LIVING WELL: MAKING A PLAN

Before getting pregnant with Soren I was eating very healthy and staying active several time each week. I felt great and loved my new motivation towards health and living well. After getting pregnant I became way less active and gave into cravings A LOT. Especially sweets. ;)  During this time I gave myself "pregnant" mercies and just let myself be ok with enjoying my cravings but still doing my best to also include healthy food into my diet regularly.

After having Soren I really wanted to take time to get back to it, start eating whole and yummy foods, and start being active again. I'm waiting my my doctor's final thumbs up to start exercising, but in the meantime I've been putting together a list of goals and ideas about how I can get back into shape and start living a healthy lifestyle again. It can be really difficult to get back into healthy living, it's especially difficult sticking to it! Here are a couple of things I'm doing in order to motivate myself and encourage myself to stick to it. :)

1. Set Attainable Goals - I'm trying to start simple by setting easy and straightforward goals at first. I don't want to overdo my expectations and lose steam if I can't accomplish them.

2. Baby Steps - When setting goals and rules for myself I love also giving it a timeline. For this first set of goals I'm planning to stick to it for 2 months and then re-evaluate and set new goals at the end of the two months. My hope is to create habits for myself while also creating defined stepping stones.

3. Rewards! - At the end of my 2 months I plan to reward myself after sticking to my plan. This will help motivate me to make it to the end of the two months and keep focused. Reward systems are the best. ;) Since I'm working on shedding lbs from the baby weight, my reward at the end of the two months will be a shopping budget for some new clothes. I can't wait. :)

4. Accountability - It's sad to say, but I find it quite easy to let myself down, especially when it comes to health. However, I have found that I get really motivated when someone is depending on me to follow through. Accountability is a powerful thing! Jon will be helping me out with these goals and he's planning to set some of his own for the next two months that I'll help hold him accountable to as well.

I'm currently working on writing out all of my goals and after I have my doctors appointment next week I'm planning on getting started! Maybe Soren will join me while I'm doing this??? ;)

Photo via Deb Schwedhelm

LIVING WELL: JOY IS ALWAYS POSSIBLE

"As long as thanks is possible, then joy is always possible. Joy is always possible. Whenever, meaning now. Wherever, meaning here. Grace, thanksgiving, joy...a triplet of stars, a constellation in the black." 
- Ann Voskamp // 1000 Gifts

This year, the girls in my Bible Study group read 1000 Gifts together. For whatever reason we were kind of expecting something a little light and fluffy, but to our surprise we found it to be incredibly uplifting, insightful, honest, and deep. One of the biggest phrases that caught me in the book and stuck with me throughout the entire read and even now, was "joy is always possible". I love, love, love the quote above from the author. It's just a little snippet of her poetic writing style, powerful words, and beautiful imagery.

Reading this book came at an extremely perfect time in my life. It hadn't been long since Jon and I found out we were pregnant, we decided to pack up and move into a home of our own, many friends were going through serious trials in their lives, and my mom was diagnosed with cancer. Happy things, sad things. It was a challenging time for us, it was also extremely emotional. I've usually been one to maintain a level head and express my emotions in a healthy way. When I'm happy I laugh, when I'm sad I cry, when I'm upset I vent and communicate. For some reason, and I'm thinking it definitely had a lot to do with the increased hormones from the pregnancy, I took that season of life extremely hard. I had a hard time wading through my emotions, feeling relief from the crying, and feeling completely overwhelmed. I knew there was purpose, I knew their was joy to be had and I knew that God could use any and all circumstances for good and for his glory. It was just difficult to see that through the fog of my human nature.

Reading through the book was such an amazing reminder that happiness and joy are two different things. It made me want to see life more fully, appreciating even the smallest things. It reminded me to seek joy and seek it through thankfulness. It also intensely motivated me to see God's grace through pain and still find joy. I honestly can't do the book much justice. It would take too many fancy words and that's not really my gift, but I definitely recommend picking it up for some quiet time with a cup of coffee, cocoa, or cider. :)

All that to say, the exercise of continually trying to be thankful and seek joy has really been a beautiful practice over these past couple of months. It's helped me to especially treasure this time as my mom goes through treatments. Instead of feeling the burden and sadness from her diagnoses, I feel joyful for the opportunities I'm having to care for her the ways she cared for me as a child. I feel thankful for our growing relationship, for our conversations, for our cuddles, for bubbling with joy over the soon arrival of Soren. I'm seeing the beauty within the circumstance, I'm finding strength in it and above all, finding strength in the Lord. No matter what happens, I will wholeheartedly treasure this special time.

If you're in a reading mood, I would also suggest taking a look at Ann's blog. It's fabulous and has so many insightful posts, I especially loved this one about staying sane. Love you, friends! I hope all of you are having a wonderful week.

Photo via A Holy Experience.

LIVING WELL: SLOWING DOWN TIME

Recently I've been reading the book One Thousand Gifts. It's such a beautifully written book, so poetic, so convicting and filled with good truth and inspiration. One of the chapters that really stood out to me was about how routines, and constantly thinking about the "next thing", can speed up time. It can make us forget about stopping and finding joy and thankfulness in the little things throughout the day. This quote from the book says it well:

"I speak it to God: I don't really want more time; I just want enough time. Time to breathe deep and time to see real and time to laugh long, time to give You glory and rest deep and sing joy and just enough time in a day not to feel hounded, pressed, driven, or wild to get it all done."

Being a self-promclaimed futuristic thinker, and major fan of tasks and to-do lists, this idea really hit home with me and made me sit and think about my life a little closer. I had already found myself several times throughout the year complaining about how quickly it's passing by. Was that a sign? Maybe the speed of this year has been a reflection of my busyness and my lack and inability to STOP, look, feel, listen, touch, take in. How many moments am I missing? And not just the big moments, but the perfectly small and joyful moments I forget to see? --- This idea has been with me for a couple of weeks. How can I slow time and appreciate the beauty in this fleeting life?

Since this book is what I'm currently reading with a group of stellar ladies, we all talked last week about ways we wanted to challenge ourselves this week to slow down. I challenged myself to wake up earlier in the morning, instead of reaching for my phone to check up on the latest happenings in the social media world, I promised myself a morning of quiet time and journaling. I also wanted to remind myself to stop throughout the week to notice the little things and "be fully there" to take them in. Scattered throughout my journaling, I decided to begin keeping a list of gratitude and things I was thankful for. This helped remind me to look, slow down time, and find joy in the day to day. This week has been such an eye opening time for me. Starting my mornings with prayerful thoughts, capturing life and thankfulness in a journal rather than scrolling through emails, Instagram photos and the latest Buzz Feed article made such a difference. I found myself feeling more care-free, more joyful. I also caught myself on several occasion taking life in. Watching the way the light hit my husband's skin as he got ready for work early one morning, holding hands in the car with Jon while listening to the rain, and making a quick dash through the drizzle, taking time to make a toast before dinner, soaking in every detail and moment of our little one on the ultrasound during the anatomy check, the peacefulness and precise measurements in baking a new recipe...this is the way I want to live. Finding joy in life and in the little moments. Being fully there for my family and loved ones. Remembering. Loving. Stopping.

Routines are part of life, tasks should be done, goals need to be managed, but my hope is that these things won't make up my entire life. My hope is that I can continue to learn to slow down and see life. What a powerful and inspiring reminder!

What are ways that help you to slow down and take life in?

Photo Found Here

LIVING WELL: STEPPING BACK

During the past couple of months I've really noticed a lack of inspiration and motivation in myself. I can pin it back to when I first started experiencing my first trimester symptoms in late May/early June. I had a really difficult time with myself coming to peace that my body needed a break, rest, and that it was OK if I wasn't productive throughout the entire day. During my worst week at the very beginning of July, Georgia had rain every day. I was on vacation from work...but spent 80% of that in bed, feeling bleh, eating what I could, and watching a marathon of shows. I wanted so much to at least have the energy to do some serious blogging or creative brainstorming, but I was drained and my brain was not having it!

Fast forward to my second trimester. After slowly drudging my way through a spirit of de-motivation and complete lack of creativity, I started feeling my energy come back slowly. I thought my motivation and creativity would also automatically come back in a giant wave of inspiration so I could get back to my day to day productiveness and hard work. Well, life happens...and through a series of situations, major changes, and hormones...my levels of inspiration and go-get-it spirit weren't quite what I was expecting. After I gave myself some mercy and realized, I'm freaking growing a human and going through lots and lots of life right now, I also realized something really important for any "creative" person or anyone who feels just drained or demotivated. Take a step back!

Photo found here. 

Instead of trying to dive back into everything I was doing, I realized I needed (and still need!) some time to step back, re-group, find new inspiration and come back to the things in my life refreshed with a renewed mind. For example, blogging has been one of those pieces for me. I LOVE this space. I love my readers and I love the freedom I have to be creative and share my heart with like-minded people. This community amazes me everyday and I truly want to put forth a wholehearted effort into everything I do for my blog. I want to challenge myself to grow, improve, think of new ideas, and produce great content. Going through a couple months of bleh made me sad that I wasn't putting as much effort here as I would have liked. This idea can also be applied to several other areas in my life. I realized I not only needed to give myself mercy (noted above) but I needed a creative break. For me, one of the ways I find inspiration is by unplugging, opening up my journal, and brainstorming. I run across so many ideas and find so much joy in this process that I usually leave feeling a new sense of motivation. Going to conferences and learning from other awesome and super talented people also contributes to my creative fire. Making time for these things in your life on a constant basis is so important. While I'm still in the process of "re-grouping" in a lot of areas of my life, thinking about the new challenges ahead with being a mama and packing up our condo so we can move into our first home, I realize life is moving around me and I need to prioritize the big things. But I SO look forward to some one-on-one time with my journal to continue firing my creativity and inspiration throughout this process. It's OK to step back and take on other tasks, it's OK to feel unmotivated sometimes, it's OK to let your mind and creative spirit take a vacation. Just remember to ask it out to coffee when you're ready and get to know each other again. ;)

A couple tips for stepping back:

1// Realize - Don't wait until you're completely overwhelmed before you make the call. Do the best you can to anticipate life and when you might need to step back from certain areas of your life to make time for important things.

2// Mercy - Again, whether you are feeling unmotivated, have lots of life happening or feel your creative juices being run dry, give yourself mercy. Just make sure to pick yourself back up after giving yourself the "step back" time you need to keep going. No need to beat yourself up about it. ;)

3// What's Your Thing? - We all have something that really puts us in a place of inspiration. When you're ready to get back to blogging, painting, crafting, business, decorating, cooking, photography....or whatever it is...take some serious time to refresh and re-motivate yourself. Have a date with yourself to your favorite coffee shop, go to your favorite park, take a mini road-trip retreat...wipe the slate clean and start fresh with new ideas and thoughts.

Being able to say "no", make the call, and step back from things in life can be hard, but you've got to take care of yourself and your priorities. Life is too short to turn into a major stress-ball just because you can't get everything done you want in a day or have no motivation for it. It's OK. :) I'm looking forward to taking a few steps back from things in my life to focus, get excited, and serve in other areas for a little while.

Are there things in your life you need to step back from and take a creative break from? What do you plan to do to re-inspire yourself when you're ready to get back in the game? Please share your thoughts below!

LIVING WELL: THE SANITY MANIFESTO

A couple months ago I stumbled upon this neat post about creating a plan when things get overwhelming called The Sanity Manifesto. I read over it a couple times and really appreciated the ideas and thoughtfulness behind it. I've always loved having a "plan" and I've always been a huge list person. Making a list of projects I want to accomplish for the summer, making a list of to-dos before a meeting, writing out lists and lists of ideas. That's one of the reasons the idea of The Sanity Manifesto really appealed to me.

Photo Found Here

Life can get overwhelming. In good ways and in not-so-awesome-ways. You can suddenly have a lot on your plate, major life changes can occur, or you can just be feeling under the weather. In any case, life sometimes calls for a little sanity. Lately, I've been a little under the weather and thinking a lot about things I can do to be peaceful, love on myself, and love on others. I decided to take the idea of a Sanity Manifesto and create my own list of things that I can do to make myself feel sane and happy. Here are some of the things on my Sanity Manifesto:

1// light a candle

2// have a no-plans day and simply go with the flow

3// spend time reading books, magazines, and looking at creative things

4// don't stay in bed all day, it'll just make you feel worse

5// spend time with "your people", those that are the closest to you and encourage you

6// make lists of things you look forward to and things you're grateful for

7// watch comedies and do things to make yourself laugh

8// try something new

9// have a pamper night

10// write someone you love a letter or do something special for them

11// go on a date with your significant other

12// take a break from things that are adding too much stress

13// slow down

14// spend time in quiet

15// reward yourself for accomplishing big tasks and projects

16// be honest with yourself

17// journal or scrapbook memories

18// balance your "no's" and your "yes's"

19// eat good and healthy food, also have some treats every now and then

20// take time to be creative and brainstorm exciting ideas and goals

What kind of things would you put on your Sanity Manifesto? I would love to see yours! Feel free to create one of your own and include your link in the comment section below. I think this is such a great thing to create for yourself and tuck away for those extra days of needed sanity. :)

Happy weekend, friends!! I hope it's relaxing and full of joy!

LIVING WELL: EATING INTUITIVELY

One topic of conversation that seems to come up again and again with my friends is food! We are definitely a group who enjoys the pleasures of eating. Oftentimes our get-togethers and double-dates are surrounded by the question, "Where should we go out to eat?" and "What kind of snacks should I buy?" Since most of my friends and family are working on making better habits of their food choices, we've often talked about when you should stop eating and what to do about those cravings.

After a great conversation with my friend Leah about eating intuitively, I began thinking more consciously about my food and desires. Now, what IS intuitive eating? Intuitive eating is a way to eat and really listen to your body while doing it. Are you hungry? Eat! Are you satisfied, but not stuffed? Stop! Are you craving something sweet? Grab some fruit or make a smoothie. Do you want something salty? Try some pistachios! Or maybe you want to really treat yourself and have been thinking about homemade custard. Go for it! Intuitive eating is asking yourself questions and following the signals your body is already giving you. It's also a great way to really enjoy the food you have rather than just passively eating out of convenience or boredom. Sound interesting? Here are a couple tips on eating intuitively:

Photo Source

1// Hungry, eat. Full, stop. - This is a very simple concept, but many childhood meals of being told to completely clear our full plates have made us often feel like we need to finish everything and not waste our food. While I'm definitely a fan of not wasting things, the more important factor in this picture is listening to your body. If you start to feel the slight pangs of hunger, go grab a snack or make yourself a meal. Don't push it off and get yourself to the point where you're starved. If you need to eat small meals throughout the day to keep your hunger at bay, do so! Carry snacks with you in your bag for on-the-go hunger needs! On the flip side, if you are starting to feel full, stop eating! It is NOT comfortable to be stuffed and your body doesn't like it either! 

2// Pace Yourself - I've known many people who can throw down food very fast. Before they know it they're stuffed and moaning in the corner of the room. In order for your body to give you the "I'm full" sign at the proper time, be sure to pace your eating. Enjoy your food. Eat slowly. One bite at a time, chew, swallow. Enjoy! It's good! 

3// Portion Control - I like to apply this tactic to snackage time. It is really easy to turn snacking into an activity out of boredom or quickly become passive in your eating. For example, if you are watching a show and decide that you would like a snack and you grab a giant fresh bag of chips. You open the chips and just start chowing down. You don't know if you'll finish the bag, but you're open to it if it happens. After a while, the taste of the chips are no longer that good, sores from all the salt start forming in your mouth. You're not really enjoying it anymore, but you keep on going because it's there and you've formed a habit. So instead...my tip for you would be to go into the kitchen, grab a small bowl, fill your bowl with chips, leave the bag in the kitchen and take that bowl with you to your show watching time. Keep in mind that this is your portion, this is all you can have of your snack and you should enjoy it! Eating snacks this way has made me enjoy my snack foods SO much more and really appreciate my portion. I don't feel passive in my eating, but I feel like I'm actively enjoying its yumminess. 

4// Treat Time - I am not a believer in withholding things from your life that you love. I think being a healthy eater shouldn't make you also feel like your suffering on a daily basis. Eating healthy is GOOD. Making good decisions for your snacks and meals is also good! Also, and hear me out here....giving into a special treat craving is SO GOOD. I'm not saying that you should have chocolate cake everyday. But what I am saying is that every now and then you might be reminded of your all-time favorite milk-shake from your favorite ice cream parlor and you might REALLY want that shake. My suggestion? Get it! Treating yourself here and there to treats you really enjoy is ok. It's not a sin and it won't make you "less healthy", so stop feeling guilty about it. What's important is keeping a lifestyle of healthy eating, not never, ever eating anything that might be considered junk food. As well, one of my favorite saying is, "If I'm going to have cheesecake, I'm going to have cheesecake!" Don't skimp! If you want some yummy cheesecake go for it, don't buy that fat free icky crap that won't even come close to satisfying your craving. Not worth it. ;) 

5// Convenience Eating - When I first started working towards eating healthier, that's when I really noticed how much I ate out of convenience. If there was a plate of cookies in front of me, even if I didn't really want a cookie, I would take one and eat it. If you don't want that treat, drop it! If you're not hungry, ignore all those left-over party foods at work. Don't just eat because it's there. Eat because you are hungry. 

I can't tell you how much this way of thinking has helped me make better choices for myself and really learn to enjoy the food I eat. It's very empowering learning to listen to your body. Keeping in touch with yourself is so important for your overall health, so get to practicing! :)

Have any intuitive eating stories or tips?? Please share in the comments below!

LIVING WELL: GET SOME SLEEP

In college, sleep was considered optional. My friends and I often joke now that if we looked at the clock in college and it was midnight, then the night was still young! I was definitely a night owl and after completing homework for the day and taking care of needed responsibilities, we often wanted to end the night, or early morning, with a movie, heart-to-heart talk, or a last minute trip to Waffle House. Oh the joys!

I remember graduating, getting married and starting my first 9-5 job within two weeks of leaving college. Suddenly, staying up until 2 or 3 in the morning was unrealistic for the early mornings I needed to wake up. Jon and I often found ourselves struggling to get to bed early, because one of our favorite things to do was watch shows together late at night.

Photo Source

After many weeks of feeling exhausted and never really feeling like we were on a good sleep schedule, we finally decided to lay down some rules and make some changes to improve our quality of life. PLUS, as you might already know, there are a ton of health benefits to getting good sleep. Here are a couple of tips on creating a good habit around sleep and making it a priority in your life:

1. Create an Oasis - For some people, the idea of sleeping in a messy room or the same room that you do work in, can create anxiety and make it difficult to find "rest" or feel peaceful. As best as you can, make your room a getaway and a place you feel you can rest in. You can do this by giving your room an economical room make-over or even just clearing out clutter and organizing your current space. Put things in your room that you enjoy like candles, fluffy blankets, a record player for your favorite albums, and photos of people you love. Make it a priority to keep your room clean and do restful things in your room like listening to light music, reading, and giving yourself pamper nights. :)

2. Set a Sleep Schedule - One of my goals has been to get my body on a regular sleep schedule so I no longer have to use an alarm in the mornings. I want to naturally feel sleepy around the same time every night and naturally wake up without the assistance of a jolting alarm or my tendency to be BFFs with my snooze button. Setting a time each day that's consistent to go to bed and to rise in the morning will help you build that routine. Currently, Jon and I like to head to bed right around 10:00PM, we'll take a little time to maybe watch an episode of one of our favorite shows, catch up on the day, or read before falling asleep. We like to get up between 7:00-7:30AM every morning, although this has been the biggest struggle point for myself personally. It's just sometimes too difficult to leave a warm, cozy bed in the mornings! I'm getting better, and now that I have a business partner to work with every day, it's much more motivating to get up and get ready at a set time every morning.

3. Make Sleep a Priority - The "average" adult needs 7-9 hours of sleep each night. Forsaking needed sleep and not making it a priority in your life will result in feeling exhausted and not mentally on top of things. Work on scheduling out tasks ahead of time so you don't feel like you need to take "all-nighters" or work late into the night.

4. Get Cozy Bedding - Sleeping on a lumpy mattress, not having a great pillow or being too cold or hot during the night can contribute to interrupted sleep. Be sure to create a cozy bed for yourself so that you actually look forward to getting in bed every night. If you look forward to staying in a hotel bed more than your own...it might be time to think about saving for a new mattress! ;)

I'm certainly not an expert on sleep and I know I've got a lot of habits to continue forming. But I've really found that getting 7-8 hours of good sleep each night, helps me to be more productive during the day and gives me energy to take on my responsibilities. Of course, some people suffer from sleep disorders and if you feel that you hardly ever get a good nights rest, consider seeing a doctor. Sleep is good, people! :)

If you have any tips for sleeping well, please share below. I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Fun Sleep Related Infographics:
* The Dangers of Sleep Deprivation
* How Much Sleep Should Your Child Be Getting
* Sleepless in America
* Dream On: Why Sleep is so Important

LIVING WELL: TAKING UP NEW HOBBIES

Since going full-time with Maiedae, I've found myself shutting down my computer before dinner time and having the evenings wide open. Before I quit my job, I was working 32-40 hours per week in Atlanta and then working most nights and some weekends on Maiedae. Maiedae WAS my hobby. When I wasn't spending time with my family or friends, I was working on Maiedae. On average, I think I put anywhere from 15-20 hours per week into Maiedae; working on my blog, meeting with Jenny, working with graphic design clients and helping run the business. Because I loved it so much, I didn't think of it as work. It was what I loved doing in my spare time and I considered it my favorite hobby.

Once I packed up my desk at my 9-5 and began working for Maiedae full-time, a couple things changed. For starters, I decided to keep consistent working hours. Unless there is an emergency, meeting, or we are traveling, I try to only work on Maiedae Mon-Fri, 8:00AM-5:00PM. Keeping consistent hours has really helped me balance my time. However, once I shut down for the day, I'm finding myself with lots of open time on my hands during the evenings and some weekends. I had been in my old 9-5 + Maiedae work routine for the past 3 years that I almost didn't know what to do with myself. I turned to Jon shortly after diving into this new adventure and told him that I'm going to have to start finding some new hobbies!

I think having in mind a list of things you truly enjoy doing and that REALLY relaxes you is important. It's good to work on projects, try new things, and occupy extra time with your passions. I happen to be the type of person that has a really difficult time just sitting and watching a show, I like to be doing something, so having a variety of hobbies and interests is important to making me feel productive and happy at the end of the day.

Hobbies can be as simple as taking extra time to pamper yourself on the weekends or as complex as learning how to dance and taking lessons. Here are a couple tips I have on finding new hobbies:

1. Keep it Simple // Once again, it's completely fine to have simple and leisurely hobbies. Maybe you've had an "If I only had more time..." list in the back of your head and you've been dying to read a stack of books, or try your hand at some nail art, or maybe you just really want to watch through the top movies ever made? Think of things you can enjoy that are economical and don't take up too much time.

2. Learn from Others // Maybe you have a friend that's great at art or maybe you know someone who is an expert at baking? Ask people you know to give you lessons! This can be a great excuse to hang out with people you love. Plus, it's always so fun to be asked to teach something you are passionate about. I'm sure your friend will love it. :)

3. Be Adventurous // I think it's good to maybe pick one complex/adventurous hobby to try. This way you can dedicate a little more time to it and see if it's something you're truly interested in. Maybe you've never gardened before and want to try your hand at an herb garden? Or maybe you've always wanted to learn how to ride and care for horses but just never had the opportunity? Go for it! Again, check and see if any of your friends have experience or connections they could help you with. :)

4. Make a List // I think when we were all little we made a "before I die" bucket list. I know mine probably had something along the lines of "name a star," "write a song on my guitar" and "get married and have kids" on it. I actually would like to go dig up my old journals and find those! I think making these types of lists is GREAT. I would suggest making a list of things you'd like to try and doing them throughout the year. Keep them reasonable, but be a little creative and adventurous. Challenge yourself to try one new thing each month. Even if it's simple!

I hope some of these tips where helpful! I'm excited to put a list together and get started on some new hobbies. What are some of your favorite hobbies?? Have any that you've been itching to try?

LIVING WELL: TIME TO EAT BREAKFAST

During my college days and a couple years into my marriage, it became a daily habit for me to skip breakfast. I could usually go without a meal until lunchtime, maybe throw in a snack, grab an easy dinner and then munch late at night. I never really cared if this was healthy for my body or thought much of breakfast.

Now that I've been on my journey to wellness for nearly a year, I've been realizing the importance of starting your day with a healthy meal. Although I tend to have stomach aversion to any type of food in the morning, the more I got into the routine of eating three meals and a couple small snacks, the more my body expected breakfast in the morning. When I make a healthy breakfast part of my day, I always feel like I have more energy and that my stomach is on a good eating schedule. It's easy to find lots of studies that show the benefits of eating a healthy breakfast like improving memory, giving your body extra nutrients, helping your cholesterol, and giving you a good ol' boost of energy. And who couldn't use a little extra bit of those things? Aren't we the best at making excuses for why we can't eat breakfast? Some of mine where, "My tummy hurts in the morning", "I'm just not hungry", or my favorite, "I don't have enough time!" People! Let's get our booties out of bed just a wee bit earlier and give ourselves enough time to eat food! I'm preaching to myself here, too. :)

We all might have different circumstances that allow us to make a larger breakfast or just make something quick for an on-the-go meal. Here are a couple of my favorite breakfasts recipes that take a little more preparation time in the morning:

1// Oil-Free Chocolate Zucchini Walnut Muffins - Oh She Glows 2// Strawberry Chia Seed Spread - The Gracious Pantry 3// Make-Ahead Oatmeal Smoothies - The Yummy Life 4// Chia Seed Pudding - What's Cooking Good Looking 5// Overnight Oats - Mind Body Green 6// Blueberry Coconut Pecan Breakfast Cookies - Kumquat

Some of my favorite easy breakfasts:
* Instant organic oatmeal - Sweeten it with honey or agave nectar.
* Breakfast bar - I really like Luna bars!
* Bananas and other fruits
* Greek yogurt and granola
* Smoothies - Kris Carr has some great recipes you should try!

If possible, try and include some of these great super-foods into your morning meal! 
* Kale - Can be added to smoothies and juices.
* Acai Berries - Can be added to oatmeal, smoothies, juices or eaten plain.
* Coconut Oil - I like adding this to my smoothies!
* Chia Seeds - Can be added to smoothies and chia seed pudding.
* Blueberries - Can be added to juices, smoothies, oatmeal, or eaten plain.

What are some of your favorite healthy breakfasts? Please feel free to share recipes below!

LIVING WELL: EMOTIONS

I think emotions often get a bad reputation. We sometimes tell ourselves that we should repress our emotions by not crying, feeling angry, or getting too excited, because it shows weakness or is viewed as being unstable or, my favorite, "illogical". I've often talked with amazing women about the fact that they didn't let themselves cry for years because they hated crying and felt that they needed to resist it. On the flip side, I've heard of friends who don't let themselves get too excited about something happening in their lives because they don't want to be disappointed. Future pessimists as my husband likes to call them. I think there is a stigma attached to emotions that they are the creepy next door neighbor of rational thought and logic and should be avoided, at least in the "extreme" sense if you don't want to be viewed as unstable.

Let's step back for a second. Number one, you are not a robot. Number two, we were created with emotions. They are beautiful, expressive and help us "feel" life. It's not some mystical unicorn hoopla for weirdos or your aunt, it's a natural part of your beautifully created body. I would even argue that our bodies need emotions. Have you ever been in a situation were you have a lot of stressors built up in your life and you just need to cry it out...after that you felt magically better? I'm like this. Over time, stress will build up and something small (like smashing my finger) will set off a good 10 minute cry-fest. My husband knows when I "just need to cry" and will often hug me and let me get it all out. Afterward, I feel so much better. My mind is clear and I'm ready to move forward. Or what about those times when something AMAZING happens in your life. Maybe you're sitting in your car with one of your best friends and you just start screaming?? I'm pretty sure we've all done it. ;) Expressing joy and letting excitement overcome us for just a few seconds is thrilling. Or maybe something tragic has happened in your life and you're not giving yourself time to fully grieve a loss?

Photo Found Here

People! We need to cry, we need to jump for joy, and we need to allow ourselves to grieve loss. It's good for you. It helps you move forward, enjoy life, and take unnecessary pressure off of yourself. And not to sound too "cheesy" here, but developing a connection and self-awareness of who you are is so important. This idea, of course, is an ongoing process, and if you're a little rusty, will take practice. Also note, that just like everything else in life, there is a balance. While it's not healthy to NOT allow yourself to experience emotion, it's also not healthy to be ruled by your emotions.

A couple tips on practicing your emotions:

1. Ask Yourself - Take a little time to go somewhere quiet and peaceful. Ask yourself honest questions about what you are feeling that moment. Maybe practice asking yourself this question on a daily basis. If something eventful happens in your life, ask "How does this make me feel?" It's a simple concept, but allowing yourself to actually think about this question will be so good for helping you process what you are truly feeling.

2. Express Yourself - This week if you feel like you need to cry or laugh, then cry or laugh!! Cry until your body is done and laugh until your stomach is cramping. ;) Respond to your desire to express emotions by expressing them.

3. Serious Stuff - Sometimes our emotions can be reflections of serious things going on in our lives and can result in sadness and grief. If you are struggling with how to express these emotions and allow yourself to move forward, I encourage you to talk to a trusted friend or seek counsel from someone unconnected to the situation to help you process. It's okay to seek help for things you are struggling with. It's so helpful to have someone there to help you process through everything and it is so freeing.

4. Celebrate - Too often when something awesome happens, we acknowledge it, get a little twinge of excitement, and then carry on. I'm thinking we don't spend nearly enough time celebrating as we should. If something exciting happens (like quitting your job to go full-time with your business, accomplishing a major goal, getting pregnant, getting your entire to-do list done, or an anniversary) then celebrate!! This can be as simple as buying yourself a foofy drink or that top you've had your eye on or as fancy as throwing a dinner party. Celebrate the exciting things. :)

I just want to point out that I am by no means an expert in this area of life. I've got a lot to learn myself. However, I love being able to have some good "real talk" with you about living well and treating yourself good! If you have any tips/advice to offer in this area please feel free to share in the comments below. I wish all of you the very best!

LIVING WELL: THINGS TO DO ON A SICK DAY

This morning I woke up and felt like rubbish. The night before I had a wonderful coffee date with a friend, made plans to be productive in the morning and finish out my first week strong as a full-time small business owner. I felt a little funny before dosing off to sleep last night and then woke up a couple times during the night feeling off...and then the morning came.

Mornings have been interesting at the Wallace household lately. For the past several months we've had construction going on in the woods behind our condo. To paint a picture for you...my side of the bed faces the east window, so right around the time I'm ready to wake up the sun and all of it's "good morning, get out of the freakin bed" flares are right in my face. Our room is filled with light and right outside the window is a beautiful tree, and every morning a tiny bird that has a similar tone to a car alarm sings us awake from early dawn until be are literally out of the bed. And...back to the construction, for some reason starting around 6:00am a giant piece of machinery (not sure what it is, I haven't been able to spot it), makes that backing up "bleep bleep bleeeeepppping" sound for 3 hours straight. So we have the sun, the incessant bird and the melodic bleep bleep bleeeping of the construction work. AND right around 7:30am, Kaito, our grey-hairded cat gets hungry and makes sure we are very aware of it by howling at the top of his lungs at the tiny crack at the bottom of our door. It's truly a symphony to hear. ;)

Most mornings Jon and I can burry our heads in our pillows, put on a little static background noise and get an extra hour of sleep in, but this morning for some reason hit me all at once, I think I might have gone mad.

Photo found here.

Stumbling through our bedroom to the shower, I had that "feeling" come over me...today was going to be a sick day and more than likely I would be good for absolutely nothing. Sometimes it's hard to take an unplanned day off and force yourself to get well so you can heal and get all of the rest you need. I finally submitted to what my body was telling me, crawled back into bed right out of the shower and haven't gotten out since. I'm feeling loads better and plan to be back on my feet tomorrow but am thankful I took some down time today to get well.

During my day in bed, I came up with a couple of "must-do's" during a sick day:

1. Nothing - If you don't have the energy to read, work or think...just don't do anything. Try and get some sleep, lay still and just try to be as peaceful as possible.

2. Listen to Your Mother - I might not want to drink any water, take any medicine or eat a thing...but try and do whats best for your body. Stay hydrated and let your insanely amazing body work on the getting back to normal process.

3. Watch YouTube - Once your brain starts functioning somewhat normally and you are well enough to actually watch something, go to YouTube! Of course there is Hulu and Netflix, which are brilliant, but I've found a new obsession (thanks to my sister) on YouTube watching beauty and fashion videos. Currently loving this, this and this channel.

4. "Window" Shop - Since your stuck in bed, might as well browse the internet and do a little online window shopping. Sometimes it's just fun to put things in your cart or on your wish-list and never actually buy a thing. I DID however get inspired and bought myself a small haul of "love myself" goodies from LUSH. Omg I love that shop.

5. Enjoy - You're in bed. You're sick...might as well make the best of it and enjoy the day off, especially in-between the "i think this is the end" feelings. ;)

And now, with that, I'm going to take my own advice and do "nothing" by going to sleep. :) I wish you well and all the best in your health! I hope you have a wonderful weekend friends.

LIVING WELL: STRENGTH

I always viewed myself as "weak". I was usually the shortest or the smallest. Loved ones, although they were only trying to be helpful, would often grab boxes from my arms, grab the extra grocery bags from the trunk, or do all the furniture moving. ;) I came to a point where I accepted it. I wasn't as strong, I was small, and it was probably better if someone else did the heavy lifting for me. I liked the feeling of being taken care of, so I came to a place where I didn't mind one bit. I also didn't understand what this thinking was really doing to my mindset.

Photo Via

Fast forward to April 2012, the month I started making big changes in my life. That was the month I decided to put goodness into myself through what I ate and the month I decided to grow in strength. I didn't quite suspect that my journey to becoming a wellness warrior would have more than just physical effects or that it would completely change the way I thought about myself.

It started with confidence. I've always been a confident person. I believe in myself. I like who I am, quirks and all, but I didn't realize that loving my body and taking care of myself would make me feel a new sense of confidence. It made me feel proud of my body and the care and effort I was putting into it. It made me feel happier, (go endorphins, go!) and that confidence and happiness slowly turned into making me feel strong. This feeling of strength wasn't just physical either. I began to start thinking of myself as a strong woman. The care and time I was spending on me, somehow made me realize that I AM strong. Viewing myself as weak and letting someone else move the furniture across the room was only indirectly telling myself that I WAS weak and incapable of being strong or feeling strong mentally.

I've come to a point where I truly believe there is some type of connection between physical and mental strength. I love having a renewed image of myself and having confidence in my strength. Sure I might not be able to realistically pick up a vintage cabinet on my own...nor should I...but the difference is that I don't have to view myself as weak or "accept" weakness as part of my identity.

I believe this thinking has been the greatest mind-shift in my life since April. It's amazing how powerful thoughts can be and how it can hold you back and create an untrue belief of who you are. Whether you are on a journey to wellness or not, I encourage you to stop and think about how you view your strength. Do you view yourself as physically and mentally weak? Maybe it's time to prove yourself wrong.

"Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will." - Gandhi

LIVING WELL: INTENTIONS

Talking with a lot of my friends over the past couple months concerning the topic of wellness, one major theme we've discussed is the reasons why we choose to exercise and eat right. I can't count the number of times I've heard reasons of wanting to fit into a certain dress or wanting to look good for an upcoming event. Most of the reasons were temporary point "A" to point "B" goals. At first, my idea of being healthy was this perception that someone wasn't happy with something about themselves so they set to reach a particular weight loss goal to be happier. I often thought to myself, "Well what then? What happens after the goal is met? is that the time to stop working toward health & go back to our old habits?"

It wasn't until April of last year that I felt I really began to understand health and why it would be important in someone's life besides just reaching a particular goal. I began to realize that my body is a vessel and I should seek to love myself by giving my body the good things it needs; not to reach a certain goal, but to live a lifestyle of health. We are always told to be good stewards of our possessions and money, but what about being good stewards of ourselves? Is that being self-centered or is that striving towards being the "best you" so we can go out and live fully, do the things we are passionate about, and be a fantastic sibling, child, spouse, partner, and parent? I would argue striving to be our best selves is a way in which we can LOVE and DO more fully.

As the new year begins and as many of us make resolutions for health, I would challenge you to ask yourself what your intentions are for your wellness journey. Let's seek after lives where wellness is a "forever" journey, where we want to build habits that last a lifetime and that inspires those around us. Where we are willing to keep promises to ourselves and love ourselves enough to steward something so precious.

While reading one of my favorite books on health, Crazy Sexy Diet by Kris Carr, I came across her thoughts on self-stewardship and loved how she inspired me to think about it:

“Picture yourself when you were five. In fact, dig out a photo of little you at that time and tape it to your mirror. How would you treat her, love her, feed her? How would you nurture her if you were the mother of little you? I bet you would protect her fiercely while giving her space to spread her itty-bitty wings. She’d get naps, healthy food, imagination time, and adventures into the wild. If playground bullies hurt her feelings, you’d hug her tears away and give her perspective. When tantrums or meltdowns turned her into a poltergeist, you’d demand a loving time-out in the naughty chair. From this day forward I want you to extend that same compassion to your adult self.”  - Kris Carr

So, let's do this thing! Let's care about and love our bodies. Let's be compassionate and caring to ourselves. Let's encourage ourselves with truth and seek to live BIG and fully.

Photo found here and edited by me. 

BALANCE: YOUR ROLES & BEST YOU'S PART 2 + FREE PRINT OUT!

In part 1 of "Your Roles & Best You's" we worked on defining what roles you have in life, what your "best you's" are, and started the process of prioritizing those lists. Going through this process mentally is so helpful for visually seeing the responsibilities you have in life as well as your needs so you can put fourth the right amount of time and effort into each. If these aren't defined in your life, it's very possible things feel chaotic or off balance. If you haven't read through Part 1, I suggest doing so before moving onto Part 2. :)

So, now that you've made your lists and began the process of prioritizing these things in your life, it's time to set goals and action items for your roles and "best you's". By doing this you can create more of an application//action based list rather than just stating that your priorities are a, b and c. This might also require you to pull out a calendar or journal to capture your thoughts and maybe make room in your schedule.

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Tips on Creating Actions Items for your Roles & Best You's:

1. Brainstorm Your Ideas. ---> Take your lists and write out ways that you can make these items a priority. Example: One of my top priorities//roles is being a wife to my husband. I can make this a priority by having a designated date night each week, turning off the radio in the car on the way to work as we car pool and talk about life, take time each year to invest in our marriage by going on a retreat, have dinner together most nights, and get to bed at a good time so we can spend time together before going to sleep. One of my "best you's" is spending time on my personal development. I can put this into action by designating brainstorm time for myself each day, reading a set amount of books each year and giving myself a creative day here and there. By brainstorming ideas around your role, you can create a plan for things you would like to start doing in the role and how you can make it a priority in your life.

2. High Priorities & Low Priorities. ---> As you are brainstorming actions items around your roles and best you's, be sure to focus more heavily on your top priorities and how those will play an essential role in your life. Give your lower priorities less action items.

3. Refine Your Goals. ---> Set 3-4 main goals//action items for your top priorities and 1-2 goals//action items for your lower priorities based on the brainstorming you previously did. Set a timeframe for yourself and schedule a day at the end of the timeline to review your goals and set new ones//make adjustments.

4. Sit Down & Talk About It. ---> It's important to communicate these types of things to close family and friends. Have intentional conversations about your ideas and ask them to support you. They are likely within your list of roles and priorities, perhaps include them on brainstorming action items//goals for that relationship?

5. Calendar. ---> All of these goals will take time. Begin evaluating your schedule. What are you spending too much time on that isn't a high priority? What needs to be adjusted? Begin working in your new goals and actions items into your daily, weekly, and monthly routines.

6. Display & Remind. ---> Now that you've defined and prioritized your roles, "best you's" and goals around each, it's time to make that list into something pretty that you can reference, hang up in your room or keep at close reach.

I've created a PDF just for you called "Get it Strait"! Feel free to print it out and use for this process. Just click the link below to download the PDF and print as many pages as you need. The left side is for your roles. You can list them by priority and then list goals for each one underneath. The right side is for your "best you's". You can also list these by priority and capture your goals!

>>>  DOWNLOAD "GET IT STRAIT"  <<<

You're in a great place! We've defined and set actions items//goal for the most important things in our lives! How empowering and exciting! Putting our hearts and efforts towards the things that matter most and that we are most passionate about is really living a life toward abundance. This is for you to define and run towards! For Part 3 of this mini balance series we will be talking about tips on achieving your goals and when//how to re-evaluate.

BALANCE: YOUR ROLES & BEST YOU'S PART 1

Living a balanced life involves a lot of role juggling. Wearing the different hats of being a business owner, professional, spouse, parent, significant other, student, child, sibling, friend etc. etc. PLUS the need to love yourself, be healthy, sleep, pursue dreams//hobbies, have a healthy spiritual life, and keep up a home takes a lot of work and prioritizing. It's hard to live a life where all of those roles are prioritizes perfectly 100% of the time AND all get the proper attention they need. I would argue that living a semi-balanced life with room for the storms and busy seasons takes lots and lots of practice and constant attention.

photo via here & here

It's important to step back into a phase of evaluation from time to time to see if your priorities are out of focus and if important things are slipping through the cracks. How is your mental//burnout state, what needs to be put on the back burner, what do you need to start doing?

But first, you have to ask yourself; what are my roles? What are my priorities? How much time am I spending on things that I do//don't love? What are things I wish I could start doing in my life? How do I begin putting these things into balance?

Below is a step-by-step exercise on evaluating these questions. SO, let's take a quick break, grab a cup of tea, coffee, juice...whatever you like best, and put it in a fancy cup. :) Grab your favorite journal//notebook that you keep with you often and great pen and work through these lists and questions:

1. What Are Your Roles? ---> Time to list out the different roles you play in life. This includes everything from your job to being a spouse. Anything you can think of off the top of your head. I usually categorize my roles by areas of responsibility in my life. A good way to figure out your roles is by going through your weekly//monthly activities and seeing what role is centered around each activitiy. As an example, here are a few of my current roles:

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2. Best You's ---> Another way to look at this list is, what are the things in life you should do to be the best version of yourself? This question often gets overlooked. We sometimes focus too much on the first question that we forget about caring for ourselves so we can be full of energy to play our life roles better. In other words, we don't want to be a "starving baker", someone who gives all of their bread away and has nothing left to nourish themselves. Begin by asking yourself what energizes you and what you need. Although all of my "best you's" are important, the idea of development is extremely important to me, this is where I take time to learn, challenge myself, grow, ideate and set goals for myself. Development motivates me and inspires me to be the best me. Here is an example of what your list might look like:

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3. Time to Prioritize ---> Ok! So you've listed out your roles and "best you's". Now it's time to prioritize!! I want you to make two lists. (A) First, I want you to analyze your current priorities in life. Let's keep your roles and "best you's" on a separate list, but be sure to prioritize each. Do this by looking at what gets the most time and thought in your life to what gets the least. (B) And next,  create a new list organizing how you want your roles and "best you's" to be prioritized moving forward. While developing this new list, ask yourself, what needs to changed? What should get the most of your time? What should get the least? Do you have roles and "best you's" that need to be cut out from your first list? Are there roles and "best you's" that need to be added to your life?

Now that you have worked on this list, it's time to take another break. Reflect on these questions, maybe take more time to develop these lists for yourself? Ask someone close to you like your spouse, best friend, or family member to help you think through these items.

Why Do this Anyway?
Life can easily become too chaotic, balancing your roles in life gives you the chance to give your time to what's important. "Things that matter most must never be at the mercy of things that matter least."

In part 2 and 3 of this topic, we'll talk about what these roles and best you's mean in your life, how to set goals and actions items to your new list, and tips on walking toward balancing these areas in your life.

If you have any tips, tools or ideas for discovering and balancing your roles, I'd love to hear! What are some of the top roles that mean the most to you in your life?? Comment below!

BALANCE: TIPS FOR MAINTAINING STRESS

Stress is a real and serious part of life. It loves sneaking in when you least expect it and totally twerking you out. Some people deal with stress emotionally and some manifest it physically. There are phases of life where all we feel is stress and there are times when all we hear is the ocean waves crashing at the shore, the laughter of our close friends, and the weight of the world taking a break from our shoulders.

Stress can be tricky. You can be under loads of stress and not even realize it until you're so mentally and physically worn down you have to call in sick...or you just don't have the umph to do what you love anymore. Stress can cause burnout, sickness...wrinkles! It's a nasty thing. SO, how do we maintain the stress in our lives? How do we recognize when it's taking up residence and kick it to the curb before we're overcome? While I'm NOT an expert and have definitely been dealing and fighting off my fair share of stress, especially recently, I've come across some learnings that are great to get yourself back on track and work toward balancing stress levels in life.

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TIPS FOR MAINTAINING STRESS
1. What Are Your Stressors? ---> One of the biggest ways to eliminate stress is to recognize what's stressing you out! Spend time with yourself or with a trusted friend to talk through your stress and pinpoint the things that are causing anxiety. Once you recognize those stressors, talk through ideas on how to eliminate them.

2. Don't Stop Taking Care of Yourself. ---> Out of all of the advice I can offer, this one is the biggest! Don't stop doing the things you need to do in order to care for yourself. Make sure you are getting PLENTY of sleep, eating healthy, exercising, showering, dressing yourself up, doing your chores. Keep yourself and your surroundings in a good place. This will give you the energy you need to fight off stress and pull yourself together. It will also help ward off any sickness that stress can cause.

3. Take a Break. ---> Sometimes stress is your body's way of saying, "Enough already! Let's rest!". Even if you have an endless to-do list, set aside some time to decompress, do something that makes you feel refreshed and peaceful. Give yourself a set amount of time, allow yourself to enjoy that time and then get back to getting the things done that you need to. If you don't listen to your body's warning signs, you can get caught up in some major burnout.

4. Step Back & Reorganize. ---> Stress can come from chaos or not having a full understanding of something. Take a step back from your stressor and consider ways it could be better understood and organized. Maybe you're entire home is a mess and your need an inspirational space to move forward? Take some time to clean, get yourself in a good place and approach your stressor from a new angle.

5. Break it Down Step-by-Step. ---> If your stress is related to a project or certain action item, break it down step-by-step. Make lists, schedules, and delegate what you can. If you don't have to own the entire project, request help from others. What do you really need to accomplish now and what can you schedule for another time?

6. Meditate//Pray. ---> Get your mindset in the right place. Spend time in quiet, praying or meditating. Don't let your mind spin out of control with stressful emotions and thoughts. Get ahold of yourself and encourage yourself with uplifting words.

HELPFUL STRESS RESOURCES
Meditation is the Best Tool to Fight Stress
Why Stress Management is Important for your Health

What are some of your helpful tips and resources on maintaining stress? Please share below!

BALANCE: TIPS FOR SCHEDULING A PRODUCTIVE WEEK

One of the questions I often get asked by my friends and family is, "How do you balance work, home, Maiedae, friends, family, life...etc., etc.?" To be honest, once I graduated from college, I had to learn from scratch how to do all of the things I wanted to in a productive and balanced matter. One thing that helped me get started was to picture myself learning how to juggle. I'd start off with 1 or 2 balls (priority items), get really good at tossing those, perfect that art and then add in another. This idea helped me to get used to working a 40 hour per week job, keep a home, and spending time with my husband.

After I became better at those three things and balancing them into my weekly schedule, I would add on another item, like friend//family time, hobbies, Maiedae, etc. The trick for me became practicing. And if something wasn't working for my schedule and things were getting off kilter, I would sit back, reassess and come up with a better solution. 

This Balance post is dedicated to scheduling a productive week and getting in all those things that are important to accomplish. First things first, what are your weekly responsibilities and desired accomplishments??

Here is a list of mine:

* Work 35-40 hours at my 9-5 job. 

* Blog 5-7 times each week.

* Work on Maiedae via meetings, projects, emails, and business organization.

* Keep a tidy home. 

* Spend time with Jon.

* Spend time with my family.

* Spend time with friends. 

* Have downtime and relax. 

* Accomplish errands and various other to-do's.

* Workout. 

The next step is figuring out a weekly system that works for you. This part is all about being strategic and figuring out the best times to accomplish things that also fit into the schedules of others involved. Here is a breakdown of how I fit in the items from my list above into each week:

* My 9-5 Job. ---> I work Monday-Friday. One thing that really helps me to maintain a full-time job and everything else is getting on a good sleep schedule. My job also allows me the flexibility to work from home a couple times each week, which allows me to accomplish errands, chores, and to-do's around the home during my lunch breaks. 

* Blogging. ---> The biggest help in my blog schedule is planning out each month as detailed as I can. This helps me to be aware of the photos I need to take and the content I need to develop ahead of time. This also allows me to know when I need to make pre-scheduled posts if I'm going out of town. I usually do most of my blog work on weekday evenings and on the weekends. I also like to plan ahead, so I can prep a post to be ready to go during a lunch break. 

* Maiedae. ---> Every Tuesday and Thursday night, Jenny and I meet for catch-up time and our weekly Maiedae meetings. We take this time to talk business, plan, and create action items for ourselves. Now and then, we will cancel a meeting in order to complete more design work. I usually work heavily on graphic design projects Monday, some Tuesdays and Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. But Mondays are my big dedicated day. When it comes to keeping up with emails, I try and be proactive with my inbox on a daily basis or it will become too overwhelming. I like to dedicate 30 minutes each day to answering emails and playing catch up. But some days I need to take off completely.

* Keep a Tidy Home. ---> Jon and I sat down recently to re-work our chore schedule, since our old one just wasn't working for us. We came up with a plan to do chores on Monday, Thursday, and Sunday. We each have specific tasks assigned to us on each of those days.

* Spend Time with Jon. ---> This is a big deal since Jon and I highly value quality time. We dedicate every Wednesday to date day. It's a sacred day that won't be messed with. ;) See my previous Balance post here about date days!

* Family. ---> Just as we have date day, we also have a family day. It's very important to us to spend time with our families. We are lucky enough to have both of our families within 30 minutes of our apartment, so it makes it easy to see them each week. Currently, we've dedicated Sunday to family day. We go to church, have lunch with my family and then visit Jon's family afterwards. This also allows us to still get home at a good time in order to get some things done around the house.

* Friends. ---> One of the goals Jon and I had when we first got married was to continue building community where we lived. We do this by hosting monthly 7-11s (get-togethers) on Friday nights, Pinterest Parties, and weekly friend time. While I have catch-up time with Jenny on Tuesdays and Thursdays before our Maiedae meeting, Jon will have the guys over for some guy time. I also try and call friends or family members on my commute home from work to have catch-up time with those I don't see as often. 

* Have Downtime & Relax. ---> Date days and family days are big days for me to really relax. I also try and listen to my body when it's telling me it's tired and I will make priority time for myself throughout the week as needed. Sometimes, Jon and I like to have no-plan-Saturdays and do NOTHING. :)

* Accomplish Errands & Various To-Do's. ---> In between everything else is the best time to get these types of things done. If I'm already out, I'll try and accomplish a few errands. if I have a little down time I'll work on 1-2 To-Do's. 

* Workout. ---> Since I began my journey to Wellness in mid-April, I've had to add in extra time for working out. I workout every Tuesday with my personal trainer, which helps keep me accountable throughout the rest of the week. I try and get 2-3 more workout sessions in after that. Jenny and I are going to try working out together on Thursdays before our meeting. I'll continue to have some workout time on my own Friday-Monday. 

Whew! Seems like a lot when it's all written out! -- But thinking of your roles and priorities each week is an extremely helpful way to see what you need to accomplish each week and how you might be able to strategically work with your schedule. Here are a couple quick tips on setting up your productive week:

1. Think About Your Week. ---> Keeping a calendar is a MUST. It's helpful to always be aware of what you have scheduled month to month. However, on a weekly basis it's great to pick one day each week (maybe Sunday?) and take some time to schedule out your week. Maybe start a to-do list for each day, set a couple of attainable goals to accomplish. I find it very helpful to create a to-do list each morning to keep me on track. BUT be sure to give yourself grace. Sometimes we need a break from our to-do's, so allow yourself time to do that too. 

2. Set Designated Days. ---> This has been one of the BEST things at helping me make time for the priorities in my life. Having a designated date day, family day and Maiedae day is very helpful for getting things done and knowing that no matter how crazy life gets, you always have those days to spend with your family, friends and on your passions. Take time to evaluate those important priorities in your life and see if you can designate 1-2 nights each week towards them. Once you set your dedicated time, be sure to let other friends and family know, so they don't request your time during that scheduled day. 

3. Sabbath. ---> Make time to do nothing and love on yourself. Whether that's an entire day, night, or a couple hours each week. You need it!! Make a list of things you love to-do to wind down and challenge yourself to do one of those each week. Don't risk getting burned out on life and the things you're passionate about by not having rest time. 

4. Sleep. ---> Sleep is one of the most important things you can do for yourself to give you energy and help you be productive. I talk more about sleep and feeling your best in this post. I've found it helpful to have a "bedtime" and a "wake-up" time each day. I think our bodies love it when it can depend on a good sleeping pattern and it begins to adjust naturally to that habit. SLEEP IS GOOD!

5. Relax & Be Productive. ---> Oftentimes, I'll like to multi-task. One of my favorite things to-do to relax is watch a show and have a healthy snack. This is something I can do while I'm working on a blog post, graphic design project, answering emails, organizing, etc. Think of ways to make your productivity enjoyable and relaxing! 

Have any tips for being productive?? Please feel free to share any ideas and resources below! Also, if you have any future Balance topics that you would like me to cover, please share! I'm working on brainstorming my thoughts for future posts and would like to make sure I cover any important topics you are interested in!