5 on Friday

1. I hurt my back this week. I don't know how I did it, but for two days everything I did was painful.

2. My Birchbox came in the mail yesterday. This time it was in a black box instead of pink. I'm assuming that had something to do with the "Gossip Girl" theme.

3. Started reading Let's Pretend This Never Happened  by Jenny Lawson (The Bloggess.) It is very good, I can't count the number of times I have laughed out loud.

4. I went shopping with my friend on Thursday and I bought some new lipstick. It's always fun to try something new. (Well, not always, but trying new lipstick is usually okay.)

5. I'm getting my hair cut next week and I'm trying to decide what to do with it. I always have horrible anxiety before getting my hair cut. (Which is why it only happens every 2 years.)

5 on Friday- Week in Review

1. Monday 

My week started early Monday morning at the gym. I'm slowly getting into the habit of going to the gym. I hate getting out of bed so early, but I'm always glad that I did.

Also, I am excited to have these in the house this week...

Forget what I said about the gym, these have been the highlight of my week. SO GOOD!


2. Tuesday

I opened the windows for the first time this year on Tuesday. The weather has been amazing this week.

I also lit my First Bloom candle from Bath and Body Works for the first time.

3. Wednesday

It was back to the gym on Wednesday morning.

I received a couple of books that I had ordered from Amazon. These are books that I had read as a kid and have been looking for for years, but they aren't in print any more. After looking through every used book store, I just decided it was easier to order them from Amazon. I'm pretty sure that shipping was cheaper than all the gas used going to different stores.

4. Thursday

I finally received my Panem I.D. card in the mail. I have been waiting for this thing for weeks!

Is anybody else excited for The Hunger Games movie?

I also went to lunch with Nicole. We went to Chapala's, which is becoming our favorite spot for lunch.

5. Friday

I went to the gym again this morning. This was the first time I actually made it 3 times in one week even though that has always been the plan.

I used my twilight bath bomb from Lush today. My bathroom smells great now and so do I!

I should be getting my March Birchbox in the mail today. If so, that means that I will probably have a post about it sometime next week.

Have a good weekend!
Jenn

Random Five on Friday

1. We had our first real snowfall of the year on Monday. We got maybe 2 inches. It was all gone by the next day.

2. All my tests from my doctor have come back normal, so that is good news. Now I am trying out an inhaler for a couple weeks to see if it will help me....you know....breathe.

3. I signed up for Birchbox earlier this month. I should be getting my first box in the mail today, so I will try and have a post up about what I got sometime next week.

4. I went to Cheddar's for lunch yesterday. It was so good! I am already ready to go back.

5. I bought a new cup last week and I really love it. I've been drinking a lot more water since I got it. I fill it up at least 4 or 5 times a day.

(Not the best picture, sorry about that.)

5 on Friday - Books I Love (that don't have Harry Potter in the Title)

1. The Book Thief - Markus Zusak

- I don't have a favorite book, but if I did, this would be it. It is a story set in WWII with Death as the narrator. It is haunting and beautiful at the same time.


2. Life of Pi - Yann Martel

- When I first decided to read this, I wasn't sure I would like it. I was afraid that it would be boring, but I was wrong. I love this book.

Great quotes from this book:

- “If we, citizens, do not support our artists, then we sacrifice our imagination on the altar of crude reality and we end up believing in nothing and having worthless dreams.”

-  “If you stumble about believability, what are you living for? Love is hard to believe, ask any lover. Life is hard to believe, ask any scientist. God is hard to believe, ask any believer. What is your problem with hard to believe?”

-  “These people fail to realize that it is on the inside that God must be defended, not on the outside. They should direct their anger at themselves. For evil in the open is but evil from within that has been let out. The main battlefield for good is not the open ground of the public arena but the small clearing of each heart.”


 3. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee

 - The first time I read this book was in high school. I'm afraid that I didn't appreciate it then.

It wasn't until I read this book as an adult that I realized just how amazing this book is.


4. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian - Sherman Alexie

- The cover of this book is what first caught my eye. I assumed that it would be a fun, light read.

I wasn't prepared for the number of times I would laugh, cry, and then laugh again.

I've read this book several times and I still can't get through Chapter 2 without having to blink away the tears in order to see the page.


5. Unwind - Neal Shusterman

- I thought for a long time about what I should say about this book, and I still don't know.

It's a thought-provoking novel that is set in the future after a Second Civil War, which was fought over reproductive rights.

Abortion is now illegal, but between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, parents can choose to have their children "unwound."

This is a hard book to describe to people who haven't read it, because you don't want to give too much away.

I thought it was a great book, and I've recommended it to friends who have agreed.


That is it for my 5 on Friday. I have linked all of the books to Amazon if you want to find out more about them.

If you have read these books or just want to talk about others that you like, tell me about it in the comments.

5 on Friday

This is another new series I am trying out for my blog.

Every Friday I will list five things.

It might be some of my favorite things, random thoughts, or it could even be pictures.

Basically it just depends on what I feel like doing for that week.

This week's five things happen to be random thoughts.

5 Random Thoughts:

 1. I'm not even halfway through January and I've already lost most of the motivation I had for making changes in 2012. I'm hoping to rest, regroup, and refocus on what is important next week.

2. The DMV is never fun, but it goes a lot smoother if you have all the right paperwork. I'm always surprised when I see people older than I am who aren't prepared. This can't be the first time they've gone through this. (Unless they just moved here from another state and just don't know, then I feel bad for them because I've been there and it can be stressful.)

3. What is the point of me pre-ordering a book if it I don't get it until 3-4 days after it's released? I could have gone to the store and bought it by now.

4. I'm glad the snow waited to fall until after we got new tires on the car. That was nice.

5. Every year I think to myself, "I'm going to do something fun for my birthday this year!" I turn 26 on Monday and once again, I have no plans.