Category Archives: How to’s

My Three Favorite Make-Ahead Breakfast Recipes

Food, How to's, , , , , ,

happiness depends on breakfast

I love breakfast. It is my favorite meal of the day and I could eat breakfast foods morning, noon, and night. (Sometimes I do!) I also really enjoy eating my breakfast in bed while I read the news and check my emails. According to Downton Abbey this is a luxury I shouldn’t be afforded until after my wedding day. But Downton be damned! I like to live by the quote above instead — All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast. Can I get an AMEN? Wanna know what can make your breakfasts even MORE leisurely than consuming them propped up amongst a mountain of pillows? (Yes, having it served on a tray by your ladies maid would be grand but that’s not quite what I was thinking…) Making them ahead of time! I’m an oatmeal girl through and through but sometimes it’s nice to have a few other options on hand to switch things up. Especially when those options cut down on the time spent away from my quilt! Here are a few make-ahead breakfast recipes that will have you dining like a Crawley in no time…

Freezer Breakfast Burritos. Breakfast Burritos are one of my favorite things on the entire planet. Having a stash in the freezer at all times is obviously the best way to live your life. To make them, just throw some veggies (like bell peppers, onion, spinach, or whatever you have on hand) into a pan for a minute or so. Beat your eggs and add them to the pan and scramble on up. Add black beans and salsa to warm. Transfer your egg mixture to a bowl and let it cool a little. Finally, grab some tortillas and plastic wrap/aluminum foil. Add a couple scoops of egg-y goodness to the tortilla, sprinkle some cheese on top if you like, and fold and wrap. Place the individually wrapped burritos in a tupperware or freezer bag and pop ’em in the freezer. When you’re ready to eat, unwrap and microwave for 1-2 minutes (flipping once).

Choco-Coconut Overnight Oats. This is the most decadent breakfast in all of the land. So rich, so creamy, so…in a mason jar. How could you go wrong? All you do is add the following ingredients to a jar: 1/2 cup of oats, 1/2 cup of milk of choice, 3 Tbsps coconut greek yogurt, 1 Tbsp cocoa powder, and 1/2 a banana-mashed. Stir everything up and put a lid on it. Pop it in your fridge and let it sit at least overnight (but up to 3 days). Note: If you don’t have coconut yogurt you can substitute plain yogurt + shredded coconut + sweetener of your choice.

Banana Blueberry Soft Serve. Ok, so this one is sort of cheating because you still have to use your food processor in the morning but stick with me…it’s worth it. All you’re gonna do is make little baggies (or small tupperwares) with 1 1/2 banana and 1/4 cup of blueberries and throw them in the freezer. Then in the morning throw the contents of the bag in your food processor with a splash of milk and give it a good whiz until you reach a soft serve consistency. Scoop the mixture out into a bowl and add whatever toppings you have on hand (like granola, sliced almonds, chia seeds, or fresh fruit). Admittedly, this is my favorite dessert at the moment but who said your leisurely breakfast can’t include such luxuries?

Which would you choose? xoxo

Planner Tip: Prioritize Your Passions

Every day life, How to's, , , , , , ,

planner

I’m totally obsessed with my Target Dollar Spot planner. While I keep a daily To-Do list, planning in this adorable binder has become more of a hobby (I can decorate it with washi and stickers! Weeee!) and a way to plan out my personal, less work-focused time. I plan on doing a more in-depth post about this planner in the future, but today I thought I’d share a little tip I’ve gotten a lot of mileage out of! Here goes…

So, here’s the deal! If left to my own devices, I can waste a LOT of time on my computer. I love to read blogs, watch YouTube videos, and scroll endlessly through Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. When a pocket of free-time opens up I can have the best of intentions and then find myself, 2 hours later, still sitting with my laptop open. This habit is especially frustrating if you sit at a computer all day for work!

Recently, I did a little soul searching about ways I could encourage myself to turn off the screen and prioritize my passions instead. I came up with three areas of focus…

  • I’m passionate about exercising my mind through books.
  • I’m passionate about exercising my body through yoga.
  • I’m passionate about exercising my creativity through paper crafts.

Next, I took a look at my typical day. When was I getting unnecessarily sucked into the internet? When would it be easy to indulge in a little self-care instead? For me, it was occurring between dinner and later in the evening when Chet and I spend time together (usually watching TV, unwinding, etc).

So I started scheduling my “me-time” activities in my planner! I write in “Read” or “Yoga” or some sort of craft or planner spread….

planner inside

It may sound simple…but it works for me! Instead of staring at a screen into the night (when I’ve already stared at it for so long during the day), I pick up a book or make a pocket letter. I roll out my mat or I decorate my planner. Sometimes I might throw in a long walk with a podcast or a class of some sort.

Do I HAVE to stick to the schedule? Absolutely not. But I’ve found that, when mapping out my week to come, if I give my “future self” a little nudge in the right direction I’m less likely to take the easy way out. (You also may recall that I’m all about eliminating decision fatigue! Why not make the decision about how to spend your “me-time” ONCE A WEEK instead of every single day.)

Wanna implement this TIP? Here are some easy steps: 

  1. Reflect on your daily life and identify a common “time suck” activity that you’d like to eliminate.
  2. Brainstorm 2-4 passions or areas of your life you’d like to grow. Really dig deep about what makes you happy. Do you wish you spent more time outdoors? Maybe you would benefit from a weekly bike ride. Are you looking to grow your writing? Perhaps you need to set aside time for daily journaling.
  3. Next, figure out where your “me time” best fits into your schedule. This could be different each day or the same time throughout the week. I’ve found the best way to identify when you have the time is to look to Step #1. Is there a pocket of time when you typically sit staring at your phone for 30 minutes straight double tapping random IG pics? Or do you find yourself waking up early just to end up channel surfing for an hour?
  4. When you do your weekly planning, PRIORITIZE YOUR PASSIONS! Plan for those moments of free-time with a little ME-TIME!

What do you think? Do you keep a planner? Would you consider scheduling specific activities for your free-time? Or do you prefer a more free flowing approach? I’d love to know your thoughts! xoxo 

Santa Monica

April favorites.

Books, Brainpower, Every day life, Food, How to's, Move, , , , , , , , , , , ,

April Favorites collage

With the turning of the calendar page from April to May, it’s time to bundle together the best products, places, media and everything in between from the last month. Here are 9 things I found myself loving in April…

1. Pocket Letters

If you follow me on Instagram, then you’ll know I’ve been going a little Pocket Letter crazy this month. I just can’t get enough. For those curious, Pocket Letters are a genius way to send someone (pen pal, friend, stranger, etc.) a little mailbox surprise! Essentially, you take a 3×3 baseball card holder, decorate it to your heart’s content, tuck in some stationery goodies for your pal, and mail it off. Here’s a TUTORIAL if you’d like to learn more. I’ve been making these for a little while now, but I only recently hopped on PocketLetterPals.com to start arranging swaps with peeps from across the country. The resulting deliveries have made mail time a giddy experience. (If you’re interested in swapping leave a comment below!) 

2. Ballet

While I’m hopelessly devoted to my yoga practice, the month of April saw me dusting off my ballet shoes for a bit of barre work. I turned to YouTube (of course!) and was able to rustle up a few videos of actual ballet classes. I then got to work and have been trying to incorporate ballet into my workout routine on a weekly basis. For me no other exercise ever seems as effective yet effortless as ballet. I can have sweat dripping down my neck all with a smile on my face. Maybe because it has been a part of my life for so long? *cue that scene in Center Stage where Juliette Simone/Julie Simon talks about the barre being home.*

3. Graze snacks

If you wanna up your snacking game, you GOTTA check out Graze. Graze is a snack subscription service that sends you 4 or 8 individually packaged snacks weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly. I’ve gotten two boxes so far and I gotta tell ya…I am HOOKED. Each snack I’ve tried has been delicious and perfectly portioned. And you can’t beat the convenience! My favorite snack so far has gotta go to the Honeycomb Flapjack which Graze describes as a “rustic rolled oat flapjack with honeycomb and chocolate drizzle.” It’s legit better than a candy bar. YUM!

4. Homestead Town Hall Museum

On a recent #AdventureSaturday, Chet and I decided to explore Historic Downtown Homestead. Normally when we spend a Saturday in Homestead it’s at the beach. But this time around we decided to stay on dry land and see what else the city had to offer. Downtown Homestead is definitely a blink and you’ll miss it stretch of road but it does offer some quaint places — an old theater with a retro marquis, a park with an amphitheater, and the Homestead Town Hall Museum. After chowing down on some amazing Cuban food at a little hole-in-the-wall attached to the local bus station, we headed to the museum. Admission is free and was totally time well spent just for the eccentric docent who showed us around. (Although she did try to convince us to sit down in a couple of folding chairs to watch an HOUR long documentary about Homestead on a rinky-dink TV. Not gonna happen, lady.)

5. Free printables

One of the joys of wedding planning on a budget has been scouring the internet for ways to cut corners. My favorite way so far? Free printables. They are so fun to tinker around with. Pictured above is one I found for a Thumbprint Guestbook. It is so simple and fun! I love the idea of having it out at our reception with some ink pads and asking guests to create the leaves. Wouldn’t it be lovely to frame that as a keepsake? What a beautiful reminder of all our “people” and the special family tree we’ve created for ourselves, both with our actual family and the folks who’ve become our family.

6. Washi tape

I LOVE washi tape. This month I’ve been using it a ton to decorate pocket letters (see above) and my planner (see below). Last week we stumbled upon an office supply store that was going out of business and I stocked up. My other favorite places to find washi? Target, Dollar Tree, and Ikea. Ikea sells packs of four for FIFTY CENTS. Hello!?! Need I say more.

7. Target Dollar Spot planner

I started using my Target Dollar Spot planner on April 1st and the obsession is still going strong. In case you’re wondering, I call it the Target Dollar Spot planner because it was created from 3 components purchased at Target in the $1-$3 section. A mini binder, dividers/weekly inserts, and folders/monthly inserts. Each of these “kits” was $3. While I utilize this planner for weekly and monthly planning, I’ve also been trying my hand at planner decorating. (Inspired by CheapCraftyGirl on YouTube.) It’s a fun activity to sit down on a Sunday night and decorate the next week’s spread! And it’s also a cool way to use some of the stationery goodies I receive in my pocket letters. Paper crafting for the win!

8. The Brain Candy Podcast

Confession: I’m a LONG time viewer of The Real World, Road Rules, and The Challenge. I have never “out grown” these shows and continue to enjoy, especially The Challenge, to this day. The advent of social media has taken my interest in reality TV in a different direction. I love keeping up with cast members on Twitter and Instagram because seeing what D-List celebs do in their day to day is just as interesting (if not more) to me than watching them on a show. Anyways, that’s all to say, I follow the two ladies responsible for this podcast on social media. So when they started promoting this endeavor I was totally into it. It’s hosted by Susie Meister (RR: Down Under) and Sarah Rice (RW: Brooklyn) and is billed as “candy for your left brain and your right brain.” While some episodes are about The Challenge (both Susie and Sarah have competed multiple times on the show), many are not. They cover everything from cults to travel to DIY. It is super easy listening…kind of like you’re eavesdropping on two intelligent girlfriends having a chat. Oh, and usually wine is involved!

9. Uncovered by Leah Lax

If women and religion, and how the two intersect, is of interest to you, then this memoir is a must-read. I love learning about different religions and recently realized I didn’t know too much about the lives of Hasidic Jews. I picked up this memoir at my local library and couldn’t put it down. It tells the story of Leah Lax who left her liberal, secular home as a teenager for a life as a Hasidic Jew. Lax recounts her experiences with arranged marriage, fundamentalist faith, and motherhood during her time with the Hasidim, and exposes how her creative, sexual, and spiritual longings existed beneath the surface throughout her time there. This book taught me a lot about this particular faith through the eyes of a woman who lived it and then left it.

 

The 5 things that turned me into a shower lover.

Every day life, How to's, , , ,

towels

In the interest of honesty I’m going to admit something to you. It has taken me a good many years to become someone who enjoys showers. Really, my conversion only occurred in the last year or so…

Is that gross? TMI?

Well, perhaps I’m not alone. This little ditty, The 5 Reasons Girls Hate Showering, sums things up nicely. It’s not that, until recently, I enjoyed a dirty, smelly, sweaty existence. More like the time investment of washing my long locks, coupled with freezing my buns off once it was all said in done, seemed an annoyance rather than a necessity or even *gasp* an enjoyable experience.

Here’s how I managed to flip the script…

1. I shower at night.

I fought this switch for YEARS and hated every second of it. Chet will tell you that I love a good faff in the morning. Meaning, I’d rather wake up early to dink around on the internet and eat breakfast in bed than to wash and blow-dry my hair. I need time to wake up. Showering does the complete opposite for me. It makes me want to get back in bed. Which is exactly what I used to do when forcing myself into morning showers. I would towel-turban my hair, climb back in the covers, and fall back asleep. Whoops! The switch to the PM means I can cozy up in pj’s and quilts to my heart’s content and make a natural transition to slumber, rather than one that sets my day back a few steps.

2. I wash my hair less.

The more you wash your hair the more you need to wash your hair, ya know? Like the article linked above alludes to, hair washing tags on a ton more time to the shower process. You gotta wash and condition and rinse, sure. But then you gotta tug through all the tangles and maybe even blow-dry and straighten or curl, too. Exhausting. But the opposite is also true! The less you wash your hair the less you need to wash it. Now I happily get by on two times a week. And because I shower at night, I just let it air dry.

3. I bought a white shower curtain.

Another thing that bummed me out about showers? They could get a little dreary. Now, a lot of that can be chalked up to poor lighting and tiny bathroom lay-outs in all the crappy rentals I’ve had over the last decade. But, I found that an easy and affordable way to brighten things up a pinch is with a white shower curtain. My current curtain is from Ikea and it was only $12.99. Kicking myself for all those years I suffered with drab showers due to dark colors and an opaque curtain liner. Lord.

4. I know when to commit and when to switch it up.

I love impulse purchasing products as much as the next gal. But, I’ve learned to commit to the type of shampoo/conditioner that works for my hair. It may be a bit more expensive than I sometimes enjoy, which is why I would try out random one-offs that didn’t get the job done, but in the end going for the gold is worth it. Plus, I wash my hair less so it lasts an amazingly long time. As for other bath products, I like to switch it up! Artisinal goat’s milk soap from a craft fair? Sure, I’ll buy a bar. Anything lavender scented? Yes, please!

5. I keep it clean.

While I like to try different soaps and smell-good fun, that doesn’t mean I keep all the products lining the shower. I’m not down for a bunch of clutter. I keep products to a minimum (ie. just the ones I want to use that day) at any given time. Sorta random, and not for everyone, but that works for me. Oh and, the Kaboom Foaming Bathroom Cleaner is a lifesaver if you’re super lazy like me but still want those tiles blinging.

And there you have it!

*High fives self for turning a chore into something awesome.*

 

Packing for a Weekend Away in the Tom Bihn Synapse 19

How to's, Travel, , ,

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In honor of the looming weekend, I thought it would be fun to show you how I pack for a weekend away in my Tom Bihn Synapse 19. As you may or may not be able to tell from the photo above, this bag is pretty much the size of your run-of-the-mill book-sack. With a volume of just 19 liters, it’s genius lies in the design.

It is a carefully calculated, supremely organized backpack. Fully capable of fitting in everything you could need for a weekend jaunt some place fun. Here’s how I pack mine!

Let’s start with the outside pockets…

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First up, I tucked in a deck of cards for classic entertainment, an easy-to-grab snack for the road (this sweet treat from my Graze Box will keep me from the gas station candy aisle), and my jewelry/hair accessories; including…

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two pairs of earrings, a herkimer diamond necklace, hair tie, barrette, and a bobby pin (in case things get hairy, PUN INTENDED!).

The next outside pocket is one of my favorite features of this backpack. It is deep enough to hold a one liter bottle of water and is expertly designed so that the water bottle is perfectly centered amongst the weight of your load. I’m sorry, what?! If you’ve ever carried around a weirdly lopsided bag in the name of hydration before…you’ll get why this is a god-send.

Not to mention, it makes your water super accessible, which I find to be a really big plus when traveling.

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Full disclosure: This water bottle is Chet’s and I don’t particularly love it but I couldn’t find the top to the one I would typically use. Whoops!

On to the side pockets!

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Note: I would normally clip my keys (they’re on a carabiner) to the O-ring in this pocket but I forgot to do that.

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Another snack and more writing implements than I would ever need. And in the other side…

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Earbud headphones, ANOTHER snack (notice how many pockets I managed to cram snacks into. Priorities!), and a BAGGU reusable shopping bag. Finally, I threw a pair of strappy sandals into the bottom pocket. I’ve also fit a pair of sneakers into this pocket (For reference: I wear a size 6.) and an umbrella.

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Here’s everything from the outside pockets…

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Now we’ll explore the main pocket!

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To illustrate just how Mary Poppins-like this bag really is, I threw my purse in on top. Truly one bag travel! Here’s everything that was hanging out below my purse in that never-ending pit…

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Two Amazon Basics packing cubes and a library book.

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Inside my brightly colored, thrifted purse is my phone and charger, chapstick, compact, tissues and hand sanitizer (AKA: my “I can pee anywhere” kit), and a coin purse to hold my license, debit card, a Starbucks gift card and a few dollars in quarters (they always seem to come in handy).

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Inside the smaller of the two packing cubes are two pairs of underwear, a pair of socks, a cosmetic bag, and a Tom Bihn travel stuff sack. (Note: there was still plenty enough room in this cube for a bra or a bathing suit, had I wanted to include them.)

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With everything out of the inner bags there’s BB cream, face wash, deodorant, body wash, a comb, moisturizer, perfume, toothbrush, razor, toothpaste, rosebud salve, mascara, and a little pill box for a stash of Advil and Magnesium supplements.

Inside the larger packing cube are all my clothes; including two shirts, jeans, a dress, and pajama top and bottom. All rolled of course! The dress is not needed but it offers a nice option in case I had fun dinner plans upon arrival on Friday and wanted to change out of my travel ensemble.

Seems kind of extravagant to have so many outfit options for a one-bag, one-weekend trip, eh? Just another reason to love my Tom Bihn!

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And here’s my whole haul–everything I could possibly need for an awesome weekend trip…

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Time to load this bag back up and set off someplace fabulous! Now, all that’s left is to decide where to go!!! Happy travels!

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If you have any questions about my packing process, this lovely backpack, or want to share a few tips & tricks from your own one-bag travels…LEAVE ‘EM BELOW! 

Recipe: Greek Quinoa Salad

Food, How to's, , , , , ,

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Now that I live in South Florida, my taste buds always seem to be after Mediterranean and/or tropical flavors. Fresh and crunchy vegetables, tangy tastes of citrus or vinegar, that sort of thing. With that in mind, I thought I’d give ya a peek at my dinner plate from last night….

Thin pork-chop marinated in mojo sauce (cut into strips because I am a child),

Fluffy pita bread and hummus,

Creamy slices of avocado (which I topped with a ton of salt and pepper if we’re being honest),

And a heaping helping of Greek Quinoa Salad!

It super fit the bill and satisfied my cravings for a summertime-is-upon-us feast. Wanna know how to whip up your own Greek Quinoa Salad? Of course you do! It would be a perfect dish to make this weekend for work-week lunch prep or to pack along for a picnic pot-luck.

greek quinoa salad

What you’ll need:

– 1 cup quinoa

– 1 1/2 cups water

– 1 red bell pepper

– 1 green bell pepper

– 1 cucumber

– 1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled

– 1/4 cup olive oil

– 3 Tbsps apple cider vinegar

– salt and pepper to taste

And how it all comes together:

– Rinse quinoa and then place it in a saucepan on medium heat to toast for a few minutes and get rid of any excess moisture.

– Add water to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and cover the pot with the lid slightly off kilter (so as to allow some steam to escape). Let this simmer for 12-14 minutes.

– While quinoa is simmering, chop bell peppers and cucumber.

– Fluff quinoa with a fork, take it off heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

– Once quinoa is cooled, add it to a large bowl along with chopped vegetables and feta cheese. Note: To make this salad vegan you could replace the feta with olives as they both provide a salty flavor. Also, non-vegans who like olives (aka NOT ME) could have BOTH!

– To create the dressing: whisk together oil, vinegar, and salt and pepper. Then add this mixture to your salad.

– Serve room temperature or place in the refrigerator to chill.

– Enjoy!

greek dinner

Have any recipe ideas that might keep my cravings satisfied for the months of sky-rocketing temperatures ahead here in Miami? What have YOUR dinner plates been lookin’ like lately? Share below! 

Tackling that nagging, unfinished project.

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unhung gallery wall

How do you go about tackling those nagging, unfinished projects looming about your life? Gretchen Rubin, author of the book The Happiness Project (a book I love, btw!) has the following resolution when it comes to such things: “Finish the things I’ve started. Or put an end to them.”

I love that! A few years ago I applied this same principle to books. I had a bad habit of starting a book with great intentions, finding I didn’t like it that much, and then letting it sit on my nightstand for the next month as I told myself day in and day out, “I really should finish that book.” But then *lightbulb!* I realized I could read so. much. more. when I focused on books I loved and abandoned those I didn’t. Makes total sense that this could be applicable to other areas of one’s life.

Now, I know this wouldn’t work for everything. There are certain projects that just have to get done and can’t be cast aside for other pursuits. Like taxes. Gotta do ’em! But I can think of a lot of other instances where giving myself one of only two options: 1) put everything away and just call it quits OR 2) just do the damn thing! would make for just the kick in the pants I need. And make sure, just like with the books, that I’m only pursuing projects I’m actually passionate about.

What do you think? How do YOU tackle nagging, unfinished projects? 

 

(Photo via here by Janne Peters.)

Recipe: Cincinnati Chili

Food, How to's, , , , ,

cincinnati chili

Growing up in Central Kentucky, with two sets of grandparents one state up in Ohio, I learned to love the joys of serving chili with a dash of cinnamon and a plate of slippery spaghetti noodles. I can remember slurping up this beloved regional concoction as a kid, whipped up at home and on family day trips to visit the Cincinnati malls. A few years ago, a Goldstar Chili opened up just blocks away from my mom’s house and our whole family greeted it with open arms. (Even the vegans among us…they’ve got that plant-based hook up at Goldstar, y’all.) In fact, a couple days ago when my mom texted our family group chat to say she didn’t feel like cooking dinner my sister and I BOTH responded she should hit up that Goldstar. But then that got ME craving the stuff…and since I no longer live by any Skylines or Goldstars…I headed to my kitchen instead!

What you’ll need:

– small onion, chopped

– 1 lb. ground turkey

– red bell pepper, chopped

– 2 cups chicken broth

– 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

– 2 6 oz cans tomato paste

– 1 1/2 tsps apple cider vinegar

– 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

– 2 Tbsps chili powder

– 2 tsps ground cumin

– 1 1/2 tsps salt

– 1 tsp cayenne

– 1 tsp cinnamon

– 1 tsp paprika

– 1 Tbsp cocoa powder

– 1/2 tsp garlic powder

– 1 can of beans (red kidney, black, whatever you have on hand)

And how it all comes together: 

– Heat the chopped onion in a pan with some olive oil until the edges start to caramelize.

– Add the ground turkey and separate it with a spoon. Cook until browned.

– Transfer turkey and onions to a crockpot. Then add all of the remaining ingredients listed above except for the beans.

– Cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 5-6 hours.

– Add a drained can of beans to the crockpot for the last hour of cooking time.

– Serve chili over spaghetti or angel hair pasta noodles. Top with shredded cheddar cheese and oyster crackers!

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What’s your favorite type of chili? SHARE BELOW! 

How to Eliminate Decision Fatigue and Get More Done

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how to eliminate decision fatigue

As I mentioned in this post, I’m not very decisive. While I’m great at split-second decision making (think: barking orders during emergency situations or finding the best course of action when work events go awry), life’s more mundane questions, like what to eat for lunch or wear to a friend’s wedding, can leave me perplexed.

While I may consider myself an extreme case, I have a feeling I’m not alone. You may notice a few signs of decision fatigue in your own life as well. Perhaps you come home from a long day of work feeling completely exhausted. You can’t quite decide what to do so you sit on the couch watching TV instead of going to the gym. You have no idea what you want for dinner so you go get takeout instead of cooking. That’s decision fatigue! Whether sick of choosing or just overcome with options, your brain defaults to the easiest decision possible.

Over the years, I’ve figured out a few ways to cope with decision fatigue. I have found that organizing my life in a way that eliminates decisions is tantamount to increasing my productivity. You may find you’re the same…

decision fatigue food

When it comes to deciding what to eat, I’ve found that making these decisions “in bulk” is the best way to not succumb to restaurants in the 5 o’clock but no idea what to eat for dinner madness. Set aside time to make a meal plan each week. If you’re feeling extra on top of things then do a bit of meal prepping, too. You could go all out and package up 21 meals into neatly organized tupperwares or simply take a bit of time to get ahead. Wash and chop up produce. Cook a grain. Boil some eggs.

Check out this post to learn more about sticking to a certain theme for dinner each night of the week. This way, even when you slip, and find yourself with out a plan or anything prepped, you’ll at least know “It’s Thursday so we’re having stir-fry.” (Or whatever you selected.) Another approach you could try if that feels a bit too limiting is the 14-day dinner menu.

decision fatigue clothes

Another decision I must make on the daily (sometimes multiple times a day…UGH!) is what to wear. Ever notice how super successful folk tend to wear the same things all the time? They might be on to something! While I don’t plan on rocking jeans and a black turtleneck every day a la Steve Jobs, developing a capsule wardrobe is a great way to limit the scope of my options. Do a little closet experimentation and see if you can come up with a capsule that suits your lifestyle.

Another possibility is to organize your clothes based on when you would wear them. Dedicate a drawer to workout wear, a section of your closet to office apparel, another for running errands and weekends at home, and a dedicated place for more formal attire. Identify what you’ll be doing and then head to the corresponding area to grab your outfit.

If buying and trying lots of clothes and keeping up with fashion trends is something that’s important to you, consider coming up with some outfit equations or cheat sheets that may work to speed up your getting dressed process. Then you can put together different combos like skirt + cardigan + tights + boots + boho earrings + scarf lickety-split!

Conversely, if choosing which items of clothing to add to your wardrobe is contributing to your decision fatigue, consider looking into services like Stitch Fix. I LOVE Stitch Fix because I don’t have to stand in a store and ruffle through racks trying to decide what to buy! They simply send me 5 items of clothing they think I’ll love, based on my style surveys and Pinterest boards, and then I either keep them or I don’t. I’ve also eased my clothes decisions by choosing to focus on building this 50 piece capsule wardrobe.

decision fatigue planning

If you suffer from decision fatigue I HIGHLY recommend you start keeping some sort of a notebook or planner system. Spend some time with this little guy every night before you go to bed. Write down all the things you’d like to accomplish the next day. Before I found a notebook system that worked for me I would start each day with my mind SO FULL of all the things that needed to get done. I would repeat them over and over and re-order them in terms of importance and then repeat them again. Basically, struggling to decide when to do what. Take it from me, just write it down. I can still work out the order the next day, and migrate things that don’t get done, but having that rough sketch the night before saves me so much brain space.

decision fatigue finances

This one may seem pretty obvious but I think it’s worth mentioning. Set up direct deposit so you don’t have to decide a good time to take your paycheck to the bank. Work out an amount you feel comfortable allocating for savings and schedule automated transfers from your checking account to a savings account. This way you won’t have to decide (as often) when and how much to set aside. Switch things like utilities, internet, and cell phone bills over to autopay so you don’t have to decide when to pay what bill and whether to mail a check or pay online. Easy peasy!

decision fatigue schedule 2

Instead of saying, “I’d like to explore my city more” or “I need to exercise” or “I want to spend time with my friends” and having to DECIDE when in your busy life you’re going to do these things…make COMMITMENTS. Set your priorities and then schedule your priorities. Learning to do this was a HUGE first step for me in investing in myself. Set up a recurring movie night each week with your friends. Declare #adventuresaturday and explore something new with your sweetheart (See picture above!). Set Monday, Wednesday, Friday as your workout days. Invest in your hobbies for an hour each day after dinner. Wanna grow your side hustle? Head to a coffee shop every Sunday, put your phone on airplane mode, and dig in.

Keep up a routine for long enough and it will soon develop into a habit. And you know what that means? It no longer took any thought. No decisions, no fatigue, no brain space.

Just life lived.

Do you suffer from decision fatigue? Have you made any lifestyle changes to limit the amount of decisions you have to make? I want to hear about them! 

Travel Tips: Airports & Planes

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my seven

I’ve flown quite a lot in my years. I was lucky enough to live a pretty well-traveled childhood, allowing me the ability to become a confident air traveler early on. I also flew a lot in my broke college days, which helped me hone ways to travel cheaply. These days, when it comes to air travel, I try to make everything run as efficiently as possible. Because flying can be a pain in the you-know-what.

In keeping with a travel theme, I thought I’d share my top tips for airports and planes that I’ve learned over the years! I know, I know…Nothing irks me like that random dude in the security line who thinks because he flies twice a month for business he can start barking orders. Everyone’s an expert, right? But because this is my blog I AM the expert…at all the things. So, for this post, I’m gonna be that guy in line tellin’ ya how it’s done.

Not checking a bag? Make sure you’ve got your life together. 

You don’t want to spend close to 45 bucks to detach from your suitcase for a few hours? Me either. But with that money-saving privilege comes some responsibility. Mainly, minimizing and organizing. Streamline your wardrobe and make sure all your pieces can mix and match. Ditch that extra pair of shoes. Wear your clunkiest items (boots, sweater, winter coat, scarf) so you don’t have to shove it in your carry-on luggage.

Keep your clear, quart-sized bag of liquids at the top of your bag or in a front zippered pocket of your rolling suitcase. Make sure your laptop is accessible and can slide right out. When you saddle up to one of those metal tables at airport security, go ahead and grab a stack of 3 bins. Let’s not kid ourselves into taking less and then having to reach back for more and disrupting the flow of fellow travelers.

Bring a water bottle! 

Darting from one end of an airport to the other can be exhausting and planes are Sahara dessert dry. If you don’t wanna shell out a fiver for a bottle of H20 then you better come prepared. I always bring an empty Nalgene with me when I fly and my first stop after passing security is to locate the nearest water fountain. I then guzzle down as much water as possible, use the ladies room before boarding begins, refill water bottle again, keep drinking, board plane, throw down my stuff, and then pee again while the plane continues to board.

(You didn’t know this was going to be a detailed account of my bladder activity did you?)

While I like to treat myself to a ginger-ale or a cran-apple juice during drink service, I also continue to drink water throughout the flight. I also don’t drink alcohol on flights (ok, maybe a glass of wine on international flights for a little help in the sleep department). Guzzling all this water helps me feel alive when I reach my destination and impacts jet lag levels.

Pack along a bevy of snacks. 

Can you tell I hate parting with money? Well, I do.  Airports are notorious for over-priced (and pretty gross if we’re honest) snacks and meals. And you can’t count on the airlines to make it rain peanuts anymore. So it’s better to be prepared. If I know I’m going to be traveling during a meal I try to pack that meal or at least part of it. A sandwich is easy to bring along. And some combination of trail mixes, crackers, carrots, and protein bars round out an on-the-cheap dining experience. I also like to bring a fruit for the actual up-in-the-air part of the day. (See again: hydration.) My favorites for this are apple slices, oranges, and grapes.

Gotta spend? Go to Starbucks. 

Sometimes a girl’s gotta treat herself. If I’m flying out super early I’m gonna want some caffeine. I’m human aren’t I!? And sometimes (especially on return trips) I may not have the appropriate level of food options to meet my level of hunger. In these situations I seek out Starbucks for a few reasons. Mainly, and this is purely psychological, I already expect Starbucks to be a little over the top when it comes to pricing. This doesn’t stop me from getting an iced coffee every now and again in my day-to-day life so it seems fine to do the same in my airport life. (I can’t find any sources that speak to the price differences between airport vs. non-airport Starbucks. In my personal experience the prices have never felt that different. If any baristas care to weigh in I’m obvi interested.)

Second, you can use any Starbucks gift cards that may be lingering in your wallet. Want a bagel and cream cheese? Get it with ~*~pretend~*~ money. Much more fun than a debit card attached to a ~*~real~*~ bank account! And finally, sometimes you hit the jackpot and the Starbucks will have FREE wi-fi when the airport itself is asking you to throw down $4.95 to connect. This has happened to me on two recent trips going through the Atlanta and Houston airports. Praise be, St. Arbucks!

Don’t go overboard with entertainment. 

It took me a long time to figure out that the Boy Scout motto, “Be Prepared,”doesn’t mean I need to haul 2 novels, a book of crossword puzzles, and 3 magazines on a flight from Lexington to LaGuardia. I like to choose about 2 forms of entertainment and leave it that. Perhaps the book I’m reading and a phone full of downloaded podcasts. Or a new magazine and my laptop.

Yes, I know there’s always the chance of being delayed for hours on end but that situation is well-deserving of a perusal at the airport bookstore and treating ones-self to a New York Times bestseller (or a stack of tabloids…no judgement).

Flight cancelled? Pick up your cell phone. 

People in airports are super susceptible to herd mentality. A flight gets cancelled and you follow the mass of bleary-eyed travelers to a snaking line leading to an airline counter. Every single person in this line wants to explain to an over-worked gate agent why they are uniquely inconvenienced by the day’s misgivings. Meanwhile, you wait in line for hours on end because it seems like “the right place to be.” I consider myself an extremely patient person but no. Just no. I would much rather call the airline itself and work something out over the phone.

You’re in a metal tube hurtling through the air at ridiculous speeds…go ahead and be a decent human being for the duration.

Kindness and politeness are good rules of thumb during any sort of transportation. However, it always seems to allude people the most when up in the air. Which boggles my mind given the weird feat of getting from Point A to Point B up in the SKY where we humans don’t naturally belong. So my final tip is a little karmic in nature but still very important nonetheless…

Listen to your flight crew and follow their orders. Say please and thank you during drink service. Don’t hog the armrest. Don’t roll your eyes or make audible noises of displeasure. Don’t bemoan a remark or announcement that is out of the realm of the speaker’s control. Keep your tone decent when speaking to other passengers. Keep your language clean when speaking to your travel companions (everyone else can hear you, too.) Don’t freak out about babies or kids–you can choose to ignore them or better yet, make funny faces at them, talk to them, or offer to hold them. Thank your flight attendants and pilots as you dis-embark.

Being an asshole will not get you to your arrival destination faster. I promise. It’s just going to make the journey more ridiculous for the rest of us!Kindness goes a long way!!!

Over to you! What tips or tricks would you add to this list? Any air travel horror stories you’d care to share? (And what you learned from them, of course!) I’d love to hear! 

P.S. 5 ways health and traveling abroad go hand in hand. 

Did you find these tips helpful? Contribute to my airport Starbies fund HERE. ❤