The Inspired Diary

Hello readers!

I would like to take a moment to introduce to you another blog of mine, The Inspired Diary. It’s a brand new project that I just started this past week, and so far I absolutely love it. This blog is a bit more personal, and has different topics for daily posts. I’m so excited about it and would like to encourage you all to check it out and let me know what you think! Hope you all have a wonderful Friday!

Get Motivated!

How To Be Confident

Put the Pep Back in Your Step!

Lately I find it hard to keep my eyes open while studying, and difficult to stop from yawning in the middle of work. How can a girl concentrate on anything while wishing she was snuggled up in bed falling fast asleep? She can’t! It has become clear that I need more energy, so I decided to do a little research to see what I can do to give myself a boost. Here are some of the best tips I came up with – I guarantee you’ve heard some of these before, but some of them, or the ways some of them are meant to be done, were certainly new to me.

1. Get Enough Sleep
   We’ve all heard this one. The “you need your rest” mantra we hated as kids, but now miss oh so much. Seriously though, get at least 8 hours of sleep a night. You’d be surprised how much it helps.
2. Eat Breakfast
   Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. Don’t skip it. Even if it’s just grabbing a granola bar as you race out the door, or grabbing an apple or banana from the break room at work. It’ll make a difference to how you get your day going.
3. Drink Enough Water
   8 glasses a day ladies! 6 of those glasses are supposedly best to drink before 3pm because that’s when your body does most of it’s flushing out of your systems, so re-hydrating will help that process, as well as keep you ready for action AND (this is always a plus) help keep your skin looking great.
4. Rub/Tug On Your Earlobes
   According to Chinese medicine, stimulating your earlobes also sends stimulation to the rest of your body. It also helps draw blood to your head and gets it flowing. So give your ears a little massage and a few gentle tugs when you’re feeling drowsy.
5. Stretch
   Sitting around all day is enough to make anyone drowsy. Get up and stretch, let your body get some movement. You’ll notice that you perk up a bit.
6. Work Out
   Working out releases endorphins, which in turn, release energy into your body. That pumped up feeling you get after working out? That would be those endorphins.
7. Try Deep Breathing & Meditation
   Deep breathing allows more oxygen to get into your system, giving your body more to work with. Let your stomach inflate as you inhale slowly and deeply through your nose, and deflate as you exhale slowly through your mouth, pushing out the air until you can’t anymore. Meditation and visualization can help bring you to a place where you feel fresher and are ready to tackle anything at hand. Meditation however, does take practice. But don’t give up! I promise you that once you master it, it is well worth it.
8. Take Power Naps
   No, not hour-long ones. Believe it or not, the perfect power nap lasts only 15-20 minutes. This way, your body only has time to go into the first stage of sleep, rather than going deeper and not having enough time to come out of it properly. Anything over 20 minutes can lead to waking up more exhausted than before. So set that alarm!
9. Eat Healthy, Balanced Meals
   Making sure to eat healthy and regularly is an important life skill. It helps to nourish your body and get the right nutrients into your system as the day goes on. Choose healthy snacks as well, to ensure that you are getting your energy from the correct places, and also to help you keep up your energy longer.
10. Play
    Remember how you could run around for hours as a kid? Well that’s because you loved it! Get out daily and play – literally. Do something fun with your kids, your pet, or a friend. Do something you enjoy. Make time for you to have some fun.
11. Re-evaluate Your Relationships
    Relationships can easily drain you of your energy. If you constantly have to argue with someone, work hard at keeping up a relationship, or give and not get anything back, you need to take a long hard look at those relationships. There’s a fine line between putting in the effort, and being taken advantage of or being worn down. Be careful.
12. Take Your Vitamins 
    Taking a vitamin supplement can help boost your energy (whether you have a vitamin deficiency or not) and make you healthier overall.

Follow Your Dreams

Now on Pinterest!

Hello everyone!

In case you didn’t already know, Busy & Living Pretty is now on Pinterest! I’m addicted to this site!

Check out our page here: Busy & Living Pretty on Pinterest

Great Dream

Love Fearlessly

The Best Things in the World…

Take Spring Cleaning to the Streets!

Spring has sprung! It’s time to clean out that clutter! Don’t know where to start? Start small – clean out your car! Here’s my advice on how to get your car in shape for those days when driving with the windows down is a must:

What you’ll need:

• Some sort of dusting cloth. {Personally, I just like to grab a Swiffer cloth (the ones you put on your Swiffer to clean the floor) and just use that as my dust rag. It’s quick, simple, and easy – plus, it really picks up that dust so you’re not just scooting it around your car.}

     

• Any kind of wet disinfectant wipes . {I tend to use Clorox wipes}

• A small, battery powered vacuum. {Actually a very good investment. There are lots to choose from, and most of them can be easily charged. Its a great thing to have for quick messes around the house, in the garage, or duh, in your car.}

• Garbage bags. {To clear out the clutter}
• Soap {Either dish soap or car soap, take your pick. Either works.}

• A car sponge

     

• A hose
• A bucket
• A few paper towels {for checking oil and wiping your hands}
• A clean soft rag {to dry your car with}
• Oil {depending on your findings in step 3}
• Coolant {depending on your findings in step 3}
• Windshield washing fluid {depending on your findings in step 3}
• An air freshener. {I’m in love with Bath & Body Works SCENTPORTABLES}

          

Step 1:

If you’re a college student like me, or well, just disorganized and busy, then your car probably looks like you live in it. My friends and I joke about living in our cars all the time because of the amount of our belonging strewn about in the backseat, trunk, floor, pockets, etc. Shoes, jackets, water bottles, food wrappers and school papers take up just about every inch of our vehicles. So to start off the cleaning process, it’d probably be best to clean out all the stuff that doesn’t need to be in the car. Throw all the trash, wrappers, bottles, and old papers into a garbage bag. Then take anything that belongs in your house like shoes, jackets, bags, etc, and take it inside and put them away. And don’t forget to check the trunk! Now that you’ve decluttered your car, you should be ready for step #2.

Step 2:

Take your dust rag, or whatever you choose to use, and dust off the dashboard, wheel, cup holders, and any hard dusty surface you can find. Then take your vacuum and vacuum up all the leaves, dirt, crumbs, and whatever else there may be on the floor. Make sure to lift the mats, move the seats to get underneath, and even vacuum the seats themselves and the trunk. Once you’ve gotten all the loose dirt, take some disinfectant wipes and wipe down the steering wheel, dashboard, emergency break, cup holders, ect. This way you can get off any sticky residue and wipe your car clean of those winter germs.

Step 3:

Next, pop the hood of your car and perform a routine check. Check the oil, coolant, windshield cleaning fluid, etc. Refill anything that is low with the correct fluid. Once that’s done, turn on your lights and check each one to make sure you don’t have any bulbs out. Last, but not least, check your tires. Make sure the air pressure is where it should be and touch up any tires that need a boost.

Step 4:

Now that the inside of your car is nice and clean and up to date, it’s time to give your baby a bath. Fill your bucket with soapy water, grab your sponge, and wash away all the dirt and grime your car picked up during those cold months. Once you’ve done that, make sure you dry off your car with a soft rag so there isn’t any streaking as the water dries.

Step 5:

Once that’s done, it’s time for the finishing touches. Restock your tissue/napkin supply in your glove compartment, make sure you have all of the appropriate records needed for and in your vehicle, add a fresh scent with a pretty new air freshener, and add in anything you keep in your car like a jacket (just one), an emergency kit, hand sanitizer (the mini ones are great to keep for when you’re on the go), a small nail file, etc.

Now you’re ready for a clean spring on the road!