Autumn 2016 Must-Read Book List

I am so excited to share this book list with all of you. Here is the Autumn 2016 must-read book list that I have compiled for you to read:

1) Doing Good is Simple by Chris Marlow

2) Present over Perfect by Shauna Niequist

3) The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy

4) Think Like a Champion by Donald J. Trump

5) Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert

6) Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

7) How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie

8) The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson

9) You are a Badass by Jen Sincero

10) The Lost Girls by Jennifer Baggett, Holly C. Corbett, & Amanda Pressner

All of the books named are great for business, financial, and personal growth. They have all inspired me one way or another to become a better person and do what I've always wanted to do, which was to   enjoy my journey to nowhere and everywhere in search of nothing and everything. Hope you all enjoy this list. Please leave a comment on how these books have changed your life!

Father's Day

I would like to wish a happy father's day to all the fathers out there as well as the mothers pulling double-duty. It's my husband's first fathers day and he deserves this day because he is the most amazing father to our daughter. He is kind, understanding, patient, playful and just an all-round great father who takes time to understand her. He is also a great example as a husband and shows her mother true love and respect.

Happy fathers day to my own dad who as always been there for me. I love you and appreciate everything you do for me, my husband and our daughter.

Happy Father's Day!

Early 2016 Fall Booklist

I've decided to read the Duck Commander family books and I wasn't disappointed. I am not a follower of the show, but their books surprised me and might surprise you as well. I've uploaded the Fall booklist early to get a head-start. I am probably going to find more amazing books to share with you all. I've included classics as well as new releases. I hope you all enjoy the early 2016 Fall booklist.


1- Happy, Happy, Happy by Phil Robertson

2- The Duck Commander Family by Willie & Korie Robertson

3- The Good, the Bad, and the Grace of God by Jep & Jessica Robertson

4- Good Call by Jase Robertson

5- The Sweet Life by Dulce Candy Ruiz

6- Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman

7- American Wife by Tara Kyle

8- War & Peace Volume 1 by Leo Tolstoy

9- War & Peace Volume 2 by Leo Tolstoy

10- War and Peace Volume 3 by Leo Tolstoy

Birthday

As I turned 26 years old this year, I can't help but think about how far I've come in life. Ten years ago, I remember being up at the crack of dawn on my 16th birthday to go write my first test to get my entry level driver's licence. I was crazy happy the day had finally come. I would have never imagined in my wildest dream that 10 years later, I would have been married for 2 years and have a 6 month old baby and a beautiful home with the man of my dreams. It's insane how time flies and how much we change. 

I have just gone through probably the most confusing time of my life. I have written about the confusing 20's and it sure is all true. I found for myself anyways, that from 18-25 years old, you change so much. I found myself changing everyday and sometimes it was hard to keep up. Certain things obviously stay the same and we are sure about but others are always up in the air and our mind is in constant battle with our heart. As I've said before, we learn to live with the confusion and weed out what we want and don't want out of our relationships, finances, and life. 

I was so fortunate and blessed to have been able to travel so much in my short life. I have really found a piece of myself and loss a piece of myself everywhere I went. Thus began my journey in search of nothing and everything. Sometimes we have to "go with the flow" so to speak and learn to let go of what we can't control. I know for myself, it was hard to let go of control, but I became so much more at peace with myself. I became a new confident woman that accepted the chaos of life. 

I know enough to know that I don't know everything and I am entering in a new phase in life. Out with the old and in with the new. So many changes have come over the past four years that one can't help but accept all the blessings that have come my way. That is my friends, the story of life. 

Happy 26th birthday to me and all we can hope for in life is another tomorrow. 

Summer 2016 Book List #2

We all know that we read more in the summertime. Maybe because we have vacation or maybe it just feels nice to relax on a nice hot day with a cold drink and a great book in our hands. This season, I will add an additional 6 books that I recommend reading. Here they are:

1- Wild and Free by Jess Connolly & Hayley Morgan

2- The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

3- The Complete C.S. Lewis Signature Classics by C.S. Lewis

4- The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale

5- A Severe Mercy by Sheldon Vanauken

6- Strong and Kind by Korie Robertson

Being a Mom

This is my first mother's day after my baby has been born. Some have told me that while I was pregnant last year, mother's day counted so I guess it's my second mother's day. I haves much to say about being a first time mom. Things that have surprised me and things I underestimated. Let me tell you what being a mother means to me as I celebrate my first (or second) mother's day.

Since the day I found out I was pregnant, I fell in love with someone I didn't know and had never met. I always thought that I was going to love my unborn child, but never knew just to what extent. There are no words to even describe the love I felt really. All I knew is that it was my responsibility to protect this little human that depended on me.

It was important for me to make sacrifices while I was pregnant and that was completely fine with me seeing as I couldn't wait to be a mom. From the moment I found out, I instantly went into "mom mode" and became a total "mama bear." I never knew until that moment how far I would go to defend my baby.

Giving birth is like an out-of-body experience. The experience is all a blur but through it all, I knew I needed to be strong for my daughter. Labour is intense and painful. It's really indescribable. The moment i saw her little face and tiny little body with mini fingers and toes, I was so in love even though she was somewhat a stranger. Over the next few hours, days, weeks, and months I have gotten to know her. What she likes and dislikes. I got to see her personality flourish and mature. It was the first time in my life that I would make decisions for someone and their future lied in my hands completely.

Being a mother has been the biggest blessing of my life and I am sure my husband feels the same way. Being a mother is giving everything even if you have nothing left to give inside you. Being a mother is loving someone so deep and so hard infinitely. Being a mother has changed me. The things that used to matter don't and the things that didn't matter now do. It turned my world upside-down.

This is to all the hard working mothers out there. Mothers who work 24/7 with no pay, benefits, or vacation. We do it all for love, kisses and hugs. You all deserve so much more than a day!

Summer Book List 2016

I've compiled a summer book list for 2016. Some are new books, while others are classics. I have been working on my own book as well as a new cookbook. I am in the writing and designing phase of the cookbook and still in the writing phase for the book. I am so busy with new projects and my new business. Don't worry though, I haven't forgotten about my blog. I have quite a few new stories lined up and I cannot wait to share with all of you. Until then, here are my recommendation for great summer reads:

1- A Night to Remember by Walter Lord

2- The Titanic Disaster Hearings: The Official Transcripts of the 1912 Senate Investigation by Tom Kuntz

3- Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder

4- Diamonds at Dinner by Hilda Newman

5- The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

6- The Chrysalids by John Wyndham

7- The Art of Social Media by Guy Kawasaki

8- Manuscript Found in Accra by Paulo Coelho

9- The Widow by Fiona Barton

10- Driven by Robert Herjavec