21 TTC Affirmations | Phrases to Repeat When Trying For a Baby

Affirmations aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but they’re something I’ve grown to love over the past few years. And so when it came time to get pregnant, and it wasn’t happening these are some of the phrases I would say out loud to myself. Choose the ones that feel right to you, write them down, and repeat them to yourself.

"My body is amazing and wise. It knows exactly what to do.”

“My womb is warm. My heart is open. My body is ready to carry our baby now.”

“My body is capable and strong.”

"I am healthy. I am beautiful. My body is incredible.”

"I am ready to create life. My body is ready to create life.”

"I’m taking care of myself, preparing my body for a healthy pregnancy.”

“I am enough. My body is enough.”

“My womb is a lush jungle of warmth, love and nourishment.”

"I allow myself to be loved, and to create a new life out of that love.”

"My cycle is balanced. My eggs and fluid are healthy.”

"The most perfect egg is preparing to be released by my ovary, and the most perfect sperm is preparing to fertilize it.”

"I have everything it takes to become pregnant.”

"I’m letting go of any emotional blocks keeping me from conceiving.” 

"My body knows how to conceive a healthy baby.” 

“I am not upset when others announce their pregnancy. I don’t know their journey to get there.” 

“I am fertile!”

“Every time my period comes I celebrate my body for functioning correctly.”

“I join a community of women working towards creating life within their own bodies.” 

“My baby will come to me at exactly the right time, in exactly the right way.”

“I speak to myself the same way I would talk to a friend.”

“I am happy. I am healthy. I am ready."

Things That Kept Me Sane While Trying to Conceive

I think there are many of us who head into the journey of trying to conceive pretty naive. And there’s nothing wrong with that, but so many of us end up with a rude awakening to our fertility (but there are plenty who are lucky and conceive right away).

I’m not here to claim I know everything or that I had the same experience that someone who’s been trying to conceive for several years has had. So if you’ve been at this for two years and I offend you by any of my suggestions or anything I say, I apologize. I can only speak from my experience. 

Let me start by sharing two previous blog posts if you missed them:

+ My Journey to Pregnancy

+ My D+C Experience After a Blighted Ovum

So, long story short, it took us 11 months of trying, one blighted ovum miscarriage and D+C to get to our little nugget we have now cooking in my belly. 

But today I want to talk about those months of trying, the doubts and fears and things I tried to stay sane and carry on with normal life. 

Trying to get pregnant is just a lot of waiting. Like, a lot. 

Waiting at the beginning of your cycle for your period to end, for your fertile phase, and then waiting to see if you were successful that cycle. 

And I quickly came to realize I needed something to distract myself from obsessing over it all. 

So, this is just a brain vomit list of all the things that came to mind as I thought back over our journey of trying to get pregnant. But to reiterate, we didn’t have any fertility issues (that we know of) it just took us time. But if you’re struggling with infertility, treatments and all that, feel free to disregard this list. 

But, in no particular order:

+ Reading books — I just love reading books in general, but reading was super helpful. When I was in the mood to think about babies and pregnancy I would pick up a book on that topic. When I needed to distract myself and think about something else I was able to find so many great books to just escape into. 

+ Hanging out with friends and family — This has been something important for me over the past several years, but you can’t coop yourself up during this process. You need to get out and be social. To talk and think about stuff besides getting pregnant. But it’s also OK to have conversations about it too. 

+ Don’t forget about relationship with partner — TTC is always exciting at first. You kind of feel like a rebel, like ooh mom I’m 26 and gonna get knocked up. But it can wear you down real fast. Make sure you’re making time for each other outside of the whole baby making universe. Keep the romance alive, and pay attention to their feelings on the situation. 

+ Self-care — Pamper yourself. This means something different to everyone, but paint your nails, give yourself a facial, soak in the bath tub. Set aside some you time. When you’re trying and not getting pregnant you can start to get upset with your body and feel like it’s letting you down. Be kind to your body and mind. 

+ Journal — I can’t recommend this enough. Grab a random school notebook with no pressure to be poetic or have good writing. Just sit down and get whatever is inside your head out and onto paper. I promise it helps, so much. Even if you’re not you can feel like pregnancy is all you think about and talk about and people are sick of it. Get all of that out of your head and into your notebook. 

+ Meditation — Not everyone’s cup of tea. And even I’m not consistent at it. But when I get really anxious about something (and I was getting anxiety about oh my god what if I can’t ever get pregnant or have a baby of my own?) meditation is so beneficial to just bring you back down to earth and calm your mind and thought process. 

+ Create a “registry” — I’ve been working on my baby wish list long before I was pregnant or we were trying to conceive. But there was something soothing about working on my wish list that made me feel good. Like researching the perfect stroller or cloth diaper system made me feel like I was doing something to aid the process. And I would tell myself like when you are pregnant you’re not going to have to worry about all this because it’ll be ready to go.

+ Choose a few things to try out to boost cycle — There is an overwhelming number of recommendations when it comes to what you should be doing TTC. But taking a supplement, cutting something out, etc. can give you that feeling that you’re “doing” something. And it really can’t hurt. I focused on boosting my cervical fluid or healing my luteal phase. 

+ Drink your coffee, have your wine, etc. — When we first starting trying I stopped drinking alcohol, coffee, and was kind of anal honestly about being “perfect”. Well that only lasted a few months before I was like Girl calm the fuck down and drink some wine. So, I kept my coffee to the recommended 2 cups of coffee or less a day. And I would let myself drink up until ovulation and then I would take a “just in case” break until my period came again 

+ Stop charting — controversial coming from me, I know. But sometimes you have to realize what’s helping the process, and what’s making you crazy. We (I mean, I) was so focused on my chart, when I was fertile and when we were supposed to be having sex that it took all the fun out of it. Michael felt like a stud horse and that I only wanted to be physical with him to get a baby out of the deal. Taking a break from charting was one of the best things we did while TTC, but I still knew when I was most fertile because of my cervical fluid. 

+ Creating content ideas list of videos I wanted to make — Ok, this one is specific to content creators. But the whole time we were trying I had all these ideas for blogs, videos, vlogs that I wanted to create and share with you guys. But I couldn’t because I didn’t want to open up about TTC yet. So I just made a killer list of content ideas that has come in super handy now. 

+ Avoid forums — Or at least limit yourself to how much time you’re spending on them. There is literally always going to be someone out there with the same exact symptoms as you who is pregnant or not pregnant. 

+ Try not to test — This isn’t for everyone, but don’t start testing 8 DPO. You’re going to drive yourself mad cycle after cycle squinting and stressing about tests. For some reason I was always more upset to see a negative test than I was to get my period. So I just made it a rule that I had to wait until I was supposed to get my period before I could take a test. Unless there was some sort of event that I would want to know I was pregnant before (aka thanksgiving day race). But testing gave me so much anxiety and was always such a let down that I just had to not do it. 

+ Watch birthing videos — Why not start prepping for labor and birth now? I would have to limit these to when I was in the hopeful mood, and not the crap, my period just came mood. But watching birth vlogs has been something I’ve enjoyed for years. I think it’s great to see a variety of birth stories, styles, options, you name it. Even if you can’t see a live birth before you give birth it’s good to get an idea of what can happen before you’re in that position. 

+ Declutter and deep clean house — Maybe I’m just a weirdo but I find deep cleaning and decluttering really soothing. And I always feel really accomplished after it. It’s just another area that you can feel you have control over, when you kind of just feel like you don’t have any control over your TTC journey. 

+ Exercise — As much for your mental health as for your physical health. There’s all sorts of benefits both ways, but when you’re feeling upset or frustrated there’s nothing better than going on a hike, run or pumping some weights. 

Control what you can, and try your best to let go what you have no control over. There are so many emotions and thoughts wrapped up in the TTC journey. You have to do what’s best for you and your mental well-being because it can be a very stressful and draining experience. 

Now that I’m pregnant I try to routinely step back and remind myself of how I felt trying to get pregnant, my worries and fears, and to just tell myself see, you did it, remember this next time something is difficult. 

Anxiety In First Trimester After Miscarriage

I have gotten several messages, emails, comments, you name it from beautiful people out there who have either: 

a. Gone through something similar and want to share their support or advice 

OR 

b. Those who are currently in the grasps of anxiety and fear of something happening and are looking for some words of comfort. 

So, today I wanted to sit down and let my thoughts about the whole thing hopefully flow from my memory, into this document and onto my blog. 

I found so much comfort in just reading or listening to others’ experiences when I was in the midst of it myself so I want to do my part in passing that good deed on. 

I knew that going into a second pregnancy after my miscarriage wouldn’t be a “everything is sunshine rainbows” experience. I knew that mixed in with the excitement would be fear. 

Fear that it would all go wrong again. Because there are countless couples that experience back to back loss, or multiple losses between successful pregnancies. 

I think the first thing that helped was realizing that I wasn’t alone. I knew people in my life that had experienced the same thing or something similar. And knew that there were so many incredibly loving and deserving people in the world that had difficulties getting pregnant. 

One in eight couples will struggle with infertility. That is a heartbreakingly high number. But chances are even if they haven’t talked about it someone close to you in your life falls into that 1 in 8. 

If it’s something that you know or think will help you then you can check out some online forums of other gals in the same situation as you, now or in the past. But you also need to be careful of these too because if you’re reading endless stories of loss after loss that’s not going to help you mental well-being. So find a healthy balance. 

The next thing that helps is to have your support person to talk to. This could be several people or just one. Is it your partner, your mom, your sister or best friend? It helps to have someone you to know to calm your nerves when you’re worked up and can’t get out of your head. Someone to say “Everything is going to be alright.” even when you can’t know that for sure. 

Next, find an outlet. I don’t know about you but when I felt like I was leaning too heavily on a loved one I felt guilty (even though I shouldn’t have, and I knew they didn’t mind). But I needed more than just conversation with others. I needed a safe place to just let it all out, no filter necessary. 

And I found that in journaling. For me this was a written journal, but for you it could be a video diary, art, a document on your laptop or phone, whatever works best for you. 

This was a space where I could just brain barf everything that was on my mind, no matter how ridiculous or minuscule it felt. It was so unbelievably cathartic to have a place to just get it all out. Out of my mind and somewhere else. It gave me permission to talk about it as many times as I wanted, in as much depth as I wanted. Without feeling like I had to find the right words to explain what I was feeling, but to just get it out of my head. 

An important thing to have through all of this is a health care provider you trust and feel comfortable with. My clinic constantly told me to call if I ever had any questions or concerns. I called in right after I found out I was pregnant to get blood tests, they booked me in for an early scan and each time I went in answered my questions and fears. 

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. If this is a therapist, get one. If it’s asking a friend to meet you for diner, do it. 

I can’t recall if I did this, but when things feel like they’re getting out of hand I always return to meditation. Not only do I feel at ease after doing it, but the methods and lessons I learn from it help me throughout my days. 

And know that the anxiety will pass. It’s going to get better. You’re going to settle into your pregnancy little by little. That underlying question of fear might remain. It may creep to the surface every now and then. But finding ways to handle that when it does bubble up will be invaluable to you in the long run. 

And before you know it you will join the rest of the ranks of pregnant women, experiencing the joys of the life growing inside of you, but also all the fun little aches and pains. 

The most important message from todays post, what I hope you take away from it is the importance in finding ways in which to deal with the anxiety. What are your methods in overcoming that voice in the back of your head? 

And of course you’re not alone. You’ll never be alone in this. 

What have you found to help ease your anxiety? Even if it’s not related to pregnancy or loss? Share that below. 

Self-Care Without Blowing the Bank

I love reading through lists of self-care inspiration because I always stumble upon a few that I think, you know what, that sounds absolutely divine. So today I tried to curate a list of 50 things that I enjoy doing to indulge myself without having to spend a bunch of money.

I tried to group them together by similar things, but it’s really just a random list. Enjoy

1. take a bath (add some bubbles, salt, a bath bomb. light a candle, drink a big glass of water during, turn down the lights)

2. paint your nails (or just give yourself a mani/pedi at home, trim, file add some oil to your cuticles)

3. put on a face mask (whether that’s a sheet mask, one from the store or homemade)

4. put on a little make up and do your hair

5. lather up with some lotion after a body scrub (I always feel extra indulged after doing this)

6. put on some soft warm socks and comfy lounge clothes (tis the season)

7. meditate (either sit in silence for 5-10 minutes or put on a guided meditation)

8. stretch it out (plop down on your bed or living room rug and just spend 5 minutes stretching)

9. light a candle, incense (put on something smelly)

10. buy yourself some flowers (or pick some wild flowers, put them in a container and put em on display)

11. plan out your outfits for the week (cut down your decisions and spice things up)

12. wake up 30 minutes early (extra time to do things you want but don’t have time for)

13. go to bed early (guilt free, crawl into bed, turn off the lights and snooze)

14. take a nap (even if it’s just 15 minutes, it’s like hitting a reset button)

15. enjoy a mug of something warm (coffee, tea, hot chocolate, it’s all yummy and soothing)

16. drink a bunch of water (dewy skin, better digestion, less headaches, what’s not to love)

17. make a big pot of warm soup (not only delicious but you can eat it for several meals)

18. read a book from the library (make time first thing in the day or right before bed to read)

19. journal (morning pages, journaling prompts, there’s so many options)

20. write down what you want to let go of (what’s been weighing you down and not serving you?)

21. write a gratitude list (just all the things that you’re happy have happened or are in your life)

22. write down some affirmations (get on pinterest for some inspiration)

23. write down your bucket list (what do you want to do in your one life?)

24. get artsy ( doodle, paint, scrapbook, whatever your craft of choice is)

25. make a vision board from old magazines (I don’t do this often but I always love it)

26. make a to-do list, organize it between most important, that week, and some day

27. organize your photos (get them off your phone and into somewhere safe)

28. clean out your email (takes some time, but there’s no better feeling than having a clear inbox)

29. clean your house (whether it’s a 15 minute tidy or several hour deep clean)

30. wash your bedding (clean sheets feel oh so good)

31. declutter your closet (what don’t you wear and can donate?)

32. rearrange your furniture/decor (simple, but changes the atmosphere)

33. fold all your under-roo’s the Kon Mari way (and then move on to the rest of your clothes)

34. go for a walk in nature (it soothes the soul, especially when you live in the city)

35. watch the sunset (or the sunrise, just sit and watch it)

36. spend time with someone you love (grab a cup of coffee, visit them, whatever)

37. have a movie night with friends (their house or yours)

38. make a playlist of your feel good songs (and then listen to it)

39. indulge in a podcast (listen while you’re getting ready, cleaning up)

40. take a technology break for a day (or even just a few hours)

41. add a new habit to your day (what’s something you’ve wanted to add?)

42. start and end your day without harsh lighting (put on lamps, twinkle lights and candles)

43. play some boardgames with friends (have everyone bring their favorite)

44. do a puzzle (solo or with someone else)

45. watch a TedTalk (endless library of inspiration)

46. have a solo dance party in your living room or bedroom (put on some tunes and boogy)

47. go around your neighborhood, local park and pick up trash

48. get out of the city and look at the stars (I always forget how bright and beautiful they are)

49. find a body of water (walk around it, sit by it, look at it, get in it)

50. work outside if possible (grab your laptop, have a walking meeting)

There are endless options of self-care out there. Make sure you’re making time for yourself. It’s important and doesn’t have to cost anything. What are your favorite ways to take care of yourself?

30 Day Morning Challenge Info + Invite

This is an invitation to you, from me. 

It’s for those of us trying to add in or trade out a few habits to recreate our morning routines. I don’t know about you but I’ve found that my morning, what I do first thing in the day is what sets the structure for the rest of my day. 

It started because I’m constantly trying to tweak my routine to what works best and sets me up best for the day. Like everyone else I have my ideal routine, but making time for that or sticking to it is the challenge isn’t it? 

And so I got to thinking, what makes you accountable? Having someone else, right? Why not invite anyone who wants to join in to, you know, join in. So, I started putting out a few feelers her and there, and the response has been overwhelming. 

Right now as I write the rough draft for this blog (Tuesday, 7:50 am) I have over 650 amazing people joining in. What? That is insane, but in the best way possible. 

I’m going to talk through what I have planned, and you are invited to join in for as much as you want, or as little as you want. You can just take the free worksheets and use them, or you can join in on every live video, share your triumphs and struggles in the Facebook group, keep up on my vlog and Instagram. Your choice. 

Ok, so let’s get into how this is all going to go down.

First, I’d love if you would go here, and sign up for the 30 Day Morning Challenge with your email, and also get the free worksheets. I’m going to be sending out reminder emails and who knows what other goodies, so it would be great to be able to contact everyone in one place. (Not everyone has Facebook or Instagram, but I think everyone has an email.) 

Next, join the Facebook group (if you have Facebook of course. Props to those of you who never got it or have deleted it). This is where we can all share our goals, the habits we want to add, our worksheets, and our struggles. Plus it can be a place where we can all help each other stay accountable, offer advice and just being a loving supporting community. 

[Just a side note quick: not that I’m worried about this but I’m not down for any negativity, trolls or rudeness. If I see any of that you will be removed. “Ain’t nobody got time for that!”]

And finally you can get click to get a notification for the live stream on YouTube. It’s going to be on my second channel, where I’m also going to be doing updates on my vlog. 

The dates for the live streams are:

11.9 — the first live stream before the challenge begins so we can all set ourselves up for success!

11.12 — the challenge begins! (I’m going to be updating everyone on my vlog as well as my Instagram stories, and we’ll all be joining in on the Facebook group.)

11.19 — the first check-in which I have scheduled as a live video on YouTube. We’ll go through a worksheet I’ve created to access how we’re feeling, how we’re doing, where we can improve and how we can make those improvements.

11.26 — the second check-in, which is also a live video.

12.3 — third check- in!

12.10 — final check in + wrap up. I haven’t made the worksheets for this yet, but I know there will be a few 😉 

I hope you join in if it is something you’re interested in or curious about. Plus it’s completely free. You’re very welcome. Let me know what you’re looking to get out of this experience with me so I can craft it into something that benefits you.

My Experience Being Homeschooled

I’ve shared that I was homeschooled before, and I’ve had a number of women respond by asking me to share my experience. 

So, this is for those of you who might be thinking about homeschooling your kids some day. 

First, the back story. 

My mother was a stay at home mom from the time I was born. I’m the second child and at that point it made more sense for her to stay home with my sister and I instead of my parents paying for two kids in daycare. 

I also have two younger brothers, so four kids in total. Both my sister (who is 21 months older) went to preschool and kindergarten roundup (a week long thing before kindergarten). But from kindergarten to 5th grade both my sister and I were homeschooled by my mom. 

And technically I “skipped” kindergarten and started 1st grade at the same time as my sister even though we were a grade apart. I don’t think I missed out on too much skipping my kindergarten education. 

Looking back I have nothing but positive memories of being homeschooled. 

Because it wasn’t a matter of keeping us busy for 8 hours while our parents were at work, we were able to get our school work done in just a few hours (depending on how focused we were that day). 

And then we were free to go outside, play and explore, which I think was worth it’s weight in gold. I grew up on 90+ acres of mostly forest, with horses, cats, dogs (and two pigs and three cows at one point.) 

Not only the time we were able to spend with our mother, which is beyond valuable and I will be forever grateful for, the life skills we got from being able to spend so much time outside in nature and with animals is an amazing thing looking back. 

Because there were only four of us vs. a normal class size, my mom was able to devote so much more attention to our individual needs and interests. Whenever there was something we were curious about my mom did such an amazing job of helping us investigate whatever it may be. 

There was one summer where I went to art camp while my sister attended a theater camp at the playhouse. There were countless art classes I was able to attend where I was the youngest in the class by about 50 years. (Let’s just say that made me pretty popular). 

Another benefit was our mother’s patience with us. The public school system has obvious constraints when it comes to learning styles and needs, and if you don’t fall within the norm you can be penalized. 

We were all fairly energetic kids, and while in a normal school setting we may had been punished for our excess energy, our mother taught us how to focus on what we were doing, learn when to take breaks and that after completing whatever it was we were free to do as we pleased. 

If I fell out my chair from squirming too much, she didn’t yell at me. She would let me fidget, get it out of my system, climb back into my chair and get back to work. This only took maybe 10 seconds, and could have been a much longer ordeal. 

The only downside I can see to my homeschool experience, which I think has an easy fix for those of you interested in homeschooling your kiddos, is the social aspect of it all. I had my siblings, and the kids from our homeschool group, but I didn’t really have my own friends. 

I was slightly socially awkward when I went into public school in 5th grade, but quickly adjusted, and now I’d like to think I’m fairly social. And this is definitely something you can take care of easily for your own kids. 

Who else out there was homeschooled, and what was your experience?  And what about parents who homeschool or want to homeschool their kids? 

Fall is Like Your Luteal Phase

I love the concept that the seasons exist within your menstrual cycle, and I definitely believe there is some truth to this. 

And by exploring this I believe you can gain a better understanding of your cycle. So, in honor of the changing seasons we’re going to talk about how fall is like our luteal phase. 

First off, your luteal phase is the end of your cycle before your period comes and your cycle starts again. Depending on the length of your particular cycle it is roughly the last week of your cycle. 

So, fall is like your luteal phase, but what about the rest of your cycle? 

Well, winter is like your menstrual phase (your period), spring is like your follicular phase and summer is similar to your ovulatory phase. 

And some cycles I feel like my luteal phase is more like what I expect my menstrual phase to be, than what my period is actually like. 

It’s like vacation, often there’s a lot of build up and excitement leading up to vacation that actually lasts longer than the trip itself. And I find that my period is like that. My body and mind prepares for it longer than it actually lasts. 

So, the first similarity between fall and our final phase — we slow down. 

The energy and excitement of summer, and our ovulatory phase, wears off. If you stop to pay attention you will notice this. 

Our physical energy wains, but that isn’t necessarily a negative. Because even though physically we are pushed to slow down, mentally we’re very active and creative during this phase. 

I don’t know about you but I’m already thinking about next year, about potential goals, things I want to do and accomplish. 

And just like that our luteal phase is the perfect time to focus inward, to reflect, think and dig deep within ourselves. 

For anything you’ve been hanging onto, dragging around with you, that’s no longer serving you, this is a great time to let that extra baggage go. 

As your physical energy slows down, you may find yourself more tired than before. This reminds me of the dreary, gray weather we’re currently experiencing here in Iowa, and how this always effects my energy level. 

I feel like it’s mother nature’s way of preparing me for the hibernation of winter and my period. Yes, there are those who are super active during the winter. (We don’t have any mountains to snowboard down here unfortunately. And I’m a bit of a hermit in the winter. I like to be warm, snuggled up and cozy.) 

But I’ve been working on my relationship with winter. Well, I started last year trying to change my attitude towards the season. And learning about hygge really helped me. 

These next parts are necessarily season specific, but I’ve been feeling a draw towards them currently as the season is changing. 

I have this pull towards evolving, stepping outside my comfort zone. Doing things that are obviously going to benefit me, but I’m feeling uncomfortable about doing. 

I’m trying to break down a few walls of comfort in an effort to evolve as a business, a brand and as a person. I’m working towards being uncomfortable, whether thats in a professional way, or pushing myself in my own life. 

Instead of retreating back to where I feel comfortable when I hit that resistance, I’m trying to be ok in that sensation. Because I know that’s where growth happens. 

It’s not fun, but it’s important. 

The luteal phase is also where I find myself wanting more space and time to myself. So, I try to schedule that in. I’ve been working from home more. I find the balance between being social and being by myself depending on where I am in my cycle.

I made sure I had this past Sunday at home to get all the little things done around the house that I wanted to. I just really wanted to make a cup of coffee, put on some music and clean my apartment. 

I find something about ending my week that way very cathartic, and it sends me into the upcoming week feeling fresh, revived and ready to go. 

And just like that I like to plan out some time to do things that I want during my different phases. 

What do you feel yourself drawn towards at the end of your cycle?

Pushing Yourself Outside Your Comfort Zone

I am one of those people who can be a bit of a hermit. I know what I like, don’t like and what I’m comfortable doing. 

It is always a challenge when I first push myself outside my comfort zone, but it is usually always so rewarding.

And the three areas I’m going to talk about today are social, work and athletic.  

Let’s start with the easy one — athletically.

I’ve never considered myself an athletic person really. I was like the only one in my family that really did sports growing up, and I wasn’t ever really on varsity. 

But being an adult and having more control over what you do is a great thing. And I’ve been able to discover different things that I love. 

You’re probably aware that I didn’t really get into running until just last summer. Michael challenged me to run a marathon, and I thought what the heck, why not. So, I trained for a ran a marathon. 

Through that I also discovered trail running. I’ve always enjoyed going on hikes and walks, but trail running is so much fun. Plus, I think I prefer it over just regular running. 

Also last summer I decided to give a sprint triathlon a try, even though I hadn’t been training for one (outside my marathon training), but I wanted a new challenge, was bored with just running, and felt in decent shape. 

The challenge for my with doing triathlons is that I’m not the most efficient swimmer. Like I’m not going to drown, but I feel so slow. 

But at a certain point you just realize, what’s the worse that’s going to happen? I’m going to have to get pulled out of the water? Or maybe backstroke? 

Who cares?

I did my second sprint triathlon around a month ago, and I have not been running or training for anything currently, so I’m not in as good of shape as last summer. 

But I know what my body is capable of, and I was pretty sure that I could push myself through it. 

Once again I was nervous about the swim, and like 30 seconds into starting the race I thought, shit, I might have to get pulled out of the water. 

But I kept pushing myself, let go of feeling embarrassed and did the back stroke, and made it through the swim. 

There’s something I like about deciding to do a random tri without training. But maybe one of these days I will train for one. 

Work is another area that I find myself challenged in, but that’s a huge positive for me. I think I would get bored if I didn’t keep stretching myself, and pushing further and further. 

It was outside my comfort to start a YouTube channel, but look where that got me. 

It was outside my comfort zone to create a website, courses, to coach women about how to chart their menstrual cycles. But I wouldn’t be where I am without that. 

I was outside my comfort zone to do my first sponsored video, to talk to others about “what I did for work”. 

But looking back those steps seem so easy. 

And I try to remind myself of that when I’m facing my next challenge, whatever area of my life that is in. 

What’s something outside your comfort zone you’ve challenged yourself to, and how did you go about it?

2018 Goal Check-In

As we near the end of 2018 I thought it would be a good time to take a look back at the goals I set for myself at the beginning of the year and see where I’m at. 

Are there still goals I want to complete, are there goals that won’t serve me and I can ignore? How can my list influence 2019?

Today we’re just going to focus on my personal goals. 

So, here they are:

[ ] learn to play a song on my ukulele

[x] participate in a race

[ ] keep all of my receipts 

[ ] pay off my student loans

[ ] hang out with family/friends once a week

[ ] produce less waste/buy less plastic

At the moment the only one I have crossed off is participate in a race. I’ve actually done a few. I ran a 15k in San Francisco, a half marathon here in Des Moines and just did a sprint triathlon in Texas. 

But…

There are quite a few others that are more of a ongoing goal than a one time thing. 

For example, I’ve been keeping all my receipts in a manilla envelope in my desk, so I’ll be able to check that one off. 

I usually stop to stay hi to my mom at her work on my way to or from either the coffee shop or library. I try to get down and see my sister usually every other week. We’ve been hanging out with Michael’s family as well. Friends have been a bit harder because we all have different, demanding schedules, but we make a good effort towards it. 

And buying less plastic and producing less waste is definitely an ongoing goal I’m working towards. I will probably check it off, but it’s not like a concrete thing you know. 

I won’t have my loans paid off by the end of the year, but I’m making monthly progress towards it. I’m below the $5000 mark, which feels great and I’d love to get down to the $4000 mark by the end of the year. 

And I still have yet to learn how to play a song on my ukulele but there are still three months left to complete that.  I’ll pull it out every now and then, pluck at it, and put it back.

So my list will probably look more like this (at the end of the year) 

[ ] learn to play a song on my ukulele

[x] participate in a race

[x] keep all of my receipts 

[ ] pay off my student loans

[x] hang out with family/friends once a week

[x] produce less waste/buy less plastic

Ok, so next year. I don’t have any concrete goals, yet. 

I’ll have "do a race” again, because I feel like that’s a good goal, and one I can check off. 

I’ll put something to do with my loans on there, whether I decide I want to try and pay off the last bit or whatever. 

As for the rest of them I’ll definitely need to brainstorm what I want. And it also depends on what the rest of this year bring me and inspires me to do. 

What are some of your goals this year, and have you hit them yet? 

Get More Consistent With Journaling

I recently did a 30 day challenge to start journaling more.

I also made a video where I shared my journals and notebooks.

And I’ve talked about the many benefits I find in journaling consistently. 

+ clear mind (brain barf what’s in there)

+ more focused on what I’m trying to accomplish 

+ able to work through things (free therapy)

+ document my life 

+ less anxiety

+ calmer mind

So, today I wanted to talk about ways you can get more consistent with journaling if it’s something you’re interested in. 

Give different types of journaling a go.

I don’t just keep a ‘normal’ journal. I also have a gratitude journal, morning pages notebook and my bullet journal. And each of these serve a different purpose for me but I enjoy doing them for different reasons. 

I’m more consistent with morning pages and my gratitude journal than my normal journal. 

But there’s also photo journals, art journals, doodle journals, you name it. 

Choose a time of day to sit and do said journaling.

Morning pages is first thing in the morning and I write my gratitudes right when I get into bed for the night. 

Having a specific time that I do them each day helps to create that routine. And because there’s not really a good time on a daily basis for me to sit down and write in my normal journal I do it less consistently. 

But maybe you sit down with your normal journal at the end of every day before you get ready for bed. 

Ask yourself why you want to journal. What do you hope to get out of it? 

If you don’t have a purpose or a driver to why you want to journal you’ll be less likely to do it. 

Struggling with what to write about? Try journal prompts. 

There are so many books filled with journal prompts, get on Pinterest or find a favorite blogger who shares their journal prompts. [insert Vienda here]. 

Let go of the idea of perfection. 

Hard, I know. Especially with your journal journal. That journal that one day might get published after your death (unlikely, but hey it’s passed through your mind) or the idea of someone reading one day. Wanting it to be well spoken, prolific, all those things that keep you from just writing. 

Make it a challenge. 

A 30 day challenge is a great place to start. I don’t know about you but my mindset changes when I’ve been challenged to do something. I’m not a competitive person, but there’s more of a drive to complete something set out before me. 

Give a template a go. 

This isn’t something I do, but I’ve read from countless people that this is what keeps them consistent. 

Some ideas to add to your template:

+ main thing you did that day

+ anything noteworthy or interesting

+ what did you accomplish

+ anything you read or watched

+ something you want to document 

+ what are you grateful for

+ what’s one thing you need to accomplish for work

+ what’s one thing you want to accomplish in your personal life

There are so many ways to journal and there are no wrong ways to journal. You just have to set out a goal and get started. 

How do you journal? 

Mindmapping Habits I Want to Add

I wrote a blog earlier this month about how I tried out mind mapping for the first time. And one of the first thing I mind mapped was habits I wanted to add to my days. 

Most of these are good habits that I’ve had on and off for a few years, but all that I knew would have a positive effect on my day to day. 

I wanted to dig into how I could add them into my day, specific times that might work best, what my specific goal was for that habit, and the benefits to each habit. 

So, I had a rough idea of what these habits were that I wanted to add, and the six I came up with were:

+ exercise

+ journal

+ meditate

+ hydrate

+ gratitude 

+ wake up early

Now, these might seem like pretty general habits most people wanted to add, but today I wanted to share how I broke each down into something tangible for me. 

So, the first thing I asked myself about each habit was what is my daily goal for this habit? 

exercise = 30 minutes each day

journal = write in one journal each day

meditate = either meditate or sit quietly for 10 minutes

hydrate = drink 80 - 120 oz of water each day

gratitude = write three gratitudes each evening 

wake up early = 6 am

I have to set specific goals, as I guess most people do, to follow through with them. 

The next thing I asked myself was, what specific time of day could I fit this goal into. Another important step to actually getting it done.

exercise = a morning walk or run, bike or walk places, take the stairs

journal = morning pages first thing, normal journal late afternoon

meditate = either in the morning before work, or when I need a break

hydrate = all day obviously but a glass before coffee and breaking it up between hours 

gratitude = first thing when I get into bed

wake up early = morning, duh

And finally I thought through different benefits I saw in each. 

exercise = important to move my body each day, good way to take a break during the day, get out in nature, clear my mind.

journal = document things, brain barf, more focused, think through things, clear mind, less anxiety, free therapy.

meditate = less anxiety, calmer mind, free therapy. 

hydrate = better skin, digestion and energy.

gratitude = more grateful and positive, less anxiety

wake up early = more productive in the morning, get my day started, get to have coffee. 

I thought through each habit one at a time, starting in the center with “habits” and branching further and further from there.

I then made a list in Wunderlist where I could store all the notes in an organized, tangible fashion. And it’s nice to have them in an easily accessible place where I can go check in on them and get inspired again if need be. 

I’ve been really good at journaling, daily gratitude and waking up early and not so great at hydrating, meditating and exercising. 

And I think that’s an important note to end on. You’re not going to seamlessly add this new habit into your life straight away. You’re going to mess up. Hell, you might even forget about it. But that’s ok. Failure doesn’t mean you can’t keep trying. 

Keep tweaking when you do it, how you do it and you’ll find the sweet spot in your days to add it to. 

What are some habits you’ve been working to add, or maybe remove from your day to day life?  

I'm a Big Fan of Making Lists

I love writing things out to think through them. 

+ shopping list

+ want list

+ what I’m going to make that week for food

+ what I need to get done for work

+ my plan of attack to clean my apartment

And so on and so forth.

There’s definitely something about physically handwriting out a list, especially if I’m brainstorming something. 

And then once I have brain barfed it all out I can then go in and organize the items or tasks into where they need to be stored so I can actually make it happen. 

They usually get sorted either into my bullet journal, my Evernote or my latest addition, Wunderlist. 

I recently decided I wanted to find a new (to me) app for creating lists, and I finally ended up downloading Wunderlist. 

And I’ve switched over a whole bunch of lists into it to better organize them. 

I have created folders, and some of my favorites are:

+ creating videos (checklists for before I film, while I film and after I film)

+ books to read (everything from self-help to business and fiction)

+ content ideas (for FemmeHead, for my second channel and for the blog) 

The checklists for creating videos has allowed me to make sure I’m remembering to check my audio, set my ISO and everything correctly to get the best possible footage. And if I’m ever just on the struggle bus I can go to that list and be told what I need to do. 

Now, the lists for books I want to read has probably been my favorite project I’ve taken on with Wunderlist. So, before I just had the book titles in a document on Evernote, but I never really used that list because it was just a bunch of titles and I could never remember what the books were about. 

So, in my Wunderlist I have gone through and added the book summary under the notes tab for that item, as well as whether my local library has it. And if it does I add the call number, and if it doesn’t I add the Amazon link for that book. 

Yeah, I know, amazing right? 

I’ve had an ongoing content ideas list for a few years now, but I’ve taken it one step further on my Wunderlist and started brainstorming 'future' future content ideas, like beyond the upcoming month. 

And by that I mean I have lists under a “Content Ideas” folder such as:

+ fall 

+ winter

+ lifestyle

+ cycles

+ charting

+ business

+ second channel ideas

It’s awesome to have separate categories for my content ideas, that way I can go through and say man, I really need to brainstorm cycle related topics. Plus they’re organized, duh. And now for the next five months I can go off of a base list of ideas that I’ve come up with for fall and winter. 

Moral of the story is make lists, but find a way to organize them in such a way that you can actually use all that awesome brainstorming power for good. 

It doesn’t do me any good if I have all these ideas tucked in some wrinkled notebook forgotten in the bottom of my desk drawer. Nope,k I’ve taken them and put them in an easily accessible location that I won’t forget about. 

What are your lists you couldn’t live without and what’s your favorite place to organize them? 

I Tried Mind Mapping

Mind mapping. 

Mind what? 

So, this was first something I saw on Muchelleb’s channel, and it was a while ago she first mentioned it. 

But there was a period of time where I would hear her talk about it and think, nah that’s not for me. I thought I needed to be more structured and neat than mind mapping. That it was too scattered for me. 

But it just kept popping up and finally, I thought what the heck, I should give it a go. 

So, I rewatched her videos on it and chose a few things I could mind map. 

I think of it as a new way for me to brainstorm. 

I wouldn’t use it to take notes (I’ve seen people who use this technique to study). 

But brainstorming, I could handle that. 

So, the first thing I decided to mind map, an easy place to start, was with a few habits I wanted to add. 

Before doing the actual mind mapping I sat and thought about what those habits were, and I came up with:

+ journal daily

+ exercise

+ mediate

+ 80-120 oz of water

+ gratitude journal

Ok, so journal daily? 

First off, I was like you know what, I’m going to make that into a 30-day challenge. 

And as I was going through brainstorming these different habits I realized I needed to have a specific time of day to do them. 

That’s probably my biggest tip because I’ve noticed the things I do at the same time each day are the things I stick with versus the things that I think oh I want to do that at some point today. Not gonna happen for this lady. 

So I decided that morning pages would be the first thing, my gratitude journal would be as soon as I got into bed, and my normal journal would be for things to remember.

I went through and wrote out different benefits and why I wanted to journal more. And most of it was mental health, free therapy, clearer thinking and so on. 

And I would just add one thing at a time and spend a few minutes thinking through why I wanted that as a habit, and how I could actually hold myself accountable for doing them. 

Habits started connecting. For example, if I woke up early I would have more time to go for a run, do my morning pages, meditate and not feel so rushed to get my day started. Exercising would lead to drinking more water. And things like that. 

In the end mind mapping is a fun little exercise that I recommend giving a go. There’s no right or wrong way to do it so I’d say don’t spend too much time worrying about the technique. 

Do you mind map? Share your experience below! 

How I Celebrate the Full Moon

I don’t always ‘celebrate’ the full moon, but I definitely acknowledge it, aka look up at it in awe and wonder. Seriously, the moon is this amazing, beautiful thing. 

I haven’t done a ton of research into the lunar cycle, but from what I have read and heard this is what I’ve got to share. 

New Moon — answer the phrase: “I want…"

+ similar to our menstrual phase

+ a time for new beginnings, optimism, and hope

Waxing Moon — ask yourself: “If I were free…” 

+ similar to our follicular phase

+ good for growth and learning

Full Moon — answer the phrase: “I release…"

+ similar to our ovulatory phase

+ the time for our peak energy, and feeling gratitude

Waning Moon — ask yourself: “I feel…"

+ similar to our luteal phase

+ time for you to let go, cleanse and break habits

I’ve also seen that if you journal for the new moon the full moon is the time to release and let go. And here is what I’ve compiled for a little journaling ritual for the full moon. 

1. meditate or sit quietly for 5-10 minutes

2. write a list of who you want to release (people, situations, habits)

3. ask yourself what you are looking for in life

4. where are you at emotionally, physically

5. what phase are you currently at in your menstrual cycle

6. do you have any goals or intentions at this point

7. burn or just tuck away and let go of that list you’ve written down

8. take a few minutes to clean your space to release that old energy and make way for fresh new energy

Simple, and not too fru-fru. And if you want something even simpler, just sit and think through these questions, acknowledge your thoughts and let them go.

It’s really all about what works for you.

The full moon will be this Sunday, probably when I’m hurtling through the sky somewhere on my way to Bristol. But I hope I can make time on the plane to sit and think through these questions for myself. 

What are you ready to let go of this full moon? 

Things I Do When I'm Stressed

We all get a little stressed and anxious at different points, and that’s normal and ok. I used to have pretty bad anxiety back when I was on the pill, and on top of that, I didn’t really know how to manage my stress or anxiety. 

Nowadays I thankfully have less stress in my life, but it still happens. And I’ve gotten a heck of a lot better at managing my stress. 

Today, I wanted to share my go-to strategies when I’m feeling stressed out or anxious. 

[Disclaimer: everyone's stress and anxiety are different. I’m lucky to have it pretty mild all in all, and what works for me might not work for you.]

In no particular order:

+ journal | this is my number one go-to thing that I do when I’m feeling out of sorts in any way. I will dig into my ‘normal’ journal when something just comes up and I need to get it out. But I’ve found that one way I can manage my stress, and work through things is with a daily practice of morning pages. This is where I sit down first thing each morning and write out three pages of just streaming conscious thoughts, basically whatever is in my mind. 

+ get out in nature | I grew up out in the woods, in nature surrounded by trees, the breeze and a whole lot of space. Regardless, I think removing yourself from the hustle and bustle of a city, and even if it’s just going to a park nearby, I find that nature soothes the soul. Take a book, your work, hang up a hammock or go on a walk. 

+ go on a walk/run | this is something that I’ve been trying to make a part of my daily routine. I would love to start running again in the mornings, but I try to take a break during the day and walk somewhere, whether it’s to run an errand like drop of library books or print something off from FedEx, I find that not only taking the break, but getting out and finding movement does a lot for me. 

+ brainstorm goals | when I’m feeling a bit lost in my direction, unmotivated or stressed about where I am I find that brainstorming what I want to achieve and coming up with a list of tangible steps forward never fails to make me feel more in control again. And I think having goals in general and pushing yourself outside your comfort zone are good things to keep you growing. 

+ meditate | you knew I was going to say this one didn’t you? But it’s so true, I even know that, and I’m not even that good at staying consistent with meditation. If meditation isn’t your thing I find that disconnecting and sitting quietly for ten minutes is nice as well. You can also try an app out there like Headspace or Calm. 

+ watch videos or read a book | this is a great way to get inspired, and if you’re having difficulties with something I guarantee someone else has been through it as well and either written a book, made a video on YouTube or wrote a blog post about it. I really enjoy videos and books that are about self-help and business related things. And there’s really something magical about watching someone talk about how they got more organized, inspired, cleaned up their house, got back on track and anything like that. 

+ learn a new skill/do something new | having a goal that is unrelated to work is such a good thing. Last year it was training for a marathon for me. This year I’ve been working hard to teach myself new skills related to creating better content, being more organized and taking on the business side of things, which isn’t my strong suit. I also really want to teach myself to play a song on the ukulele. Oh, I learning how to ride a longboard is a great challenge. 

+ check in on my sleep situation and nighttime routine | if you’re feeling out of sorts take some time to think through how you’ve been sleeping, how much sleep have you been getting and what do you do before bed to wind down? If you’re going straight from social media or staring at your laptop to jumping in bed and expecting yourself to fall asleep you’re not doing yourself any favors. Sleep is so important and people seem to think that getting less sleep is some sort of badge of honor. It’s not. 

+ step away | take a technology break, put down your phone, shut your laptop and just do something else. Whether this is a little self-care time, reading a book, running an errand. There are countless things you can do to just take a break from it all. Even if it’s just for 10 minutes. You have the time. 

+ have a get my life together day | this is usually Sundays for me, and I find that by having one day a week that I dedicate part of or all of to getting my life together just makes me feel better heading into the new week. So, I do things like clean my apartment, like deep clean, not the surface level cleaning you do to get you through the week. I pop in a load of laundry, finish up tasks from the week before, plan out the following week, and just basically all the things you put off during the week. Cleaning is also a coping mechanism of mine. 

+ listen to music | this is a great way to change the atmosphere. I like to pop on some tunes while I work, clean, get ready, and sometimes when I just need a break I’ll put on some loud, fun music and dance (*flail*) around like a weirdo. This is also a great thing to do while you’re out on that walk, run or in nature to de-stress. 

+ watch something light-hearted and funny | we all need a good laugh, and sometimes you need some help doing that. Whether it’s a quick segment of a talk show on YouTube or something stupid you found on Netflix, just escape for a bit and have a good chuckle. 

Now, the next two are my go-to’s if I’m feeling super anxious or on the verge of a panic attack:

+ get in the shower and sit down | something about water has always calmed me down. If I don’t feel well I’ll run a bath, but if I’m feeling like I’m going to have a panic attack (and I’m home) I will get in the shower and sit down and just work through it there. I don’t like being around other people in those moments and there really is something about the water from the shower coming down over you. 

+ practice a breathing technique of counting my breaths | if I’m not somewhere that I can get into the shower, or if it’s not to the level of sit in the shower I will count my breaths. Ten deep breaths, starting on the inhale (one), exhale (two) and so on. 

Like I said before we all have our different ways of handling stress that works for us. What are your go-to strategies? 

How I Celebrate the New Moon

I’ve always admired the moon, but it wasn’t until the past few years that I started ‘celebrating’ the different phases of the moon. And it’s really just an acknowledgement rather than like a seance in the woods. 

And I don’t do it every month, but there are just those times where you’re drawn to doing something to commemorate it.

First off, I want to share some of the phases of the moon. I normally focus on the new moon for some reason. And I always notice the full moon, as well as have it on my calendar. Waxing and waining, not so much, although I do find them interesting.

I also think there is a similarity between the lunar cycle and the menstrual cycle, just like there’s connections between the seasons and our cycles as well.

So, below I have listed out four phases of the moon, the question you should ask yourself during that phase, what menstrual phase it correlates with, and what the essence of that phase is about. 

New Moon - “I want…"

+ menstrual phase

+ new beginnings, optimism, hope

Waxing Moon - “If I were free…” 

+ follicular phase

+ growth, learning

Full Moon - “I release…"

+ ovulatory phase

+ peak energy, gratitude

Waning Moon - “I feel…"

+ luteal phase

+ let go, cleanse, break habits

You can celebrate a phase however you see fit. Like I said above the one I find myself most drawn towards is the new moon, but every now and then I like to focus on the full moon as well. 

But today is about what I do on the new moon. 

Some people like to have a little new moon ritual, but I like to keep it more basic than that. 

I always wait until it’s dark out, turn off the harsh overhead lights, usually light a candle or an intense and use a lamp or the twinkle lights to illuminate what I’m doing. 

Other elements I like to add are music and a cup of tea or a glass of red wine. 

I haven’t been the best at meditating lately, but I like to at least take a few minutes to just sit there silently, if not meditating. 

Once I’ve created the atmosphere and mindset for it, I’ll begin. 

And my chosen ‘main event’ is to write a letter to the Universe. It’s a way to manifest what you want, put what you want into words and send it out into the universe.

I’ve talked before about writing letters to the universe, including a script of how I do it. You can read that here. 

Basically, I start by listing a few things I’m grateful for at that moment before getting into what I’m asking for. I then wrap it up with a few more thanks before signing the letter.

And although I write my letters in either my journal or in my Evernote app on my computer, there’s a sense of putting what it is you want out there and just leaving it along after that.

This doesn’t mean acting upon opportunities that come your way, it just means I’ve put it out there so I don’t need to fret about it anymore. 

Do you celebrate the new moon? What will your ritual/routine be this weekend when it comes around again? 

Taking a Personal/Mental Health Day

Sometimes we all need a little mental health day. This isn’t a sick day. Nah, I can keep working when I’m sick, which I do. 

But there are those days that you are mentally, physically and emotionally drained and just would be rubbish at work anyways so why not step back and take care of yourself for a day, or half day, or evening? 

+ Plan it out ahead of time:

- do you need to tell your boss

- what do you need to get done to step back

- put up an out of office on your email

- make a list of what you’re going to do with your time

+ What are you going to do?

- is it a productive, get shit done, sort of day?

- is it a sleep in, take care of yourself, sort of day? 

- or a combination of both?

Regardless there’s a few things to consider:

+ allow yourself to sleep in

     - but don’t over do it 

     - or wake up early

+ shower and get ready,

     - even if you’re wearing loungewear all day

+ don’t veg out all day

     - you can but you won’t feel refreshed

     - there’s time in the evening for this, or when you need a little break, but don’t lose your whole day doing this

+ eat nourishing meals (hell maybe even meal prep)

     - either make yourself something at home

     - get food, but not fast food (ok maybe one meal that not super healthy)

Some ideas of stuff to do:

+ go outside

     - go for a walk/hike

+ reconnect with someone 

     - write a letter, call someone, meet for coffee

+ make it about you (self-care)

     - put on a mask

     - take a bath

     - get a massage

     - do your nails

+ sundays are my GMLT (get my life together) day, but maybe you need a week day to do this — hit reset

     - laundry    

     - get groceries

     - clean my apartment

     - plan out my week

+ run errands you’ve been putting off

     - doesn’t seem exciting but you’ll feel good after

+ declutter an area of your house

     - go through your shoes, your bathroom drawers, fridge

+ journal 

     - it’s my free therapy, and I’m able to work through stuff

+ meditate

     - or sit quietly for 5-10 minutes

Your personal, mental health day can be anything you want it to be. It really is tempting to just veg out on Netflix all day (we’re all guilty of that), but I promise you’re going to head back to the real world feeling so much better if you’ve made time to do nourishing things for yourself. 

What are some of the things you do on a personal/mental health day, even if it’s on the weekend? And I should add that I know everyone can't take a day off work for themselves, but this doesn't mean you can skimp on these things. Make time for it in the evenings or on the weekends. 

Benefits of a Capsule Wardrobe

I’ve been really into the benefits of things recently. And one of my favorite topics is minimalism and one branch of that for me is my capsule wardrobe. While you 100% don’t need to have a capsule to be a “minimalist” it is something that I have found beneficial for nearly two years now (to be honest I can’t actually recall how long it’s been). 

One obvious benefit for me has been less laundry. I go through phases of wearing strikingly similar outfits for months at a time. You know the t-shirt and jeans sort of thing. And I will rewear the same pair or two of jeans all week long, and sometimes the same two or three shirts. 

And I’m going to let you in on a secret: I only do my laundry once a week. And I know that’s probably pretty common for most people but even at the end of the week I have to combine loads with Michael because often times I don’t have enough for a full load of laundry. 

For me it’s not the collecting of dirty clothes and putting them through the washer. It’s the folding and hanging back of of said clean clothes that isn’t my favorite part. And with a capsule wardrobe this process has been cut down so much from where it used to be. Not to mention you could go weeks without doing laundry because of everything you owned. So when it did come time to do laundry it was a downright nightmare! 

Next on my list of benefits: easier decisions each morning. I like to savor that good morning brain juice for important decisions to be made, not on mundane things like what should I wear today. I can literally open up my closet, grab an outfit in 10 seconds, put it on and feel great about how I look that day. Because I don’t have a bajillion pieces of clothing to sift through each morning I can save my brain power for work. 

And the next one kind of goes along with that, but basically you like everything you have to choose from, which in turn helps define your personal style. I don’t keep things that don’t fit me, I don’t like how they look or that I feel don’t reflect my style. While I don’t think I could describe what my personal style is to you, I guarantee you can see it via what I wear. I don’t hold onto old pieces that I’m not into anymore. 

Moving right along: you only have season appropriate clothes to choose from. This means I have my capsule full of sweaters in the winter and flowy dresses in the spring and summer. I don’t have to wade through everything I own to find something that works for the weather that day. I know that from the selection I have set out in my closet there is going to be a simple, quick option for me. 

And finally I think my favorite perk is having a capsule has made me a more conscious consumer, I don’t get swept up into fads that pass quicker than you can blink and in the end I’m saving a boatload of money. I used to go to the thrift store to just see what they had. And because everything was just a couple bucks I didn’t feel guilty buying whatever it was. But I ended up with so many things I never wore for one reason or another, and I just had way more than I could actually wear. 

I now think through everything I buy, and it makes the process so much more enjoyable but also when I finally do make the purchase I am so much more excited about it, and that excitement lasts. And although now I’m more willing to invest a bit more into something in the long run I’m saving money because those things last longer and I’m not just buying cheap crap willy nilly.

Why do you like having a capsule wardrobe? 

Benefits of Being Hydrated

Ok, so as you may know I set a little challenge for myself to drink more water this past month. And even though I technically “failed” that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop drinking water or stop trying to drink enough. 

We all know being hydrated is important. It’s just one of those things that we know we should be doing a better job at. 

So, today I thought I would share some of the wonderful benefits that come along with being adequately hydrated enough. 

Not sure how much water you should be drinking? Take your weight (in pounds), multiply it by .67 and that’s the minimum number of ounces you should be drinking. You’ll also want to take into account activity level. For every 30 minutes of exercise you do you’ll want to add 18 ounces to that total. 

So, for example I’m around 120 pounds, which means I should be drinking at least 80 ounces of water per day. And then in a perfect world I would be drinking closer to 100 -120 ounces a day. 

Long story short I’m still working towards that goal. But like I said before let’s go over some of the benefits of drinking enough water. Take a few gulps of water as you read each of these. 

+ Increased energy — water is another type of fuel your body needs alongside getting enough nutrients and such. Your brain is something like 73% water. 

+ Increased metabolism — not only that but sometimes when you feel hungry you’re really just thirsty. 

+ Helps build and repair muscle, as well as protect joints — water acts as a natural lubricant for your muscles and joints

+ Great for skin — I think this is a benefit a lot of people want to drink more water for, myself included. I feel like my skin is just tight, dry and uneven when I’m not drinking enough. 

+ Boosts immune system — drinking enough water is directly related to having a stronger immune system. Help yourself avoid cold and flu season this year. 

+ Flush out toxins — drink the water, urinate out the waste. Plus it helps prevent against kidney stones and UTIs. 

+Regular bowel movements and digestion — keeps everything moving. 

+ Improves Heart Health — there's a link between coronary heart disease and water consumption. 

+ Prevents bad breath

+ Maintains pH balance

And the list goes on and on. There has never been something I’ve seen that I’m like no I don’t want any of that when it comes to the benefits of being properly hydrated. 

Well, this isn’t because of being hydrated but I have heard of people dying from drinking too much water too fast. But you would have to drink 2.5-5.6 gallons (10-20 liters) of water in just a few hours. Which I know I couldn’t do even if I tried. 

So, you have nothing to loose from drinking more water. 

What are some of your tricks to making sure you’re remembering to drink enough each day? 

Positives of Minimalism For Me

I could go on and on about all the benefits of the world of minimalism (and I do), so today I wanted to just share another list of all the positives that have come from this transition in my life. 

+ It's easier to clean

You may think that you’re very organized with all of your different containers and storage spots in your home, but clutter is still clutter no matter how you arrange it. 

I have a spot for everything I own and know exactly where it goes. This also makes keeping track of stuff a lot easier too. (I’ve found one of my superpowers is remembering where something is at, even Michael’s stuff.)

And when you have less that means less stuff to put away when it comes time to cleaning. Think about having a five-bedroom house vs. having a two bedroom house. Space easily gets filled with things, and that space has to be vacuumed, dusted, you name it. 

+ It's easier to get ready

I’ve done a number of closet declutters since the original big one back in the day, but at that first one, I got rid of nine large garbage bags of clothing and shoes. Nine bags! Before I would have to use my elbows to push my clothes apart to hang something up. It was insane. 

Now, my clothes don’t even fill a fourth of my closet, which is really nice because that gives me storage for work things. 

But it also makes getting ready in the morning so much easier. 

Since that first declutter, and subsequent declutters I’ve been creating capsule wardrobes for each season, which helps so much more than you could imagine. 

Having only your favorite items that are season appropriate to choose from each morning cuts getting dressed down to just a minute or two each morning. 

+ It impacts all aspects of life

This was a surprise benefit I discovered thanks to minimalism. I just thought “Hey, I’ll have less stuff. Great!” But what I didn’t realize was that it would change the way I think about everything. 

Who are the people I want to spend my time with and give my energy to? It’s hard to cut people out of your life, but sometimes it’s necessary so you can thrive.

What am I spending my time doing? Is it activities I enjoy, or things I’m doing just because I think I should, or someone else asked me to? When you stop doing things that aren’t adding anything to your life you make space for things that really matter to you. 

+ It has made room and money for quality items

When you stop buying stuff just to buy stuff you have more time to research what you actually want and need, and the particular item you’re going to get and love. This has made me so much more excited about things when I do buy them because I know I’m going to love them and use them. 

And I know I will have not only space for them, but because I’m saving my money not buying a bunch of stuff all the time I can invest more money and get quality products that I’m proud to own.

+ I have more connection to what I do own

Going off that last one I have found that because I have taken the time to weed out all the things I don’t like, and have spent the time to research and choose each item consciously that I am so much more invested in what I do own. 

I take better care of my things. I have more pride in what I own. Even something as simple as a water bottle or a pair of boots. 

Minimalism doesn’t mean you have to get rid of everything you own, and I think a lot of people are afraid they’ll have to give up things they love. But it couldn’t be more the opposite. You get to keep everything you love and cherish, and you’ll have more space and time for them too!

+ I have everything I want and need

Sometimes people think minimalists go without, that they sleep on a mattress on the floor and have no flavor to their life. But I can truly say that I have everything I want and need in life (and probably then some). There are always areas in which I know I could cut back even further, but the great thing about it is you don’t have to unless you want to. It’s not a competition. 

+ It has helped me fine tune my decision-making process

I used to buy cheap things without really thinking about them. What were a few dollars here or there? But I’ve realized that just because something is on sale, or could be altered to fit better or hey might one day be part of a really great costume idea doesn’t mean you should buy it. 

I am so much more conscious of what I’m bringing into my life, whether that is material things, people, experiences, you name it. 

I also feel like minimalism has given me more character and personality because it’s made me sit down and think about what I want out of life. 

How has minimalism benefited your life?