The Miracle Morning Life S.A.V.E.R.S. – Simple Practices You Can Do Each Morning to Change Your Life!

/ Janeen / 9 Comments

Hey guys!

So, the other day, I was listening to Pat Flynn’s “Smart Passive Income” podcast, & he had a guest on the show named Hal Elrod who wrote a book called “The Miracle Morning.” As the title alludes, this book is all about the benefits of getting up early, the steps we can all take to get up earlier, start our day off with intention, & how implementing this habit can truly change your life! If you listen to or read any type of personal development content, you will see this come up ALL THE TIME. Getting up earlier to allow some time for yourself is one major key in having a happier, more organized, focused, & fulfilling life.

As I mentioned in my last personal development post on the Weekly Rhythm Register, I’ve been needing some extra motivation to get back into this habit. After hearing Pat Flynn’s episode with Hal Elrod, I downloaded Hal’s podcast & put his book “The Miracle Morning” on my list of must-reads 🙂 I haven’t read the book yet, so can’t personally vouch for the book itself, BUT Hal discusses a lot of the book’s content & principles on his podcast & on his website & I just couldn’t wait to share this one concept with you: The Life S.A.V.E.R.S. This is an acronym for the 6 things he suggests everyone to do first thing in the morning before doing anything else!  A little more research into this concept has me really excited to more consistently put these things into practice.

So, here are the 6 Life S.A.V.E.R.S.

  1. S = Silence

~ This is another thing you’ll hear over & over again if you regularly listen to or read personal development content. Time for silence is a major contributor to a happier, more fulfilling, & productive life. This can be in the form of meditation or prayer. Spending just a few minutes in silence can help us feel more grounded & connected to our true priorities. This is a chance to start your day off with clarity, calming your mind so that you’re able to gain perspective & tap into what Hal describes as our “super-conscious” mind AKA connection to an infinite intelligence AKA GOD! In his podcast about this subject, Hal quoted one of my favorite quotes of all time, “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience, we are spiritual beings having a human experience.” Powerful stuff. I like to spend just a few quiet minutes in the morning in silent prayer, offering my day up to God, thanking him for his blessings, & asking him to guide my path. Whatever form of silence you decide to practice, it’s important to go somewhere with absolutely no distraction. This is hard to do at first, but I have found it gets easier & easier the more you practice (and it helps to close your eyes….just don’t fall back to sleep! Ha!)

2. A = Affirmations 

        ~ Hal gives a 4 step process for creating affirmations. First, write down what you want in your life. To narrow your focus, separate into different areas like business, health, relationships, lifestyle, etc. Second, write down why you want those things. Often when writing your “Why’s” you gain clarity on whether or not you actually want that thing you wrote down – this is the driving force behind those goals you created. Third, write down what obstacles are preventing you from getting the things you want & how can you remove those obstacles. Finally, write down what you are committed to doing EVERY DAY to achieve those goals. Once you create your affirmations, read these every single day & modify or change them if needed as your life moves forward. This section on affirmations is something I have not tried yet in my daily routine, so I’m anxious to implement this & see the effect that it has. Seems like it could be a very powerful practice, starting your day off with your goals in mind!

3.  V = Visualization 

          ~ This is when you visualize the end result of something you want as if it has already happened. Visualize being at that place & the feelings that you have associated with it. Doing this transforms a desire/goal/dream that may currently be “cloaked in fear,” as Hal describes, into a real possibility & helps you break through that fear & propel you forward toward achieving that goal. After you’ve visualized the end result, then visualize the DAILY action that you must take to make your vision a reality. The key to this is to visualize the daily action in a positive light (you’re smiling & enjoying the process). An example that Hal gives is having a goal of writing a book. First, visualize people reading the book, smiling, enjoying it, sharing it, & having it influence their lives. Then, think about the daily action of writing the book & visualize yourself enjoying the writing process, being inspired & having the ideas flow through you. That’s just one example, but this principle can be applied to any goal! Again, this is not something I currently do, but excited to take a minute or 2 each morning to practice this & see the effects!

4.  E = Exercise 

~ I think we all know the benefits of exercising, but there’s something to be said for exercising in the morning, even if it’s just a few minutes! Morning exercise gets more blood flow & oxygen to your brain & gets you in a peak mental, emotional, & physical state to tackle your day. My morning exercise of choice is yoga, but you can do anything that floats your boat! Remember, this does not have to be a long hard workout. Hal says that even just 1 minute of jumping jacks can have significant benefits for your brain 🙂

5.  R = Reading 

~ Spending some time on personal development each morning is something that I strive to do! Hal suggests a few minutes of reading (something non-fiction for self growth) each morning, but I think that listening to audio books or podcasts can be lumped into this category too. Podcasts & audiobooks are great, because you can listen to them while you do another activity, like exercise, cooking breakfast, getting ready, or driving to work. However, there is something to be said about reading an actual book, so I’ve been trying to give myself a few minutes each day to read a good personal development book! Even if it’s just a few pages each day, that practice compounds & eventually gives you a wealth of knowledge you wouldn’t have otherwise had!

6. S = Scribe

~ AKA: Journaling. This is one that I’m really excited about because I used to LOVE journaling, but have gotten out of the habit in my old age 😉 I’m looking forward to getting back into it. A lot of personal development experts say that the act of writing has a major effect on us. Hal suggests a journal called the “Five Minute Journal,” which has a section for morning journaling & evening journaling. The morning journal includes writing down 3 things you’re grateful for, 3 things that would make today great, & 1 daily affirmation that you’re committed to doing/practicing that day. The evening journal includes writing down 3 awesome things that happened that day (can be super simple things!) & writing how you could have made that day better. You can follow these guidelines or journal whatever you want! To give myself some extra inspiration, I purchased a custom journal from zazzle.com. They have SO MANY awesome choices for journals that you can customize with your own name, text, words of inspiration, quotes, etc. The one I ordered is pictured below. Click here to make your own!

Journal

Alrighty, so those are the 6 Life S.A.V.E.R.S. to try to implement to your morning routine before the chaos of your day starts! I love the mornings that I’m disciplined enough to get up early & get some of these things done before having to rush off to work. Again, this doesn’t have to be 2 hours of your time! Even just getting up 15 minutes earlier to work on a few of these areas can make a dramatic difference. Start small! Heck, Hal even has a “6 Minute Miracle Morning” post on his website where he tells you how you can literally spend 1 minute on each of these areas. Go here to check that out! Another important thing to note is that these do not have to be done in the order listed! Do what works best for you 🙂

Also, if you’d like to listen to the whole podcast about this topic, go here or download Hal’s podcast, “Achieve Your Goals” from the app store.

I’m looking forward to trying all of these out for myself! I’d love to hear what you think of these or if there’s any other ideas you have to implement into your morning routine 🙂 Comments always welcome!

Thank you for visiting my page! Live well,

– Janeen

Reflections of Joy – My First Original Piano Composition

/ Janeen / 2 Comments

Hello everyone!

Now that I’ve shared a few of my newest compositions & pieces I’ve been working on, I figured I’d throw it ALLLLL the way back to where it all began – “Reflections of Joy.”

This was my very first piano composition. I wrote this song when I was 14 years old. I remember coming up with the melody in the shower (singing in the shower … typical) & then playing around with it on the piano & embellishing it until……VOILA …. my very first original song was born. This created a domino effect & I fell in love with composing & wrote many other songs that year (which I will be sharing on here…follow the blog if you want to be notified when I publish the rest!)

Some people from around my hometown might recognize this as the “Wintz & Ray Funeral Home Theme Song”…haha! For those of you who may not know, my family is in the funeral business, so they use my music for a lot of their commercials & stuff 😉

My mom helped me come up with the name (she helped me name all of my songs back then) … we decided on “Reflections of Joy” because it made us think back on happy times & wonderful memories. I hope this has the same effect on all of you as you listen to this song & reflect on your own happy times in your past 🙂

Thanks for listening!!

Ohh and if you happened to miss the other songs I’ve posted, check out the “Music” page on the blog here where all of the videos are 🙂

Hope you enjoyed the song! I’d love to hear what you think of it. Thank you so much for following my melody!

Until next time,

– Janeen

Me Playing George Winston’s “Variations on the Kanon by Pachelbel” – Dedication to My Mom :)

/ Janeen / 5 Comments

Hello!!

I’m so excited to share this video with you today!! It is from back in November when I was home for Thanksgiving. This one is not one of my original songs, BUT it is very special to my heart.

Growing up, my mom LOVED to listen to George Winston’s CD’s. We shared a love for his music and this was one of our favorites! George hadn’t printed his sheet music at the time, which was sad to me because I would have loved to learn his songs. After my long break from piano in college, once I moved to Valentine & got my piano back in my life, I was on the search for more piano music to learn & I came across a piano book that George had released of some of his favorites and KANON was included!! I ordered it immediately & decided that I would learn this song.

As soon as I started learning it, I was so excited & wanted to tell my mom, but then decided that I would keep it a secret from her & surprise her over the holidays! So, I was on a mission. This was the first song in over 5 years that I really had to work at, put my nose to the grind, take it section by section, & practice practice practice! I had it down by Thanksgiving, so I told my mom that I had a surprise for her & we went to church to use their grand piano there. As I started playing, I could hear my mom crying behind me, which made it really hard to pull it together & see my music through my own tears. I made it through though & it truly was one of the most special moments of my life. I think of my mom every time I play this song. She’s a very inspirational woman & I don’t know what I’d do without her! This song is for HER!! 🙂

It is moments like these when I’m most grateful for my gift. These are the moments that give me such fulfillment & joy from playing the piano – when I can touch the hearts of others, especially my loved ones! Hope you enjoy this “Variations on the Kanon by Pachelbel,” by George Winston.

Ohh and kudos to my wonderful husband, Brandon, for his fabulous page-turning abilities 😉

Thanks for listening everyone!!

– Janeen

Sweet Potato Hash: My Go-To Recipe for Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner! :)

/ Janeen / 1 Comment

Hello everyone!

One thing that I love to do is COOK & experiment with healthy, balanced recipes 🙂 So, today I thought I’d share one of my go-to recipes for ANY meal! Seriously, I make this at least twice a week & always make enough to have leftovers (that is, if my husband doesn’t eat it all first!) It is super quick & easy, not to mention healthy & DELICIOUS!! The other thing I love is that is is very customize-able (is that a word?) – you can throw in literally any veggies that you like or have on hand & it’s always fabulous.

OK, so here is how to make Sweet Potato Hash (this recipe makes around 4 large servings, so feel free to adjust as needed):

  1. Heat up your electric skillet (or large saute pan on stove) to medium heat. I like using an electric skillet b/c it is BIG, & like I said, I like to make a lot of this stuff 😉
  2.  Cook up some bacon! I usually just throw in however many slices I have on hand or however many fit in the pan. This time I cooked 9 slices of bacon. Cook approximately 3 minutes per side or however long it takes to get nice & browned & cooked through. Mmmm bacon…..

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     3.   While the bacon is cooking, start dicing your sweet potatoes. I diced up 2 medium sweet potatoes this time around.

     4.   When bacon is cooked through, remove from pan & place on a plate lined with paper towels. Leave a couple tablespoons of bacon grease in the pan (you might have to drain some off depending on how much grease your bacon produces).

     5.   Toss the diced sweet potatoes into your pan.

     6.   While your potatoes start to cook, dice up some onion. I used 1/2 of a medium sized yellow onion. Toss those in the pan with the sweet potatoes.

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     7.   Next, you can add any other veggies you’d like! This time I chopped up some sweet mini peppers & kale, but have used lots of other veggies in the past (mushrooms, bell peppers, carrots, spinach, broccoli, etc.). Let me just tell you though, I’d highly recommend kale because sweet potatoes & kale go together like PB & J. Sounds strange, but trust me, it’s a fabulous combination. Toss the rest of your veggies in the pan, add about a tablespoon of chili powder (or to taste), & salt & pepper to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sweet potatoes & rest of the veggies are cooked through completely (usually about 20 minutes total for the sweet potatoes).

     8.   While veggies are cooking, chop up your cooked bacon. Add to the pan when veggies are cooked & heat through (about 1-2 minutes).

*Look at this bacon/veggie yumminess!

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     9.   Turn off heat & cover veggie/bacon mixture with a lid to keep warm. In a separate pan, fry 2 eggs over-easy (keep yolk runny in the middle) for each serving. If serving 4 people, fry up 8 eggs. I just did 2 here because I was just eating 1 serving for me!  Use a healthy fat option to fry, like organic butter or coconut oil (my personal favorite with this recipe). Sprinkle with salt & pepper.

     10.  Spoon some hash onto your plate & top with the 2 fried eggs! Sometimes I top this with some avocado slices, but I didn’t have any on hand this time around.

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     11.  Dig in & enjoy!! 🙂

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Hope you like this recipe! Like I said, it’s my go-to & you really can’t mess it up! It’s perfect for any meal, too!

If you want a printable version, click here.

I’d love to hear what you think! 🙂

Happy eating!

– Janeen

The Road to Triumph – Original Piano Composition

/ Janeen / 1 Comment

Happy Easter Weekend!!

With it being Easter Weekend, I thought this was the perfect time to share my latest composition, “The Road to Triumph.”

As you will hear, the melody of this song starts with kind of a mysterious, despairing sound. However, if you listen to it all the way through, it ends with a very triumphant, jubilant tone. When I play this song, I think about the journey of someone who goes through struggles, who has to pick themselves up, break through their barriers, & keep working toward the finish line until finally reaching that triumphant ending where they achieve the ultimate victory.

Why is this relevant for Easter Weekend? Well, with it being Good Friday yesterday, I watched “The Passion of the Christ” last night (if you have not seen this movie, you NEED to watch it! So powerful. It’s on-demand on Netflix. Do it.). I hadn’t watched that movie in quite some time, so had forgotten the power behind it & how eye-opening it is!! Although very difficult to watch (I cried through most of it), I decided that this is something I need to watch every Lent, particularly on Good Friday, because it makes the celebration of Easter even more glorious and…..well….. triumphant! 🙂

As I played this song today, I reflected on Jesus’ passion, death, & resurrection. I thought about the gruesome reality of His sacrifice for me, His road to the cross, dying for my sins, but ultimately achieving the greatest triumph over evil, rising again & saving us all from sin!

Whatever you choose to reflect on while listening to this song, your own journey, the journey of a loved one, or the journey of Jesus as he carried his cross to die for our sins & rise again, I hope that you find joy in listening to this “Road to Triumph.”

PS: don’t mind my pillow in the shot / excellent videoing skills :/ Ha!

God Bless you all & Happy Easter!! 🙂

– Janeen

Weekly Rhythm Register – Useful Accountability Tool for Daily & Weekly Goals

/ Janeen / 1 Comment

Hey guys!

Today I wanted to share with you a tool that I use & find very helpful when I need some extra motivation & accountability for those daily or weekly goals that I have. Ever since moving into our new house, I feel like my routine is a bit thrown off & I need some help getting back in the groove! I have a lot of daily goals that are much easier for me to accomplish when I get up early in the morning, but I have been SLACKING lately (new bed is just too comfy I guess!). So, I decided to turn back to this handy dandy tool: The Weekly Rhythm Register.

This is a tool that I discovered through the book, “The Compound Effect” by Darren Hardy. This is a great book to read for personal development, by the way! It really opens your eyes to the importance of each & every seemingly small decision we make in our life. Anyway, the Weekly Rhythm Register is just one of the many very useful tools/ideas/insight that I received from reading the book. Highly suggested (if you’re interested you can buy the book here)!

Anyway, I found the Weekly Rhythm Register to really come in handy when I first started my health journey (read about my journey here). I had so many changes being implemented & so many things to remember each day (morning supplements, night supplements, new eating habits, new work-out habits, etc), so I needed something visual to check these things off of my list each day, and to keep track so I could remember that I did (or didn’t do) everything that day! I keep a to do list in my planner app on my phone (which I will probably share in a different blog post eventually), but there’s something powerful about having a written reminder & physically checking boxes off of your list with a pen.

Here’s what the Weekly Rhythm Register looks like (click on the picture for a larger/better view & to print your own!):

Weekly Rhythm Register Blank

All you do is list each one of your daily or weekly goals in the “Behavior/Action” column on the far left. Then in the “Goal” column toward the right, put the number of times you’d like to complete that goal that week. Then, as you go through the week, place an “x” or check mark for each day that you complete the task. At the end of the week, add up all of the times that you completed each task & put that number in the “Achieved” column. Take the difference of “Achieved” vs. “Goal” & put that number in the “Net” column (could be a negative or positive number, or zero!). Add up each column & place totals in the “Totals” line at the bottom of the table. Review at the end of each week to see the areas that you did great at and the areas that need improvement. I have found that this is a FANTASTIC way to hold yourself accountable 🙂

Each person’s Weekly Rhythm Register is going to look completely different, because each one of us has different goals & priorities in life! So, modify according to what is important to you. Also, this can (and should!) change as your goals & priorities change, so feel free to switch it up as often as you need to!

Just for reference & for the sake of sharing, this is what my current Weekly Rhythm Register looks like for this week (again click on it for a larger/clearer version):

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As you can see, mine is focused on my spiritual & health goals, but this can be used for any area of life (personal, professional, relationships, etc.)

Hopefully this is just the kick in the butt I need to get back on track! Wish me luck 😉

Feel free to leave me a comment if you have any questions or would like to share a helpful tool you use for goal tracking & accountability! I’d also love to hear how this works for you.

Thanks for visiting! Until next time,

– Janeen

New Beginnings – Original Piano Composition

/ Janeen / 6 Comments

Hey all!

I thought it was about time to share some of my music with you! As mentioned in my first blog post (here), my new-found passion for composing music was my main inspiration for starting this blog. I’m still on the road to discovering the best way to share my music & how to go about recording my songs, but in the meantime I thought I’d share some videos of me playing some of my stuff 🙂

Nothing too fancy to see here… just me jimmy-rigging my iphone on the sofa to record myself in my yoga pants doing what I love. Ha!

This song is called “New Beginnings.” I wrote it in less than an hour after moving my piano into our new home in early February. My trusty ol’ piano & a single lamp were the only 2 things in the room at the time. I was home by myself, & I just sat down & let the creativity & inspiration flow. Soon, “New Beginnings” was born. The title was inspired by my overflowing gratitude for all of the “fresh starts” in my life. New home, new health journey, new-found passion for composing music, new ideas, & new discoveries yet to be found in my life.

Enjoy & Embrace New Beginnings!

Hope you enjoyed this song! I’d love to hear what you think. I’ve got lots more to share with you so sign up to follow me if you want to hear more 🙂

Thanks for watching & following my melody!

– Janeen

From Cardio Junkie to Yogi: How I Made the Transition & Why

/ Janeen / 2 Comments

Hello again!

I am busting at the seams excited to talk about this today because I feel AH-MAZING. It’s about my latest workout of choice: YOGA. If you would have told me 2 years ago that I would eventually fall in love with yoga, I would have thought you were crazy. At that time, I was a cardio junkie, doing intense cardio exercises 6 (or sometimes 7) days a week, thinking that was the way to stay fit & healthy. However, since starting my healing journey toward fixing my low thyroid issue (which you can read about here if you haven’t already), I have learned the beauty & healing power that comes with regular yoga practice & have said goodbye to the intense hardcore cardio that wreaked havoc on my body.

It was NOT an easy switch though. Not at all…

When people ask me what the hardest change was to implement when I started my healing journey, I think they always expect me to say “giving up gluten.” Although giving up the occasional BEER was the hardest part about cutting gluten out of my diet (oops…haha!), going gluten-free really wasn’t the biggest challenge for me. What was? Breaking my addiction to intense exercise.

So how did I do it? Well, for starters, it’s much easier to change something when you have a health professional explaining the scientific evidence that intense exercise makes things WORSE for people with thyroid issues. I knew that making the change was best for my health, but I still remember it being super hard to just WALK instead of run. Just like anything else though, it became easier with time, & my discovery of podcasts really helped me to enjoy the change & it soon became something that I looked forward to. Plus, I started to feel so much better, so that helped!

I was in a habit of doing workout videos in the morning & I really didn’t want to give that up, but knew I needed to make a switch from the high intensity workouts I had been doing. Luckily, my idol Chalene Johnson had just come out with a new, low-impact workout video program called PIYO.

If you haven’t heard of PIYO, check it out here. Chalene jokingly describes it as yoga for people with ADD, because she is someone that just does not like to sit still & always wants to be constantly moving when she works out! I totally connected with that, being a cardio junkie myself at the time, but I needed flexibility & a low impact workout, so this was the perfect fit! This workout really gave me the foundations of yoga & I started to feel the benefits of having more flexible (& stronger) muscles. This is a great workout to use to make that transition if you’re interested in trying yoga but still like a little more intensity (and sweat!) in your workouts.

Eventually, I started going to a yoga class here in my hometown once a week. There, I learned what true, authentic yoga practice was all about. Since I already had the foundations from PIYO, I felt pretty comfortable with it, but it was still a bit of an adjustment. The more I went, the more I loved it, & always felt so great after going to a class! I never thought I would say it, but I felt myself becoming a yogi (gasp!)

Then, a few weeks ago, my friend Robyn told me about this “30 Days of Yoga” challenge she found on YouTube & we decided to try it out together. The videos are only 15-30 minutes long, & for the last 22 days, I have been following the challenge & doing just 1 short yoga practice every day. And now I can do this:

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WHAT?!?!?! I was shocked, but it’s amazing what just a little practice every day can do! I feel strong, flexible, powerful, connected to my body, & just plain fabulous…. and you can too! Start here for your 30 Days of Yoga challenge. The instructor’s name is Adriene & she’s great!! She makes it fun & light-hearted & just really enjoyable. I also love the convenience of being able to do yoga at home. We’ve had some awesome weather here lately, so I’ve been loving just taking my Ipad & yoga mat outside & practicing on the deck when it’s nice out!

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I’ve gotten a few funny looks from my new neighbors… they’re probably wondering who the heck the new crazy yogi neighbor is, but oh well! It’s my thing now 😉

Hopefully this gives you a few ideas if you’re interested in dabbling in the yoga world or if you need help working your way into it! I’d love to hear about it if you end up trying PIYO or the 30 Days of Yoga!

Enjoy the journey! Namaste.

– Janeen

Top 5 Podcasts for Personal Development

/ Janeen / 2 Comments

Hello all!

Today I thought I’d share with you something that I have become ADDICTED to in the last 6 months… podcasts!! If you’ve never listened to podcasts, now is the time to start. There is SO MUCH good information out there. . . and all for free! I’ve been discovering some really good ones lately & honestly having trouble keeping up with all of them that I want to listen to. Seriously, I look forward to going on walks & listening to podcasts every day…I joke that it’s my therapy! 😉 I loved it so much that I would even bundle up & go out in the 0 degree snowy weather this winter to get my daily dose, like in this picture here:

Like I said … addicted.

Most of the podcasts I have discovered have been recommended to me by either friends or current podcasters I’m a fan of, which made it so much easier to sort through the thousands & thousands of podcasts that exist out there & cut to the ones that I’d enjoy most. SO, I thought I’d share the list of my current favorites with YOU! 🙂 Almost all of these are tailored to my interest in personal development, covering a whole slew of topics in that area, all the way from enjoying the simple pleasures in daily life to starting your own business. OK, so here we go:

1) The Chalene Show (Chalene Johnson)

* Let me just start by saying that Chalene Johnson is my IDOL when it comes to personal development. I first discovered her when I fell in love with her Turbo Fire workout. I then started following her on social media & realized that, although she is most recognized by the public as a fitness professional with her workout videos & programs (Turbo Jam, Turbo Fire, Chalean Extreme, Turbo Kick, PIYO, etc.), her primary focus is in life coaching. This made me like her even more & I became a major fan, watching all her online videos, reading her book, listening to her Car Smart series, subscribing to her emails, etc. I guess her personality just really clicks with mine, I love her message, she’s fun, & she gives great content! So, when she came out with this podcast, I was psyched!! And it did not disappoint. It has quickly risen to the top of the charts in the podcasting world on i-Tunes. She covers a wide range of helpful content, including developing more confidence, staying motivated, tips on starting your own business, social media strategies, healthy living advice, building relationships …. and the list goes on. THIS IS A MUST LISTEN.

2) The Simple Sophisticate (Shannon Ables)

*This is an easy-listening podcast dedicated to living a simply luxurious life. Shannon focuses on finding beauty in the simple things in every day life, which aligns with my values as well. This one is just plain fun to listen to. It’s not as “serious” as some of the other ones I listen to, as she discusses things like entertaining, style, decor, food, beauty, etc. She also gives a little “petite pleasure” at the end of every podcast where she recommends certain products or recipes that she’s discovered. This is a good one!

3) This Is Your Life (Michael Hyatt)

* Michael has had years & years of experience in the corporate world as CEO of a publishing company, but now runs his own company on leadership. In this podcast, Michael & cohost Michelle, share great content on leadership, productivity, focus, & more that can be applied toward your professional or personal life. Lots of great content in this one!

4) The School of Greatness (Lewis Howes)

* As he says in the intro of every podcast, Lewis is a former pro-athlete, turned Lifestyle Entrepreneur. In his podcast, he interviews tons of successful people in all areas of life to share their stories on what makes them successful and … well, great! Many of these stories are very inspiring & influential & just interesting to listen to! Lewis has a very inspiring story himself, which he shared on The Chalene Show recently (you can find that here). He’s just a great guy sharing a great message! Definitely recommend.

5) The Smart Passive Income Podcast (Pat Flynn)

* This podcast is tailored toward advice on starting your own online business & creating a passive income for yourself. Some of this content is very eye opening as far as the potential there is in this online world! Even if you’re not planning on starting your own online business, this is a good one to listen to because it really makes you think about the potential for creating a secondary income for yourself & having a back up plan. Plus, there’s lots of great extra content about lifestyle tips & productivity that everyone can find useful!

6) Serial (Sarah Koenig)

* BONUS! This one is for pure entertainment purposes only. Let me tell you, I was HOOKED on this one. There are 12 episodes in the series & I listened to all of them in about a week. It’s a true story about a murder case from 1999, where a teenager was convicted of murdering his girlfriend & sentenced to life in prison. However, there’s some fishy stuff about this case, namely that he was convicted based on the word of 1 witness & there was no physical evidence against him. Sarah investigates this case & uncovers all kinds of juicy information that grabs your attention, makes you think, & leaves you wanting more! Apparently there might be a 2nd season of Serial coming out sometime? Sign me up! This one is super intriguing.

OK, so those are my favorite podcasts right now!! There’s more that I listen to from time to time (The Art of Charm, Good Life Project, The 5 AM Miracle, Freakonomics, & The Charged Life), but the ones listed are at the top for me.

To download or subscribe to podcasts, download the podcast app on your phone (free) & you can search & download episodes from there 🙂

Feel free to share any of your favorite podcasts in the comments! I’m always looking for new ones to add to my collection.

That’s all for today. Happy listening!

– Janeen

I Found the Perfect Water Bottle!

/ Janeen / 3 Comments

I’ve been going through a water bottle crisis lately. The hunt for the right water bottle seemed endless, trying to sort through all the choices. What material should I pick? What size is best? What type of cap? Dishwasher safe? How durable is it? Easy to fill? What color should I get? And the list goes on ….

I’ve been through my share of water bottles. None seem to be quite right. They either break, or leak, or spill easily, aren’t the right size, or are some kind of obnoxious color that eventually I get sick of looking at, etc. Finally, I was fed up! I was bound & determined to find the best one for me . . . and (drumroll please) . . . I FOUND IT! And I’m in love. Here is the beauty:

The brand is Lifefactory, & they really nailed it with this one! I found it on Amazon for $24 & from what I can tell (in the 2 days I’ve had it…ha!), it’ll last me a LONG time! Click here to get one for yourself!

Here were my qualifications & search criteria in my hunt for this perfect water bottle:

  • GLASS ~ I wanted to get away from plastic because of all the research on harmful chemicals & nasty stuff found in plastic that can leak into your water & eventually into our bodies! I know, they make “BPA free” plastic water bottles, but I just decided I didn’t want to risk it & glass would be the best & cleanest choice for me.
  • STRAW CAP ~ This is a big one for me. I’ve learned that if I don’t have a straw cap on my water bottle, I just don’t drink enough water throughout the day. Apparently lifting up a bottle to drink it is just too much work for me or something, but I tell you what, there’s something about sucking out of a straw that makes you drink more water! Plus, I can sip on it as I’m working, typing, writing, talking on the phone, reading, etc. After my last straw cap water bottle broke, I was stuck with one without a straw, & during that time, my water consumption went down majorly! I think we all know how important it is to drink water & stay hydrated throughout the day (see here if you need more info), so this was a problem for me.
  • AT LEAST 20 OUNCES ~ I wanted a water bottle that was large enough that I didn’t have to go refill so often (had one that was less than 16 ounces once & I learned my lesson), PLUS 20 oz. makes it much easier to do the math on how much you’re drinking. I aim for at least 60 oz. per day, so it’s easy for me to know I just need to down 3 of those babies & I’m good!
  • DISHWASHER SAFE ~ Enough said. I don’t want to hand wash my water bottle, mmmk?
  • WIDE MOUTH ~ There’s nothing worse than a water bottle that has a super narrow mouth where you never fail to spill water or leave ice cubes all over the floor every time you go to fill up. So, wide mouth was key for me. Plus, I’m trying to drink more water with lemon (b/c of the many benefits, some of which you can find here) & a wide mouth makes it much easier to add into my water 🙂
  • NEUTRAL COLOR ~ I wanted a water bottle that I’d feel comfortable taking anywhere, including work or in a professional setting. I used to take an obnoxious bright pink water bottle to work every day, which is totally fine for some people, but it just didn’t feel very professional to me, so I wanted something that was more plain & neutral (black, clear, grey, etc).

This water bottle fit all my criteria, plus some extra features that I wasn’t necessarily looking for, like the retractable straw & easy to carry handle. I’ve only had this thing for 2 days & I can already tell a HUGE difference in the amount of water I’m drinking. Seriously, I’ve mindlessly drank 2 of them already & it’s not even noon. Prior to getting this water bottle, I struggled to even drink 1 full 20 oz bottle (can you say crisis!?) Yeah ….

So this is my recommendation if you’re looking for the perfect water bottle. Obviously, some of you may have other criteria for what suits you best, but this is what works best for me! As you can see, I’m enjoying it thoroughly while working (or blogging…oops) 😉

Enjoy & live well,

-Janeen