What a fun week! I timed this challenge to overlap with my small fall-break, and it turned out to be such a blessing.
Visiting family is always amazing, but getting out everyday and having some kind of adventure helped me to make some pretty great memories with some pretty great people!
When it gets cold I go into my own personal ‘hibernation mode’ and don’t really get out as much as I should. This was a great reminder of all the great adventures that are out there. 🖤
Week 16! Oh man, this past week was ah-mazing!
I didn’t realize what a difference it would make in my everyday life; writing down five simple things that I was grateful for seemed like such a small thing, but the more that I worked on it, the happier I became.
I realized how important gratitude is in our everyday lives, when I would write down the things that I was grateful for the night before, the next day I would look at the world with new eyes. I would see little things that I don’t notice on a day-to-day basis, little things that I take for granted every day, and I would look at them and see how blessed I am.
Everyday was like that, and every day I had a full heart realizing how amazing my life is, and how much I truly have. I’m so grateful for my family, my friends, my jobs, my struggles, my strengths… Looking at the world with gratitude is an amazing experience that I hope everyone tries at least once. Thanks
Get 8 Hours of Sleep Every Day. Gosh. Was this week hard or what?
It sounds so simple on paper; Get 8 hours of sleep… but for me, this was probably one of the hardest challenges that I’ve done for a weekly challenge! I have always had a problem with getting to sleep on time, I remember getting in trouble when I was a little girl for staying up and giggling with my older sister.
Nothing’s really changed 😂
This week when I tried to accomplish this I knew I needed help. Armed with melatonin and a sleep mask, I fought hard to try and sleep every night.
It wasn’t a surprise when the nights that I was able to get 8 hours of sleep I felt much more aware throughout the day, and the days that I didn’t reach my goal I noticed a significant difference in my memory and attitude. Sleep is so important for everyone, and this was such a good reminder for me that this needs to be a priority instead of a luxury.
I really hope to be better about my sleeping habits in the future, and I hope that I can continue to improve myself !
Writing Daily Challenge!
this past week was so fun and so HARD. I’ve always loved how free and creative I feel when I actually take the time to sit down and write. It’s just getting to that point that’s difficult. So making the time and then sitting there wondering what to write was a bit frustrating, but I found my stride soon enough.
I was really reminded how writing is like riding a bike; at first it was hard to make the sentences flow, but toward the end of the week my hand couldn’t move fast enough!
I love weeks like this that remind me of how passionate I can be about certain things!
Create! This past week was so fun and SO fulfilling! I’ve always been someone who loved crafting, creating, and generally making messes 😉 devoting time EVERYDAY this week was fantastic. I feel like sometimes I don’t give myself the freedom to make messes.
This week reminded me of just how nice it is to sit down and just focus on being creative. I probably won’t craft everyday, but I”m definitely going to set some time aside so that this can be in my life even more.
M E D I T A T E
This past week was amazing! Meditation itself is one of the easiest things in the world to do- but making tie for it, making peace and balance a priority, even being willing to sit for just five minutes can feel more like attempting a miracle than anything else. BUT, the more I practiced at it, the easier it was to see that making time for meditation is the the same thing as making time for myself.
Taking those extra minutes everyday to to just sit and breathe made a huge difference in how I handled problems, dealt with stress, and my general overall mood.
There are some challenges that I’ve done in the past that I might not be as willing to do again in the future, but in this case, meditation is definitely a habit I want to continue cultivating and making time for in my life.
Service week!
For those who know me, knows that I love service! ❤ Helping others and trying to make a difference in other people’s lives is something that I’m very passionate about!
The cherry on top of this week all about service, was definitely being able to see the kindness of others in action. I have the fantastic opportunity of being a drop-off location for Lifting Hands International and got over 65 blankets donated for people in need.
A full car and an even fuller heart made my week one of my favorite challenges so far!
This week was all about giving back to others, but the more I did small acts of service, the happier and more content I became. I don’t think it’s a new concept, but I was still amazed at how great I felt when I was helping others.
I don’t have pictures from the rest of the week, but the small things, like helping a stranger put her groceries away, letting a car merge in front of me, those things I can’t take a picture of-but they’re something that I can do every day. Something I should do every day.
I’m really happy with this challenge, and I hope that I can continue to do these small things daily.
When the cookie melts in your mouth as fast as the chocolate you know it’s going to be a good day! Baking every day this week has been a roller coaster!
I love baking, I grew up in a house filled with baked goods and good times and baking every day seemed like a perfect challenge.
Oh how I learned.
Maybe because I was baking for others, or maybe the multitude of dishes got to me, but by the end of the week I was swearing off baking for a while.
The plus side to this was definitely the ability I had all week to give to others. Baking for others, and seeing their excitement and watching them take the first bite is something that I look forward to whenever I cook or bake.
Now, I probably won’t want to bake every day from now on, but this whole week has reminded me on why I love baking, and how exciting it is to try a new recipe for the first time, pull it out of the oven, and experience something delicious.
Going forward, I’m excited to keep trying new recipes, share with others, and enjoy my time in the kitchen.
As I’ve gotten older, the more I’ve come to realize how important our surroundings and environment can be to basically every aspect of our lies. My ablility to manage stress, work, social interactions, and even my ability to sleep well can be directly effected by my room, my home, my LIVING space. This week was all about making my environment a priority!
The results weren’t necessarily surprising…but still nice to enjoy. It was easier to find peace, to get ready every day, to not have to focus on external distractions, when I needed to focus inwardly.
It was simple: if my life was organized, clean, and taken care of, all of that energy I was putting into to-do lists, and stress about my home was put elsewhere-into actually LIVING in my home. I didn’t get a lot of pictures, but I can definitely say that the difference in my home made a…well, difference.
Before and After Pictures of my closet:
Drinking water is so hard! Drinking at least 64 ounces every day has been one of the hardest challenges I’ve done so far! But, what I’ve noticed this week is that preparation is KEY! I know that if I start the day off with a water bottle, and have planned beforehand how to refill it through the day it’s SO much easier. If I ‘wing it’ I find myself empty handed and definitely not making my daily goals. But, all in all this has been good for me! I feel good about the choices I”m making, and the fact that I’m really taking care of my body! It’s so impressive to me that some people are able to do this so effortlessly, hard core respect for people who make this a priority every day! I’m really hoping that I can keep making my health a priority! Stay hydrated out there!
barelytherebabe.home.blog 