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​Morning (and night) routines are one of the most important things in my life. I was really struggling emotionally during a certain period of my life and I found that by setting healthy boundaries and routines (even in the midst of crazy traveling), my well being and joy increased dramatically. 
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I don't prescribe anything as being a fix-it-all solution. But I do think that we have trained ourselves to stop listening to our bodies. Learning to shut off social media and distractions to really listen to what we need will tell us so much. God designed our bodies to have boundaries, and if we are not respecting how we were created, we will be trapped by the broken emotions that come with being out of touch with this fleshly vessel we call home.

Here's just a few things that have worked for me in my morning routine:

1. Phone = OFF and OUT OF SITE

At night, I put my phone in the kitchen and turn it off. When I wake up, it is not near my bed and is not the first thing I go on. 

I used to 'use' my phone as an alarm (alarms are $12 at Target, people). So everytime it dinged, flashed, or vibrated, I'd roll over and check to see who was liking, emailing, commenting, etc. As soon as I woke up, I'd convince myself I needed to 'relax' for a few minutes before getting up. Even when I turned my notifications off, the constant awareness that it was always there was too tempting.

I used to have a lot of trouble sleeping too and when I'd have nights of restlessness, I enjoyed having my phone to keep me company. You know though, as soon as I put my phone away, my brain started realizing that I didn't have to be "on" all the time, I actually learned how to sleep so much better!

I was also convinced that I needed to be accessible. I ran a growing company and if something happened, I needed to be available. I have loads of siblings I adore. What if something happened and they needed me?

All of these feelings naturally put in us a state of anxiety, because there is an expectation of what's to come.  And we wonder why anxiety seems to constantly haunt us.

We also wonder why we feel feelings of worthlessness, comparison, or jealousy so often. Perhaps it's because before the hour of 8am, we've already read three news articles, looked at hundreds of curated photos, and read every new detail about our friend's lives. We can't blame social media for this. We have the power within us to put social media away. There's nothing wrong with others for wanting to post pretty photos, create art, and share their life's details. It's that you weren't meant to see it 24/7, late in the night, early in the morning, and at your most vulnerable times.

People will be okay without you being 'on' every second. You can buy an alarm and wake up the old fashioned way. And your brain will learn, over time, to rest and not feel that anxious expectation of missing out. Leave your phone for AFTER you've completed your morning routine.

2. Make your bed 

I admit, I still struggle with this. But making my bed has this weirdly glorious effect on me. It gives me this internal idea that, from the very beginning of the day, my life is in order. A simple task completed well that no one else sees helps me feel ready. And it sets me up to be well disciplined through out the day.

Also, it feels so good to get home and see a made bed, just beckoning for me to open the comforter and snuggle inside. It helps with my nightly routine too, as it lends to a sense of calm and peace right before bed.

3. Eat Breakfast

As for breakfast, I really mean just make something and/or anything. Even drinking a smoothie, sipping a cup of coffee, or chopping up some fruit helps me feel more prepared. It has nothing to do with the food, but that little act of willpower changes my mindset. (especially when I could easily run out the door with my bed a mess, an empty tummy, and the feeling that I'm already behind.) Making yourself breakfast reiterates to yourself that you have to put yourself first and sets your day up for good self care.
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3. Pray, Journal, Meditate...

Before I pick up my phone, or hop on my computer, I take time to do something for me to mentally prepare for the day. As someone of faith, I pray every morning. Usually while in bed still. As soon as I wake up, I thank God for all he's given me. I pray about how I'd like the day to look and ask for joy and determination. I always pray for the power of the Holy Spirit to move in me that day and give me power over my own desires and struggles. I've found that praying for this has helped me through some of the darkest things. It's essential that I set my heart on heaven every morning with gratitude and put in the guardrails during the day my heart will abide by.

Sometimes I'll get up and stretch while I pray. Sometimes I sit on a blanket and face the sun, feeling it on my face and thanking him for his goodness. Often times I pair reading my Bible with this or I journal.

It doesn't have to look the same everyday, but a routine that allows you to take a moment and readjust your focus on what is most important to you will help your brain be able to handle all that you will need to do and see that day. And, I find that if I'm doing this everyday, when I hop on social media I'm not confronted with comparisons or the overwhelming anxiety of the news. My heart has been checked and put in it's place and I feel peace.

5. Make a list of what to accomplish that day

This is my fifth and final thing. It's easy for me to finish the above and then immediately hop on my computer and start answering emails. But then I start to live life by REACTION. I want to move with intention and not react to things. So before I start my work day, I make a list of the top things to accomplish that day. I use an online list maker and move things around in my day/week until I feel that I have a clear vision of how to get each thing done. Then and only then do I dive into my work/social media.

These are just a few things I do, but they have helped me get through many challenging periods of life. Little acts of discipline can seem fruitless sometimes, but discipline done over and over can have such positive long term effects. So try some of these things out (even as simple as they seem) for 30 days and see how you feel!

​I have had a lot of people ask me "how do you afford to travel so much?" And it's normal that the first thought that pops into someone's mind when they see photos of airplanes and mountains and far off lands is "money." That's what you needed to travel once. But from my personal experience, I know that this is changing. We live in a day and age where money does not have to be associated with travel, where freedom does not need to be associated with 'rich.'

Listen in on my podcast to hear about traveling the world on a budget. 

With your first baby, everything is so new and just a tad confusing. I remember making my baby shower registry and having to ask my mom for help on EVERYTHING. It seemed like babies needed A TON of stuff, some of it I had no idea about.

When I googled "the most important products for a new baby," I was met with a hundred articles with all kinds of fancy gadgets that I could not afford nor did I want cluttering up my house. Ryan and I have lived in a camper and tiny apartments our whole marriage, so you can say minimalism is an appreciation of ours.

Now that Amelia is out and hanging around our house, I can tell which products I definitely needed and which ones were just an added bonus.

Here's my list of TOP 5 Baby products
(yes, you read that...top 5. Cause you honestly don't need a ton more than that).

* Remember, this is just my own personal list because everyone has different needs. I did not include necessities like diapers, wipes, and things like nail clippers. These 5 products are the extra things that were lifesavers for me.

I got this as a baby shower gift and it is my MOST USED product. I put her in the sling the third day she was born and have barely taken her out since. She absolutely loves it and falls asleep so quickly. With wanting to get back into work a few weeks after birth, this sling made it so easy to have my hands back while still keeping her close.

​Pictured is SongBird and Sparrow colored slings. :) 

I love my babe, but like any baby, she can be fussy. Her plastic pacifiers pop right out of her mouth, leaving me in an endless game of getting up to put them back in....only for them to pop right out again. This specific pacifier is super soft and leaves no marks on her face, while also staying in her mouth for SO much longer than the other ones. The pacifier clip is also super helpful so we don't lose the pacifier when we're walking out and about. (and functions as a teething ring when her little teefies come in. ;)

Pacifier > 
Pacificer Clip >

Everyone told me these were awesome, but they really are. There's so many fancy ones, but the two I received as gifts are below and I love them. One rocks her side to side, and one is a true swing. (The swing works really well during the day when she wants to be rocked, but wants to see around the room). 

Rocker >
Similar Swing >

A friend got this for me and I LOVE the one they purchased. It is oversized and pretty. I actually slept on it the last month of pregnancy, because it was the only pillow that helped my back. And then when Amelia came, it doupled as a nursing pillow. Because it was so big, it is the comfiest thing to put behind your back while keeping some of it out to nurse. Super supportive.

Nursing Pillow >

I underestimated how stir crazy I would be after birth. Ryan and I probably went for 4 walks in the first week. I needed to stretch my body out and do something that was easy for me, but allowed me to be in fresh air. The stroller we got (was pretty cheap from Target) is so light and easy to snap in and out of car in literally 10 seconds. Because of that, taking walks is so much easier and was the BEST thing for my mental energy and wellness right after birth. With this, I do kind of wish the car seat that came with our stroller had been a little more padded for her first weeks. Her head was sliding everywhere and everyone tells you not to put those pads in the seat! So that made it a little tricky, but the stroller itself was cheaper and SO awesome.

Similar Stroller >

​                                             A couple other items I loved having, but didn't make the list (with my reason why!)

- Dockatot: I loved this for the first few weeks! After about 4 weeks, Amelia started getting really frustrated in it. She loves to sleep on her side when napping and wiggle around. This is pretty restrictive and keeps them flat on their back. I know some say that's the safest way to sleep forever, but for naps, Amelia just doesn't have it and screams instead. We use it occasionally now, but not as much. But it was great for those first weeks! (It's a bit expensive for just those few weeks though)

- A flat mat/or cushion for the floor: Amelia loves being on the floor and looking up. (and her Nina got her a big Lamb cushion to lay on, which is the cutest). So she loves this and uses it fairly often. I wouldn't spend a ton of money on these, as you can find them pretty cheap.

- Neutral baby clothes: You and friends are generally drawn to more flashy, colorful baby clothes. But I honestly loved having minimalistic and neutral baby clothes that would match everything....and it made it way easier to just change a pair of pants out rather than finding a whole new outfit everyday.

- Necessities: Honestly the following list is about all we've used in the first 8 weeks. Honest baby diapers, wipes, Honest bath soap, Jordan Essentials baby lotion, nail clippers (a MUST), a thermometer (just for piece of mind), Vitamin D drops, a couple muslin blankets, nipple cream the first week, Baby bath for the first few weeks (now at 8 weeks, she and I just hop in the bath), and a couple burp cloths that I use underneath us when we nurse so we don't get milk all over the bed. 😂

Things we rarely use:
- Her crib & co-sleeper: She is always in our room and often in our bed. (Before anyone get's all cray cray against bed-sharing, please don't. There's pros and cons to everything, and we've done the appropriate research to make an informed decision and to be responsible in doing so.

- Changing table: We just change her wherever, whenever. You get used to poop just being on things. ;)

- Baby Mittens, Baby Shoes, Baby Washcloths, Burp Cloths: We use about one-two sets of all of these, but usually don't need much more than that.

I'm here with my husband Ryan today and we are sharing our 5 tips for healthy communication in our marriage!
For all the deets, listen to our full podcast below.

​I met Ryan when he was 11 years old and I was 12. We were at a community pool and sparks were flying. Okay, maybe not so much. We were pre-teens and super goofy and awkward around each other. But give us a few years and we got on board with the whole not being awkward thing. At 14 years of age, we both admitted to one another our crushes (so middle school, right?) and started 'dating.' I put dating in air quotes, because we weren't technically allowed to date at the time, so it was more like supervised friendship with our parents or siblings always around. But it didn't matter to us, we were head over heels in love! Not out of the ordinary for middle schoolers, but what was different is that we actually made it. We made it out of the awkward tweens, the midde school years of unsurety, and the tulmutous time of high school, going off the college and finding yourself.

We've been together for over 10 years and are still as madly in love as the day we admitted our goofy crushes to each other at church. ;)

How have we managed to stay so in love. Two words. Healthy Communication.

So today, we're going to jump into our 5 tips for Healthy Communication from two middle school sweethearts. Ready for it? Okay, let's go!

1. UNDERSTANDING THEIR VALUES

Every person has different values, but we tend to treat people the way WE expect to be treated. And hey, the golden rule isn't a bad one. But sometimes, it plain doesn't work.

Why? Because we aren't all made the same. We grow up different, have different parents, varying life experience. Because of this, we ALL have different values and we can't EXPECT people to operate on our own. In our marriage, we've found that the love language tests online really help you determine what some of your values are. I really value quality time, where as Ryan really values words of affirmation. If I keep giving him my time, but never praise him or verbally thank him for what he does for me, he feels hurt. If he tells me how great I am, but doesn't make time for the little things I value, I feel hurt. So understanding your love languages and your values is a huge thing.

This is also a BIG conversation when it comes to money. (More on that it another podcast). But couples can definitely have different opinions on how money should be used and when. Neither viewpoint is evil or necessarily wrong, but making sure both people feel valued and heard is important. Before we even got married, we talked through our values and we continue to do this every year to make sure we are treating each other the way they dream of being treated.

2. DON'T BE AFRAID OF HEALTHY FIGHTING

Now, I'm not talking 'throwing chairs around the room'. But there is a healthy way to fight. Engage in conversation, even if it’s hard and could lead to tension. Fighting is better than passivity.
 
Disagreeing to have your thoughts known is not necessarily bad. We all got married with the hope to be known and understood, so that is PART of marriage. But disagreements turn into a problem when you are trying to wound the other person. Ryan and I fight, but we always, always, always try to remember to never wound, and to never attack the other person’s character or heart.

There have been times that I don't want to "fight," so I never mention that my heart is hurt from something. And then it's natural to resort to bitterness and passive aggressive comments that actually do MORE damage than the fighting even would have. So learn to EXPRESS yourself and ENGAGE with the one you love, even if it causes some tension. If you're both committed to not wounding the other person... but instead coming to a safe place together, you'll be all the better for it. 
 
3. MAKE THEM THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON IN EVERY ROOM

We learned this from my parents. As soon as my mom walks in a room, my dad takes notice of her. Whenever my dad is up on stage speaking, my mom leans over and makes a comment about how smart or goodlooking he is. It is clear they adore each other.

So whenever Ryan and I are out, we still make intentional action to notice the other person. Whether we are at church, at work, or out with friends, every few minutes we'll look at each other, Ryan will squeeze my hand, we'll send each other texts, or lean into one another. This let's the other person know, "hey, I know we're with all these people, but you are the most important person in this room to me." Being noticed and adored is a feeling that will give you butterflies in your tummy again. :)

4. BELIEVE THE BEST

Always believe the best about your spouse. Whether you're hurt about something they did or fighting with one another, understand that their HEART was probably not out to hurt you. Remember that they probably just operate on different values and don't even understand that the way they said "that one thing" could have been hurtful. Believing the best helps you FIGHT FAIR. Don't demonize your spouse. They are not the enemy and are rooting FOR you. Sometimes you just have to talk out your values to come to that place.

5. HAVE AN ANNUAL TIME TO RECONNECT

Every year, we try and do something special for our anniversary. And we don't just go on a trip, but we take that time to talk about our lives, debrief about our year, ask for forgiveness for the ways we may have hurt the other, find ways to do life better together, and talk through our future goals. Let's face it, we change. And if you're with someone for 10 years, they are going to change too. But you CAN fall in love with them in each new season....it just takes some intentionality. So be intentional. Check in with one another weekly, quarterly, yearly to make sure you are both doing your part and walking in sync. Sometimes you won't be and will need to re-adjust, and that's okay. But if you are committed to the other person, these meetings will be healing to your heart and will re-bond and re-connect you over and over again.

So that's it for today, folks! Our 5 tips to healthy community from us dorky middle school sweethearts. To hear all the stories, listen to the podcast above and don't forget to leave us a review if you found it helpful!

(and here's a freebie for ya, a very embarrassing yet adorbs photo of us when we first met.)

​Talk to ya later, friends! <3