My Daily Self-Care Checklist

As the mom of 2 young children, I have become pretty good at taking care of everyone else, but I am not always great at doing it for myself.  I can go almost a whole day before I realize that I haven't drank any water.  There are things that I just let slide that affect my overall physical and mental health.

Recently, I created a daily self-care checklist.  I am a list person.  I love lists and I love checking items off of my list.  I am generally realistic about what I can achieve in a day and I find that lists are a great tool for me to use.  I have a Samsung phone and the list app offers a checklist option.  (My guess is that most phones have this capability.)  I created a list of items that I need to do in order to practice good self-care every day.  The items are simple, but the list has been a game changer for me in terms of getting my list completed.

I have been pretty good about rolling out of bed in the morning to check a few items off my list.  I like to write in my journal,  write down 3 things I am thankful for, drink some coffee and do a 5 minute meditation before my kids are up for the day.  I am able to be a happier mom when I have started my day with some self-care.  The other items are just as important and I fit them in throughout the day.

I go over my list before I go to bed and this helps me to make sure I haven't forgotten anything.  I have felt my anxiety easing and I feel much more centered now that I have made my self-care a focus.

How do you practice self-care?  Do you have a routine that you stick to?

Snack Time

Life with a toddler and a baby is busy.  I am breastfeeding my new daughter.  She is a bit of a cluster feeder, which means that I am often in my chair feeding her for long periods of time.  Breastfeeding makes me extremely hungry, as well.  Making food for another human being is hard work!  I needed to come up with a way to have food available for my toddler and I to grab quickly when one of us needed a snack.  I decided to make bento box style snacks to have available in the fridge.

I purchased silicone baking cups and Ziploc containers to make my 'snack boxes'.  I do my best to fill them with nutritious food that will keep me satisfied.  I try to have a fruit or vegetable, a fat and a protein in each snack box.  When I have time (usually during my youngest daughter's afternoon nap), I prepare the boxes and put them in the fridge.  They are easy to grab when we need something quick to eat and they provide the nutrition that we require. 

Here are some recent snack boxes that I have made for my daughter and I to enjoy:

30 Day Fitness Challenge

I like being active.  It isn't only good for the body.  I find that it refreshes and calms my mind.  I like outdoor workouts whenever possible and I also enjoy doing home work outs.  I have been trying my best to get active lately, but I haven't been getting as much exercise as I should.  I have decided to combat my lower activity level with a challenge!

For the whole month of June I plan to be active every single day.  Nothing seems to motivate me quite like a challenge.  If you want to see how I am doing with this challenge, you can follow me on Instagram @peacefulsimplelifeblog. If you want to join in, you can use the hashtag #peacefulsimplefitness.

Fitness comes in many forms.  I like quiet activities like walking my dog and yoga.  I also like doing more intense workouts with some running, biking, strength training, and HIIT workouts.   I will be counting any activity that I do in my challenge.  I hope to mix it up between quiet activities and more intense workouts.  It should be a fun (and challenging!) month.  I hope you will follow along and join in!

April- Goals and The No Spend Year

April was a pretty good month for my goals and resolutions.  It was also a busy month with Easter and Hubby's birthday.  I am happy with my progress and I am hoping that May will be even better!

Goal #1-  Complete a No-Spend Year.

Not spending money is becoming easier and easier.  I don't even really think about making purchases, which is nice.  Our home is currently lacking blinds and curtains, but that is the only thing that is really making me want to shop.  Otherwise, it hasn't been that challenging!

Goal #2-  Establish a self-care routine.

I was pretty good with this goal.  I was consistent with working out and staying on top of my water intake.  I completed my Whole 30 and will share my experience with you soon!

Goal #3-  Say Yes to Family Time.

This goal went well this month.  It was easier because there weren't many things challenging us in this department.  We had a lovely Easter with family and we even got to see my younger brother at the end of the month!

Goal #4-  Start School in September.

I talked to school this month and asked all of my questions.  I will likely apply in the summer and start in the Fall.  This goal will be at a standstill now until the summer when I apply to the program.

Goal #5-  Learn more about traditional prayers and incorporate them into my prayer life.

I have finished reading a book about traditional prayers, which I found really interesting.  I found the scriptural references and explanations to be informative. I hope to work on incorporating them into my prayer life this month.

Goal #6-  Establish a routine for the blog and stick to the blog's vision.

This month wasn't great for blogging.  I have done a little behind the scenes work, but I got a little stuck in some of the technical stuff.  I hope to be better about blogging this month and iron a few things out behind the scenes.

Enjoying the Moments

I have noticed such a lack of human interaction lately.  At work, everyone stares at their phones during break time.  When you go out to eat, diners stare at their devices rather than their dining partners.  You don't see many people "waiting" in line or for appointments without having their phones out.  I am not immune to this, but lately I have been much more intentional about setting my phone aside and simply enjoying the moments.  I don't want to look back and realize how much I have missed while staring at a glowing screen.

We, as humans, crave (and require) human interaction.  We need to make connections with family and friends.  This has ensured our survival and helps us to feel fulfilled as people.  Phones and devices can help with this, but often they are a hindrance.  We interact with people differently when it is in person, rather than through a text or Facebook post.

I have learned a few things about using my phone and tablet in an intentional way and I have gained a lot of enriching connections with my friends and family.  I want to share my (small) insights with you today.

1.)  I don't keep my phone on me at all times.  When I am home, my phone is often on the kitchen counter.  I also like to keep it on silent.  I especially like to have my phone on silent while driving because it is dangerous to use your devices while driving.  If I can't hear the notification, I don't feel any need to respond.  I also don't check the phone as frequently when it isn't on my person.  This keeps me from being distracted from my "real" life.

2.)  I do not make myself available to others at all times.  I don't respond to messages quickly and I don't worry about checking my phone for messages several times a day.  My friends and family are aware that if they need to get a hold of me, phoning my house is the best way to do it.  They don't feel entitled to an immediate response back to their text messages, because they know I don't make a habit of checking my phone constantly.

3.)  I put my phone away when enjoying time with others.  My phone stays away on date nights, coffee dates with friends and family functions.  I do use my phone as a camera, but often I will snap a quick picture or 2 of the event and then put it away.  I use my time with others to talk, connect and make eye contact.  I try my best to enjoy the moments that I get to spend with the people I love.  Leaving my phone in my bag is a good way to show another person how much you care about them and that you are truly paying attention to them.  This is invaluable for building strong relationships.

How do you keep your phone and other devices from stealing your moments?  Comment below.  I would love to hear your thoughts.

March- Goals and The No Spend Year

Wow!  A quarter of the year has come and gone.  I am feeling happy with my progress this month.  I wasn't effective with every single goal, but I made some headway in a few of them.  Here is how March went:

Goal #1-  Complete a No Spend Year. 

This went well again.  I have had a few urges to shop as the weather has turned nicer.  I always like grabbing a new item to wear every season, but I stood my ground and avoided the stores.  I think that I accidentally donated my fleece jacket that I actually used ALL THE TIME.  Oops!  I am really disappointed about that and I am not sure how it made it into the donate pile.  There is a small chance that it got left somewhere, but I haven't found it.  I immediately thought of my $140 spending money, but I decided that I have enough coats and sweaters to cover the loss so I will not be purchasing a new one.

Goal #2-  Establish a self-care routine. 

 I was sick a lot all winter and I was finally fed up.  I decided to embark on Whole 30 because I was feeling sluggish, foggy and sick of being sick.  Whole 30 has been a bit of a challenge, but I really can't argue with the results.  My brain fog has cleared completely and I have way more energy.  I have also been keeping up with my workouts, which hadn't happened during the first 2 months of the year.  I am continuing to work towards a healthier lifestyle that will keep me from using shopping as an emotional crutch.  This goal went really well this month and I am super happy with the results.  I am currently on Day 23 of Whole 30 and I plan to do a post about it once I have completed the program.

Goal #3-  Say yes to family time. 

This goal has gone well.  We have been trying to do more activities as a family and get Miss. E involved in our many projects around the house.  Hubby is really good at engaging her in this way.  She loves to wield a screwdriver so he has been getting her to help fix broken closet knobs and she helped install the new vanity in the bathroom.  We took off to the lake last weekend instead of staying home to paint the walls.  We don't always have gorgeous weather and it was so nice out.  We decided to put the work off and seize the opportunity for more quality family time.  I am so thankful that we did!

Goal #4-  Start school in September.  

After much research, I have settled on a program and have gathered information about it.  Hubby and I have discussed it and I will be applying for the program soon.  I only have made it to the research stage of this goal, but I hope to have moved forward with it by the end of April.

Goal #5  Learn more about traditional prayers and incorporate them into my prayer life.  

This goal was neglected this month.

Goal #6-  Establish a routine for the blog and stick to the blog's vision. 

I did pretty good at this goal in March.  I posted much more regularly and I have done some brainstorming in my free time.  I am happy with my progress and hope to improve in April.

How are your goals going?  I would love to hear all about it!

Self Care- Trying Whole 30

I have been putting a lot of research into nutrition lately. I have been tired, feeling sluggish and foggy.  In general, I have not felt well in a long time.  I have peaks and valleys but the last 6 months have possessed a lot of valleys.  Along with the general blah feeling, I have been dealing with some other health issues. Our family has also been sick so much this year.  I know that it is part of having a child in daycare (daycare can a bit of a petri dish), but it would be excellent if we could prevent some of these viruses from infecting us.  I would love to have more energy and less headaches.  Good nutrition is a part of self care and I wanted to focus on eating well this month.

After a lot of reading, I have decided to give the Whole 30 a try.  I did a similar plan when I was trying to get pregnant.  After I became pregnant, I let my nutrition slide a bit.  I would say that I generally eat well but I don't restrict much of anything.  I feel like my consumption of simple carbohydrates, cheese and sugar are likely contributing to my low energy and headaches.

I read the book "Whole 30" by Melissa and Dallas Hartwig.  I am ready to give myself 30 days to "reset" my nutrition and hopefully gain some energy.  My Hubby and daughter are not going to participate fully.  They will be eating Whole 30 supper meals.  I am the main cook in the family and I will be making meals that I (and the whole family) can enjoy.

March 13, 2017 was my Day 1.  I made sure to enjoy my favourite restricted foods the day before I started, but I didn't go overboard.  I had some Mac and Cheese and some perogies.  I do tend to love cheese, but sometimes I wonder if it is an energy suck.  I tend to eat HUGE portions of rice and pasta, which isn't a healthy way to consume food.  I am interested to see if my addiction to simple carbs will be helped with this process.

Have you ever done the Whole 30?  What were some of the things you gained?  What were some of the challenges you faced?  Do you have any great recipes that want to share?

February- Goals and The No Spend Year

February was crazy!  We packed up our lives (again!) and moved to a new house.  We own this house, so we are pumped to not have to move again any time soon (thank goodness!).  I was happy with the way I kept to some of my goals this month.  Other goals received little to no attention, but I think that is normal during busy times in our life.  Here is a recap of how my 2017 goals went this month.

Goal #1-Complete a no-spend year.

I have had another successful month.  We got possession of our new house and aside from the few things were are renovating, I have not purchased anything for the house.  

We are currently renovating the upstairs bathroom.  The tub had no enamel left so it was rough and porous.  The vanity top had been 'painted' by a previous owner, but it wasn't done properly.  This resulted in a rough, weird texture which isn't really wipe-able (yuck!).  We will complete the bathroom renovation with a new fixture and medicine cabinet.  These aren't necessary (like the tub and vanity top) but we want to get all of the bathroom renovation done at one time.  We are also painting the upstairs walls.  The walls were red (yikes!) and grey.  The paint is in rough shape so it needed to be done.  We are not counting these against my no-spend year.

Can we talk about triggers for a second?  I really despise the window treatments in this house.  Ugh.  The blinds are ugly and not functioning properly.  The curtains aren't what I would have chosen.  I do have 3 sets of curtains from the rental and I plan to use 2 of them in this house.  I am, however, resisting the urge to buy anything new.  No new blinds and no new curtains.  This is a challenge for me, but it boils down to the fact that window treatments are decor and I can make what I have work.  I also want to purchase another mat for the front door, even though what I have will work. The kitchen in our new (to us) house is also strange and set up poorly.  I would love to purchase some shelves for the kitchen and some organizers for the pantry, but I feel that those items would fall within the "want" category and would therefore violate the no-spend year.  I will wait on those items.  If I feel that I still want those purchases next year, I will make the purchase at that time.

Goal #2- Establish a self-care routine.

I was able to continue with most of routines that were already in place, despite the packing, moving, painting and renovating. (Win!)  I haven't made any headway on any of the other goals, so I plan to put some focus on those goals in March.

Goal #3- Say yes to family time.

We have done well with this goal.  We have had to say no to certain things to make sure that we have kept in line with our family time goals.  Hubby and I joined the Daycare board (our town's Daycare is run by volunteers).  We decided that we wanted to be involved with the decisions being made about our daughter' Daycare so we joined together.  Miss. E will come to meetings with us.

Goal #4- Start school in September.

This goal was neglected again this month.

Goal #5-Learn more about traditional prayers and incorporate them into my prayer life.

This goal was also neglected this month.

Goal #6- Establish a routine for the blog and stick to the blog's vision.

The blog has been quite neglected this month with the move/renovations.  I hope to remedy that in March.

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This month has gone well, considering everything that we had to do  It is inevitable that a few things will hit the back-burner when something time-consuming (like moving!) happens in our life.  I am looking forward to a calmer schedule in March and I plan to work towards my goals a bit more.

How is your year going?  Are you reaching your goals?  If not, don't despair!  We are only 2 months into the year!  We have plenty of 2017 left to reach our goals!

January- Goals and The No Spend Year

I can't believe that the first month of 2017 is in the books.  This year is already flying by!  I have been working at implementing steps in order to reach my goals for this year.  I thought I would give you an update on how things are going.

Goal #1- Complete a No-Spend Year

This month went really well.  It was interesting for me to begin to identify my "triggers".  I like to buy a lot of "little" things, which all add up.  It was easiest for me to only go into a store if I needed something specific.  Otherwise, I avoided stores completely.  I replaced my mascara and face powder, but I stuck to my guidelines.  My face powder had run out in December and the mascara was old and clumpy.  We did buy a house this month, but we didn't count that in the no-spend year.  1 month down, 11 to go!

I took some proactive steps to help limit my desire to shop.  I unsubscribed from Texture (my online magazine subscription), I unsubscribed from emails and I began telling the people in my life that I intend to do a no-spend year.  All of these steps should help support me in the coming months.

Goal #2- Establish a Self-Care Routine

I made the most headway on this particular goal.  My Hubby and I decided that one evening per weekend would be devoted to alone time and one night per weekend would be for our date night.  We have these evenings planned for after Miss. E is in bed for the night, as family time is a priority for us (see Goal # 3).

I love having planned time to myself on the weekend.  I have fallen into a great routine on those evenings.  I generally have a bath with candles lit in the bathroom.  I do a hair mask with the deep conditioner that I have and a face mask with skin products that I already own.  I spend the rest of the evening watching YouTube videos, listening to podcasts, reading or watching a movie.  It is a refreshing routine and I am glad we implemented it.

I downloaded an app to help me track my water consumption and I have reached my goal most days this month.  I am still struggling with keeping up with my vitamins and I haven't strength trained as much as I would have liked.  These are things that I will work to improve in February.

Goal #3- Say Yes to Family Time

This goal has been going well.  We have not made plans on work days, we said no to a birthday party of an acquaintance (the guilt on that particular no is still nagging me, but I know it was the best decision for our family) and we booked our 2 family holidays for the summer.  It is hard to say no to certain things, but Miss. E is really enjoying the family time that we are carving out.

Goal #4- Start School in September

I have done absolutely nothing to help myself reach this goal.  Oops.

Goal #5- Learn more about traditional prayers and begin incorporating them into my prayer life.

I have done a lot of reading this month and have learned a lot of history behind the prayers in my church.  I have started to incorporate these prayers into my prayer life and so far I am enjoying the dimension it has brought to my faith.

Goal #6- Establish a routine for the blog and stick to the blog's vision.

This goal is coming slowly.  I have been trying to determine where I want to narrow my focus.  There has been a lot of brainstorming and indecision.  I think this goal will come along as the year goes on.

I feel like the year is off to a good start.  I am enjoying the changes I have made and I am looking forward to working on my goals more in the coming month!  How are your New Year's Resolutions going?

Healthy Living Series- Week 4: Nutrition

When it comes down to it, the vast majority of us know how to eat properly.  We know that fruits and veggies are good for us and that donuts are not.  We know that moderate portions are smart and stuffing ourselves to the brim isn't wise.  We still seem to struggle with making good choices.  Let's be honest- junk food tastes good!  It triggers happy zones in our brains and we like to indulge.  Stress, fatigue and convenience leads us to poor food choices.

Here are some tips that have helped my family and myself stay on track with our nutrition:

1.)  Eat at the table.  I know that people are busy and have different schedules, but eating together as a family promotes healthy eating habits.  Meal times are important for sharing the experience of a meal, enjoying conversation and mindfully eating our food.  It is easy to overeat when we are distracted by a television and it is easy to scarf down more than you need when you are eating a rushed meal at the counter.  It takes your stomach 20 minutes to tell your brain that you are full.  It is much easier to allow this time if you are enjoying the meal with the people you love.  Even if you aren't able to do this every meal or even every day, try to do it as often as possible.  Can't get everyone at the table for dinner?  How about breakfast, then?  Can't do meals every day?  How about 3 times a week?  It is certainly worth the effort.

2.)  Limit sugary drinks.  When Hubby and I were struggling to conceive our first child, we really tried to clean up our eating habits.  We both enjoyed pop (or soda, as I believe my American friends call it).  Instead of going cold turkey we set limits for ourselves.  We made a rule that we could only have 3 pops a week.  When that became easy, we limited to 2 and finally to 1.  I am happy to report that neither of us indulges in sugary drinks every week.  We will have a pop on special occasions or occasionally.  It has been a great boon to our health.  The surprising thing for a lot of people is that juice can be just as bad.  Juice has a lot of sugar.  We only give juice to Miss. E as a treat.  We prefer to avoid all the extra sugar that juice can bring.

3.)  Try to choose whole foods.  We all know the rule.  The less processed the better.  Aim to choose 1-ingredient foods most of the time.  1-ingredient foods are food that are simply what they are.  An orange is an orange.  A cucumber is a cucumber.  A steak is a steak.  These foods don't have hidden salt or sugar.

4.)  Meal Plan and prep ahead of time.  Meal planning isn't my favourite thing to do, but it is so important.  When I plan ahead, it is easier to stick to healthy eating.  I don't rely on take-out or frozen pizzas because I already know what I am going to make for supper.  If you want more information on how to meal plan, please visit my friend Whitney's blog, Come Home For Comfort.  She has some great tips for meal planning!  I have recently starting prepping veggies to keep in the fridge for handy snacking and it has made such a difference!  We reach for what is ready to go, so have healthy options ready to go.

5.)  Indulge every once in a while.  Everyone needs a treat now and then.  It is okay to eat sugar or "junk food" once in a while.  It just shouldn't be your go to.  Enjoy your treats and then get back to eating a healthy diet.  Life is about balance.  All or nothing doesn't work.

Healthy Living Series: Week 3- Adequate Sleep

The irony is not lost on me that as I write this post, it is 25 minutes past my "bedtime" on a work night.  Ugh.  We have been away for the past week and I am playing catch up!

Sleep is super important to your overall health.  Your body heals and does important work while you sleep.  The recommended amount is 7-9 hours for women.  I am happy to say that I usually meet that target, although that there are definitely nights when I don't!   When you have young children, sleep can be interrupted.  I am okay with that.  Babies grow up and stop needing midnight cuddles.  I am going to enjoy the cuddles while I can!

I try to stick to the same bedtime every night and I try to wake up around the same time every morning.  I do have a toddler who helps with the wake up call if I want to sleep in!  I usually go to bed at 11 p.m. and I wake up around 6 a.m. on a work day.  On my days off, I will sleep until 7 a.m..  Sticking to consistent bedtimes and wake up times helps your body find a routine, which can make it easier to sleep.

Before I go to bed I try to get my stuff in order for the next day (especially if I have work the next morning).  I have a bath or shower.  I pray and sometimes write in my prayer journal.  I then go to sleep.  My bedtime routine helps to relax me and get me ready for bed.

I struggle to get enough sleep every single night of the week.  I can usually do it 4-5 nights out of my week.  The nights that I don't get sleep are often because Miss. E is having a bad night, or I am getting things ready so that we can sell the house.  Life is fluid and we can't always prevent every interruption.  My best advice is to make sleep a priority.  Try your best to set a bedtime and stick to it.  Make a goal to get enough sleep 3 nights a week and then increase that to 4.  Slowly work your way up to a consistent bedtime.

Do you have any tips that help you get enough sleep?  I would love to hear them!

Healthy Living Series- Week 2: Water Consumption

As humans, 60% of our body weight is water.  We need water in order to function properly.  Proper hydration maintains our electrolyte balance, helps digestion, carries waste out of the body, and carries nutrients to our cells.  Dehydration can cause many issues.  Mild dehydration can cause fatigue and headaches.  Severe dehydration can cause heat exhaustion, seizures and in extreme cases: death.  Scary stuff.

It is important to a healthy lifestyle to drink enough water.  There are many recommendations out there about how much water we are supposed to consume.  The Dietitians of Canada recommend a fluid intake of 3 L (12 cups) per day for men over 19 years old and 2.2 L (9 cups) for women over 19 years old.  Fluid intake refers to just that: fluid.  Water, coffee, juice, soda, and tea: they all count.

I am terrible for remembering to drink water.  I usually have a cup of coffee or tea for breakfast.  Once my day gets going, my fluid intake gets put on the back-burner.  I usually realize sometime around lunch time that I am super thirsty.  I then chug as much as I can, which isn't always helpful.

I am making a commitment to drink 8 cups of water every day in addition to my morning cup of coffee.  I have been using a large plastic (BPA-free, of course) tumbler cup or a large water bottle to track my water intake.  I know that I need to drink 2 of the tumblers and 2.5 water bottles  in order to meet my quota.  I keep it near me so that when I see it, I remember to take a sip.  It has actually been working really well!

*NOTE*  It is dangerous to consume too much fluid, so you should always trust your body.  If you are not thirsty, you shouldn't force any more fluid into your body.  Sticking near the 9 cups per day can help make sure you don't overdo it.

Healthy Living Series- Week 1: Exercise

Welcome to my Healthy Living Series.  Ever since my recent miscarriage, I have been trying to focus on rebuilding my health.  I ended up with infection, then a D&C (minor surgery) and spent the 2 weeks after my surgery recovering.  My doctor didn't allow me to do much physical activity while I was recovering.  When all was said and done, I felt weak and tired.  I am sure some of my fatigue came from the emotional toll that the miscarriage took.  I do know that the weakness and some of the fatigue occurred because I had lost a lot of my physical strength.  I made a "Get Healthy" plan and started to implement it.  I am basing this series on my "plan" and my own experiences with it.

I am starting the series with Exercise.  It is the first thing that I started implementing with my "Get Healthy" plan.  I have always been an active person.  I am not athletic, by any means, but I believe in the importance of fitness.  Cardio activity is good for your heart and strength training is extremely important for your bone health.  I find that being fit makes my day to day life easier.  At home, I am able to chase and lift my toddler when I am fit.  I can do my work much more efficiently because I have energy.

If you are new to exercise, I suggest starting with walking.  It is a low impact exercise with huge health benefits.  All you really need is a good pair of shoes.  I love to walk.  I walk my dog and push the stroller.  I like to walk with Miss. E and go on "adventures".

After I had been cleared for working out, I started my current exercise program.  I use Briana's Bikini Body Mommy workouts.  I am currently doing the Bikini Body Mommy Challenge 4.0.  I like that the workouts are short (15 minutes-ish), challenging and free.  I access my workouts on YouTube.  I have been doing the workouts for a few weeks and I am already seeing results, which is great!  

I am able to lift and carry Miss. E for longer, now.  She is getting heavy and I wasn't able to hold her for very long before.  I also have better energy, which is so beneficial for both my work and home life!

Another benefit of exercise is the boost to my mental health.  Exercise releases endorphins, which are "feel-good" hormones.  I have always had a great mental benefit from exercise.  It is my most important reason for exercising.  I always feel better after a workout or a walk.  If you are stressed out or feeling down, exercise can help. 

What are your favourite ways to work out?  What are your favourite benefits?