5 Things Friday: Wellness Books Edition

Good morning!

I wanted to do something a little bit different than the usual favourites post on Friday. Today, I wanted to share five books that I love in the health and wellness category. If you know me at all, you know that I love anything and (mostly) everything wellness, including everything from spirituality and positive thinking to healthy food and exercise.

Reading is a great way to learn new things and explore various topics. For me, I go between fiction and non-fiction, and although I am currently in a Harry Potter phase right now, these five are my die hard favourites when I want to get back to looking inward.

The Soul Searcher's Handbook was one of the first books I read that's moreso in the wellness slash spirituality category. It dives into everything from types of yoga, healing with crystals, angels and other life guides, chakras, essential oils, and so much more. There are fun quizzes inside the book to help guide you along the way, and tips for keeping a healthy mind and celebrating your spirituality.

Kate Hudson is one of those gals that you just want to be friends with. In this book, she talks about her journey through health, fitness, and the importance of self-love. Additionally, Kate talks about the four pillars of health that include having an intuitive relationship with your body and health, eating well, awakening your body, and the miracle of mindfulness. It is an easy, informative read for anyone who is interested in diving in a little deeper into their mental and physical health.

So, #GirlBoss isn't exactly a wellness book, but it is a bad ass book for women of all ages. Sophia Amoruso is the founder and executive chairman of Nasty Gal (I'm sure we have all heard of that!), and is a story of how she came to be the #GirlBoss that she is. Sophia has tons of insight to the business world, and I especially like reading these types of things from a women's perspective. As well, Sophia talks about how your mind can be a magical thing when it comes to jobs, business, and life itself, and she has a no bullshit attitude which is kind of refreshing - no frills, but definitely one to read.

Miracles Now is an excellent read if you are curious about finding your purpose and achieving more peace in your life. Gabrielle Bernstein has several books that delve into techniques for combating life's problems such as stress, frustration, jealousy, and more. You know, REAL LIFE stuff. In this book, Gabrielle shares 108 tools and tricks you can easily incorporate into your life to help you be more mindful, reduce tension in your life (wherever that may come from), and help you eliminate any blocks that are preventing you from living with more ease. It is a great book to flip through when you need an extra dose of self love, and is a great reminder that you have all the tools you need to change your own life.

Finally, Adventures for your Soul by Shannon Kaiser is another book that includes tools to help transform your habits. It includes motivational mantras such as, "I joyfully put my desires in motion. All of my dreams are coming true." to help you stay on track with your goals. This book talks about goal setting, going on a fear detox, and general ideas for being your best self and living your best life. I highly recommend this book if you also like an interacting read, as it includes various quizzes and journal exercises throughout.

There we have it! Have you read any of these books? What are your favourite wellness and lifestyle books?

5 Favourite Things Friday

Happy Friday, friends!

I am taking this post in a different direction and sharing five things that I have been loving this last week slash two weeks. If you are into the whole favourites posts, let me know in a comment below and I will try to keep them rolling! For those who missed my May Favourites, you can read all about 'em here.

Without further wait, here are five favourites for this fine Friday! Holy F ; )

I tried this aloe vera drink Monday morning after hot yoga. and it was delicious. The watermelon intrigued me (who doesn't love watermelon?), and since it had been a few years since I last tried aloe water, I thought I would give it another go. If you have this in a grocery store near you, I highly recommend trying it! It is sweet, and I couldn't help but think it would make delicious popsicles or ice cubes, too!

Fresh flowers in the house always makes me happy. There is something about waking up to a clean home and a little bouquet of flowers on the table that instantly boosts my mood. I have been getting in the habit of tidying up our space before bed, too, which is also something I am loving! However, when it comes to flowers, I am not picky at all. I picked these carnations up at the local grocery store for about $3 I believe - can't go wrong there!

I have always wanted a big mirror in the dining room, and my trusty handy man delivered! It makes the space feel so much more cozy, and the mirror helps open up the space and add more light. The next project is a headboard, and after that a longer table to put underneath some pictures we have hanging up on the living room wall. Exciting! That being said, I do have to give Ryan the credit since I really only help him stain, paint, or hammer things in. I don't trust myself doing all the cutting and operating power tools (within reason).

Ahhh yes, book favourites! I am LOVING Harry Potter. I just finished the third book, and I have yet to start number four. Yes, I am finding myself making Harry Potter references. I even went as far as calling my mom Moaning Myrtle the other day and thought it was the funniest thing ever. Crazy, right?

These babies! I purchased them after the Goddess Run 2016 and have been loving them since. They feel like running on clouds. Well, supportive clouds, anyway. I used to be a Mizuno gal through and through when I first started running, but now I am definitely enjoying the Asics brand.

What are YOU loving this Friday? Anything I should try out? Talk to you soon! : )

Book Review: Me Before You & Finding Motivation

The other day I mentioned that I had finished a new book in three days.

Well, this is the book, and here is the review of Me Before You by Jojo Moyes.

Me Before You is a story of a quirky girl, Louisa, who finds herself laid off from her long term cafe job. The cafe was her comfort zone, but Louisa found herself at the local employment office in search for something new. What she came across probably wasn't her first choice, but since the jobs were slim, this was the next best thing. Louisa was employed by a quadriplegic man, Will Traynor, and his family to become Will's care attendant for a six month term.

Me Before You is a story full of humour and the love of putting yourself before others - hence the title. Louisa developed a passion for making Will comfortable and soon, this passion turned into a mission to make him happy and motivated for a more fulfilled life after Louisa discovered a secret that the family had been keeping from her. I had my nose so far into this book that I would come racing home after yoga to read chapter after chapter. Ryan would ask if I was ready for dinner. "Sure, after this chapter!" And then two more chapters would go by, I'd be hungry, but I also wanted to know what happened next. Reading about the very REAL struggles that Will encounters puts things into perspective for a perfectly able bodied person, and it truly made me feel thankful for my life and all it encompasses. 

If you are looking for a book that will make you smile and pull on your heart strings simultaneously, I highly recommend this. Me Before You was an easy read because it kept me engaged throughout the whole book. You know when you read a book and are tempted to skim through the pages because it is so slow moving in some parts? Me Before You is not like that whatsoever.

Bonus: they are making a movie based on this book, and immediately after I finished this book I watched the trailer. I cannot wait for it to come out!

Any other book recommendations for me?!

So, let's talk about motivation for a second here.

First things, first. Yes, I am training for the Lululemon Seawheeze Half Marathon. Secondly, no, I have not done any serious running in the last month. At the end of April I had the goal of running 75 miles this month, and I can say right now that that is not going to happen. We have, what, six days left of the month? And I am not even half way there yet.

And I am okay with that! No, for real, I am okay with that.

So, what is my plan now? I am going to be doing yoga two to three times per week depending on my schedule (realistically three would be the maximum, four would be stretching it), and I have been toying with the idea of getting my runs in early in the morning before work. The long run of course is an exception, as this will have to take place either on Saturday or Sundays, again depending on what I have going on that weekend. This weekend, for instance, my long run will probably have to be on Saturday since I will be in Vancouver for a Brownie event on Sunday. It's great to have a plan, but it is great to be flexible with that plan, too!

With that all being said, finding motivation can be hard. Have you ever found yourself motivated for a second and then it's like a switch turns off and suddenly you just feel down and ready to call it quits and watch Netflix instead? I have been there. I get it. While finding motivation can be a challenge, it definitely helps to have an end goal. Having a finish line, whether that be a real finish line during a race or simply something you want to accomplish, can be a great motivator in itself. Talk to people who are involved in the same activity as you to draw inspiration from them. For example, when I first started my running journey I joined a run club. This weekly running meeting not only held me accountable, but also was a good way for me to meet other people with like-minded attitudes and goals. It's hard not to want to push farther and faster around people who are literally cheering you on and wanting to see you go out and beat your previous record time. Right now, my motivation is the Seawheeze coming up and the thought of going on vacation in August (I will chat more about that as we get all the details). Fortunately, I am pretty good at motivating myself if I truly want something, and right now I am looking forward to the Seawheeze because a) I loved the course last year, b) I am exciting to go to the sunset festival with Ryan, and c) I want to kill the run and confidently rock a pair of cut offs at the festival. I mean why not, right?

For those of you who may be interested in the training plan, this is the one that I have printed out and scribbled all over ; )

That is all for today! See ya in the next one.