This is a new concept to me, and I discovered it listening to this episode of the Ten Percent Happier podcast. What made it compelling to me, was when the guest Devin Berry shared that he felt difficult to be around, angry, and easily offended. He also describes himself as sarcastic and skeptical, and that fact that all of those descriptors sadly resonated with me and how badly I didn’t want them to.
As I listened to him talk through a Metta Practice, I tried it for myself. I did not expect the tears to flow! I released so much emotion as I wished love and kindness to others, but especially as I wished it for myself and also forgave myself. I didn’t know that I needed this. Thank you Devin so much for being vulnerable and sharing your experience with Metta.
It has been a long time since I have felt this big of a shift in energy in such a positive way, and I wanted to share it here for a couple of reasons: 1) to selfishly help me process it, and 2) in case others want to find all of the high points shared in the podcast and this short and condensed form.
Initially I thought I would just listen to the podcast once a week, but I don’t trust myself to dedicate an hour to listen through all that is presented there.
Metta is a Buddhist practice that essentially is a practice of wishing others good will, including yourself. It’s the practice of becoming kind and benevolent. There are many mantras involved which I already believe in and practice. I have been a long time believer in the concept of repeating a positive saying or intention throughout my day. I have a yoga practice, and deep breathing and quieting the mind is a part of that.
I also want to go on the record as saying that you do not have to be Buddhist to practice Metta and wish goodwill toward others. I identify as a Christian, believe and God and Jesus, 100 percent. I strongly believe that you can adopt pieces of other religious practices as your own and that all religions have practices we can use to better ourselves.
This practice of Metta takes meditation a step further with a very specific series of mantras, to open your mind and heart.
Choose some meaningful phrases of what you want to bring into your life. These were suggested:
May I be happy and peaceful (may I have joy and contentment).
May I be safe.
May I be protected.
May I have well-being.
This can be hard to wish for yourself. Dan Harris, the host of the podcast, suggests that you begin with “easy people” – someone you love, and if people are hard choose a pet. This made me laugh, but I also found it relatable. Dan suggests also starting your children or spouse. He really likes to front load with two easy people. “May they be happy and peaceful, may they be safe, may they be protected, may they have well-being.”
Eastern practice starts with yourself, but that is hard for most of us so they are inverting this. Once you’ve done your two easy people, you can move to a mentor. “May they be happy and peaceful, may they be safe, may they be protected, may they have well-being.”
Then someone you see on a regular basis, and neutral person. I am sitting at a coffee shop right now, and I chose the barista that I literally have seen every day this summer. I’m not even sure of her name, but “May they be happy and peaceful, may they be safe, may they be protected, may they have well-being.” This one got to me today, because it opened my eyes to how I neglect to think of people in service as being just like me, having real feelings and hopes and dreams. Teary-eyed as a type this.
From the neutral person you shift to a difficult person. “May they be happy and peaceful, may they be safe, may they be protected, may they have well-being.” Each time a think of a “difficult” person, what I find is that I really care for them and have no issue really wanting these things for them, but what makes it hard is that I don’t feel like they want it in return for me. I feel that they either don’t like me or that I annoy them. It points me back to my own lack of self-worth.
From the difficult person you shift to yourself. The idea being that you are better able to want these things for yourself if you are able to wish them for others, even those who are difficult. “May I be happy and peaceful, may I be safe, may I be protected, may I have well-being.”
I will add that as Dan talks through this part of the podcast which I found so very valuable, but he talked through it so fast that I had to re-listen to this part over and over to get it all in my mind. Roughly around 17 minutes into the podcast.
The sense of seeing yourself as a part of an interconnected web, helps you to be kind and step outside yourself. It helps you stop feeling you need more and more, that you need to collect things.
Think of people in your life who have been generous to you. How can you replicate that? How can you serve and volunteer and contribute to the greater good? Each time you practice this, it will help you let go of your since of self and selfishness.
Again, here is the link to the episode of Ten Percent Happier that I refer to in the blog post, but I also recommend that you subscribe to Dan Harris’s Podcast. They are all so good.
If you have been thinking of taking a girls’ trip to Boston, I have so many ideas to share. We had the best time! You can cover so much in just one day, and a day is what we had. The first morning we explored the Mission Hill area which is delightfully walkable!
One of the many charming homes in the Mission Hill neighborhood. We loved seeing all of the beautiful wildflowers. They were literally everywhere.
Before I go on about the Mission Hill area and how much we loved it, I can’t encourage you enough to stay in a VRBO or AirBNB in one of the many charming neighborhoods and literally embed yourself in the culture. Staying in a hotel is more about living that tourist life, and we were so much happier choosing to be a traveller instead. This allows you to avoid crowds and really experience the city more like someone who actually lives there.
We found the BEST coffee shop called Green Haus Coffee, and they also sold the healthiest looking green houseplants and succulents. It was incredibly charming. My friend and traveling companion would argue that Solid Ground Cafe made a better latte, and was just a few blocks away. On the same block as Green Haus, we discovered Milkweed, a breakfast cafe with a menu so captivating, it was as if someone took all of my breakfast favorites and compiled them all together. I ended up getting a bacon, egg, and cheese croissant which I devoured. All of these were just blocks away from our AirBNB. Also notable was Il Mondo Pizza, but we did not get to try them.
Green Haus Coffee. This was such a cozy and charming place. If I lived here, this would be my daily coffee stop. The BEST latte, and so many healthy green plants and succulents for sale. I contemplated how to get some back to Tennessee.
Mission Hill was an area lush with trees and beautiful wildflowers everywhere you looked. The brownstones gave you a vibe that you were on the set of any TV show or movie that might take place in a big city on the East coast. There were gorgeous views of the city as you trekked up and down the hilly streets. I lived in San Francisco for several years and this satisfied my craving for the feeling of living in a big city while also having a cozy neighborhood vibe. I’ve missed that so much.
Milkweed, where we had breakfast. This is one of the few pictures I took that gets across the look/feel/vibe of the Mission Hill neighborhood.
While we were in the Mission Hill neighborhood, we strolled through a little park, and found a beautiful Catholic church called The Basilica and Shrine of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Do yourself a favor and go inside that Catholic Church. It has had so many confessionals which fascinated me, and a shrine where you could light a votive candle to pray for someone. We also found a Walgreens that had an escalator. Our Walgreens doesn’t have an escalator! It’s the small, unexpected things I find that are the most memorable when I travel.
Inside The Basilica and Shrine of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Mission Hill.
The escalator to Walgreens. 🙂
We waited for one of our friends to join us, and made our way to the Isabella Gardner Museum. On our way there, our GPS took us through the Wentworth Institute of Technology campus which was beautiful and so charming. There were fun chairs and hammocks strewn throughout the courtyard and we just enjoyed 15-20 minutes in the hammocks! It was so delightful!
Enjoying one of the hammocks on Wentworth Institute of Technology campus.
Our friend Caryn, who we came to the Northeast area to visit, joined us at this point. I hope my girls enjoyed their day, because they entrusted me to navigate us and suggest things for us to do the rest of the time in Boston. I will say we walked SO, SO much we were all fatigued. We Uber’ed to our first destination, but then after that we walked everywhere and probably too much. I feel like if I had planned a little more thoughtfully we could have maximized our time better. There are hop on/hop off bus tours and other buses but these were all very pricey, so we opted to walk. In retrospect, I now realize that Boston is HUGE, and the places you want to go appear really close together on your map. In real life, they are pretty far apart. I am thankful I brought good walking shoes (I LOVE these), and that we checked the weather before packing. For that reason we packed lots of shorts, and sleeveless tops, and THANKFULLY we had lots of shade and cloud coverage and a nice breeze because we visited Boston during July when they were hitting record highs.
All of that said, we started off as a trio by visiting the Boston Public Library. Now that may sound like a strange place to have on your Boston itinerary, but it is extraordinary. This is a massive library, but what attracted me to it was seeing pictures of their gorgeous courtyard on several blog posts I read prior to the trip, AND there is a bar adjacent to the courtyard and a little restaurant/cafe. You can sit in at the bar, and enjoy some of the best tasting and beautifully crafted mixed drinks that I have ever tasted or seen, or enjoy in the beautiful courtyard at the tables they have around the perimeter. We only opted indoors because of the heat – it was just a little too warm for us.
The courtyard at Boston Public Library
The bar/tearoom inside the Boston Public Library.
My pretty drink, a whiskey sour, at the Boston Public Library.
What a unique experience! I have never been to any other library like this one, or this big.
After the library we strolled along Boylston Street which gives you those big city vibes and is rich with shopping and dining options. We walked about three minutes before arriving at Saltie Girl. Can I recommend Saltie Girl? I will say they were some of the most delicious bites I had while I was in Boston but also the smallest and most expensive. It is very posh! The three of us shared what we ordered so we found it to be enough food, but only because Caryn got the fish and chips which was more of a generous portion, as opposed to our salmon and yellowtail.
Our salmon and yellowtail at Saltie Girl. Beautiful, delicious bites, but small.
After leaving Saltie Girl, we found ourselves in a very bougie area of the city, on Newbury Street. We strolled past, Cartier, Armani, Rolex, and Tiffany and Co. At the end of Newbury, we discovered the park that was way high on my Boston bucket list – Boston Public Gardens. If I lived in Boston, I would walk and run here on the regular. The grounds are lovely. We stopped and enjoyed the shade of the trees and just being present and watching baby ducks swim in the pond. We crossed the little pedestrian bridge and debated taking a ride on the swan boats. The pond area was not shaded, and we were getting into the warmer part of the day, so we opted out of the boat ride and continued on to find the bar where everybody knows your name…Cheers.
Pedestrian bridge at Boston Public Garden. Thankful for the passersby who took our picture.
The Cheers bar is RIGHT across the street from the Boston Public Garden which I wish I would have realized in hindsight. You could walk all the way through the Garden under tree cover in the shade and end up at Cheers. Instead, we walked to Boston Common and then down Beacon Street to get there which took a little longer, and was for sure hotter.
Where everybody knows your name…
I had read before coming to Boston that the Cheers Bar is the exact same on the outside as it was during the show filming, but the inside is completely different. I expected to be disappointed for this reason, but once you’re inside, you’re relieved that they’ve added so much more seating and a Gift shop. This allowed us to be seated and get waited on faster. We found our seats upstairs where they had recreated the bar as it was on the set. I sat in “Frasier’s seat,” and had the possibly the BEST IPA I’ve ever had, Norm’s IPA. It was so, so good. We met a couple that sat beside us and were probably twenty years old than us. When we told him we were all 50 or about to be 50, the husband said, “no f’ing way!” very loudly! Ha!
After we left the Cheers bar, I realized we were very close to Acorn Street which is the most photographed street, and one of the most beautiful. It made Architectural Digest’s list of the most beautiful streets in America. It’s in the prestigious Beacon Hill neighborhood. The cobblestone street, window boxes and red brick homes are some of the most notable characteristics. We stumbled off and back on the Freedom Trail during this time.
Acorn Street, the most photographed street in America.
If you are wondering why we didn’t opt to do more typical touristy/historical options, it is for a couple of reasons. One, my friend Caryn lives near the area and I figured she had done those things. I wanted us to all have a chance to do things we hadn’t done before. And two, I felt like I will come back here with my husband and girls and have a chance to do all of those things together it it would be new to us together. Three, I wanted to choose things that I would love to do in Boston that were adult friendly, because I never get to go to any bars or higher-end restaurants when we travel as a family. It’s expensive for a family of four to eat at a the fanciest Italian restaurant. But if it’s just me, it feels attainable and special.
That leads me to our pilgrimmage to Little Italy. We wanted to eat at a nice Italian restaurant for dinner, and also wanted a cannoli from Mike’s Cannoli. They ended up being on the same block! But we had lots of steps to get in before making it there.
We walked through some really cool areas and I wish I had taken more pictures of this part of our trip! I think I was feeling a bit haggard, hot and hungry at this point so taking photos just was not what I had on my mind.
We did stop off at North End Park which was the absolute coolest concept for a park, and much needed for our tired and weary legs! It has a long row of swings for you to swing on, and then sprinklers (think splash pad). I actually took off my shoes and walked through the sprinklers with the little toddlers. I have no shame and it felt so good!
Taking a much needed rest on one of the swings at North End Park.
We were very close to Little Italy at this point, but also Union Oyster House which was on my bucket list. I was very determined during our entire trip to locate raw oysters that cost less than $4 a dozen. Sadly I would be disappointed yet again when we arrived and I looked at their menu. If you are able to shell out the dough, I did read that they have the best raw oysters in Boston supposedly.
Once we arrived in Little Italy we actually went to Mike’s Pastry first. Our logic was that if we ate a big plate of pasta, we would be totally stuffed and talk ourselves out of even getting our cannoli. So we got the cannolis from Mike’s first, then made our way to what I researched and found to be the best Italian restaurant in Little Italy and that was Trattoria Il Panino.
Mike’s Pastry. The BEST Cannoli. This one has to be on your Boston bucket list.
So many things stand out to me now about this little restaurant looking back. The one you will notice almost right away is how it is packed full of tables. You are very (almost uncomforably) close to the tables next to you. It is therefore very loud in the restaurant. It is a lively environment which I appreciated. A lot of times Italian restaurants are so formal and quiet that you feel like the tables around you can hear your every word. So it is unique in that it is packed but also you are free to speak as you wish.
The second thing you will notice is that your meal is brought out in the skillet it was cooked in! Made to order, then not plated, but brought to you nice and hot in the pan. I have never experienced this! Let’s talk about our food. I had a gluten-free friend, and she loved her pasta! So often, gluten-free pasta dishes are tasteless or have an unpleasant texture. This was not the case! I also had a friend who got linguini with shrimp which looked amazing, and I had basically a fettucini that was to die for. We all could tell that the pasta was made in-house and everything was made from scratch. I am very particular about fettucini alfredo and only really like my husband’s (he is a classically trained chef). When I order it at a restaurant I’m always disappointed as it tastes like it was made from frozen. This is real deal! You will not find “fettucini alfredo” on the menu! What I ordered is called Cacio de Pepe on their menu – that is the closest thing I found to fettucini alfredo and it comes across as such, though not exactly.
My Cacio de Pepe. If you are a fettucini alfredo or “white sauce” person, this is what to order!
That was our day and time spent in Boston! If you are planning a trip to Boston, and particularly a trip with girlfriends, I hope this has inspired you and given you some ideas of what you can do and how you can maximize your time there.
Let. It. Go. Anger, hate, resentment – all the negativity.
Did you know that each of our emotions are stored in specific organs of our body? Anger, for example, is stored in the liver. If you think about it this makes a lot of sense. Think of the term “disease.” Broken down it is literally “dis-ease,” meaning we are not at ease. Negative emotions then present themselves as illnesses in our bodies. This means the more emotional healing that we do can result in physical healing and better health overall.
Each emotion we have gets stored in a specific organ in our bodies according to traditional Chinese medicine. Learn more here.
Let’s take a look at anger, specifically, how we can process it in a healthy way, and actually release it from our bodies. Because it is stored in the liver, a focus on liver health is imperative. The liver serves as the body’s filter, so the fewer toxins, alcohol and drugs that we ingest the better. The more water and whole foods we take in the better. It’s kind of common sense, but a healthy liver is going to benefit you having a more peaceful life experience if that is the home to anger!
Anger can be released by the use and application of specific essential oils. There are blends of these oils for this exact purpose. Three of my favorites are Juvaflex, Release, and Trauma Life. Trauma Life is great for helping to bring suppressed emotions to the surface so that you can then process them. Release is good for releasing negative emotions in general, while Juvaflex targets liver health specifically.
If your focus is releasing anger, Juvaflex would be your best bet. Anger and hate are stored in the liver, which causes extreme toxicity. Juvaflex contains oils that have been recognized medically and traditionally for aiding the body in cleansing the liver, allowing the body to release the emotions of anger and hate. You can either apply these oils over the liver which is right below the rib cage on the right side. Or you can just add a drop or two to epsom salts in a bath. You can almost feel the negativity melt away.
If your anger stems from trauma or past events and resentment, I would strongly consider Trauma Life. This blend helps bring suppressed anger and other negative emotions to the surface so that you can process it and move through it. I would recommend simultaneously seeing a therapist to help you talk through these feelings in a supported setting. The application and recommended uses for Trauma Life are the same as explained for Juvaflex.
All three of the oils I have shared here can be used to help you process anger and help facilitate moving through negative emotions so that you can lead a happier, healthier life.
Finally, for processing and releasing more deep-rooted emotions and trauma as a result of abuse, there is a blend creating for that called Sara. Sara promotes relaxation into a mental state whereby you may be able to release and let go of negative emotions and the memory of traumatic experiences.
Most people know to use lavender for sleep, calming, and relaxation, right? It’s everyone’s aromatherapy go-to. For the lavender you pick up at Walmart or Target, this is perfect. However, what many people don’t realize is that a little drop of high quality lavender, like Young Living or DoTerra, contains many different constituents. These constituents benefit the body in many different ways, therefore the oil can have many different uses. Here are some lesser known uses for lavender essential oil that you may not be aware of.
Lavender helps promote the healing of minor cuts, scrapes and bruises. Get yourself an empty roller bottle and carrier oil (grapeseed is best for absorbing into the skin) and add ten drops of grapeseed for every drop of lavender. Pompeii brand is my favorite. I use 10 ml roller bottles so I will fill about a tenth of the way with lavender and the rest of the way with grapeseed. This 10:1 dilution will help your lavender last longer and help make sure it is safe and diluted enough for even the most delicate and sensitive skin. This is a go to at our house for all family members! It’s your all natural neosporin, your aquaphor, and your hydrocortizone. Lavender helps accelerate the healing process.
Lavender helps with focus. You can pair it with oils like cedarwood and vetiver. We call these three our focus trio. It’s really good to help with focus and concentration. Isn’t it interesting that lavender helps with sleep and relaxation, but can also help with what we would perceive to be the opposite? The reason for that because it has many different constituents and those constituents help with different aspects of supporting the body.
Lavender helps promote hair growth. You can add a few drops to your shampoo or conditioner, along with cedarwood and rosemary. If you will add these you will be so glad you did. They will help promote thicker fuller hair, or if you are wanting your hair to grow longer. If you dislike DIY and prefer ready made Young Living makes a Lavender shampoo and conditioner that is divine.
Lavender helps with allergies. I love to call lavender “the sneeze stopper.” It’s really good for allergy season. If anyone in your household is sneezing, you can just apply a drop to the tip of your nose and it will help with that.
Lavender is undoubtedly the Swiss Army knife of oils, with many, many uses that I have not even covered here. For more uses, check out my older post, Lavender: Young Living Starter Bundle. However, a part two will definitely be needed in the future.
This article contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.
If you’re child is headed off to summer camp, you could feel overwhelmed or unsure of what to pack and what they need. Most camps will provide a list, however they can be vague and still leave you with many choices to make. As a mom who has sent her kiddo to camps in the past, these are some tried and true essentials that you will want to be sure to grab. I could receive compensation from affiliate links included.
Mesh Shower Caddy. This allows any water or moisture to drain. I love this one in particular because they can even fit their towel and a change of clothes in the compartments. I also love all of the little pockets.
Laundry Bag. Your child will need somewhere to put their dirty clothes. This is a two pack and they are pretty cute as well.
Water Bottle/Misting Bottle. I love that this water bottle also has a mist feature. When your child gets hot on a hike they can cool off with a little mist.
3-Pack Camping Lights. These can be great for reading at night or for needing to leave the cabin at night to go to the bathroom.
Mini Fan. This would be very handy to stay cool in the hot summer heat, and I love the colors.
Travel Bottles. I love that these are silicone and squeezable. They help ensure less wasted product. And again, all the colors.
Jersey Sheet Set (Twin). I know when you think of camping, you think of sleeping bags, but in the summer heat a set of sheets and a light blanket are the way to go! My girls have tried both and the sheet set has our vote over the sleeping bag for sure!
Quick Dry Microfiber Towel. I’m solutions oriented, and I loathe the smell of mildew towels after a towel’s been sitting all week at camp. This is a great solution! Bought several.
I hope you have found this list helpful! I have shopped around, and these were our top choice for each of these items. If you would like to read more ideas for summer camp, check out 13 Care Package Ideas for your Child at Summer Camp.
This summer will be my daughter’s first time away from home for more than one night. While I know she will have the best time and that she will be in good hands, I also know she must have some anxiety about being away from us – the unknown of not knowing all the girls and experiencing things she may have never been exposed to before. I read in our parent information packet that we are able to send care packages. We can even hand them over at drop off! I love thinking of ways to make my children feel special, and even more than that, I enjoy executing those ideas.
I remember my weeks spent at summer camp, and how special it felt to hear the head counselor call my name during “mail call.” Conversely, the days my name was not called I felt disappointed and left out. I want to make sure she has a letter and or small token of our love each day she is at camp.
I hopped on Amazon and may have gone a bit overboard adding items to my cart that I thought would make her week there a little more special. My criteria for care package gifts were these two things: 1) something she could use or do while at camp 2) something she could share with her fellow campers 3) something that would brighten her day and put a smile on her face.
Here is my list, in no particular order (affiliate links included for which I may receive compensation):
A deck of cards. For downtime when girls are just hanging out in their tent or cabin.
Clue, the card game. She had so much fun playing Clue with her camp friend last time they were together, that this just made sense.
Camping Mad Libs. My girl loves Mad Libs so I couldn’t resist grabbing these for her. Added bonus? These tear out and fold into postcards that can be mailed home!
A beach ball. Something fun to hit around with friends at the pool.
Splash balls. She can play with these during pool time at camp. There are enough in this pack to share with friends.
Mini legal pad. So she can write to us, or write or draw anything else she might like.
Cute Stationery and Envelopes. Pre-addressed and stamped so sending us letters is easy, and hopefully more desirable. Our child is going to horse camp and the horses on the cards are gorgeous! How fun it would be to get mail from your child at this age?
This cat night light, is battery-powered and changes colors. How cute is this?? It can be pitch-black dark in those tents and cabins at night!
Camping LED Lantern. Easier to power on and more practical than the little cat; multiple brightness settings.
Glow bracelets. I was going to get glow necklaces, but they were too long to fit in the bubble mailers I bought, even the larger ones.
Her favorite gum. The parent guide stated clearly we could not send food, but made no mention of gum.
A misting fan. Some of the days can be brutally hot.
I hope this list of care package ideas has been helpful and has inspired you. Check out my list of Summer Camp Essentials to help your child have the best possible camping experience.
What is the most used app on your device? Most people would more than likely respond their email, or some kind of social media. Mine is hands down the Notes App. Probably because I use it in so many ways. I’d love to share just some of the ways I use Notes and hope you find some new ways to use this albeit basic, but highly functional App.
Gratitude list. I like to write 5 things I’m grateful for each day. And I’d like to thank Oprah. I remember sitting on my couch in high school and hearing her suggest doing this on paper. I don’t always have pen and paper, but I always have my phone on me. I set a reminder to add to my gratitude list each night before I go to bed. Doing it right before bed helps ensure the last thoughts I have before drifting off are good ones.
Things to do at work. I don’t do well with just one overall to do list for the day. One of the best choices I ever made was to make my home and work to do lists separate. And when you make yours, use the clickable bullets function. It’s so satisfying to click each item and watch it drop to the bottom of the list as day goes on. Anything not done on any given day just gets bumped to the next day.
Positive quotes list. I keep two of these – one for daily quotes that I share with my students and one for me personally. This is one of my favorite and most frequently used notes!
Appointments. This is a list of appointments to make, and appointments I’ve already made, with dates for myself and my children. I only recently started this list but it’s so nice to see everything in one place, broken down by month and household member. Organized by month, I look at and update this list for each family member. It’s nice to see the month at a glance, and to be mindful of appointments coming up and those that need to be scheduled. Obviously these go on the calendar, but having them all listed in one location has also really helped me to make sure everyone gets their basic appointments scheduled on the regular.
Keeping me up list. FAVORITE. I started this note at the recommendation of my therapist and I use it almost nightly. This is one to use when you can’t go to sleep and can’t seem to shut your brain off. I am not sure why this works, but typing my concerns and the things that are keeping me up allows me to go right back to sleep. It’s like I’m releasing them onto the note and letting go of them. 100% recommend!
Books. This is a really long list for me! I see books all the time at the bookstore or have friends recommend books to me. I will not remember the title unless I write it down. I keep books my kids want to read on this list too, under their name as a separate category. It’s bulleted so I can click them as we read them. We are a public library family so I will always see if the book is at the library before I buy it. We have tried being Kindle readers but all love that tangible book experience. I need to turn pages!
Packing list. I keep several packing list notes. One for the beach, one for winter travel, and one for camping. After years of reinventing the wheel, I love having these master packing lists to build from. Huge time saver.
Supplements. This is an odd one, but I am huge on taking supplements. Everytime I run out of a supplement or someone recommends one to me, I enter it here. I believe that we can either care for and nourish our bodies now, or we will medicate them for ailments later. Prevent instead of treat!
Grocery list. This one is on-going, and focused on the perimeter of the store (that’s where the healthy foods are). One of my favorite parts of this list is a subcategory I added which is meal ideas. It really helps to think about meal ideas as a whole when you are shopping. I make it bulleted as well, but it doesn’t have to be.
Movies and Shows. This one stays at the top of my Notes, because friends, family members, coworkers and podcast hosts are always recommending shows and movies! I will not remember what they tell me if I don’t write it down! It’s so great to pull up this list when we feel like there is “nothing to watch.”
Things to Cancel. This list has saved our family more money than any decision I’ve made in the past year. I made this list of all of our subscriptions and expenses on paper, then highlighted the ones we could do without or cut back on. It ended up being a list of 11 different things to cancel including: Hulu, one of our cars paid off, lower phone bill (cut by almost $100 a month just by asking), Amazon Prime video, Amazon Freetime, Amazon Music, and I cut out a redundant life insurance policy. If we aren’t using it, it’s getting cut!
Birthday wishlists/Christmas wishlists. I keep these for my husband and each of my kids and they help so much with gathering ideas and making sure to get everyone exactly what their hearts desire. I start my list a couple of months before Christmas or their birthday month.
Bucket lists. These are some of my favorite lists to make! I keep one for summer, spring break, fall break and Christmas break. I keep a lifetime one as well. So fun to check off so make it bulleted.
Things I didn’t know I wanted. You may be familiar with the Instagram reels called “Things I didn’t know I needed off of Amazon.” I created my own personal list of things I didn’t know I wanted and it has been the most fun! It has become one of my favorite lists. When someone asks me for a gift idea for my birthday, Christmas, teacher appreciate or any other gift giving holiday I will often pull something from this list!
Prayers. This is a special note where I put prayers I love to pray over our family, each specific child and family member, over our finances, our health and more. Some I have found and copy/pasted, and others I have just authentically written myself but want them on repeat.
Repairs. I have a list of household and car repairs or maintenance that need to be made. I make it bulleted and clickable, not only for when they are completed, but also to help rank order their importance. I can click and then unclick to bump minor repairs to the bottom of the list.
Passwords. This one is a bit controversial, and some may consider it risky, but I need quick and easy access to many passwords. Not only for myself, but for my children. I keep a list for their school accounts as well as their personal use.
Food and wine. This is a fun one. I keep a list of restaurants to try and wine recommendations. Once I find a food or wine I love, I bump it to the bottom (so make the list clickable) and put a star emoji beside it. It enjoy returning to restaurants and wines I love almost as much as trying new ones.
Triggers. You will find that most of my lists are positive, but this one strangely may be the most beneficial and here’s why. When you know our triggers and are aware of the things that stress you out, you can put things in place to limit those stressor. For example, being late, crowds and traffic are high on my list. I have put things in place to minimize each of them. I’m not late as often because I strive to arrive early. I avoid crowds by going to the store at less crowded times and I take back roads to avoid traffic.
Writing topics. This list is a must for any blogger or writer. Anytime a topic comes to mind, if I feel strongly about a subject, or feel I am an authority on a certain subject, I add it to this list. Even if you aren’t writer, you might consider keeping a journal and having a list of topics for your journal. Journaling is such a beneficial way to get your thoughts and feelings out and to release strong emotions. It can help you process and problem solve in a way that just pondering can’t.
I hope you have found some useful ideas within this list of lists! I would love to know your favorite, or if you have found any great uses for the Notes app that I didn’t mention.
If you would like to learn more Apple Notes tips, this PC Mag article taught me a trick or two.
I was listening to one of my favorite podcast guests, Dr. Daniel Amen. He was telling a story about taking his son to a Sea World type park. This story has impacted how I parent and I want to share it here so that I always remember it, but also that it might help inspire others.
Dr. Amen took his son to the aquatic park where they enjoyed sea lions and dolphins, and his son asked to see the penguin show. Dr. Amen struggled to get his son to listen to pick up or do chores or anything he asked. He noticed however that this penguin was doing literally anything the trainer asked and was fascinated by it. He wondered how the trainer was able to accomplish this, so he went up to her after the show and asked.
The trainer explained that anything the penguin did that she asked, was rewarded by a hug from her and a fish. When he did the wrong thing she completely ignored him. This was such an “aha” moment for Dr. Amen and it was for me too as a parent.
How often do we as parents stop and correct the wrong behavior, issue a consequence for the wrong behavior, or decide it’s a “teachable moment?” There are times and places where this is appropriate, but the penguin trainer is onto something if we want confident and resilient kids, and if we want bonds with them.
Every time we criticize and correct, what happens? They get defensive and we isolate the child. We push them away. And often we take their good behavior for granted. We fail to acknowledge with they do the right thing because it’s expected.
I shared this with my older daughter and told her I am committed to doing a better job with this! I am a middle school teacher and totally embrace and practice positive reinforcement with my classes of 30+ students. Why doesn’t it translate for me with parenting? I am going to have to be intentional about it because old habits die hard, but just like Dr. Amen has pictures and figures of penguins in his office, I now have a penguin as my Google Chrome background to remind me to praise what they are doing right. Catch them being good!
Do you take the same vacation every year? If you answered yes, we did too, and probably for all of the same reasons we did: we loved going there. We also knew our way around, and knew exactly what to expect. We knew we would have a great time, and it was our happy place.
One beautiful spring day, I was sitting outside a coffee shop, enjoying my latte and working on a blog post. At the table next to me were two girls talking about the summer vacations they were planning. One was like me, planning her same favorite beach vacay, and the other said something I will never forget, and the title of this post, “why are you taking the same vacation every year?”
She went on to explain that she intentionally plans a different trip every year, and that there is a whole world to see. She asked her friend if she thought about exposing herself and her family to different places. She talked about how much fun it is to explore new places and to plan for each trip. She said how meaningful and enriching it was for her children to actually visit the places they had read about in their history books. She had fallen in love with adventure and trying new things. She then shared trip experience after trip experience, at which point she had me convinced.
I went home that day and announced to my family that we should start planning a trip somewhere new and different. I thought I would be met with resistance, but to my surprise they were excited. Since then we haven’t repeated a trip since except for one, where we visited our old faithful beach locale for nostalgia’s sake.
I’m not saying to never visit any place twice. And I also realize to some who already love to travel to new places, that all of this may sound obvious. But where I live, I assure you so many families travel to the same place every year, and I wonder if they will look back and feel they missed out. Will you? In a lifetime that is so fleeting, we want to live in a way that we have no regrets, and that we can feel we have lived it to the fullest.
If you take the same vacation every year, consider branching out and trying somewhere different. Ask yourself what you love about that place, and why it is so important you to go there specifically. For us it was partly for financial reasons. Where we loved going was affordable! But I have been pleasantly surprised to discover places all over the map that we now love just as much that are just as affordable and in some cases they even cost less.
My intention for writing this is not to convince anyone that going on the same vacation is wrong. I hope to go to our old favorite again soon, and wish we had the financial means to do both each year: to go somewhere new and to to our beloved beach town. My hope is that someone who has never considered going somewhere new would have their eyes opened to the possibility that they might love another place as much as their old standby.
After reading this, if you feel as convinced and compelled to go somewhere new as I did that day at the coffee shop, I would love to hear about it. Let me know in the comments where you decide to go.
I was led to write this post because I searched for a playlist like the one I created and couldn’t find one. I wanted a playlist that was not just any worship music, but one where each song made my heart soar. A lot of the songs are worship songs that we sing at my search, but some are songs that have been important for me during different trials in my life and gave me hope and comfort. I hope this playlist lifts your spirits like it has mine.
On this playlist:
Make Room by The Church Will Sing. This song reminds me to surrender, let go and let God. Our worship leader wears a baseball cap at times that says “Let Go For Dear Life.” Yes! Instead of holding on for dear life to all our worries and struggles, we should be letting go of them and casting our cares on HIM.
Oceans by Hillsong United. This song has been a go to for me for years. “Spirit, lead me where my trust is without borders…” I heard on a recent podcast that both faith and fear are stories we tell ourselves. If we are going to tell ourselves a story, it might as well be a good one so let us choose faith!
Lion of Judah by Elevation Worship ft. Brandon Lake; Gratitude by Brandon Lake. I was able to attend the Joyce Meyer conference last year and hear Brandon Lake live and in person. I love anything he does now, to be honest. He has a way of delivering encouraging lyrics with his voice that can get me out of any kind of negative headspace.
Rest On Us by Maverick City Music. This is a song we often sing at church, and I like to think that it’s a call for the spirit to come and join us in the space at church, but I also love it when I’m just driving down the road in my car. It reminds me that I’m never alone.
Graves Into Gardens, Runnin’, Oh Come to the Father by Elevation Worship. They had me at “You turn shame into glory.” (Ok, I could just listen to an Elevation Worship playlist, and that could be satisfying all by itself, but I really like a variety of artists and songs on a playlist so while they appear a LOT on this list, I hope you enjoy my attempt at variety.)
What a Beautiful Name by Hillsong United. I remember my mom telling my as a kid, that there was power in the name of Jesus. As I’ve gotten older I do also see the beauty. There has been nothing I’ve faced that he hasn’t helped me to overcome.
Hills and Valleys by Tauren Wells. I remember when my girls were babies couldn’t sleep (and therefore I couldn’t sleep) playing this song and it uplifting me. So it has a special place in my heart.
Overcomer by Mandisa. It isn’t possible for me to hear this song and not see my now 14 year old daughter at age 5 sitting in the back seat and singing it at the top of her lungs. We would sing it together over and over! And sometimes hearing her sing it would bring tears to my eyes because what better mindset could you want for your children?
Do It Again by Elevation Worship. “He made a way, when there was no way…” This one deserves its own spot on the list because over and over God has proven he will never fail me. His love is faithful and I know he will always not only provide, but deliver – exceedingly abundantly.
Victor’s Crown by Darlene Zschech. Underrated, and my favorite song on this entire list. It brings tears to my eyes each time with the truth and hope it brings. I can’t wait to see what you think of it, if you’ve never heard it before. You overcome!
Lord I Need You by Matt Maher. We can get so caught up the business of life and need to be reminded we need HIM every hour, every minute.
That’s it for now! My playlist is always evolving, so I am sure it will only grow over time. Here is the link to it and I hope it encourages you and lifts you up.
Essentially Better Living 