Monthly Habits - June 2019 Edition

We’ve made it to the 6th month! That deserves a bottle of wine…one for me, one for you.

This is another installment of my monthly habits. A list of my daily, weekly, monthly habits that keep me in check. I’m sharing 7 habits per month.

Put “Checking in” on your friends on the calendar Lately, the saying has been to check on your happy friends. It’s the ones who say the least often need the most help. I like to check in on all my friends. But, sometimes life gets in the way. I’ll be driving and think, “I really need to call so and so.” But, it might be 10 PM and not the most perfect time to call. I treat my “check ins” like an actual appointment. I put them on my calendar as I would any phone call or meeting. After I’ve made contact, I’ll put a new appointment for a “check in” on my calendar again.

To keep product fresh & sanitary, make sure you decant into a sealed container or place cut tube in a plastic bag.

My empties. Are they really empty? We’ve all had a tube of face cream, body wash or shampoo that we have palpitated to death in order to get the last few ounces out. But did you ever think about cutting the tube in half? I know. I’m brilliant. I thought up this mega genius idea a few months ago and have been impressed at how much product is still stuck in the tube.

Leftovers as hash In this house, we are big fans of breakfast for dinner. Huge fans. One of our favorite ways to use up leftovers is to make a hash. Take whatever leftover meat and veg you have lying around, saute it up with some onions and maybe add some small, cubed potatoes. Season it up with some salt and pepper. Then, fry up some eggs and slap ‘em on top. Et Voila! Dinner is served. We would eat this every single night. Newest fascination on the egg is Duck eggs!

Keep a snack handy. I always have a bag of nuts in my purse. I know it’s cliche, but it has saved my ass more times than not. I find salted nuts are the easiest for me, because it is ridiculously hot in Florida and everything melts. Nuts stay constant. If you are rushing between meetings, need a quick nosh on your way home or just are too lazy to stop somewhere (this is good because stopping always equals a large bag of chips), keeping a snack close by is your savior.

Treat yo’ self…at least once per week. This is not tied into self-care or any of that mumbo jumbo. You need to have something to look forward to. Our weeks are crazy. Putting something on your calendar gives you a little happiness when you’re drudging through the day. It could be a special walk, a new plant, pizza night (my fav), a special snack etc. Make it a little different every week so it stays fresh. My treat this week is coming up tonight. We’re going fishing under the Ringling Bridge.

Time blocking. I have stepped away from the day to day office life and spent more time working from home. I find I get very distracted by my home during “working hours”. The unfolded basket of laundry, a drawer begging for organization or just sitting down at the computer, seeing Facebook on the screen and spending an hour trolling through. To fix this annoying habit, I have created a new habit of blocking every second of my time during the day (bathroom breaks aside). From the moment I walk the dogs until the time switch off my computer, I account for every minute. I schedule in mindless breaks for scrolling and eating. The other day, I gave myself permission to watch a 1/2 hour show…in the middle of the day….but it was scheduled. Doing this has given me accountability and greater productivity. Check out this article for some how-to

Donation bag How many times have you tried on a piece of clothing, hated it and then decided to donate it. Buuuuuut, you hang it back up in the closet until you have a “clean out”…who knows when that is gonna be. Keep a large bag in your closet for those items. Once you have given the piece a “I’m never wearing you again” label, toss it in the bag. After 1 month, edit the bag. If you’re still not sure about an item, put it back in the bag for another edit. All other items, donate immediately.

So there you have it. Seven habits to try in June. Email me at mandywanzzcake@gmail.com or comment below to let me know which habit you want to try or let me know what you tried and failed! Either way, you’re trying to make your life a little bit better.