The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend: Book Review

Last year I set a goal of reading 100 books in 2015. Unfortunately, I fell short of my goal. I ended up reading 73 books out of 100.

Even though I didn't reach my goal last year, I think that setting the goal benefited me because it encouraged me to set aside time to read more, and it helped to remind me that I had other things to do than constantly stream movies and tv shows.

This year I've set a goal of reading 90 books in 2016. It's a bit lower than last year's goal, but still more than I actually managed to read last year.

One of the books that I've enjoyed so far has been Katarina Bivald's The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend. I was first attracted to the book by the beautiful cover and by the comparison of the book to The Gurnsey Literary and Potato Peel Society.

 
The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend lived up to my expectations. It's a satisfying story about both love and books. A woman from Sweden travels to a small town in the US to meet her penpal who has unfortunately died shortly before her arrival. Instead of leaving, she decides to stay, and the townspeople take care of her and put up with her idea to open a bookstore dedicated to her friend. The plot itself seems improbable, but that won't in any way stop the reader from enjoying the story.

If you're a fan of romantic comedies and of books, chances are you would enjoy this book! You can find out more about The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend on Goodreads or on Amazon.

Disclosure: I received a e-copy of this book from Netgalley in order to review it. All opinions are my own, and I received no compensation other than the text itself.

Book Review: The Hard Times

The book that I'm reviewing today is a little bit different from those that I would normally read and review. It's a book called The Hard Times by Russell Scott. This book has a lot going on in it - hunting in Africa, diamond smuggling, life and death situations, and very convoluted relationship issues among the characters.

It's not the kind of book I would usually pick up. However, the author is from Mississippi and portions of the book take place in two towns that I am very familiar with, Meridian and Oxford.

I feel like I need to make an effort to read outside of my book "comfort zone" more often. Being able to do that while also reading the work of a Southern author were what initially made in interested in reading this book (I received a copy from Netgalley to review).

I enjoyed that the book was set in partially in Mississippi, and I found that to be an interesting juxtaposition with the portions that took place in Africa. Writing and style-wise I have few complaints to make about this book.

Although I found it hard to feel attached to the main characters, I think that is probably simply because I felt that I had little in common with them. One is a man who is a doctor and having problems with his marriage and the other is a man living in Africa who is wanted because he has been involved in smuggling and gun running. Very interesting characters, but not the kind I can particularly identify with. Unsurprisingly, I don't think that I was the target audience for the book.

Overall, I can say that the book had a lot of both action and introspection. Even though it's not the type of book that I generally read, I was able to appreciate it.

If you're interested in reading The Hard Times, you can find out more about it on Goodreads or Amazon.

Disclosure: I received a e-copy of this book from Netgalley in order to review it. All opinions are my own, and I received no compensation other than the text itself.

Fit Tips: How to Prevent Hangry Episodes

Recently, I've become more health conscious and really want to take better care of and love my body. So as I think of things that are helpful to me in living healthier, I wanted to share them with you and also get your tips on how you maintain a healthy style!

Since I've been following the strength training workouts in the Women's Health: Lift to Get Lean book, when I get hungry I want food right then or I go into a hangry episode. To combat this, I've started getting serious about planning out easy snacks the night before that I can eat without prep. I try to pack a snack for mid morning and one for the afternoon/pre workout.

Some of my favorite snacks are

Greek yogurt (I'm addicted to key lime Fage split cups!)

Almonds

String cheese

Easy to eat fruits like grapes

Kind chewy granola bars (I'm hooked on the caramel macchiato ones)

Hummus and pretzel chips (Try hummus with pretzel chips instead of pita, you will be hooked!)

Rosemary and olive oil Triscuits

Apple slices and cheddar cheese

What are your favorite healthy snacks and how do you ward off hangry episodes?

January Journal Prompts + Printable

Edit: Updated and completed prompts are available in a printable version through etsy and an ebook version through amazon as of December 2018.

Hello!

January's journal prompts are here just in time for you to get started with them in 2016.

Journaling is a great habit to develop because it allows you to slow down and think. Taking the time to write each day can also help you to reduce your stress levels. Of course, I personally journal because I find it enjoyable, not because I'm looking for any other benefits in it. But, it's nice to know that there are other good reasons for journaling as well.

Writing in your journal does not have to be an obligation that takes all of the fun out of the process. If you want to start journaling, take a look at some of our journal writing resources.

As always, a printable version of the prompts is available at the end of the post.

January Journal Prompts

1. What are you most looking forward to?
2. Three goals for this month
3. Describe your day in ten words
4. Something that you're looking forward to
5. A time you don't want to forget
6. A trip you want to take this year
7. Your top three priorities
8. A list of the places you have visited
9. Do your actions match your words?
10. One thing you learned about yourself last year
11. A change you have overcome
12. A need you can meet
13. A place you have been recently
14. Someone who made you proud
15. A good idea
16. What are your personal gifts?
17. A quote that inspires you
18. A mistake that help you to grow
19. When you feel most rested
20. Words you want to share with others
21. Music that makes you feel adventurous
22. Three words that describe your style
23. The last fiction book you read
24. A project you've been putting off
25. The thing that frightens you
26. A person you would like to meet
27. A change to make
28. Thoughts about today's events
29. One thing you will always do
30. Something new to try
31. Your favorite part of the past month

 Get your printable PDF version of January's journal prompts here.

Have a good start to the new year!

Make sure that you get updates about future prompts by following along with Life of Lovely on bloglovin, pinterest, or twitter.

Edit: Updated and completed prompts are available in a printable version through etsy and an ebook version through amazon as of December 2018.

Fit Tips: Learn Proper Form

In occupational therapy school, we learn the importance of good body mechanics when doing manual parts of our jobs like lifting patients. Good body mechanics is important when working out too! Not using body mechanics properly can lead to an injury that causes lifelong aches and pains. It's important to learn how to do workout moves properly (especially if you're strength training) to not only prevent painful injuries but also to get the most out of your workouts. Here are a few ways to make sure you're doing your moves correctly.

1. Take advantage of your gym's personal trainer
Most gyms have a personal trainer that can help you check to make sure you're doing moves correctly. It may seem expensive to shell out money for a personal trainer, but you only have one body. It's worth paying for a few training sessions to prevent injuries. If you do some inquiring, you may even find out that you get a few free sessions included in your gym membership.

2. Do some online research
You can find great how-to videos on youtube for proper form. Holly Perkins, the author of Lift to Get Lean, has a really helpful website and youtube channel for proper strength training form. Her book goes even more in-depth, but I like having the visual of a video. You can also explore websites like Women's Health Magazine, Fitness, or Shape to learn things like how to use good form while running, how to avoid injuries doing any workout, and how to get the most out of your spin class.

3. Ask a friend
We all have friends that are avid runners, weightlifters, or spinners. Chances are since they love working out, they will jump at the chance to talk endlessly about it or teach you how to do what they do. Just ask them your questions about running form or how to squat without killing your joints. Even better, get them to come to the gym with you and show you.

Hopefully, these tips will get you on your way to injury free workouts! What are your tips for learning good form?

Fit Tips:Set Goals

One of the things that I'm learning through making strength training a part of my lifestyle is the importance of setting goals. It's very motivating to know where I want to be in a month, three months, or six months. Plus, setting and reaching my fitness goals is a discipline I can use in every other area of my life. Here are some tips for setting and reaching realistic fitness goals.

1. Set your goals for fitness and not weight loss
There's nothing wrong with wanting to lose weight when you're working hard at the gym! It can be really discouraging though when you've put in work for a month and your weight hasn't budged. Just because you haven't lost weight though doesn't mean that your body isn't changing and isn't better off for working out. So instead of focusing on your weight, focus on what your body can do and what you can do better this month than what you did last month. For example, right now I'm doing thirty minutes of cardio on my own a few times a week, but I think I could push myself more. So my goal for this month is to up my cardio so that next month I can start going to morning spin classes without being wiped out for the whole rest of the day.

2. Make a plan
Once you know what you want to accomplish, set realistic mini goals that will help you get there. Plan things like when you'll workout, how many times you need to workout a week, or what tweaks to make to your workout to meet your goal. Whatever your mini goals are, write them down and check them off as you accomplish them. This will help you visually see your progress toward your goals.

3. Be kind to yourself
Life happens. There's more to life than working out, so if something comes up and you miss a workout then don't beat yourself. Just be sure that the next day you get back at it. Remember, you're not working out because who you are when you don't workout isn't enough. You're working out because you love yourself and your body and want to feel good everyday and live a long, healthy life.

Fit Tips: Keep Your Shoes Fresh

Workout shoes go through a lot, and can get a little smelly even if you wear socks. Here are some ways to keep your gym shoes smelling fresh.

1. Alternate your shoes.Don't wear the same shoes everyday so they have a chance to dry out.

 2. Spray Odor-Eaters on your feet before a workout to prevent the bacteria that makes your shoes stinky.

3. Sprinkle a little bit of Odor-Eaters powder or any powder with baking soda in your shoes after workouts to soak up any  post workout sweat and odor.

Hopefully these tricks will help keep you from having to throw out your favorite workout shoes too soon! What are your tricks for keeping your workout shoes fresh?