Endless Bliss | Happy Lifestyle Blog

Fat Girl Walking by Brittany Gibbons | Book Review

Confession: I had no idea who Brittany Gibbons was before I started reading her book, Fat Girl Walking: Sex, Food, Love, and Being Comfortable in Your Skin...Every Inch of It. Some of you may be thinking I live under a rock, and after reading her book, I'm thinking that I may actually have been. She's been in the news on numerous shows, plus she's a blogger, and I had never even heard her name.
Now that I've read her book, I can easily say I'm obsessed with Brittany Gibbons. Fat Girl Walking is a hilarious memoir of her life. She walks you through the struggles of growing up overweight with crazy parents. She recalls her life as the "secret girlfriend" to many high school guys before finding the love of her life, Andy Gibbons. She shares her struggles with anxiety in college and how she became an internet success. She shares all of these things about her life, but she also gives sound advice to those who may be struggling with the same things that she struggled with for most of her life.
This book was a quick read because it almost read like a blog. Brittany writes a blog called Brittany, Herself, and that's where she first started sharing many of the things in her book. You definitely get a sense of her background in blogging from the book, and as a blogger, I loved this.
The only parts of Fat Girl Walking that I didn't enjoy were those about pregnancy and being a mother. While these chapters were hilarious, it's not something I know anything about, and they aren't things that I'm worried about experiencing anytime soon, so these chapters kind of dragged on for me. I think future Tiffany will enjoy these chapters as well as women who have had experiences giving birth and raising children or are even just thinking about becoming a mother, but because I couldn't relate, I couldn't get into these parts.
Aside from that, this book was laugh out loud hilarious.
These are a few of my favorite quotes:
From the introduction: "This is not a diet book, guys. In fact, if I do this right, our cycles will align and we'll be eating our feelings together by the third chapter." -- How could I not be excited about reading this book after reading a line like that?
"When you get into your twenties and begin to take mental stock of your life, the good parts and the bad parts become glaringly apparent. We all have them, good parts and bad parts, but your twenties are generally the first time that you really begin to see the timeline that led you to your current existence." -- As a twenty-something, this really stuck with me and made me start thinking about how the crap I got to where I am.
When an elementary school classmate accused her of having AIDS: "I never asked who she'd heard that from. I don't even know anybody with AIDS. If by Aids, she meant IBS, then, yes, I had that." -- I laughed uncontrollably for several minutes after reading this.
Advice from her grandmother: "You are going to fail at a lot of things, so when you do, do it on such a grand scale that half the room gives you a standing ovation, and the other half gives you the middle finger." -- Quite possibly my favorite piece of advice from the entire book.
"I'm not saying I don't see fat; saying that is akin to the people who make grand statements about 'not seeing color.' Seeing color doesn't mean that you're a racist. It means your eyes work, but that you have hopefully able to see color not for a discrepancy in normal, but as a beautiful component of diversity."

I give Fat Girl Walking a 4 out of 5. There is so much to love about this book. My favorite parts were her emails with her husband, Andy (seriously, they were made for each other), recollections of a childhood with her dad after he was hit by a semi-truck, her progression into isolation due to anxiety and way too many things to name right now. I think girls of all shapes, all colors and all walks of life should read this book because there's something in it for everyone.
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Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from HarperCollins for my honest review. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

Meet Brittany from Your Friend, Brittany

Hi, I’m Brittany! I’m the blogger behind Your Friend, Brittany; a lifestyle blog where I come to
write about things happening in my life, books I’m reading, pop culture, and anything else I find
interesting. The idea behind Your Friend, Brittany was that it would be a space for people to come and read things they hopefully find interesting and enjoyable. I wanted the site to be fun and laidback and for people to feel like they’re just chatting with a friend when they’re reading the blog. I also have a street style/fashion blog over on Tumblr called BritBritLand.

Get your feet wet with these posts:

I’m Tired

30 Things I Learned Before My 30th Birthday

A Definitive Ranking of My Least Favorite Housewives

The Pink Tax: What the Hell is Going on Here?!

But Why Was This Canceled?!?!

What 3 words describe you?
Loyal, introverted, open-minded

What's your favorite part about blogging?
I enjoy the community aspect of blogging as well as the act of blogging itself. I started way back in 2011 and after taking a break I realized I enjoyed it so I came back. It’s nice to have a creative space to call your own and it’s even better if people can relate to it and enjoy reading it.

What are your plans for the summer?
Finish planning my wedding. I’m getting married in September so I’m on the final stretch of planning!

Get out and do!! I’m looking forward to just being out and really utilizing my weekends. I love the
summertime so this is the best time of year for me.

What are three things you want to accomplish in 2015?
I’d like to gain more readers/followers on my blog, maintain this active/healthy lifestyle that I’ve really gotten into in 2015, and work on my patience!! I am actively trying to work on my patience because I have none, ha!

What song are you currently obsessed with?
I have been obsessed for a while with this mashup/remix/cover of “Don’t” and “Loyal” by Eastside,
called Ellie. I’ve also been obsessed with Taylor Swift’s “Style” since I bought 1989; it was immediately my favorite song on the album.

What's your favorite book?
I’ve had the same 3 way tie forever because I can’t pick just one.
The Giver, Perks of Being a Wallflower, and American Psycho

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

Rome

If you could live a day in the life of anyone, dead or alive, who would you choose and why?
Barack Obama. Really anyone who has been POTUS because I imagine that would be a job that’s really interesting for about a day and then terribly stressful.

Where is your happy place?
My happy place is somewhere warm and sunny and where I can lounge with a book in my hand and a
cocktail by my side and if I can’t have that just give me my couch and a good book!

Name 5 things that make you happy.
-- Coming home to my little family (fiancé, puppy, and kitten) each day.
-- True and loyal friends
-- Food that’s so good that you can’t even speak while eating it.
-- Well written books that totally and completely suck you into a story.
-- The fact that it seems (at least to me) that this younger generation seems to be more tolerant of people and less tolerant of hate, negativity, and discrimination. Hallelujah!!

Want more from Brittany?

Blog | Tumblr | Twitter | Bloglovin

Instagram | Pinterest | Facebook

Love Your Curls

When it comes to hair, I think all girls want the opposite of what they have. Girls with straight hair want curly hair, and girls with curly hair want straight hair. When I was in middle and high school, I spent so much time straightening my hair. If it wasn't straight, I didn't think it was pretty, so I'd just put it up in a bun and not deal with it.
Did you know that only 10% of women with curly hair feel proud of their hair? I would say I'm surprised, but when I think about how I felt about my own curls, it makes sense. Dove decided to take this statistic and crush it with the "Love Your Curls" campaign and Love Your Curls book. The campaign focuses on encouraging women to love and celebrate their curls and help them realize that their curls are beautiful. The book is a poetic tribute to curly hair that was inspired by thousands of stories from women and girls with curly hair. The book was written by best-selling author, Taiye Selasi, and illustrated by Annick Poirier. Read and share this free e-book by clicking here. You can even create a personalized e-book with a custom dedication and illustration for the curly-haired women and girls in your life and share it on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest!

It wasn't until college that I really started to embrace my hair. It's naturally wavy, and I usually have to use a bit of product to make it have pretty curls or non-frizzy waves. I think the most common challenges I've faced with my hair are dryness and frizziness. Dove has created a new line called Dove Quench Absolute, and it's designed specifically for people with curly hair. It provides 4x more defined, natural curls, and it's infused with protein, nutrients and Buriti Oil to provide a nourished, smooth finish.

As soon as I tried this new line, I fell in love. The Ultra Nourishing Shampoo leaves my hair feeling soft and smooth. The Ultra Nourishing Conditioner revives and strengthens my hair and makes it much more manageable, and the Intensive Restoration Mask provides nourishment to my hair. My favorite product in the new Dove Quench Absolute line is the Supreme Creme Serum. It's a leave-in nourishing treatment that can be used on either wet or dry hair. I've used it every day since I received it. I put it in my hair as soon as I get it out of the shower, and I put it in my dry hair every morning. It really helps reduce frizz and make my hair more vibrant.
Now, I wear it curly about 99% of the time. I've learned to embrace my curls and fall in love with my hair.

Do you have curly hair? What are some of your favorite curly hairstyles?

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Meet Emily from Little Flecks of Gold.

Little Flecks of Gold is a lifestyle blog that covers everything from health and fitness to books to beauty. I have a lot of passions that I love sharing, but I also know that life gets busy, so I am always sharing simple ways to live a healthier, happier life.

Get your feet wet with these posts:

Why Taking Price in Your Appearance Isn't Vain, Egocentric or Shallow

Excuses Busted: 100 Six-Minute Workouts

Ten by Ten: Blogging Resources

College Series: Things I Wish I'd Known My Freshman Year

What 3 words describe you?

Determined, passionate, loyal.

What's your favorite part about blogging?

I love the sense of community. It’s so cool to be able to interact with other bloggers from all over the place that share similar interests.

What are your plans for the summer?

When I’m not working, I’m definitely planning on doing a lot of hiking (I’m also dying to try backpacking and trying to convince my brother to go with me.) My friend and I have a road trip in the works up to Alberta, Canada, which I know will be great since we had a blast on our road trip last summer.

What are three things you want to accomplish in 2015?

One of my goals has been finding a fitness program that I enjoy and can stick to on a long-term basis. I also want to start reading for fun again (since I started college, I think I’ve read two books that weren’t textbooks) and teach myself to play at least one song on the guitar.

What song are you currently obsessed with?

I just barely bought Taylor Swift’s 1989 album (I’m about six months late to the game, I know) and while I’m definitely in love with the whole thing, “Clean” is definitely my favorite.

What's your favorite book?

Jane Eyre, although half the time when you ask me, I’ll say Pride and Prejudice. It really just depends on my mood, I guess.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

I’ve always wanted to go to Italy, especially Venice.

If you could live a day in the life of anyone, dead or alive, who would you choose and why?

Audrey Hepburn, not only because she’s my favorite actress of all time, but also because I admire her humility, grace and compassion. Although, I really want to go back in time and meet her, so maybe I should say I’d rather spend a day in the life of her son or someone instead.

Where is your happy place?

Growing up, I always loved visiting my grandparent’s house in Virginia because they had the coolest backyard with a creek running through it. I still love visiting them and feel nostalgic whenever I see a place that reminds me of their yard or neighborhood.

Name 5 things that make you happy.

Singing, herbal tea, Pinterest, sitcoms and chick flicks (especially those with Sandra Bullock in them.)

Want more from Emily?

Movin' Shakin' Groovin' | Swon Brothers Concert

I was never one to watch live singing or talent shows on TV. I never got down with American Idol, Dancing with the Stars, America's Got Talent or the like, but when I saw a preview for The Voice, I knew I was going to watch it. I was a devoted fan for the first four seasons, but once a million other good shows started coming on and they started making the show two days in a row, I just didn't have enough time to devote to the show anymore. Plus, can we talk about those commercial breaks for a second? There are so many!
Anyway, when The Swon Brothers were on The Voice during season four. That entire season was an incredible season of awesome talent, but of course I loved The Swon Brothers from the beginning. They're just naturally talented, and their voices complimented each other so well. Y'all know I love country music, and these boys brought it.

Last weekend, The Swon Brothers came to Shreveport/Bossier, and I couldn't resist begging Jon to come with me to see them. Much of the world hasn't caught on to the amazingness of this duo yet, but once they do, I'm sure the ticket prices will skyrocket. Until then, I'll brag to my friends about how I met them, and they can be jealous that I got to experience their awesomeness while tickets were just $20.
The Swon Brothers played a lot of songs from their self-titled album. I think most fans of country music are aware of their first two singles, "Later On" and "Pray for You," but there are so many other songs worth mentioning too. In addition to those two, my favorite song is "Pretty Beautiful." It's just so sweet and such a pretty (beautiful) song.

They were so entertaining in concert. People would come up to the stage to take closer pictures of them, and they bent down to pose for the photos and sometimes they even bent down to take a selfie with them. They did a lot of ad-libbing and spoke to the crowd a lot. There was a this lady in the crowd wearing a Taylor Swift shirt, and they called her onto the stage, called her out because she wasn't wearing one of their shirts and then offered her a free shirt at their merch table.

My favorite part of the show was the pop song battle between each of them and their guitarist, Seth Costner (who actually has an album of his own). Seth started the battle with a cover of "Blurred Lines," which was pretty dang entertaining. Zach came in and said if they do pop song covers, they need to do something that speaks to the ladies, so he did "Stay With Me." Colton said it was best to go old school, and he covered "My Girl." They all did amazing, but I think Colton took the cake with his little throwback.

I'm sad that this is the only decent picture I got of Seth Costner. He was so awesome that I spent his cover singing and dancing along and not taking pictures.

They came back for an encore afterward, and they even did a cover of "American Girl." Seriously, every song they did was incredible. It really just shows how talented they are, because they came onto the stage and owned it. Even Jon had a great time, and he's not the biggest fan of going to concerts.
After the concert, The Swon Brothers stayed to meet everyone that bought merch. I bought a picture, which they both signed, and then they posed for a picture with everyone and posted it on their Facebook page. I thought it was neat of them to stay and meet everyone.

As you can probably tell, I had an absolutely awesome time, and if I ever get the opportunity to see them again, I'll definitely be there.
Did you watch The Voice? Are you a fan of The Swon Brothers?

Essentials for a Rainy Day In

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #ShareSmiles #CollectiveBias

When it comes to spring, you never know whether you're going to get a beautiful, sunny day or a gross, rainy day. As much as my boyfriend, Jon, and I would love to take the dogs to the park, spend a day on the lake or enjoy some freshly boiled crawfish on the patio, the weather may have other plans. That's why we like to find other ways to have a fun day indoors.
It doesn't take much to turn your outdoor plans into something fun to do inside. You really just need four things:

1// BOARD GAMESBoard games are our go-to activity when we're stuck inside. We have an entire closet full of board games, so we never have to worry about getting bored of one. I love to play Scene It, which is why we have about a billion different versions of the game. My favorite right now is the FRIENDS version because Jon and I are making our way through the series on Netflix. We've finally made it to the last season.

Even if you don't have a ton of board games at your disposal, you can get creative with a simple deck of cards or search the internet for fun games you can play at home. You could even gather some household objects and recreate some Minute to Win It games!
2// REFRESHING BEVERAGESOf course it's important to quench your thirst while you're getting competitive with all of those games. Coke has always been one of my favorite beverages. Let's just call it old faithful. After visiting the Coca-Cola factory in Georgia and trying out all of the different flavors from around the world, I still can't get enough.
Jon and I went old school and purchased these glass bottles of Coke from our local Brookshire's. Ever since I traveled to London and saw the "Share a Coke" personalized bottles, I've been so in love with them. I still haven't been able to find my name, but I did bring Jon a bottle with his name on it from London.
The glass bottles we purchased were celebratory bottles, and it's perfect for this time of year when we're celebrating grads, moms, dads, etc. One of the bottles we bought said "Soulmate" on it, and we couldn't resist cracking that bottle open first. And of course, I had to hone in on my inner superstar to drink from my own bottle.

3// DELICIOUS CUISINEIt wouldn't be a rainy day in without some good grub. Our go-to is pizza and wings. We'll also indulge in some chips and then ice-cream for dessert.
4// MOVIESAfter the competition has dwindled down, you can end the night with a movie or two. Jon and I have completely different tastes in movies. I'm all about the rom coms, and he's a fan of action, but we can meet somewhere in between with movies like August Rush and In Time.

There are so many ways for you to turn a rainy day into a fun day when you Share a Coke with the ones that you love. Keep an eye on Brookshire's Facebook page for a chances to win yourpoints, offers, fun and conversation.
What are your favorite rainy day activities?

Visit your local Brookshire's store and pick up some of your own celebratory Coke to share with the people you love!

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