Cozy Winter Break Reading.

One of my favorite things about winter break is having time to read. I have spent a ton of time reading this winter break and I wanted to share some of the books that I read. 

Finding Our Balance

I am a gymnastics super fan and this is a book written by a fellow gym fan who I follow on twitter. It follows three girls training for the Olympics. It's fitting since the Olympics are this coming year and I follow all of the gymnasts on social media and love seeing their preparations. This is a young adult book for the language and some content but I give it a 5/5.

What She Left Behind

This was our book club book for this month and it was AMAZING. I didn't know what to expect and it totally blew my expectations. It goes back and forth between two characters, Clara and Izzy. Clara is sent to an insane asylum by her father in the 1930's and it follows her time there. Izzy is a foster child who is helping her foster mom, a museum curator, go through belongings of patients at the now abandoned asylum. I highly recommend this book, not only is there some fascinating historical information but there are also great characters and a plot that keeps you guessing.

Quaker Summer

This book was a Christmas gift with one of my friends. It is about a woman on her journey to find her purpose and get closer to God. It examines quite a few big questions that I think many people ask themselves. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I enjoyed it. It is part of a series called 'Women of Faith' and I'm looking forward to reading more. 

Have you read anything good lately? 

2016 Goals.

January 1st, 2016. The first day of a new year. Maybe it's because I'm a teacher or because I've always loved school, but this first day of the year on the calendar doesn't feel as much like the first day of the year as the first day of school does. I will still go back to the same job with the same kids and be counting down the days until June. 

Regardless, I do like the time of the year to reflect and look forward. This past year was the best of my life. Most importantly, I got married. Along with that I had so many fun events with my friends (bridal shower, bachelorette party, trips to Pullman) and generally good things happening in many areas of my life. I feel blessed to have had such a great year. It makes me a little nervous about if 2016 will be able to live up to it, but I will do everything I can to enjoy every minute and find the best in each day. 

Here are some goals I have for this year:

1. Buy a house! 

We have been living in an apartment for two and a half years and I am ready for more space. We started looking at houses more seriously in the past few weeks and we are going be getting pre-approved soon then looking for a realtor. If anyone has a great house buying tips, feel free to share. :) 

2. Spend less time on social media and more time present with my husband and others in my life. 

I spend a lot of time on my computer and phone, especially after school and in the evenings. It's hard because I do enjoy it and think of it as my time to unwind but I also feel like it's way too much. I need to put it away and focus on my husband and us spending time together. Even if we are just watching tv together I would rather be focused on that together instead of texting or scrolling through twitter at the same time. 

3. Get back to the gym 3 times a week and run at least one 5k. 

I am the epitome of a yo-yo dieter and gym goer. I was working out twice a day in the summer and on a super strict diet to lose weight for my wedding. I didn't have a lot to lose, but I made it to my goal weight and was the smallest I have ever been in my adult life. I loved how I looked for the summer and all of the events that took place surrounding my wedding. I don't need to go on as crazy of a diet, but I know how good I feel when I am working out so I need to get back to that. 

4. Spend more time in the word, journaling, and in prayer. 

I have a one year bible that I started last year and didn't make it all of the way through last year. I want to try to finish that this year. I have also been given quite a few Christian books, both novels and other studies, that I want to start getting through. I should be spending time doing this as opposed to being on social media, so those two goals will go hand in hand. I am also leading a high school small group and I know that will help me grow and I look forward to growing through that as well. 

5. Read at least one book a month 

I enjoy reading and I don't make enough time for it. I want to be more intentional with my time and that includes reading which is both enjoyable and relaxing for me. I am in a book club where we read one book a month so that should make this goal easy, but I still wanted to include it. 

What are some of your goals for 2016? 

*All images from Pintrest 

JUNE RECAP

I can't believe today is the last day of June! It has been such an awesome month. School's out! The end of the year went pretty well, it came super fast and I was a little sad to say goodbye to my kids, but I don't miss them yet. haha. Summer is in full swing, and my wedding is only a month away!

I can't believe how fast everything is going. I have crazy to do lists and I'm working really hard to get in shape and lose weight for the wedding. I'm always better with a timeline so I can really crack down for a month and do great. I've run every day for a week and I'm already feeling great.

Things with my fiance have been great. There are a few stressors here and there but overall, I think we are both super excited for the wedding. It was his birthday last week so we celebrated with cake and presents. I tried to spoil him. :)

I've been reading a ton! I already finished two books this summer and am working on my third.

I also try to spend like an hour at the pool each day working on my tan. Slow and steady should make me the perfect shade of golden brown for my wedding. 

Life is so good! 

Five on Friday: Book Edition

A couple of months ago my best friend decided to start a book club. We've had two book clubs meetings alrady and are on our third. Since then I've also finished my masters and had more time so I can read for fun. It is one of my favorite things to do and I've been loving having a little time to myself. Here are five of the books I've read lately which are my current favorites! :)  

1. The Ice Princess

I just finished this one and it wasn't what I expected but I really enjoyed it. It was a murder mystery with a little bit of a love story set in Sweden. I highly recommend it! 

2. Half-Bad

This book is about witches and I did not enjoy it. I thought I would like it because I enjoy YA fiction but there were so many plot lines and they weren't very well developed, not a bit fan. 

3. The Girl on the Train

I know I'm a little late to this party, but this book is SO GOOD! It kept me guessing the entire time and I read it so fast because I wanted to know what happened. I was satisfied with the ending which made me happy because sometimes these types of books can leave you unsure of how to feel. 

4. The Husbands Secret

After hearing so much about this author I couldn't wait to read this book. It did not disappoint! It was another one that kept me guessing until the end, but I loved how all of the stories were intertwined and the seemingly perfect lives were incredibly imperfect. 

5. The Girls of Mischief Bay

I just started this book and I am really enjoying it. It's a perfect book as we get into summertime. It seems like a pretty light read so far, but we'll see what happens! 

One of the things I'm really looking forward to this summer is hopefully some more time to read! 

Linking up! 

Amanda!

Christina.

Weekending: Relaxation

This weekend was wonderful. We didn't have many plans and I loved not being crazy busy. 

Friday evening we red-boxed Divergent in order to refresh our memories before we go see the second one next weekend. I made dinner for my fiance and best friend and we had a movie night. Surprisingly we didn't all fall asleep which is what usually happens. I'd consider that a success! I also forgot how much I actually liked that movie and I'm really excited for Insurgent on Friday! 

Saturday I cleaned up the apartment a little bit and worked on grad school. I finished a paper that I needed to write and turned that in. That afternoon we went to have dinner with my roommate and her new boyfriend. It was so much fun catching up with her and her new boyfriend is super nice. We went to the cheesecake factory, so good! 

Sunday we went to church and I spent the afternoon reading. I started and finished a book this weekend. I am trying to read more for fun and 

This week is going to be a busy one but next week is spring break! Five more days! 

Linking up with Meghan!

What I've Been Reading

One of my favorite things about summer time is being able to catch up on all of the reading that I have been wanting to do all year. As a student it was something I looked forward to and this summer, as a teacher, it was still a highlight. Here's a peek at five of my favorite books I read this summer.

1. Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands 

This book was different from books that I normally read because it was a little dark. It's a young adult book based on a teenager who's life is turned upside down when a nuclear reactor in her town has a meltdown and both of her parents are killed. It follows her struggles in the following weeks including living as a homeless teen and attempting to get back to her abandoned home.
Rating: 4/5 stars

2. The Wedding Girl

I read this book because I had weddings on the brain since I was MOH in my best friend's wedding this summer. This is a fun, easy read about a love story that takes a complicated turn. This book has some humor but also has a decent plot. There are twists that you won't see coming and characters that are funny and relatable.
Rating: 4/5 stars

3. To Live is Christ 

This book follows the story of Paul and it is so inspiring. I have loved learning more about his man and how he lived his life for Christ and the church. I haven't finished the book but each time I read it I learn something, even if I only read a few pages. 

Rating: 5/5

4. The Selection

If you pictured a mix between The Hunger Games and The Bachelor, that is exactly what this book is. It's actually a series of three books and they were all really good. It is a little predictable but for young adult literature, it is an enjoyable read. I have always enjoyed reading anything that involves royalty and since this book provides a glimpse into this fictitious kingdom, it's a lot of fun. 

Rating: 4.5/5

5. Shore Lights

This book is set in a quaint little beach town in New Jersey and since I spent many summers in those towns it had a special meaning to me. There's stories about family, friendship, and loyalty. It's also based around Christmas which is such a magical time. This was a free book on kindle so it's not high quality literature but if you're looking for a light beach read, I would recommend it.

Rating: 4/5

Linking up for friday favorites  && oh, hey friday! 

Friday's Letters || 2

Happy Friday! I'm linking up with Ashley to share these lovely letters! 

• Dear 4th period students, thanks for bringing me cookies  after lunch and requesting that we listen to music during class. It was my favorite period of the day. 
• Dear Summer, I am very excited for you to get here. I don't know my exact plans yet but I hope that they include visiting my dad and spending at least a week at the beach. I also anticipate lots of sleeping in and trips to the gym. 
• Dear Gillian Flynn, Thank you for writing your book, Gone Girl. I read the entire thing today and was hooked. The story was captivating and kept me guessing. I wasn't a fan of the ending but the rest of the book was fabulous.
• Dear horses at the racetrack, I really would like to win some money tomorrow since last time I completely failed. Please cooperate and run fast if I pick you to win. 
• Dear Candy Crush, Why are you so addicting? I spend way too long trying to beat your ridiculous levels. You're fun, but can't you just let me win? 

I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend! 

-J