Fit Life Tea Fun

Fit Life Tea:

Their mission statement is: To inspire and enable healthy living and happiness throughout the world.

That is exactly what their company achieved.  Upon entering college, I found myself eating a multitude of microwave dinners, fast food; basically anything remotely easy or quick is what I would look too. Which unfortunately doesn't have a whole lot of healthy choices.

So when Fit Life Tea sent me their 14-Day Detox, I was more than ready to begin my mission on getting healthy and more alert again. I got a cute bottle in their package, along with a card of a quick twenty-minute exercise. The Tea itself was stored in an adorable bag which made me even more excited to try this tea. The instructions read to drink two cups a day (simple! I love tea!). I even squeezed in the twenty-minute exercise they recommended.

(Taken Day 1 of my Tea-Tox)

Fit Life Tea influenced me to eat healthier whether it be in a small way like eating one slice of pizza instead of four or in big ways like eating an apple instead of a candy bar. My mood improved as the days went on and I could feel the energy flowing through me. I was no longer sluggish during class, or out of energy as I walked up the stairs. I was still tired at times, but I had the energy to get through my day. 

My work out habits also increased in the two weeks of the program.  It didn't mean I went to the gym every day, but I found alternatives to a healthy lifestyle when I didn't have time to work out. Such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator to my dorm room or class room, walking to class instead of catching a ride from the carts... little things like that that make a huge difference. 

(Via Instagram: Thereallilycooper)

I learned throughout my journey on Fit Life Tea that it's important to take care of your mental health as well as physical. I am the type of person to help others and give others attention, and forget to focus on myself every once and a while. I realized that sometimes you just got to grab a book, pop in a bath bomb, turn up the Spotify, get your tea, and relax. The world will keep on turning, time keeps on going, but in those few moments of solitude all stress and worries go away, and you end up feeling more refreshed than ever before. 

The general idea people think of when someone says "healthy" is boring and bland foods.  But that is far from what is true. You choose how to make your healthy lifestyle accommodating to you and that includes choosing what to eat. You can have fun with healthy.  Go on Pinterest, look up recipes, get your grandmother recipes... etc. Eating doesn't have to be dull and bland.  One of my favorite things to do is have oatmeal in the morning and then decorate the bowl with different types of fruits (even a little sugar sometimes). 

An important factor I have realized is before you choose to change your lifestyle, you have to accept yourself as you are. No matter what size, you are beautiful. God made us in HIS image and crafted each and every one of us to perfection. Our self worth should not come from our appearance; it should come from God. 

“Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.” 

1 Peter 3:3-4

“The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 

1 Samuel 16:7

“Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’ God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.” 

Genesis 1:26,31

I can attest to the positive lifestyle that Fit Tea has created for me.  I am fighting the Freshmen 15 with success, exercising, loving my body as it is, and having fun in the meantime. I highly suggest ordering the two-week TeaTox today and to start on you exciting new journey to better yourself.  

For 10% off type in the code: LilyC15

Until next time!

The Possibility of Somewhere Review

The Possibility of Somewhere
By: Julia Day

Together is somewhere they long to be.

Ash Gupta has a life full of possibility. His senior year is going exactly as he’s always wanted-- he's admired by his peers, enjoying his classes and getting the kind of grades that his wealthy, immigrant parents expect. There's only one obstacle in Ash's path: Eden Moore—the senior most likely to become class valedictorian. How could this unpopular, sharp-tongued girl from the wrong side of the tracks stand in his way?

All Eden's ever wanted was a way out. Her perfect GPA should be enough to guarantee her a free ride to college -- and an exit from her trailer-park existence for good. The last thing she needs is a bitter rivalry with Ash, who wants a prized scholarship for his own selfish reasons. Or so she thinks. . . When Eden ends up working with Ash on a class project, she discovers that the two have more in common than either of them could have imagined. They’re both in pursuit of a dream -- one that feels within reach thanks to their new connection. But what does the future hold for two passionate souls from totally different worlds?

I love contemporary reads so much.  There is just something about them that get's my blood pumping at the thought of reading them.  It was no different with this book.

Eden is a girl driven to escape the life her dad has planned for her and what she is expected to be.  She will do anything to achieve her goal, but she just wasn't expecting the dreadful four letter word: Love. 

Individually these characters are insecure, lonely, and unsure of themselves. But together? They compliment the best in each other.  It was amazing to see their animosity towards one another blossom into this infatuation in which they can't live without another.  That's the best kind of love stories in my opinion.

This book reflects what society tends to jump to when it comes to relationships, looks, or anything that is deemed, "different." Which is why I honestly loved the diversity and unique structure in which this story was shaped upon. I have never read anything quite like it and get by the last page I was deep in love with it.  

For a debut novel, the pages held deep thoughts and insights to love, school, and life with different incomes.  Great book to read for seniors before they go off to college, or freshman college students starting their new life.

4/5 Stars

Book Playlist:

Drive by: Oh Wonder
You Always Make Me Smile by: Kyle Andrews
Bruises by: Train
2 Broke Kids by: Ruth B
Back To You by: Twin Forks

(Many thanks to St. Martins Press for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review)

Detached Review

Detached 
By: Christina Kilbourne 

Anna has always been so level-headed, so easy-going, so talented and funny. How could anyone have guessed she wanted to die?

Anna is not like other people. For one thing, she’s been an accomplished artist since she was a preschooler. For another, she’s always felt like she didn’t belong: not with other kids, not with her family, not in her body. It isn’t until her grandparents are killed in a tragic accident, however, that Anna starts to feel untethered. She begins to wonder what it would be like if she didn’t exist and the thought of escaping the aimless drifting is the only thing that brings her comfort.

When Anna overdoses on prescription pain killers the doctors realize she has been suffering from depression and start looking for a way to help her out of the desperate black hole she never thought she would escape. It’s then that rock bottom comes into sight and the journey back to normal begins.

Depression is an illness that my family has suffered from generations to generations.  That being said, I have always been weary of books that have that plot written in because I am very critical of how its portrayed.  It's not something that causes you to be sad, or a result of your parents grounding you.  It's an illness that infects your mind and turns even the brightest, most colorful days, into a dreary grey.

From the first page I absolutely fell into rhythm of this book.  Anna has what some people would say is the perfect life: two married parents who are well off, a great relationship with her brother, good grades, and a wonderful talent.  How could she be depressed?

Slowly through the pages you see the illness drive Anna deeper and deeper into this dark cloud, where the only way out in her mind is death.

I loved everything about this book from the beginning to the end.  It correctly and accurately shows depression and how you never know what is going in someone's head.  On the outside they could be happy and all smiles, but inside slowly dying.

I really connected with Anna because depression runs in my family so much, and I have been a victim of it's dark ways.  Maybe not driven to the point of suicide, but some days I have clouds of darkness too.

I suggest this book to everyone and anyone, it's important to understand depression and how it can change even the happiest of people to these shells of themselves. It was a beautiful read and will always remember it.

 September 10 is World Suicide Prevention Day. This year's theme is Connect, Communicate,‎ Care. I encourage you to be part of the Conversation. 

National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255 (available 24 hours everyday)

Since You've Been Gone Review

Since You've Been Gone
By: Morgan Matson

It was Sloane who yanked Emily out of her shell and made life 100% interesting. But right before what should have been the most epic summer, Sloane just…disappears. All she leaves behind is a to-do list.

On it, thirteen Sloane-inspired tasks that Emily would normally never try. But what if they could bring her best friend back?

Apple picking at night? Okay, easy enough.

Dance until dawn? Sure. Why not?

Kiss a stranger? Um...

Emily now has this unexpected summer, and the help of Frank Porter (totally unexpected), to check things off Sloane's list. Who knows what she’ll find?

Go skinny-dipping? Wait...what?

This was my first read by Morgan Matson.  And I am glad to have started out with this amazing book. I had always been drawn to this book for one main reason: The red heart sunglasses. I have a pair of my own, Taylor Swift has a pair, so of course that meant this book was bound to be good right?

Wrong.

It was spectacular and deserves so many more lovely adjectives than what I can think of right now.  I mean, wow.  The beginning was a little slow for me, mainly because the font was smaller than what I was used to and it threw me off.  But when Emily finds the list and her life gets flipped over... you couldn't get my head out of the book.

I loved the friendships aspect.  It reminded me a lot of me when I moved (I feel like I mention that in blog posts a lot but whatever).  I left my best friend who I had known since preschool and wound up on alone island in Alaska. It was hard, but eventually Emily found her voice, and I did too after a while.

Now the love story aspect.  I never knew Frank could be the name of an attractive guy but lets face it: Frank Porter takes the cake.  His kind and beautiful spirit never fazed me and I was always left wanted more whenever a scene with him ended. 

One quote really got to me though about this whole book.

“She hugged me tight, and I hugged her back. I was going to miss her—I knew it. But somehow, I had the feeling that we were going to be okay. I didn’t know what would happen with us. Maybe we’d find a way to attend the same college and be roommates and have the most amazingly decorated dorm room ever. Maybe we’d end up being pen pals, sending lists back and forth. Or we’d just stick to talking twice a week, or we’d video chat, or else just spend all our money traveling to hang out with each other on weekends. I somehow knew that the particulars didn’t matter. She was my heart, she was half of me, and nothing, certainly not a few measly hundred miles, was ever going to change that.”  

That spoke to me in the deepest way because when I moved away from my best friend, we were devastated, but we knew we were going to be okay. Now we are closer than ever and just in the last six months we have flown and seen each other three times.  We text and call constantly. She is literally my sister and our friendship is only going to flourish from here.

So thank you Morgan Matson. Thank yo for creating a beautiful masterpiece that made my cry and text my best friend this paragraph which caused us to cry more together.

5/5 Stars

Tell Me Three Things Review

Tell Me Three Things
By: Julie Buxbaum

Everything about Jessie is wrong. At least, that’s what it feels like during her first week as a junior at her new ultra-intimidating prep school in Los Angeles. It’s been barely two years since her mother’s death, and because her father eloped with a woman he met online, Jessie has been forced to move across the country to live with her stepmonster and her pretentious teenage son.

Just when she’s thinking about hightailing it back to Chicago, she gets an email from a person calling themselves Somebody/Nobody (SN for short), offering to help her navigate the wilds of Wood Valley High School. Is it an elaborate hoax? Or can she rely on SN for some much-needed help?

In a leap of faith—or an act of complete desperation—Jessie begins to rely on SN, and SN quickly becomes her lifeline and closest ally. Jessie can’t help wanting to meet SN in person. But are some mysteries better left unsolved?

Three Things:

(1) I may or may not have shed tears while reading this beautiful book. (2) Ever since I started reading this book I have been tempted to purchase a waffle maker. (3) I want a guy like SN in my life so badly why can't all guys be like him.

I always get emotional when reading about the loss of a parent because I'm so close to mine. There was no dry eye in my room as I read this book because if I were to ever lose one, I don't know what I would do. 

Jessie is very relatable in just the way she presents herself.  Being shy myself, and having to start over at a new school (multiple times) I felt for her.  High school is mean and people just suck all the way around.  But for the current situation she's in, she handles it pretty well (better than I would have).  Dad says he is going on a business trip and then comes back married? I would have flipped.  Like, huge tantrum, yelling, flipped out.  But Jessie carefully composes herself and tries to go along with whatever life brings her. Of course on the inside she has all her turmoil and anger built up but I mean if she didn't, she wouldn't be human.

I loved the diction in the story and how you could really connect with the main character.  You were literally inside her head and I lost count on how many times I would laugh out loud at the jokes, have an "awh" moment, or shed a few tears.  You weren't just told a story, you lived it out with Jessie. 

SN is probably my favorite person ever.  I wish I had a cute guy anonymously message me and give me tips on school, who to friend, and just have someone to talk to when I moved states.  Probably would have saved me a whole lot of trouble.  SN is everyone's dream guy and as you flip through the pages you have the same anxious feeling like Jessie does, to figure out who it is.  And believe me when you find out, you'll be pleasantly and happily surprised.

This book at first glance looked to be a cute story with a pretty cover but turned out to be SO much more. 

I wish I could just make everyone I met read this book so they could have the same bubbly feeling I had when reading it.

5/5 Stars

Someone I Wanted To Be Review

Someone I Wanted To Be
By: Aurelia Wills

Release Date: September 6, 2016

 When an insecure teen starts impersonating someone else, her life spirals dangerously out of control in a realistic, relatable novel about finding yourself—and discovering your true friends.

Leah Lobermier dreams of becoming a doctor, but it’s hard to stay focused on getting good grades when boys make oinking sounds at her in school and her mother spends every night on the couch with a bottle of wine. Leah’s skinny and popular "friends," Kristy and Corinne, aren’t much better and can hardly be counted on for support. When the girls convince a handsome older man to buy them beer, Leah takes his phone number and calls him, pretending to be Kristy—coy and confident—and they develop a relationship, talking and texting day after day. But as the lie she created grows beyond her control, can Leah put a stop to things before she—or Kristy—is seriously hurt?

By the synopsis I had thought this book was going to be more of a psychological thriller sort of read.  But after the first few chapters, I realized it was more of the Indie nature. 

Leah is very insecure about herself and desperately wants a life opposite of what she has.  Her mother is a drunk and her father is dead. She surrounds herself with toxic people who put her down, but their lives somehow make her feel like she is apart of something.  When she has the chance to be wanted by an older man, she takes it, and puts herself and people around her in danger.

I feel like this book had the potential to be a really good thriller with the plot.  It had endless possibilities with plots you good throw in like murder, kidnapping, anything really.  But it seemed like what made up the whole description of the book, was really just a secondary event happening. 

Most of the pages were just filled up with how Leah didn't like her situation or how her friends treated her (Horribly I might add). 

The enjoyable characters were the ones that only showed up every few chapters.  Of course they were the people Leah would ditch for her mean, bullies of friends.  I feel like there was really no character development with this girl.  I think the book was cut down too short, and the plot ended too suddenly to allow the gradual epiphany to happen. 

Awkward dialogue and scenes were sprinkled around the story which didn't make much sense to me or to how it applied to the story. 

I think if I were to be one who liked Indie books, I would have enjoyed this greatly.  Fans of Perks of Being a Wallflower, and The Spectacular Now, will love this read. I liked it, it entertained me, but it just didn't live up to my hopes.

2.5/5

*I received this book in exchange for an honest review

The Problem With Forever Review

The Problem With Forever
By: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Growing up, Mallory Dodge learned that the best way to survive was to say nothing. And even though it’s been four years since her nightmare ended, she’s beginning to worry that the fear that holds her back will last a lifetime. Now, after years of homeschooling, Mallory must face a new milestone—spending her senior year at a public high school. But she never imagined she’d run into Rider Stark, the friend and protector she hasn’t seen since childhood, on her very first day.

It doesn’t take long for Mallory to realize that the connection she shared with Rider never really faded. Yet soon it becomes apparent that she’s not the only one grappling with lingering scars from the past. And as she watches Rider’s life spiral out of control, Mallory must make a choice between staying silent and speaking out—for the people she loves, the life she wants and the truths that need to be heard.

What originally pulled me in was the beautiful water color cover.  The bright colors along with the gorgeous font of the title nabbed me into splurging a little and buying this book beauty.

The minute I opened up the first page, I was sucked in.  Armentrout's writing just pulls you in and you feel like you are with Mallory and Rider on their adventure.  She is descriptive in places she needs to be and her characters never say a single word not needed for the story to progress. 

Mallory:  Is a lovely, shy character who reminds me of myself.  The anxiety of public speaking, or speaking in general, and the over analysis of every move she makes is almost a complete replica of me.  She is a sweet girl with a huge heart that doesn't want to let anyone down. My favorite thing about the story was her character development.  The author did such an fantastic job on slowly progressing Mallory's personality until you reach the last page and feel so proud of her and what she has achieved over the four hundred or so pages.

Rider: Okay a hottie with a past with Mallory, and an over protective side? Yes.  I instantly loved him so so so so much.  Though, it was hard to get past that he had a girlfriend, because the way he treated Mallory wasn't fair to either of them.  But he quickly redeemed himself in the later pages with how thoughtful and patient he was with Mallory.  His character development wasn't as paced as Mallory and even now I think he had a while to go to get where he needed to be.  But that's the beauty of books, they allow us the imagination to think beyond the pages.

Overall this story won a 5/5 stars from me.  The plot, the diction, the characters, all fit together in this harmony that allowed me to eat up the words within two days.  Forever recommending this story and will always remember it.  Hopefully someday I can write a story as passionate and as brilliant as Jennifer did.