March 6, 2019 · in addiction· balance· List's and Schedules· Podcast

Ep #47: Establishing a Morning Routine

Let’s be real, waking up before the kids is extremely difficult. But I definitely pay a price when I don’t get a head start on my day.

On the days I sleep in, I tend to feel scattered, overwhelmed, and a bit stressed. Lacking focus on what I need and should be doing, rendering an unproductive day.

Not only that but I struggle to be present when I’m with my kids. I try so hard to give them my full attention when they need me but I’m constantly feeling anxious and two steps behind.

I need the peace and stillness of the morning to organize my thoughts and my day. To meditate, to write out affirmations, to focus on gratitude, to read and to ponder. I simply needed QUIET TIME with no interruptions.

My morning routine gives me a sense of calm. I feel more centered and at peace with my daily mom work flow. I feel more relaxed, yet more productive. I’m able to focus and be more present with my children. Most importantly I just feel an overall sense of wellbeing.

Waking up early is hard, but the pay off is worth it. Studies have shown that waking up early can ACTUALLY put you in a better mood. It’s especially important for us moms. We rarely get a moment to ourselves and it’s better that we go to bed early and utilize those morning hours as opposed to staying up late to get your “YOU” time in. We are more productive in the morning hours than at night. In the evening I just end up watching Netflix.

I wanted to show you what my daily morning routine looks like, as well as give you a FREE printable. It’s just a little helpful guide for you to use as part of your morning rituals. Get your printable HERE.

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Check out this episode!

Night Prep

First of all, a successful daily morning routine starts the night before. Check out my NIGHT TIME ROUTINE video. I like to make everything a ritual really. I’m all about setting the mood. Lighting a candle or putting lavender in my Aroma Essential Oil Diffuser. Make yourself a cup of night time tea, put on a clarifying or moisturizing face mask, and play some calming music.

I find it helpful to write out a list of things I need and WANT to do the next day. Not just work and household tasks. But I really ponder the things I want to improve in my role as a mother and a wife. Like certain activities I want to do with my kids, or even write out little goals like; take more video and pics of them, pray together, teach them how to help with household chores. Pay more attention to the cute things they say and take the time to write them down. Bring a surprise lunch to my kids at school, or prepare a special family dinner.

I also like to take a moment to think about some ways I can make the day run smoother. Like starting a load of laundry, choosing all our outfits for the next day, making sure the car is cleaned out, and doing a little meal prep.

Wannabe Balanced Daily Morning Routine

You know I’m all about that BALANCE. I like to incorporate balance in everything I do and my daily morning routine is the perfect time to focus on mind, body, and soul. Again, I like to start by setting the mood. Find a comfy quiet spot, (preferably a place where you can watch the sun rise). Set up your Aroma Essential Oil Diffuser with some Relax & Rejuvenate essential oil blend. Make yourself a cup of tea, or warm lemon juice, and a big glass of water. I also like my caffeine. I drink coffee sometimes, but I really enjoy an EShot which is an all natural alternative energy shot with caffeine derived from Yerba Mate and adaptogens to help the body cope with stress.

If you could wake up 2 hours before your kids that would be ideal, but I know for me its REALLY hard to do that. So I do what I can and usually I wake up just an hour before they wake up and I still see that positive impact it has on my mood and the flow of my day. Here is an example of what my morning quiet time looks like.

- Record my dreams
- Drink large glass of water
- Brush my teeth with left hand
- Listen to a song with uplifting words
- Do a little stretching and or some Yoga poses.
- Meditate with my grounding mat and crystals
- Read
- Write
- Brain Boosting Smoothie (see my recipe HERE)
- Fill out my worksheet which includes a gratitude list and affirmations.
- Get dressed for the day, make your bed, and start preparing breakfast.

On the printable worksheet I felt it very important to address my Phone Addiction. I want to set aside a few hours a day where my phone is OFF LIMITS. Not texting, no siri, no google, no checking email and social media notifications.

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February 16, 2018 · in Life of a Wannabe· List's and Schedules

Bedtime Routine for the Wannabe Balanced Mom | Good Bedtime Habits

Last year I created a morning routine blog post and printable and this week I wanted to offer you my bedtime routine, which also includes a printable and even a VIDEO this time, yay!!!

Morning routines have always been a little easier for me to follow than bedtime routines because at night I just want to veg out and watch Netflix for 2 hours. I love me some Netflix, but I’m trying to watch a little less of it and end my day with a few things that help me unwind and clear my mind, allowing for a more restful nights sleep.

If you’re like me and LOVE checklists then be sure to download the bedtime routine printable I created. Here’s what my ideal bedtime routine looks like. Also watch my Bedtime Routine video on YouTube.

After my shower I brush and floss. If Sean read this he’d totally be calling me out on the flossing thing, I’m not the most consistent flosser. Anyway, I just started using new Crest Gum Detoxify to prevent gum damage. (75% of Americans will experience gingivitis, the earliest form of gum disease, in their lifetime. Early symptoms include inflamed and bleeding gums.) For clinically proven healthier gums, use Gum Detoxify as your daily toothpaste to neutralize plaque bacteria hidden below the gum line and help ensure a clean and healthy mouth. Get a $2.00 off coupon in the Feb. 11th BrandSaver.
Set the mood. Light a candle or turn on an oil diffuser with some Lavender oil in it. Then turn on some relaxing music.
Pamper yourself. Put on a mud mask or moisturizing mask, paint your nails, etc.
Plan and visualize your day. I like to plan at the beginning of the week, but each night before bed I look at what I have on my planner for the day and make some adjustments if needed, and I like to visualize how I want my day to go.
Write in your journal. You know those times when you just can’t turn your brain off? You lie in bed for hours trying to fall asleep but your thoughts are keeping you awake. I can’t stress enough the importance of a nice “BRAIN DUMP”. So not only do I take a little time to write about the day and what I’m grateful for, but I like to just let it all out. I write about what’s bothering me, making me feel anxious, problems I need to solve, things I need to do, ideas I have, goals, ect. I find that by putting it all down on paper, it literally puts my mind at ease and I no longer feel overloaded with thoughts. When your mind is free and clear then it provides for a more restful nights sleep.
Prepare. Start a load of laundry, set your gym clothes out, meal prep, etc. I like to put my headphones and morning drink on my night stand the night before. Usually the first thing I do when I wake up is I pop my headphones in and play something inspirational, like an audio book, scriptures, podcast, or meditation music. Then as I’m still in the dark laying in bed I drink my my Lemon ACV water. This ritual really helps wake me up and gets me going for the day.
Lunges, crunches, push-ups, stretching. Ideally I’d like to spend just about 5-10 minutes doing some simple strength training and yoga stretches.
Lights out 10:30! If I’m done with everything on my list and still have time left over then I catch up on a little work until 10:00. Then I watch a little Netflix with my hubby, and around 10:30 I can no longer keep my eyes open.

Tell me how you like to end your day? Do you have a routine? I’d love to get more ideas from you.

This blog post was sponsored by CREST but 100% my own oppinions.

December 28, 2017 · in 52 Weeks of Balance Project· List's and Schedules· time management

Setting Goals | Planning For Success | New Years Resolutions!

I get all giddy this time of year because planning is TOTALLY my thing. Ever since I can remember I’ve been creating lists, schedules, and filling out day planners. There’s just something about a well planned week and the feeling of direction and accomplishment I get when I follow through with my plan. Since I consider myself a planning expert I would love to take a moment to share my 3 tips on how to set goals and plan for success in 2018! If you prefer video over reading then see my LIVE video I did sharing these same tips.

Free Your Mind by PLANNING!

About a year ago I quit my “to do” list after reading a really awesome book called The Power of Pause by Terry Hershey. It’s a book about living life in the present moment and letting go of your rigid schedules and routines. Although I really loved this book and it came at the perfect time for me, I’m back to my “to do” lists and day planner. I needed a nice long PAUSE and time away from my overloaded work schedule, but it wasn’t something I could stick with long term and here’s why:

After a while of going about my day with no plan and being more in the moment, I realized I was becoming way less productive, my brain felt scattered all the time and anxiety levels were much more intense. Once again, it all comes down to balance. When you take time to plan, but not OVER plan, it actually frees your mind from stress and worry. It allows you to be more in the present moment because you’re not preoccupied with thoughts of all the things you need to do. I feel at peace knowing I’ve already planned for the things that need to get done, it’s all in my calendar.

Why set GOALS?

Why do you think we are even motivated to set goals? Why not just do the bare minimum and take it easy?

That’s actually what our brain wants to do by default. But our spirit was designed for GROWTH and CONTRIBUTION.

“There’s nothing wrong with living a safe life, accept that NOT pursuing your dreams is more painful than working through the fear and overwhelm that comes with going for it.”

~Jody Moore (Bold New Mom)

Step #1 : Brain Storm and Brain Dump

Get out a piece of paper and just get everything out of your brain and on to paper. Don’t overthink it, just write. Write EVERYTHING, your goals, your fears, your weaknesses, ideas, frustrations, reasons why you think you can’t. Remember, the brain wants to keep you safe and doing whats familiar. It doesn’t like to use up energy and it doesn’t like change. So just recognize this as a normal part of the process. Your brain will continually offer you reasons why you shouldn’t do things and your spirit will remind you of your devine purpose on this earth. We only get one life and we want to use it to become the best version of ourselves and to create the best experience possible. The only way to do that is to plow through the hard times and pick ourselves up when we get discouraged or feel like quitting.

Step #2 : Organize It into An Outline

Goals: Get clear on what your goals are and WHY you want to achieve them. What is your purpose.
Obstacles: What are the obstacles that you came up with? Why do you think you CAN’T achieve this goal?
Create Strategies for each Obstacle: Be proactive about the obstacles you may face and come up with a strategy NOW so that you’re ready to deal with them when they come up.
Calendar in each task: How will you tackle this goal? Come up with a stategic list of tasks and calendar them in.

Step #3 : Calendar the PERFECT Week

What does the perfect week look like to you?

Of course I always have BALANCE as a goal and when I think of the perfect week, I see a perfectly balanced week including mind body and soul. Here’s a list of some of the things I would include in my “perfect week”.

Do something challenging and creative: For me this means writing out blog posts, doing a live video, or creating a YouTube video. It’s challenging because it requires me to use my brain and I have to really TRY.
Do something fun: What is fun for you? Now put it in your calendar.
Educational: I love reading all things SELF HELP, so I set aside time to read my books. My goal is at least 10 minutes a day.
Spiritual: Regular morning scripture study is for sure a priority and I want to get better at it. I’m trying to get back to my Morning Routine.
Clean and organize: This would actually be in the FUN category for me, haha. I don’t like deep cleaning my house, but I really enjoy organizing. So in order for me to make it FUN, I would actually get a babysitter so I can put in my headphones and listen to podcasts while I organize a room without any distractions or kids UNorganizing my work.
Activity or lesson with kids: It’s important for me to set aside time to teach my children and spend quality time with them.
Relaxing: What relaxes you? A hot bath, a long walk, a hike in nature?
Physical: Of course I believe physical activity is very important and I try to exercise at least 5 times a week.
Time w/ hubby: Weekly date night is a MUST!

July 20, 2017 · in Activities For Kids· back to school· homeschooling· Life of a Wannabe· List's and Schedules· Mom Stuff· organization· routines

Back to School Ready ~ Being Organized and Making it Fun

Hey my lovelies! I know we still have a month left of summer, and nobody really wants to start thinking about school just yet, buuuuut, it’s always good to plan ahead and be prepared right? Today I’d like to share with you my back to school ready list. Just a few ways to get organized and make this time of year super special and fun for you and your family.

Get Supplies Early

We all want to save money right? Getting your supplies early will not only ensure you GET them, but you will also save a little cash. Prices go up as the school year gets closer, plus, I just hate ramaging through the left overs. Yes, I’ve been that mom who does the school shopping a month after school started. Which means the supplies I need are not always available and I end up having to spend more and order them online.

Teachers are always in need of Kleenex boxes and I found this great deal on Kleenex boxes at Sam’s Club. Sixteen boxes for $16!!! Pretty awesome if you ask me.

I always love buying new backpacks for the kids. There are always so many fun designs out every year. Jujube is my favorite place to get backpacks because they have the biggest selection, best quality, and they are the most organized bags you’ll ever find. There is a pocket and zipper for everything imaginable.

They have lots of fun matching mommy daughter bags too. I love their new floral print, it’s absolutely darling!!! Check out their whole selection HERE.

New water bottles are always fun. Especially these cute personalized ones from Etsy. For sure go for the stainless steel, keeps water cold for HOURS!

Organize Your Homework/ School Station

Last year I completely revamped my homeschool room/ homework station. Check out all the before and after pics HERE.

Studies have shown that physical clutter increases stress, overloads your senses, and impairs your creative abilities. So it’s important to take the time to get organized BEFORE school starts.

It’s a good idea to create an organized DROP ZONE! Most of the newer homes have mud rooms, but since my Draper house was built in the 80’s, I had to create a make shift one in my garage. Just hang some hooks, get a few baskets and there you go. A place for the kids to drop their shoes, coats, and backpacks in an organized fashion.

After School Charts & Boredom Busters

I know that after school can be a bit chaotic at times, with extra cericular activities, playdates, getting kids to practice their music, and homework. But there are also those days when nothing is going on and you’re kids will be tempted to veg out in front of an iPad. I try to encourage creativity first and use the ipad as a last resort. I came up with a creative way to recycle my empty Kleenex boxes. A simple “I’m Bored Box” to inspire creative fun instead of mindless video games.

Since reading the book The Power of Pause I have cut back dramatically on my overzealous “to do” lists and routines, but I understand that there must be some sort of structure in our home. So I put together these charts to help remind the kids what they should be doing in the mornings, after school, and at bed time. They are not the prettiest and defintiely not Pinterest worthy, but hey, it gets the job done.

Plan and Prepare a Special Family Dinner

Last year we had this really fun family dinner the night before the first day of school. See the short YouTube video I made. I gathered up some school supplies picked up a large sheet of school bus yellow poster paper from the party store. This way the kids could draw on the paper. This year I think it would be fun to have the kids write down some goals, and or positive affirmations next to their plate. Then we could all take turns sharing what we wrote. This could also be a fun first day of school breakfast.

*Disclosure~ I was compensated for the mention of Kleenex at Sam’s Club.

June 9, 2017 · in Activities For Kids· balance· List's and Schedules· routines

Family Summer Fun: FREE Printable

Summer can be so fun yet so daunting for us moms. We get excited to finally let go of the busy schedule and relax a bit, but our kids don’t seem to know how to relax. They wanna go go go, and we just wanna take it easy and rest. They expect us to entertain them all summer long. I try to encourage my kids to be creative and come up with their own ideas for family summer fun, but that doesn’t keep them from constantly whining about being bored.

As part of my goal to be more hands free this summer, I came up with a good game plan…

P.S. I got to talk about my ideas on TV!!! Check it out HERE!!!

Allow me to show you a little something I put together with the help of my wonderful friend Glady at Heart Take The Wheel. It’s a FREE PRINTABLE you can use as a guideline for your family summer fun. When creating things like this I’m always keeping BALANCE in mind. I want my kids to have a nice well rounded summer so I cover it all, from doing chores, to exercising, and spending a little time on school work each day. Be sure to catch my YouTube videos to see all the fun in action (I’ve attached my most recent one below). Also if you want to see more pics of my school room transformation then check out THIS POST.

I’ve been trying to make time to do one or 2 pages a day in their school workbooks and some reading. We really like the Brain Quest Workbooks and flash cards. I love how they are curriculum-based, but infused with a spirit of fun.

Monday

Make It Healthy ~ Create a healthy kid friendly meal plan and spend some time doing meal prep for the week. Try my healthy homemade jello recipe or, a delicious kefir smoothie. My kids LOVE this one. Also another favorite is apple donuts made out of just apples, cream cheese, SweetLeaf Liquid Stevia Sweetener, and sprinkles of course. All you need is an Apple Corer.

Move Your Body ~ Search YouTube for kid workout videos or yoga, have a dance party, or get out of the house and ride bikes, go on a walk, or jump on the trampoline.
Movie Night ~ Make movie night fun and different. Set up a projector screen outside or make some movie tickets and set up a popcorn and candy stand.

Tuesday

Tidy Up ~ Get the kids involved in de-cluttering, organizing, folding laundry, and deep cleaning the house.
Time to Read ~ Have some family reading time. Get some new books at the library, set up a healthy snack tray, snuggle up and read books together.
Take a Trip ~ Take advantage of your local kid friendly amenities. Splash pads, pools, parks, theme parks, hikes, lakes, museums, ect. Our favorite place to visit is Thanksgiving Point because of all the different options. Dinosaur Museum, Farm Country, Museum of Natural Curiosity, and the beautiful Gardens.

Wednesday

Write About It ~ Spend some time journaling with your kids. Give them writing prompts if needed.
Workbook ~ Get some educational summer work books like Brain Quest Workbooks, for the kids. I like to have them do at least one or 2 pages a day, but one day a week spend a little more time working in it.

Wet n Wild ~ Have a water balloon fight, squirt gun games, sprinklers under the trampoline, water parks, pools, splash pads, ect.

Thursday

Think Thoughtful ~ Do a random act of kindness with the kids, Pinterest has lots of ideas.
Thankful Writing Time ~ Have the kids write out everything they’re grateful for and some positive affirmations.
Thrifty Creative Craft ~ Create something using only items in your house. Old toys, empty milk carton, paper towel role, scraps of fabric, an old t-shirt, card board box, etc.

Friday

Fresh Fun Pinterest Activity ~ Find a new summer fun idea on Pinterest and do it!
Family Fitness ~ Do something active as a family. Go on a hike, family bike ride, play soccer, play freeze tag, roller blading, ect.

What about you? What do you do for your family summer fun? I’d love to hear it in the comments!

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May 31, 2017 · in 52 Weeks of Balance Project· balance· Inspiration· Life of a Wannabe· List's and Schedules· Monthly Challenge

Wannabe Hands Free ~ Summer Challenge

I couldn’t think of a better time to do the hands free challenge. I’ve been working on these monthly challenges for a while now. So far we’ve done Wannabe Fearless, Wannabe Balanced, Wannabe Lean, Wannabe Confident, and Wannabe Organized.

Now I’m so excited to reveal the Wannabe Hands free challenge. A way for us to be more intentional on being hands free by putting down our phones and focusing on our kids while they are out of school for the summer. These challenges are inspired by things that I particularly struggle with and thought it would be so fun to include you all in my attempts to becoming a happier, and more balanced mother for my children. I’m reading the book Hands Free Mama And I’m soaking up every bit of it and I’d highly recommend this book to any mom.

I’ve talked about the addiction to my phone before and I’ve been making a conscious effort to have a balance when it comes to the amount of time I spend on my phone. Some days I do really great, but most days it’s a problem. That’s also why as part of my morning routine, I decide which hours in the day I will PUT THE PHONE AWAY!

Why is it sooooo hard?

A while ago my 8 year old, the one who is best at the laying on the guilt, told me I’m ALWAYS on my phone. It was a tough pill to swallow. I found myself trying to validate my actions by explaining to him that a lot of what I do is important stuff. I’m not wasting time mindlessly scrolling through my news feed. It all has a purpose! He didn’t believe me. Grrrr! Although what I do on my phone does legitimately serve a purpose, there still needs to be a balance. It’s easy to lose sight of priorities even when what you’re doing is good.

At the same time, EVERYTHING is on our phones. In reality, our phones are our life. It holds our pics and videos, our contacts, our bank accounts, our grocery lists, maps, google, Amazon Prime, passwords, calendars, appointments. The list goes on and on. It’s no wonder we are obsessed right? It’s hard to put something down that contains so much of what we need each day. I’ve been trying to do some things the old fashion way, like use an actual Day Planner instead of my phone calendar. Make a grocery list with REAL paper and a pen. Use a camera that is NOT my phone camera, and read printed books instead of ebooks.

I have the tendency to overdo it when it comes to things. It drives my husband crazy! One summer I had a goal to declutter and get my house organized. I didn’t just do a little here and there, I started first thing in the morning and went late into the night for weeks until I had everything just the way I wanted it.

That’s why “Wannabe Balanced Mom” was the perfect name for me. The struggle is real folks. I want balance, but it doesn’t come naturally to me. Takes consistent effort thats for sure.

I know that the phone addiction is a real thing and A LOT of people can relate. So this challenge will be a great way to hold one another accountable in our efforts to reign it in and have a healthier balance with the time spent on our phones.

I wanted to provide an incentive for everyone who participates, that’s why I have put together a nice prize for one of you lucky participants. At the end of the summer I will choose a winner and announce it in the Wannabe Balanced Facebook Group. I have a Ju-Ju-Be Bag I want to give to one of you ladies.

How To Enter:

Participate!!!
Join the Wannabe Balanced Facebook Group
Add people to the group who you think would like this challenge. Each person (comment) you add counts as an entry (leave a separate comment in the Giveaway feed for each person you add).
Share this blog post on Facebook or share the Image below on Instagram (be sure to tag me in the image and caption). Use #wannabehandsfree hashtag when you post.
Follow me on Instagram
Subscribe to my YouTube Channel
Pin this post to Pinterest

I’ve created this free printable list of goals for you to check off. Download the PDF HERE. Let me walk you through this printable and explain how to use it.

No Phone Days

Choose 4 days this month to be completely without your phone. Sundays work best for me.

Activities with Kids

Get yourself on Pinterest and plan at least 5 fun activities you will do with your kids this month.

Journal

Journal your thoughts and experience at least 4 different times this month. Explain your goals, why you’re doing it, and what you’re noticing. Are you having withdrawals? Is it easy? Is if hard? Do you feel happier? Are your kids happier? Do you feel more present and centered?

Wannabe Hands Free Check List

Be public about your goals. Tell your friends and family or even share online. This will create more accountability for you. The more people that know, the less likely you will be to give in. If you post on social media then use the hashtag #wannabehandsfree so we can all find each other and offer support.
Change your phone notifications. Silent as many notifications as possible and even delete certain apps if necessary.
Create a No Phone Routine. Use my morning routine printable to help you decide which hours during the day you will set the phone down and resist any temptations to check notifications, send emails, or jump on social media. Absolutely NO PHONE during this hour. It’s good to practice that self control.
Let go of your “to do” list. If you’re like me, this is extremely hard to do. I wrote about how I quit my “to do” list last year. Although I know how important it is to be organized and make plans, I also know that our “to do” lists tend to have a strong handle on our lives, leaving less room for spontaneity and presence. So give it a try, throw out your to do list this month, or even just for a day. Do what you can to focus more on the present and what you feel is important in this very moment. Let your instincts be your guide.
Plan and act of kindness. Get your kids involved and plan a little service project or a simple act of kindness you can do together.
Create a Life List with your kids. Help your kids create a list of things they want to do in their lives. This will help remind them that in order to make these things happen, we must be spending more time pursuing them and less time watching Netflix and playing video games.
No phone nature walk or hike with the kids. I know we all feel we MUST document everything we do which is great! But sometimes we just need to focus on being in the moment and less on documenting. I love the part in the movie The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.

“If I like a moment, I mean, me… personally. I don’t like to have the distraction of a camera. I just want to stay in it. Right there… right here.”

~Sean O’Connell

<<<Get Your FREE Printable HERE>>>