Musica Monday

Ever had one of those days when you just want to break into song and dance? Life should be a musical, several of my friends and I have shared this thought since we were in middle school! Last year, Pharrell Williams released his song "Happy". Not long after a website was released called 24 Hours of Happy. It is exactly what it sounds like, that song being played for 24 hours. While this may be too much of this happy song for some (most) people, it's awesome to find that people are that  determined to make us smile and dance throughout the day!

So, today both Matt and I want to share with you this song by Pharrell Williams in hopes that it makes you want to get up and dance!

Love,

Sara :)

Musica Monday

Ever had one of those days when you realize that your entire lifestyle/well-being is being held up by the thin string of your job? I'm not sure if this makes sense, but to explain I work for a very small personal training company and we've been hitting some rough spots lately and it has become apparent to us that a small independent company is really always at some sort of risk for losing everything. In one moment that string that holds me up, this job and the fact that I make nearly my entire living at this job (which I am not complaining about, because it is fun and so rewarding) and would be in serious trouble without it, could be cut so simply. I guess it is a bit of a reality check. But I can't bring myself to want to leave this company. While sometimes we don't all get along, we all rely on each other to get everyday things done at the office.
The song I am sharing with you reminds me of all the different groups of people who work together and that it is how we treat each other that makes the biggest impact on our lives and defines us. We are how we treat each other, and nothing more.

Enjoy this song, "Nothing More" by The Alternate Routes

Love,
Sara :)

Half-Price Haul

I remember mentioning at some point that I was addicted to Half-Price Books. Well, I made a trip to said bookstore once again and have returned with more books! Yay!

I'm going to go through each of these books quickly, top to bottom, see what you think!

1. The Dress Lodger by Sheri Holman

A historical fiction (always a hit and miss genre) set in England back in 1831. A single, teenaged mother, struggles to make ends meet, as a potter's assistant by day and a dress lodger by night. What caught my eye was that it was is supposedly set in a modern tone, which is very intriguing for a historical fiction. I'm interested to see how this one turns out!

2. Bone Man's Daughter by Ted Dekker

Kidnapping. Serial killer. Psychological puzzles. Need I say more for your curiosity concerning this book to skyrocket? Or is it just me?

3. Hitler's Willing Executioners: Ordinary Germans and the Holocaust by Daniel Jonah Goldhagen

Ever since taking that class in college on the Holocaust, I've been fascinated with so many different aspects of World War II and how it affected Europe. I'm not sure why, but when I say this book for $2, I really couldn't pass up another book to add to my growing collection concerning the Holocaust and Hitler.

4. Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin

A murder mystery set in the time of Henry II with a female detective who is suspicious of everyone and sounds like a version of Sherlock Holmes! I'm super excited!!!

5. Deception: Spies, Lies and How Russia Dupes the West by Edward Lucas

I almost didn't buy this book. I think I passed it like three or four times...but the concept of spies is one that I'm not sure I'm capable of passing up. And so I didn't pass it up, I got the $2 book.

What are you guys looking at as far as books or your own entertainment?

Love,
Sara :)

Current Reads

I did manage to get started on a few of the books that I posted last week. Mainly, I'm reading Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer whenever I'm passing time outside of my house and My So-Called Freelance Life: How to Survive and Thrive as a Creative Professional for Hire by Michelle Goodman. So far, these two books are quite interesting, but let me start with Foer's book.

I can normally go through interesting non-fiction in not too long, however with Eating Animals, I've found that I need to put it down every so often and take a deep breath. I'm not sure exactly what I was expecting from this book, but what I got wasn't it. Don't get me wrong! It is a well written and interesting book, but it is hard to read at times and that makes the book itself difficult, but I also can't seem to just drop it. Like I said it is well written and Mr. Foer is a very smart man, so I find myself wanting to finish out this journey with him as he learns more about where our food comes from.

Michelle Goodman's book is the other end of the scale for me. Since I am reading it before bed, I don't go through it nearly as fast as some of my other books because I'm already tired when I'm starting to read it. But from what I've read so far, I really want to drop one of my day jobs and pick up some sort of art or freelance writing just because I love doing it so much and she is very much a follow your dreams kind of writer. I love that she never once says that following what you want to do is going to be easy, in fact it will probably be the opposite, with many hardships and 'doh' moments along the way, but if it means you get to do what you love, wouldn't it be worth it? I recognize some of her ideas as parts of my personal training job, my boss has even mentioned before that if she didn't have to make a living, she wouldn't charge people for personal training because it's just something she feels that passionate about! How cool is that?! I love talking to people who are that passionate about what they do! I hope to someday be as passionate as they are!

I've been writing a lot lately, but I hope you guys don't mind because I guess it's a sort of release for me as well. I'm working on a piece concerning why I blog and hopefully that should be out in not too long so you can understand a little more about me :)

Love,

Sara :)

Progress on Chairs

Remember me mentioning a few weeks ago that I started redoing some chairs that are going to be in the new apartment Morgan and I are moving into at the end of the month? Well, I finally got my act together and went out and bought fabric for the cushions! Not only that, but between me, mom, and dad (he supplied our staple gun) we figured out how to get the bottom cushions together. I even managed to make it into a one person job! As of now, all the bottom cushions are done, we are just trying to figure out how to do those pesky top cushions....especially since sewing really isn't one of my strong suits. I think I know how to use mom's sewing machine? (Yea, that bad!)

This is the finished product, what do you think of the print? I'm pretty excited! I can't wait to move and get things rolling! Although it is super nerve racking to go through all the financial stuff, it is entirely worth it in my opinion to get away from home and finally get the chance to do my own thing. What kinds of projects are you guys working on now?

Random fact: I'm dog-sitting this weekend!! Not only that, but I'm joining Matt and part of his family for an outing to an outdoor sports show for her birthday. I'm super excited and hopefully the weekend goes well!!

Love,

Sara :)

Setting A Healthy Example

How many of us hear that we are role models every day? Well, it's true. What we do really has a big impact on what the younger/next generation does. This is a lot of pressure on us to do well and to set good examples in any and all aspects of our lives. Yes, I mean all aspects of our lives. From the little things, like doing your homework and reading to looking for cars when crossing a busy street, to the big things like eating healthy and listening to what everyone has to say, the eyes of whoever admires you are following every move you make and every step you take.
I have a younger sister who I try and set a good example for by staying positive when things are getting rough and teasing her when she gets down. We love to do things together, and while our eight year age gap can be a barrier sometimes, it doesn't stop her from coming down to my room to watch our favorite scenes from Frozen or Rise of the Guardians or looking at Pinterest and listening to music. I've been thinking of even giving her a Musica Monday recently since she has some music in her arsenal that I have not yet heard.
One of the seemingly hardest ways to set an example, especially in our modern society, is to set a healthy example. I found a list at chosemyplate.gov that talked about being a healthy role model for children, and my list here will be loosely based off of that list.

1. Watch what you do. The eyes of your admirers are always watching you, be it fans or siblings or your employees, they look to you for what they should be doing and they will always follow your lead.

2. Have fun wherever you go. It's important to remember that life is not just about being serious, having fun is still a major part and if your siblings or employees see you relaxing and having fun with life, that positive energy is more likely to transfer to them. Even if it's in the kitchen, make food fun or make the workday enjoyable when you can! No one wants to be bored all day.

3. Listen to what they say. Make sure to understand when your sibling asks for your help, they are asking you instead of mommy or daddy. Remember, it might have taken that employee all day to get the courage up to ask you the question or tell you about something. Listen to what they have to say and really take it in, don't ever brush it off, it seems like you are just brushing them off as well.

4. Limit TV, encourage physical activity. There's more to do than watch TV! Get out and do stuff together, it encourages physical activity and is a great way for children to build their social skills. Not to mention, it's fun :)

5. Be a good food role model. Try new foods, and understand that not everyone will like every food (do you?). Don't make anything different for dinner for someone (unless dietary restrictions apply) just because they don't like the food you are serving. Tell them to either eat dinner or make their own (usually solves any sort of problems).

Alright, so this post was a bit different and still feels slightly sloppy, but I wanted to get this small list out there and see what the response was! I've got some things planned for this month and it is going to be a busy month! I'm moving on the 29th!!!!!! Signed the lease!!! So much stuff to get ready! Ahhhh!

Love,
Sara :)

Musica Monday

I really wanted to find a song that represented my life lately, but instead I found this version of The Ready Set's song Best Song Ever! I can't stop watching it! :P Enjoy friends!

Love,

Sara :)