An Update on My Morning Routine

Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

At the beginning of January I shared that my big goal for this year was to get my daily and weekly routines under control. Now that we're a few weeks into the year, I thought it was about time to share an update on what I feel is the key routine of them all: My morning routine.

Why do I think it's the most important? Because the way I start my morning sets the tone for the whole day. The smoother things go in the first couple of hours after I get out of bed, the more likely it is that the rest of the day will be enjoyable and productive. I'm really satisfied overall with my progress in establishing a solid morning routine, especially since I am NOT a morning person by any stretch of the imagination :)

Here's how my morning looks these days:
7 a.m. get up and put on coffee
7:15 - 7: 35 meditate
7:35 - 8:10 shower and dress (oil pulling and energy medicine techniques that I talked about here are also incorporated into shower time!)
8:10 - 8:30 talk to my son while he eats breakfast and finishes getting ready for school
8:30 - 8:45 do "brain training" on Lumosity (this is another new thing for me this year - the whole family is doing it and we really like it!)
8:45 - 9:00 nail down my to-do list for the day and double check sports/extracurricular schedules/appointments
9:00 - 9:30 email/social media (most days, unless I have an early appointment)

I usually eat breakfast somewhere in that 8:45 - 9:30 p.m. time period as well. I don't like to eat right after I get up and I like to graze in the morning so I eat really slowly while I'm getting some of my early morning tasks done :) From thereon in I can go on to a variety of different tasks depending on what commitments I have for the day and what else I need to accomplish.

I've managed to be surprisingly consistent with this routine so far. As I mentioned in my earlier post I've had a tendency to resist formal routines in the past. I was motivated to commit to this new routine as I really wanted to feel like my mornings were under better control.

Getting in the habit of meditating first thing in the day has been a really huge breakthrough for me - it definitely helps me stay more calm and centred throughout the rest of the day. It's well worth the 20 minute time investment!

This routine is starting to feel pretty natural, which is nice - initially I had to stay pretty focused to keep myself on task but it's definitely feeling a lot easier now than it did in the beginning. Once cycling season rolls around, I'll probably need to make further adjustments to incorporate my morning ride into the mix, but I'm hoping that won't be too hard now that I've build a solid foundation.

Hurray for progress!

Some of my other routines are coming along nicely, too, while a few others are still a little (or a lot) rough around the edges. I'll be sharing my progress on more of my routines as we make our way through the year, so stay tuned for further updates.

Do you have a specific morning routine that help your day run more smoothly?

Love what you read here? Click HERE to see the ways you can help support this blog (many of them won't cost you a thing!) 

Want to stay connected in between blog posts?

Click HERE to sign up for my Cook with Karen newsletter (max 2 emails a month)

Click HERE to follow me on Pinterest 

Click HERE to follow me on Twitter

Click HERE to like Abundance on a Dime on Facebook and get updates and tips on living frugally

Click HERE to like Cheap Appétit on Facebook and get updates and tips on frugal eating and cooking

This Year's Big Goal: 10 Routines for 2014

Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

I can sum up all of my goals this year with one word: ROUTINES! Yeah, it's not very sexy :) and it's something I've definitely resisted for a long time, however, it's become pretty clear to me that if I want to make some concrete and consistent progress in a few different areas of my life, it would be a good idea to get more friendly with this concept. I have a tendency to resist anything that looks like "too much structure" but as I've made some baby steps towards establishing better routines I'm starting to realize that they can actually be pretty liberating.

I just sent out an email to my newsletter subscribers talking about the 5 systems you need to have in place to feed your family well with less money, time and stress. And I have those systems pretty firmly in place in my own life, so much so that they are second nature. In effect, these new routines are just other "systems" to make sure I get the other things done that are important to me. When I think about it that way, it seems much less constraining.

Also, I should note that most of the specific items/activities in my new routines are not brand new to me - they are just things I've done more inconsistently than I'd like, and I'd like to "pull it all together" and make them more formalized and ingrained habits.

So, here are my shiny new routines for 2014:

1. Morning routine: I have started getting up at 7 a.m. so I can be fully showered and dressed before I wake my son up for school just before 8:00. This also gives me enough time to do a morning meditation, which is the one brand new thing I'm trying to incorporate into my life this year. I may have to start getting up a bit earlier as my daily meditation time increases (right now it's 12 minutes but I'm already feeling like I want to increase the time slightly).

2.  Email routines: I am setting specific times to check my email during the day - 9 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3:45 p.m.- so I don't compulsively check it (something I can do far too often if I let myself). I'm also working on finding the system that works best for me to help keep my inbox cleared out (I've unsubscribed from a lot of lists lately and that's a good first step!).

3. Lunchtime routine: I want to consistently take an hour and a half break from 11:30 to 1 p.m. My son comes home for lunch from 11:30 to 12:00 and too often I find myself in the middle of something and not all that available to him. So during that time I can help him fix lunch, chat with him a bit about his morning, and clean up the backlog of dishes in the kitchen. From noon to one I can eat my own lunch and take a 30-40 minute walk (except on a day like today where it's -40ºF!!) 

4. Afternoon exercise routine: I've been trying to get back to doing strength training consistently twice a week, and after having poor mobility in one shoulder for a couple of years due to a frozen shoulder (and thus unable to do upper body training), it's been tough to get back in the habit. My upper body strength is nonexistent waaay below what it used to be, too, so it's hard not to feel discouraged. I know the only way to get back to where I was is steady, consistent progress. I'm scheduling 4-5 p.m. as my daily workout time during the week. Hubby and I go to a hot yoga class at 4 p.m. one afternoon a week, and two of the other days will be strength training.The remaining days I'll devote to my home yoga practice. 

5. Bedtime routine: Getting to bed at a reasonable time has always been a challenge for our household full of night owls. I really want to see us ALL better rested this year, so I'm establishing some clearer boundaries around bedtime for all four of us. Of course, just like in most families, mom has to lead by example, so I'm going to have to be REALLY firm about this with myself in order to get everyone else on board. My goal is for us all to start getting ready for bed at 10 p.m. (including getting anything ready for the next day like clothes, permission slips, etc) and all be in our beds by 10:30 p.m. That gives us all half an hour to read or have "quiet" time before lights out at 11 p.m. 

6. Writing routines: I need to get better at scheduling in specific larger chunks of time for writing as I'm only getting done about one third of the writing I'd really like to at the moment.

7. Cleaning routines: Oh, how I really want to get this one under my belt! While we are really good at cooking and washing dishes, most of the other cleaning around the house is pretty hit-or-miss. I think I may finally have come up with some ideas that will keep us more consistently on track in this department.

8. Business routines: Although I don't have an entirely clear picture of what this is going to look like, I need to have better consistency around making updates to my website and blog, a more consistent blogging schedule (that one's also related to my lack of good writing routines), and more structure around my use of social media. I also want to come up with a more formal plan for doing offline types of marketing (something I've neglected to a large extent in the past).

9. Financial routines: While I have a very reliable system in place for paying bills and tracking spending in certain categories like food and clothing, we've gotten a bit sloppier than I would like about our overall financial management. I had been using Mint.com for the past couple of years to manage our finances, and overall it wasn't a very successful experiment for us. We're going back to good old-fashioned paper, pencil and calculator this year, which has worked well for us in the past. We're also doing the 52 Week Savings Challenge to reboot our savings account.

10. Weekly planning routine: This one seems critical to holding all the other ones together! While I'm pretty good about making a to-do list each day, it has a tendency to be filled with mostly specific appointments and urgent items. I'm now setting time aside on Sunday evenings to plan out my entire week, scheduling in more of those "important but not urgent" items so I actually get them done :) Click HERE for a great little 3 minute video on why that's so important!

That's a big list, for sure, and it might look awfully overwhelming at first glance, but I'm actually feeling excited about the concept of making routines a priority for the year. I'm sure my success may be a bit spotty at times as I try to pull it all together, but some progress is better than no progress :) and I do feel like I'm already making headway just one week into the new year, so that's encouraging!

I'll be sharing in more detail about some of these routines as I go along to let you know what has worked well for me and what hasn't!

Do you have any specific routines that help your life run more smoothly?

Love what you read here? Click HERE to see the ways you can help support this blog (many of them won't cost you a thing!) 

Want to stay connected in between blog posts?

Click HERE to sign up for my Cook with Karen newsletter (max 2 emails a month)

Click HERE to follow me on Pinterest 

Click HERE to follow me on Twitter

Click HERE to like Abundance on a Dime on Facebook and get updates and tips on living frugally

Click HERE to like Cheap Appétit on Facebook and get updates and tips on frugal eating and cooking

12 Ways to Make the Most of Grocery Day

Good grocery shopping habits are instrumental in minimizing your grocery bill down and maximizing your kitchen efficiency. If you take the time for a well-organized effort, the rest of your time spent in the kitchen will be much more enjoyable! I usually grocery shop once every one to two weeks, and this whole process takes about an hour and a half at the most.

Steps to make the most of your grocery shopping experience:

1. Keep a running list of what's needed. As you use something up (or notice you're running low), add it to the list.

2. Do a quick scan of your pantry "zones". Quickly check the cupboard, fridge, and freezer to see if you are running low of any items on your pantry list. This step is necessary because lots of times family members eat the last of something and don't add it to the running list! Also check if any of your basic supplies (parchment paper, cling wrap, aluminum foil, paper towel, masking tape) are running low and add them to the list as needed.

3. Scan the sale flyers. Make note of any good bargains, particularly on items you're running low on or use a lot of (when cheese is on sale, I buy a LOT since we eat a lot and it doesn't go on sale that often.)

Now you're ready to head to the store...

4. Keep an eye out for unexpected bargains. You can often find marked down produce, bakery items and meats if you look for them. These items are near the expiration date and have been reduced for quick sale. Even though it's a bargain, you should still only buy it if you KNOW you're going to use it.

5. Stick to your list! Unless you find a truly good bargain as in point 4, don't be tempted to buy lots of stuff you don't really need and probably won't use.

Back home again...

6. Put everything in its place. Once you have an organized pantry, fridge and freezer, everything should have a spot to live in. Put it in its place as you unpack and it'll stay organized (and you'll always know where to find everything).

7. Look for expired items. As you're unpacking, toss anything that's lurked in the depths of the cupboard or fridge for too long and is no longer edible. If you do this consistently, after a few weeks you shouldn't be tossing much of anything.

8. Make note of items you've missed. Even the most organized shopper will sometimes get home and realize they forgot to buy something they need. If you notice this while you're unpacking, jot things down on your running list so you can't forget them on the next trip!

9. Freeze grains and pasta for 24 hrs after purchase. This will keep them from getting "buggy"(particularly important if you buy in bulk and will take a few months to use up your supply). I end up leaving most of my grains and pasta in the freezer until I'm ready to use them, since I have enough extra space.

10. Portion out and freeze meats. I buy meat in "club" packs, so once I get home I divide it up into meal-sized portions (i.e. a club pack of chicken will be enough for 2 or 3 meals' worth).

11. Capture your inspiration. I don't know about you, but I usually get my best meal ideas while I'm at the grocery store, and while I'm unpacking. Once it's all put away, I tend to forget all the good intentions I had. So, if you had a particular meal in mind, make note of it so you won't forget!

12. Plan to use the most perishable items first. I know, I know, this should be a no-brainer, but I'm sure I'm not the only one who's ended up with moldy strawberries and bean sprout mush at the bottom of my crisper because I forgot to use them. These highly perishable foods should be eaten in the first day or two after a grocery shop, so plan accordingly!

I have found that following the above system makes grocery shopping about as fun as it can possibly be. I also feel good knowing I'm not wasting much food or spending money on items we don't need. It's much more pleasurable to cook in a well-stocked, organized kitchen!

Sunday Night Fridge Clean Out

It's hard to cook when you have no idea what's in your fridge or where to find it. Fortunately, it's not difficult to keep things organized in there if you stay on top of it regularly. A quick once-a-week romp through the depths of the fridge should be enough to keep the science experiments at bay. This should take about 15 minutes. If your fridge is a total disaster, just work on it 15 minutes at a time, every day for 1 week and you should get it under control.

Remove any spoiled food and toss in compost, green cart, food disposal or (last resort!) garbage.

Found stuff that's still edible?

Make a plan to use it in the next 24 hrs (i.e. tomorrow's lunch or dinner)

OR

Freeze it for future use (make sure to label it clearly with the date and type of food- trust me, you won't remember what it is 2 months from now when you find it at the back of the freezer!)
If you have leftover mashed potatoes, freeze it in approximately 1 cup portions (we'll talk about what to do with them later.) If there are little bits of a few different cooked vegetables lying around, you can freeze them together if they seem compatible (e.g. green beans and carrots) - they can be tossed into a soup, stew or other dish later. If you have leftovers of an entire dish (like a casserole or soup) portion it out into single servings for future use when quick lunches or dinners are needed.

If you do a once-a-week clean out faithfully, you'll always have a good idea what's in your fridge, and you'll drastically reduce the amount of food waste in your home - and the amount of money you're spending on groceries!