There are moments when we're reminded how much others love, care, and support us. Some of these moments happened over the weekend at my engagement party. I'm lucky to have my loving, caring, and supportive bridesmaids and true friends. I know you'll all be awesome ninjas on the big day!
Ten months ago I started a book club with some of my dearest friends and our sisters and yesterday was our tenth meeting. I must say it feels like Christmas every time a new book is chosen. Does that make me a huge nerd? Probably. But books are wonderful things (and they deserve an independent post) and who doesn't love an excuse to grab lunch with the girls once a month?
Our reading list for this book club came from those lists published by major universities and newspapers with titles like "30 Books to Read Before You're 30", "Classics to Read Before You Die", "Most Influential Books of Our Time", etc., etc.. I am itching to read them all - even though there are some titles I wouldn't pick up if it weren't for book club. It is all about branching out!
Past reads include: Life of Pi (Yann Martel), The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams), The Stranger (Albert Camus), The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle), Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte), Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass (Lewis Carroll), Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (Hunter S. Thompson), Sons and Lovers (D.H. Lawrence), The Elegance of the Hedgehog (Muriel Barbery), and this month's title is She's Come Undone (Wally Lamb).
I stumbled across this article from Whole Living (one of my favorite magazines) and I felt it worth sharing here. I will admit I struggle with choosing gratitude instead of dwelling on those daily annoyances but I feel it is totally worth it to keep trying to make the right mental choices. This is so much easier said than done - especially when it's comfortable to slip back into old habits (I'm guilty of this, who isn't?) and to cozy up with old friends Self Pity and Negativity.
But that is no way to live a happy, healthy life. I'm grateful for this article:
This past weekend my best friend and I visited Disneyland for the day and I was reminded (once again) how much I love the darn place!
Top 5 Reasons Why I Love THE DIS: 1. I can be a kid no matter what my driver's license says 2. Frozen lemonades in Adventureland and corn dogs on Main Street 3. Laughing uncontrollably on Thunder Mountain 4. Feeling the rush of excitement and anticipation all over again as if I've never been there before 5. Everything else :)
"Open up, everything's waiting for you. You can go your own way (go your own way), you can call it another lonely day..."
One of the most inspiring, empowering songs I know and LOVE is Fleetwood Mac's 'Go Your Own Way'. Even if you didn't just go through a break-up, singing along to this song will make you feel like you can conquer the world! Ok, maybe I'm being dramatic - but it will DEFINITELY make you smile (and maybe do an inward fist pump).
Enjoy the original (my favorite version) and some covers by Wilson Phillips (second favorite), Dolores O'Riordan (lead singer of The Cranberries), and Carrie Underwood.
Ten months ago I started a book club with some of my dearest friends and our sisters and yesterday was our tenth meeting. I must say it feels like Christmas every time a new book is chosen. Does that make me a huge nerd? Probably. But books are wonderful things (and they deserve an independent post) and who doesn't love an excuse to grab lunch with the girls once a month? 
Our reading list for this book club came from those lists published by major universities and newspapers with titles like "30 Books to Read Before You're 30", "Classics to Read Before You Die", "Most Influential Books of Our Time", etc., etc.. I am itching to read them all - even though there are some titles I wouldn't pick up if it weren't for book club. It is all about branching out!
