend will be pretty low key. I have a lot of meal prepping to do, cleaning, adult stuff...blegh. But I also plan on spending a lot of QT with my little piglet. Oh how life has changed!! What are y'all up to this weekend? Are y'all having beautiful weather like Charlotte? Have a great one, loves! xo

Friday Favorites

Hola amigos! Happy. Freaking. Friday! Phew, this week was a doozy. Nothing in particular happened but it seemed to go by at a snail's pace. Speaking of, the other day I told my coworker that he was moving as slow as pond water and he busted out laughing. Please tell me I'm not the only one who says this saying?? Okay, I digress. Today I'm linking up with Andrea, Erika, and Narci for Friday 

Favorites!

ONE

Ahhh, how fun it was to a) blog unusually on a Tuesday and b) reminisce about my childhood to link up about our home towns. Andrea posted Google Map pictures of her childhood homes and I thought that was a great idea! I was sad I didn't have a picture of my childhood home to share. It made me realize that when I go home next I need to take a good picture of my home so I can remember it forever. Well Google Maps was a FAIL. I screenshotted it with the sound box showing and you can't see my house AT ALL. Sigh.

TWO

Tuesday, March 8th, was International Women's Day. Even though I believe we deserve and need way more than a day a year, it's still an incredible opportunity to recognize the strength, courage, intelligence, etc that women possess around the world! It got me thinking about the women I surround myself with and how they impact my life. Here are a picture of my closest girlfriends from college...

...thinking about it I was floored with how much we embody about the strength of women. For instance our careers (from left to right), Vet, Lawyer, Nurse, Engineer, and Finance. Wow, how incredible is that? I'm so grateful that I surrounded myself with such intelligent and ambitious friends.

And I would be doing a disservice if I didn't mention my fabulous Momma! My Mom has taught me everything I know. She is strong yet gentle, smart yet humble, and selfless yet tough. I love her and appreciate that she taught me that being smart and being a strong student was okay. I love you, Deeds!

THREE

I mentioned it last week but I've been working on a post that breaks down what I eat on a regular basis. I think it's a great way to keep myself accountable and possibly give y'all some ideas to switch up your routine! Well spoiler alert...one thing I eat a lot of is sweet potatoes. I adore them. I feel like I'm cheating when I eat them! One of my favorite ways to eat them is sliced up and roasted. I blogged about that here. But keeping it real, when I get home after work I don't feel like spending 45 minutes prepping and roasting them because I'm tuckered out. So I've been eating them whole and cooking them in the microwave. 

I was talking to my trainer about how to eat them. I like mine with butter and salt but I know that butter is so bad for you and high in calories! So not knowing what to do, I've just been eating them with salt, which is fine but I felt like there had to be another solution. So she suggested coconut oil. Now let me stop you first, yes coconut oil is very high in calories, but it will take you approximately 5 seconds into researching it to find how good it is for you. Don't believe me? Check here, here, and here. So I tried it and GUYS I'M OBSESSED! It's seriously so delicious and in my opinion, better than butter. Shoutout to my trainer, Sara, for the tip!

FOUR

I realized this week that this month 2 years ago I had an experience of a lifetime in Russia. I am constantly amazed by how quickly time passes. Such sweet memories with great people. I blogged about my trip here. 

FIVE

By far my favorite of the week is being down 5 pounds since I kicked off my wellness journey! I am so proud of myself for dragging myself out of bed at 5 am to workout before work and for making healthier food choices. It's not easy but it's doable and I feel better. 

I feel like I've been able to strike a balance between wellness and maintenance. I've found a schedule and food choices that are applicable and realistic for my everyday life. I don't feel starved or deprived by any means. I can't wait to share some of my changes moving forward! In the mean time, check out my Workout Wednesday post where I show y'all one of my workouts and a wellness tip for the week!

Happy Friday from my little buddy, Winston! I hope y'all have a great weekend and see you back here on Monday! xo

Show & Tell Tuesday: My Hometown

Lauren, blogging on a Tuesday? It can't be! Oh but it is, my friends! I've been on a blogging roll this week and why jump off the train? I thought it would be a great opportunity for me to share a little about my hometown, the town that raised me, and link up with Andrea for Show & Tell Tuesday!

So at the beginning of my blogging life I blogged about my move and what brought me to Charlotte but I never went into depth about my hometown of Irmo. Oh yes, my hometown has such a beautiful name...Irmo. Sigh. But before I get ahead of myself a little bit of background on where I grew up.

So I technically wasn't born in Irmo, I was born in Raleigh, North Carolina. My parents built a beautiful home there and planned to have roots in Raleigh forever until life had different plans. When I was 4 years old we packed up and moved to Irmo for my Dad's job. I don't have any photo albums in Charlotte with me so I have to work with what I have via Facebook, but this is a picture of 3 year old (sassy) me and my cousins on the front steps of my Raleigh home...

I cannot get over my sassy stank face or that dress haha! In case you're confused I'm the one on the right ;) There's very little I remember about our time in Raleigh, which is why Irmo will always be home to me. Irmo is a suburb that is right outside of Columbia, SC. There's not much there other than neighborhoods, a mall, chain restaurants, and lots of schools. It is a popular area for people to live who commute to Columbia for work. Irmo is admittedly a horrible name. It originated from the two city founders first two letters of their last names combined. Irmo sounds like a hick town but it really isn't haha!

After only a couple of months of living in Irmo, I started elementary school and quickly became acclimated to a new city.

Here's a picture my Mom snapped of me getting off the bus...

 

My neighborhood was up and coming and full of young families with kids my age. It was an incredible place to grow up because you always had a friend to play with. We always had a ton of fun! P.S. I'm the stinker on the right.

It's crazy to me because even after all these years I still stay in touch with my friends from my neighborhood in Irmo even though we all split in our different directions...Charleston, San Diego, Charlotte, etc. 

As I grew up and went on to middle and high school I started to make friends outside of my neighborhood. I think when I look back at my years in Irmo the memories that will stick out to me will be Friday night high school football games...

...spirit week...

 

...just goofing off with my friends...

...school dances...

...being a nanny...

...and graduation.

I think a common thread of all of this is that in the end, my hometown really isn't a particular place, it's where I have all my memories. My hometown is truly when I'm with my friends and family. It sounds cheesy but it is so true. I didn't have this realization till after I graduated college. What I missed the most about going home was being with the people I love, not the geographical location. And here I am now, typing this in Charlotte, North Carolina. I would've never expected this but alas life always has a way of surprising us. Will Charlotte become my new hometown? You know, I'm not sure. I would love to dig my roots in deeper but I can't do that yet, I have a lot to figure out first. In the mean time, I'm loving Charlotte and taking it one day at a time!

Well, there ya have it, a little bit about the towns that raised me! Not to mention, a lot of not so cute pictures of Lauren growing up haha! I hope y'all have a terrific Tuesday and see you back here tomorrow for Workout Wednesday! xo