Book Review: Reclaiming the Sand by A. Meredith Walters

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Let me preface this review by saying two things:
     
1. A. Meredith Walters is quickly becoming one of my   favorite authors. Her Find You in the Dark series may very well be my favorite of all time. I've also really enjoyed some of her other books.

2. The book I'm reviewing today has gotten TONS of   rave reviews and has a 4.20 rating on Goodreads. 

Essentially, Reclaiming the Sand is about a twenty-something year old girl named Ellie who has lead a pretty unsavory life and her relationship with a guy named Flynn who also happens to have Asperger's syndrome. This book shows the reader both sides of the bullying coin before exploring what it might be like if the bully and the victim were to, say, fall in love.

I really do think Reclaiming the Sand has an interesting premise and important message. The love story here is a beautiful one whether I enjoyed reading it or not.

All that being said, this book was not my favorite. Not by a long shot. As I said before, this author is one of my favorites, so I was really looking forward to reading something new from her. She has a way of writing the most beautiful, romantic stories while still staying grounded in the real world. Her books have brought me to tears, both happy and sad. This particular one just did not do that for me, though. 

Maybe it was the fact that I thought there was just too much inner dialogue. I usually like that in a book but not when the same things seem to be said over and over again. I can't put my finger on exactly what kept me from loving this book like I have all of A. Meredith Walters's others. The best word to describe my feelings about Reclaiming the Sand would be underwhelmed. 

I would recommend reading Find You in the Dark and the rest of the books in that series before reading this one. I would definitely say those are Walters's best so far but, like I said, Reclaiming the Sand has had some fantastic reviews so maybe I'm just crazy. I'm still eagerly awaiting anything else this author writes!

My Goodreads Rating: 3 stars

-Lindsay

High Five for Friday

Hi, everyone! It's been another lovely summer week. Here's what's been going on!

1. I've kept up with my workouts mixing running, pilates, and general toning throughout the week! Still a little slow to get out of bed in the morning but I feel SO much better when I am consistently getting my workouts in. I've also been eating MUCH better this week and have cut way back on snacking which is a vice of mine. Yay, progress!

2. I finally had my first Trader Joe's "two buck chuck" experience! I took my first trip to the n! ew Trader Joe's y somewhat near where I live a while back and I bought two bottles of wine (two buck chuck!). This week I popped open the Pinot Grigio and it was great!  I still haven't tried the merlot but I'm looking forward to it. 

Notice the Mickey wine glass from our honeymoon?

3. So You Think You Can Dance is my  favorite show of life and this week we finally got past the auditions portion (a month of audition episodes?! really?!) and have met the top 20 dancers! Anyone in my family could tell you that I get a little too excited about SYTYCD. I absolutely cannot wait for all the awesome routines that are sure to be filling the rest of my Wednesday nights this summer!

4. I got married back in October and only yesterday did I finally go to the DMV to get my new driver's license. AND the picture turned out not so bad! Woohoo!

5. One of my best friends from college is coming to visit today! She lives a few hours away and we haven't seen each other in a few months. Yay! 

Ashley was one of my bridesmaids!

Hope everyone has another fantastic summer week!

-Lindsay

How I Style My Naturally Curly Hair

Having naturally curly hair has been an ongoing struggle my entire life. Words like frizzy and poofy have been known to elicit not so good reactions from me. Over the years, though, I've figured out some things that actually make my hair work for me and have even earned me a few compliments!

I thought it would be useful to other curly girls for me to share the process and products that I've actually had some success in using. A couple of precursors:

-Is my hair perfect? No!
-Am I an expert at styling curly hair? No! This is just what works for me (for now). 
-Will this process work for someone other than me? I don't know!

First off, according to the Curly Hair Types over at Naturally Curly, I have 3B - Curly Spirally hair. If you're a curly girl, go figure your hair type out! There are lots of other great resources on that site as well. 

My Naturally Curly Hair Routine

1. Wash and condition with John Frieda Frizz Ease Dream Curls Shampoo and Conditioner. I love the scent of these and the conditioner really works for detangling my hair. If I'm being good I'll also deep condition with Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Masque once every week or two.
2. Detangle hair using  The Wet Brush. I've been told only to use a wide-toothed comb on my hair many times but, to be honest, it is painful to detangle my hair using any comb it and usually ends up in me pulling out lots of hair. The Wet Brush gets the knots out without pulling my hair and it is an absolute life saver! Cannot recommend it enough!
3. Comb through hair with the Ouidad Double Detangler Comb. I think using this after the brush gives me thicker individual curls than if I had only brushed and also gives them a more natural look. This is the best comb I've found for detangling but I still have better results when using it after the Wet Brush. After combing, I like to give my hair a deep side part using the Ouidad comb.
4. Mix a quarter sized amount of Miss Jessie's Pillow Soft Curls and a few pumps of  John Frieda Frizz Ease Nourishing Oil Elixir in hand and comb through with fingers. This combination is like my very own secret weapon against frizz! Particularly the Pillow Soft Curls. I think any of the frizz fighting oils/serums would probably work just as well but I like the Frizz Ease line.
5. "Plop" hair in a t-shirt and leave up for as long as possible. Plopping is yet another wonderful thing that I've found thanks to Naturally Curly! Learning to do this (and to use a tshirt instead of a towel) was a total game changer for me. I like to leave my hair up/plopped for at least 10-20 minutes but I will usually just leave it up as long as it takes for me to do my makeup and whatever else. 
6. Last but not least, take hair out of t-shirt and spray thoroughly with Ouidad Botanical Boost Moisture Infusing & Refreshing Spray. Scrunch hair to your preferred shape and style, covering hand(s) with the t-shirt used in step 5 before letting hair air dry. The more you touch your hair with your hands, the more frizz-prone it will be. This is why I scrunch my hair using the t-shirt and it seems to really help.

That's it! It's not at all time consuming and is much quicker and easier than blow drying with a diffuser in my opinion. Just for fun, here's a shameless bathroom selfie to show you what my hair looks like on a decent day  after going through this whole process. Perfect? No. Presentable? Yes! And that's all I ask for!

Like my Minnie Mouse phone case?

-Lindsay

Book Review: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

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It almost isn't even necessary to write a review of this book with the amount of hype it's gotten lately but I loved it so much that the world is just going to have to deal with one more stellar review of The Fault in Our Stars!

As pretty much everyone in the universe knows by now, this book is about a teenage girl who is living with terminal cancer... but Hazel Grace Lancaster is so much more than that. She wants to live a life that isn't defined by her condition and she has such a wonderful, sarcastic, loving, thoughtful personality. As you also probably know, Hazel meets a boy and everything from there is a rollercoaster that only goes up, my friends. John Green has done such a great job creating these characters that are dealing with such serious issues but have so much more going for them than their hardships. The story is so real and heartfelt. Yes, at times there is great sadness, but there are also euphorically happy and hysterically funny times, too. To describe this book as a rollercoaster of emotions is an understatement.

I cannot say one bad thing about The Fault in Our Stars. I read it in about a day and a half (world record pace for this super slow reader!) and I enjoyed every second. I am a huge fan of love stories and this is one that will stick with me forever. The more I think back on the story, the more I love it. Books like that are the ones I love the most.

My Goodreads Rating: 5 stars!

Quick The Fault in Our Stars Movie Review!

Wonderful . Amazing . Perfect 

That's what I think about the movie. It was acted spectacularly by the most perfect cast. The movie only enhanced my love of the story itself. I smiled ear to ear. I laughed. I cried. I can't wait to see it again!

In conclusion, go read the book and then see the movie! You won't regret it.

-Lindsay

High Five for Friday: Laughing, Crying, and Sleeping on Clouds

Thank God it's Friday!!! I'm so excited to be taking part in my first High Five for Friday! I saw this on a great blog I love to follow, Lauren Elizabeth, and decided to join in on the fun. Here's what's been going on this week...

1. I'm an elementary music teacher so this time of year means one thing for me: summer camp! I'm a director for a summer day camp run by my city and this was our first week with the kids. It's nice to have a break from my regular teaching routine and getting to work in a more casual setting is always fun. Summer camp with elementary age kids is always full of excitement (yeah...let's call it excitement). 

2. I've been reading on my Kindle a TON this week. I finished my third book of the summer (not my favorite) and have already moved on to the next. I've been trying to get into the habit of reading just a little bit in bed each night until I fall asleep. This really relaxes me and it gets me to make at least a little bit of reading progress every day. 

P.S. I really love my Vera Bradley Kindle case!

3. Speaking of books, I finally saw The Fault in Our Stars movie! I read the book last week and my mom and I headed to our local movie theater to see what was sure to be a sob fest yesterday. To be honest, I LOVED THE MOVIE (that needs to be made clear) but I may have cried more tears from laughing than from sadness. I wasn't laughing at the movie, of course. We were laughing at the handful of random women in the theater who were straight up basket cases throughout the entire movie. Yes, parts of this movie are very sad, but these people just could not keep it together to the point that I couldn't hear the dialogue of one of my favorite scenes over the wails of a women on the other side of my mom. No . Joke. I guess I can be thankful for some comedic relief??? 

4. As a thank you for dog sitting while they were on a cruise, my parents got us a set of really nice Cariloha bamboo bed sheets. I want to do a more in-depth post about these sheets but can I just say that they are like sleeping on a cloud! They feel like the "cool side of the pillow" all the time and they are just the softest, most comfortable thing ever! Ah! They're the best.

5. I've been slacking for a while but I finally got back to running this week! I've been feeling less than motivated lately and I really just needed to bite the bullet and get out there. When I'm feeling so lazy I need little things to help me get through it. This time it was my running hat from the Inaugural Glass Slipper Challenge in February. Just remembering that I was able to run a 10k and a half marathon in the same weekend was inspiration enough to get me out  the door. 

So, there it is! My first High Five for Friday! Hoping everyone out there has had a fantastic week and has an even better one coming!

-Lindsay

Pinteresting: Cookie Dough Greek Yogurt!

I'm just going to put this out there: I am absolutely obsessed with Pinterest! There, I said it. I can spend hours pinning anything and everything. I love finding fun projects, recipes...anything really, and using them in my own life. That's why I am going to be sharing the most (P)interesting pins I've found and how I've made them work for me. First up, something delicious...

I had been looking around Pinterest for ideas for some healthy snacks when I came across this little beauty: Cookie Dough Greek Yogurt! Check out the original pin by clicking on "photo source" below.

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The original pin provided a super simple recipe for this really yummy snack/dessert. I tried it out and loved it right away but decided to make one tiny change. The original used a tablespoon of peanut butter and while that was great, I thought it would taste even more like cookie dough if I used ...(dramatic pause)... COOKIE BUTTER! 

Now, if you've never experienced the wonder that is cookie butter, that discussion is for a whole 'nother post. Just know that it is scrumptious, buttery, goodness that looks like peanut butter but tastes like cookies. Thank goodness for Trader Joe's!!! Moving on...

Here's what my first try ended up looking like:

Important note: Yes, the first time I made this I did use the fat free Oikos Greek yogurt. It was definitely good but NOT as good as it was when I switched to the fat free Fage Greek yogurt. Fage is way creamier which lends itself to being a lot more cookie dough-like. 

I take no credit for this recipe, just wanted to share this yumminess with anyone who reads. Here is the recipe for this easy but incredibly tasty treat, with my one change added in as an option. Yum!

Cookie Dough Greek Yogurt

-Start with one cup Greek yogurt of your choice  and add...

-1 tbsp creamy peanut butter OR cookie butter!

-1 tsp honey

-1/4 tsp vanilla extract

-1 tbsp miniature chocolate chips

-a dash of sea salt (this, to me, is the secret to making it taste like actual cookie dough)

That's it, mix all that together and you've got one seriously tasty treat!

-Lindsay 

Book Review: The Husband's Secret

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Welcome to my first book review! I am definitely no literary expert but I love reading books and other people's opinions about them.

I finished The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty at the beginning of this week and found it very intriguing. The story follows the lives of three seemingly unrelated women, each going through a different crisis in their life. One of the three ladies finds a letter written by her husband to be read at the time of his death. The clincher is that said husband is alive and well and this letter contains a completely life-altering secret. 

Just knowing that much about the plot of this book was enough to have me itching to know what this secret was and let me say, it did not disappoint. The author does a great job of dropping hints along the way as to what this secret is. I also really enjoyed the funny inner dialogue of each of the three women and the way Moriarty eventually ties all of their story lines together. 

I didn't have many issues with this book other than the fact that the beginning is a bit slow for my taste. I wouldn't say really slow but knowing this big secret was coming made me a little restless throughout the initial set-up phase where we learn about the characters and their backgrounds. 

Liane Moriarty is apparently considered an author of "chick-lit" but I definitely wouldn't consider The Husband's Secret fluffy by any means. The story deals with some intense concepts and poses some pretty deep questions, which I love!

Overall, I wouldn't say this book was one of my all-time favorites but it was a good, satisfying read that had some great surprises! 

-Lindsay

What's On My Kindle?

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Seeing as it's finally summer I am really excited to start my summer reading! Reading is one of my absolute favorite things about the summer since I don't have nearly as much time to do it throughout the rest of the year. I've kind of made it a tradition to pick out a bunch of books that I want to read at the beginning of the summer and then see how many I've been able to check off my list by the end of the season. I am a preeeetty slow reader so I'm sure my final count is nowhere near as big as other peoples' but I just love it so much regardless of my snail-like reading pace. 

To kick off my 2014 summer reading I want to share what I have lined up on my Kindle (favorite thing!) ready and waiting to be read so far. Here we go! 

The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty
The premise that a wife finds a secret letter from her husband to be read on the occasion of his death while he is still very much alive totally hooked me! I needed to know what was in that letter! Already finished this one, review coming soon! 

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
I am a sucker for books that are made into movies. I love comparing the original story to the on-screen version so I was determined to read this before seeing the movie. I also really love a good romance so this was right up my alley. I literally just finished The Fault in Our Stars so there's another upcoming review.

Reclaiming the Sand by A. Meredith Walters
This one is by an author that I have really grown to love. I've technically read five of her books (two were novellas I believe) and have really loved them all. Her Find You in the Dark series is pretty much my favorite. Like ever. So, of course I'm excited to read something else by her. Reclaiming the Sand seems like maybe another sort of twisted love story which A. Meredith Walters is very good at writing. 

Pandemonium (Delirium #2) by Lauren Oliver
I finished the first book in the Delirium series on our cruise over Spring Break and I really liked it. The idea of love being considered a disease is just so crazy to me! Not to mention the first book ends with a bit of a cliffhanger so I am anxious to see how the story continues in Pandemonium. 

The Death Cure (Maze Runner #3) by James Dashner 
I've read the first two books of this series and while they are not my favorite I still find the overall plot really interesting and basically want to get my questions answered! This is one of those series that leaves the reader in the dark about a lot of things and little by little reveals what's really going on so that always keeps me coming back. Also, they released the trailer for the first Maze Runner movie and, of course, I need to finish the series before it comes out! 

Entwined with You (Crossfire #3) by Sylvia Day
These books are my not-so-guilty pleasure. Think Fifty Shades of Grey but a little bit better. I am not ashamed! 

The Divergent Series by Veronica Roth 
Now, I have seen the Divergent movie but I've heard such good things that I downloaded the entire series to my Kindle and will still read it. I loved The Hunger Games so much so I need another dystopian trilogy in my life! 


I can't guarantee that I'll finish all of these but I have sneaking suspicion that I will. I usually do randomly find more books I just have to read right now as time goes on but I am really excited about what's on my Kindle right now. Look out for book reviews as I slowly, but surely, check these off my list!

-Lindsay

Norwegian Getaway Photo Tour

Whenever getting ready for a vacation, one of my favorite things to do is look around for pictures and videos of wherever it is that I'm going. This is especially true when it comes time to experience a new cruise ship! I'm sure there are lots of people who would rather experience everything for the first time in person but, to be honest, I usually have to do something to keep me sane while I wait for whatever big trip is coming.

So, as promised, here is my "photo tour" of the Norwegian Getaway cruise ship. This is in no way every inch of the ship. I just took a walk around at the end of our week and took pictures of some of the areas I thought were pretty. Hope you enjoy!

Norwegian Getaway Cruise Highlights

If you read my last post (yes, I know it's been a while!) then you know that over my Spring Break I got to go on a week-long cruise on Norwegian Cruise Line's newest ship, the Norwegian Getaway. I will be doing a separate post of photos of just the ship but I thought it would be fun to share some of the highlights of our trip. Let me preface this by saying that I was totally blown away by this ship and how much fun we had on it! I would absolutely recommend this cruise to anyone looking to have a seriously fun vacation!

Click "read more" below to get a taste of all the fun we had!