We made it! It's Friday... And.. I have nothing prepared today for my post. So I got an idea as I was waking up this morning and ran with it. My High Five For Friday post will consist of 5 up and coming things on the blog. I have been brainstorming some new fresh ideas and I am excited to hear your opinions on them.

#1 I am planning an e-book reading challenge starting in March. The basic idea of this is to pick your books from all of the downloaded books you have already on your e-reader. I know I can't be the only one who hoards books! More about that as it gets closer, but I'd like to know if anyone has interest in this :)

#2 I have been seriously thinking about offering some sponsor options on my blog. It won't be anything big right away. Baby steps. I am still not 100% sure I can commit to having a bunch of sidebar spots, but I think I can certainly handle a weekend spot where I can promote all week for your weekend post. I think it's a good place to start. What do you all think?

#3 Me and Sarah over at Silly Incantations have been talking about teaming up and starting a wellness link up on Thursdays. It will be a place where you can link up what you are doing each week to get yourself motivated to make better choices for your wellness and fitness. I hope you will all come link up with us once we are up and running! More info to come as we get settled in!

#4 Speaking about teaming up, I am always happy to team up with peeps who want to start something. I have a lot of great ideas I would love to share with others to help bring some great content and fun to our blogs. If you ever want to team up please drop me an email.

#5 I have just recently started using Pinterest with my blog. I am still getting used to posting my pins to my own boards. I would love you forever if you would check me out from time to time and help me figure out this Pinterest journey!

So there ya have it! Lots of fun stuff coming up on the blog in the next few weeks!

Where are all my bookworms at? Today I wanted to talk a little about where I find all my books and fun (and sometimes free) ways to get the good stuff (books that is). Because let's face it. Books are not cheap to buy. This is not saying I am not trying to support writers, because I certainly do buy books. However sometimes I am looking for a quick read, or want to get into a new author but not sure I will like the style of the writing. So here are a few tips to get yourself back on the reading train finding books you love!


Sign up for a library card: This is probably the cheapest (free) way to check out all kinds of subjects and authors without having to purchase the book. Library cards are free and offer all kinds of options. A typical time frame you get to keep these books is between 2 and 3 weeks. I normally take out only 2 books at a time in order to give myself enough time to read both. Most of the time you can renew your borrowed book if the book is not in high demand.

Book Sales: I really enjoy when libraries and book stores have sales. You can get some pretty great books for a fraction of their original costs. Most of these sales benefit your local library which is pretty sweet. In my town there is an annual book sale and it is HUGE! Books get cheaper as the days go on. You can walk out with loads of books under $10 if you choose.

Buy an E-Reader: Owning a reader like a Kindle or Nook can be fun because you have the library literally at the palm of your hand. Most libraries have electronic book borrowing these days. Same process as checking out a book, but downloaded on your device. When it's time to return the book it magically disappears from your archive. Pretty sweet right?

Along with borrowing electronic books from the library Amazon offers all kinds of books to purchase for less then the hard copy as well as daily free books. There are quite a few sites out there that sift through all of the free books and offer them to you in categories that are easy to follow. Some of my favorites are:

Pixel of Ink
Free Booksey
Hundred Zeros

I have found hundreds of books to read from these sites. It is absolutely insane how much is out there to read!

Goodreads.com: If you are unsure of what to read or want to keep track of what you are reading, Goodreads is the place to go. You can friend people you know and see what they are reading, along with get recommendations from the site based on your likes. There are categories and reviews on almost any kind of subject you can think of.

Library and Kindle books are my fave!

You have so many options out there to get yourself back into reading and finding stuff you love. In the next couple of weeks, once I finish the Winter Reading Challenge I am currently reading, I will be posting a new reading challenge. It will be simple, kinda. If you are like me and have WAY to many books on your kindle/nook this challenge is going to have you pick books by theme from the books you already have stored on your e-reader but never read. Sounds fun right? (I suppose if you also hard copy books laying around you could also do it that way if you don't own an e-reader)

Stay tuned for that. more details to come!

I have recently taken up yoga. I am only a few classes in so I am not going to pretend like I am an expert by any means. I wanted to pass along some tips I would have found helpful before I went into my first class.


Tip #1: Always speak to your instructor prior to your first class about any medical or health issues you are currently going through. This can be both beneficial for you and the instructor. The instructor may be able to guide you into a class that works best for you and your needs.

Tip #2: Verify ahead of time if you need to provide your own mats or any other equipment that may be needed during class.  A lot of places today provide these either complimentary or for a small rental fee.  Never assume they are included in the class cost.

Tip #3: Wear comfortable, yet formfitting clothes. When I went into my first class I was wearing comfy clothes, however they were a little baggy in the legs and I kept getting caught on my pant legs in certain positions.

Tip #4: Leave your phone at home (Or at least turned off). The atmosphere is very quiet and relaxing. The last thing you need is to have your phone going off or your mind on that last message you read right before you walking into class. I find leaving my phone home all together allows me to have a nice peaceful class along with a relaxing peaceful drive home.

Tip #5: Breathe! Yoga is all about using your breath. If you forget to breathe or keep your muscles tense, you could end up pulling a muscle and being sore after.  Never a fun option.

Tips #6: Accept help. Never feel embarrassed if your instructor corrects your position. They are only trying to help you get it correct so you can get the benefit the position is meant for.

Tip #7: Keep a positive attitude while practicing. The energy is amazing with a room full of people all focusing on a better well being. Smile often and always be kind to those around you.

Tip #8: Ask questions if you don't understand something being taught to you. If you allow the question to go unanswered you may become frustrated every time you practice.

Tip #9 Bring extra layers and water. At the end of the class after you have completely let yourself relax, you may become cold. Have water if you need to hydrate after.

Tip #10 Practice what you have learned in your everyday life. Learn to use your breath to relax you in a stressful situation. I have definitely used these techniques a few time and it is amazing how much better you feel when you apply what you learn.

Do you practice yoga? What tips would you add?