Lauren Hannah

Autism

My One Year Autism Diagnosis Anniversary

Book Review: The Bullet Journal Method

Service Dog

Frequently Asked Questions About My Service Dog

Books Mental Health

Book Review: Sad Perfect

Posted on September 10, 2019

Disclaimer: Part of this review was originally posted on my book blog Lauren Reads YA. I have since edited it to reflect my current feelings on the book.

Sad Perfect

by Stephanie Elliot

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publication date: February 28, 2017
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Pages: 320
Format: Hardcover

Goodreads | The Book Depository

Synopsis

Sixteen-year-old Pea looks normal, but she has a secret: she has Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID). It is like having a monster inside of her, one that not only dictates what she can eat, but also causes anxiety, depression, and thoughts that she doesn’t want to have. When she falls crazy-mad in love with Ben, she hides her disorder from him, pretending that she’s fine.

At first, everything really does feel like it’s getting better with him around, so she stops taking her anxiety and depression medication. And that’s when the monster really takes over her life. Just as everything seems lost and hopeless, Pea finds in her family, and in Ben, the support and strength she needs to learn that her eating disorder doesn’t have to control her.

Books Minimalism Sustainability

Book Review: Less Stuff

Posted on August 27, 2019

Disclaimer: This book was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for a review. In no way does this affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Less Stuff: Simple zero-waste steps to a joyful and clutter-free life

by Lindsay Miles

Genre: non-fiction (zero waste, sustainability, decluttering)
Publication date: August 6, 2019
Publisher: Hardie Grant
Pages: 224
Format: Paperback

Add to Goodreads | Buy from The Book Depository

Synopsis

When we consider how we love to spend our time, we don’t tend to think about sorting, cleaning or tidying. The mess and clutter filling our spaces impacts on our productivity, stresses us out and keeps us stuck. Our stuff stands in the way of the lives we dream about. But what about when it comes to throwing away all that stuff? After all, there is no ‘away’. Decluttering is great for our mental wellbeing, and when done right, it can be good for the planet too.
Less Stuff is a guide for people who find it difficult to declutter and who don’t want to see things go to waste. Step by step, you’ll explore finding your ‘enough’, learn how to let go of your old possessions without sending them to landfill, and eventually break the cycle of stuff.

Books

Mini Book Reviews: Q1 of 2019

Posted on August 20, 2019

This post includes affiliate links.

I’ve been so disorganized lately and stuck in a reading slump, so I wasn’t very motivated to work on my mini book reviews. I’m on a catch-up spree, though, so get ready:

Service Dog

Frequently Asked Questions About My Service Dog

Posted on August 17, 2019

International Assistance Dog Week (August 4-10) came and went and I didn’t have the energy to post this in time, but here it is anyway: the answers to the most frequently asked questions I get about my service dog.

Keep in mind that the answers to these questions are specific to me and my dog, the organization I work with, and the country I live in (the Netherlands). So things might not be the same for you! If you live in the US and need advice on service dogs, please contact somebody else as I have limited knowledge on how things work overseas.

The Basics

Nugget is a Golden Retriever. Her breeder is Bentivar.
She’s in training to become an autism service dog.
I got her when she was 7.5 weeks old. She is now almost 10 months old.
I train her myself with the help of a service dog trainer (more on that later). We work with Stichting SAAC.

Make sure to follow Nugget on Instagram to stay up-to-date on our adventures and training progress!

Autism Books

Book Review: The Rosie Project

Posted on August 4, 2019

Disclaimer: This book was sent to me by the author & publisher. In no way does this affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Rosie Project

by Graeme Simsion

Genre: General Fiction
Publication date: January 30, 2013
Publisher: Penguin
Pages: 368
Format: Paperback

Add to Goodreads | Buy from The Book Depository

Synopsis

Love isn’t an exact science — but no one told Don Tillman. A handsome thirty-nine-year-old geneticist, Don’s never had a second date. So he devises The Wife Project, a scientific test to find the perfect partner. Enter Rosie — ‘the world’s most incompatible woman’ — throwing Don’s safe, ordered life into chaos. Just what is this unsettling, alien emotion he’s feeling?

Lifestyle

Secrets of Adulthood

Posted on July 1, 2019

If you’ve read my book review of The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin, you may already know how much I love habits and personal growth. In her book, Gretchen writes about a thing called ‘secrets of adulthood’, which are lessons she’s learned growing up that would be good to remember for later.

Today, I turned 24 years old and figured it would be fun to share with you 24 things I’ve learned in 24 years.

Videos

Document Your Life: March + April 2019

Posted on June 12, 2019

In which I go on walks with my dog Nugget, check out my new apartment for the first time, and pick up my best friend Laura from the airport.

Music:
The Paper Kites – Halcyon (iTunes/Apple Music – Spotify)

Books

Mini Book Reviews: Q3 and Q4 of 2018

Posted on May 24, 2019

This post includes affiliate links.

First of all, my apologies for neglecting my seasonal book review posts these past few months. I’m going to assume that getting a puppy is a good enough excuse to be off the radar for a while. My pup is now 7 months old so I’m finally getting some more time for myself, and that means more blog posts! Here’s a catch-up post of the books I’ve read since my last seasonal book review post.

Starting with this post, I will be changing things up with my mini book reviews. Anything I read from now on will be collected in posts that cover a quarter of the year, so the next one will be Q1 (January, February, and March of 2019), rather than the season. This will make it easier for me to have an overview of the year. Hope you don’t mind the change!

Books Lifestyle

Book Review: The Happiness Project

Posted on May 9, 2019

The Happiness Project

by Gretchen Rubin

Genre: Non-Fiction, Self-Help
Publication date: 2009
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 331
Format: Paperback

Add to Goodreads | Buy from The Book Depository

Synopsis

Gretchen Rubin had an epiphany one rainy afternoon in the unlikeliest of places: a city bus. “The days are long, but the years are short,” she realized. “Time is passing, and I’m not focusing enough on the things that really matter.” In that moment, she decided to dedicate a year to her happiness project.

In this lively and compelling account, Rubin chronicles her adventures during the twelve months she spent test-driving the wisdom of the ages, current scientific research, and lessons from popular culture about how to be happier. Among other things, she found that novelty and challenge are powerful sources of happiness; that money can help buy happiness, when spent wisely; that outer order contributes to inner calm; and that the very smallest of changes can make the biggest difference.

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