My expectation for this book was that it would be a snarky mother-daughter face off of “I told you so’s” and “Whatevers,” between two powerhouse and frankly, gorgeous women.

Many of us don’t remember that before Vanessa William’s had a notable movie and tv career, she was America’s first black Miss America.  She also lost her title because some professional nude photos surfaced of her that she had done years prior. Oh ya, and the creepy photographer that sold them Hustler made a lot of money doing so.  Her honesty and humor makes her more human than most superstars, and I believe it speaks to the power of the human spirit.

Going through the book and seeing Vanessa survive and even thrive despite her fall from grace with Miss America is nothing short of inspirational.  I think back to my late teens and early 20′s with chagrin- I wasn’t a bad girl by any means, but I surely was nieve.   I can only imagine what it’s like to be in her shoes in a new millenium, it makes me feel sorry for any woman running for public office who grew up in the age of Facebook where your dumb teen moments and poor judgement calls are permanently accessible somewhere in the archives of your online past.

Vanessa illuminates that no woman has to be “ruined,” because of society’s attempt to shame women or exploit their beauty, intelligence and ability to be leaders of their own lives.  I really enjoyed the book!

 Get more of You Have No Idea over at BlogHer!

In my personal life, I’ve made the connection to food and money many times.  I’ve noticed based on certain stimuli, like a tiny poor choice (getting McDonald’s or hanging out with a superficial friend) I end up spiraling into a series of poor choices when it comes to my nutrition or budget.   I’ve also come to realize that just as people having eating disorders sometimes to cope with trauma, loss or low self-esteem (as well as many other life issues), people also do the same with money- binging, hoarding, purging and over indulging.

In Roth’s Book, Lost and Found, she also makes this connection.  For most of her life she’s been battling and processing her  habits around food:  the dieting, the over indulging, the weight lost/gain/self-loathing.

Then, in December 2008 when she loses her entire life’s savings the now notorious ponzi scammer, Bernie Madoff, it occurs to her that she has the same unhealthy relationship with her money.

As a (somewhat) personal finance blogger, I got really tired reading finance books.  Sure, you can learn about your money:  how to invest, how to cut costs, what to buy, what not to buy, where to put your money and so on, just as you can learn about nutrition, but  if you don’t learn WHY you spend the way you do, or how your money makes you feel having a tactical plan for investing or saving is useless.  Understanding your personal relationship with money is vital to implementing the knowledge of the financial gurus, yet so many people think they just need tactical knowledge and never look deeper- luckily Geneen Roth does in her book,  Lost and Found.  

We’re kicking off a month long promo of this book, which I thoroughly enjoyed reading over at BlogHer so I hope you’ll check it out if you want more info or to discuss the hot topic of money!

I was compensated for my time to review this book for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own.

What do you want your life to be like 20 years from now?

I recently teamed up with some other fabulous bloggers to be paired up for a fun mug swap that was hostessed by Ashlee of  On The Front Porch Looking In & Syndal of Synfully Delicious  -huge thanks to them for coordinating!

I did a craft swap years and years ago but haven’t done a blog swap since I started Frugal Beautiful!  I would love to do this again, it has been so much fun!  Basically, you get paired up with someone, tell them a few of your faves or some tidbits about yourself and then you see what they come up with!  I had a hard time finding her a mug, she likes Snoopy so I ended up having to buy hers online but I hope she likes it!

I’ve been thinking of doing an Easter or Spring Swap with bloggers since this one has been so much fun…maybe a beauty swap or some fun things for spring?  Maybe just keep it simple with a lipgloss swap or nail polish, who knows!  Anyhoo…onto the swap!

I got paired up with the fabulous Mariasol of Such Life in the Tropics and sent a mug to her (which I’m hoping she got in time) and she sent me one!  I’ve never been to the Cayman Islands before so this tropical treasure was just the perfect gift as the weather starts warming up here!

Look how cute she decorated the box…it was adorable!

Thanks again to Mariasol, I love my muggy! ..and seriously, I am thinking I should do a swap, it’d be a great way to meet up with other bloggers!

Usually when someone says “You’ve changed,” it stings.  You feel like a fraud, a quitter, a jerk.  When you begin to craft a life- full of activities that matter, passions that are true and work around your own life’s purpose, when someone says “You’ve changed,” you’ll smile and say, “Yes, I totally have.”

Change can be scary, but beyond that, sometimes it can feel rather lonely.  When you go off to school across the country and start searching for purpose (like I did), going home can feel rather sad- suddenly the high school friends you’ve known for years have little to say to you.  The commonalities are gone and all you have left are memories.  The fair-weather friends that only want to talk when gossip is juicy start to realize you don’t play those games anymore.  Don’t worry, you’ll find new friends, a partner that gets you and colleagues that support your goals.  Keep looking, don’t give up.