Making the Most of Your Mornings

Does getting out of bed the hardest part of your day? Most people aren’t naturally what you’d call a “morning person” – the types who are bright eyed and bushy tailed upon rising at the sound of their alarm clock. Just because it doesn’t come naturally doesn’t mean it can’t happen, however. By following a few simple tips, you can train your body and up your A.M. productivity – and, in doing so, increase your health by sleeping more and starting your day without the stress of running late.

• Set a sleep routine – Don’t underestimate the importance of your circadian rhythm. This regulates how your body runs, and it craves routine. Ideally, you should wake up from a light phase of sleep, not a deeper stage. It’s that deeper stage that leads to a foggy head and lower functioning. If you set a bedtime and stick to it (within 30 minutes) and get up around the same time each morning, your body will reset to the routine. The hope is that eventually you will be able to wake yourself up sans alarm.
• Get active – Working out first thing in the morning may not sound tempting, but the effects pay off. Even if it’s as simple as taking a half-hour stroll, kickstarting your morning with cardio will boost your energy levels throughout the day AND help you wind down at night, leading to a deeper night’s sleep.
• Provide the right fuel – While a donut and a cup of coffee may be an easy way to get your blood sugar rising, it can also lead to a sugar crash a few hours into your day. Reach instead for some quality fuel – oatmeal, fresh fruit, or a veggie omelet. Always on the go? Make hard-boiled eggs that you can grab on the run for a protein-packed breakfast.
• See the light – Light has a huge effect on the body’s triggers to sleep or wake up. Switch on a bright light or open your blinds right when you wake up. Conversely, avoid bright lights – yes, including electronics – for that last hour before you plan to hit the hay. This will help your body begin to wind down from the busy day and slip into that deep sleep you need for rejuvenation.

What other tips and tricks work for you? Post your comments below! We would love to hear your suggestions!

New Year- New You... With a New Planner- FREE Printable for you! ***now with TWO versions***

Starting a New Year always excites me! I have to admit I am like an little kid in a candy store when it comes to planning and setting up a fresh start! (I even suffer from 'New Year Insomnia' and create these crazy planner pages, ha!) I took some time this past year to design a daily planner page to help in productivity, goal setting and execution to see some of my lofty plans actually happen. I am sharing a FREE DOWNLOAD ***now with TWO versions*** of this Planner Page for you to try as well. I would love your feedback as you use it! There are multiple areas to help in your 2014 success: 

• Agenda Section- allows you to plan each day in 30 min increments beginning at 5am and ending at 10pm
• Menu Plan- map out all three meals and assign a child to help in planning, preparing, cooking and possibly even clean up for the day. This is a great bonding time as well as helping your children learn the basics of cooking and all that goes into planning it too!
• Main Focus- assign a general task to each day
• Example: 
• Monday:  Bathrooms
• Tuesday:  Bedrooms (or pick another area)
• Wednesday:  Shopping/Errands
• Thursday:  Kitchen
• Friday:  Living Areas
• Saturday:  Planning/Goal-Setting for the next week
• Sunday:  Sorting + filing any paperwork, bills, etc. 
• Must Do Today- an easy checklist to jot all 'to-do' items down. Take this one step further and assign an action step with it. (even if you only have 10 min somewhere along the day you can easily find a task to check off) Use the short line next to each task to assign the action step: 
• G= Go- An errand to run outside/away the home
• D= Do- An errand to do inside/at home
• B= Buy- An item that has to be purchased 
• C= Contact- An email to send or a call to be made
• Self-Care- workout, planning and quiet time are as important as getting your daily recommended water. Practicing good self-care is important to optimizing your productivity and overall success. Just check each off as you go throughout the day as a reminder that YOU are important and must take steps to live a healthy lifestyle!
• Notes- open area for brainstorming, blog ideas, reflection, verses, thoughts or anything your little heart desires :-)

Here's to the best YOU in 2014! 

Daily Planner- General by Vickie Desemone Minnella

CLICK HERE FOR YOUR FREE DOWNLOAD and start 2014 off with a bang... an organized bang! Print as many as you would like. I printed enough for 6 months and took it to my local office store and had them spiral-bound to carry with me and use everyday.

Daily Planner- General 2.0 by Vickie Desemone Minnella

You may also need some help with goal planning or menu planning/grocery shopping- Check out my other FREE RESOURCES to help you get organized and create a Rockstar Life!

***If have trouble printing you may access a copy here***
Planner Page 1.0
Planner Page 2.0

Helping Children Cope When A Tragedy Occurs

Watching any kind of tragedy unfold is hard on adults, but take a moment and consider a child's perspective. Adults know there is evil in the world and bad things do happen to good people, but a child's views are being shaped every day from playtime to the harsh reality of the world we live in.

My 8 year old daughter got into the car after school today and said
"Mommy we talked about the bombing today in school and they said an 8 year old boy died while waiting for his dad run. That is scary- I am 8 and you are a runner!"

She connected the dots of this horrific Boston Marathon Tragedy with the innocent age of someone her own age. She also brought up the shooting in CT and the talk we had about that tragedy just a few months ago. All three of my children had their views on these incidents, but as I listen to them share their perspectives and fears I am reminded as a parent that I can shape their outlook and attempt to calm their fears. There are a few simple things we can do to help the many questions and fears that develop in our little people, as well as our teenagers that seem to know it all:

• Assure them they are loved and comfort them. Do not brush off their feelings but rather allow them to express their thoughts in a secure place with the circle of love to absorb emotions attributed to the natural feelings they are experiencing.
• Control your own reaction to the situation. It is easy for us to tell them to do something a certain way, but it is more important that our reactions as parents/adults reflect the advice we give. Be careful not to jump to conclusions or offer initial motives for a cause of the tragedy. Also be careful not to judge or stereotype a certain type of person/people verbally. (They really do hear everything we say, and pick up on so much that we do not say) Model calm behavior but do not underestimate the affect evil has on innocent lives.
• Limit their exposure to pictures and news coverage based on age. We live in a day and age where pictures from a crime scene and tragedy spread at a viral rate through social media like never before, but monitor closely what is being viewed by little eyes. Just because a picture is released through Twitter, Facebook or other news source does NOT mean an 8 year old needs to see the graphic details. It is our job as parents to carefully expose our children to the realities of the world, but not all has to be done before the appropriate age.I am big on keeping it real with my own kids, but there are healthy boundaries of exposure too.
• Have them focus on the brave help of the emergency responders. When my kids do come across a picture or news coverage of an event that is less than favorable, I have them search out the emergency workers: Fireman, Police Officers, Military, etc. This offers a fresh approach to see the good in people and those willing to help at all costs. It also takes some of the negative weight off the crime scene/tragedy that is typically reported by new media. This is not to take away from the awful events but just adjusting perspective in the eyes of a child.
• Lead them to pray for the victims and their families. Offering up fears and sadness through prayer is a powerful way to release anxiety, especially when taught to do so at a young age. This has been my 'go to' way of helping my children in times like these. We always pray for the people affected and open our hearts to ways to help. If you listen closely to them, you may be surprised at their ideas on helping others. It definitely keeps me in check every time. 

I love the innocence of  children all ages possess and try to foster their sweet, kind hearts as much as possible, even though tragedy and evil occurrences. After all- isn't about the generation we are raising and what we CAN DO to create a different place to live in?

Sock Monster- BE GONE!

Mesh Laundry/Sweater Bags

If you hate pairing socks as much as I do, or wonder where the sock monster hides until your socks enter the washer, then this is the perfect Simplify Saturday Tip for you! 

Keep a mesh laundry bag on the back of each bedroom/bathroom door knob and place socks in every night. Then collect the mesh bags at laundry time, zip and throw the whole thing in to wash and dry. Easily pair upon drying. Be sure to have a large enough bag to allow socks to move around while washing to ensure cleanliness. 

A laundry dryer sheet can be placed in the bag to ward against any odors while on the door knob, just be sure to remove before washing. 

A colored ribbon or string can also be threaded through or knotted on to deciefer which family member's bag if following The Color-Coded Family approach. This also makes it easy to get younger kids involved as it breaks down the task. They can just focus on one bag at a time knowing they are all the same size and owner. 

Happy Simplify Saturday!