Sophia and the Seven Goddesses Book Review by Ilene Satala and Beverly Danusis

Hello again Ladies. Today I wanted to post another review of a totally different book. Most of my up coming reviews will be focused on women's health, however today I wanted to do 2 diffrent reviews. This will be the first review of a fiction book.  I was introduced to this book at my old job in a metaphysical shop. I was told this book was really great, and everyone should read it. I knew it was a book geared towards young girls, so I was a bit surprised to hear that my boss would want everyone to read this book.

Let me first say, I am not a big fan of fiction books, I practically never read them frankly. This book, however, was a great exception. Sophia and the Seven Goddesses is a young adult book *I would say for younger girls and teens.* This fiction book was extremely well written, and captivated me as I began to read it.  It is a very empowering book for younger woman. The book focuses on a girls journey into learning how to love herself, and empower herself. I am trying to be vague as to not spoil the plot of the book. This book hooked me after the first I think 20 pages, and that is extremely hard to do, since I never read fictional books. Each Goddess gives a gift so to speak to the main character, whos name is Sophie. An example of a gift would be Aphrodite gives the gift of self love.

 If you have a young girl from the age 7-13 I would highly recommend this book. This book also gives you a tidbit into goddess mythology.Metaphysical lessons are also input in this book, which makes it interesting.  This is a book that will make you feel better about yourself, and will put a smile on your face. We live in a society that the media puts women down constantly, or at each others throats over silly things. This book I think could help create a better culture for young girls, so that they can be respectful, and caring to one another.  I feel like this book specifically will help the younger girls be stronger in this sometimes cruel society we live in.

 Rating-5 stars
Well written, would be great for younger teens to read, before they get hit with an even stronger bombardment of media messages.

Book Review-The Real Life Body Book by Hope Riciotti,MD, and Monique Doyle Spencer.

Hello ladies, I wanted to do a review of a wonderful health book for young women called the Real Life Body Book. This book is extremely informative, and well written. Although I wouldn't say this is something that substitutes medical advice, this book is helpful if you are wondering anything about bones, health issues, or anything like that. This covers a diverse amount of topics, and issues that some other books wouldn't touch.

 I would say this is a young adult book, and do not think it would be good for extremely younger audience *this book is perfect for a bit older teens, but I wouldn't suggest it for anyone younger than 13 or 14*. It covers pretty much every aspect of the female body, but puts it in an understandable language for the teen/young adult audience. This would be a great book for a young teen, if they have questions about whats normal about their body, and what type of stuff isn't.

Again, I am not saying this should ever replace a doctor but it offers some really nice tips on how to reduce stress for example. I would call this a good guide to health. This book in essence will help you understand your body better, which is a blessing in today's world where we have too much written online that isn't medically accurate or fact checked. I would strongly suggest this as a christimas gift for a young woman, because if they have questions about their body, this can definitely help answer them. The regular retail of this book is around $22, and it is well worth it. I have picked it up on amazon for cheaper. 

I don't have any complaints about this book, so it gets an A plus from me.

Freya Sports Bra Review

Hello readers. I know it has been awhile since my last post. Today, I am going to review the Freya Sports bra in the cosmic blue color. The band on this bra is just right in my opinion, its not "too tight" or "too loose" It fits pretty well, and activity level wise it does help to minimize bounce.I was delighted to see something out of the normal range of colors *grey, black, tan* and this was a definite treat. This bra is supportive, and also seems to dry quickly if you are sweating while working out *which is a very nice feature* You can do cross-straps on this as well which is nice. I would recommend this one for anyone doing anything athletic.

Support Level-Good to great
Price Tag-?
 Washing/Care-Hand washing is probably best but in a lingerie bag shouldn't be too bad on the delicate cycle.
Colors/Design-Great colors on this one, I was blown away by how pretty the blue is.
Complaints-None. If i had to make one, it would be its not as soft as the Natori ones but still wonderful.
Comments-If I recall right, this one was a bit higher priced but was really good for work. I would get another one. The color selection was nice and I would recommend this one to a friend.
Rating-5/5

Affinitas Nichole Push-Up Bra

This is the Affinitas Nichole Push Up Bra, and it is a wonderful addition to my wardrobe. I really like how sturdy the fabric is. I was impressed by how nice the band feels on this one too, since some of my other bras have a much tighter feeling band. This is a new favorite of mine, and I frankly wish I had more. At the cost, it is a great buy, and one of my favorites. The only downfall is this is a push up, so it will draw more attention to your bust.
Support Level-Good
Price Tag-32 dollars, very reasonable and nice.
 Washing/Care-Hand washing is probably best but in a lingerie bag shouldn't be too bad on the delicate cycle.
Colors/Design-Loving the designs on the bra band, but wish they offered more colors!
Complaints-More colors would be nice, other than that I do not have one.
Comments-I really like the price on this one, and I like how the band feels good/spot on for me, some of my old bras are getting tight but this is perfect. No complaints here :)
Rating-5/5

Book Reviews- Body Drama and Diet Drama by Nancy Redd

Hello readers. I wanted to do a book review today and I have two books that are in my opinion, really great for younger women. Both of these books are a bit more young adult oriented *Id say 16/18 plus* but offer really great messages. Both books are really colorful, and well written. I like to read books but this is a visual treat, not just a plain text book.

This is the webpage with links about the books if you want to learn more - http://www.nancyredd.com/

Body Drama is about issues women can have with their bodies, and covers a good amount of topics. I think by far my favorite part of the book when they show how photos get altered in magazines to make them look better. It sort of washes the idea that there is a "perfect" beauty to strive for. This book is informative, and could be used as a quick reference guide or just a wonderful book to read. I really liked seeing regular women in this book as well, showing how everyone has different types of body drama *and some of the pictures are very cute*. It's basically an adult body book but when I say adult, I mean young woman. I would call this a positive feminist book so to speak and think every young adult should own it. This book is usually by my nightstand or in my purse, that is how much I like it. The book also makes you feel connected to other women in a positive way and makes you realize that you are not alone.

Diet Drama continues along the same idea but focuses more on eating healthy, and right, while also ignoring weight, and instead focuses on loving your body. Both of these books have real women, not airbrushed and are really well written. They are definitely geared towards younger women or teens.  I truly feel this is an extremely positive book that young women should read because it focuses not on numbers but on how you feel about yourself. The book also explains caloric needs for example well, as well as what types of food are better to eat. These books are wonderful and both in my opinion give a sense of community, due to the fact most women I would argue at least think/get concerned about their weight. Both these books are worth checking out, and fun to read. I find myself flipping through the pages of both again, and again.

Rating- Five out of Five stars. These are extremely informative, positive books for young woman and I think they should have this be read in high school for young women *that would be a good
 change!*

Why I think A Sophisticated Pair is the best shop in the world!

I wanted to write a post about a shop that has gotten me through this year, and why I love A Sophisticated Pair.

Earlier in 2012, Before I ordered from A Sophisticated Pair online, I HATED bras with a passion.They never fit properly, always were uncomfortable, and honestly I was always rushing to get out of work since it hurt. I only wore them when I had too, and thought all bras were uncomfortable. I figured that back pain, headaches, and just being annoyed with your bra was just a normal thing. This place changed my life *for the better*, and for sure without their help, I wouldn't be able to work as well as I do. Ever since the first order, I was hooked because this is the best place to order your bras. Now I feel comfortable sitting up straight, do not feel the need to slouch.

1.They offer five star customer service-This alone makes me a repeat customer. You really do feel like family when you are talking to the staff. I sincerely wish I had a chance to step inside the shop, but even on the phone or internet, they convey the image of a loving, caring, compassionate person. From the first day I ordered from them they always gave great customer service.

2.They always offer fair prices on bras, and by fair I mean great prices. I have never once been over charged for anything. They also offer free shipping for over 50 dollar purchases.

3.They are patient with you, and even if you experience size fluctuations they work with you. - This one is tricky because an inch or two can throw off a measurement. I do not know of anyone else who has been so patient with me and worked so hard with me. I feel like most other shops would give up on their customers for being difficult or having changing sizes. Definitely not the case here. They actually will suggest waiting if in between sizes sometimes, and most places would capitalize on that.

4. They really work with you, and cater to your specific needs. This makes A Sophisticated Pair stand out from all the rest. I know I am not just a sale, I am a person to them. They take time to read my blog, and get to know me. I can't say that about any other fitter. They helped me find great sports bras for work, as well as some great regular bras for when I am off.

5. They have an extremely fashionable, intelligent person running the store. Erica is by far the coolest person you will ever talk to. I wish I could actually meet her some day. She always has a great wardrobe on in her blog *which they have a great blog by the way*. I like that they love animals, and care about people. They have a face, and personality even on the internet. This makes the shop owner really stand out from the other shop owners in my opinion. Erica is an animal lover, a great blogger, and a fountain of knowledge.

6. They have the cutest guard dogs, and I love their physical shops lay out. I am glad they posted pictures of their shop on Facebook. You can see how beautiful their store is :).

-Have a great night.

Facebook Page

Hey again! If you don't mind, like me on facebook so I can update you when new posts are coming around. https://www.facebook.com/BG88sblog is the weblink. 
Have a lovely Monday!