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Try These Ideas To Make Your Mornings Better

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Are you a morning person? I am totally a morning person! But, whether you answer yes or no to that oft-divisive question does not have to mean that you are destined to have bad mornings, just because you prefer a certain time of day over another. Instead, follow these tips to get your day started the right way – with calm and happy intentions.

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Give yourself time.

If you wake up late and rush to get ready before leaving the house, you are not starting your day well. Set an alarm the evening before to wake up at a reasonable time. Ensure this time will allow you to achieve your optimal amount of sleep while still being able to get up feeling refreshed.

It is important to feel good in the morning instead of allowing guilt because you have woken up late yet again. Set yourself up for success by preparing your clothing, bags, and lunch the night before. You will be ready to go and have fewer tasks at the beginning of your day.

Create a morning routine for getting ready.

Waking up in a groggy state can leave you feeling like you do not know what to do next. If you experience that, you will benefit from an established routine. It may look different from someone else’s as it should be tailored to what you need and do each morning to get ready.

Try starting with oral hygiene. There is nothing like brushing your teeth to invigorate your senses. It is the one thing I swear by each day – if I brush my teeth, my day has started. Next, step into a steamy shower. Give yourself enough time to indulge and enjoy the warmth. Wash, shampoo, and condition your hair with high-quality products that smell wonderful and are good for your hair. If you have time, apply a hair masque for extra care.

Once you are out of the shower, attend to your getting-ready routine. These things should include a skincare regimen, and applying a moisturizer and SPF on your face and body. Putting on makeup, if you wear it, and styling your hair come next. Do what feels good for you, no one else.

Hydrate

When you wake up in the morning, you may be thirsty from spending many hours without drinking fluids. Or, on the opposite side of the coin, you may not even think about hydration. Give it a try, regardless. A cool and refreshing glass of water early in the day may surprise you. 

There are many things you can do to enhance the taste of water. Some ideas include:

  • Keep filtered water in a pitcher in the fridge
  • Add cucumber slices
  • Infuse water with fresh berries or melon
  • Add fresh mint leaves or cinnamon sticks
  • Add orange or lemon slices to water the night before

If you prefer the taste or ritual of coffee or tea in the morning, that is ok. Just remember, they act as diuretics, and drinking water will help maintain balance.

Eat Well

The importance of consuming a good breakfast is a mantra you may know well, but leave little time to act on. If that is the case, it is time to take action. Breakfast food does not need to be elaborate. Make it easy by doing meal prep at the beginning of the week. Bake a batch of wholesome and healthy breakfast muffins, or store mixed eggs and shredded cheese in glass jars for ready-to-make omelets.

The important thing is to eat and be mindful of it. Make sure you have enough time to eat your food and enjoy it.

Journal your thoughts and ideas.

Whether you are the creative type or not, it is important to know the value of putting your thoughts down onto paper. Ideas can be fleeting, and cementing them with ink means you can free up space for others until you can circle back and ponder them all. Furthermore, getting those thoughts out of your head helps to create a positive space for the start of a great day.

Writing down your feelings affords you a sort of catharsis or a way to let go. You can use your journal to create lists of things floating around in your head, too. Starting your day with the goal of journaling can provide peace and relaxation in the few moments you spend writing. Put on some peaceful music and see where your pen takes you.

Watch this video for tips on writing in your journal every morning in a practice called Morning Pages.

Vision Books & Gratitude Journals

If the traditional form of journaling intimates you or doesn’t quite mesh well with your particular need or routine, try using a vision book journaling system.

These books have a particular goal in mind and like a vision board, it allows you to work towards accomplishing your dreams & vision. Have a look at this link to see a vision book that you can use in place of a traditional journal.

Likewise, Gratitude Journals also work just as well and are a great way to start your day.

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Create a ritual of morning routines. Find what works best for you and your lifestyle. Allow yourself some grace if you do wake up late and are unable to journal or meditate. Keep working towards your goal of having quiet, intentional, and productive mornings that bring you peace and happiness. Even if it’s writing down how kind the person at the jewelry store was to you when you popped in, it will all help you to realize how nice the world really is. 

Remember that a great start to any day happens with an awesome morning. A few small steps to take each day will help to make your morning a successful launch to a productive day. Remember – You Deserve It!

Disclaimer: This is a collaborative post. All opinions are my own, 100% honest & unbiased. Affiliate links are posted throughout. Feel free to read my Disclaimer Page for details and information on sponsored post, affiliate links and more.

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Green Hair… What?!? I turned my Hair Green and a Grey Hair Update

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Happy Happy Thirsty Thursday Fam! Today, I’m sharing all the tea and you’re gonna get to hear me rant and vent about what’s been going on with me. Literally, my hair turned green and I’m sharing with you what I did to get it back to normal (or somewhat normal). In the video I also talk about my gray hair (or grey hair) journey and discuss how it’s going after almost a year of not bleaching it. Click the video below to see what’s up or click here to watch directly on YouTube.

So… are you on a gray hair journey? Have you had struggles similar to mine? Wait… have you ever turned your hair green? OMG – I couldn’t believe it. I know chemistry was never my strong suit in school – but man… that was interesting. Hope you enjoyed the video! Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season. xo Honey

FTC Disclaimer: Nothing to disclose. The products I feature or discuss in this video were purchased by me with my own money and all opinions are my own, 100% honest & unbiased. Affiliate links can and may be posted throughout.

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THIRSTY THURSDAY – I Released My First Planners & Books

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Happy Thirsty Thursday Fam! I am excited to finally bring a new video that talks about some things I’ve been up to. I released my first planners & books and today I share them with you. Are you ready for this? Read on to get all the details.

What I’ve Been Up To

For the last couple of months (years even) I’ve been working diligently in creating a series of different books. These books were to be utilized for me and to provide to my workshop attendees. While Covid-19 has literally stopped a lot of things from happening for me, I’m proud to say that I’ve been able to put some of my idle time to good use. Today I share with you the Planners and Books I’ve been working on. You also get a little flip through of some of them, so you can see what’s inside.

Color Your Vision, Plan Your Dreams – Vision Book

Over the last few years, I’ve been working on the Color Your Vision, Plan Your Dreams – Vision Book. This book (workbook) is used in combination with my Vision Board Workshops and often times used in place of a traditional vision board. After utilizing a discbound system for over a year, I finally had the opportunity to put it into a printed and bound form. It’s so exciting to see this in print and available for sale on Amazon. In September, I released the Vision Book to those in my little community and I finally got around to sharing it and doing a flip-through on YouTube today.

The Everything Planner

I haven’t shared a photo of The Everything Planner yet, this video being the first glance at it. I admit, my goal was to do an official launch, but Covid-19 took control of my schedule. With distance and virtual learning the current norm, I didn’t have a chance to devote to an actual launch – so this is it. The Everything Planner combines some of my favorite layouts that I’ve created for myself over the years. It also has a variety of different productivity tips as well as spaces to keep you on track & on task.

Watch the Video on YouTube

Grab something to drink & come hang out with me!

All The Things

Besides the Vision Book & The Everything Planner, I also released a Dot-Grid Notebook, Called The Fearless Girl Boss Dot-Grid Journal. This book is ready for you to use as a Bullet Journal, sketchbook, or whatever you desire. It comes ready with a blank Key Page and index pages. I also have a series of different Coloring Books that I have hand-drawn or done in collaboration with others.

Check out some of the other books available for sale at: Honey’s Books

While these books have all been a labor of love over the years, I’m extremely excited to share them with all of you. I have so much in store and so many things that are in the pipeline right now. This little video and post is just a small share of what I’ve been up to.

If you’re interested in getting more details or grabbing some of these for yourself, check out my Amazon link and see what’s available there. I also mention the Monstera Love Planner in Hardcover form, which you can see here.

Thank you for stopping in and hanging out with me. Wishing you all a wonderful week, stay safe & healthy!

xo Honey

Disclaimer: The products featured in this post and discussed are my own. This is not a sponsored video. Affiliate links are posted throughout. Visit my Disclosures Page for more details.

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Confessions of a SAHM – Distance Learning & Lockdown Week 7

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We just completed Week 6 of Distance Learning and our daily schedule is starting to become the new norm around here. Last week finished with its fair share of challenges, but I digress. Just a few short weeks before the end of the year and still so many changes are among us. This lockdown is taking its toll, but we’re making it work.

Mother’s Day

Happy Belated Mother’s Day to all of the mommies out there. I’m constantly reminded that I am absolutely blessed to be the mother of such fun-loving and interesting littles. This Mother’s Day was especially important because the last few weeks have had me second-guessing myself a lot! While the boys are struggling with learning from home, I’m definitely having a hard time balancing work, teaching school, and managing the house.

Regardless of my struggles – I am so thankful for all that I have and all that I’ve been blessed with. I just wanted to share that, in case there is ever any doubt in anyone’s mind. Mother’s Day was celebrated with great food and even greater company.

Is Hawaii ready to reopen again?

In today’s Podcast Episode I discuss my thoughts on reopening Hawaii and getting back to normal without lockdown. I have a reason for chatting about it since I experienced something interesting this past weekend. You can listen to the Podcast Episode below. Honestly, I think that it’s way too soon to do so and not a good idea. But, if you want to really get my thoughts on the subject, tune in to the segment.

Our Adventures for last week

The twins and Kevin Ka’eo had quite a fruitful schedule last week. Their days were filled with Zoom meetings and there was quite a bit to do. We were so busy we didn’t get a chance to go on more than one walk for the week. I spent a few days out of the week working on jewelry pieces and working through a content schedule. My goal is to get on a better plan for the blog and posting. I’m pretty proud that I’ve been able to keep consistent lately.

On our walk last week we found a gorgeous array of florals lining a neighbors yard. I have seen flowers like these before, but never in a yard. We photographed it to do a little research. It’s called the Moss Rose or Portulaca Grandiflora. It is a succulent flowering plant in the family Portulacaceae, which is native to Argentina, southern Brazil and Uruguay. It is often cultivated in gardens, though I do not recall seeing it in a household garden before. This gorgeous flower has many common names which include: rose moss, ten o’clock, Mexican rose, moss rose and Vietnam rose. Some also call it sun rose, rock rose and moss-rose purslane.

In that one yard, we saw at least 5 different colors. To say that this is a beautiful flower is an understatement. I immediately fell in love with it when I saw it. I hope I can pick up some seeds and plant some in my garden.

Teacher Appreciation Week (last week)

While it seems like the time is dragging when it comes to school, we are all excited that the school year is ending. But, it also makes us a bit sad. Last week Friday we went to the boys’ school to pick up their belongings from their desks. It was such a sweet thing for the boys to experience because staff and teachers were lining the parking lot with signs that said: “We Miss You, We’re Proud of You, We Love You!” I cried because it filled me with so much emotion. I’m incredibly thankful for all that the teachers and staff of the boys’ schools have done for my sons. We all agree that this is not the way we wanted to end the school year. But I’m so grateful for all the teachers and their hard work and support through this uncertain time. I definitely could have not been able to teach the kids without guidance for the last 2 months.

A thank you to the teachers from the twins!

We certainly have a lot to get done this week and a fruitful schedule. But, we are so excited to share our adventures with all of you. What have you been up to lately? Anything new in your World? Wishing you all a wonderful week!

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Confessions of a Stay at Home Mom – Distance Learning, Week 4

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Confessions of a Stay at Home Mom - Distance Learning, Week 4

I can’t believe we are midway through week 4 since distance learning has become the new norm. The boys are feeling the pressure as the sanctuary they call home has now turned into a school environment. I know it’s taking its toll on them mentally, but they have been troopers so far. While I know that homeschooling the boys for the next month will go by quickly, I also know that everyone wants to leave the house. All three boys have been indoors (or walking around the neighborhood) now for 3+ weeks so they are missing the beach and the parks for sure. It’s been a challenge with such a huge change in their daily routine, but we’re working through it the best we can.

“Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix.”

Christina Baldwin

What have we learned this week?

Our days have been focused on reading comprehension as well as working on fractions. Common core has been a challenge, but we are slowing working our way through the program. Some of the apps and websites we have been using include: Reading Plus, Zearn & Prodigy.

We are still currently reading Manic Magee by Jerry Spinelli and haven’t really watched any new movies lately, or at least the boys haven’t. We have done some polymer clay pieces (they will need to be painted) and hope to get some paintings or artwork done this week using oil pastels.

On one of our daily neighborhood walks.

Daily Walk Observation

Our goal is to get at least a mile walk in a few times a week. We are a bit limited to the same scenery each time we go for our walks since we are only about to walk around the neighborhood. But, we’ve been taking the time to photograph different plants and creatures and do research on the item. This week we noticed many beautiful springtime flowers and took a picture of the following flower.

Confessions of a Stay at Home Mom - Distance Learning, Week 4

The Duranta erecta is a species of flowering shrub in the verbena family Verbenaceae. It is a native plant from Mexico to South America and the Caribbean. This plant is usually cultivated as an ornamental plant in tropical and subtropical gardens throughout the world. It is considered to be an invasive species in Australia, China, South Africa, and several Pacific Islands. Common names for this shrub include golden dewdrop, pigeon berry, and skyflower. We found this shrub lining the gate of a neighbors yard and noticed its beautiful purple flowers. It reminded us of an orchid plant because of the way it fell over the fence line.

Listen to this week’s Podcast Episode

Feeding a Household of 5, 3 meals a day!

I completely appreciate the workers who take care of kids’ meals each day while in school. Feeding my three growing sons has been a challenge. I feel like I’ve been on a never-ending rotation of cooking and cleaning. They are always hungry and I think I’ve taken it for granted that they’ve been eating breakfast and lunch in school all these years. Luckily there are resources for the boys to get breakfast and lunch at several schools throughout the island, but I try to leave those options for those who really do need it. Until then, I’ll be making the boys their meal options. This has given me an opportunity to make things for them that my Grandma Young used to make for us when we were kids. Homemade Cinnamon Toast anyone?

Do you need a hug today?

Here’s a virtual hug for all of you. I know that it’s a challenge, taking on new roles in our daily lives. Some of us work from home already, but having to actually teach our kids from home is a full-time job. In case you need a hug today – here it is! Wishing you all are staying healthy and getting through it all one day at a time. Together we can do it!

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