booking it forward


When I was really young, my parents (and aunts and uncles) were concerned because I just didn't want to learn to read. I had absolutely no interest in it, to the point that my mom actually discussed it with our pediatrician. They were worried about me. We had this awesome front room in our house with bookshelves and a ladder, and building a fort under it held my interest much more than cracking a book open.

Fast forward 15 years and I majored in Journalism and English in college.

Life. So unpredictable, isn't it?

That being said, now I love to read. I can't sit through a movie, but I can read until grass starts growing under my feet. 

When Duke was in town for Cheers for Children, he mentioned that he and his advisor were starting a pay-it-forward program with books. They're buying books and reading them, then passing them along to someone else who could benefit from or enjoy them. (That Duke! Always full of great ideas.) 

I loved this idea! I rarely read a book twice and never know what to do with them when I'm finished. 


So I decided I, too, am going to start paying my books forward. But, I'm adding a twist. Whenever I read it, I am going to write my name and date in it. Then, whoever I pass it to has to do the same, and then give it to someone else. It's kind of like a chain letter (but hopefully not too much like one, nahmean?). Maybe someday a book will even come back to me!

En route to Houston I finished 10-10-10, which offers a great decision-making tool for the busy girl. I'm passing it along to my busy mama, with the hope that she can find some time to read it, too.

Feel free to join me in my book adventure. In the days of Kindles and iPads, it's a little fun to get back to the basics. 

PS: If you need a good book suggestion, check out this site. You can type in a book or author you like, and it will generate other similar books. Genius, I tell you!
PPS: Check out 20 books to read in your Twenties. I don't agree with all of them, but some are real winners. 
PPS: IF you giveaway a book, tell me! I want to hear about it.

Houstonian Weekend



I love a planned-in-advance trip. One that you can count down, anticipate and paper chain. But, there's something to be said for an impromptu trip, where you book your flight as quickly as the idea comes into your head. 

And that's exactly how my Houston weekend happened. Last week, Court had her fourth baby and I had planned to drive to meet her when they move to Virginia next month. But then she arrived. And she was a girl! And she was so perfect and beautiful and I needed to meet her immediately. 


My dear friend Lindsey's mom works for Delta and let me use a buddy pass to get there quickly. I am so grateful for their generosity, because by the time Thursday night came around, I almost couldn't go another minute without meeting Della. 


Our weekend was full in the way it's supposed to be when you have a new baby: with slow walks, the best conversation, iced coffees, carry out and dessert after dinner every night. I participated in Court's post-pregnancy routine purely for solidarity, of course. 


Other activities included building a fort out of the boxes packed for Virginia, tons of Della snuggling and lots of love for the other three kids. 



We tested out the new car setup, too, when we ran errands. That fourth car seat squeezes right in!

We also sneaked in a birthday party for Finn and his friend, Jack, with lots of swimming and car-related activities. 


It was such a great weekend meeting Della. See you next in Virginia, Smith fam!

Atlanta {workout} Bucket List

best workouts in Atlanta - a list

I don't always prescribe to the notion that you should try anything once, but when it comes to working out, I most certainly do. While nothing compares to my trusty running shoes (a la the BeltLine), what I like even better is my running shoes + a great class. 

I've tested out quite a few of them, and lately I've been asked for recommendations on what my favorites are. So, without further do, my Atlanta Workout Bucket List. 

The quick and dirty on what I've tried, what I've loved, what I haven't loved and what I need to try...

          Yoga
  1. Atlanta Hot Yoga  Great for super-hot yoga. I love Todd's West Coast Power Flow Class. 
  2. Decatur Yoga and Pilates Another great studio - and they have $35 unlimited for your first month when you sign up. It gets really hot in there. 
  3. Balance Yoga This is my favorite studio in Atlanta and where I have spent the most time. I love Jennifer and Caroline's Vinyasa Flow classes the most. They'll leave you super sore the next day.
  4. Tough Love Yoga - I didn't actually have a great experience here, but everyone else in the world seems to love it. I think I need to give it another shot.
  5. Studio Lotus
  6. Stand Up Paddle Board Yoga - dying to try this one. Caroline, from Balance, teaches it. 
  7. West Coast Workout - tried it, loved it. Will leave you happy and sore. Two of my favorite things. 
  8. Exhale Yoga

    Spinning
  9. FlyWheel - I think I have made my feelings on FlyWheel abundantly clear. 
  10. LA Fitness Buckhead Spin with April - After Flying, LA Fitness doesn't really compare. Unless you go to April's class. She will kill you and you will like it. I promise.

    Strength/Conditioning
  11. Blast 900 - As amazing as the website makes it seem. You will sweat, you will be sore and you will burn a load of calories. 
  12. Piedmont Park Boot Camp - such a great way to get outside. We did an awesome track workout + strength
  13.  VeriFit
  14. TRX Witzlib (Suspension Class) 
  15. Chaos Conditioning 
  16. Body Solutions (Body Blitz)
  17. Urban Active Calorie Crusher

    Kickboxing
  18. CoreFitness
  19. X3 Sports  Tried the Kickboxing class in Inman Park. It was great and I was so sore! Next up is the FastTrack class. 
  20. Atlanta Kick I was silly and went when I had a stress fracture. Still a great workout, but I need to go back now that my foot is fully functional. 
  21. Bangkok Boxing

    Barre
  22. Pure Barre - Absolutely loved it. It was amazing for toning. 
  23. Fly Barre - this was good, but not as good as FlyWheel or Pure Barre. A nice workout, but it won't leave you dead the way the other two will.

    Just Fun
  24. Atlanta Rocks Climbing
  25. SkyZone Trampoline 
  26. LA Fitness Brookhaven Zumba - more fun than it is a workout, but always nice to mix it up

So there you have it. My thoughts on the Atlanta workout scene. Don't forget a lot of places offer your first class free or discounted, and if you go to Lululemon, they'll give you free yoga passes around the city, as well as offer free in-store yoga each week. And that, my friends, is how you stay healthy, wealthy and wise in Atlanta. 

Happy fitnessing!

PS: Am I missing anything? Tell me, tell me below! To share is to love!

How to be awesome at being single.


If there is one thing I don't talk about on my blog, it's being single. Mainly because it's something that, much like my laundry list of debit card transactions, I prefer to pretend that if I ignore them, they'll go away.

However, whether I like it or not, I am 26. And I am single.

And, the anxiety I feel simply typing that sentence should tell you that I don't always fall into the category of the title of this post. I am not always awesome at being single. Sometimes it seriously concerns me. Sometimes I tell my friends that I am bored of being single and would just like to meet one guy who is worth a second date. Sometimes I get a little panicked when I think about the months - days - hours - that separate me and 27.

But sometimes, it's kind of fun. And sometimes, I think that this is a really special time of life that I will one day look back on and be grateful to have had.  So, while I certainly cannot always call myself awesome at being single, here's what I've figured out...

Be selfish. This is the only time you can do it. I see my sisters bouncing around 37 babies all at once while I'm beebopping from a run to yoga and dinner with friends and I often think: wow. No one is relying on me to make them dinner or change their diaper or do their laundry. So use this time to cultivate deep relationships with friends, pursue career goals, be spontaneous, become super fit, get involved at church, learn a new language, garner your green thumb... Anything that might be pushed to the back burner when you have a husband or baby relying on you.


But don't be that selfish. Give, give, give your extra time. The more I give, the more I want to give. It's a beautiful cycle. And I have found that the more I give, the more I get back. I'm not saying there are things about you that need to change before you get married (because I am positive you're awesome), but I am saying that you'll be surprised how much you can grow by giving back. I am constantly surprised at the way my heart is changing as I continue to serve others, even though I thought I was in a pretty good spot a year ago.

Figure yourself out. Sort through your mess. We (both single and married twenty-somethings) have gunk. By the time you're in your 20s, things start to stick a little more. Deal with it and grow from it. Let your pain be redeemed for the greater good. See a therapist if you need to. There is no shame in it. If you want, you can be like me and pretend you're just meeting a friend who is super good listener and accepts money on behalf of her incredible wisdom (it's just PR, really).

Figure out what you want. What do you want to do like your parents? What do you want to do differently? Which of your friends do you want to be just like? And which ones do you want to avoid? Make lists, be detailed and own it.

Know your deal breakers. I went on a date recently and was talking to my sister, Ashley, afterwards. I was telling her a whole list of concerns and then at the end said, "but I don't know if those are deal breakers." At which point she said, "Ya, I don't think those are deal breakers, Whit..." Sometimes it's easy to get to picky. And, on the contrary, sometimes, when we're frustrated, it's easy to settle too much. I think every Christian girl was once told to make a list of every thing she wants in her husband in middle school and pray over it. That's a great idea and I know some people who were so fortunate to have those lists fulfilled. But, my word, if I wanted the things I wanted at 13 now, I would be concerned. Throw away your 1000-word lists. But know your deal breakers. For me, there are certain things I must have, would love to have, would like to have and would like to avoid.

Enjoy it. We will never get this time back. I'd enjoy it a lot more if I knew I was going to meet with husband on an exact day (and I'd make sure to do my hair really well that day). But we don't. And all we can do is find joy in each day and trust that there is a bigger plan. So just focus on being the best you and loving the life you have. And remember, something beautiful is on the horizon.


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