amazon woman

I'm back. Yes, I have been slacking with updating my blog. BUT I have a good excuse. I have made the most of my winter break by relaxing most days. Case in point, today I laid on the couch ALL day in my pajamas reading some of the new books I got. And I must say it feels amazing to not talk, worry, study, work, plan, do, or even think. I literally have vegged out so much this winter break and I'm proud of it! This semester will bring about a ton of stress and lots to do so I don't feel bad for taking time to do nothing! :)

Though today I did spend lots of time reading the new books I ordered from Amazon.com. I am obsessed with the ridiculously LOW prices Amazon offers. So I am now an Amazon woman..ha ha, get it? You should do if you ever spend money on books or dvd's.

BOOK NUMERO UNO

I finally received this book in the mail today. An order from Amazon which cost me only $19, in hardcover though, you can get it for about $9 in paperback. There's just something about a hardcover that makes any book so much more pleasurable. Hey, it's the little things in life that I love the most! 

Anyways, this book is written by Alejandro Junger who is a doctor that likes to blend Western and Eastern medical practices. He has done lots of research on the power of detoxification. This books gets into the nitty gritty of harsh toxins around us and how powerful a detox can be for our health. And if you're a nerd like me he details the science behind it, so it's pretty legit. 

He also started the Clean program which is a detox you can follow for 3 days or up to 3 weeks to jump start all the systems in your body to work as efficiently as they were made to. I'm excited to finish the book and hope to try out the cleanse. First I want to try the 3 day detox and hopefully work my way up to the longer cleanse. 

I am a health nut so this book excites me just looking at it, so if you are too I definitely recommend it. But even if you aren't its a good tool to learn about the power of a healthy lifestyle and how damaging the food we eat, the water we drink and the air we breathe can be to our bodies. 

BOOK NUMERO DOS

I also received this fun book today. It also is a hardcover, purchased from Amazon for about $15. I don't think a paperback option is available, just a Kindle version if you are interested. 

This book was written by Bobbi Brown, one of my favorite makeup artists. I have read a couple of her other books and loved them so I have high hopes for this one too. This is more of a go to guide rather then a textbook (such as Clean, the book I previously mentioned). It spells out "Fabulous Looks, Beauty Essentials, and Life Lessons for Loving Your Teens and Twenties". It has fun colorful pictures, lots of information on makeup, hair and beauty. 

"All girls love to play with makeup. Lipstick, nail polish, and blush are pretty- just like sparkles, rhinestones, her mama's pearls, and of course, the color pink". Ah yes, pink. Bobbi Brown obviously knows whats she's talking about. ;)

I definitely recommend this book as well if you are interested in a fun beauty book to casually look through and read. 

And last but not least....

BOOK...I MEAN DVD NUMERO UNO

FINALLY!!!!!! I feel like this took forever to arrive. But it has come and I was so excited, I literally jumped up and down. Again, it doesn't take much to excite me...

I tried out this bad boy and LOVED IT!!!! Tara definitely kicked my butt with a one hour workout. There are also 4 more routines that you can follow that she shot in different places in New York but she doesn't walk you through them unfortunately. You need to just watch and catch on. But they are still super cool. The routines are set to rock music that add an edgy touch and boost to wanting to workout. The hour long session is shot in a studio but also has nontraditional yoga music. It's a blend of dance/techno/rap music. It's a nice change up for practicing yoga. 

DEFINITELY reccomend this DVD. She is a rockin teacher and it really does give you a great workout and open up all the tight spots in your body. 

Okay, wow! I talked your ear off in this post but I hope these are recommendations you are interested in! I look forward to a semester of blogging!  I have a facial scheduled at a really cute, girly location that I can't wait to share!

Happy reading!

xoxo

m

        

put a lil yoga in your day

So one of my "Top Ten" goals for this new year was adding more yoga into my exercise regimen but also to any part of the day. I can say that so far , so good! I have been practicing yoga almost everyday even if I can't get to a full workout. I can't believe how awesome it makes me feel! I used to do yoga a lot and why I stopped, who knows! But who cares?! I'm back on the bandwagon again! :)

Like I said in my previous post I am a fan of Tara Stiles. She is a well -know yoga instructor that has a studio in New York but also has a couple of DVD's, a book, and has made countless appearances on TV and in magazines. She is a very down to earth instructor so you don't feel intimidated at all when you do her workouts. You can check her out on her website, www.tarastiles.com, or on her youtube channel, http://www.youtube.com/user/TaraStilesYoga. She has lots of mini videos that help you start your day off, get stretched out for the day, help with flexibility or balance and much more. Here are a few of my favorites for a quick yoga session before getting ready for my day or unwinding at night:

*Morning Yoga for Flexibility:
http://www.youtube.com/user/TaraStilesYoga#p/a/729B682FC375AB76/0/dRsC1YdXqOc

*Yoga for Flexibility:
http://www.youtube.com/user/TaraStilesYoga#p/a/F51468E0577E15B6/0/XqBdujwSTGw

*Yoga for Balance:
http://www.youtube.com/user/TaraStilesYoga#p/a/F51468E0577E15B6/0/XqBdujwSTGw

Here are her DVD's:

I just bought this DVD and I'm really excited to try it. She goes to a whole bunch of spots in NY to workout. I think it will be really cool. I ordered this one for about $25 off of her website. But I totally forgot to check out the prices on Amazon for this or the newer one on top. I'm sure you could get it for cheaper on Amazon. 

I also want to get her book:

I will update you once I get this book and read it! :)

For those of you who are skeptical of yoga, not really sure what else it does for you besides bend you in weird ways, there are many benefits of yoga which are very appealing. I have made an extensive list for you which will change your mind if you doubt the power of yoga in any way or just inspire you to practice it more often:

- Improved flexibility

- Better posture

- All over body strength

- Lengthen muscles 

 -Mindful deep breathing

 -Weight loss

- Relaxation

-Less stress, more calm

 -Boost of oxygen levels 

- Happier and content mood

-Relieve symptoms of medical conditions including: asthma, back pain, insomnia, arthritis, multiple sclerosis., depression, headaches/migraines, infertility, allergies, digestive problems

- Massaging and stimulation of all your organs

- Complete detoxification! Remove toxins from the organs, including your skin!

- Increased lubrication of bones, joints, and tendons

- Decreased blood pressure and pulse rate

- Better circulation

- Cardiovascular endurance

- Stronger immune system

- Increased metabolism

- Delay again processes of the body

- Better sleep

- Self control

-Boost Vitamin C production and use (which is a powerful antioxidant)

- Glowing skin

- Mindfulness of self, better focus

- Mindful of better, healthier habits. 

I'm sure there's more but this is a great list that should inspire you to want to do yoga more often! 

Namaste. 

xoxo

-m