Best Of – Page 15

Categories: Best Of

2012: A Year in Review

January

I spent the first weekend of 2012 in Orlando, cheering my mom on as she completed another marathon. I went to Disney World with my mom, my brother, my brother’s fiance, and my 3-year-old nephew. It was his first time at Disney World and experiencing this magical place through his eyes was the best. I joined a new woman’s Bible study.

February

My mom and I hosted the Super Bowl party where we happily watched the New York Giants defeat the New England Patriots again. (YAY!) I started attending a boot camp with my mom which was a billion trillion times better than the boot camp I attended at my gym. I got a surprise bonus at work. I reactivated my Facebook account after four months away. I started working with Doniree to move my blog over to WordPress. I babysat my boss’s dog. My mom had a terrible fall during a run downtown that caused a visit to the ER.

March

I launched my blog on self-hosted WordPress with a brand-new design and a new header designed by the extremely talented Ashley of Little Leaf Design. My mom and I shopped for her mother-of-the-groom dress. I went out for brunch with local bloggers (that turned out to be a disaster). I started a low-sugar diet. I spent a day at Busch Gardens with a coworker. I went to Epcot for the first time ever!

April

I colored eggs with my nephew. I went to a sunrise service on the beach for Easter. I had a terrible allergic reaction to a slew of bug bites on my feet. I ran a 5K.

May

My brother got married and I was a bridesmaid. My mom and I babysat my nephew while they went on a mini-honeymoon. My mom and I went on a fabulous cruise! We rode bikes throughout Key West, zip-lined and rode a bobsled in Jamaica, and kissed sting rays and dolphins in Grand Cayman. It was the best week of my life. I got sick right after getting back from my cruise (my only illness of 2012 – booyah!). I started a new boot camp.

June

I completed the Spartan 500 challenge – which is 50 jump squats, 100 push-ups, 150 sit-ups, and 200 burpees all in succession. I went on a movie date with my brother. And I went on another cruise! Zip-lining in Cozumel and spending time strolling through all the tourist-y shops.

July

I started minimalizing my stuff, starting with my room and walk-in closet and continuing through the kitchen, bathroom, and living room. I met Allison and her husband. My mom and I signed a lease for a new apartment. I had my heart broken.

August

I took the entire month off of social media (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc.) and blogging. I had a heart-to-heart with my boss. I booked a ticket to Atlanta. My nephew came over for a sleepover. I had a rough month full of hard changes and setbacks.

September

I took my first airplane ride! I visited family in Atlanta, where we hiked a mountain and spent a fun day at Six Flags. I broke my ankle on said hiking adventure. My mom and I moved into our new apartment and absolutely fell in love with our new little place. My nephew turned four.

October

I started using ProActiv and had an allergic reaction (side note: now using their sensitive skin line and it’s working out great!). I had my one-year review at my job, which went fabulous. My cousin had a baby and she is perfection. My mom and I took Dutch to a pet event downtown for Halloween. My mom and I carved an adorable pumpkin. I disabled my OK Cupid account for a few weeks. I joined a new book club. I had my first therapy appointment.

November

I voted in the election – and cheered when Obama was declared the winner. My mom and I took Dutch to another pet event, where he participated in “Running of the Wieners”, a race dedicated solely to dachshunds. I wrote a novel. My mom and I hosted a fabulous Thanksgiving meal. I turned 25 and celebrated quietly at home. I started The Holiday Council 2012 with Molly of Stratejoy.

December

I went to see the So You Think You Can Dance? tour, and cheered loudly anytime I saw Cyrus. (Love. Him.) The car my mom and I drive died, and my mom bought herself a brand-new 2013 Ford Focus. (It is a beaut!) I baked and baked and baked some more. I searched for fabulous Christmas presents and watched cheesy Christmas movies. I celebrated Christmas with my loved ones.

***

Looking back, 2012 was a really great year for me. I traveled more than I ever have, put my heart out there, and had some pretty great experiences. It wasn’t all roses and butterflies and there were days (weeks!) where I didn’t know how I was ever going to smile again… but that’s the thing with hardships. They come. They will always come. But they will pass. They will always pass. As Josh Wilson sings in the song that got me through a very difficult month, “My friend, you know how this all ends. And you know where you’re going, you just don’t know how you’ll get there so say a prayer. And hold on – ’cause there’s good for those who love God. Life is not a snapshot. It might take a little time, but you’ll see the bigger picture.”

I am ridiculously excited for 2013.

Categories: Best Of, Books

Top 10 Books I Read in 2012

I hope everyone had a fabulous Christmas! I was spoiled rotten, as per usual, and so was my mom. We opened presents together in the morning, and then my brother, sister-in-law, and nephew came over around lunchtime to open their presents. My nephew is definitely at that excited age, as he kept asking my mom after he opened each present, “Do you have any more presents for me?” We had a short family gathering at my grandma’s house, and then I spent Christmas night putting together the nightstand my mom bought me. I am proud to say I put it together all by myself! I usually corral my brother into helping me, but I was determined to figure out the steps on my own. It’s easily my favorite gift this year. Yay!

Onto today’s post, though, my annual review of the best books I read this year. This has been a great year for me, reading-wise. I am currently at 87.5 books read, which is probably my highest reading year yet! It’s a crazy number, for sure, but I make reading a priority in my life. It doesn’t matter how crazy my life gets, I always take time out of my day to sit back with a book and relax my mind.

Without further ado… my favorites of 2012!

10. I’ve Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella (5 of 5 stars)
I adore Sophie Kinsella novels (especially her stand-alones) and I was thrilled to see she had released a new novel so I quickly requested it from my library. This book was exceptional, written in typical Kinsella fashion, and I really couldn’t get enough of it. It’s one of those books I devoured in a few sittings, yet was sad when I finished it and the story wasn’t a part of my everyday life anymore. It’s chick lit so it’s a bit silly and corny, but what can I say? I like cheese and corn. I think it’s one of Kinsella’s best!

9. Stuff Christians Like by Jonathan Acuff (5 of 5 stars)
I am a huge fan of Jon Acuff’s blog. I have been reading it for over a year and I finally decided to pick up his book and see what it was all about. Perfection. It’s basically a book of essays on the Christian life and if you’ve grown up in church, you will relate to this novel and laugh along. I promise. He also includes some more serious essays at the end of the book that destroyed me with how poignant they were. I am a huge fan of this guy.

8. Flight From Berlin by David John (4 of 5 stars)
This was a TLC Book Tour book that captivated me from start to finish. There is mystery and intrigue and humor and romance. I am a huge fan of historical novels, and I couldn’t help but put this book on my list because of the way it touched my heart. I like mystery novels that shock me and this one definitely didn’t disappoint. It was a whirlwind of a book and I’m so glad I got the chance to read it!

7. Twenty-Something, Twenty Everything by Christine Hassler (4 of 5 stars)
It took me a long time to read this book because it was chock full of journaling segments that had me digging deep and discovering my path. It was a book I needed to read and it came at the right time. It opened my eyes to what my passions are and helped me to see that all this confusion and struggle as a twenty-something is very normal.

6. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (5 of 5 stars)
I finally got around to reading this book after it was a #twookclub pick. It had been highly raved about by people all around me so I was a little apprehensive, as I tend to not like books that are hyped up. This book was written by the narrator of Death, which was strange at first, but I grew to like it. The characters and the plot were both exceptional, and the writing was fantastic. It had a very interesting premise and was written in a different way. There was no foreshadowing or crazy endings, as the narrator basically let you know what was happening before it happened but I still enjoyed the book and highly recommend it.

5. The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe (4 of 5 stars)
This is the December pick for my book club, and it’s not the type of book I would have picked out for myself. But this is what I love about book clubs – I get to read books I would normally pass on. This was basically a memoir written in a very easy way that had me hooked from the beginning. I loved the interplay between Will and his mom, who is dying of cancer. I loved the history and reading about the impact Will’s mom had on people. And I loved reading about their very informal book club, and their reflections on the novels they were reading. It’s not an overly exciting book, but it is a sweet memoir and I enjoyed it.

4. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (5 of 5 stars)
This was another #twookclub pick and I was very apprehensive about reading it because I knew it was filled with lots of emotions and I just didn’t want to read about kids with cancer! It was an exceptional book. The writing is crazy good, the characters feel so real and right there. And the romance! Oh, the romance. It tugged at my cold, bitter heart and warmed it right up. I adored everything about this book. Well, I didn’t adore the ending, but it did fit with the book and felt honest. It is the only book I have ever read that actually made me cry and while it’s not one I could ever read again, it is definitely a must-read.

3. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling (5 of 5 stars)
Mindy Kaling is my soul sister. This book was laugh-out-loud funny and thoroughly enjoyable. It is a collection of essays, detailing Mindy’s childhood, her foray into comedy, and her time on The Office. I have the biggest girl crush on Mindy and found myself nodding my head and agreeing with all her essays. (Especially when she talked about her weight struggles. I could completely understand where she was coming from!) A must-read.

2. MWF Seeking BFF by Rachel Bertsche (4 of 5 stars)
So I wrote an entire post on friendship, because of this book. This book changed the way I view friendship and finding friends. It follows the author, Rachel, as she sets out on 52 girl dates in one year in the hopes of making new friends in a new city. While she has a supportive and loving husband, best friends she grew up with, and a fabulous mother, she knows it’s healthy to have local friends outside of your family. I was changed by this novel, and I can only hope I have as much success with my own girl dates next year as Rachel had with hers!

1. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (5 of 5 stars)
Another #twookclub pick! This book is completely nuts. It is crazy. It is weird. It will have you slapping the couch and yelling out in frustration. It will have you frantically texting people who are reading it with you to say, “WTF?!” It will have you on the edge of your seat. It will not stop with the twists and the turns and the crazy. You hate Nick and love Amy. You will hate Amy and love Nick. You will hate them both. You will not be able to forget about this novel when you’re at work, or driving, or at the store, or watching TV. THIS BOOK WILL HAUNT YOU UNTIL YOU FINISH. I am utterly, totally, 100% in love with this book. It was the craziest rollercoaster of reading, but a book that affects you on so many levels deserves top honor.

What was your favorite book you read this year? Any comments on my favorites?

Categories: Best Of

2011 Resolutions: A Look Back

Completed Resolutions

> Graduate from college: Three cheers for a super big, life-list-if-I-made-list-lists goal achieved! The beginning part of 2011 was crazy, filled with anxiety and worry I wouldn’t graduate on time or that somehow my professors would begin to think I hadn’t learned enough to graduate. Luckily, I slipped through the cracks and got my degree!

> Begin working a full-time job, utilizing my degree: I would say this was the biggest goal on my list and I thank God every day that I found a job less than three months after graduating. And that it’s an amazing job with plenty of room for growth and professional development.

> Read 60 books: Check! Last night, I finished my 70th book. Finishing 71 total is a possibility but I exceeded my expectations with this goal.

> Travel: While I didn’t travel all over the world (or even step foot on a plane…), I’m still marking this goal as complete as I left the country for the first time ever. My cruise was the brightest part of my year and I look back on it with such fondness. I also made it up to Orlando a few times this year.

> Join a book club: I’m going to mark this as complete because of #twookclub and #SummerofHarry! Reading through the entire Harry Potter series with fellow bloggers and chatting about it every Thursday night was so much fun and I decided to bring it back in the form of a Twitter book chat. The group is bigger than I ever dreamed and I’ve met so many great people from it. We’ve only had one chat so far but it was amazing and I cannot wait to see what 2012 brings for our book club!

> Pay off all my credit cards: I’m marking this resolution as complete, even though it isn’t 100% complete. I’m still much closer to this goal of being credit card debt-free than I was a year ago. Of the three credit cards I have, one of them will be paid off (and then removed from my account) in January. The other two were paid off… until Christmas.

Resolutions Not Completed

> Run a half-marathon: I’m not sure if a half-marathon will ever be a possibility for me (I have weak ankles…) so while I tried training to run the Irongirl Half-Marathon, it just didn’t happen. (I ran the 5K instead.)

> Complete Project 365: I tried this twice in 2011, both horrific failures. I started this project over on my birthday and doing much better at capturing special everyday moments so I’m hoping I can keep it up this time!

> Get to my goal weight of 115-120 pounds: Not. Even. A. Little. Bit. Close.

> Begin therapy: This wasn’t a possibility due to not having health insurance for 11 months out of the year. But it is a huge goal of mine for 2012!

***

Six completed goals out of ten. Not too shabby, I must say. I think the three biggest goals I wanted to complete were to graduate, get a job, and get to my goal weight. So the fact that I completed two out of those three? That’s pretty amazing.

My 2012 goals will be posted next week, in a slightly different format. I have more goals but since school and a menial job aren’t overtaking my life anymore, I think I can handle more things to shoot for. I really, really love setting goals and setting things in motion to achieve them. I don’t see anything bad in wanting change, although I do want to learn to take appreciation in the here and now. The “When…then” syndrome is something I struggle with (When I’m skinny, then I will be happy…) so I want to take time to slow down and appreciate what is happening in my life in the present, not what I hope will be happening in my life if I achieve a goal.

Do you set New Year’s Resolutions? What are your thoughts on the “When…then” syndrome?

Categories: Best Of

2011: A Year in Review

January

My mom ran her first marathon. It took her a little over 7 hours but her training hit a major speed bump when she was hit by a car and had to take a few months of all exercise. I was also freezing and hungry and oh-so-tired (pulled an all-nighter the night before due to having to get to the marathon site by 3:30am!)
I began my last semester as an undergrad (and being able to take two English classes made me regret, just a little, not declaring an English major).
I went to my first eye appointment in 18 months to learn my right eye has a pretty bad case of astigmatism, which means contacts are not the best option for me for everyday wear.

February

I watched the Packers win the Superbowl! I was so, so happy for them.
I trained for a half-marathon (that I didn’t end up running. Surprise, surprise.)
My mom and I booked a cruise as my graduation present in May – our first!
I developed shingles which was terrifying. I honestly thought I was dying for a good three days. So. Much. Pain. I don’t wish this on anyone.
I was up to my eyeballs in homework and papers.

March

I made the difficult decision to drop out of the half-marathon I was half-heartedly training for
Had a graduation photoshoot with a lovely school friend
Bought my own domain name
Read my fiction aloud in public for the very first time

April

Set a 5K PR at Irongirl
Went on my first job interview
Crossed everything off my “To Graduate” list
Began to have Friday night Bible studies with my grandparents

May

Graduated from college with my Bachelor’s degree in Communications
Went on a life-changing, soul-affirming Carnival cruise to Grand Cayman and Cozumel
Applied, applied, applied for jobs

June

Suffered from vacation hangover
Joined a gym
Went on two interviews that led to nothing
Applied, applied, applied for jobs

July

Went on a mini-vacation to Orlando for my mom’s birthday
Was offered a job in the very field I wanted to get into: marketing. (And took it, obvs.)
Went on my first date in… years

August

I started my new job
I began a six-week intense boot camp class at my gym
My blog turned two

September

Performance anxiety was at an all-time high
My brother turned twenty-five and my nephew turned three
I took a social media/blogging break for a week

October

My life was forever changed when I ordered my first iPhone
My work ended one of their giveaways and I was able to be there for the drawing and the conference call when my bosses called the winner. It was incredible.

November

I attempted NaNoWriMo, though I quit after 10 days
Ran two 5K’s. Both were extremely hard but I finished both!
I met Amber!
My mom and I hosted Thanksgiving for the first time ever
We had our first #twookclub chat about The Scent of Rain and Lightning
I turned twenty-four

December

Attended my first jury summons — and was let go by 11am!
Celebrated Christmas in a small way, just my mom, brother, SIL, and nephew but it was absolutely perfect
Went on a horrible, blog-worthy first date

Looking back, 2011 was a year with ups and downs – months where a lot happened and quiet months of peace. I have changed so much over the past twelve months that I barely remember who that girl was who began 2011. There are parts of her that still exist in my life today, most especially as it relates to my health and anxiety. But honestly? This was a good year for me. I became a college graduate. I went on an amazing cruise. I started my first post-college job. And I began to test the waters of dating. Not the mention, I’ve developed quite a few close relationships with other bloggers.

I’m so excited to see where 2012 will take me. But I know I will need to put in a lot of work to be at the place I want to be this time next year. It’s going to be a bumpy road but I think I’m up for the challenge.

Categories: Best Of

The Top 10 Books I Read in 2011

At the beginning of the year, I made a goal to read 60 books this year. (At first, I set the bar at 100 books but didn’t want to rush myself through the books I was reading so I knocked it down.) I have never kept track of how many books I read in a year so it was a measuring tool for me. Turns out, I really like to read. As of right now, I’m at 69 books read and am close to finishing my 70th.

I’m pretty darn impressed with myself.

Sure, not all of them were of high literary quality and the majority of the books I read this year were romance novels, but it’s what I like to read.

I’m still not sure I want to set another book goal this year, because I don’t want to rush myself through books. I want to set some book challenges, though, which is something I’ve been thinking about for a while. One challenge I’m setting for myself is to read one non-fiction book a month. That may be enough for me, or I may want to challenge myself to something else. We shall see.

But by the end of 2011, I will have read 70 books this year. Some of them stand out to me as fantastic reads I wholly recommend. And here is the list:

10. Just Between You and Me by Jenny B. Jones (4 of 5 stars)
A faith-based book about a girl who is still dealing with the drowning death of her mother when she was a teenager and trying to let go of her fears of love and loss. There’s a romance intertwined with the story and I seriously could not put this book down. When I was at work, I was thinking about it. When I was driving home, I was pondering what would happen next. And when I finished it, I found myself melancholy that it was over and these characters were not a daily part of my life anymore. That, for me, is the stamp of a great book.

9. Miss Fortune by Sara Mills (5 of 5 stars)
Another faith-based book, this time set in the 1940s and a mystery. This tells the story of a woman private detective, still searching for her MIA fiance. She still loves him and knows in her heart he is alive. She teams up with FBI detective Jack who agrees to help her search for her fiance, in exchange for her help on a case. Full of action and adventure and a crazy ending that had me begging for more. (I did end up reading the second book which had another crazy ending but haven’t heard any mention of a third. The second book was released in 2009, so I find it strange there hasn’t been the third yet when the ending clearly showed there would be one.)

8. Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen (5 of 5 stars)
I reviewed this one on my blog but this book was my introduction to the world of Sarah Dessen and I am hooked. She’s an amazing storyteller and this book had me gripped from the beginning. It’s a story about friendship, but also a story about finding your own way apart from the way people perceive you. Full review here.

7. American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld (3 of 5 stars)
While I had some issues with this book, overall it was one of my best reads of 2011. Alice Lindgren was an utterly captivating character, someone I could closely identify with. (Well, until she became the First Lady!) I wrote an entire review of the book here.

6. Listen by Rene Gutteride (5 of 5 stars)
A thriller about a small town that gets hit with a website called Listen To Yourself, which puts private conversations between neighbors and families on a website for all to see. It brought up topics of censorship and whether you need to censor yourself in your own home, as well as the idea of how powerful words can be. Thoroughly enjoyed this novel and the twists and turns it took. And I honestly did not see the ending coming!

5. Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner (5 of 5 stars)
I followed Jennifer Weiner on Twitter before I ever read a book by her. But I loved this one a lot and I really just love Weiner’s writing style. The main character was so likable and I was rooting for her throughout the entire book. You can read my review of this book here.

4. The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
OK, cheating with this one but since every single one of these books would be on the list, it wouldn’t leave room for other books. I read this with a bunch of other bloggers for Summer of Harry which was an awesome experience. I had read the first two books when I was in middle school but it was Erin’s insistence that made me try them again. I am so glad I did. These books were amazing. The writing was fantastic and I couldn’t put these books down for anything. I’m pretty sure I’ll be making my way through these books again and again, but I’m still not over Fred’s death. It’s going to be a while.

3. Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen (4 of 5 stars)
This was the first book I read in 2011 and I loved it. It’s one of those books people either love or hate because I’ve seen both sides. I enjoyed the story so much and it gripped me from beginning to end. Another one I reviewed on this blog. Find it here.

2. The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen (5 of 5 stars)
I could have sworn I had written a book review about this book but I did not, which is surprising as it was one of my favorite books this year. This is a YA-lit book about a girl named Macy who is still dealing with the unexpected death of her father. She has a boring job at the library and this summer, her boyfriend is going away. She ends up joining up with Wish Catering after meeting the group during an open house her mother had and found family and community. The love story between Macy and Wes was perfect and poignant and I loved every second of this book. It’s definitely one worth a read, and one I will be rereading again and again.

1. The Help by Katherin Stockett (5 of 5 stars)
I tried to write a review for this book after I had finished reading it but just couldn’t. It was one of those books that was so good and impacted me so much that I felt a review could not do it the justice it deserved. I actually watched the movie before reading the book and the movie was so darn fantastic that it made me itch to read the book. The book was even better. While I do think the movie is fantastic and stayed very true to the book itself, nothing compares to the written word in my opinion. I finished this book in late September and I still find myself missing the characters. Skeeter, Abilene, and Minnie are forever a part of my world and this is far and away one of the best books I have ever read.

What were some of your favorite reads this year?