Get Your *Ish Together: Home Edition

Our homes should be our own personal sanctuary. We deserve to live in homes that we find comfort and peace in.

Sometimes you may feel embarrassed by the state of your home. You may want to change, but feel overwhelmed but give up because it all feels hopeless. I can totally relate!

But, it doesn't have to be this way. You hold the power to make any change you so desire. You do that by figuring out what you want, making a plan to achieve it, and then working the plan.

The plan need not be difficult. You can go as slow or as fast as you want. The key, however, is taking action daily. Big or small actions all lead to progress and puts you one step closer to creating a home you love to be in versus one that stresses you out.

I created a very simple PDF for you with daily, weekly, monthly and seasonal tasks to help you get your home where you want it to be. You can access it HERE at no cost to you. 💕

I'd love to hear your thoughts!

GYIT Guide: Beauty

Photo by Gabriel Brandt on Unsplash

It's time to uplevel my look. All of the beauty shops are closed so I can't change my hair at the moment, so I'm letting it grow and trying to keep it soft, shiny, and healthy.

I'm also working on my skin. The goal is clear and glowing. So I'm drinking more water, using Retin-A, cleansing, toning, moisturizing, and self-tanning.

I'm challenging myself to do my makeup every day then taking selfies to compare. You don't have to post them on social media - but if you want to, do it! Life is too short to worry about the opinions of others. Practice makes perfect, so practice until it becomes second nature.

Keep up with beauty maintenance: brows, shaving, mani/pedis, and applying castor oil or olive oil to lashes and vaseline to lips before bed. 

Commit to an at-home spa day once a week. Use a bath bomb, face masks, deep condition hair... Basically treat myself like a goddess because I deserve it. 😉

When you look good, you feel better. And when you feel better, you think better thoughts. It just helps your overall sense of well-being. And we need that now more than ever! Agree?

What areas are you working on in the beauty department?

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Get Your *Ish Together Guide

Photo by LOGAN WEAVER on Unsplash

I don't know about you, but I have had enough of this Corona virus mess. I feel like taking on the world and completely overhauling my life. I'm tired of sitting around waiting for this to be over. It's time to DO something!!

While we still cannot go out except for essentials, there is plenty I can tackle here at home to create my dream life. 

Now I can:

* Focus on health & fitness

* Practice new makeup techniques & hair styles

* Work on the budget

* Declutter & deep clean the house

* Make a list of everything I want to do when the lock down is over 

* Work in my yard

* Curate my perfect wardrobe

* Work on my business

* Improve self care

* Organize my life to work smarter, not harder

With this list, I should never be bored. Now is the time for us to really get our *ish together while we have this extra time. 

What are you working on?

Promises

I have been reading and reflecting a lot during quarantine. I came across a post on Instagram by  Dr. Nicole LePera @the.holistic.psychologist about self-betrayal and how you can heal from it by keeping small daily promises to yourself.

I have always put others needs ahead of my own, then wonder why I feel like crap. I regularly break promises to myself. What messages are these things sending? Not very good ones.

You can heal self betrayal by:

1. Keep one small promise to yourself every day

2. Celebrate your victories

3. If you break your promise keep it the next day

4. Repeat the mantra: "When I make a promise to myself, I keep it."

She gives examples of small promises:

-Wake up without hitting snooze

- Drink 1 glass of water each morning

- Mediate for 3 minutes

- Go for a walk for 10 minutes after dinner

- Go for a walk for 10 minutes after dinner 

- Journal every morning

- Do 5 minutes of stretching

- Dance to music first thing when you wake up

- Do 3 deep belly breaths

Small things that seem insignificant. Do it for 30 days, then add another promise. This is the path to self trust. 

I am choosing as my first promise to journal every day before bed for 30 days. 

What are you going to choose?

Happy Little Things

Photo by Hybrid on Unsplash

Let's chat about happier things, shall we?

You may be feeling bored and restless. Why don't you make a list of things you can do to keep yourself happily occupied? Here's what I came up with:

• Create a simple daily routine
• Focus on skin care (glow up)
• Walk & stretch daily
• Cook all meals at home
• Clean one room each day
• Go through all the courses I've purchased and begin to work through them & implement what I've learned
• Read books I already have - on my bookshelf & on my Kindle
• Craft with what I have on hand
• Write on my blog & Instagram
• Create new products for my Etsy
• Work on finances (How can I save more money?)
• Have a DIY spa day at home
• Learn more about something I've always been intrigued by
• Write out a bucket list

What about you? What would you put on your list?

💕 Check out the links in my bio (sidebar) to find e-books and affordable gifts, home decor, and organizing printables! Thank you for supporting small business! 💕

Pressing Pause & a Recipe

Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash

Since life has come to a standstill for many of us for weeks now, I feel like reality is finally setting in. How much longer will this go on? 

I am a homebody at heart but I do like to go a few places occasionally. Now we have to plan to get to the shops before they close hours earlier than they used to and the places I do enjoy are closed completely. I have spent the past couple days resting mainly. I just needed a good time out so I pressed pause. 

Now I am just trying to happily occupy myself at home. Last night I pulled out a few old binders that had old blog posts I had printed out YEARS ago. One was just pictures of decor that I used to love - so frilly and pink. Think Shabby Chic meets Victorian. It amazes me at how much I have changed in the last decade. 

I have been cooking super easy meals. Tonight we had buffalo chicken burritos. 

Place 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts in crock pot

1 packet of Ranch seasoning

1 package of cream cheese

1 cup (est) of buffalo sauce

Cook on high 4-6 hours or low for 6-8 hours

Serve on tortillas to make burritos or over rice or noodles

Super easy and the family loves it.

Don't beat yourself up if you feel the need to press pause yourself. We are living in trying times. It's okay to take a step back to rest and to keep things simple. Now more than ever....

💕 Check out the links in my bio (sidebar) to find e-books and affordable gifts, home decor, and organizing printables! Thank you for supporting small business! 💕

From my Instagram

Happy Sunday, y'all! 🌞

It's my husband's birthday today! 🎉 I'm baking him a cake 🎂 and have a roast going in the crock-pot with fajita seasoning, served on tortillas! A simple recipe that is so good! 🌯

Like everyone else, I'm feeling a little stir-crazy. All the places I like going to are closed: library 📚, hobby stores, and bookstores.

I try to stay happily occupied at home by reading books I already have, coming up with creative and inexpensive meals for my family, and learning about things that interest me. 💻

Of course, there are always little projects to work on - inside and out. 🌸 I am ready to start planting flowers 💐 and veggies 🍅. In times of uncertainty, I'm learning how to become more patient, use my creativity, count my blessings, and am reminded to slow down. 🙏

How are you doing today? 💗

Follow me on Instagram: @simple.life.happy.life

Live Beneath Your Means

Photo by NORTHFOLK on Unsplash

Tonight, we (husband and I) are going over our budget. We are looking to see what else we can cut out of our budget and reduce our cost of living. I want to make our money stretch as far as possible. I am a natural penny pincher. 

Now, more than ever, it's important to reduce your expenses as much as you can and live below your means. You don't want to be in the category of living above your means (on credit cards & loans). If you fall into the second category, you may have to make some tough choices in order to dig yourself out from the hole. It won't be easy, but it will be worth it in the long run.

Decide what your goal is. Do you want to be debt-free, build up a buffer for emergencies, or pay cash for something you want, such as a down payment on a house or buy a car with cash?

Cut out services & subscriptions that you don't need or use. We just cut cable because we literally never used it. 

Call your creditors and see if you can get a better deal. There's no harm in trying and the worst they can do is say no.

Begin tracking your expenses for a minimum of three months. This will be an eye-opener as to where your money is really going!

Create a plan to achieve your goal. Regardless of whether it's paying off debt or building savings, don't cut yourself short in the process.  Then, you'll be forced to use credit or dip into your savings to get yourself out of a bind which kinda defeats the purpose.

Celebrate your successes no matter how small! Be proud of your progress....it all counts! 

What are your money goals?

Prepping On a Budget

Photo by Holly Mandarich on Unsplash

I am a secret prepper. I believe we should all prepare for the unexpected as much as we possibly can. This virus outbreak just confirmed that for me. 

We don't know how long this is going to last or how it's going to affect our economy and food supply. I am not being paranoid. I am simply thinking ahead to what I can do to ensure my family's survival. I am thinking about this with a calm mind and a rational outlook. 

It's better to think practical rather than an overly optimistic outlook simply because we have never experienced anything like this before. 

So how can you prep on a budget?

1. Take an inventory of what you already have on hand.This will keep you from buying something you already have. Anything you don't need, sell and use the cash to buy what you need.
2. Get serious with your budget. Cut out all non-essentials for the time being. You need your          money to work for you: keep a roof over your head, food, and utilities. This is the time to get back to basics. You can add the extras back at a later time!
3. Decide how much you can spare from your budget to use to obtain prepper supplies. Even if it's only $5-10, it's better than doing nothing at all.
4. Buy foods your family will eat & are used to, otherwise you'll be wasting money and resources.
5. Stock up on sale items so you will get the most bang for your money. Use coupons if applicable.
6. For what you lack in money, invest time in becoming more knowledgeable about survivalist techniques. Learn basic survival skills and make it a family learning experience: how to build a fire, how to cook on an open flame, how to keep warm in winter with no power, etc.
7. Try yard sales, thrift shops, Craigslist, and Facebook Marketplace to get items you need inexpensively.
8. Dollar stores have things you can buy to build up your medical supplies for little money: rubbing alcohol, bandages, neosporin, pain relievers/fever reducers, etc. Also good for cleaning supplies and toiletries.

Again, do not panic buy. Stop and think about what you need and what can be improved. Then, make a plan on how you are going to do it. 

Garden, Anyone?

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

I've been thinking about starting a container garden and planting a few fruit trees since this virus outbreak has started. With people panic buying, it just makes sense to have access to fresh vegetables and fruits.

Why a container garden? I don't like to weed! We had a garden before and weeding was just the worst. I know me. I will not keep it up. 

It will take a little investment up front: pots, heirloom seeds, potting soil - but it will be a big help in the long run with the grocery bill and if there are food shortages in the future. I'm not trying to be extreme - I just think it is wise to be as prepared as possible. 

It's so rewarding to see the little seeds you planted growing real food that you can eat! We already have Meyer Lemons and Satsuma trees. I'm thinking about adding Apple and Peach trees.

Things you can grow indoors easily: 

•  Carrots
•  Kale
•  Mushrooms
•  Beets
•  Bell Peppers
•  Potatoes
•  Herbs
•  Micro-greens

Don't forget vegetables you can regrow in water:

* The bottom of the vegetable must be intact for this to work.

• Bok choy
• Cabbage
• Celery
• Green onions
• Fennel
• Kohlrabi
• Leeks
• Lemongrass
• Lettuce and heading vegetables such as Napa cabbage

   Also, please visit https://www.burpee.com/ to get more info for newbie gardeners and to order your seeds and fruit trees from. They have been in business since 1876 and have a non-GMO policy. I am NOT an affiliate, it's just a company I recommend.

   One more thing, don't plant things your family won't eat. That would just be a waste of time, money, and food. Start small and build upon it each year to avoid losing money. 

   We are going to try tomatoes, bell peppers, potatoes, lettuce, carrots, and cabbage. Whatever cannot be used right away I will figure out how to save them with canning or blanching and freezing. The goal is no food waste!

   Will you be starting a garden this year? If so, what are you planting?