A note on May

Hi friends! Happy May!

How are you doing?! I feel a sense of hope and excitement for this upcoming month. Even though I know it’s a long road ahead with tackling Covid-19, i’m feeling hopeful as some businesses begin to open again, and life is slowly inching itself back to normal-ish. Lately, i’ve been thinking a lot about how ‘normal’ is probably a thing of the past. Yes, things will open again and people will go back to living life as usual but I can’t help but wonder if i’ll ever go out in a large crowd and not feel somewhat paranoid. Will we all continue to wear masks? Will travel always be worrisome? How long with the virus we around? I think to some degree, nothing will ever be truly ‘normal’ again. We will create a new normal and that’s okay.

As ‘Quarantine Season’ starts to dissipate, I don’t want to lose all the new rituals and routines i’ve created during it that bring me so much joy. I want to continue to eat mostly at home and bake gluten free sourdough bread. I want to continue to read books and immerse myself in everything that lights my soul on fire. For so many years I idolized work, success, accomplishment, and a finished to-do list. In this season I want to continue to pursue rest. I’m learning to BE and it’s been the most beautiful journey so far.

This month, specifically, I want to continue get outside as much as possible and hike and swim with my family. The weather is so beautiful this time of year and so I plan to spend time in nature every single day. I also plan to read a couple of novels. I often switch back and forth between novels and non-fiction and i’m on a novel kick these days. You can find all my favorite reads on my Amazon Shop!

I’m also stepping up my wellness routine this month because I just ordered a portable sauna!!!!!!!! I’ve been a sauna lover for years and have really been missing it since the gyms have closed. I started researching the best and most cost-effective portable sauna’s and i’m so excited about the one I picked out.

I’m also adding to gua sha to my beauty arsenal and I just ordered a jade roller and paddle to add into my nightly beauty routine. I’ll probably post a tutorial on my insta stories so stay tuned for that!

Currently inspired by these…

Whatever May brings you way, I hope you choose to see the positive. I hope you flourish and bloom where you are planted. Let’s all continue to use this time to focus on what’s really important and not lose sight of it.

Happy May!

I'm Starting A Book Club!!

Hey, friend! A couple weeks ago I asked on Instagram if anyone would want to start a monthly book club and I got an overwhelming response from you all saying that you would want to be apart of it! I am so excited to start this book club because I think it will be such a great way for us all to connect on a deeper level!

Reading has always been a passion of mine. I love the process of falling in love with a book until I can't put it down. I read many different genres of books and so this book club will also offer a ton of different varieties of books! 

In the poll I did on Instagram, the majority of you wanted to read Anxious For Nothing by Max Lucado and so that is the book we will be starting with in August! I actually just started reading this book and have been completely blown away by it. You may know this from my previous post, but I have struggled with anxiety a lot over the past year and this book perfectly explains how anxiety works and how we can overcome it by focusing on growing our relationship with God. Even though this book club isn't faith-based, the first book we will be going through is! 

I am so excited to kick this off with you all on August 1st!! 

Check list before we get started...

1. Join our Private FB Group!! We will use this group to connect, share, and have weekly live chats! 

2. Get the book! You can borrow it, buy it, listen to it, whatever you would like! I'm a hardcopy kinda gal and so I just bought my book from Amazon! 

3. Invite a friend!!! Once you've joined the FB group and ordered your book, invite a friend to read the book with you! 

My first FB Live chatting about chapter 1 will be on Thursday, August 2nd! Before then, grab your book and a friend and start reading Chapter 1! See you on the FB page!!!

xo,

Lo

Priming yourself for a successful day: Morning Routine

I am not a morning person. I never have been and I don't know if I will ever be that person that jumps out of bed ready to seize the day. I would much rather stay snuggled under the covers until the very last moment but that never served me well. From a young age I knew that I had to CHOOSE to be productive and get out of bed each day in order to be a successful human being. Starting in junior year of highschool, I did online school and so it was all on ME to wake up and get school work done. Now that I run my own business, it is more important than ever for me to prime my day for success. My morning makes or breaks my day and so over the years I've had to set some boundaries in my schedule so that I can stick to a routine. I am learning that boundaries are not bad or selfish or limiting. Setting boundaries is a way for me to show myself self-love and respect for doing things that keep me inspired. 

My boundaries for success:

1. SCHEDULE in your "Power Hour". I write this on my calendar every single night when I plan out each day. It takes me about an hour to get everything I need to get done in the morning to make me feel inspired to start my day (This doesn't include the gym or podcast listening which are also crucial components to my routine each day). Because I know this, I purposefully don't plan meetings or business calls in the mornings because I know I will feel stressed about starting on work rather than filling my cup with devotion & inspiration. 

2. WAKE UP an hour earlier. I am still not a morning person but I have SLOWLY trained myself over the last year to start waking up earlier. I don't know if I will ever be that person up before the sun rises but I try my hardest to start my morning as early as possible so that I have time to just BE before my day starts. 

3. PLAN your morning inspiration. This will be different for all of us! For me personally, I spend some time in my Bible and in prayer first thing in the morning and then I will pull out a current personal development book I am reading to read for twenty minutes or so while I drink my matcha. This may look different for you! Maybe you need to journal, maybe you need to stretch and do yoga or meditate. It may take some time and trial and error to figure out which activities are going to best inspire you in the mornings. Just keep devoting an hour each morning to YOURSELF and you will figure out what works best for you! 

4. CREATE an inspiring atmosphere. This is super important for me. I really like to diffuse essential oils in the morning and open all my windows and doors so I get natural light in my home. I will also play inspiring music. Lastly, I always make sure I have a warm beverage in hand whether thats herbal tea, coffee, or a matcha latte. 

my typical morning

-Wake up- 6:30-7

-Power Hour- 7-8ish

-Go to the gym or start my work day- 8:30-9am 

Because I work from home, I don't have to be as strict with my schedule as most people and I am very blessed for that. That being said, I try to stay as disciplined as possible to make sure I am on some sort of schedule because it truly impacts the productiveness of my day!! 

This photos are from today's morning power hour. Simple & quiet & perfect. Plus, I HIGHLY recommend this book Girl Wash Your Face. It will change your life. 

I hope these practical tips help you have a more productive morning and a more productive day! You've got this!

xo,

Lauren

THINGS I LOVE MENTIONED: