Jessica from Good Cheap Eats put together a great list of Quick Whole 30 Dinner Ideas.
Summer Bucket List
Classic View
Grid View
Shared Feb 16, 2016
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What are some little things that make you happy (Go to Bed Challenge: Day 11)
What are some little things that make you happy (Go to Bed Challenge: Day 11)
Good morning! What are some little things that you just love and that make you happy?
For me, among other things, it’s coffee mugs, nail polish, and socks:
-I’ve found that drinking coffee from a mug I love makes coffee even *that much better*.
-I’ve found when I have my nails painted, it makes me smile and feel more put together (plus, I don’t bite them! Yes, I’m a nail biter!)
-I’ve found that comfy, fun socks just make me happy — even if I’m the only one one who knows that I’m sporting them under my riding boots. ?
What about YOU? In what little ways do you surround yourself with little doses of happiness?
(It’s Day 11 of the Go to Bed Early Challenge and I was in bed by 10:10 pm last night but didn’t end up completely winding down and falling for another 30 minutes. But that’s still big progress for me over a few months ago!!)
Are you joining me for the Go to Bed Early Challenge? If so, leave a comment on this post to let me know how you did with your go-to-bed goal last night.
We’re in this together… And if you didn’t hit your goal, that’s okay! Give yourself grace, don’t beat yourself up, and know that you can try again tomorrow!
P.S. Read more about the Go to Bed Early Challenge here. Need some help and inspiration to go to bed early so you can get up and use your mornings well? Download Day 1 of Make Over Your Mornings for free (scroll to the bottom of this page to sign up for it!)
Shared Feb 15, 2016
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Real life, asthma, and why there are some things I don’t really talk about online
Real life, asthma, and why there are some things I don’t really talk about online
Not 15 minutes after I posted a very peaceful and serene-looking photo this morning, this picture is what my morning looked like.
Sometimes, I think it’s easy to look at someone’s photos online and concoct a completely false view of what their reality is. That they never have struggles, that life is all roses and rainbows for them, and that their house magically cleans itself.
This is a big part of what our family’s reality has been for the last 5 years — working hard to keep this little boy’s asthma at bay. I don’t talk about it much online because I tire quickly of the well-meaning suggestions for how we should treat or cure or what we need to change or do or not do… We’ve tried the diets and oils and natural remedies — all to no avail. And I already struggle with enough guilt that they haven’t worked.
So, much as it’s hard for my mama heart, we are grateful for modern medicine that keeps this boy able to live an active life, gain weight, and to mostly sleep at night.
I know many parents are dealing with much, much more difficult illnesses and diseases with their children. But it still hurts my mama heart to see this little boy often struggling for breath, waking up with coughing fits, and regularly needing medication and breathing treatments.
I share this little peek into real-life here as a reminder that what you see on social media or a blog is usually just a tiny glimpse into the window of someone’s reality.
Don’t compare yourself to little snippets you see online. Don’t feel frustrated by it. And don’t wish for it. Everyone has heavy burdens and hard struggles. No one is immune.
Cultivate the ground you are standing on instead of wishing you had someone else “greener pastures”.
My #1 Social Media Tip (it might surprise you!)
My #1 social media tip might surprise you, but it’s made SUCH an impact on my life:
Other than Instagram, I choose not to use or have any other social media apps on my phone.
Instagram is my real-life, behind the scenes fun social media platform that I use for personal and business use. I don’t see it as business, though, because I love it so much and it brings me so much joy!
With this platform, I’ve chosen to only follow a handful of people so that I can engage at a deep level with those people and not get overloaded with too much information, posts, and online clutter.
I don’t have Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, my blog, or e-mail on my phone. I only update those platforms from my computer, because I want to be able to designate work versus non-work time.
This keeps me from being tempted to check-in, update, and engage in comments on my phone. I don’t want to have this distraction when I’m doing real life.
This decision helps me compartmentalize my life so well. When my computer is open, it’s work time. When my computer is shut, it’s personal and family time.
It helps me not feel like a slave to social media or like it’s controlling my life and it takes away that sense of urgency from all of the notifications.
4 Ways to Quiet the Social Media Noise
If you’re overwhelmed with social media, try setting some boundaries. Here are some suggestions for ways to quiet the social media noise:
- Have regular times where you unplug. Schedule times to be completely offline every week. Turn off your phone. Turn off electronics and just soak in the quiet. Take a walk. Bake. Talk to a friend. Read to a child. (I don’t blog on Sundays and I try to be mostly offline after dinner every night and until after I’ve read my Bible and journaled in the morning.)
- Unsubscribe from everything that you don’t need or love. If it’s just cluttering up your inbox, click the unsubscribe button and free yourself from the extra email clutter! (Read more how I keep my inbox uncluttered here.)
- Turn off notifications on your phone. You don’t need to know when someone likes your Facebook post or comments on your Instagram post or follows you on Twitter. The world will not end if you turn these notifications off. Try it and see! (The only notifications I have on my phone are for when someone texts me or calls me. That’s it!)
- Turn off all notifications via email. The same goes for email. Stop getting notifications when someone interacts with you on social media. Have designated times to check in on social media every day and catch up on the new comments and posts and engagement and then untether yourself from it for the rest of the time.
How do YOU keep social media in check and not let it take over your life? I’d love to hear!
P.S. Watch this very short scope here on Why You Should Consider Quitting (or Cutting Back On) Facebook.
Go to Bed Early Challenge: Day 11 (weekend success!!)
Every day, we have a choice: we can get up and look for the beauty or we can get up and be overwhelmed by all the hard problems and difficult situations of life.
Do you know what the #1 promise found in God’s Word? It’s “Do not fear!”
Yesterday’s sermon really challenged me how often when I’m frustrated and anxious over a situation, it’s because I’m fearful and forgetting that God is in control.
“Faithful living is the best antidote to fear.” Our pastor challenged us to just get up and do the next right thing that God has called us to… And that’s what I’m reminding myself of today.
(It’s Day #11 of the Go to Bed Early Challenge and I’m celebrating the fact that I went to bed by 10 pm on Friday and Saturday and was in bed by 10:20 pm last night. I think this is maybe starting to become more of a habit!!)
Are you joining me for the Go to Bed Early Challenge? If so, leave a comment on this post to let me know how you did with your go-to-bed goal last night.
We’re in this together… And if you didn’t hit your goal, that’s okay! Give yourself grace, don’t beat yourself up, and know that you can try again tomorrow!
P.S. Read more about the Go to Bed Early Challenge here. Need some help and inspiration to go to bed early so you can get up and use your mornings well? Download Day 1 of Make Over Your Mornings for free (scroll to the bottom of this page to sign up for it!)
Shared Feb 14, 2016
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5 Things I’m Loving This Week (+ some thoughts on why I stopped hustling)
5 Things I’m Loving This Week (+ some thoughts on why I stopped hustling)
1. Bread Machine Cinnamon Rolls
Silas helped me whip up a batch of our favorite Bread Machine Cinnamon Rolls this week. Yum!
2. Our New Kid’s Gratitude Journals
We’re SO excited to be launching a Kid’s Gratitude journal — after many requests from many moms! I got the first samples of them this week and I LOVE them!
This journal is a fun way for kids to be reminded to focus on the good and to count their blessings every day. Look for more details and a special sale coming soon!
3. A Fun Money-Making Mom Webinar
I loved getting to host an online webinar with Nick Stephenson for my Money-Making Mom readers. We talked about writing and uploading an ebook to Amazon, how to creatively get your first 10,000 readers, and how to effectively market your products using an email list.
I love that part of my day gets to be invested in inspiring entrepreneurs in ways that they can build their businesses and make an impact on the world. I also love that because I’ve said “no” to almost everything this year, it’s allowed me to say “yes” to just a handful of opportunities that I’m incredibly excited about.
(If you need some encouragement in this regard, I did a scope this morning on Why I Stopped Hustling and Why I Wish I Had Sooner where I share some really honest thoughts on this.)
If you’re interested, you can watch the replay of the webinar here.
4. My Jawbone UP
I totally splurged and bought a Jawbone UP for myself for my Year of Rest and it has been incredibly enlightening. I’ve realized that I’m not getting near the steps and movement and activity I thought I was and that I’m also getting a LOT less sleep than I thought I was.
It’s helped me make some very good adjustments in my day and life so that I’m making my health more of a priority. I think the accountability is going to make such a difference! I was also really excited to have one night this week where I significantly BEAT my sleep goals!
5. A Cartoon That Made Me Laugh
If you think “decaf coffee” is an oxymoron, than you’ll probably find this quote funny, too! 🙂
What are YOU loving this week?
This is love…
It might look like a simple pitcher to you, to me it’s a picture of love.
You see, every day, Jesse makes a pitcher of lemon water. Not because I ever asked him to, but because he knows it encourages me to drink more water. And when I drink more water, I feel better and am more energetic.
This is one of dozens and dozens of things he does daily — on his own initiative — to love me and serve me.
Love isn’t just shown in big, grandiose gestures. It’s often shown in the little, everyday things. Like a pitcher of fresh lemon water.
Don’t miss those little opportunities to say “I love you.” They matter… A lot!
5 Reasons to Blog For Your Etsy Business
Guest post from Shannon of Etsy-Giveaways.com
Let me share a little secret with you: I’ve had my Etsy shop for over five years… but it didn’t really start to get active until about two years ago.
About a year ago I started to think about blogging for my Etsy business. Then, I ready Crystal’s book Money-Making Mom and knew I had to do it. That’s all it took! Now, I’m hooked on blogging and it’s made a really good impact on my business.
You’re probably thinking “I’m an artist, not a writer!” Well, if you can write a letter to your best friend, you can blog for your Etsy business. It’s that simple.
Although there are more reasons than I can count, here’s my top five list of why you should blog for your Etsy Business:
1. To Put a Face to Your Brand
Your Etsy shop has a banner, an about page, and it might even have a picture of you featured as the Avatar.
That’s all good as it gives your customers an introduction to you; but, they can really get to know you, what inspires you, and trust you when they read about your Etsy business through your blog.
If you’ve ever read anything about online marketing, you’ll know that trust creates sales.
2. To Increase Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Once your blog is established, you can use keyword search terms in your blog post titles that will generate traffic geared toward your niche.
What does that mean? It means that if you sell crochet hat patterns and post a tutorial about crocheting a hat using your pattern, you can generate traffic from those who like to crochet.
And then, those who like to crochet, will visit your shop and buy one of your patterns!
3. To Utilize “Etsy Mini”
Etsy provides a very useful tool called “Etsy Mini”. This allows you to post your featured shop items on your blog. You can feature up to 12 items and then stick them on your blog side bar for all to see.
Once you’re generating traffic from all of the cool and informative posts on your blog (mentioned above), you can then generate traffic to your Etsy shop as well and (hopefully) increase sales!
4. To Stay In Touch With Your Customers
Unfortunately, Etsy does not provide a tool for you to collect your customer’s email address… but you can do this with your blog.
You can set up newsletter subscription links on your blog and announce coupon codes, new items added and other shop announcements through your blog posts. If you use WordPress for your blog like I do, there’s a widget you can use that allows you to add an email sign up form for visitors to subscribe to your blog.
5. To Expand Your Business
If you ever decide to branch out and use another selling resource in addition to (or instead of) Etsy, such as Shopify, Zibbet, or Amazon, you can use your blog as a general platform for your business.
You can then add links on your blog directing visitors to your other stores around the web.
Your customers will always have a general gathering place through your blog, so you’ll never have to worry about losing them if you branch out.
Blogging for your Etsy business is not hard.
You can start by doing a free blog on Blogger.com and even keep your posts private until you feel comfortable enough to share them. This will give you practice and a feel for how it’s done.
In no time, you’ll have a blog, more followers, more sales, and a whole lot of fun!
{Note from Crystal: Need some help setting up your blog? Read my step-by-step tutorial on how to make money blogging.}
Shannon is a wife, mom, part-time kindergarten aid, and an Etsy shop owner (times two!) She’s also a blogger who loves to post daily about fun Etsy giveaways.
Gretchen’s $51 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan
Aldi
1 bag Frozen Chicken Breasts – $6.49
1 bag Spinach – $1.49
2 Cucumbers – $0.59 each
1 Salsa – $1.89
2 pkg Blueberries – $1.69
Total: $14.43
Homeland
4 cans Libby’s Vegetables – $0.50 each, used $1/4 printable (doubled) – Free after coupon
3 cans Red Gold Tomato Sauce – $0.33 each, used Free text coupon from Homeland – Free after coupon
2 pouches Chicken of the Sea Salmon – $1.25 each, used Buy One Get One Free printable – $0.62 each after coupon
2 Rev Hormel Wraps – $1.25 each, used $1/2 printable (doubled) – $0.25 each after coupon
5 Yoplait Yogurts – $0.50 each, used $0.50/5 printable (doubled) AND $0.50/5 SavingStar.com rebate – $0.20 each after coupon and rebate
1 Eggland’s Best Eggs – $1.99, used $0.50/1 coupon from the 1/31 RedPlum insert (doubled) AND $0.25 MobiSave rebate – $0.$0.74 after coupon and rebate
1 Best Choice Sugar – $1.88
1 Gorton’s Grilled Fillets – $3.49, used $1/1 printable (doubled) – $1.49 after coupon
1 Sunbelt Granola Bars – $2, used $0.55/1 coupon from the 1/24 SmartSource insert (doubled) – $0.90 after coupon
1 Hiland Ice Cream – $3, used $1/1 store coupon – $2 after coupon
1 Minute Rice – $2.29, used $0.50/1 coupon from the 1/31 SmartSource insert AND $1/1 Checkout 51 rebate – $0.29 after coupon and rebate
Total after sales, coupons and rebates: $9.94
Dillons
4 Totino’s Frozen Pizza – $1 each, used $1/4 printable (no longer available) – $0.75 each after coupon
1 gallon Milk – $1.99
1 bag Kroger Flour – $1.79, used $0.40/1 e-coupon – $1.39 after coupon
1 Cottage Cheese – $2
1 Green Leaf Lettuce – $0.99
1 Celery – $1.69
1 Asparagus – $2.32
1 bunch Bananas – $1.56, used $0.25 MobiSave rebate AND $0.25 Ibotta rebate – $1.06 after rebates
1 Cobblestone English Muffins – $1.50, used $0.50/1 printable AND $0.50/1 e-coupon – $0.50 after coupons (I’m not sure why this e-coupon came off my card because normally they won’t stack these with paper coupons, but I’m not complaining.) 🙂
1 Snickers Crisper – $0.67, used Free e-coupon (no longer available) – Free after coupon
1 Moonstruck Chocolate Bar – $2.50, used Free e-coupon (no longer available) – Free after coupon
2 pkg Steak – Marked down to $3.10 and $2.96, used $0.75/1 e-coupon – 2/$5.31 after coupon
1 Daisy Sour Cream – $1.49, used $0.45/1 printable AND $0.50/1 Ibotta rebate – $0.54 after coupon and rebate
2 Chicken of the Sea Salmon – $0.79 each, used Buy One Get One Free printable (took off $1.29) – $0.14 each after coupon
2 bags Dove Chocolates – $2 each, used 2 $1/1 coupon from the 1/31 SmartSource insert – $1 each after coupons
2 Oscar Meyer Walking Taco Lunchables – $1.49 each, used 2 $1/1 peelie coupon – $0.49 each after coupon
1 box Golden Grahams – $1.49, used $1/1 printable – $0.49 after coupon
2 boxes Honey Nut Cheerios – $1.49, used $1/2 printable – $0.99 after coupon
1 Minute Maid Orange Juice – $1.99, used $0.75/1 printable AND $0.25/1 MobiSave rebate – $0.99 after coupon and rebate
Total after sales, coupons and rebates: $27.51
Total for all stores: $51.88
Menu Plan for This Week
Breakfasts
Eggs & Spinach x 3
Cereal x 2
Fruit Smoothies
Oatmeal
Lunches
Yogurt, Fruit, Crackers
Tossed Salad Bar
Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches, Carrot Sticks
Cheese Quesadillas, Blueberries, Celery
Lunchables, Spinach Salad
Leftovers x 2
Dinners
Waffles & Eggs
Steak, Baked Potatoes, Toasted English Muffins, Tossed Salad
Tossed Salad Bar with Grilled Chicken
Lasagna, Rolls, Green Beans
Southwest Rollups, Steamed Asparagus
Chicken and Rice, Frozen Veggies
Leftovers
Brigette’s $63 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan
Aldi
1 Artisan Lettuce – $1.99
1 5-lb bag Flour – $1.39
1 10-lb bag Potatoes – $3.49
1 3-lb bag Mandarin Oranges – $2.97
2 32-oz boxes Spaghetti – $2.90
1 can Chicken Breast – $1.69
1 pkg Romaine Hearts – $1.99
1 Parsley Flakes – $0.99
1 Baking Powder – $0.99
1 Garlic Powder – $0.99
1 Onion Powder – $0.99
1 pint Grape Tomatoes – $1.69
1 3-lb bag Gala Apples – $3.39
1 16-oz pkg Organic Carrots – $0.99
1 Crispy Oats Cereal – $1.19
1 bag Brown Sugar – $1.29
1 head Cabbage – $1.29
1 Vegetable Shortening – $2.89
1 head Cauliflower – $1.99
1 Spicy Mustard – $0.99
2 24-oz Low Fat Cottage Cheese – $4.58
1 bunch Bananas – $0.75
Total: $39.43
Harris Teeter
1 Heinz Mustard – $1.50, used $0.50/1 Heinz Yellow Mustard – 1-24-16 RP (exp 02/21/16) (doubled) – $0.50 after coupon
10 8-oz bags Shredded Cheese – $13.16
2 Gerber Graduates Oatmeal – $2.67, used 2 $0.75/1 printable (doubled) – FREE after coupons
4 cans Dole Crushed Pineapple – $4.00, used 2 $0.75/2 printable (doubled) – $1.00/4 after coupons
5 cans Campbells Chunky Soup – $4.50, used 2 $0.40/2 printable (doubled) – $2.90/5 after coupon (I had read online that these were printing off a catalina – but nothing printed. So not the good deal I was anticipating. My husband loves these in his lunches, so I am going to go ahead and keep them.)
3 large cans Tuttorosso Tomato Sauce – $2.77 – used $1/3 Tuttorosso Tomato Products, exp. 4/30/16 (SS 02/07/16 R) – $1.77/3 after coupons
2 6-pk Organic Stonyfield Kids Yogurt – $3.98, used 2 $1.00/1 printable – $1.98/2 after coupons
3 boxes Raisin Bran – $5.54, used 2 $0.50/1 printable (doubled), and 1 $0.50/1 printable (doubled) – $2.54/3 after coupons
Total: $23.85
Total for the Week: $63.28
Weekly Menu Plan
Breakfasts
Cereal x 2
Eggs and Toast x 2
Oatmeal x 2
French Breakfast Puffs, Fruit Salad, Scrambled Eggs with Ham and Cheese (company breakfast)
Lunches
Almond Butter on Rice Cakes, Oranges x 2
Baked Potatoes with Cheese, Carrots, Bananas x 2
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Applesauce, Homemade Sugar Cookies (for Valentine’s Day)
Leftovers x 2
Dinners
Three Cheese Baked Spaghetti, Homemade French Bread, Tossed Salad, Steamed Vegetables, Apple Crumb Pie (company dinner)
Freezer Friendly Barbecued Meatballs, Best Baked Potatoes, Hearty Herb Bread, Chewy No-Bake Granola Bars (company dinner)
Grilled Chicken, Roasted Cauliflower, Heart-Shaped Biscuits with Strawberry Jam, Homemade Sugar Cookies (Valentine’s Dinner)
Taco Salad, Mexican Rice, Tossed Salad
Date Night 🙂
Leftovers x 2
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Click here to download!
Shared Feb 12, 2016
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Go to Bed Early Challenge: Day 10 (relationships over productivity)
Go to Bed Early Challenge: Day 10 (relationships over productivity)
It’s Day 10 of the Go to Bed Early Challenge and I’m still a work in progress, but I see how much progress has been made the last two weeks and I’m celebrating that — instead of focusing on the fact that I still have a lot of progress to make in the area of consistency.
Morning thoughts: It’s so easy for someone with a personality like mine to run people over and put productivity above relationships. I’ve done it many times in the past. I’d rather “get more done” than set aside My Plan in order to focus on going deep in a relationship and making space for someone who needs me to drop everything and just be there for them.
In the last few months, I’ve really committed to making relationships paramount… Opening my home and heart and life, even when it means that I my to do list and accomplishments may look less impressive.
Here’s what I’m learning: I’m finding so much more fulfillment in loving people well than I ever found in getting things checked off my list. It’s not as safe. It’s not as comfortable. But it’s a whole lot more rewarding.
Are you joining me for the Go to Bed Early Challenge? If so, leave a comment on this post to let me know how you did with your go-to-bed goal last night.
We’re in this together… And if you didn’t hit your goal, that’s okay! Give yourself grace, don’t beat yourself up, and know that you can try again tomorrow!
P.S. Read more about the Go to Bed Early Challenge here. Need some help and inspiration to go to bed early so you can get up and use your mornings well? Download Day 1 of Make Over Your Mornings for free (scroll to the bottom of this page to sign up for it!)
One of the BEST Ways to Start Your Day
Some mornings are much easier to get up than others. One morning just a few weeks ago, when my alarm went off, I felt sort of a dark cloud over me. I just wanted to roll over and go back to sleep.
I felt crabby. However, I knew I had gotten plenty of sleep the night before, so I told myself that I just needed to get up and get moving. I went downstairs and did what I do every single morning when I get up — I spent time reading God’s Word.
Every morning, after I spend time in God’s Word, I take a moment to write in my Gratitude Journal. On this particular morning, I realized that I needed to change my attitude and start focusing on the many blessings in my life.
The day before, we had a pretty long day and I had dealt with some difficult things. I knew that’s why my heart was feeling heavy. And honestly, I didn’t feel like writing in my gratitude journal.
I wanted, instead, to stew over the struggles and frustrations. I wanted to sulk about what had gone wrong. I wanted to sit and worry about things outside of my control.
But I knew in my heart that none of these things would accomplish anything productive. So I reminded myself: I just need to focus on the good.
There are always hard things in life. There are always struggles. How we respond to those struggles is often the only thing we have control over.
Every morning, I have a choice to wake up and choose to focus on the frustrating or choose to focus on the good. Getting out my Gratitude Journal and deciding to focus on what is right in the world, what my blessings are, and what is good in my life can radically transform my outlook on life.
Developing the habit of writing down a line of blessings every morning is one of the BEST ways for me to start my day — even on days when I wake up feeling crabby. Here are three reasons why:
1. Gratitude Changes My Perspective
Instead of focusing on the hard things or discouraging things in life, writing down my blessings causes me to focus on the blessings. A simple change in perspective is so effective in changing the way your day goes.
Ask yourself:
- What’s right in my world?
- What happened yesterday that was good?
- What am I encouraged by right now?
- What’s one thing I have to smile about?
2. Gratitude Slows My Racing Mind
When I woke up feeling crabby on that morning recently, my mind was racing all over the place. I was not only thinking about different situations in my life, but I was also feeling overwhelmed by what I needed to get done that day.
Taking the time to write in my gratitude journal slowed down my thoughts and helped me to focus on the good instead of being brought down by stressful thoughts.
3. Gratitude Challenges My to Think About Something Other Than Myself
Writing down things I’m thankful for gives me something to think about other than myself. It stops my mind from focusing inward and encourages me to focus outward
It’s easier to be Eeyore with the gloomy outlook on life, but it’s so much better to be Pooh, who always sees the rosy side of things. Writing in my gratitude journal helps me to focus that is on the good that’s right in front of me.
Your Turn: What are YOU Grateful For?
You don’t have to write a long list of things that you are grateful for, but I challenge you right now to think of at least one thing. Write that one thing down and then find a way to share it with someone else. Don’t keep your gratitude to yourself.
- Leave it in a comment on this blog post
- Put it out on social media
- Write it on a sticky note and put it on your mirror
- Jot it down on a whiteboard
- Text it to a friend
- Send it out in an email
Whatever works for you, share that thing you are grateful for. This way, you’ll have a reminder of the good things in your life. When you want to focus on the frustrating things today, remind yourself, instead, of what you’re grateful for. It might end up changing your whole perspective!
Tell us at least one thing you’re grateful for in the comments!
**Get a special deal on our Gratitude Journals**
We just recently added a two-pack of the Gratitude Journals to our store. The two-pack is only $15 — or just $7.50 per journal. That saves you $2.50 per journal!
Go here to order your two-pack of Choose Gratitude Journals.
Go to Bed Early Challenge: Day 9 (SUCCESS!!!!!!!!)
Woohoo!!!!! I actually passed up my goal of 8 hours of sleep last night by almost an hour!! I was SO tired and worn down last night, so instead of pushing through (like it’s my tendency to do), I listened to my body (something I’m learning to for The Year of Rest) and went to bed.
I woke up at 4 a.m. and was going to just get up, but I was still tired, so I laid back down and I’m so glad I did. When I woke up at 6:30 am, I felt amazing!!
Letting myself get all this sleep — and being so excited about it! — is not my usual nature. But I’m learning to stop listening to the voices in my head that say, “You really should get up and be productive” and instead listen to my body that is saying, “I’m tired and weary.”
I had no idea how much I not only needed this year of rest and I also had no idea how much I would be learning and processing as a result of taking time to rest. It’s been so good!
I’ll be hopping on Periscope later this morning (probably around 9:30 am CT) to talk about why I’ve stopped hustling, what I’m learning from it, and why I wish I would have stopped sooner.
Are you joining me for the Go to Bed Early Challenge? If so, leave a comment on this post to let me know how you did with your go-to-bed goal last night.
We’re in this together… And if you didn’t hit your goal, that’s okay! Give yourself grace, don’t beat yourself up, and know that you can try again tomorrow!
P.S. Read more about the Go to Bed Early Challenge here. Need some help and inspiration to go to bed early so you can get up and use your mornings well? Download Day 1 of Make Over Your Mornings for free (scroll to the bottom of this page to sign up for it!)
Shared Feb 10, 2016
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Go to Bed Early Challenge: Day 8 (still struggling with my goals, but seeing progress!)
Go to Bed Early Challenge: Day 8 (still struggling with my goals, but seeing progress!)
I’m so excited to be starting the She Reads Truth Lent study today. I feel like this study is coming at just the time when my soul is learning to breathe… And it will be just the oxygen needed to fill me up with the reminders of God’s goodness and great faithfulness to me.
I’m still struggling to get in bed by 10 p.m. and didn’t make it again last night. However, being intentional about development a more consistent bedtime as part of the Go to Bed Early Challenge is making a big difference — even if I’m not hitting my goals most days.
I’m winding down earlier, I’m getting more sleep, I’m getting better sleep, I’m feeling more rested, and I’m feeling a lot less frantic and a lot more calm and quieted in my soul. Yay!
Are you joining me for the Go to Bed Early Challenge? If so, leave a comment on this post to let me know how you did with your go-to-bed goal last night.
We’re in this together… And if you didn’t hit your goal, that’s okay! Give yourself grace, don’t beat yourself up, and know that you can try again tomorrow!
P.S. Read more about the Go to Bed Early Challenge here. Need some help and inspiration to go to bed early so you can get up and use your mornings well? Download Day 1 of Make Over Your Mornings for free (scroll to the bottom of this page to sign up for it!)
The One Thing I Do Every Night Before Bed
Every night before bed, there is one thing I almost always do. It’s simple and it only takes a few minutes, but it has revolutionized my productivity, helps me sleep better, and allows me to go to bed feeling peaceful and calm.
So what is this life changing thing I do? I check my Google calendar and write a to-do list for the next day. Ta-da! I know you are shocked at this amazing tip. {Insert sarcasm.}
It may seem boring or simplistic, but doing this consistently has completely changed my life.
How I Create a Time-Blocked To Do List
There are a few things I ask myself while putting together my schedule for the following day:
- What appointments do I have?
- What do I absolutely have to get done tomorrow?
- What would I really like to get done?
- Are there fun things that I should put on the schedule?
- What does my soul need? {Down time, rest, laughter, time with friends, etc.}
Once I know what needs to be done the following day, I make time blocks and put each of the things on my list in one of the blocks of time.
I will block out the first hour of the day to include getting up and taking time to read my Bible, journaling, exercising. The next two hours are focused on getting ready for the day, getting in a little blogging, and scoping. The next hour on breakfast, Bible time, and reading aloud. The next hour on homeschooling… and so on.
Each hour or half hour, I block out for a specific project or to-do item — in order of significance and priority. Certain parts of every day are the same, but each day varies somewhat, depending upon the projects and activities scheduled for that day.
Why I Schedule My Day The Night Before
It Revolutionizes My Productivity — By having a Time Blocked To Do List, I’m able to focus on one project or to-do at a time, all while knowing that everything that needs to be done each day has been accounted for on my Time Blocks and that I can give full attention to the current project or to-do without stressing over what I still have to do!
It Helps Me Sleep Better — I’ve found that if I don’t schedule my day out the night before, then I will go to bed and stress about the following day. I’ll lie there and go over all of the things I need to do. If I allow myself to brain dump those plans and ideas before I get in bed, I’m able to rest better.
It Allows Me to Go to Bed Feeling Peaceful & Calm — The other big thing that I have found about scheduling the day ahead of time, is that it keeps me from feeling overwhelmed. When I see the day mapped out, then I don’t have to worry about whether or not I can do it all. I make sure that when I’m scheduling, that I give myself enough time to accomplish each task.
Don’t Forget to Give Yourself Breathing Room
When I’m putting together my time blocks, I look at all the things I need to do and then schedule myself some wiggle room. If I think a task will take me 15 minutes, then I try to go ahead and give myself 30 minutes to get it done — because it seems like things always take longer than I think they will!
It is such an important thing to give yourself extra time to do a task, especially if you deal with a lot of interruptions. Those interruptions will not stress you out as much, because you aren’t scheduling yourself too tightly.
By looking over my Google calendar and taking time map out the day, it gives me a peace of mind. It clears my head and helps me to sleep better. And when I sleep well at night, I wake up refreshed in the morning which allows me to be more energetic, more productive, and more joyful the next day.
I encourage you to sit down tonight and take time to schedule out your day. Just try it out for a week and see if it makes a difference for you.
What do you do every night to set yourself up for success? I’d love to hear!
P.S. Read more about how Google Calendar simplifies my life here.
Want some practical help with setting up your day for success? Be sure to grab a copy of my brand-new online course, Make Over Your Mornings.
This 14-day online course includes videos, a workbook, and step-by-step projects and is designed to help you revolutionize your productivity, streamline your routines, invest your time in things that truly matter, and find more joy and peace in the process.
If you’ve ever wished that you could figure out how to get more done, have more organization in your life, and find time to spend on things you love, the Make Over Your Mornings Course is for you. Find out more about it here.