**5 stars**
If you remember, 2 weeks ago we went back to our hometown for belated Christmas. This is a 4.5 to 5 hour trip..in a car...with an 18 year old, a 14 year old, and a 10 year old. We normally listen to the radio, but it gets old with them arguing over which song they want to hear! The night before we left, Gavin said that the new Shaytards book, "Fat Dad Fat Kid", was out and we could get it free on Audible. Well since I like to crochet and read at the same time, I already have Audible. I couldn't get it free, but I had some credits that I hadn't used yet, and thought we could listen to it while we were driving on our trip. Also, let me make it clear that I wasn't given anything in exchange for my honest review this time lol, I just really enjoyed this book so I wanted to make a post about it!
Ok, so rewind back a few months ago, Gavin was watching YouTube on the big T.V. like he always does and I happened to be in the room. I started watching this family he called the Shaytards. They are a really neat family from Idaho that have been blogging their lives for years now. Before I knew it, I had sat there for at least 2 hours with him...and by this time, I was committed! The dad, Shay, is funny and loves his family. His wife Colette is his perfect match. They love each other unconditionally and you can TELL. It's not fake just to get subscribers. They really are soul mates. Their oldest son is Gavin. He is so sweet and such a good big brother to his siblings. They have 2 sweet daughters, Avia and Emmi, another precious son Brock, and the baby boy, Daxton. Here's the thing about them. They are wholesome, family centered, clean entertainment. I don't mind my kids watching them at all, and like I said, I now watch them and feel like I know them.
Since I was now watching along with my son sometimes, I knew that Shay and Gavin were writing a book. I don't get to watch as much as Gavin because I'm a mom and super busy all of the time, so I wasn't really sure what the subject of their book was going to be. I was just excited to read it! I know from watching some of the old episodes of the Shaytards that Shay used to weigh quite a bit more than he does now. I wasn't really sure how he had lost all of the weight or really what his journey and story were all about. This book is Shay and Gavin's 30 day challenge to eating healthier and exercising 30 minutes a day. Each chapter is a "day" in their adventure but dives much deeper into their lives. Shay talks about how he had a 9-5 job before he was YouTube "famous" and how his eating habits were less than desirable. He was worried about his health and decided to embark on the life changing event of getting fit so that he could be around for a long time for his family. I loved hearing that he originally lost 100 pounds on a raw vegan diet. Since I'm a vegetarian trying to go vegan this was really inspiring to me. He's real and transparent with his addiction to Coca-Cola and talks about giving that up and that him and Gavin are trying to drink a gallon of water a day. I can honestly say this hit home with my kids. I don't keep sodas in the house, but when we go out, of course that's what they want. When they heard Shay and Gavin talking about how much sugar was in just ONE can it really made an impression on them! The entire book is perfect for kids and parents to listen to together and be inspired by!
I have to say, I'm sure this book in print is great, BUT I would listen to the audible version over and over again because Shay and Gavin are actually the ones reading it. It makes what they are saying come to life because they include their personalities in with it! It's so easy to listen to and made our trip fly by. I think it's about 4.5 hours of listening time so we almost finished it on our way.
The thing I loved most about this book is that it was motivational not only for ME, but of course it also was inspiring for my kids. We loved them before listening to their book, but we love them even more now!
Do yourself a favor and go listen to it on Audible! You can listen to any book for free if you try it for 30 days! Also, if you want the print version, here's a link to it here. Again, I wasn't compensated in any way for my review, I just love to read and loved this book that much.
If you love to read and would like to link up your own favorite book, click the pic below!
I love the idea that it's a dad and son doing it together! I'll have to look them up on YouTube. :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you for linking up with Favorite Books Friday.
Oh they are so funny! We love their little family!
ReplyDelete