“Sometimes if you let people do things to you, you're really doing it to them.” 

-Gillian Flynn, Sharp Objects

Summary (from amazon books) : Fresh from a brief stay at a psych hospital, reporter Camille Preaker faces a troubling assignment: she must return to her tiny hometown to cover the murders of two preteen girls. For years, Camille has hardly spoken to her neurotic, hypochondriac mother or to the half-sister she barely knows: a beautiful thirteen-year-old with an eerie grip on the town. Now, installed in her old bedroom in her family's Victorian mansion, Camille finds herself identifying with the young victims—a bit too strongly. Dogged by her own demons, she must unravel the psychological puzzle of her own past if she wants to get the story—and survive this homecoming.

What I thought:

Sharp Objects was phenomenal. If you like a good psychological thriller then you will love this.  Gillian has a unique way of creating interesting and complex stories that are so twisted you can’t put them down. I was talking to my dad the other night about the book and I said “who honestly thinks of these things?” Gillian writes about gruesome events that are deep, scary, and dark. I usually don’t like books that are this dark but she has a way of writing that is so intriguing that I couldn’t stop. One of my favorite parts about Sharp Objects is the intricacy of the characters, each one so unusual. WARNING: Not an easy read for the faint of heart. It is pretty disturbing. 

Next up on the list: The Fault in Our Stars 

DIY: Noel Letters

Here is a fun little craft I did a few weeks ago. Easy as pie! 

All you need to do is buy the letters, get some fun paint colors, buy a wicker wreath from Michaels and wa-la! It is the cutest little christmas touch you can add to your home (mine is on my bookshelf), your desk at work, or give it as a gift to a friend. All in it cost me $9.00!

You can buy the letters here for $2.50/e

You can buy the wreath from here, just search wreath and there are all sorts of colors and sizes. Mine was $1.50. 

*A fun idea for the letters is to pick a fun paper that is textured or printed and modpodge it on! 

Book Review: Sharp Objects

Tuesday 10: Benefits to Hot Yoga

I am OBSESSED with hot yoga. I started a month ago and can't stop. I switch off every other day between running and yoga. It has become the best way to get rid of the stress. It is my therapist. 

Prior to starting I did a lot of research. I wanted to know exactly what I was getting myself into. I wrote it all out and decided that I would try it...Here I am a month later and completely obsessed. 

10 Benefits to Hot Yoga

1. Breath- Hot yoga gets your heart rate up. Managing and finding your breath provide relaxation and 

Tuesday 10: Healthy Thanksgiving

So while I was at yoga today my instructor yells this during one of our hardest poses "Just so you know, your average slice of pumpkin pie with whip cream has around 700 calories!!!" WHAT?!?! I mean I knew it was bad...but 700 calories?! That is insane! Now I am all about enjoying the holidays and sulking in all the traditions and foods but I thought why not try adding a few healthy dishes to the list. 

So here are 10 healthy Thanksgiving recipes I found: 

Kale and Apple Salad with Pancetta and Candied Pecans

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Cranberry Pear Wild Rice Stuffing

Greek Yogurt Pumpkin Cheesecake

Baked Sweet Potatoes with Ginger and Honey

Lemon Garlic Roasted Turkey with White Wine Gravy

Green Bean Casserole

Pumpkin Cocoanut Tart

Golden Beet Salad with Toasted Seeds

Healthy Potato Gratin with herbs

Cheers to healthy eating! 

Book Review: My Story by Elizabeth Smart

“I am alive, but I’m not living, I remember thinking as I walked. I am the living dead. I am nothing but a shell.” 

-Elizabeth Smart, My Story 

Summary (from amazon books): On June 5, 2002, fourteen-year-old Elizabeth Smart, the daughter of a close-knit Mormon family, was taken from her home in the middle of the night by religious fanatic, Brian David Mitchell and his wife, Wanda Barzee. She was kept chained, dressed in disguise, repeatedly raped, and told she and her family would be killed if she tried to escape. After her rescue on March 12, 2003, she rejoined her family and worked to pick up the pieces of her life.

Now for the first time, in her memoir, MY STORY, she tells of the constant fear she endured every hour, her courageous determination to maintain hope, and how she devised a plan to manipulate her captors and convinced them to return to Utah, where she was rescued minutes after arriving.  Smart explains how her faith helped her stay sane in the midst of a nightmare and how she found the strength to confront her captors at their trial and see that justice was served.

What I thought: 

 I wasn't even sure what to expect going into this book. I just remember being a little girl when she was taken from my hometown and being terrified that I might be kidnaped. I couldn't decide if I even wanted to read this story but I was so invested in it when it happened that I felt like I needed to. I found the book to be interesting but poorly written. I found Elizabeths strength and hope to be inspiring. She does not go into any detail about her physical abuse, to which I am grateful for, and at no point are you subjected to any of the gruesome details that happened to her. As you embark on her horrific journey you realize how articulate and precise her memory is. She can account for things in great detail. I always had a hard time understanding why she didn't escape when she had the few opportunities to. After reading the book she explains how fear takes over for all senses and she was simply to scared for what might happen to her family. If you overlook the writing the story is phenomenal and inspiring. 

10 winter date night ideas

1. Watch a Christmas classic movie and cuddle up with hot cocoa 

2. Ice Skating 

3. Make soup and then decorate gingerbread houses

4. Decorate Christmas sugar cookies

5. Go walk through a christmas tree seller lot (it smells so good and they usually have delicious hot cocoa) 

6. Host a christmas gathering and do a white elephant gift exchange

7. Go downtown to your local city and look at the lights and store front. (If you are in SLC Temple Square is a must!) 

8. Go sledding! In Utah they have sledding places like (THIS). It's a blast!! 

9. 

Super Soul Sunday

The weekend has been CRAZY. 

Life has gotten so busy lately. 

Its important to be reminded of the little things. 

So here are my super soul sunday quotes, cheers to the little things!

Tuesday Ten: How to stay motivated to exercise during the work week

I really like Lauren Conrad..and I really like the idea of doing Tuesday ten posts. 

So here goes my first one. 

Exercising can be challenging. Add in work or being a mom and mine as well just throw the idea out the window. This last year I have been trying to focus on living a healthy lifestyle incorporating exercise into my daily routine. Here are 10 things that help me stay motivated during the work week. 

1. Make a schedule at the beginning of the week. Every Sunday I sit down and write out what I am going to do each day for exercise and when. Sometimes I will run on my lunch break or head to yoga right after work. Having a schedule keeps me on track and accountable. 

2. Eat healthy! The healthier you eat the more chance you have of actually getting out and exercising. Again, on Sunday I make a meal plan for everyday of the week so that we don't eat out and we have healthy meals to fuel our bodies. 

3. Drink lots of water. My fitness guide used to tell me hydration was one of the most important parts of your daily exercise routine. Our bodies feel better when we are hydrated. If our bodies are feeling good we are more likely to exercise! 

4. Bring your workout clothes to work with you. This ALWAYS keeps me from saying NO. If I have my workout clothes with me I have no excuse to not fit in a quick workout on lunch or head to the gym or yoga studio after work. 

5. Join a fitness app with your friends/spouse/family and add each other. My friends and I all use Map My Run to help us stay motivated. When I see one of my friends working out it makes me want to work out too. 

6. Eat a snack an hour before you exercise. I always like to eat a banana 30 minutes to an hour before I exercise. This fuels the body with carbs that will keep you energized for the workout. 

7. Switch it up. If you do the same thing everyday it is bound to get boring and harder to do. I switch off between yoga and running. This keeps me from not getting sick of either one. 

8. Tell yourself in the morning "I am going to workout today." If you wakeup in the right mindset you are more likely to workout that day.

9. Partner with a friend. Having someone to go with you keeps you accountable and it is more fun. Sometimes at work one of my co-workers will come on a jog with me. I love meeting my friends at the yoga studio or for an outdoor run after work. 

10. Give yourself a reward! Self motivation is key. I think this is what pushes me throughout the week. If I workout a certain amount of times I will allow myself a Starbucks holiday drink or frozen yogurt. Small rewards keep me going. 

xoxo

Part 4 of Wedding Week: The Reception

A day spent with the people you love is always the best kind of day.

August 16th will always be close to my heart.

Thank you to everyone we shared it with! 

WARNING: Picture overload!

.and they lived happily ever after.