Happy February y’all! I have all the heart eyes for February! First of all, it’s my birthday month,and I’m starting my 37th celebration this weekend!! {HOORAY!!} Second there is Valentines Day fun, with an explosion of pink and red hearts everywhere, and thanks to my kids it’s so sweet! Then before we know it, it’s spring! EEK

With spring comes spring break, then both kids start spring sports. (Hello–soccer, dance, piano & football schedule!) Then the frenzy of end of the school year begins. Then it’s summer! Is it just me, or do you also feel that life takes the shape of sand slipping through an hour glass once spring arrives?!

Honestly, most of our spring chaos is self inflicted, but as I look ahead, it’s clear

There has never been a better time to enforce effective habits around nourishment, mindfulness and movement to sustain my 2020 goals.

Lately I’ve been really curious about simplifying my life. Inclusive of releasing habits that no longer serve me, and working to find the discipline to incorporate and reinforce healthy habits that nourish me. It all comes down to time and consistently making room for things that matter. Even when life feels crazy. I would argue that it’s even more important to honor your health focused habits to ground you when life feels crazy.

There is a fixed amount of time (24 hours) Every. Single. Day. It’s neither “enough” or “not enough” it’s only our expectations and our frame of mind that make time look half full or half empty.

Because I’ve become fascinated with time management + habit formation and how they intertwine, I thought I’d take a look at time saving tactics through a health focused lens. Hopefully you will find a couple tactics that are helpful in keeping your spring season, calm and productive. As always, take what you need and leave what you don’t! This is about setting YOUR life up for success!

In the Kitchen

Meal Prep isn’t a chore y’all. It’s giving yourself a gift!!

1. Order Dry Staples Online.
   Think paper products, pasta, lentils, rice, canned tomatoes, sauces, beans popcorn and snack bars. It will cut your grocery shopping time in half because you can simply shop for fresh produce, fresh protein, & frozen items skipping entire sections of the store!!! Saving time and energy!
   Need help building your pantry staples? Read my Top Pantry Staples blog post! 
   
2. Buy Pre-cut Fresh or Frozen Items.
   I love buying cubed butternut squash in the freezer section to keep on hand for soups!
   Pre-cut chicken strips, mushrooms, broccoli and cauliflower florets make stir fry a 5 min job!
   I also love to buy diced onions. I really dislike chopping white onions so I’m happy to delegate and pay a bit extra. 
   
3. Roast Double Time!!
   If the oven is on, give it a double duty. When I’m roasting sweet potato toast I will also roast cauliflower steaks {on separate sheets}. The cooking time is the same and I love having them on hand for healthy meal time sides!
   
4. Plan & Shop for Three Family Dinners For the week .
   On top of the items I need for breakfast and lunches, I usually plan and shop for three family dinners at a time. We usually have re-purposed left overs one of the nights so that really only leaves one or two extra “flex” nights. Our extra night is usually Friday which might include take out, or a social event or date night!
   
5. Invest in Kitchen Gadgets that make Cooking and Meal preparation a Cinch
   And USE THEM! Think Slow cooker, High Speed Blender, Instant Pot. I also love using these time saving kitchen gadgets!
   
6. Pack Lunches While you are Preparing Dinner.
   You are likely already chopping fruit and veggies and the counter is full of ingredients that can easily go in a lunch box.
   
7. Clean as you go!
   This is my kitchen mantra! It makes after-meal clean up so much faster!! If the lunches for tomorrow are also packed. YOU ARE DONE!

Health:

1. Schedule your workouts in your calendar each week and do everything in your power to keep them
2. Schedule time to wind down every day. Whether it’s is a 5 min walk outside, a 15 min bath or a hot tea before bed time. Create a wind down ritual that makes you feel relaxed and cared for.
3. Make all of your Health Check up appointments this month for the entire year! Dental, OBGYN, Eye Doctor. You do this for the kiddos, do it for yourself too!
4. If it’s not a Yes, it’s a NO! Don’t commit to anything unless it speaks to you! Remember, we are being intentional with how we use our time! 
5. Carry a reusable water bottle everywhere!!! You will NEVER find me or my kids without our YETI’s. We take them where ever we go (travel included) and rarely have the need to buy a plastic water bottle!
6. Sit down for a meal! Remember to chew! Remember to be grateful for your meal. Remember to savor your meal–you deserve it.

Relationships:: Good friends are good for your health

Research shows that spending time with people you care about increases the way you feel about your life. People with close friendships are in better physical and mental health overall. Prioritize time with friends that lift you up, and support you. Aim to schedule a monthly or quarterly date with your girlfriends.  Call an old friend at least once a month! It feels so much more authentic than keeping in touch via social media! 

1. If you don’t feel loved or heard in a friendship, let it go! We have friendships that fade as the seasons of our life change and that’s ok! As we evolve and change we want different things out of our personal relationships. 
2. Harness a positive relationship with your children. Strive for active play for 10 minutes per day. Engage without distraction. Be present and enjoy this time!!
3. Date your spouse! One day it only the two of you will be at home. Make sure you don’t have to re-introduce yourselves after years of tending to the kids!
4. Make time for fun!! Literally block time out in your calendar for “open play”. I find that if it’s not scheduled, it simply doesn’t happen.

Declutter Technology

1. Back-up your devices
2. Delete apps you and your kids no longer use on all family devices
3. Delete contacts that no longer serve you
4. Take the time to perform updates and diagnostics for all your family tech devices {I’m terrible at this!}
5. Develop a weekly practice of de-cluttering! Think going through your 8k photos and getting rid of the ones you’ve already stored on your hard drive.
6. Monitor your use of social media against productivity and engagement. Notice where you can make improvements or adjustments.

Which area of your life will you apply time saving tactics to first? I plan to tackle the technology portion as it’s def an area of development for me.

Want more on this topic? Read my post about time management and how it applies to simplifying your life on Austin Mom’s}

Want a more personalized approach? Send an email to hello@happydinneratx.com.
I would love to help you succeed at meeting your 2020 health goals!

Love & Light Y’all!