Little Things I Do Every Day

Today I’m linking up with Shay and Erika to discuss some of the little things that I do every single day.  I am, by nature, a creature of habit, a person who thrives on routine, and someone who is very self-disciplined and self-motivated.  So, as you can probably imagine, my days are very well thought-out, organized (for the most part), and structured. 

I divided the things I do every day into three categories for this post – health and wellness, organization, and pleasure – so they’re not scattered and randomly placed throughout the post.  And please note that I’m not mentioning any of the basic hygiene tasks like showering, putting on deodorant, brushing my teeth, etc. because I feel like those are things that go without saying.  ;o)

Okay, let’s get to it!

Health & Wellness

 

-       Drink at least 64 oz. of water – I carry a 30 oz. Stanley tumbler everywhere I go and that makes this task easy to accomplish every day.  I fill it once first thing in the morning and then again mid-morning, and then I top it off in the late afternoon.  I keep it with me all day long and I sip on it constantly to make sure I’m getting what I need.  I don’t feel my best when I’m not hydrated, so this has always been a priority for me.

-       Take supplements – I currently take a daily multi-vitamin tailored especially for women, I take Sulfurzyme by Young Living for healthy hair/skin/nails, I take Magnesium Glycinate Lycinate for anxiety/muscle tension/digestion, and I take Turmeric for inflammation… that has been life-changing.  You can read all about my supplements here if you’d like to know more. 

-       Take care of my skin – my skin routine isn’t super involved or expensive, but I do moisturize my whole body every single day without fail using this CeraVe cream.  I also wear this daily sunscreen, and I apply this neck and chest cream every single day.  I have noticed a drastic difference in the skin on my neck and chest since I started using it.

-       Work out/Move my body – each day I do a different workout, and I alternate among outdoor runs, outdoor walks, mixed cardio, strength training, stair stepper, and yoga, among other things.  I work out for at least 30 minutes every single day (most of the time longer than that), and it keeps me feeling energized and strong.  I do take Fridays off to let my body rest, but chances are, I’m still walking or moving around a lot in the house on those days off.

-       Quiet Time – this consists of writing in my gratitude journal, writing in my prayer journal/spending time in prayer, reading my daily devotional, reading my Bible, reading The Bible Recap book, and listening to The Bible Recap video.  I also read the daily verse in the Bible app every single day.  This process is a bit time-consuming, but it has been worth every single second.  I have never felt closer to God than I do right now, and I know that I owe most of that to reading His Word every day.  Prior to this, I always did a daily devotional, and while I have always gotten a lot out of that as well, it just wasn’t enough.  I didn’t realize it wasn’t enough until I started reading my Bible every day, too.

-       Meditate – I started meditating in 2018 I think?  And I have meditated every single day since then, only missing a couple of days in the last five years.  While I meditate, I lay on this acupressure mat, and it has done wonders for my neck tension.  I use the Calm app and my meditations range from 7-10 minutes depending on the day, but I have found meditation incredibly beneficial.  It’s something I’ll do every day for the rest of my life.

-       Read a daily devotional with the kids – I started reading a kids’ devotional with Jacob and Olivia every single morning before school several years ago, and I feel like it’s a great way for them to start their days.  It’s always a good thing to send them off to school with Jesus fresh in their minds and in their hearts!   I pray it helps them to always try their best to make good choices.  We are currently reading this one and we love it.

 

Organization

 

-       Make my bed – I’m one of those people who makes the bed every single day without fail.  I feel like it sets the tone for a good day!

-       Check off the to-do list – I have a to-do list that I follow every day, and it helps me prioritize the things that are important, it helps me stay on task, and it helps me utilize my time well each day.  I always feel a sense of accomplishment at the end of each day when I see a list that has been completed (or even mostly completed).

-       Make my to-do list for the next day – I also make my to-do list for the the next day before I go to bed.  By doing this, I go into each day feeling prepared because I know what to expect. 

-       Pick out my outfit for the next day – this saves me so much time in the morning when I’m getting ready because, again, it allows me to go into each day feeling prepared.  And I’m not getting behind in the morning because I don’t know what to wear.

-       Clean the kitchen – I feel scattered and disorganized when my kitchen is in disarray, so the kitchen always stays clean.  Every single day the dishwasher gets unloaded and reloaded, the countertops get wiped down, and the entire kitchen is tidied.  Even when the rest of the house is a mess, the kitchen is always clean and tidy.

 

Pleasure

 

-       Open all of the blinds in the house – I love natural sunlight during the day, so every single morning, I open all of the blinds in the house to let the sun shine in… I find it especially beneficial this time of year when it’s cold and dreary.

-       Drink a cup (or two) of tea – My Harney & Sons Hot Cinnamon Sunset Tea makes me so happy.  It’s one of my favorite things in the entire world.  So not a day goes by that I don’t drink at least one cup.  Most days I drink two, and some days when it’s really, really cold, I’m known to drink three.  I drink mine straight up without milk or cream or sugar so it’s SUPER healthy.  And I just read the other day that people who drink three cups of black tea per day may live longer because of the health benefits from it… so this one doubles as a health and wellness thing, too.  ;o)

-       Listen to music – Music is liiiife and I have it on pretty much every waking second.  I listen to it in the car, I listen to it while I work, I listen to it when I’m cleaning or tidying or working on projects, I listen to it while I work out, I listen to it while I cook.  It’s one of my favorite things in life.  There are, of course, times when I don’t have it on – like when I’m watching TV in the evening – but 99% of the time, I’m listening to music when I’m awake.  I do listen to Elvis Duran and the Morning Show every weekday morning, too, and we listen to Bobby Bones in the car on the way to school since Elvis Duran isn’t always 100% appropriate for kids. 

-       Turn on twinkle lights/lamps – ambiance is one of the most important things to me in life as well, so if I’m home, you can guarantee that every lamp and twinkle light is on in the rooms we are using.  I even have these string lights across the ceiling in my office.  

-       Diffuse oils – I made the switch to oils and ditched all of my candles back in 2019 and I haven’t looked back.  I diffuse oils most days (not every single day), and I love that I no longer get the headaches and dizziness that I used to get when I burned candles every day.  There are so many happy combinations that  you can make with oils, and the scents are truly mood-boosting.  A few of my faves – lime and vanilla, lime and peppermint, and the GOAT – cinnamon and clove.  All of these scents make me happy, and I’m all about the little things that make me happy.

-       Take a video with my phone – I started making yearly video recaps three years ago using the 1SE (One Second Everyday) app, so I make sure to take at least one video every single day, so I have a snipped for each day.  These videos have truly made wonderful keepsakes, and our whole family has enjoyed watching them year after year.

-       Take a picture of what I’m wearing – I do monthly recaps on what I wear, so I always make sure to snap a picture of my outfit each day, even if I never get out of my PJs.  ;o)

-       Text or call someone to say hi – I’ve started doing this daily this year as a way to reach out and connect with others and just let them know that I’m thinking about them.  I read recently that Jesus was a people person, and that’s what we’re called to be, too… and if we’re not connecting with others, then we’re missing out on the whole purpose of life.  It’s so, so true.  The older I get, the more I crave deep, meaningful connections with others.

 

And that’s all I can think of for now!  I’m sure there are some things I’m forgetting, but this mostly sums it up, I think.  It’s the little things, y’all!

And I would be remiss if I didn't mention that today is Ash Wednesday, which is the first day of Lent.  Lent is the 40 days leading up to Easter, and it is a time of Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving (giving or acts of charity).  It's a solemn period that commemorates the 40 days that Jesus spent fasting and avoiding temptation in the desert.  Oftentimes, Catholics give up something for Lent as a sacrifice, or we try to add something to enrich our lives or the lives of others (a Bible study, giving of our time, charitable works, etc.).  

Our pastor included a great list of ways to observe the season in our church bulletin this past week, and I thought I'd share them with you today in case you are observing this season, too.  That last one is specific to our area, of course, but you could donate in other ways.  ;o)