Start Where You Are by Meera Lee Patel

Start Where You Are is a little book filled with quotes and prompts that takes the reader on a journey of self-exploration.

This book is absolutely gorgeous! It pairs inspirational quotes with writing or drawing prompts that will help readers gain a deeper understanding of their personal journeys. The watercolour work is so lovely. Even the blotchy backgrounds for the quotes are stunning.  If I didn't think it would destroy the book, I'd rip out a couple of pages for framing.

I love that the quotes used are appropriate and fit nicely with the prompts. Here's a wonderful one from Harper Lee:

Real courage is when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.

The accompanying prompt:

List four times you continued to try even though the odds were against you.

Another terrific quote, this time from Arthur Ashe:

Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.

The accompanying prompt:

Fill these shapes with resources that can help you on your journey.

I've reviewed one other book by Patel, Daily Zen Doodles. I liked it as well.

Highly recommended. This would make a wonderful gift book for Mother's Day, birthday or graduation.

For more information about this book or to have a peek inside, please visit the Penguin Random House website.

For more information about the author and her other work, please visit Meera Lee Patel's website. There's a link to her Etsy shop, which features some of her awesome watercolours.  :)

I'd like to thank Angela at Penguin Random House for this review copy.

Start Where You Are by Meera Lee Patel, Perigee (Penguin Random House), ©2015. ISBN 9780399174827(Soft cover), 128p.

Going Gray by Anne Kreamer

In Going Gray: How to Embrace Your Authentic Self with Grace and Style, Anne Kreamer examines her decision to show her true self and stop colouring her hair. While she focuses a lot on her hair and how gray hair is perceived in society, the book is much more than that. It's also about going older and the lifestyle changes that happen as we age.

I loved this book. Along with an amazing amount of research, Kreamer draws on her personal experience with the subject matter to present this book. She lays out and examines her own decision to go gray and the reactions she receives. From working with her stylist for the transformation to restyling her wardrobe for her new "colours", Kreamer shares her personal struggles and triumphs. She also spends a fair amount of time examining how others perceive gray haired individuals (through online dating websites, attractiveness surveys, job hunting experiments) and the challenges they face. Some of the results were surprising, even to the author. In addition, Kreamer also looks at gray hair in the entertainment, political and other public arenas. While most of the book focuses on women, the author briefly touches on men and their issues with their own gray hair.

I really haven't given much thought to my gray hair. I started going gray in my late twenties and used those semi-permanent colours for awhile. I gave up on that after a few years and have been going "au natural" ever since. It was never a struggle for me. I have gray hair. At my age (45), I should have gray hair. I've earned every one of them. Even if I dyed it, it would still be there; just disguised. Kreamer showed me how and why it could be hard for others. I was so surprised that there are support groups and websites for those people deciding to stop colouring their hair and to let it go gray. I had no idea. I also had no idea how passionate women are on this subject, from both sides of the "battle". Kreamer brings all of that to light.

Both of the following quotes sum up my thoughts on gray hair quite nicely. The first one (page 42 and 43) is from Daniel Gilbert, author of "Stumbling on Happiness. What he says about bald men can be applied to women and gray hair. The second (page 157) is from Anne's husband, Kurt Andersen:

As bald men with cheap hairpieces always seem to forget acting as though you have something and actually having it are not the same thing, and anyone who looks closely can tell the difference.

To me, coloring gray hair is like painting over the brick or stone or cedar shingles on a nice old house--it's not necessarily awful, but part of the beautiful essence of the real thing is how it looks as it ages. It's why we love old cities like Paris and Rome.

Highly recommended for those who dye and those who don't; for those who've embraced their gray hair and those who fear it; for those who are not afraid to show their authentic self and those who are still undercover. Know that where ever you stand on the issue, you are not alone.

For more information about this book, visit Anne Kreamer's website.

Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat? by Peter Walsh

Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat? offers a unique approach to weight loss. Peter Walsh, author of It's All Too Much, uses his organizing skills to tackle weight loss. He makes the connection between the clutter in your house and life to the extra "clutter" on your body. It's definitely not your ordinary weight loss book. There are no meal plans or exercise plans, but there are plenty of activities to not only track down the cause of your extra weight, but also to help you lose it. At the end of each chapter, there's a checklist so that the reader can keep track of the activities and quizzes as they complete them.

This really is an awesome book. Walsh offers some excellent advice and plenty of things to think about and do with regards to weight loss. His writing style made the whole book fun and easy to read. Admittedly, Peter isn't an expert on weight loss. However, through his clients, he noticed a trend that when they decluttered their houses, they also lost weight. One of the things I really liked about Peter's advice is that looked at weight loss in a whole new way.

My favourite chapters were 4 through 7. It's in those chapters you learn to take a look at your home and declutter your kitchen, as well as learn the benefits of stocking good food and preparing homemade meals. The first activity (jump up and down in front of a mirror naked) had me gasping in horror, but I soon got over that and really enjoyed reading Walsh's program.

My least favourite part of the book is his use of letters from people who write to him. I don't know if these are actual letters or just represent the types of letters he gets, but I didn't think they added much to the content. At first they were ok, but after awhile, they got old.

The book is chock full of great advice and interesting takes on weight loss. I've selected two of my favourites to include here.
On takeout (page 177):

Think of it as junk mail. It comes into your house pretending to offer you something you want, but if you don't stop it at the door, it just keeps coming...You have no idea whether junk mail contains stuff you want or don't want, but it just keeps coming until it takes over your home.

On enjoying the food you eat (page 167):

We know how to eat--eating is the mechanical action of placing food into your mouth, chewing, and swallowing it. But isn't that exactly what your pet does? If there isn't a significant difference between how your pet eats and how you consume food, then something is seriously wrong.

Like with most self help books, I try to read the whole book first (so that I can get an really good idea about the program before I jump in with both feet and in this case so that I can get my review out quickly) and then go back and tackle the activities and put in the work necessary to succeed. So with the exception of a few of the quizzes, I have not yet done the activities, lost any weight or cleaned up my kitchen. That comes next.

Even though my house isn't drowning in a never ending sea of clutter and I generally eat homemade, nutritious meals, I still think there are areas I can improve and hope to put some of the skills I've learned (and hope to learn on my second pass) to good use.

Recommended, if clutter and weight are two of your issues or if you've tried other "diet" books and want to try something new. I'm tempted to pick up Walsh's It's All Too Much to get other areas of my house in order. It, too, looks like a fun read.

This review copy was provided by the publisher through the wonderful people at Edwards Magazine.