“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go”

~Dr. Seuss~

If I had to pick only one thing (other than relationships with other people) that has made the biggest difference in the level of happiness, productivity, contentment and success in my life, that one thing would have to be BOOKS.

I LOVE reading. I love reading for pleasure (my favorite fictional book series is The Black Dagger Brotherhood by J.R. Ward–love me some sexy vampires!) but even more than that, I really love reading for personal development. I absolutely credit much of the transformation that has taken place in my life to the multitude of books that I have read. Reading has provided me with a wealth of information, inspiration and motivation. Plus–research shows that reading can actually make you sexy (it’s true–you can read more about it here). So, with so many incredible reasons to read, the question simply becomes, what to read–and I’m here to help you with that. In order to help you live your most FabYOUlous year yet, I’ve  compiled a list of twelve books that have all had a huge impact on my life. These books are all from the personal development genre but some are more geared toward spirituality while others are geared more toward business development or goal setting. One thing that they all have in common though, is that each one of these books has made a powerful and lasting impact on my life, and I’m sure that the same will be true for you.

If you are ready to take your life to the next level in 2018, add these twelve books to your reading list today!

12 Books to Read for a FabYOUlous 2018

1. The Universe Has Your Back–Transform Fear to Faith by Gabrielle Bernstein: Okay, I know that Gabby’s new book Judgement Detox is out now and garnering rave reviews, but as wonderful as it is (and it is wonderful), my favorite book by everyone’s favorite girlfriend guru is still The Universe Has Your Back. This book came into my life at exactly the right time (just further proof in my mind that the Universe does indeed have my back) and had a tremendous impact upon the way I view everything. I found myself burning through two highlighters as I read this book because I was literally highlighting something on nearly every page. With simple reminders such as “the Universe picks up what you put out” to deeper lessons on manifestation, Universal co-creation and consciousness, this book has given me more confidence to boldly pursue my dreams, because I am able to see the evidence that the Universe does truly have my back. 

   “ The Universe picks up what you put out —GABRIELLE BERNSTEIN

2. How to Live an Awesome Life–How to Live Well, Do Good, Be Happy by Polly Campbell: This book is a quick and easy read (I read the entire thing on a flight from Denver to Florida) but just because it’s simple doesn’t mean that it isn’t powerful (and funny…and inspiring). I especially love the fact that this book can be read from cover to cover; or you can simply jump around to the chapters that most appeal to you in any given moment. I’ve read the book through entirely, but I also find myself going back to certain chapters when I need a little boost in that particular subject.
3. Finding FabYOUlous–A ‘Self-Help with Sass’ Guide to Finding, Celebrating and Capitalizing On the FabYOUlousness that Makes You, YOU by Melissa Venable: Out of all the books in the history of the world, this book has had the biggest impact on my life. Granted, that’s because I’m the one who wrote the book, and the process of writing a book is bound to have a lasting impact on the writer. Despite my slightly biased point of view however; this book truly does have a lot to offer for anyone who feels stuck in a less than fulfilling existence.  Based upon my own experience of turning my life around after escaping from an abusive marriage and battling a debilitating Anorexia Nervosa diagnosis, Finding FabYOUlous provides a wealth of inspiration and guidance, coupled with actionable steps to help the reader discover her true and powerful purpose and begin living that purpose in every aspect of her daily life. With chapters titled “Ditch the Drama to find Your Dharma” and “Do My Boundaries Make Me a B!tch?”, Finding FabYOUlous is a fun and entertaining read that also packs a powerful, purposeful punch. Oh and if that’s not enough to convince you to check out Finding FabYOUlous, it also provides readers with access to a private website that is full of additional material to supplement what is in the book. 

   “ Ditch the Drama to Find Your Dharma —MELISSA VENABLE

4. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho: This is a self-help book disguised as an adventure tale. Normally, I’m not drawn to this kind of book, however; this book (which has been around for over 25 years) captivated me from the very start. The story follows the life of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy as he sets out on an adventure to find worldly treasure, and yet (through a series of trials, journeys and magical experiences) discovers something of far greater value. By combining magic, mysticism and ancient wisdom, The Alchemist has transformed the lives of countless readers across generations. Santiago’s journey teaches us about the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, of recognizing opportunity and learning to read the omens strewn along life’s path, and, most importantly, to follow our dreams.
5. The Desire Map by Danielle LaPorte: I absolutely love Danielle LaPorte. Seriously, I want to meet her somehow and become her new BFF. She’s cool, strong, beautiful and oh so smart. I make it a point to read her book, The Desire Map every year around my birthday. It lines out an incredible goal-setting strategy that I have found to be more inspiring and effective than any other goal-setting system out there (and trust me, I’ve tried them all). Danielle’s Desire Map system is all about setting “goals with soul” and freeing yourself to set life goals based upon how you want to feel. By combining the power of emotions with the study of manifestation, Danielle guides the reader through a goal-setting process that is rich with purpose and intention while also honoring the ambitious nature within each of us. I love Danielle’s work so much that I’ve gone a step further in my study and have become a trained Desire Map facilitator, so, if you like the book but find yourself wanting to go even deeper–hit me up, I’d love to work with you.

   “ Joy is the fiber of your soul —DANIELLE LAPORTE

6. Material Girl, Mystical World–The Now Age Guide to a High-Vibe Life by Ruby Warrington: Okay–I’ll confess, I don’t usually read books that are this woo-woo. However; I had recently had an unexplainable, mystical experience that left me scratching my head and wondering to myself “how on earth did she know that” after a self-proclaimed, intuitive psychic came up to me (totally out of the blue) and told me something about myself that (I swear) she couldn’t have known. That incident still gives me shivers when I think about it, and it led me to start exploring topics that, before then, I had always considered to be too “new-agey” and well…weird. It wasn’t long after I opened this book however; that I began to understand just how much about this Universe there was that I didn’t understand. I love how relatable Ruby is as she herself explores new age topics such as Astrology, Numerology, the Tarot, Oracles, Crystals, Shamanism etc. Sure, I still find some of it to be a little weird, but my mind has become much more open to possibilities and willing to consider that just because I don’t fully understand something, doesn’t mean that it’s not legit.
7. Live Your Best Day Ever–Thirty-Five Strategies for Daily Success by Anne-Marie Faiola: With practical advice such as “align real-life time management with your goals” and “assume goodwill”, this book is full of powerful strategies that, if implemented, are sure to help you truly improve the quality of your days. I especially love that each chapter includes suggestions on how to take the advice from each chapter and make it personal, as well as how to apply it to your business or professional life.
8.  365 Ways to Live Generously by Sharon Lipinski: This book is broken up into 365 short chapters that are intended to be read once a day for a year, but I’ll confess, I finished the book in like three weeks. The basic premise of the book is that the only thing standing between you and the life that you want, are your habits and that the habit of generosity is the one habit that can have the greatest impact upon your level of fulfillment. 365 Ways to Live Generously features lessons each day that focus on one of the seven generosity habits: Physical health, Mindfulness, Relationships, Connection with self, Gratitude, Simplicity and Philanthropy. Each habit appears once a week, giving you a year to practice and make them all a part of your daily life. Using this inspiring book, you’ll develop the habits needed to create a life that’s good for you and for others.
9. 52 Ways to Live a Kick-Ass Life–B.S. Free Wisdom to Ignite Your Inner Badass and Live the Life You Deserve by Andrea Owen: In this powerful book, the author guides you through her acclaimed strategies for creating a more fulfilling life. Each goal-orientated lesson empowers the reader to take control of the barriers that keep her from achieving the love and success she desires. From breaking the unrewarding cycle of people pleasing to dealing with unsupportive friends, this book approaches the problems that we all face with a candid look at why you aren’t satisfied–and how to fix it. This book’s life-changing wisdom helps you to uncover your self-limiting beliefs as well as push you out of your comfort zone by zeroing in on your most difficult issues. Plus–the author’s fun but plucky personality shines through the book and makes you want to form your own “girl gang” with her.
10. 50 Ways to Yay–Transformative Tools for a Whole Lot of Happy by Alexi Panos: While we’re on the topic of girl gangs, let’s add Alexi Panos to ours too. She’s super cool, super beautiful and super enlightening. Alexi once liked a post that I had posted on Instagram and that was it–I had an immediate girl crush. Her book, 50 Ways to Yay has 50 empowering and thought-provoking lessons that will help you to break out of the ordinary and jump into the extraordinary. With her guidance, you can experience a domino effect of inner peace, inspiration, and a whole lot of happy.
11. She Means Business–Turn Your Ideas into Reality and Become a Wildly Successful Entrepreneur by Carrie Green: If you are at all interested in starting your own business, you need to check out this book. With advice on creating your brand, moving beyond doubt, building a platform and so much more, this book will walk you through the basics and help you lay a solid foundation for your business pursuits. Trust me, If you’re a creative and ambitious female entrepreneur, or are contemplating the entrepreneurial path, this book will provide the honest, realistic, and practical tools you’ll need to follow your heart and bring your vision to life
12. Platform–Get Noticed in a Noisy World by Michael Hyatt: To be successful in the market today, you must possess two strategic assets: a compelling product and a meaningful platform. In this step-by-step guide, author, Michael Hyatt, takes readers behind the scenes, into the new world of social media success. He shows you what best-selling authors, public speakers, entrepreneurs, musicians, and other creatives are doing differently to win customers in today’s crowded marketplace. I love this book because, well, because I want to be Michale Hyatt (or at least a female version of Michael Hyatt) and I have found his advice on how to increase one’s influence and monetize it to be especially helpful as I grow FabYOUlous Life and promote Finding FabYOUlous. 

I truly, truly, with all of my heart do believe that reading these books will add so much clarity, abundance, fulfillment and purpose to your life. Don’t delay–there is still plenty of time to make it through this entire list before the end of 2018, but the sooner you get to reading, the sooner you’ll start experiencing your most FabYOUlous life!

For some added FabYOUlousness, be sure to click the image below to get your TWO free ebooks: “365 Questions to Help You Find Your Answers” and “50 FabYOUlous Ways to Energize Your Life”

I’ve always been blessed with a lot of physical energy (I get it from my “Energizer Bunny” dad–seriously, the man never sits still) but even with my naturally high-energy genes at work, I still have moments when I just want to close my eyes and take a nap–or worse, grab for a 32 oz. glass of fizzy, caffeinated sugar to pull me through.

While feelings of prolonged exhaustion/fatigue should never be ignored, there are times when all we need is a little energetic boost to get our motors revving again.

Whether you’ve got five minutes or an entire week to recharge your batteries, you’re sure to find something in this fun ebook of 50 FabYOUlous Ways to Energize Your Life that will help to put the spring back in your step and have you feeling FabYOUlous again in no time.

To receive your FREE download of this incredible resource, all you have to do is sign up for FabYOUlous Life updates (the box in the sidebar of this site). Once you’ve signed up, a free downloadable copy of the book will be sent straight to your inbox.

This FabYOUlously free ebook is just our way of saying thank you for being a loyal follower of FabYOUlous Life. Please share this offer with your friends–we want to spread as much FabYOUlousness to as many people as possible.

You guys!!!  I HAVE to share this FabYOUlous app with you because IT REALLY WORKS.

Now, let me assure you that I am NOT someone who signs up for everything under the sun, but this app came highly recommended by a smart & savvy friend of mine so I thought I’d try it out. The app is called ibotta and it rewards you with honest to goodness MONEY simply for

buying stuff that you buy all the time anyhow. Seriously–do you buy milk? Bread? Eggs? Cereal? Of course you do–we all do. Well, with ibotta you can now earn cash back on those things that you buy every week anyhow. In fact, if you buy these things and don’t use ibotta, you’re throwing away good money.

I’m always a little skeptical when it comes to apps but this one is so easy. I started using it in March and I have already racked up nearly $40 in rebates and I (honest to GOD!) haven’t purchased anything that I wouldn’t normally purchase on an average shopping trip. My plan is to let my earnings continue to accumulate throughout the year and then cash out when it is time for Christmas shopping.

To download the app just click here. This will allow you to sign up through my referral link which will reward you with a $2 sign up bonus. It will also make you a part of my team which just means that my purchases will also benefit you and vice-versa.  

The app is super simple to use (otherwise I wouldn’t be using it!) but here are the step-by-step instructions for those of you who might be a little app challenged.

How to Earn Real Money on ibotta

–First of all, I want to point out that you don’t have to choose cash as your ibotta reward. They also offer things like Redbox movie rentals, gift cards to Starbucks and iTunes etc. I just happen to really like cash so that’s the reward that I am choosing for myself.

–Secondly, you don’t necessarily need to have a smartphone to use ibotta. You will however need a device that will allow you to download the app and that has a camera that the app can access. The friend who told me about ibotta uses her iPod.

1.)  To start off with an automatic $2.00 in your account, you will need to sign up with this link and then download the app. Once the app is downloaded to your device you will have 10 days to redeem an offer (it’s super easy–just keep reading.) If you redeem an offer within your first 10 days, your account will be credited with the $2.00 bonus.

2.)  Choose your rebate. Once you’ve downloaded the app, open the app up and you will see (at the bottom of the screen) a padlock icon with the word “rebates” below it. When you click on that icon, you will be able to pick which type of rebate you want to use. I use the “grocery” option the most but you can also choose form several other options including electronics, restaurants, apparel, home & office etc.

3.)  Choose the store/restaurant/movie theater. Simply pick the establishment that you plan to visit for a full list of available rebates at that location.

4.)  Pick the item or items that you’d like to receive a rebate for. As I am scrolling through the rebates that are available at my grocery store right now, I see several that I could use–eggs, milk, cream cheese, bananas, shredded cheese and spaghetti sauce. Simply click on the rebate(s) that you wish to redeem.

5.)  Once you have clicked on a rebate that interests you, you’ll go to the rebate screen where you will be able to unlock the rebate. Simply click on the circle or circles underneath your item to unlock your rebate so that you can claim it once your purchase has been made.

6.)  Purchase the item. Some rebates require that you purchase a specific brand (for example, in order to get my spaghetti sauce rebate, I need to purchase Ragu) but many do not. I can purchase any milk, bananas, eggs, cream cheese etc. that I want. Once you purchase your item(s) BE SURE THAT YOU SAVE YOUR RECEIPT.

7.)  Verify your purchases. Simply click on the redeem icon at the bottom of your screen (it is a circle with a check mark in it). Your rebates should be there waiting for you to verify. Simply click the circle next to the items that you purchased and want to verify.

8.) Capture the receipt. Once you have verified your purchases, simply click on the “capture receipt” box and follow the instructions to submit a photo of your receipt. For grocery receipts I often have to take a couple of photos in order to capture an entire receipt but the app shows you how to do that.

9.) Once you’ve captured your receipt you simply click “submit” and you’re done.

10.)  Wait up to 24 hours to receive your rebate. Sometimes I receive my rebates within a few minutes but other times it has taken a few hours. The ibotta app says that it could take up to 24 hours for your rebate to post but I have yet to have one take that long.

11.) Share the app with friends. After you’ve had a chance to get the hang of ibotta you’ll want to start sharing it with friends so that you can take advantage of the “teamwork” function. This function allows you earn more rebates faster by working as a team.

Don’t let these instructions overwhelm you. I downloaded the ibotta app and figured it out without any instruction whatsoever. The app is quick and easy to use and I’m sure that you’ll have the hang of it after about 5 minutes of playing with it.

You might not get rich using ibotta, but you certainly can accumulate a decent amount of rebates simply by doing your normal grocery shopping. It’s FREE money, therefore it is absolutely FabYOUlous.

Do you have an Instagram account?  If not–YOU SHOULD!  It’s another fun social media platform that allows users to edit and share photos with friends and followers.  If you do have an Instagram account, be sure to click here to follow FabYOUlous Life for lots of fun and FabYOUlousness.  Also–if you have an Instagram account, you NEED to discover Chatbooks.  

I just recently received my first Chatbook and I absolutely LOVE it.  Basically, it’s a collection of your top Instagram photos printed and bound into a fun little book so that you can look at and share your photos anytime you want.

When I received my Chatbook, I was SO impressed with the quality of the photos and the paper that they were printed on.  I also loved the size of the book because it was small enough to tuck into my purse but large enough to be easy to read.  In short, there wasn’t anything that I didn’t like about my Chatbook.

So–what can be better than a fun book with a collection of your favorite photos?  Well, how about a fun book with a collection of your favorite photos that you can get for FREE?  

That’s right–you can get your very own Chatbook absolutely FREE–and when I say free, I mean free. No gimmicks, no “free with additional purchase”, no “free for 30 days”…none of that.  It’s just simply FREE. All you need to do is visit www.chatbooks.com and enter the promo code fabyo423 when you order your Instagram Series Photobook. 

It’s fun, it’s FabYOUlous and it’s FREE.  Check out Chatbooks–you’ll be glad you did.