Easy Healthy Snacks

I am such a snacker, specially late at night. I also have a weakness for salty foods! I try to go towards easy healthy snacks because I know I will snack so why not make them healthy?

 A few of my favorite easy healthy snacks are:

Popcorn: We love air popped popcorn. It's one of our go to snacks in the evening. We just add a little bit of butter and a little bit if salt. I know not too healthy, but we eat healthy most of the time so this is an indulgence for us.


Crackers with Baby bell light cheese: This is a go to recently. I get Ritz crackers Pretzels from Sam's Club and Baby Bell light cheese and eat them together. My kids love this as an afterschool snack.

Horizon String Cheese: I love it, it's quick and easy to grab and another thing we always have in our house.

Greek Yogurt with Berries/Granola: I am a huge Greek yogurt lover. I put it in my smoothies and love it for snacks with granola and berries. Specifically blueberries. Yum. Bonus blueberries are amazing for you.

Fruit Smoothies: This is a daily must have. We try to drink one every day. It's such an easy, quick breakfast as well as an after school snack. We add different fruits like strawberries, blueberries, pineapple chunks, peaches, and mango. We add some greek vanilla yogurt, and some apple juice. These are so healthy and so easy to make. We love them.


What are your easy healthy snacks that you love?

5 Simplre Ways to Stay Organized

Lately I've been thinking alot about habits. I'm realizing more and more that habits are so important because they are what we resort to when we are going through the motions of our day. Forming good habits and sticking to them over time can build phenomenal long term results.

Today I thought I would share 5 habits that I've either gotten into already or am trying to get into that will make life more productive. These are all easy things to d that I think will help my days run more smoothly.

5 Simple Ways to Stay Organized

1. Make your bed. I never used to make my bed, but I quickly found out that If I made my bed my day was more productive. It gives a more positive start to my day.

2. Clean the kitchen and quickly straighten the house. Cleaning the kitchen and straightening the house are the two things that I strive to get done before going to bed each night. Like making the bed a neat and tidy house before going to bed puts me in the right mind set for keeping the rest of life organized. I do love waking up to a neat and tidy house.

3. Use your wait time. I used to be good at this before I had a cell phone. It I was heating up something in the microwave, I would use those minutes to wash dishes or wipe down the counters. I am amazed at what I can get done when I am waiting on something to finish in the oven when I commit to using my time wisely.

4. Make your to do list. I a good to do list. I mean, who doesn't? Right? I love checking things off and sometimes I make them just so I can check things off of them. 

5. Get some sleep. Sleep has everything to do with productivity. My natural inclination is to stay up as late as possible to get things done. Then the next day I'm tired and unproductive. Since realizing this I try to get to bed earlier so that I can get enough sleep.

So, there are my 5! What would you add to the list?

7 Things To Do On Sunday For A More Productive Week

Hi Lovelies!

Imagine if you will.... it's Monday morning and you can barely drag yourself out of bed. You're exhausted and you are getting ready for work barely making it out of the door on time. You forgot to pack your lunch so you will have to grab some fast food on your lunch hour. Your desk is a mess and your email box is full. It's going to be a long day. This sounds familiar, doesn't it? We have all been there, but it doesn't have to be that way. If you take advantage of your Sundays to prepare for the week, Mondays can be a lot easier! Here are seven things you can do on Sunday for a more productive week:

1. For thing's first.... think of Sunday as the first day of the week instead of the last. Most people tend to think of Sunday as a day of rest, instead think of Sunday as the first chance to prepare yourself for the week, This one simple little thought will make Monday seem less overwhelming.

2. Clean out your email inbox. If you work a typical 9 to 5 job, chances are most of the emails you receive Friday night through Sunday are personal and junk mail as opposed to work email. Clean these out on Sunday night. By doing this it will help you jump into the work week more quickly.

3. Write a to do list for the week and then begin to tackle it.

4. If you work from home clean off your desk on Sunday so you start the week off with a clean desk. Put anything you will need for Monday's projects front and center.

5. If you are a blogger, schedule your social media posts for the week. Now, I haven't started this yet mainly because I'm still finding the best free social media scheduler. I hope to start this sometime next week.

6. Clean the house. There's is nothing worse that starting the week with a messy house. I don't know about anyone else, but I am much more relaxed when my house is clean.

7. Meal plan and meal prep for the week. I tend to one big shopping trip at the beginning of the month. So, I usually have a detailed menu plan for the month. I still shop at least once a week for the essentials like milk, bread, and eggs and some fruits and veggies. It make all the difference when it comes to meal times.

What do you do on Sundays to have a more productive week?

Mom Inspiration

Hello Friends.

I usually have a currently post up by now, but today has been a doosy of a day. Plenty of mom guilt over here. It's just been an up and down kind of day, with the dishes piling up, the kids fighting, and messes that need to be dealt with.

So, for today's post I am sharing some much needed mom inspiration.

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Good night everyone!!

10 Daily Sanity Saving Habits for Moms

Hi Lovelies and welcome back to the blog. Today's post is all about daily sanity saving habits for moms. Now, some of these I took directly from my mom and some I figured out on my own. Either way all these habits are helpful in saving a mom's sanity.

So, let me share,

10 Daily Sanity Saving Habits for Moms

1. Have quiet time. For me, this is about an hour before my kids wake up. I sit and work on my bible study, answer emails, or just sit and enjoy the quiet.

2. Prepare the night before. What part of the morning is the most stressful for you? Take that one thing you dread and do a little prep for it the night before. Lay out the kids clothes, shower, prepare breakfast, do baths, or just preset the coffee pot. 

3. Do one load of laundry every day. This really helps in keeping "Mount Washmore" at bay. Just remember to fold and put away. Let's be honest, sometimes I forget that step. Don't we all?

4. Clean as you go. Giving yourself plenty of grace, clean up as you go. If you make dinner, wash those dishes right then. If you see a million crumbs under the high chair, grab a broom and do a two-second sweep.

5. Play with your kids. Slow down and enjoy your little people. Offer to play a game or build blocks. Do something that you know will bring a smile to their face.

6. Do one large chore. Knock out one of the bigger chores everyday. Clean a bathroom, vacuum the floors, organize a drawer,..etc.

7. Have kid clean up time. Instead of the house being a tornado throughout the entire day, choose a couple times a day for them to clean up their messes. A good schedule might be everyday before lunch and then again before bedtime.

8. Meal plan. Save yourself the stress of picking meals every few hours and plan them out. Not only will this be a time saver but a money saver as well.

9. Be thankful. There is always something to be thankful for. Let gratitude drive your attitude and actions throughout your day.

10. Have a regular bedtime for your kids. Kids love routine, even if they fight it sometimes. Make your routine as lengthy and as fun as you want, but get the munchkins to bed so you can recoup and have some quality time to yourself or with your spouse in the evenings.

What is an essential daily habit for you?

10 Ways to Practice Self Care

Many of us want to take care of ourselves, but we have no idea where to start. I'm on of those people. I want to take of myself but I just don't know what to do. I decided a few a days ago to do some research on this particular topic and I found these ten simple ways to, for lack of a better phrase, take care of yourself.

10 Ways to Practice Daily Self Care

1. Eat healthy foods like fruits and veggies.

2. Practice yoga. Stretch and concentrate on your breathing. You will feel better, I promise

3. Take a bath. Soaking in the tub soothes your muscles and relaxes you. Enjoy it you deserve it.

4. Celebrate the small changes. Celebrate turning in an assignment early or being there when a friend needed you.

5. Get 10 hours of sleep.

6. Walk outside. The fresh air does wonders for body, mind, and soul

7. Take a personal day.

8. Write a gratitude list.

9. Let go of unwanted things.

10. Meditate

What some of the ways that you practice self care? 

10 Tips For A Clean Home

You can drastically stretch the time between weekly and daily cleaning just by following these 10 simple tips for a clean home. 

1. Make your bed

As the focal point of the bedroom, an unmade bed can make the whole room look messy. By making the bed, the room instantly looks tidy. Strive to do this every day, it makes a world of difference.

2. Empty the dishwasher each morning

If you have ever timed yourself then you know that emptying the dishwasher takes only about 5 minutes. Empty the dishwasher while the coffee is brewing or while the kids are getting ready for school. An empty dishwasher lets you put breakfast dishes in so they don't pile up in the sink all morning.

3. Clean up after each meal or snack

Dishes, pots and pans, food containers and spills all make your kitchen look messy since you already emptied your dishwasher. Load dishes after every meal or snack and then wipe down your counters with a homemade all purpose cleaner.

4. Do a load of laundry daily

No one wants to spend their weekend doing laundry and you won't have to if you do a load everyday.  Can't decided what to wash first? Use a laundry sorting hamper and grab the one that has the most clothes. Worried about mildew? Use your washing machine's delayed start (if your machine has one) so that the load is finished when you get home and transfer to the dryer.

 5. Wipe your sinks and faucets

Toothpaste spatters and hairs in the sink look gross. Food spills in the kitchen eventually stink. Grab a disinfecting wipe and spend a few minutes cleaning the sinks and faucets before you leave for work in the morning. Or use a microfiber cloth and a daily sink spray to clean, disinfect, and shine your sink as you go.

6. Sort and recycle paper right away
  
Keep papers from piling up on the kitchen island and dining table by dealing with the mail when you walk in the door. Run junk mail through the shredder, then put bills and letters in your mail sorter to pay or answer.

7. Use floor mats at every exterior door.

Even if you can’t train your family to not wear shoes in the house (which really reduces household dust) you can keep some of the dirt out by placing floor mats both inside and outside of each exterior door. Vacuum or shake the mats outside every few days.

8. Tidy counters before bed

Before you head to bed give the kitchen a quick glance and put away any clutter. Wipe the counters down with an all purpose disinfecting spray.

9. Nitpick your carpet.

We’ve all heard that we should vacuum high-traffic areas at least every other day, but not everyone has the time or energy for that. Get in the habit of looking over your floor and picking up small messes (cat hair, scraps of paper, etc.) between regular, weekly vacuuming and it will look nicer all week.

10. Run a kitchen sweeper or sweep the kitchen floors nightly 

Let’s face it, brooms and dustpans are a hassle and, thanks to their cords, vacuums aren’t much better. Use a multi-surface sweeper each night to pick up crumbs and pet hair from the kitchen floor so your kitchen always looks company-ready.

Performing these tips to keeping a clean house takes only a few minutes a day but they’ll keep your house looking constantly clean and make your regular, deeper cleaning tasks much easier.

What are some of your tips for a cleaner home? Please share in the comments below!