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5 Ways to Get Into the Holiday Spirit…Even When You Don’t Feel Like It

/ Cami Grace / Leave a comment

5 Ways To Get In The Holiday Spirit…Even When You Don’t Feel Like It.

I have been having a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit. I know I’m not alone here. For some this year has been extremely difficult in every way possible, and for that I am incredibly sorry and want to give you a virtual hug.

Even though things are weird this year I realized that it’s up to me to create my own happiness. All year I have fought through the “blah’s”. I refuse to allow Covid to take away my joy. Instead of focusing on what I can’t do, I’m choosing to focus on what I can do. Just because things are different doesn’t mean that it’s all bad. So, even though I haven’t been in the mood, here are 5 ways I’m getting myself into the holiday spirit.

1. Accept

First of all, it’s ok if we’re not feeling the Holiday spirit this year. Sometimes it makes it worse to ignore our feelings and pretend they aren’t there, when they very clearly are. Maybe you don’t feel like putting up Christmas lights – it’s ok. Maybe your family doesn’t have matching Christmas jammies – it’s ok (we never do!). Maybe you don’t want to bake Christmas cookies this year – it’s ok. Sometimes we just have to let go of the expectations and do what we can. I want to emphasize that last part “do what we can“. It will get better.

2. Turn Up That Music!

Sure, maybe I don’t feel like listening to music at the moment, but simply turning on the music and skipping songs until I find just the right one is exactly what I need. Bonus affect – turn on your Christmas tree lights. It definitely helps.

3. Make a Christmas/Winter Bucket List

I recently created a Fall Bucket List. I am often hesitant to do bucket lists for fear (for lack of a better word) that I will fail and not check anything off. However, the thing I’ve found about creating these lists is that it causes me to do SOMETHING, even if it’s just one or two items, instead of nothing at all. So, I keep making them!

I encourage you to get out a piece of paper and write down a minimum of 3 things you would like to do by the end of this month. It doesn’t have to be anything big or fancy, just something you think that would be fun. Ideas (which are also going on my list) would be to watch a certain holiday/Christmas movie, bake cookies – it can even be pre-made cookie dough if that seems too much, or drive around looking at Christmas lights. I don’t know about your city/town, but I’ve seen a lot more Christmas light displays this year!

4. Make a Thankful List

It’s easy to get caught up in things that are going on around you. When my feelings run away with me and I start feeling down, I like to make a list of things I’m thankful for and I start counting my blessings. I also do this when I’m feeling anxious. It really helps you see and appreciate what’s right in front of you and blessings you might not have really noticed before.

5. Read an Advent Devotional

I really enjoy Advent devotionals. It helps get my heart in the right place and helps me keep Jesus as the focus of the Christmas season. I’m reminded to calm my heart and mind and remember the reason why we celebrate.

If you download the YouVersion Bible app you can pick from a variety of plans. This is the one I am going through this season and I have really enjoyed it. There is an audio portion that gives it a special touch and I feel is really affective in calming and focusing my mind even more.

My favorite way to read my devotional is at night right before I go to bed with just the Christmas tree lights on.

I hope you know you’re not alone in this weird season of life and that maybe this list will help give you some ideas to still make it a special Christmas season.

Much Love,

Cami

P.S. I would love to know – what 3 things would you list on your holiday bucket list?

8 Tips for Clearing Your Mind & Improving Focus

/ Cami Grace / Leave a comment

I know I’m not alone when I say I have a problem focusing. I just finished my second week of work after our vacation and there are still times I feel like I have vacation brain.

Regardless of vacation brain, I’m a daydreamer by nature and I often times have problems focusing and staying on task. Since it’s something I have to work on I’m sharing my go-to tips for clearing my head and improving my focus.

1 – Make a List / Brain Dump

I make two lists each day. One is my task list; everything I need to get done that day, both big and small, goes on that list. This helps me so I don’t forget anything and also helps me see everything all at once so I can prioritize.

The second list is for those thoughts that pop up into my head that are not work related and distract me from what I’m currently working on. For example, “oh, I need to remember ‘fill in the blank’ “, or “I wonder if I can find my dog’s medication on Amazon instead of going to the store”. These thoughts go on a second list so I can take care of them on my break and not have to worry that I’ll forget about it later.

2 – Prioritize & Take One Task at a Time

Time blocking is a great way to prioritize. A lot of people use their calendar and task list on their computer. I actually prefer a notebook. After I make my list I then take each item and I start with the most important first. I Take into account how long I think a task is going to take and I create somewhat of a timeline for my day. It doesn’t have to be set in stone and you can make adjustments as needed.

Here’s an example.

  1. 8:00 – 8:45 Task One
  2. 8:45 – 9:00 Task Two
  3. 9:00 – 10:30 Task Three
  4. Break
  5. and so on

Also, finish one task at a time instead of bouncing back and forth between different items. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve jumped between projects because they were equally important and it took me twice as long to finish them. It’s easier and more efficient just to pick one and see it through until the end.

3 – Clear the Clutter

I don’t mean to go on a cleaning spree, but taking 5 minutes to clear your desk can also help clear your mind.

4 – Drink Cold Water

I actually prefer my water at room temperature (I know, I’m weird), but taking a sip of ice cold water has a way of snapping my senses and zaps my mind back into place.

5 – Sit Up Straight

There are added benefits to sitting up straight. Not only is it good for your back, but you also look more confident and professional. Sitting up straight helps with oxygen flow and increases your circulation, which in turn helps your concentration.

6 – Eat a Snack

I don’t know about you, but If I’m hungry I can’t focus. Plain and simple. Obviously the healthier the snack the better.

7 – Take a break

Sometimes it helps to get up and walk around. Having a small change of scenery and maybe a short conversation with someone in the office (or wherever you are) can do wonders.

8 – Sheer determination

Honestly, this is really what it comes down to. You can go through the whole list, but sometimes you just have to sit down, suck it up, and get it done. I even have to give myself a pep talk sometimes. Then buckle down and just do it. Simple (and sometimes difficult) as that.

Hello 2018!

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Wow!  What a crazy year 2017 was!  Not only did we have a baby but we also bought our first home!  There was so much packed into the last 12 months there’s just no way I can do a full recap.  With having a baby, working full time, and moving I wasn’t able to keep up with my blog very much (as you can tell), but here we are in 2018 and I’m back!

Looking ahead I’m excited to see what’s in store for the new year.  I’m most excited to watch Gryffin grow up and see more of his personality develop.  I’m also looking forward to working on some personal goals.  I have laid out quite the task for myself.  Instead of focusing on just one goal throughout the year, I am taking on my own version of The Happiness Project and plan to work on a different goal each month.

But before I jump into my New Year’s plan, here’s what you can expect from my blog.

~ Currently posts.  I have always enjoyed writing them and I also enjoy going back to read through them too.

~ Baby Posts.  I don’t want to overload the blog with baby posts, but at the very least I would like to finish up a few.  I will have a baby shower post coming soon and also my labor and delivery story.  I have Gryffin’s monthly updates written out that I never actually posted on my blog (let me know in the comments if you enjoy reading these).  He’s already 9 months so I basically would post them until we were all caught up.  You might find a “What’s In My Diaper (or work) Bag” and a bedtime/morning routine in there as well.

~ Monthly Goals.  I would like to do a recap at the end of each month regarding my monthly goals.  I will share what I did at the end of month and if I felt like I was successful or not.

So here’s my outline for 2018.  In addition to the list below I plan to also choose one book each month regarding the topic for that month.  This is just a rough draft, but I think it’s a good start!

~ January: Be – Rooted 

  1. Go through a devotional
  2. Start a prayer journal
  3. Go to church/listen to sermons every Sunday

~ February: Be – Loving 

  1. Celebrate Valentines Day & our (10 year!) anniversary
  2. Reestablish date night

~ March: Be – Organized

  1. Pick it up, put it back
  2. Set up guest room
  3. Organize laundry room
  4. Set up rec room

~ April: Be – Prepared

  1. Go to bed at 10:30 every night (at the latest!)
  2. Bedtime Routine
  3. Morning Routine

~ May: Be – Mindful 

  1. Live in the moment

~ June: Be – Fun  

  1. Laugh every day
  2. Find fun things to do

~ July: Be – Chic 

  1. Update Wardrobe
  2. Always look presentable (based on the Madame Chic books)
  3. Look in the mirror before leaving the house

~ August: Be – Me 

  1. Read for fun
  2. Enjoy a pamper day
  3. 30 day photography project (if I’m feeling up for this)

~ September: Be – Healthy 

  1. Healthy Recipes
  2. 30 days of Yoga

~ October: Be – Thoughtful 

  1. Go out of my way to help others

~ November: Be – Thankful 

  1. List of things I’m thankful for every day

~ December:  Be – Generous 

  1. Give of my time
  2. Donate

I do plan on giving myself extra grace because I am so busy and I need to make sure my priorities are straight, but it’s nice to have a variety of goals and something to look forward to.

I hope your year is off to a great start!  Feel free to share your goals and/or what you’re looking forward to this year!

Much love,

Cami

Deep Cleaning for the Holidays – And a Free Printable!

/ Cami Grace / Leave a comment

As I mention in a previous post (here), we just recently moved, so between getting our apartment ready for the inspection and with the  holiday season in full swing, there has been A LOT of cleaning going on!  So, in honor of the holidays and because I love lists and can’t live without them, I wanted to share my deep cleaning list with you.  I’m also including a link to a more detailed deep cleaning list that includes just about everything.

First, my Apartment Deep Cleaning List.  This is my go-to list for every time we have moved out of an apartment. This list has not failed me and I’ve been able to get our deposit back every time.

Apt Deep Cleaning List

You can download and print the Apartment Deep Cleaning List here.

**Side note: one thing that is not on the list is the laundry room.  Basically, I sprayed down the washer/dryer with windex wiped it clean, made sure to wipe out the insides as well, then wiped down the walls and shelving, and cleaned the floor.

For the Home

I haven’t made a full deep cleaning list for the home yet, but if you’re looking for something more detailed and includes just about everything, here is a link to a great website that has a list you can download.

The nice thing about these long lists is that you can cross off items that don’t apply to you and it makes you feel like you’r already accomplishing something before you even start.  :)

Cleaning Products

Here is a small list of cleaning products I like to use.  I don’t have links, but if you really want links, just let me know in the comments below.

  1. Clorox or Lysol Wipes – these are antibacterial and can be used on multiple surfaces.  The best part is that you can just throw them away when you’re done.
  2. Dawn Dish Soap – I use Dawn and water for a multi-purpose cleaner as well, especially for wiping down walls, counters, cupboards, you name it.  It goes a long way!
  3. Windex – I also use this to wipe down our washer and dryer, it makes it look squeeky clean!
  4.  Comet – I use this on the sinks and tub.  Soft Scrub also works.
  5. Lysol Toilet Cleaner – works great
  6. Sponge, rags, toothbrush – the toothbrush really helps you get in the crevices and nooks and cranny’s.

Well, my dears, that all I have for now.  I hope someone can find these lists useful.  Happy Cleaning!

Post Thanksgiving Thankfulness

/ Cami Grace / Leave a comment

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Thanksgiving is the one holiday that seems to change for us.  With family being spread out all over the country and with our schedules being a little tricky to work around, we never seem to know what we’re going to do, but something always works out and we’ve been blessed to be able to spend Thanksgiving with family and/or friends.

This year I slept in, spent some quality time with God reading my Bible and in prayer, talked on the phone with my parents in Chicago, and sister in L.A., then we did some more unpacking and organizing (for those of you who don’t know, we just moved into a new house!), then we headed over to my brother’s house to spend the afternoon/evening with him and his little family.  It was definitely a great way to celebrate the holiday.

With thanksgiving in mind I am grateful to God for so much.  Here is just a list of a few things I’m thankful for.

  1. God and his unconditional love, faithfulness, mercy, grace, and forgiveness
  2. My husband
  3. Fresh beginnings daily
  4. A new home for our little family (huge blessing)
  5. Kahlua, our lab, and the goof ball that she is
  6. A small yard for Kahlua to be able to run around in
  7. Our kitty, even though she has given us a ton of grief, she’s still my little baby
  8. That I was born into a Godly family
  9. For deep, meaningful friendships
  10. God’s constant provision
  11. the blessing of my job
  12. for my husband’s job
  13. Turkey’s being 50% off the day after Thanksgiving (woohoo!!)
  14. Food – I love food
  15. Health
  16. Safety and protection
  17. For our cute little car that has been reliable ever since we bought it about 7 years ago
  18. For the people that inspire me
  19. For awesome technology to be able to stay in touch with long distance family (yay Skype!)
  20. For rest and relaxation
  21. Books and blankets – and how well they go together (along with hot chocolate)
  22. Electricity – being without makes you appreciate it sooo much more
  23. For the things we get to look forward to (Christmas, a new year, vacation…)
  24. Laughter
  25. For this blog – it’s been a fun little journey on here, but I’m also thankful for blogs in general, because it’s fun being able to look into other people’s lives and receive inspiration and encouragement.  So thanks to you guys out there too! :)

I hope and pray you all will continue the rest of the year with many blessings and continue to give thanks through it all.

Much love xoxo