Sunday Routine

There are a handful of things I try to accomplish every Sunday to ensure my upcoming week goes smoothly. If I skip this little process of mine, it's almost guaranteed that I'll wake up Monday feeling a little more harried and disorganized than I'd like. Worse yet, it's more likely that I'll end up missing something that I was supposed to do or screw up my diet or exercise routine because I simply didn't have a plan in place. I crave order and organization, and a good plan is the only thing that gets me through the week most of the time. So here's my little routine - if you currently don't do anything like this, I'd highly recommend trying to incorporate at least one aspect into your own personal routine. Everyone is unique and different things will work for each person, but taking one step to work towards a more thoughtfully laid out week will certainly benefit each one of us.

1.) Calendar Review

Matt and I sit down and look over our calendars for the upcoming week. We discuss work schedules, any social commitments, plans for eating out, etc. This helps to get us both on the same page and gives us a good overview of what our week looks like so that we can accurately meal plan, etc.

2.) Meal Plan

Speaking of meal planning, we then take time to assess what items we have in our refrigerator, freezer, and pantry that we want or need to use up, and make a full meal plan for the week (including breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and if we're really feeling ambitious, healthy snacks as well) and create a grocery list based on the items we need to buy. We typically try to grocery shop on Sunday or Monday for the week. I notice a huge difference in my ability to stay "on track" with my eating habits if I have a solid plan in place. I write everything out on my OneCanoeTwo Meal Planner and we have a clipboard in our pantry on which it hangs. We refer to it each day so that we know what items we need to prep in the morning for dinner that night (i.e. we may need to take chicken out of the freezer to defrost, or throw things in the crockpot to cook) and so that Matt knows what to pack me for lunch (yes, he packs my lunch pretty much every day, yes, it's amazing, and yes, I know how spoiled I am). The meal plan is a game changer. It definitely helps us to stay on budget with our food spending and helps us to make more healthful choices. It doesn't take a ton of time, and I guarantee it's worth it. 

3.) To Do List for the Week

I am the queen of to do lists. My close family and friends may tell you it's a little out of hand, but I like to think it's totally normal. I make lists for everything. My memory is terrible and my brain is typically a scattered mess with five million things running through it, so unless I take time to make a plan and lay out the things I actually need to do in a list format, nothing gets done. My to do list never has less than twenty things on it, and as soon as I cross off one thing I typically add five more to it. It's a little exhausting and I realize it's a tad excessive, but it's all I've ever known. Anyway, because my general to do list is typically so long, I try to choose a few "priority" items that I want to complete during the upcoming week, and sometimes even write which specific day I'd like to complete that item. This helps keep me on track and on top of things, and helps to keep me from going insane due to having a to do list as long as Santa's Naughty/Nice list.

Bonus things you could do on Sunday to ensure your upcoming week runs smoothly: 

+ Make sure the house is tidy. I follow a daily cleaning plan most of the time (which you can read more about here), but going to bed Sunday with no dishes in the sink, no clutter lying around, and things just generally looking good around the house always sets me up for a happier Monday.

+ Plan your outfits for the week.

+ Prepare a meal that you can eat multiple times throughout the week (a pot of soup or something else that can be prepared in a larger quantity and eaten multiple times) to cut down on time spent cooking during the work week.

+ Catch up all laundry, including folding and putting away.

+ Sit down with your significant other and review your budget and finances. Matt and I do this once a month, and we typically like to do it on a Sunday when we are completing some of these other items. I will blog more about our budgeting habits at some point soon.

So there you have it! My tips for a more productive and more organized start to your week. If you have other things you incorporate into your Sunday routine, I would love to hear them. Here’s to the start of a great week!

Happy Sunday,

Steph

Podcasts

I am suuuper into podcasts. I've been listening to several podcasts consistently for years, but have gotten even more into them since we moved to the Poconos. Because everything here is pretty spread out and I have multiple jobs that are all over the place, I end up spending a ton of time in my car. As much as I love music, I love switching it up and getting hooked on various Podcasts. Here are a few of my current favorites:

1.) S-Town

Everyone and their mother is currently talking about S-Town, and it's for good reason. This podcast comes from the brilliant minds behind This American Life and Serial (both mentioned below), so you know right off that bat that it's going to be good. The gist is this - a reporter is contacted by a guy living in rural Alabama, who asks him to investigate a murder and some other issues that are occurring in his small town. You'll never expect where the story will go from there. It's wonderfully done, and my husband and I were both hooked, listening to the whole series in just a couple of days. I just finished the last episode today, and now I'm so, so sad it's over. #JohnBMacklemore4Life (Another honorable mention that feels vaguely similar but is also quite different: Serial. I haven't listened to season two, but season one was amazing and is worth checking out for sure.)

2.) This American Life

This podcast is always mentioned in lists of "best podcasts" and is typically the #1 podcast on iTunes, and once you start listening, you'll see why. I'm not really sure how to best explain this podcast - they highlight various topics and people and whatever else through short essays and stories, and it's beautifully and brilliantly done. This podcast has made me laugh, made me cry, and has certainly made me think about all sorts of topics that I might not normally consider. Open your mind and check out This American Life.

3.) 2 Dope Queens

I've recently discovered this podcast, and I'm hooked. The show is hosted by Phoebe Robinson & Jessica Williams and features a handful of other comedians each week. They talk about anything and everything, and I've found myself laughing aloud at some point each episode. Fair warning - this podcast is definitely not rated G. Don't listen if you're easily offended or anywhere near children... or if you're on the treadmill at the gym and don't want to look like an idiot because you keep cracking up to yourself... just sayin'. (Another honorable mention: Sooo Many White Guys, which is also hosted by Phoebe Robinson [who I love and want to be best friends with]. She spends each episode talking with all sorts of people - musicians, comedians, actors - who are succeeding in their respective fields, and who are NOT white guys. Although the featured guest in the season finale of season one is Tom Hanks, which I can't wait to get to.)

4.) Anna Faris is Unqualified

Actress Anna Faris hosts a bunch of different celebrities (the likes of Aubrey Plaza, Chelsea Handler, Lauren Graham, Seth Rogan, Lisa Kudrow, Bob Odenkirk, and more) in her living room, and they spend each podcast talking about anything and everything. They also call random people who write in questions and offer them not-so-great relationship advice. I don't listen for the advice; just for the good conversation between actors and comedians that I like, and the occasional Chris Pratt (husband to Anna Faris) sound bite.

5.) The Dave Ramsey Show

I can't make a list of my favorite podcasts without mentioning the first podcast I ever got hooked on. I mentioned on here one other time about my love for all things financial and all things Dave Ramsey, and his podcast is one of my favorite places to go for sound money advice. He talked about budgeting, investing, saving money, and paying off debt. Come for the inspiring debt free screams (one per hour), but steer clear of the political rants.

So that's it! Do you have any podcasts that you're hooked on? Please share - I'm always up for checking out new ones!

Happy Listening!

xoxo,
Steph

Current Faves, Part Three

So it's been a while, but I'm finally getting around to posting part three of my "Current Faves" series! (You can see parts One & Two here and here.) I always love hearing what other people are currently loving, so I'm going to continue highlighting things that I love here on the blog. Enjoy!

1.)  Ed Sheeran's New Album, Divide

I just can't even handle how much I love this album. I love Ed Sheeran, and this album did NOT disappoint. I love every song, but Castle on the Hill, Perfect, Galway Girl, and Supermarket Flowers are a few of my favorites. All the feels, you guys. All of them. Who wants to see him in Philly July 11th with me?!

2.) Presto Belgian Waffle Maker

Fact: I've always been more of a pancakes girl than a waffle girl. Matt and I received a waffle maker as a gift when we bought our first house seven years ago, and after using it maybe once, I sent it to Goodwill so it would go to a house that actually used it. Fast forward to a few weeks ago, when I started getting weird, intense cravings for thick, Belgian waffles. Matt loves waffles, so he was totally on board with this new obsession of mine. I started researching various waffle makers, and after reading a bunch of reviews, I landed on this one. We made our first batch of scratch-made Belgian waffles in our new waffle maker last weekend (using this recipe, which I would HIGHLY recommend), and I'm in love. Now I'm exploring Pinterest for other things I can make on our new waffle maker: Egg & Cheese Hash Brown Waffles, Pizza Waffles, or Banana Cream Pie Waffles, anyone?

3.) Rocky Mountain Essential Oils

I promise I'm not going to go off the deep end and start being one of those people who sells doTERRA or Young Living or whatever, clogging up your social media feeds trying to sell their product and raving about the benefits of essential oils (was that too much? Not trying to offend anyone, it's just a little pet peeve of mine...), but I wanted to invest in some good essential oils for several reasons. If you saw my hand scrub/lip scrub post, you know I want to start exploring DIY-ing some other beauty products, and essential oils are a great way to add scent and various benefits to these products. I did a lot of research and decided to go with Rocky Mountain Oils. I used this blog series on Essential Oils, among a few others, to make this decision. I'm excited to play around with the new oils and see what other homemade home & beauty goods I end up making!

4.) Contigo SnapSeal Travel Mug

Simply put, this is the best travel mug I've ever owned. We bought four of them in various colors and threw away all of our other travel mugs. It doesn't leak, the lid mechanism is great and easy to clean, and your coffee/tea stays hot for hours. Win win win. Go buy it - You won't be disappointed. 

5.) Hue Ultra Legging with Wide Waistband

I live for these leggings. I, no lie, didn't jump on the whole leggings bandwagon until this year. I just didn't think they were for me, and now I am so sad that I missed out on years of wearing these glorious pieces of clothing. Paired with a dress or good tunic and a cute pair of wedge booties, I feel like I can rule the world when I wear these things. And this is the only brand I'll wear. I have one pair of black LuLaRoe leggings that I'll wear around the house, but the wide waistband, thick fabric, and high quality construction of these Hue leggings definitely make them the best in my mind. Go grab a pair if you haven't already!

So that's it! Five of my favorite things at the moment. Stay tuned for part four!

xoxo,

Steph

Hand & Lip Scrubs

Hi friends! Today I'm sharing two recipes: one for a homemade hand scrub, and one for a homemade lip scrub. I don't know if anyone out there is as obsessed with scrubs as I am, but I love them so, so much, and I find them totally necessary in the winter months. I work in healthcare, and therefore I wash my hands approximately five gazillion times a day. Between the months of November and March, my hands are usually so dry and cracked from being over-washed that they're often on the verge of bleeding. I've tried just about every hand lotion/cream out there throughout the years (my all time favorite and daily go-to is this Organic Mandarin - Blood Orange Shea Butter Whip from Pure Suds Co in Scranton), but I still find I get the best results when I regularly use a good hand scrub in addition to a quality hand cream. I've purchased various scrubs over the past few years, but when I started seeing a few recipes for DIY-ing them at home, I figured I'd give it a try. I can't believe it took me so long to make my own! These recipes are suuuper simple, and it's highly likely that you already have all of the ingredients in your pantry! So grab a little mixing bowl, and follow these directions for softer, smoother hands (and lips!).

What you'll need:

(Don't be intimidated; there are ways to adapt the recipes to what you already have at home.)

Hand Scrub:

Ingredients:
1 c. White Sugar
1/4 c. Oil (I used Grapeseed Oil, but you can use Olive Oil or Coconut Oil)
Approximately 20 drops of Grapefruit Essential Oil (add more or less to your taste)
Optional:
A Squeeze of Fresh Grapefruit Juice (for added scent/color)
A Few Drops of Beet Juice (for added color)

Notes:
You can totally adjust the scent to your taste. If you don't like the scent of grapefruit, you can certainly use another essential oil. Or, if you don't have any essential oils at home, you can use a teaspoon of vanilla extract! And I only added the grapefruit juice and the beet juice (I boiled a few beets in water and then froze the leftover liquid in ice cube trays to use as a natural food coloring in the future) for natural coloring and added scent, but this is optional. You could use food coloring if you'd like, or just keep it color-free!

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together, and then store in airtight container. Wash and dry your hands before using scrub. Scoop out a small amount (to your preference; I use an amount slightly smaller than a grape), wet your hands/the scrub slightly, and then massage into hands. Wash off with warm running water. Pat dry. Do not re-wash afterwards. Your hands might feel slightly oily, but the oil will absorb into your skin quickly. If you wash your hands after applying the scrub, you will wash away all of the oil that is mean to moisturize and nourish your skin.

Lip Scrub:

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. Sugar
1 - 2 tsp. Oil (Coconut, Olive, or other)
1 tsp. Honey
10 Drops Essential Oil (I used Grapefruit, but again, use what you like)
Optional:
Grapefruit and/or Beet Juice for Natural Color

Notes:
If you're skipping the grapefruit/beet juice, you may want to add slightly more oil to get the scrub to the consistency you like. I prefer my lip scrub to be slightly more liquidy, while I'll keep my hand scrub more dry.

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together, and then store in airtight container. Apply a small amount of scrub to your lips and rub in until sugar begins to dissolve. Let sit on lips for 30-60 seconds, and then wipe off with clean towel.

There you have it! Easy, right? These scrubs are guaranteed to give you smoother hands and lips, and they make great gifts as well. I'm so glad I took the plunge and finally tried out these recipes - I can't wait to experiment with other DIY beauty products!

Happy Scrubbing!
xoxo,
Steph

Milo

Five years ago on this date, we adopted this little weirdo.

We weren't searching for another dog at the time. We already had our shih tzu/lhasa apso mix Murphy at home, and we had never really discussed wanting to have two dogs. Matt apparently had other plans. He went to the Lancaster Humane League one day after work after he heard that they had gotten a large number of dogs in that had been rescued from a puppy mill. He immediately called me and started sending me pictures of this sad, pathetic dog with his nose in the corner. It was game over. I drove to the the Humane League, and suddenly, we were a two dog family.

Nose in the Corner at the Humane League

The Day We Adopted Him

Milo & Murphy - Bonded Since Day One

It took days weeks months years for Milo to come around. He had been kept in a cage for all of his 1-2(ish) years of life up to that point, used solely for breeding at a disgusting puppy mill. He had never gone up steps, he had never walked on a leash, and he sure as heck had never been house trained. He was (is?) one of the shyest, most skiddish dogs we have ever seen. And that's saying a LOT, because Murphy was a hot mess when we first adopted him. Matt and I always tend to gravitate towards the saddest dogs we can find. Our hearts just go out to them, and we feel this overwhelming desire to "fix" them. But Milo has come a LONG way in the last five years, and adopting him really was the best thing for Murphy. These two love each other and are basically attached to each other at all times.

Love.

Back in November, Milo got incredibly sick. When we took him to the vet, they did blood work and an X-ray and told us he had a tumor growing on his bladder. We are now fairly confident that it was just an infection that showed up looking like a tumor in the X-ray, but at the time he was really, really sick. Like, not eating, not drinking, can't move, screaming in pain sick. We were sure we were going to have to put him down. Thankfully, this all occurred Thanksgiving weekend. It was tough enough to find a vet who was open and could see him, but then we had to wait it out Saturday night and through the day on Sunday, sure that we were going to have to put him down first thing Monday morning. Friends, we MOURNED that dog. Matt and I were a crazy, crazy mess. We didn't sleep much Saturday night, just trying our best to keep Milo comfortable while saying our goodbyes. When we woke up Sunday morning, he miraculously seemed slightly better. Throughout the coming days, with the help of the antibiotics and anti-inflammatories he was on, he started to get better and back to his old self. Within a week or so, he was totally back to normal, as if the whole thing was just a bad dream. I can't even tell you how grateful we are that we didn't put him down back in November.

We love this little guy, and he's been the best addition to our little family. Happy five years, Milo! Here's to many, many more years with you!

Money Tip #1

Fun fact about me that you may not know: I'm a huge financial nerd. I'm slightly in love with money guru Dave Ramsey, and I'm not ashamed to say it (except if he's talking politics, then I'm just slightly ashamed). I've read all of his books and I download his podcast every day. One of my most precious possessions is my crazy Numbers (Mac's version of Excel) budget worksheet, which I diligently update pretty much every week. I keep a close eye on our finances because I have a lot of lofty goals for our future (travel, vacation home, etc.), and I don't want money to stand in the way of us achieving those goals. We plan to be totally debt free at some point this calendar year, which I'll talk about in another post. 

Because of my quirky love for all things financial, and my love for teaching people about those things (quick note: I am not an in your face, over the top, must tell everyone about Dave Ramsey until everyone hates me because they're so sick of hearing about it type of person, but a decent number of our close friends and family members know of my passion in this area and have approached me with questions about it over the years, and in that situation I truly love sharing my knowledge with them), I figured I would start a little series on the blog with various money tips. So now that we got all of that out of the way, here's my first money tip:

Money Tip #1: Start Saving for Next Christmas Right NOW.

Maybe that's not the most earth-shattering, awe-inspiring money tip to give as my first ever tip, but give me a moment to explain.

It's January. Although it feels like the holidays happened forever ago (or is that just me??), really they were just a few weeks ago. Maybe this month you got your credit card bill and were shocked by your balance. Maybe the first week or two of January were a little tighter than you'd like, because you drained down your bank account buying Christmas gifts. I've been there. Another thing about myself: I'm a giver. I love gifting people with presents, and Christmas is my Super Bowl. I spend an inordinate about of time planning out what I'm going to get people, scooping up little hints and mentions throughout the year and tucking them away until December. Along with spending a lot of time figuring out what to buy people, I also usually spend a decent amount of money making sure I buy the most perfect gifts that I can think of. In the past, this was an issue. You see, we all know that Christmas comes every single year on December 25th. Without fail, there it is. But somehow it sneaks up on us financially because we just don't plan for it. Logically, we know it's coming, but we don't properly prepare. We overspend, and then we regret it. Can you take a moment to think about how nice it would feel to have a whole lump of cash saved up, so that this year when Black Friday rolls around and the mayhem surrounding Christmas shopping begins, you already have all the cash laying there and ready for you? What a good feeling. And it's possible! You just need to start today. So here's what you need to do:

1. Create a separate checking account to label "Christmas" (if your bank allows you to do this, which hopefully they will).

I love having several separate checking accounts with our bank. I currently have five of them: Checking, Savings, Vacation, Christmas, and "Special Savings". Being able to keep these accounts separate (but all under our joint account, so that I can see everything when I log in to our online banking and easily transfer money from one account to the other) is an awesome tool for being able to save for certain items. If I kept all of our Christmas money just in with our regular checking account, chances are I might end up spending it. Keeping it separate makes that nearly impossible. Check with your bank, but we've done it with every local bank we've ever had without any issue. 

2. Figure out your total Christmas budget. 

This sounds a little daunting, but I promise it will be less painful than you think. Maybe you already have some numbers in mind (i.e. you usually spend $50 on parents, $20 on friends, etc.), but if not, you can just go back through your bank statements in the month or so leading up to Christmas (or whenever you did the bulk of your Christmas shopping) and try to get a rough total. If you spent, say $1,000 on Christmas this year, then that would be your budget. If you know everyone that you buy for and have a rough idea of what you spend on them, add all of those numbers together and get your total number. It doesn't have to be exact - just get a number in mind. 

For example, this is my personal Christmas budget:

Parents: $75 per parent, x5. Total: $375

Siblings: $30-$50 per sibling, x4. Total: $120-$200

Grandparents: $15 per grandmother, x3. Total: $45

Cousin Gift Exchange: $30, x2. Total: $60

Random Friends or Other Gift Exchanges: ~$100

Grand Total: $780

(Matt and I also buy for each other, but we typically just use our own "fun money" for that, so I don't necessarily include that in my Christmas Budget.)

3. Determine how much money you need to save each month to reach your grand total, and then transfer that amount into your Christmas account.

Simply take your grand total from above and divide it by 12. $780/12 = $65 per month.

(Side note: I usually put between $50 and $75 in per month, and sometimes I put in as much as $100. I like to have a little extra padding, and then that helps pay for things like Christmas cards, random hostess gifts or other unexpected gifts you end up buying, or even a new outfit for a Christmas party. If I have $1,000 in that account by the time Black Friday rolls around, I know I am good to go.)

4. Do this every single month until Christmas, and then complete your Christmas shopping with the peace of mind that comes with knowing Christmas was paid for in cash and that you won't be experiencing any buyer's remorse come December 26th! 

So anyway, that's my first money tip for you. Start today, and I promise you won't regret it! Stay tuned for more tips in the future. 

xoxo,

Steph

Six Months

Six months ago I opened up and wrote a lengthy post about our struggle with infertility. I was overwhelmed by the amount of people who read our story and reached out to us in person or via calls, texts, Facebook messages, and comments on my post. I was so touched by all the kind words, and found a lot of comfort and hope in hearing stories from family and friends who have gone through a journey similar to our's. Not much has changed in the last six months regarding our situation, aside from the fact that we started seeing a new fertility doctor and he has given us a lot of hope. I have started new medications, and next week I will go for a laparoscopy so that our doctor can go inside and get a better look at a possible issue with one of my Fallopian Tubes. Until then, we continue to be hopeful and ask for prayers and good thoughts that we will one day be able to get pregnant.

While not much has changed in the last six months regarding our pregnancy status, a whole lot of life has definitely happened. I'm feeling renewed and recharged in this new year after a slightly trying 2016. I am hoping to get back into blogging, posting about our life with a bit more regularity. Thanks for sticking with me, friends. I'll post again soon.

Xoxo,
Steph