April 2024 Goals

Happy April everyone! March was a good month for us, with my oldest having a birthday and then spring break and we had another zoom birthday party for my oldest. We also had a fun and relaxing Easter, eating good food, watching movies, and having egg hunts.

 

Here's a recap of my March 2024 goals and what I accomplished last month:

 

March 2024 Goals

 

1. Read two books book (finish reading (If There Be Thorns and Seeds of Yesterday).

2. Drink 100oz of water daily.

3. Start using my habit tracker in my bullet journal every day.

4. Eat more fruits and veggies (I have been lagging on this and I really need to fix it).

5. Walk 6 days a week and strength train 3x per week.

6. Have at least two at home date nights with the Husband. 

7. Organize the girls' bedrooms (purge old toys and outgrown clothes).

 

8. Complete one bible study this month. 

9. Add more resources to my Teachers Pay Teachers store (have a total of 50 products by the end of the month).

 

April 2024 Goals

 

 

 

Here are the goals that I have set for myself this month (some are the same as last because I want to develop them into habits):

 

1. Read two books

2. Drink 120oz of water daily.

3. Complete one bible study this month.

4. Eat more fruits and veggie

5. Walk 6 days a week and strength train 3x per week.

6. Have at least two at home date nights with the Husband. 

7.Add more resources to my TPT store.

What are some of your April 2024 goals? 

 

 

 

4 Simple Ways to Clear Counters

We have all seen them, those neat and tidy kitchens without a stray spoon or spatula in sight. Here are 4 simple steps to clean counters that I swear by:

4 Simple Ways to Clear Counters

1. Completely clear your counters. Remove everything and place it on your kitchen or dining room table.

2. Wipe your counters with your favorite cleaner ( I use a solution of 1 cup vinegar to one cup water with a 5-6 drops of Dawn dish soap), or you can use a sponge with warm, soapy water.

3. Look at your appliances that you placed on the table-- is there anything that you don't use daily that can be put in a different place, or in a cabinet or pantry? Is there anything you can donate or give away? Before you move everything back, take stock of your counters for a few minutes. If you only use your toaster or blender once or twice a week and if you have limited counter space (like I do) maybe it would be better stored someplace else. A little space on the counter is a good things, there is no need to clutter it up!

4. Now, put the remaining items back on your counters and think about zones as you are returning the items. For example, it you keep your baking goods (like flour and sugar)  on the counter, put them where you store your mixer and measuring cups. Put your coffee maker by the mugs and so on.

Once you have returned all of your items to the counters, make a conscience effort to keep them clean. After every meal put things back where they belong, don't pile dishes on the counters and empty your sink and/or dishwasher (if you have one). My number one suggestion to keeping your kitchen clean and your counters clear, is to develop a kitchen cleaning routine. This will help immensely and you will feel much better in the morning when you wake up to clean counters.

 

 

5 Things I Do at Night to Set Up My Morning for Success

I am a creature of habit. I could easily eat the same thing for lunch every day (a tuna salad sandwich, Doritos, and grapes) and I would be completely satisfied.  In addition to being a creature of habit, I can get completely overwhelmed at the length of my to do list. Because of these two characteristics, I tend to rely on my routines. My routines tend to make me feel safe and they give me a sense of security. They also help me know what to do next so that I do not get overwhelmed. The routines that I follow are: my morning routine, my afternoon routine, and evening routine. I also have my Sunday routine or my GYST day routine.

However, my evening routine is the most important routine that I follow every night. Without my evening routine my mornings would be chaotic. Without my evening routine I would be lost and behind all day long.

So, here are........

5 Things I Do at Night to Set Up My Morning for Success

Clean the Kitchen. There is nothing that makes me feel behind in the morning than walking into a dirty kitchen.  Just taking a few minutes in the evening to do the dishes, clean the counters, and sweep the floor can make a world of difference in my attitude and my productivity.  I try to clean up right after supper each night and empty the drainer before I go to bed (I don't have a dishwasher).

Plan your day. This is an important one for me. I plan my day the night before so I don't forget an appointment or an activity that one of the kids has to go to. I even plan the most mundane things like laundry, brushing teeth every morning and every night.


Declutter the living spaces. I cannot go to bed with a messy house, it causes too much stress for me.  It's the one habit from my childhood that I cannot break.  I take 30 minutes to declutter the living room, the kids bedrooms, and to do a quick swipe in both bathrooms. It's alot less stressful (at least for me) to wake to a clean house then to wake up to a messy one. Am I right?


Read. I try to take the last hour or so before bed to read a chapter in the book that I am currently reading. This helps me to relax and actually helps me sleep better at night.


Go to bed early. Finally, I try to go to bed early every night. There are times that this just does not happen, but most nights I am in bed by 930pm.

What things do you do at night to have a successful morning. I would live to hear in the comments below!

 

10 Daily Sanity Saving Habits for Moms

Hi Friends and welcome back to the blog. Today's post is all about daily sanity saving habits for moms. Now, some of these I took directly from my mom and some I figured out on my own. Either way all these habits are helpful in saving a mom's sanity.

So, let me share,

10 Daily Sanity Saving Habits for Moms

1. Have quiet time. For me, this is about an hour before my kids wake up. I sit and work on my bible study, answer emails, or just sit and enjoy the quiet.

2. Prepare the night before. What part of the morning is the most stressful for you? Take that one thing you dread and do a little prep for it the night before. Lay out the kids clothes, shower, prepare breakfast, do baths, or just preset the coffee pot. 

3. Do one load of laundry every day. This really helps in keeping "Mount Washmore" at bay. Just remember to fold and put away. Let's be honest, sometimes I forget that step. Don't we all?

4. Clean as you go. Giving yourself plenty of grace, clean up as you go. If you make dinner, wash those dishes right then. If you see a million crumbs under the high chair, grab a broom and do a two-second sweep.

5. Play with your kids. Slow down and enjoy your little people. Offer to play a game or build blocks. Do something that you know will bring a smile to their face.

6. Do one large chore. Knock out one of the bigger chores everyday. Clean a bathroom, vacuum the floors, organize a drawer,..etc.

7. Have kid clean up time. Instead of the house being a tornado throughout the entire day, choose a couple times a day for them to clean up their messes. A good schedule might be everyday before lunch and then again before bedtime.

8. Meal plan. Save yourself the stress of picking meals every few hours and plan them out. Not only will this be a time saver but a money saver as well.

9. Be thankful. There is always something to be thankful for. Let gratitude drive your attitude and actions throughout your day.

10. Have a regular bedtime for your kids. Kids love routine, even if they fight it sometimes. Make your routine as lengthy and as fun as you want, but get the munchkins to bed so you can recoup and have some quality time to yourself or with your spouse in the evenings.

What is an essential daily habit for you?

 

5 Non-Selfish Things I Do For Myself Everyday

I think as moms it can be easy to feel selfish for doing things for yourself. Personally, I  think the opposite. As moms, the ONLY way we can fill everyone’s cups is to fill ours first. There are non-selfish things I do for myself every day that 100% make me a better mom and a happier person which in turn makes my kids see that it’s good to do things for yourself. In today's blog post, I wanted to share 5 Non-Selfish things I do for myself every day that you should consider adding to your list.

 

 

 5 Non-Selfish Things I Do For Myself Everyday

Exercise first thing: Every morning I work out first thing. Moving my body helps me start off my day in the right way.

Read: Reading truly brings me joy. It also provides an escape when things feel heavy and it’s something that settles me. Especially at night.  I will post my book recommendations soon.

Connect with people important to me: This may mean going for a walk with a friend, having a FaceTime chat, or talking on the phone. I need to connect with people daily. It’s so important to me.

Take walks: If the weather allows for it I try to take a walks every day. Always with my husband, or by myself, the fresh air really does wonders.

Take care of my skin: This is a no-brainer. Doing my morning and evening skincare routine every day is a non-negotiable. I don’t care if I am sick, busy, or whatever. I always make time to make sure my skincare routine is done and my SPF is on.

What is something you make sure you do for yourself every day?

 

 

How To Implement A Morning Routine

I hope everyone had a wonderful and relaxing Sunday! We just hung out at home, played outside (when it wasn't raining), fixed some yummy meals and snacks and just had a good time.  This weekend I decided to implement a morning rountine and it seemed to help quite a bit. I noticed that my mornings were not as rushed and I was much more relaxed. 

So, today's blog post is all about how to set up a morning routine that works for you. 

How To Implement A Morning Routine:

 (1) Wake up

Take 15 -30 minutes to wake up, enjoy your coffee, check out the news, or read. 

(2) Review your daily tasks (to do list)

Review your to-do list for things that have to be done that day. I usually spend 1-2 minutes reviewing my list in the morning to metally prepare me for the day and to adjust my schedule if needed.  I also prepare my to-do list the night before as part of my night time routine ( I also use as sort of a "brain dump").

(3) Make your bed

Beds take up a lot of space and when they aren't made they tend to look like a whole lot clutter. Here's a simple solution: take 5 minutes to make your bed and I promise that your room will look cleaner and you will feel more relaxed.

(4) Prepare for dinner

Make sure all of your food items are defrosted and that you have all the necessary ingredients for the evening’s dinner.  Also you should consider how long it will take for you to make dinner and adjust your schedule if need be.  I usually take this opportunity to refer to my meal plan for the following night to see if I need to take anything out of the freezer to defrost or if I’ll need to stop at the grocery store.  This is also a good time to prepare your crockpot meal which is another easy way to streamline your dinner prep.

(5) Empty dishwasher or dish drainer

 Put your dishes away first thing in the morning so that you and your family can fill it up after breakfast and throughout the day instead of waiting to do all of it after dinner.  This is another task that takes all of 5 minutes to complete, and when it's done, you will feel better. 

(6) Workout, shower, and dress

After you shower and get dressed be sure to put dirty clothes in the laundry, put away your toiletries and makeup, wipe down the sinks and hang up your towel.

(7) Make breakfast and clean up afterwards

Return all food items in the fridge, pantry or cupboards. Scrape leftover food in the trash and put your dishes in the sink or dishwasher.  Wipe down all of the counters, sink, stove and microwave.  Like your bed, the kitchen has a lot of counter space and when one counter is cluttered the whole kitchen looks messy.  Take just a couple of minutes everyday to wipe down those counters and appliances…you’ll be amazed at how refreshing it is to come home to a clean kitchen after a busy day at work.

(8) Get on with your day

Now that you’ve got your morning routine complete you can head off to work (on time of course), or to your home office if you work from home, spend time with your kids or take care of your priority tasks and errands.

So, my question is, do you have a morning routine? And how is it working for you?

 

6 Ways To Relax Before Bed

Every body craves sleep. So why do most people struggle with it periodically? You've tried to do it the right way--- you skip the late night caffeine, you don't eat a heavy meal right before bed, you make sure the lights are off and you follow a consistent bedtime schedule each night. However, as you lay in bed tossing and turning, frustration begins to creep in and none of this seems to matter. When insomnia hits you ultimately spend hours stressing instead of doing a few easy things to gently slip into a peaceful sleep.

 

6 Ways to Relax Before Bed

Difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep is a common problem, and it is a valuable commodity. Here are a few steps to follow every night that will encourage a more rapid appearance by Mr. Sandman.

1. Soak in the tub

Relax in the bathtub. This soothes both mind and body. Adding some sleep inducing scents such as lavender oil which helps calm the mind and body, A word of warning though, don't take a shower as this can awaken your body, instead opt for a warm bath.

2. The old wives tale work

 Have a glass of warn milk. Trust me from experience, it works wonders. If you can't stand the idea of warm milk try some chamomile tea. It works the same way as the warm milk and it does make you sleepy.

3. Find an activity

Do something that relaxes you right before bed. Try reading, watching something boring on television. You could even sew, scrapbook, or even write a letter. This activity should be easy and it should be nothing that will key your nerves back up. Once your eyes get droopy, it's time to hit the sack.

4. De-stress

One of the worst things that you can do is lay in bed and think about what you didn't get done that day, and all of the work waiting for you tomorrow. Worrying about it won't get it done. What I do is make a to do list  and then I forget about it. I have found that this relieves so much of my stress at the end of the day.

5. Add some noise

What i mean by this is white noise. Adding white noise can help you sleep. Another thing you could do is add a fan because a cool bedroom can also help with sleep.

6. Listen to your body

Is your body to tense to sleep? Try a relaxation tape that guides you through loosening up and relaxing each muscle group. Work on some deep breathing exercises which mimic your respiration pattern while you sleep.

Make going to bed a routine. Around the same time every night, even on weekends, start your routine. This could mean taking a bath and some light reading. It could also mean changing into your pajamas and brushing your teeth. Do something consistently so that your body will learn the signals to settle down for the

night and to wake up refreshed the next day.

What are some ways that you relax before bed?

How To Create Healthy Habits

Figuring out how to create healthy habits is not something that came to me naturally. It's always been difficult for me to stick to any kind of healthy habit. I love my sweets and they are definitely a weakness of mine.  Also I should probably tell you that I rarely workout out and didn’t take vitamins. Last year, I decided that needed to work on myself and develop healthier habits. Now at 50 years old my life looks completely different and so do my habits. This is how I did it.

 

 

How To Create Healthy Habits

Set goals: Before you create healthy habits you have to decide WHICH healthy habits you want to have. Do you want to eat healthy foods more? Do you want to exercise 4-5 days a week? Do you want to drink more water? Etc. So decide what your personal healthy habit goals are.

Be realistic: You can’t DO ALL THE THINGS so be realistic. Don’t say my goal is to lose 50 lbs in 2 months. Maybe say I want to lose 50 lbs and I am going to be healthy and do that in however long it takes. I lost 30 lbs after A was born and 25 after C. It took me nearly a year both times. Don’t force yourself to go to the gym every day if you haven’t ever worked out before. Just ease into it.

 
Don’t do everything at once: You can’t do all the things right away. Maybe focus on 1-2 healthy habits at a time.

 
Start slow: If you want to work out more just start by going. Then go the next day or maybe for a beginner go every other day. Do a little cardio and experiment with weights. Or try a new class. Maybe you will find that Zumba or Barre is your thing and you will want to go every day! If you want to drink more water see what you naturally drink in a day and gradually increase it.

 
Introduce One Thing At A Time: Like I have said don’t try doing everything at once. I remember when I started my healthy living journey I started by switching out a lot of crap processed foods for whole foods. Then I started working out more, then I started drinking green smoothies. Then I got really into my water intake. Then meditating. Then I switched to clean beauty and clean products.  It can’t all happen at once.

 
Decide what makes sense for you: Not everything will make sense for YOUR life. So you have to decide what makes sense for you, what you want etc. This goes back to goals. Not everyone wants to use only clean beauty and not everyone wants to follow an 80/20 rule for eating.

 
Prioritize Healthy Living: If you want to create healthy habits you have to prioritize it. You have to prioritize a healthy life. That may mean scheduling workouts, not going out and eating a huge dinner with friends, not having that drink every night, etc. You have to prioritize the things you want.

I would love to know how you create healthy habits.