The Wh0le Story

Eat Good Stuff. Do Good Things. Feel good feels.

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The Month In Review: Goodbye, July.

Well July is officially over! Can you believe it? When did life start moving so damn fast? I honestly can’t believe

As part of a new series, I thought I’d start each new month with a recap of month’s past. My favorites, goals, updates, etc. So here we go…

What I’ve Been Loving

Book: Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

71ZlxOeCx4LMy favorite book last year was Eleanor & Park, hands down. The main characters are so freaking flawed and lovable and amazing and just…ugh. It was so fantastic and I can’t wait for the movie to be made sometime in the near future. Even though it took me awhile to finally pick up one of Rowell’s other books, I really enjoyed this one. Relationships are hard and this book does a great job exploring the “what if’s” when a marriage goes awry. An enjoyable and easy read.

Music: Jenny Lewis, The Voyager

Jenny Lewis is kind of my idol. She’s so sassy and confident and owns it. Her new album is twangy and poppy in all the right ways. I’ll be listening this album well into the fall.

Food: Wild Friends Maple Sunflower Seed Butter

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I love all of the Wild Friends products but I’ve been on a sunflower seed butter kick lately. You can’t go wrong with maple-infused nut butters. It’s lightly sweetened and super creamy. Give me all of your bananas.

TV Show: The Leftovers

Justin Theroux films a scene with a dog on the set of 'The Leftovers' **USA, Canada, Australia ONLY**

This series is kind of intense….and that’s putting it lightly. Based around the aftermath of a devastating event that happened around the world (people just up and disappeared, guys!), it shows how society is coping. Cults, denial, lost hope and crazy religious justifications….it’s just a mess. Then there’s Justin Theroux as the leading man, being all kinds of brooding and handsome. So far, so good.

Movie: Le Weekend

This movie broke my heart. Based on a couple celebrating their 30th anniversary with a trip to Paris, this is another favorite that explores just how exhausting a relationship can be. But more than that, this is a story about true love and eternal friendship – and isn’t that what we all hope to find in a partner?

 What I’ve Been Up To

Pull-Update: I know I kind of flaked out on the pull-up progression, but I’m still chugging along! I just tested myself yesterday and I’m up to about a 35-second isolated hold, which is definitely progress! Pull-ups are one of the hardest exercises ever so I’ll take it!

Life: We went to Bend,OR for a mini-vacation and it was so wonderful, I’m already itching for another getaway! I’m keeping my fingers crossed for San Francisco but I’d also be open to going camping very, very soon.

August Goals

Videos! My biggest goal for the month of August is to finally start posting videos. I know how much I love seeing videos of my favorite bloggers and authors, so I feel like it’s a natural progression. I have a few ideas of recipes, tips and just introducing myself in another media form. Stay tuned!

Fitness: I’d like to start thinking about another fitness goal. I want something challenging but also attainable in ,say, a 3-month period. I haven’t figured out what I’d like to do, but I’m open to suggestions! Share any fitness goals you’ve conquered in the past or goals you’re still working towards-I’d love to hear them!

Here’s to another month of getting stuff done and making things happen!


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An Education: Twitter Style

I’m kind of a reluctant Twitter user….is that even how you say that? Twitterer. Tweeter. I’m so out of the loop. I much prefer the visual storytelling that is Instagram but I digress…

When I actually do visit my feed; however, I realize it’s full of great resources and information. Here are some of my favorite useful tweets.

Did you know I’m a comic book geek? Lucy Knisley is one of my absolute favorites!

and just for fun….


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An Ambitious Summer Reading List: Food, Self-Improvement, And Storytelling

Will I be reading every single one of these books in a season’s time? Probably not, but I certainly plan on tackling the hell out of this list and devouring as many stories and as much information as possible. I feel like I picked a wide array of topics to cover and I’m excited to start in on this list asap.

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Funny Misshapen Body, Jeffrey Brown. In case you didn’t know, I’m kind of a comic book nerd. I’m not so much into all of that superhero stuff as I am into the quirky outsiders, ala Harvey Pekar, Alex Robinson and Marjane Satrapi. Brown writes about his journey as a comic book artist and all of life’s little letdowns that come along the way when realizing your childhood dream often comes with a lot of adult crap. Such is life, right?

Euphoria, Lily King. Three anthropologists get all sorts of mixed up in a crazy love triangle. Oh, and it’s set in the 30s. What’s not to love?

Vegan For Her, Virginia Messina. I love the idea of a book focusing on women’s needs when it comes to nutrition and balancing our bodies through food and nutrition. I’m excited to learn more about how to treat my body as well as possible while living a vegan lifestyle. In my opinion, you can never know enough when it comes to taking care of yourself and optimizing your health.

Slight Edge, Jeff Olson. This guidebook is kind of a big deal among entrepreneurs. From what I’ve read, Olson teaches you how to get things done and accomplish your goals through daily activities and using tools that you already have within you but may not know how to access.

The Book Of Unknown Americans, Cristina Henriquez. A collection of stories told through the eyes of immigrants in America looking to better their lives. I’ve heard so many wonderful things about Henriquez’s writing and storytelling abilities, so this is definitely a must-read this summer.

We The Eaters: If We Change Dinner, We Can Change The World, Ellen Gustafason. Looking at both ends of a very big spectrum, Gustafason explores how parts of the world are starving to death while others are morbidly obese. The reason is the same in both cases: it is becoming increasingly difficult to find nutritious food. As a food geek, I’m excited to read more about her findings.

Thrive, Arianna Huffington. There’s no denying that Arianna Huffington is an incredibly powerful and brilliant woman, but this book focuses more on her personal journey to find more balance in her life through embracing the heck out of those peaceful moments. I like a lady who knows how to chill out.

The Secret History, Donna Tartt. As much as I love reading about nutrition, self-improvement and history, my first love will always be fiction. There’s nothing I love more than getting wrapped up in an incredible story and falling in love with every single character introduced to me. Tartt’s book about a group of students completely enamoured with their cult leader-like professor is supposed to be part thriller and part philisophical rollercoaster. And coming in at almost 600 pages, this pick seems pretty freaking epic.

Raw Food Real World, Matthew Kenney & Sarma Melngailis. This book is a no-nonsense guide to eating raw in the real world. Since I’ve been trying to add more raw meals to my diet, this will be the perfect addition to my cookbook (or un-cookbook in this case) collection.

So that’s what’s on the docket for me this summer – a ton of variety to keep things interesting. What about you? What are your summer reading picks? Any good books I’m missing out on? Let me know in the comments.