Tuesday, January 23, 2018

My 12 Favorite 5-Minute Self-Care Hacks and more...

Do you wish you had time to invest in yourself but you feel like there isn't a time block in your day to do so? Doing things to refresh and refuel ourselves doesn't necessarily have to mean we need a […]

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My 12 Favorite 5-Minute Self-Care Hacks

Do you wish you had time to invest in yourself but you feel like there isn’t a time block in your day to do so? Doing things to refresh and refuel ourselves doesn’t necessarily have to mean we need a free hour or two.

Here are 12 of my current favorite simple self-care ideas — that you can make happen in 5 minutes or less:

  1. Turn on a podcast. I love to listen to podcasts while I drive or wash dishes or clean the kitchen or cook. One of my favorites — especially when it comes to self-care and soul care is Emily P. Freeman’s podcast, The Next Right Thing.
  2. Put on a little makeup. It’s amazing how much happier and put together I feel when I take a few minutes to put on makeup. I recently trimmed my makeup routine down and only regularly use 5 products: a brow pencil, mascara, foundation, blush, and lip stick/gloss. This means I can quickly do my makeup and be on with my day — feeling happier, more energetic, and ready to meet whatever comes my way!
  3. Wear real PJs to bed. It’s only this year that I actually bought real PJs (can you believe that?). I used to just wear workout clothes or sweats to bed. There’s something about actually putting on a real pair of PJs that just makes me feel more relaxed and cared for. That might sound weird, but it’s proved to be very true.
  4. Brew a pot (or cup) of tea. I love making decaf tea with cream. It’s one of my favorite daily rituals and one I look forward to. If I’m feeling overwhelmed or tired, I usually stop and make a cup of tea — just to take a minute to slow down and breathe.
  5. Drink a glass of water. Many of our aches and pains and health problems can be traced back to being dehydrated. Do yourself a favor and drink more water! (Here’s how I drink a gallon of water every day.)
  6. Text a friend. I love to text a quick text to a friend to let her know that I’m thinking of her or praying for her. It’s simple, but those small investments in relationship can pay off in big dividends over the long haul. (Read my post here on how to be a better friend and how to find good friends.)
  7. Make a healthy snack. Food is your body’s fuel. Take care of yourself by regularly fueling your body with good food — like fresh fruit sprinkled with coconut, or fresh veggies with hummus, or peanut butter and celery, or a hard-boiled egg, or a piece of whole-wheat toast.
  8. Go outside. I try to stop at least once or twice a day and just step outside and look around. To breathe in the scents and sights of the world around me. To listen to the bird singing or see the sun rising or marvel at the beauty of creation.
  9. Clean or organize something. I always feel so fulfilled when I take a few minutes to clean something. This might be putting away laundry, or wiping down the kitchen countertops, or putting away the dishes. It gives you a little boost in your day (or at least it does for me!)
  10. Light a candle. There’s something about having a candle burning that just makes a house feel homier and makes you feel like you are taking better care of yourself and your family. Also, a messy house can feel cleaner when a candle is burning! 😉
  11. Make your bed. I know I said that I don’t always make my bed, but after reading the book called Make Your Bed, I’ve been inspired to make this an almost-daily habit. I find that a made bed is a gift to myself. It just makes me happy to walk into the room and see the bed all made — and it truly does inspire me to have more order in other areas of my life, too.
  12. Turn on music. I love listening to music while running or cleaning or reading or making dinner or while working on the computer. One of my current favorites is listening to the soundtrack from The Greatest Showman.

What are YOUR favorite quick and easy self-care ideas? Share them in the comments!

P.S. This post was inspired by my friend, MacKenzie. Read her post on 5 Lovelies for My Current Self-Care.

    
 

Gretchen’s $51 Grocery Shopping Trip & Menu Plan

Dillons

1 Kroger Ice Cream – $2.50

1 Kroger Cottage Cheese – $1.89, used $0.40/1 mailer coupon – $1.49 after coupon

2 Simple Truth Coffee K-Cups – $4.99 each, used $2/2 e-coupon – $3.99 each after coupon

2.45 lbs Bananas – $1.20

1 pkg Chobani Yogurt – $1.49, used Free e-coupon (no longer available) – Free after coupon

4 Kroger Frozen Veggies – $0.88 each, used $0.40/2 mailer coupon – $0.78 each after coupon

1 loaf bread – $1.99

1 Kroger Peanut Butter – $1.79, used Free mailer coupon – Free after coupon

Total after coupons: $18.28

Aldi

1 pkg Frozen Chicken Breasts – $5.99

1 bag Potatoes – $2.29

1 pkg Lasagna Noodles – $1.25

2 dozen Eggs – $1.59 each

1 gallon Milk – $2.08

2 cans Green Beans – $0.44 each

1 pkg Grapes – $3.15

1 bag Spinach – $1.29

2 Cucumbers – $0.49 each

1 loaf Bread – $0.83

1 pint Grape Tomatoes – $1.29

1 Pineapple – $1.19

1 Jelly – $1.59

1 Frozen Orange Juice – $1.19

2 lbs Butter – $2.46 each

2 pints Blueberries – $0.49 each

Total: $33.08

Total for all groceries: $51.36

Menu Plan for This Week

We still have some veggies and fruit leftover from last week that I’ll be using up this week.

Breakfasts

Toast & Eggs x 4

Cereal x 2

Cinnamon Rolls, Fruit, Juice

Lunches

Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches, Sliced Veggies x 2

Mac & Cheese, Apple Slices, Grapes

Cheese, Crackers, Fruit, Veggies

Baked Potato Bar

Leftovers x 2

Dinners

Friends for dinner (We’re having a BYO Meat Grill-out and Game Night) – I’ll thaw out a few chicken breasts for us and will be making a fruit salad as well.

Lasagna, Steamed Peas, Spinach Salad

Venison Roast, Potatoes, Carrots, Homemade Bread

Chicken Noodle Casserole, Spinach Salad, Fruit Salad

Waffles, Eggs, Bacon (leftover from last week)

Out to eat (Papa Johns Pizza using coupon codes!) 🙂

BBQ Meatballs (using ground venison), Biscuits, Green Beans

    
 

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