Ashley Boulais

Andie Mitchell is a foodie and blogger who tells her incredible story of weightloss and self acceptance in her memoir,   It Was Me All Along . This book is not a diet program and Mitchell doesn't give any advice for how to lose weight - she just tells about her own struggle with emotionally eating and the cycle of shame,  guilt,  defeat, and self-hate that plagues so many of us.  It is an interesting and insightful read,  very raw and very bravely written.  It is encouraging in many ways,  but I found it to be discouraging in others and is not necessarily a book I would recommend as an inspiration for losing weight.  However,  I think she puts words to an experience that would be beneficial for everyone to understand. Andie is descriptive to a fault,  a little wordy, but still manages to tell a story that is relatable.  You don't have to have grown up with an alcoholic father  to find yourself in her shoes, eating because...

Miranda Richmond Mouillot is the author of a beautifully crafted memoir,  which ultimately is a story of the author's self discovery and the preservation of a family's miraculous survival and history.  If one reads with those expectations I do not think she will be disappointed. Other reviews I read prepared me for the fact that this book is not a historical one about World War 2,  nor does it wrap the story up with a shiny bow at the end with all the questions answered.  It is, however,  a book about two people whose "history had robbed them of their right to be ordinary" and who had "become remarkable in ways they had not chosen." Miranda's style of writing is romantic and compelling and charming and whimsical.   The details with which she recalls events and characters, down to the way each place and person smelled, almost made me forget that these are real people, not just characters in a novel.   I was sad when I reached the end,  ...

So, this isn't a goal or anything. More of an experiment.   I read about Oil Pulling twice yesterday out of the blue and since I have coconut oil I thought I'd try it.   It's supposed to have a ton of health benefits - pulling toxins from one's body, giving more energy and a whiter smile... all of which I'd like to have so why not? The process is simple.   Swish around coconut oil in your mouth for 20 minutes.  I think it's supposed to be 1 tablespoon but who has time to measure and add more dishes? I don't.   So I took a clump and went to swishing. Day 1:   The texture nearly made me gag but it melted quickly and left a slight hint of coconut taste that wasn't at all overwhelming.   I thought at first that twenty minutes was an eternity and I'd be lucky to make it to ten.   But surprisingly,  when ten minutes was up I felt like ten more would be nothing.   I made breakfast for my tot and then fed my ...