Tag: downtime

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Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites #82

Hello All!

Happy Friday! I hope it has been a great week for you as we get ready for another weekend. I hope you are able to fill your cup with what matters most, whether it’s family time, some extra sleep, or a fun excursion. As we make our way through February I am getting set for another round of fun favorites from this past week. These are little things that have brought me joy and I hope you are finding things that have made you smile this past week too.

Let’s jump into this week’s Friday Favorites with ErikaĀ andĀ Andrea.

Office Ladies and the Lazy Genius Collaboration– I love the Office and I love the podcast, The Lazy Genius. When I heard they were a part of the same network, I couldn’t wait to see what it would bring. Kendra joined the Office Ladies podcast for an episode and in return, the Office Ladies made an appearance on The Lazy Genius. I loved hearing about their collaboration and how Kendra helped both Angela and Jenna lazy genius different parts of their lives. If you are fans or both or either of these, give both of them a listen. You can find The Lazy Genius episode here and The Office Ladies episode here.

Coloring Books– I always loved to color as a child and got back into it in college. Once again, coloring has found its way in my life and I’m not complaining. I enjoy the calming activity if I’m watching a show in the background or if I’m sitting and just relaxing. I also enjoy coloring or doodling if sports are on and I’m only semi paying attention. Haha! I know studies have been done about the relaxing technique between coloring and I have found that itĀ  calms me down and is a soothing activity. It has definitely brought me joy on chilly winter days.

Thicker than Water– I finished Kerry Washington’s memoir “Thicker than Water” last week. I was captivated from start to finish as she talked about her upbringing, getting into acting and secrets about her childhood that she learned as an adult. It was a fast read as I finished it cover to cover in four days. Washington focused more on how she got to where she is today more than her career in tv and film. I really appreciated her candor about tackling different challenges as she grew up. Washington covered a lot of topics in an earlier interview she did this year with ABC back in September. I would recommend watching that as a companion to reading her book.

Sanditon- I heard about this PBS mini series from The Lazy Genius. In Kendra’s newsletter she talked about how she has been into all this Jane Austen, including this mini-series about one of Austen’s unfinished books. I am currently watching this series on Amazon Prime and have been loving it. The series follows a young woman who goes to live with a family who has plans to build up a town by the water. Thereā€™s romance, drama, dealing with the class system and of course a beautiful backdrop where it all takes place. If you enjoy old British shows or movies, give it a try!

Brownie Truffles– As we close out this edition of Friday Favorites, I wanted to share this sweet treat I made last week. I have always been intimidated by making truffles, but I found this recipe from Hersheyā€™s (one of my favorite companies) and had to try it! The recipe was so easy to follow and they came out delicious! Super easy for any party or gathering and they were a hit with my family.

That wraps up todayā€™s Friday Favorites! Some entertainment, recipes, and family fun! 

Tell me: how are you filling your cup this weekend? I hope you make it a memorable one!

Happy Friday! 

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Let's Look

Let’s Look: Things We Do Every Day

Hello all! Happy Wednesday and Happy Valentineā€™s Day! ! I hope you are having a great day celebrating all things love, whether its with your significant other, best friends, or even celebrating love for yourself. Spreading some love island kindness is so important not just today, but every day.Ā 

Valentine’s Day cookies are always a must!

Itā€™s also the second Wednesday of the month which means itā€™s time for another Letā€™s Look. Last month we talked about cleaning our closets.

This monthā€™s prompt is Things We Do Every Day. Obviously thereā€™s things every person does every day (brush their teeth, shower, eat, sleep). I decided to go through my day and take note of the unique things I do (or try to do) every day.

Hereā€™s what I try to do every day:

Journal- I always start the day with some prayer time and journaling. Sometimes I follow prompts, other times, I write whatā€™s on my mind or how Iā€™m feeling.

My journal for 2024

Movement- Whether it’s through a workout, a run, biking, a walk or yoga. I always try to get 30 minutes of movement in. I aim to get it first thing in the morning, so I donā€™t have to worry about it as the day goes on, but sometimes I donā€™t get movement in until after the work day.

One of my workouts

Reading– I love to read, so I always try to get in some reading every day, whether itā€™s a few chapters or pages of whatever book Iā€™m currently reading. Reading is a hobby that I love and try to incorporate every day. I typically read in the morning and at night as a way to start and end my day by relaxing. 

My current read

Wordle– This is a silly one, but I always start my day with the Wordle. It keeps me sharp and itā€™s always fun to play at the start of my day, plus my friends and I will try to see who can get the word in the least amount of tries.

Word Search– Another way I like to keep my mind sharp is by doing a word search. Most of the time I choose fairly easy ones that I can accomplish in 15 minutes, but it’s a fun hobby that entertains me.

No day is complete without a few minutes doing word searches

News Briefings and Blogs– I have a few blogs that I follow and a few trusted new sources that I always read before the day begins. I always check the top stories of USA Today and I love Katie Couric Media sent to my inbox in the mornings. I always like to be briefed about whatā€™s going on before the day begins.

My most used apps in the morning

Family Time– My family and relationships are so important to me, so I always aim to have a family meal together or catch up after a long day. I also aim to check in with friends once a week to see how my people are doing.

Thatā€™s just a little recap of things unique to me that I try to do every day. Most of them I do in the morning before work because I know the days can get busy and crazy, but I always feel better when I have my hobbies or interests out of the way at the start of the day. 

Thereā€™s other things I try to do every day (laundry, cleaning, cooking)-but the above list are ones that I make a point to do every day. If I donā€™t get to something itā€™s not the end of the world, but I try to incorporate these little things to help set me up for success for the day ahead. 

Tell Me: what things do you try to do every day? Let me know in the comments below! Happy Valentineā€™s Day! Sending you love on this Wednesday!

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Fun Ways to Organize

Forming Healthy Habits and Routines

Hey guys! Happy Wednesday and happy February! Thereā€™s always something refreshing about a new month. I felt like this past month really dragged, the hustle and bustle of the holidays are over, I stayed inside while still going out for walks a few days a week, and established some new routines, but I am ready for a new month. 

One of the things I touched on in my last past was getting into some new rhymes and rhythms, and I wanted to share some of them with you today. 

When I thought about what I wanted this year to look like, I wanted less time being distracted by things that didnā€™t bring me joy or leave me fulfilled. My phrase for this year is to be more intentional and so far I am loving the results I am seeing. For example, I would waste time scrolling on social media and complain I didnā€™t have enough time to read. Hello, ditch the phone and get a book!

One way that I made sure I had a better routine in place was setting up downtime on my phone. I did a post about the new screen time feature a year or so ago. You can read it here.

I realized when my phone was shut off (minus calls and texts) I got so much done without the distraction of notifications and social media.

My favorite new routine is with my morning. Let me break it down for you. Every weekday (Monday-Friday), I get up at 6:30 a.m. and then head to the gym for an hour. My ā€œdowntimeā€ on my phone goes from 8:00 a.m. 9:00 a.m. In that hour, I will shower (if I didnā€™t the night before), wash or put away any dishes that need done, throw a load of laundry in, get changed for the day, do my reading and journaling. Iā€™m currently reading this every day and LOVING. One thing I wanted to do this year was read every day. I donā€™t have a set amount of books I want to read in the year, but I want to carve time every day to read. Whether it was 15 minutes or an hour. During this of downtime from my phone hour is where I get my reading done and itā€™s such a game changer. By 9:00 a.m. I feel so accomplished and ready to tackle the rest of my day whether I am working or have the day off. Setting boundaries with my phone helped me so much. I also have time set for each day for social media and once my time is done for the day, I am done. 

Another thing that has always helped me with my routines is to write things down. Even though, I already know what I want to accomplish, I love to be able to see it in front of me and mark it off when I am done. Hereā€™s a look at one of my weekly planner pages.

At the beginning of the week I always write down everything I want to do across the board and what days I want to get them done.Ā 

Lastly, another part of my routine is always leaving the house clean, when I leave for work, I always make sure everything is picked up and put away, things are laid out for the next day and I have my to-do list ready for tomorrow. I go into work with a clear mind and ready to tackle the day. 

Thatā€™s just a breakdown of what things have worked well for me as we start on a new month. What are some new routines that really work for you? Let me know below! Have a great week friends!