Obsessing Smarter

It's been a month since our first post about ending the weight obsession in exchange for a healthier way of eating and treating our bodies. No more beating up on ourselves or doing crazy things to try to be perfect. I have been implementing my get-healthier habits, and with the exception of this weekend, it's gone pretty well. I am a few pounds down, which doesn't sound too exciting, but it beats being a few pounds up. Ideally, I'd like to lose thirty pounds, so as of today, I am down two, so twenty-eight to go!

Here are some things that have worked for me. They're not fast fixes, but my goal isn't to return to a life of self-abuse and rapid weight loss, but to treat my body like I appreciate all that it does for me.

-Get enough sleep. When I'm tired, I crave sugar like a junkie looking for a hit. That's where I went wrong this weekend. Fatigue pushes the body to look for energy in the form of food, usually high carb quick hits.
-Hydrate. Drink enough water. I've read that your body confuses thirst with hunger- have a glass of water before scarfing a cookie.
-Shoot for 8-10 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Thinking of what you should be eating over what you shouldn't eat helps change the brain's food obsession.
-Keep a food journal. Like Jo Wake commented last week- writing down what you eat is helpful. I use an app on my phone that tracks my intake and calories. Doing this keeps me conscious of my snacking. If I'm not logging in what I eat, I tend to do too much mindless grazing, especially when I'm tired, busy, or stressed.
-Move. As a writer, I spend a lot of time in a chair. Time to make exercise a priority. I've been
walking a mile a day, at least.

-Log your success on a calendar. I have been giving myself stars for each day I get in my mile walk. The other day, I was walking on my treadmill and reading and accidentally walked an extra half mile. The more you move, the easier movement gets!
-Avoid fast food. This is the hardest of all the changes. It's so handy to grab dinner from a window rather than cook when I'm busy and tired. I've found keeping healthy lunch meats and soups in the house is a good alternative.
-Get rid of the junk. If there are chips and candy in the house, I'm grabbing handfuls mindlessly.
-Choose healthier snacks. Popcorn, fresh fruit, brownies- without the oil. I quit adding the oil to my cakes and brownies years ago and as long as you don't over bake, you will never miss the oil.

It's also the last post of the month! Time for our entertainment check in. It's a good thing I had a weight obsession post planned because this month's entertainment was slim pickings. My husband and I were on a roll in April choosing one bad movie after another.

I did switch up my satellite line up. I reduced my channels to a much smaller package and joined Hulu. I was able to catch up on all the sitcom episodes I missed. My two favorite for the month?

New Girl 

The series begins with Jess surprising her boyfriend (and his date!) with a striptease. She leaves the cheater behind and moves into an apartment with a group of crazy, lovable guys. New Girl always makes me laugh and the characters are loyal and enchanting.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Jake Peralta is a quirky detective working among the most unique, hilarious staff of co-workers. Unique characters, unlimited shenanigans.

What I'm reading...

The Moral Compass by KA Servian

Set in the 1800's, the heroine, Florence is forced to leave England with her indebted family for the wilds of New Zealand. It's a romance with plenty of twists, turns, and engaging characters.

Holiday Media Magic

My husband and I are big fans of movies, music and books. We have hundreds of Blu-rays and DVD’s, CDs and since my hubby doesn’t like to read (*gasp* I know. Tell me about it.) I have hundreds of books. At Christmas time, we have our favorite movies, music and authors. I wanted to share a few of our favorites, even though everyone has probably seen, heard or read them all.

Movies:

from youtube

The hubby and I started a tradition a few years ago to watch Christmas Vacation every Christmas Eve while we get things ready for the morning. It makes things a bit less hectic through humor. ;) And although I’ve seen this movie a million times, I STILL laugh at it. Still.  “Are you serious Clark?”

A few others movies my kids love and recommend are Arthur Christmas, Home Alone 1 and 2 (These ones come with a really good lesson about NOT being naughty like Kevin is to his parents at times. Yeah. I’m THAT mom…), Elf, The Grinch (not cartoon), The Polar Express (I’m the only person I know that thinks this show is creepy, but everyone else loves it…) and Prep and Landing. This year we’re introducing my kids to The Santa Claus movies.

Music:

One of my very favorite Christmas CD’s is Pentatonix: That’s Christmas To Me. They have two other ones out, which we have all three and listen to them regularly, but That’s Christmas To Me is hands down, my favorite. My kids are obsessed with Pentatonix and my hubby and I love them too. Which is funny, since my hubby’s favorite band is Pearl Jam.

A few other albums we love and recommend are The Piano Guys: A Family Christmas, Kelly Clarkson: Wrapped in Red, Josh Groban: Noel, Tran Siberian Orchestra and Mannheim Steamroller. I’m obsessed with the Tran Siberian Orchestra’s Carol of the Bells. It’s my ringtone… Hahaha

Books:

Oh, books. My favorite things in the entire world. Besides my family of course. ;) While I usually prefer reading YA and MG books, for some reason I crave romantic reads around Christmas time. They don’t necessarily have to be Christmas reads, but it has to have a romance. I love the Timeless Romance Anthologies around this time of year because they are quick and romantic novellas that I can read for a moment during a busy day, Julianne Donaldson’s books, Sarah Eden’s books and Michele Paige Holmes has some lovely romantic reads as well.

I also love re-reading my favorite MG/YA books around Christmas time too, like the Harry Potter series and Percy Jackson series. I’ll listen to them on CD with my kids and they love it.

If you have any recs for any Christmas movies or music or your favorite books, comment below! I'd love to hear them.

Thank you SO much for having me! I’ve had such a blast! I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Chantele Sedgwick is a YA author, harpist, wife to one and mom to four. She loves fairy tales, happy endings, Kit Kats and (judging by her bookshelves), buying way too many books. She lives in Utah with her family and can usually be found reading, or talking her husband’s ear off with her endless supply of book ideas. She’s the author of Not Your Average Fairy Tale, Not Your Average Happy Ending, Love, Lucas, Switching Gears (Feb 2017) and Interlude (2018).

Make Monday More Fun

We'd are excited to have Stephanie Faris with us at the House today! She's a fabulous friend, mom, and children's author!


Books Make Everything More Fun

I first discovered audiobooks in my 20s. Back then, you had to pay full price for audiobooks on CD or cassette, unless you could find them in the used bookstore. When I realized my local library had them, I was so excited.

I read Stephen King’s The Green Mile while cleaning the house. I read Nicholas Spark’s Message in a Bottle while making food for a New Year’s Eve party. I read countless books during my work commute or while doing mundane duties at work. Now, thanks to apps like Audible, you don’t even have to leave the house to pick up the latest bestseller.

Yes, audiobooks make everything a little easier to bear. Last year when we packed to move to a new house, Harlan Coben books helped take my mind off of the grueling work. That same author got me through deep-cleaning the house so we could sell it. I actually look forward to my three-mile walk at the gym every day because I know I’ll get to enjoy the next chapter in whatever great book I’m reading.

Listening to books isn’t for everyone. I actually found that celebrity biographies and nonfiction books were better if you were doing something that might distract you. The popularity of the Serial podcast a couple of years ago prompted me to figure out how to work the podcast app on my phone. It’s surprisingly easy, by the way. I’m a true crime addict, and there are a billion true crime podcasts out there—all 100 percent free!

If you can’t afford audiobooks or an Audible membership, podcasts aren’t your only free option. Many local libraries now offer digital lending. You can use your library card to reserve audiobooks and load them onto your phone. It isn’t for everyone, but if I have to scrub the toilets or try to match up socks from the laundry, listening to something interesting can make it so much more bearable.

Stephanie Faris is the Simon & Schuster author of the middle grade books 25 Roses and 30 Days of No Gossip, as well as the Piper Morgan chapter book series. Her freelance work has appeared on NYPost.com, Mental Floss, The Week, and Your Teen magazine.

Bookishly Ever After

Words are like oxygen to me. Too long without them, and I actually get wobbly. So I find ways to work them into every aspect of my life. I sing and tell stories to my children, I fill my house with books, I write and edit and read more hours of the day than I do anything else.

[I’ll pause for a moment while you envy me that luxury. It’s only natural.]

When I see something made out of old books, a thrill zings through me. I have a purse made of a copy of Jane Eyre. I have a copy of Anne of Green Gables a dear friend gave me, the pages artfully folded to spell out the word “Joy.” And, were I as crafty as the people who made the items featured below, there would be no room in my home not adorned with a piece of literature turned to art.

Of course, there are those who think using books as art materials is sacrilege. Others think there’s beauty to be found in the preservation of their fading glory. What do you think?

Kimberly Vanderhorst is a speculative fiction author who cherishes a love for all things strange and beautiful. Claims to fame include running Prism Editing, serving on the committees for the annual LDStorymakers Conference and The Whitney Awards program, and co-hosting the annual Pitch Slam contest. Despite being a city girl with a tendency to cuss too much, Kimberly is married to an LDS minister and lives in rural northern Canada. There, she helps raise her four lovely daughters while pretending not to be afraid of the neighbour’s chickens.

www.kimvanderhorst.com

BLING YOUR THING: Falling in Love, AGAIN

Are there any book addicts in the house? *raises hand*

Yay! You're in good company. (The cheesy kind.) *breaks out the popcorn and kindle* 

When did you fall in love with books? It happened to me when I was in third grade. A classmate read a story to the whole class that won my heart and imagination. The reader became my hero. The book became my FAVORITE. 

From that day on, the scholastic order form was my best friend, the library was my happy place, and book fairs left me drooling. I'd stockpile books all year so that when summer hit, I had a stack of 8 to 10 to start. As soon as those were done, I'd beg for a trip to the library.

Here's where the story gets sad. Somewhere in high school I lost the drive to read independently. (About the same time I hit the pause button on writing.) Maybe it was the amount of school work. Maybe the number of required reading books. Don't know, but I missed my books.

It wasn't until I'd been a mom for about eight years that I gave myself permission to pick up anything other than a picture book. Going to the library almost made me feel guilty. All those pretties. Was it really okay to pick one up and *gasp* open it? What about the time I should be devoting to my kids, my house, other responsibilities?

All it took was one book. The love had never disappeared, it had just been suppressed. The written page swallowed me whole and I began reading one book a month, then two, then five, then eight or nine. They fit in cracks of time--waiting in the car, while exercising, while brushing teeth, while sitting a stoplights.

We have the power to fall in or out of love with anything in our lives. It's all a question of which appetite we choose to fill. Let us be wise--both to ourselves and life--with which addictions we decide to feed.

When did your love of books start?


Crystal Collier is a cheese-loving blogger & author who pens out funnies, deep thoughts, and book giveaways. She's the author of the Maiden of Time series, a 2012 winner of PitchWars, and a 2016 IWSG writing contest winner. She has lived from coast to coast and now calls Florida home with her creative husband, four littles, and “friend” (a.k.a. the zombie locked in her closet). Secretly, she dreams of world domination and a bottomless supply of cheese.

The third book in her Maiden of Time series releases November 1, 2016. Find her and her books online.

Identify Your Beast

 We don't promote our books here, although all of us RRH bloggers are writers.

So, this isn't a promo. It's just some fun that our own, Tara Tyler, came up with to promote her middle grade book, Broken Branch Falls.

Here's the deal:
You take a short quiz and at the end, you are assigned a character name and trait.

I was an elf, and my name was Dodee, which was much closer to my reality than the first time I took the quiz and got goblin- that must have been pre-coffee me.

Just for fun...take the survey below and let us know...what sort of character are you?

Beastly Survey

                                                          Want to read the book?

                                                          You can buy it Here!

Not in the mood to read? 
How about a movie?

Summer 2017, the sequel, starring Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart, is coming to one seriously fun movie. 

Jumanji
Starring Robin Williams, this story centers on a 12-year-old boy, Alan, who starts playing a mysterious game. The game causes a shift in reality that unleashes all sorts of action, adventure, and total mayhem. Alan and his friends must finish the game in order to set their world back to rights.  

So, before watching the sequel*, grab the original. 

Or check your local library! Did you know your local library often has movies you can check out just like books? 

*A little movie trivia for you...Jumanji 2017 was originally set to be a sequel, but the writers quickly rewrote the script to be a continuation to the original story rather than a remake. So glad Hollywood got smart. There is no need to tamper with perfection and Robin Williams in this film is perfect. 

B: Books

Lorrie O'Donahue
Creative lady
Awesome friend

As a writer, I love books.

The cool, musty paper smell of libraries beats the scent of a freshly baked pie any day.

So, when a friend of mine (Hi Lorrie!!) told me she decorated a room in kid's books, I was extremely interested and told her to send me pictures ASAP.

She didn't disappoint...



Book cover boarder...I love it!

Toy Story coordinated with Toy Story toys

A variety of colors and sizes make it interesting

Who says you need to put away the toys when the kids grow up!

After I saw the pictures, I told Lorrie I would love to do this with an adult book theme.

I was imagining pulling out all my Gone with the Wind posters and post cards...maybe take lines from the story and paint them on the wall...

She said, "You mean like this?"

I swear- this gal thinks of everything!

Now. I wouldn't really attempt painting words on my walls myself.

So, I looked online and a simple internet search for "custom vinyl wall letters" sent me right to a site where I could make my own creation.

Created at Words Anywhere (Find website Here)

Oh, my. Now, I just need to convince the men in my family to replace Wolverine and his crew with Scarlett and her crew in the home office.

This was your Really Real A2Z Post featuring the letter B. 

Eerie Entertainment!

Who doesn't love lists? Now, what if I told you I had a list of things that included PICTURES?? Anyone cheering?

While looking up all things Halloween, I was thoroughly enjoying flashbacks as I perused the lists that Halloween had to offer. From movies, books, to things to do, I was in listing heaven. Some things on the list I have done, read, seen, and some I'm marking "to-do".

BUT WAIT! Shouldn't there be a list of things to do?? Things I MUST do?? Yes! Yes there is!

My Fav (any season) movie wasn't listed, nor was my fav horror book... so I here they are!

QUESTION TO THE READER:
1. What's your fav movie during Halloween?
2. Ever read any of those spooky books?
3. Wanna cuddle to a horror movie? I meant with Freddy Krueger.

We'd like to give a standing O to Tammy for taking over this week. She did a fantastic job! Thanks, Tammy! We hope you'll come back soon!

Tammy's a really real housewife...after trying to sleep in, hit snooze 3 times, rush 4 kids to school, go to work, come home to cook, clean little messes here and there, run kids to functions, swap laundry, work on current book, and kiss heavily on her man. Then...and only then, does she finally claim her title. *falls asleep with book in hand*