, by Maria Menounos. I ended up borrowing it from my library because I tend to like non-fiction books to be real books as opposed to ebooks. I've never really watched a whole lot of Maria Menounos on tv, but I like her personality and I'm really a sucker for any girly self-helpy type of book. This book was a fun read and actually was full of great tips and tricks.
Here are some of my favorite tidbits from the book:
*Maria stresses the importance of having a regular cleaning schedule. This way when guests are coming over you won't have to do a deep cleaning, things will already be spic and span.
*She recommends setting up a "black book" otherwise known as a home management binder. As I begin condo shopping I think this will be very helpful, and I'll be setting it up more or less like this.
*Every New Year's Eve she writes out her resolutions and the steps to get them. She then posts the goals and steps to obtain them in a very visible place. I know we all have resolutions, but seeing the steps to get them everyday may act as a gentle reminder.
*This is a great tip for when dressing for a night out or when you know you are going to have your picture taken: take a flash photo of your outfit to make sure nothing shows up sheer or see through on camera!
*Maria emphasizes the importance of meditation in her life. I have never once given thought to meditation, but as a frequent sufferer of anxiety and migraines, I will be looking into this. I didn't know meditation has been proven to lessen severity of migraines.
*A tip I've never heard to help with a minor panic/anxiety attack is to use a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel placed on your chest. The weight and the warmth of the bottle is supposed to be soothing.
*In a world where the economy still sucks, making connections is super important. Maria recommends keeping a little notebook to collect business cards. Glue the business card in and jot down a few notes as to how you know the person and what you may have chatted about. It's a great resource to have.
All in all, I have to say I really enjoyed this book. It had quite a few makeup and hair tips that were new to me, great advice on how to design your dream home on a budget, some lazy girl workouts and great recipes. This is a book that I wouldn't mind having on my bookshelf to take out every now and then for inspiration or to use as a reference.
Are you a Maria Menounous fan? Would you read this book?
