Back to Blogging!

Hey all! If you haven't noticed, I've been a little MIA lately. I've been wanting to find a way to make this blog a lot more personal, and sometimes you need a break to refocus your vision, ya know?

Over the past 6 weeks, a lot of changes have happened around here, including my first anniversary with my wonderful husband, a fun family reunion, and another bigger life change that I can't wait to share with you! So the next few posts will be catching up on what I've been up to lately. 

Thanks for understanding & I am so excited for all of you to come along this journey with me!

xo kristen genevieve

Motivation Station

I wanted to write today about motivation because lately, I haven't been very motivated. With everything in my life. You know when you feel down, and that just makes you feel heavy? Yeah, that's me the past couple weeks. I know that I don't like feeling this way, and that I only have to set a few things in motion to be content again, but sometimes, its easier just to let things slide.

Except a few months ago, I made a promise to myself that I would let myself feel everything I wanted to feel, but that I would not let myself dwell in the darkness for too long. I know I deserve to be happy, and I know that I'm the only person in control of my happiness. 

So today, I decided to make a choice to get some work done that I had been procrastinating. Once I got to work, I realized that it made me feel so good to get something off my checklist, that I kept going and ended up ahead of where I had planned. Then, because of feeling so accomplished, I made a choice to get a good work out in today for the first time in about a week. Once I started, the motivation compounded on itself and caused me to continue to make better decisions for the rest of the day. That first decision to DO something made a huge difference.

It's not easy. I get it. Most of the time, its easier to sit on the couch, or to eat that extra bite, or to keep things as they have always been. But only when we push ourselves, make ourselves feel uncomfortable, are we able to grow and experience new things. It takes work, and it takes time. But I truly believe that taking small, determined steps, consistently over time, is the key to achieving success.

Ask yourself honestly, who do you want to be, and what are you willing to do to become that person? No one else can do it for you; you are the only person in the world that can change your life. Are you afraid change who you are? Good. Life is not about finding out who you are, it's about creating who you are.

Here are just a few things that have inspired me:

ShayCarl's Inspirational Running Video
Inch by Inch speech set to rowers
Michael Pollen's book, In Defense of Food
The Honeybee blog Health posts
Super Size Me (Documentary, 2004)

What are some things that motivate you? Is it watching Youtube videos? Looking at fitness photos on Pinterest? Reading inspirational success stories? Write your goals in a journal or blog? Let me know what you do to be the best you. And please leave suggestions of articles/documentaries/videos/books that have inspired you! 

xo kristen genevieve 

Summer Reading Picks

Hey all! One of my favorite things to do in the summertime is to take a book to the beach or any patch of grass I can find. Here are some of my picks to add to your summer reading list:

Fiction pick  A Song of Ice & Fire series, by George R.R. Martin
Fan of HBO's Game of Thrones? You will love the books even more (isn't that always the case?). I have never read a fantasy book before these, but the character depth mixed with intriguing plot twists wrapped me in. It's much more related to real life than other similar novels that focus simply on good vs. evil. Each character has a bit of both in them, and is often perceived very different than who they really are. Another thing I like is that the characters that are introduced as disabled or somehow down trodden seem to be the closest thing to heroes in the books. Also, there are dragons! Woah. I can't wait for book six!

Psychology pick  Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell
Malcolm Gladwell never disappoints. Outliers is divided into two parts, describing how both opportunity and legacy impact individual's success stories. In his first chapter, "The Matthew Effect," Gladwell argues that the most successful people are those who "are most likely to be given the kinds of special opportunities that lead to further success," resulting in a "accumulative advantage." The book became somewhat controversial because it led parents who wanted to give their child extra advantages early on feel that "red-shirting," or holding their child back a year before starting them in kindergarten, would be a major advantage down the line, according to the accumulative advantage theory. There was an interesting 60 minutes video about the topic.  

Child psychology pick  NutureShock: New Thinking About Children by Po Bronson & Ashley Merryman
This book is great for parents of kids of all ages, covering topics such as why children lie (and why that may mean they are smart), the inverse power of praise (how praising your child might ruin them), why testing preschoolers for gifted programs is flawed, why teens argue with their parents (they see it as constructive), success stories of jump-starting infant language development (it's not Baby Einstein), and more. A short read, this book intertwines scientific studies into an interesting, well-written string of stories.

Parenting pick  Bringing Up Bébé: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting by Pamela Druckerman
Druckerman's witty insights about raising infants & toddlers in Paris has given me a lot to think about as a prospective parent. French mothers are more free and relaxed than American moms in some ways, not worrying too much, because they keep with a structured cadre (framework). As an American woman married to a British man living in France, Druckerman has some very interesting cultural observations. And unlike many parenting books, Bringing Up Bébé is full of humor combined with self doubt, which actually made me laugh out loud. 

What are you reading this summer? Please give me some recommendations!

xo kristen genevieve

Moving Day!

Today is moving day! My husband and I are moving from Vermont to Massachusetts today. Its a little bittersweet since Vermont is where we met, where we went to college together, where he proposed, and where we got married. So many memories in the Green Mountains. 

But at this same time, its exciting to make a change! I'm looking forward to a new apartment and a new city with new food & places to explore! Any suggestions for good restaurants in or around Boston? I love spicy food, especially Thai, and my husband could eat Mexican everyday. But we also love Italian, Greek, French, whatever! We especially love local spots. I can't wait to explore!

Please give me suggestions in the comment section below! 

xo kristen genevieve

Random Acts of Kindness

Today my husband went to visit his brother, and it was one of those times that I was torn because I wanted to go, but I don't want to take away from their "brother time." When he came home, my husband had a flower in hand for me, from my brother-in-law! It was so sweet not only because it was a beautiful flower, but I was just so grateful that someone thought of me. It seriously made my day!

I suppose it's not totally a "random"act of kindness, since it wasn't from a stranger, but either way, I was touched by the random thoughtfulness and kindness of my family. It inspired me to want to do the same, pay it forward, and make someone else's day. The question is, what to do? Do you have any suggestions or ideas that are creative, low cost ways to pay kindness forward? Please comment and let me know!


xo kristen genevieve