Tag: organization

Creating Healthy Habits

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After graduating from college in 2016 I really struggled with creating healthy, sustainable habits. Once I entered my full time job it was even harder to balance work, life, and my health. Recently I’ve been focusing more on some of the small things that I can do to create daily habits to make my life easier and more enjoyable.

Here are some of the things I’ve been putting in place

  • Loading the dishwasher as I go. Instead of waiting to do the dishes when the sink gets full I’ve been rinsing off and loading the dishwasher as I go and running it at night once it’s full. This has been much easier than spending a few minutes every couple of days loading it and being annoyed that I have to take the time to do it. It’s a super simple change but it’s made a big difference!
  • Doing a load of laundry a day (if needed). I used to do all of our laundry in one day over the weekend. Now I’ve been trying to do a load of laundry every day and folding it right away. I’ve found that I don’t always need to do laundry but splitting it up makes it easy to deal with.
  • Setting a step goal and sticking to it. Having a desk job makes it so hard to get in a healthy number of steps a day especially on the days when I work from home. I’ve been working hard to set a step goal and work towards it. If I’m working from home I try to walk on the treadmill during my lunch so I don’t have to try to get in all of my steps after work.
  • Going to bed by 10 pm. Having a nighttime routine has been one of my favorite things that I’ve incorporated in 2021. I feel much better when I go to bed at a decent time every night so I can make sure I’m getting in enough sleep. This also helps me to wake up earlier the next morning!
  • Taking breaks away from my computer. I am the worst at taking a lunch when I’m working from home. It got to the point where Brett was bringing me lunch most days because I couldn’t even spend a few minutes to make it on my own. Now I try to take at least 30 minutes away from my computer for a lunch break and a few minutes every hour for normal breaks.
  • Reading at least one chapter of a book per day. I love reading but tend to spend long periods scrolling through my phone instead of reading. I’m trying to put my phone down and read instead of scrolling through TikTok.
  • Doing a 15 minute house re-set every night. I like to spend 15 minutes before I go to bed folding blankets, wiping down counters and tables, putting things away, and just getting my house in order. Then I can wake up to a clean house and go about my day.

I recently read Atomic Habits by James Clear and one of the things that I took away from it was starting small and trying to improve by 1% daily instead of rushing to 100% improvement. This feels more sustainable to me and will hopefully help me create some lasting healthy habits.

One another note, I’ve really been missing blogging and feel like I might be getting back into a better place to start writing more. Hopefully I’ll be back soon!

Photo by Lala Azizli on Unsplash

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My Sunday To-Do List

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Sunday is a hard day for me because I feel so pressured to get everything done. I try to write my to-do list on Saturday so that I can cross off a few items before Sunday rolls around. We usually have plans on Saturday though so it’s hard to get too much done.

After my post last week about the things I do to prepare for my week I thought it would be fun to actually share my to-do list for today. I know that I probably won’t be able to get everything done on this list but I always try to!

  • Clean the bathroom
  • Empty all trashes
  • Clean out the fridge
  • Sweep and mop the floors
  • Finish the laundry and fold/put away clothes
  • Wash bedding and make the bed
  • Deep clean the kitchen
  • Go grocery shopping
  • Prep lunches and snacks for the week
  • Vacuum the couch
  • Change the kitty litter
  • Tidy the living room
  • Dust the furniture
  • Wipe down surfaces
  • Clean the mirrors
  • Organize the coat closet

If I have time I would love to put up my spring decorations. I haven’t re-decorated since Christmas so my house has looked empty for the past few weeks. I’m ready to add some color back into my decor!

Since it is Superbowl Sunday we will be heading to my parent’s house to watch the game and have dinner. I’m going to attempt to make some sort of Keto friendly appetizer for me and my mom.

Who are you rooting for to win the game today? I know nothing about sports so I’m really just in it for the food and commercials!

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4 Things I Do For A Productive Work Week

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Last year I wrote about the “Sunday Scaries” and about being so anxious on Sunday that I wasn’t able to enjoy my day off of work. I feel so much pressure to get things done that I can’t just relax and take care of myself like I should. Since then I have been working on learning how to breathe and enjoy life.

Even though I am enjoying my Sundays now more than I used to I still have a small list of things that I do during the weekend to help me have a productive work week ahead. I hope that these help you if you are also feeling anxious about getting things done!

  1. Create a meal plan and go grocery shopping. I hate making unnecessary stops on my way home from work. On Monday the grocery store is always super busy and I don’t want to wait in lines or be stuck in cart traffic jams. I like to browse the store ad online, create a meal plan, and go grocery shopping early in the morning on Saturday or Sunday to avoid crowds. I feel really good if I can check this off my list right away!
  2. Make my kitchen spotless. I’m one of those people who just can’t function if my kitchen is messy. I hate cluttered counters, dirty dishes in the sink, and a messy floor. If I am able to start my Monday with a clean kitchen I feel much more ready to tackle my week. I’m also more motivated to cook dinner when I arrive home from work if the kitchen is clean!
  3. Laundry done plus clothes folded and put away. I used to have a bad habit of doing my laundry and then leaving it in the basket for a few days before finally folding it and putting it back in the basket. I hated putting my clothes away in my closet or dresser. Now I make it a goal to have all of the laundry done and put away before Monday morning.
  4. Realize that I won’t be able to get everything done. I’m just one person and there’s no way that I can tackle my whole to-do list in one weekend. I try to get the basics done and make small lists to accomplish during the week. I have stopped putting so much pressure on myself to have the perfect house and I feel so much better! It’s okay to leave some items unchecked on your list. You’ll get to them when you can.

2018 was a really dark year of me but it taught me that I needed to learn how to put myself and my mental health first. Last year I struggled with finding a healthy balance of productivity and relaxing. I’ve made a lot of really good progress and I contribute that to learning how to set myself up for success.

How do you prepare for your work week?

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Photo by Arnel Hasanovic on Unsplash

 

2019: Fourth Quarter Goals Recap

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It’s still so hard to believe that 2019 is over. 2019 was the first full year that I created and recapped quarterly goals even though I started doing them in 2018. I’m really proud to have a full year of  quarterly goals and to be able to track how I did with them.

Setting quarterly goals is something that I really love to do! I find myself reflecting on the list and actually checking items off. I set quarterly goals now instead of creating the typical “New Years Resolutions”.

Here’s a quick recap of my fourth quarter goals to see how I did.

  1. Treat myself for my golden birthday. I love celebrating my birthday and I was planning on buying myself a new laptop for a gift. However, I also like to save money so we pay our car insurance semi-annually and it was due at the same time as my birthday. So I guess I bought myself 6 months of car insurance as a birthday gift! It’s hard being an adult!
  2. Try not to over-indulge during the holiday season. I’m pretty proud of how I handled food and the holidays this year. I was able to enjoy myself but I never felt out of control. I started Keto again on January 2nd so I feel back in control and SO much better.
  3. Buy new pajamas. I really want to pair down the items that I own so I didn’t go crazy with pajamas. I bought a couple of comfy jogger style pants and some crew necks that can double as both pajamas and lounge-ware. I went through my pajama collection and got rid of most of it and am feeling really good.
  4. Fight my migraines once and for all. Sometimes I’m not even sure why I bother with setting goals about my migraines. Fourth quarter was tough with the changing weather, food, and typical year-end stress. I felt really good after my Neurologist upped my medication dose but I had some really tough migraine days. I see my Neurologist later today so I’m hoping he can up the dose one more time which could help now that I’m back doing Keto.
  5. Schedule some days off! I’m super proud to say that I was able to use a couple of my leftover vacation days to go visit my sister in New Hampshire and to have a day off completely to myself where I watched Atypical on Netflix, wrapped Christmas presents, and just relaxed. I could use another day off again soon!
  6. Be more productive during the week. Done! I’ve been super productive both during the weeks and the weekends. I’m feeling motivated to clean, organize, meal plan, and meal prep. I hope that the motivation continues for the rest of 2020 too!

How did your 2019 goals go? Were you able to cross everything off of your list?

2019 Quarterly Goals: Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4

2018 Quarterly Goals: Q1, Q2, Q4

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Photo by Adam Chang on Unsplash

2019: Third Quarter Goals

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2019: Third Quarter Goals

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a great weekend!

Can you believe that we are already halfway through 2019? I feel like it was just 2018. So far this year has been really good and I’m looking forward to the second half.

This is the first quarter that I have struggled writing goals for since I started them in 2017. I create quarterly goals instead of the traditional “New Years Resolutions” as a way to keep myself motivated. I’ve found that I stick to my goals so much better if I set new ones every three months.

  1. Enjoy summer! My favorite season is summer in Michigan. I love being at my grandparent’s house on the lake, going for boat rides, and relaxing in my backyard. Summer goes by quickly so I want to make sure I take time to enjoy it because winter is right around the corner!
  2. Continue my health and fitness journey. Q2 was really good for me in terms of meeting my health and fitness goals. I’m trying not to focus too much on the number on the scale while still celebrating the fact that I was able to lose 10 pounds. I’m starting to feel better, my clothes are fitting, and I’m encouraged to keep going. I want to make this experience as positive as possible!
  3. Create a blogging schedule/calendar. I’ve fallen back in love with blogging again for the first time in years! I’m trying to be more consistent in posting so creating a schedule or calendar would be really helpful. I map posts out in my planner but I don’t always stick to the schedule. I want to be more mindful of my schedule in Q3.
  4. Spend as much time with my sister as possible. My sister moved to Hawaii a couple of months ago but she’s back in Michigan for the summer! This might be our last Michigan summer together so I want to make sure that I enjoy every second of it.
  5. Create a work space at home. I want to focus on creating a better work-life balance. My work is super flexible so I want to start to take advantage of working from home a couple days a month. It would be nice to create a space at home where I can focus and get work done.
  6. Read 3 books and write book reviews. This was one of my goals for Q1 and it really kept me on track with my reading and writing goals. I have a whole list of books that I want to read this summer so hopefully I’ll be able to get through at least a few of them!

Like I said before, I’m really excited for the second half of 2019. I’m feeling motivated and ready to smash my goals! It’s been a fun and productive year so far.

Do you have any goals for this summer?

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House Updates – Year One

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Buying Your First House, We bought our first house

In March we celebrated one year in our house. We went from renting a two bedroom apartment to owning a three bedroom 1941 cape cod in the cutest neighborhood. You can read the full post about buying our home here but to summarize it was love at first sight. Brett and I walked in and knew right away that this house was meant for us. One year later and we still feel that way and are so grateful to live here.

Over the past year we have made a couple of updates to the house and plan on making a few more in the near future. The first thing that needed updated was the garage. We have a detached one car garage with a carport. When we moved in the garage door was original to the garage but someone had added an electronic opener at some point. The garage door was too heavy though so it snapped the springs and was unable to open with the electric opener. I wish I would have taken a picture with the old garage door but you can see the new one below.

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Part of the reason we wanted to buy a house was so that I could park in a garage in the winter. In order to make this dream a reality we bought a new garage door and opener. My dad and uncle graciously installed both which was no easy task.

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Before I could park in the garage a workbench needed to be removed to make room for my car. My dad had the idea to turn the old workbench into an outdoor bar! He cut the bench to make it hit at the end of the carport and added a small patio for chairs. For my birthday my dad built four bar stools. We bought outdoor lights and hung up metal signs that we collected on the side of the garage. Now the carport is a cool hang out area and bar for when we have friends and family over.

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There was a concrete slab at the end of our garage where a shed used to stand. My dad designed and built another shed to fit on the slab with a door into our garage. The shed is used to store our lawn mowers and other outdoor necessities. He built shelves on the inside and an area for firewood and chairs to be stored on the outside. He also re-roofed the garage while building the shed.

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We made a small minor updates inside the house but nothing major yet. The main things we hope to accomplish in the next couple of years are building a second bathroom, re-doing our driveway, and replacing the kitchen floor. The interior of the house was recently re-painted and we love the colors so that makes things easy for us!

A big shout out to my dad for making all of these things happen! I have a vision and he always creates a plan and gets things done!

Overall, we are so happy with our purchase and look forward to many more years here!

Have you been working on any house projects lately?

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2019: Second Quarter Goals

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Setting goals for 2019

I always enjoy starting a new quarter. Doing quarterly goals really challenges me to accomplish my goal list in a timely fashion. I feel like I accomplish way more this way! I can’t believe that we are already a quarter of the way through 2019! I really enjoyed Q1 and am looking forward to a productive and fun Q2.

In case you are new to Life of Hayley, every quarter I set a few new goals for myself. I do this instead of your typical New Years Resolutions and find myself actually accomplishing the goals I set for myself instead of getting to December and realizing I never did anything. This also allows me to set goals throughout the year that are relevant and specific to the time of year.

I hope this inspires you to set some quarterly goals of your own!

  1. Create a self-care routine. I am so bad at self-care. It always feels like such a waste of time when I have a million other important things that need my attention. This quarter I want to focus on myself and creating a self-care routine that I enjoy.
  2. Learn two new recipes to add to our dinner rotation. I hate cooking and am usually happy to eat the same things over and over again. But I have been doing the same dinner rotations for over two years now and I really need to switch things up. I have several cookbooks and I love Pinterest so I’m sure it will be easy to find two new recipes to try!
  3. Start planning out our summer schedule. Summers are always crazy for us! Brett is a huge airshow fan and helps organize a couple in our area. Pretty much every weekend in the summer is spent at airshows. I also want to be able to spend time with family and friends too which has been difficult in the past. We have decided that I’m going to step away from the airshows this year and let Brett go to most of them alone. This means that we will have to carefully plan our time so we still have some weekends together.
  4. Finish my spring cleaning projects. I love organizing my house and spring feels like the perfect time to finish all the little projects that I have been putting off all year like organizing the storage room and cleaning out my car. I love the feeling of a clean and organized house! Plus, this is a great opportunity to re-decorate. You can find my spring cleaning list here.
  5. Get a quote to have our driveway re-done. We were going to build a new bathroom this year in our basement but decided to save money and do it next year. Instead of the building the bathroom we have decided to see how much it would be to have our driveway re-done. We bought our house in the winter so we weren’t really able to see how bad the driveway was. Hopefully getting it re-done is within our budget for the year!
  6. Go shopping and do a spring wardrobe refresh! I wear the same outfits to work every week and it’s gotten really old. I don’t feel great in what I have been wearing and my confidence suffers because of that. I think buying a couple of new pieces to add in will really help! Plus, I am hoping to shed a few more pounds and know that I will need new work pants soon.

I am looking forward to crushing these goals over the next few months! The weather is finally starting to warm up in Michigan and I can almost feel summer approaching! If you didn’t know, summer in Michigan is the most amazing thing ever (I am not biased at all). I can’t wait to spend my days at the lake surrounded by my family.

Do you have any goals that you want to accomplish this quarter?

You can check out my Q1 goals here!

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Photo by S O C I A L . C U T on Unsplash

 

2019 Spring Cleaning List

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2019 Spring Cleaning List

We moved into our house in March of 2018 so this is technically our second spring. Last spring we were still trying to unpack and organize our belongings so I didn’t really do any spring cleaning. Plus, the previous owners of our house left it spotless when they moved out. I did a little cleaning before we unpacked but for the most part everything was ready to go.

This year I am already in the process of deep cleaning everything and re-organizing. My house isn’t clean all the time but I do love having everything super organized. I’d love to be one of those people with a clean house all the time.

I’ve been working on my spring cleaning list so I thought it would be fun to share and maybe give you some inspiration for your own spring cleaning!

  1. Clean out and vacuum both Cars
  2. Clean out the garage & shed
  3. Organize the main level guest room aka my “closet” room
  4. Clean out the storage room in the basement
  5. Rake the leaves in the backyard and bag them for spring pickup day
  6. Deep clean the basement entertainment area
  7. Paint both dressers and the desk
  8. Deep clean fridge/freezer
  9. Organize upstairs closet
  10. Organize the coat/cleaning closet
  11. Organize the pantry
  12. Sort items in the dining room hutch
  13. Organize and clean out the kitchen cabinets
  14. Move the furniture and sweep, mop, or vacuum underneath

Will you be doing any spring cleaning this year?

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IKEA Haul – January 2019

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IKEA Haul Jan 2019

One of my greatest loves in this world is IKEA. You can ask my eighth grade best friend and she’d tell you of my great love story with IKEA. I think my love of home-ware comes from years of playing The Sims. I didn’t care much for playing with the Sims themselves but I did love building and decorating their homes. Was anyone else obsessed with The Sims when they were younger? Or now?

One of my favorite parts of being a homeowner is decorating our house. I love finding my personal style and adding touches of our personalities throughout our home. IKEA has made it easy to furnish our home on a budget. One day when we have more time and money I’m sure we will re-decorate but for now I’m really happy with how our house is turning out.

This past Saturday I had the opportunity of introducing two of our guys friends to the wonders of IKEA. So please picture me with three guys traveling two hours to IKEA to shop for home décor. 3 out of the 4 of us loved IKEA. Brett still hates shopping.

This is probably my smallest IKEA haul ever but my mom, sister, and I were just there a few months ago so I stocked up then. This time I mainly focused on home organization to help me get our house back in order after the holidays. We have a built in floor to ceiling cabinet in our bathroom that was in desperate need of re-organizing.

What I Bought

  • FEJKA artificial plant – This was in the 75% off winter clearance section and was a last minute purchase. I had seen it throughout the store but wasn’t quite sure if I needed it. Our bedroom has pops of purple throughout so I think this will look really good on a nightstand or dresser. Plus it will look good all winter, not just Christmas.
  • DRÖNA box – I bought two of these for the shelves in my closet. They work great for storing t-shirts, pajamas, swimsuits, etc. We also have one of these boxes in our basement for video games, in our dining room for dog and cat necessities, and another one for out of season decor.
  • SKUBB box set of 6 – These are my absolute favorite IKEA product and this trip they were on sale for only $1.99! I bought two sets and have already used them in the drawers in our bathroom to store makeup, nail polish, hair products, and various other bathroom products. I have at least 4 other sets of these boxes organizing our dressers, pantry, and closets.
  • SKUBB storage case – We don’t have a traditional linen closet so we have been storing our extra bedding in our upstairs bedroom’s closet. I bought two of these storage cases to use under the bed in our master bedroom to store our extra bedding and Brett’s out of season clothing. I’ve already set one up and I’m loving it so far!
  • DOKUMENT letter tray – I bought this in white on sale for $5.99 to organize our bills and other important papers on our desk. I wanted something simple to organize our mail into since I HATE paper.
  • GREJIG shoe rack – I saw this in the closet section and knew that it would be perfect to organize bathroom products. I set it up on Sunday and it works perfectly to make everything more accessible in our bathroom cabinet.
  • KOPPLA 6 way adapter plug – I always like to have an extra one of these on hand because you never know when you’ll need it. We have very few outlets in our 1941 house so we have to be creative with how we use them.
  • LURVIG pet waste bags – I buy a package of these every time we go to IKEA. I attach the below bag container to Oscar’s leash for walks and all of our other adventures together.
  • LURVIG pet waste bag dispenser – I already have one of these on Oscar’s leash to store the pet waste bags but it’s starting to tear so I wanted to have a backup for when it does.
  • UPPHETTA french press – I don’t drink coffee but Brett does and he’s wanted a french press for awhile. I highly doubt he will use this on a daily basis but it will be nice for lazy Sunday brunches when we have extra time to enjoy our morning.
  • HEAT trivet – I think this is the third pack of these that we’ve bought in the past few years. I love these to protect our counters and dining room table from hot dishes of food. We’ve entertained a lot since buying our house so it’s nice to have a stash of these for dinner parties.

Like I said before, this is our smallest IKEA haul to date but we got several great items to help organize and simplify our home. Let me know if you have any tips for keeping your house organized! I’m currently reading Marie Kondo’s Life-changing Magic of Tidying Up and am hoping to put some of her tips into use.

Have you been to IKEA? What’s your favorite IKEA product?

Thanks for reading!

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