Getting a better nights sleep is part of the January Health Challenge for The Sweet-16.
Contributed by www.sweetmeblog.blogspot.com




1.  Move during the day.  Having a regular exercise schedule will help with anxiety, stress and a busy mind, making it easier to get a good nights rest in the evening.  Make sure you schedule your activity at least 2 hours before bed, so that your body has time to use up the post work out energy.

2.  Take a warm bath.  The heat will relax you and loosen your muscles, allowing for a better nights sleep.  Use essential oils to calm and meditate you.

3.  Slip into comfortable pajamas.   Pick something that is not too tight or constricting, but ones that won't bunch up and tug when you move.

4. Set the temperature.  Make sure your home's temperature stays at a between 65-73 to keep optimized sleeping temperature.

5.  Create a comfortable environment.  Leave your bedroom for only bedroom activities.  Invest in a good mattress, splurge on nice sheets, use white noise,......whatever you need to have a good nights sleep is worth the investment.

6.  Unplug.  Turn off the T.V., the laptop, the ipads and cell phones.  Try to unplug an hour before bed, so that your mind has time to quiet down and unplug as well.

7.  Journal or read before bed.  A good way to end the day is to write in a gratitude journal.  It's a good way to quiet  your mind and to chronicle your day.

8. Go to bed at the same time each night.  This will create a shut down habit in your brain, making it easier to fall asleep.

9.  Limit your caffeine intake after 3;00pm.  Doing this will help keep your body on it's natural sleep cycle.

10.   Listen to relaxing music.  Instead of falling asleep to the T.V.  try listening to relaxing music or sounds instead.

Today starts the first Sweet-16 challenge.  This month we will be focusing on our health.  I don't know about you, but 2015 was a doozy for me, health wise.  I was in and out of Dr.s offices, I tried a dozen different treatments and medications, and then ended up having two major surgeries within just a few months of each other.  I spent TOO much time, in bed watching Netflix.  (Pretty Little Liars, Gilmore Girls, Parenthood and The Originals were my past time.)  I missed a lot of life and doing what I liked doing.

This year I want to be in control of my body, not the other way around.  I know that there are some things I can't help, and I'm still figuring out all that ails me, but for the most part, I am feeling much better and stronger, and I want to keep it that way!

So January's focus will be to get/be/stay healthy.  We will start a habit that we can continue all year long that will help us feeling our best, so that we can be our best.

SLEEP
Commit to going to bed at the same time each night, and waking up at the same time each morning. By keeping a regular sleep schedule, it will help dramatically with the quality of your sleep.  Your brain will be trained when to shut off, so less laying in bed at night trying to fall asleep AND by waking up at the same time, your body will become used to it, and you will no longer struggle with the snooze button.

WATER
Drinking enough water during the day is vital to our health.  We all know we need to drink more, but we still struggle to do it.  This month commit to drinking more water each day.  This one thing will help you FEEL better more than any other thing you could do.

REST
Research shows that mental breaks increase productivity and encourage creativity.  Moments of rest also allow you to keep a sense of self and helps in motivating you to stay focused on your goals.
Taking time each day to rest and reset will actually help you to accomplish more than if you try to just plow through.  This month make a goal to have a deliberate resting period each day.

MOVE
Get up and do something.  You will sleep better, you will have more energy and will be able to focus that energy better by being active.  You can decide to work out at the gym or train for a marathon.
Moving can be something as simple as deciding to go on a bike ride with your kids or taking a walk in the morning.  It really doesn't matter how you move, just do it.  This month make a habit out of moving and focus on how this helps your sleep, your attitude and how your body embraces it.

FOOD
We all know that you are what you eat.  This month commit to being aware of what is going into your body, and how it makes you feel.   Commit to eating a breakfast full of protein, this one habit will set the stage for more energy in your day.  Cut out sodas, add more fruits or vegetables.  The key to this challenge is to be in tune with how food effects you, and make the necessary changes to get more out of your day.  By using food as fuel instead of a friend, activity, or an emotional crutch you will start to feel like you can do anything.

I will be posting tips and motivation on instagram and facebook, so make sure you follow me.  And join the challenge.  Be a supportive member and let me know what you are doing.  We can do this together!

Let's start off our year feeling good, so that we can tackle our dreams!

Here's to a Sweet-16!

I have chosen a word to focus on throughout the year since 2012.  I love this idea from Ali Edwards and I encourage you to try it to too.

This year I had a few words picked out that I was trying to pick through.  And then I finally picked my word.   I had picked the word COURAGE.  I was set to that.  I made up a printable, I was picking quotes.  I was excited.

Then, BAM!  New Years morning I woke up and I could not get the word "START" out of my mind.  I tried, I already had my word picked out,............but my word picked me.

So my year for 2016 is START!!!

I am passionate about showing gratitude.  I feel so strongly that the more you give, the more you get. And I'm not speaking of material things.  The more gratitude you give, the more love you share, the more time you spend on others, the more you will live a happy and enjoyable life of purpose.

Words are powerful!  I have always been in love with quotes and I have loved the idea of having a focus word.  In fact, the book I am writing heavily revolves around putting a focus word into action! Having a purpose, a theme if you will, helps you to stay focused and energized.

I wanted a way to remember my purpose and to keep moving forward positively towards my bliss.  I started making friendship bracelets with my daughter after one of my surgery recovery's and it hit me!  These bracelets would be a perfect way to gently remind me to live a joyful life.

Introducing the Fall line of Sweet-Me Friendship Bracelets.


Each bracelet is named with an inspiring word, and comes with a print out of a quote to keep you focused.  And THE BEST PART?  Each order comes with TWO bracelets.  One for you, and one to share with a friend, sister, mother, daughter.  Show your love and gratitude for those in your life that has made a difference.  Remind them, encourage them, and show them your gratitude with a matching bracelet.

The EMBRACE Friendship Bracelet in wine.  CLICK HERE TO ORDER
"We have to embrace obstacles to reach the next stage of joy."  - Goldie Hawn

The BREATH Friendship Bracelet in dark teal.  CLICK HERE TO ORDER
"Remember how to breathe, how to live...please!!” ― Fuyumi Soryo 

The STRONG Friendship Bracelet in cream.  CLICK HERE TO ORDER
"Life is full of happiness and tears; be strong and have faith" - Kareena Kapoor Khan

The MAGIC Friendship Bracelet in black.  CLICK HERE TO ORDER
"Any time women come together with a collective intention, it's a powerful thing. Whether it's sitting down making a quilt, in a kitchen preparing a meal, in a club reading the same book, or around the table playing cards, or planning a birthday party, when women come together with a collective intention, magic happens." - Phylicia Rashad

The TRUST Friendship Bracelet in slate blue.  CLICK HERE TO ORDER
"Trust yourself. Create the kind of self that you will be happy to live with all your life. Make the most of yourself by fanning the tiny, inner sparks of possibility into flames of achievement." - Golda Meir

The GATHER Friendship Bracelet in rust.  CLICK HERE TO ORDER
"This is the power of gathering: it inspires us, delightfully, to be more hopeful, more joyful, more thoughtful: in a word, more alive." - Alice Waters

The SUCCESS Friendship Bracelet in taupe.  CLICK HERE TO ORDER
"Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful."  - Albert Schweitzer

The DISCOVER Friendship Bracelet in olive green   CLICK HERE TO ORDER
."Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.” - ― André Gide


To order your TWO friendship bracelets for one low price visit http://www.spreesy.com/sweetme

AND for a limited time you can get FREE SHIPPING by using the code - friends
Just share the love with your friends!

Happy June.  I love the start of a new month.

A new month always brings the promise of something exciting.  June is the start of a new season, SUMMER!!!

Make sure you download this FREE printable to help decorate your home for summer.

 

 

 

 

Life is beautiful!

Life is hard!

I honestly feel both of those statements.  Sometimes on a daily basis.

The week before Thanksgiving, my husband lost a big job he had scheduled.  We were counting on that job to pay for Christmas.  My husband is a self employed paint contractor, and winter is always slow.  We felt so grateful to have a job lined up to get him through the winter, so when his client called and decided to hold off until spring, our spirits were crushed.

I remember feeling hopeless.  It is so hard to find work this time of year, and we had used up all of our savings to move us back to Utah and on some medical expenses.  How on earth were we going to pull of Christmas this year?  We have had to get creative in the past, but this year seemed almost impossible.

We prepared the kids for a small Christmas.  My husband contacted everyone he knew to see if anyone needed any work done.  No one wanted to spend extra money or have their house tore up this time of year. I didn't blame them.

We felt like we had exhausted all of our efforts.  We didn't know what to do.

I was in the bath one night, and I was mad!  I was upset with my husband.  I was upset with the client that postponed his job.  I was upset we didn't have more of a savings.  I was mad at the world!

Then I got a text.  Literally while I was in the bath lamenting on my life!  It was someone asking if my husband could do a small job for them!

Just like that!  I remembered that things always work out.

They really do!  (I also felt a little ashamed of my pity party I was having!)

It wasn't a big job, and it wouldn't save Christmas.  But it was enough for me to see that Heavenly Father was aware of my needs.  I wasn't forgotten.  Things will be okay.

How often does that happen?  Sometimes all we need is a tiny sign that Heavenly Father is at work, and we can keep moving forward with faith.  Miraculous things can happen when we allow Him to do His work. When we are grateful for the steps we are taking,  moving us in the right direction, no matter how small they may be, things always work out.

For years now, I have kept a gratitude journal.  Just a small journal I keep at my nightstand to jot down things that I noticed during the day, that He had a hand in.  Some are small, and some are big.  It is a helpful reminder to me, that when life gets hard  there are ALWAYS things to be grateful for.  I just need to look for them, and acknowledge them.  Writing down the many things I am thankful for reminds me of how blessed I am.   Focusing on what we are grateful for also changes our mind set.  We will be more open to love and opportunity when that is what we are focused on.

I have something SO exciting planned for 2015 and I can not wait to share it with all of you!  Stay tuned for the big reveal next week!  I promise, it will be something you will want in on!

And, by the way.  That text for a small job, led to another job, which led to another job.  All of those small jobs added up to a beautiful Christmas.  One of the best.  Not because we had a lot of gifts, because we didn't.  But because we were focused on our blessings.  We were open to opportunity and we have made connections with people that we would not have been able to, if we weren't in this situation.  We allowed God to do His work, and we made an effort to see His hand in everything.

Merry Christmas and the HAPPIEST of New Years!

One of my favorite things about this time of year is the yummy food!

Food is such a comfort to most people, and it is a way to show love!  The traditional neighbor gift was a fruit cake.  Boy, have we come a long way from that!

I LOVE these ideas I found on Pinterest for yummy neighbor treats!  They are a little different than cookies or bread.











What do you give to your neighbors?