(1) ESSENTIAL OILS ARE AWESOME, BUT A LITTLE OVERWHELMING.
After researching for weeks and weeks (and saving my pennies too!), I finally purchased the Premium Starter Kit. The kit came with 11 oils and a diffuser, which turns out to be a great deal versus purchasing them individually. I’m a little overwhelmed with all of the education out there (what oils need a carrier oil, what works for everyone and what should be avoided on kids, etc etc), but starting small and I love it so far! We use the diffuser almost everyday. Our current favorites are Thieves (which smells like chai tea to me) and the boys love Lavender in their room at bedtime.
(My member number is #3507725 if you ever want to order something!)
(2) SLOWING DOWN TO DO ART IN THE MORNING IS FUN AND I SHOULD DO IT MORE OFTEN.
Our big Christmas gift for all of the kids was an IKEA cart filled with art supplies. We call it the “art cart” and it’s housed in the coat closet for easy access when they want to make masterpieces. I usually let them go to town on their own, but occasionally, I’ve found inspiration on Pinterest and we spend some time in the morning creating together. It is SO good for my soul. Stretching myself, trying new things (like acrylic paint and watercolors) and even making crappy art. I need to create with the kids more often.
(3) IT’S BEEN A LONG, LONG TIME SINCE I’VE HAD A PROPER BRA FITTING.
Being pregnant or nursing for the past ten years, I’m a total mess in this department. Since getting a professional fitting was currently out of the question, I followed the advice on this infographic and what.a.difference. If you’re overdue too, I highly recommend.
(4) I FEEL A LOT BETTER WHEN I DON’T EAT SUGAR.
I love sugar. Like a lot. But I know how much damage it does to my insides and since 2016 is the year I start acting like a grownup and taking better care of myself, I’m trying to go without (meaning, I won’t make cookies “for the kids” three times a week and eat most of the batch). I really do feel so much better! And being an abstainer, it’s crazy to me how quickly the desire goes away when I just don’t eat it.
(5) THERE ARE SO MANY AMAZING CHURCHES AROUND THE WORLD.
I’m taking a class on The Great Courses Plus called The World’s Greatest Churches and nerd alert: I love it. My baby sister, a senior in high school, got a good laugh when she heard I was taking a college lecture-like class online for the fun of it. I find it all so fascinating: the iconography, the architecture, the influence of different religions!
(6) SCHEDULING SOCIAL MEDIA AHEAD OF TIME FULFILLS TWO GOALS: SHARING WELL-WRITTEN WORK FROM BLOGGERS AND AVOIDING UNNECESSARY SCREEN TIME.
I am passionate about supporting fellow bloggers, but I also don’t want to spend tons of time online. Buffer has been a lifesaver in making those goals both possible! I spend a little time each week searching for good content to share, schedule them between my Facebook page and Twitter account and I’m done! Love how easy and efficient it is.
(7) INTENTIONALLY SAYING POSITIVE THINGS ABOUT MYSELF IS HARD, BUT NECESSARY.
I am my absolute worst critic and can be really hard on myself. I’ve started to try to speak to myself like I would speak to my daughter and while it sometimes kills me, it’s also incredibly needed. So when Mark asks me how my run went, instead of saying, “It was awful and I’m so slow and I’ll never get back in shape…”, I say “I’m better than I was yesterday.” Baby steps.
(8) I’M MAKING OVER MY MORNINGS A LITTLE BIT AT A TIME.
I took Crystal Paine’s Make Over Your Mornings 14-Day Course and while some of the material is the preacher talking to the choir (you know me and goal setting!), I have been really inspired to tweak our mornings to be more productive and peaceful. A few baby steps in that direction: helping my future self out by going to bed with a clean kitchen and relatively picked up house, taking time to say my morning prayers and meal-planning for more nutritious breakfasts.
(9) HOLY WATER IS A WONDERFUL THING.
We have a few bottles of holy water high up in our kitchen cabinet and I ran into them randomly as I was cleaning one day. This led to a rabbit trail of Google searches, where I learned so much! (This Q&A and this blog post are a good start.) I found a beautiful antique on etsy (there are tons of gorgeous choices there!) and we just hung it by our garage door.
(10) ACCORDING TO SOPHIA, THE KEY TO A GOOD LIFE IS BEING HAPPY AND FUNNY.
So thankful for my girl and for showing me that life doesn’t always need to be so complicated.
