I wasn’t going to write anything about the new year because I’m sure by now you’re inundated with information on how to start the new year off on the right foot. However, I’ve taken a little time off this holiday season and it doesn’t seem quite right to jump into 2019 without a little post on what the new year looks like to me.

I only want to give one piece of advice this January as you set your goals and decide what you’d like 2019 to look like for you:

Goals are nothing and completely pointless if you do not know what works best for you.

So do yourself a favor before you start mapping things out. Make a list of the ways you learn best and work the hardest.

For me, I’m extremely visual. I need a hard copy of a planner and separate areas for work, personal goals, financial goals, etc. I need to create goals monthly and look at them every single day. I wholeheartedly believe that I have been successful in my debt journey because every week I update my current debt in my planner and look at it every. single. day.

We all do things differently and that’s ok! While all of these lists and ideas that people are writing for you are helpful, nothing will work if you do not know yourself. So I encourage you this January, to listen to yourself and be realistic. Ease yourself gently into the new year.

Developing the relationship you have with yourself and being honest is the best thing you can do!

I hope you have the best start to 2019. I’ll probably be back at the end of the month with personal updates on how I started the year off, so look for that and remember not to put too much pressure on yourself!

Have a beautiful day,

Andrea

Welcome back!

I used to share my favorite books in my monthly favorites post, but you guys requested that I save them for a quarterly book post instead. Seeing as one of my goals of 2018 was to read more, I think this is a great idea because I actually have a good sized list of recommendations. I will always include my favorite cookbooks as well, because those are a huge part of my life. #extremecookbookaddict

Each title will be a link to the book for you to purchase to make things easier for you! These links will be amazon associate links that allow you to purchase the book at the same price but support Andrea Fontana Beauty at the same time! (Mega thanks to all who use these links as you keep my wallet ready to support my love for testing new products and recipes). But to the books we go!

"The Heart's Invisible Furies" by John Boyne: This was the first book I devoured in 2018. I say devoured because I was sucked in from the first 5 pages and barely came up for air until I reached the last of over 500 pages. I was captivated by the story of Cyril Avery and I hope you will be too. I mentioned it a few times in January, but am sharing again because they recently released a more inexpensive paperback copy and I highly recommend you go get it!

"Better than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives" by Gretchen Rubin: Gretchen Rubin wrote "The Happiness Project" which I remember being super popular but I never read it. I liked the overall message of this book about the wrong and right ways to develop new habits for yourself, but I don't know if I would follow the specifics. It sometimes felt a little repetitive. Overall, I recommend it if you struggle with creating new habits and would like to gain some perspective on how to be better at it.

"You are a Badass" by Jen Sincero: I feel like this book was super popular last year and it lived on my 'To Read' list on my phone but never made it further than that. I came across it when I was scanning my dad's home library (we're talking like thousands of books to read...aka heaven), picking out new reads for my trip to Florida in February. I loved this one and see why it was so popular. It was quick and easy to get through (I only deem books this if I can read them in a week) and I found myself needing to take notes because there were so many quotes I needed to remember. I feel like this is one that I will want to have a copy of on hand for future reference.

"Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World" by Michael Hyatt: I already have a permanent copy coming in the mail of this one because I checked it out from the library and know that I will want this one for future reference. If you are trying to sell a product, business, anything you NEED this one. Especially bloggers! I cannot recommend it enough. A very wise woman who I met when I joined a Women's Entrepreneurship group recommended it and I cannot put it down. It's full of important info from 'How to write your bio' to 'How to Keep Conversations Civil'. I just love it.

And now for the cookbooks....(TOP 3)

"250 True Italian Pasta Dishes: Easy and Authentic Recipes" by John Colette & Nancy Ryan: If you love pasta you need this one. There's a section on quick 30 minute dishes, recipes for fresh pasta, and more. I use it most when I have a few specific veggies or protein that I need to use up and want to create a quick and delicious pasta dish. I just look up my ingredient in the index and I usually have a few recipes to choose from. It was inspired by one of my favorite Italian restaurants in Chicago called Quartino.

"Eat Beautiful: Food and Recipes to Nourish Your Skin From Inside Out" by Wendy Rowe: This one was written by one of my favorite makeup artists and highly recommend it for those of you who are into skincare and makeup. I firmly believe in nutrition being a huge part of your skincare routine so this is a must have for me. It's divided into seasons and the beginning of each sections highlights ingredients of the season and how they benefit the skin and body. Wendy eats according to what is in season, so I love this one for those of us who try to do the same! Thank you always to my best friend Emily for gifting me a cookbook last year on my birthday that is so ME!

"Bobby Flay Fit: 200 Recipes for a Healthy Lifestyle" by Bobby Flay: I know this one probably doesn't come as a shock, but I'm still cooking from it all the time. I have so many favorite recipes from this one and while it's only a few months old, based on the wear and tear it looks like I've had it for years. If you don't want to sacrifice flavor for health and want to get more into using different types of spices I highly recommend this one.

What have you read so far in 2018? Comment below and let me know! I'm always looking for more book recommendations!

Have a beautiful weekend,

Andrea