50 Book Challenge

A week ago exactly, I officially finished my 50 Book Challenge.  I decided to challenge myself this year because during school, I never had time to read anything except required texts. I was excited to read for pleasure again. As I've gotten older, reading takes longer for me. I don't mean the actual reading speed (because I'm a speed demon) but it takes me longer to read a book because I rarely take the time to sit and read just because.

So I changed that.

At first, I was really afraid I wasn't going to make it. But thanks to spending a month in tech and two months running shows, I got through 50 books. Here they are, in all their glory:

Some of the order got screwed up because I started my challenge on December 19, 2012 instead of the first, so I had to make sure the Goodreads widget counted them toward my goal. You can check out all of the books, ratings, reviews, and more here. 

And, because I don't like reviews (and that would make this post ridiculously long) here's just a peek at my top five.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan

Paper Towns by John Green

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

 Did you partake in the 2013 Reading Challenge? Did you read anything wonderful? Let me know! I'm always looking for new books to read!

October Favorites

Well, another month has almost passed us by! How crazy is it that on Friday it'll be November!? My little blog will be turning 6 months old! I'm impressed that I've had enough things to write about! So let's get into it and see what I've been loving as the leaves turn.

1. Earth Therapeutics Tea Tree Oil Foot Repair Balm

I've been using this before bed on my feet and my hands, and I wake up with the softest skin! It smells a little minty, and that was a little off-putting for me at first, but I got used to it. I have a little travel size I bought from Ulta (Damn you cash register displays!) and while it took me a little while to start using it, I'm really glad I did. Awesome lotion is a must for winter!

2. OPI Nail Envy for Peeling and Sensitive Nails

I've been dealing with my nails peeling like crazy since I started wearing nail polish more, and nothing I did seemed to help. I finally went to one of my nail swapping groups on Facebook and asked for advice. Someone recommended the Nail Envy line to me, so I picked some up when I last went to Ulta. It's pretty pricey for nail stuff, but wow! I put it on underneath my polish, and by the time I took the polish off at the end of the week, my nails already looked better. Hopefully this trend continues!

3. Sweaters

I've never been a huge sweater person, but living in Maine has definitely changed that. I just bought another one last week, and I really love having something a little bit dressier than my beloved hoodies to wear to the office. I definitely need more work appropriate clothes, though. The one pictured here I got from Anthropologie last winter. I love it's little tail and what you can't see is the cute flower trim on the inside!

4. Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

Book 45 of my 50 book challenge, and I would highly recommend this one! If you haven't read Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, it is definitely her best book, but this and Sharp Objects (which I'm reading now) are worth a read as well. She tends to write darker themed novels which is right up my alley!

5. Green Mountain Coffee Pumpkin Spice K-Cups

I actually wasn't the biggest fan of these when I first bought them, but the more I drink it the more I like it. The pumpkin flavor was a little overpowering and way spicier than anything I'm used to, but now it's comforting in the morning. I'm glad I picked this up for the month of October, but I'm excited to go back to my regular K-Cups next month.

That's everything! I've been slacking on the trying new products thing lately. I need to get better at that! What products have you guys been loving this month?