Welcome to the Friday 5!
Every Friday I will highlight 5 things I am currently loving. This can be anything from habits that are currently serving me, clothes, apps, people I am currently loving, podcasts, food, mom hacks and everything in between!
As the New Year approaches, I’ve been thinking a lot about routines. Routines that I do religiously and those that I have slacked off of in the busyness of the holidays. The beginning of the year is a great time to concentrate on getting back into the habits that make you feel your best. These are just some of the little things I try do routinely that make me feel like I am not losing my mind.
What I am currently loving:
Movement
Nothing and I mean NOTHING helps me cope with stress more than a workout. This is new for me, in the last 2 years specifically (the 3rd child really sent me over the edge), when I feel overwhelmed, stressed and like there are not enough hours in the day, getting my heart rate up helps every single time. While a full hour of a HIIT workout is really where it’s at for me, I don’t always have time for that. I’ve found just a little something helps too. A walk around the block, a quick yoga practice, a couple rounds of jumping jacks or squats will work too. Find something that works for you and force yourself to do it. Because sometimes it is a mental fight to think, I don’t have time to work out or I’ll just have another cup of coffee. I’ve never once regretted getting a workout in and always have more energy when I am done. Try it, I promise you won’t regret it.
Christian Radio
I started listening to our local Christian radio station in the mornings with the girls because the content included on the other morning shows seemed a little inappropriate for their age. Just the discussions of the news and celebrity gossip on my regular channels started leading to questions from the girls that I wasn’t ready to answer. So, we made the switch to our local Christian station and it has really made our mornings brighter. Even the way they present the news is a more positive and uplifting, just makes our mornings more enjoyable. They even do a genius club question and answer every morning that the girls just love, we rarely get the answers right, but it’s a fun game to play. If you are looking for a more soothing ride with the kids in the morning, which we all need after the madness of getting everyone out of the door, try finding your local Christian radio station. It has worked wonders for us.
My Grocery Schedule
I go to the grocery on Mondays. Period, end of story. I’m not running to the grocery story 2-3x a week, it costs a fortune to do that and I just don’t have the time. I made this decision about 3 years ago and have never looked back. I tried for a while to start going on Thursdays, so we were better stocked for the weekends, but Mondays just seems to be the best for all of our schedules right now. I am trying to meal plan better (this a never-ending struggle for me), but by keeping a few basics on hand each week we never go hungry. Having this plan in place each week helps me stay on top of other things as I’m not constantly trying to squeeze in a quick trip to the grocery. Sometimes, on very busy weeks I will do grocery pick up, but for the most part I can run in and out in less than an hour and we are stocked for 7 days. And if we do run out of something, that we typically use daily, I’ve figured out ways to work around it. A huge help has been keeping frozen blueberries and strawberries on hand. When in doubt, we have smoothies. For breakfast, snack or a side with dinner. Eggs are another big one. I’ve had leftovers for dinner while the girls have scrambled eggs and toast. Sometimes I have to get creative, but it is such a time and money saver to just go once a week.
Date Nights
It can be so hard to schedule time alone with Matt, especially now that we are busier than ever with the girls, but it makes such a difference in our relationship. We have a standing date night every Friday night. Obviously, it doesn’t happen every Friday, but we usually make it at least 2 or 3 times a month. We have an amazing babysitter that is in college and has us blocked off most Friday nights. There is just something about being out of the house, in real clothes and spending time alone that is really helpful for us. We have gotten so busy during the week that sometimes I feel like we go all week without having an actual conversation. We usually just go to dinner and it is the perfect opportunity to catch up and unwind after the busyness of the week.
Nightly Baths
This is probably my favorite thing right now. After putting the girls to bed and cleaning the kitchen, I cannot get in the tub quick enough. It is the perfect way for me to unwind from the day, wash my face and warm up. I seem to always be freezing towards the end of the day, so a hot bath is my favorite. It signals the end of the day and definitely helps me sleep better. I’ve even started collecting yummy soaps from local vendors in relaxing scents. This is one of my favorite things to buy at the farmer’s market. The only time I use my fancy soaps is for my nightly bath and it just makes it that much better.
I hope you found something helpful or inspiring in this week’s Friday Five! I’ll have 5 new favorites to share with you soon, have an awesome weekend!
