High Five For Friday- 29.01.16

I am going to go ahead and tell you that last week was a difficult week.  I received some discouraging news on Friday and I am waiting to find out more information next week.  Our whole family has been sick this week, as well.  I am going to give you five highlights from my week.  Even though this week has been *mostly* bad, I can still find things to be thankful for.  There aren't any photos this week, so please bear with me.  Here are my five:

1.)  My relationship with God.  During this week, I have been constantly turning to God and asking Him to help me accept whatever comes my way.  My Faith is a great comfort to me and helps to take care of my anxiety.

2.)  Miss. E.  She has been so sweet and happy despite feeling sick.  She is a little ray of sunshine and I am so grateful that I get to be her Mom.

3.)  We saw my Hubby's brothers this week and had a nice visit with them.  

4.)  Hubby got a call about a job he applied for.  We are hoping that this job works out.  He was very excited to get the phone call.

5.)  I have amazing family and friends.  They have all been there for me this week and I am so thankful for them.

Do you want to join in H54F?  Link up with the lovely ladies below!

High Five For Friday: 22.01.16

I am so happy it is Friday.  Here are the five highlights from my week:

1.)  It has been a winter wonderland here.  We have had snow and frost and everything looks so pretty.  It has been cold but not crazy cold (except last weekend!) so we have even gotten outside to enjoy it.  This is a picture of a tree in my backyard.  So pretty!

2.)  Last weekend, Hubby and I went to a Medieval Feast for our first date night of the year.  We had so much fun and the food was amazing!  We had chicken, ribs, potatoes and cake.  They were all served on the table in front of us (on paper) and we weren't allowed to use utensils.  We ate with our hands.  (No worries, wet naps were included!)  It was a great date! 

3.)  Hubby had some work this week, which was AWESOME.  He has been applying for jobs in the evening so we hope something works out. 

4.)  Miss. E didn't want to leave the babysitter's house on Wednesday, because she was having too much fun with the other kids.  It was a nice change because it has been a rough week of drop offs.  She was racing around with the kids squealing and laughing.  It was cute and fun to see.

5.)  I had a super productive day yesterday.  It felt really good.  I cleaned my house, did laundry, ran errands and planned meals for the next week.  I was surprised how much we got done.  We even had time to go outside and play in the snow.  It was a really good day.

How was your week?  Link up with the lovely ladies below and tell us all about it!

My Morning Routine

Let me preface this post by saying that I am NOT a morning person.  I take a while to truly "wake up" and join the land of the living.  That being said, I am learning to take advantage of my mornings and really get a good start to my day.  Here is my morning routine:

6:00  Ick.  This is the time when I wake up.  I have a second alarm that goes off at 6:05.  I keep this alarm in another room, so that I have to get up and turn it off.  If I fail to turn the second alarm off, it might wake up Miss. E.

6:05  By this time, I am running myself a bath.  I am always so cold in the morning so I have a 20-25 minute bath in the morning to warm up.  While the tub is running, I read my daily devotional and pray.

6:30  I do my hair and makeup.  I don't spend very long on this, especially on a work day.  I try to be done and out of the bathroom by 6:45.  I have to wear my hair up and back in the lab so that makes it easier to get out the door.  My go to style is a bun.

6:45  I start making breakfast.  I really enjoy boiled eggs or scrambled eggs.  They are filling and seem to help me have energy for my morning.  While my breakfast is cooking, I get all of Miss. E's things ready and put them by the door.  I also pack our lunches so they are ready to go.

6:50  I eat my breakfast and drink my tea.

7:00  Get Miss. E up and dressed for the day.

7:10  Usually, Hubby helps Miss. E with her breakfast while I do her hair.

7:20  We clean up the kitchen while Miss. E finishes eating.  I check my checklist and make sure that I have everything that Miss. E needs for the babysitter.  I start my vehicle and run a few things out to the Jeep so that I have less to carry when I head out with Miss. E.

7:35  We head to the door and get dressed to go outside.  Boots, hats, coats, and mittens.  It all takes time, especially with a little one who wants to do most of it herself.

7:40/7:45  We are in the car heading to the babysitter's house.

On a day when I stay at home, the routine stops at about 7:00 a.m..  I will start some tasks around that time and see what I can get done before Miss. E wakes up.  I have found getting up early has made my days much smoother.  Instead of running around like crazy at night when I am bone tired, I can get some tasks done earlier in the day.  My early wake up call also helps me feel more awake and energized at work.  I am definitely not a morning person, but with some planning and routine I have found mornings to be a really productive time for me.

High Five For Friday- 15.01.16

Happy Friday, everyone!  This week has been a little odd.  Hubby hasn't had any work (bad), so he has been home with us.  It has been nice having him around, even though it isn't under the best of circumstances.  He is currently applying for other jobs.  I hope something works out soon!  Here are the five highlights from my week:

1.)  It was a super busy week at work, but I managed to get everything done and go home on time every day.  That was pretty awesome!  I felt efficient and happy, which was great.  I have a new Chemistry analyzer at work and it is working great.  It is like having new toy!

2.)  The weather has been so beautiful.  We tried to go outside and enjoy it.  Miss. E looks so cute all bundled up and she really likes to be outside!

3.)  We received a really nice parcel from my in-laws this week.  When we emptied out the box, we gave Miss. E some crayons and let her decorate the inside of the box.  She had a lot of fun!  I got the idea from Pinterest (of course!).

4.)  I got to go to a hair appointment and get my eyebrows waxed, yesterday.  It was really nice.  My trim was long overdue and my eyebrows were getting out of control.  I got some great tips from my stylist and esthetician.  I learned how to fill in my tennis racket scar in my eyebrow and it actually look really good!

5.)  I started watching Sherlock Holmes on Netflix.  The BBC one with Benedict Cumberbatch.  I thoroughly enjoy it!  He has the most interesting voice.

How was your week?  Link up with the lovely ladies below and tell us all about it!

The KonMari Method- Clothes

I recently read Marie Kondo's Book,  The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing.  There was a lot of buzz in the "Blogisphere" about this book last year.  Since my blog is about a journey to simplicity, peace and minimalism, I thought I should give the book a try.  I really enjoyed it.  It has a few areas that seemed a little wonky to me, but the main message was great.  We should only keep things the "spark joy".  This concept is quite different than the other concepts that I have used to determine what I want to keep in my home.  I have kept items because they are useful and I have like to keep things that I know I use.  It never really occurred to me that I should love the items in my home.

Marie Kondo lays out her method clearly in her book.  She recommends finishing the project in 6 months or less so that the change is relatively quick and you don't backslide.  She tells you which items to start with first and how to go about sorting your home.  I am going to do the KonMari method (it was my New Year's resolution) and I plan to blog about each category that I complete.

The first category is clothing.  Marie Kondo instructs you to grab ALL the clothes in your home, including those in storage.  Anything that you forget to include in your sorting is discarded.  My husband and I each tackled our closets.  Honestly, when we began I thought that I MIGHT get rid of a bag of clothes.  After all, I had been doing Capsule Wardrobes for a year and had pared down my wardrobe considerably.  Like the naughty blogger that I am, I didn't take a photo of my closet before the sorting.  I did take a couple photos of all the clothes laying on my floor.  Here they are:

Yikes!  As I sorted through each item, I asked myself  "Does this item spark joy?".  It is such a simple question.  I was shocked at how much I decided to part with.  As it turns out, the majority of my closet does not spark joy.  It was such an easy barometer of what I love to wear and what I don't.  I donated 5 garbage bags of clothes and threw half a garbage bag of clothes away!  Oh my goodness!  In the end, I only had 18 (non-lounge) tops left.  This was less than the amount that I put in each capsule wardrobe!  My closet looks great and now includes all of my seasonal items and the maternity clothes that I held on to, in case we are so lucky as to have another baby.  It all fits neatly and perfectly in my closet.

It has been a few weeks since I completed this project and I can honestly say that I haven't missed any of the items that I got rid of.  Not once!  It has been an overwhelmingly positive experience and I am excited to tackle the rest of my home!

High Five For Friday- 08.01.15

Hello Friday!  This week has been pretty good.  Hubby and I were both back to work Monday so I am excited for the weekend!  Here are my five:

1.)  I finished writing and sending our thank you cards from Christmas.  It felt so good to have that done!  If you follow me on Instagram (@peacefulsimplelifeblog), this photo won't be new to you.

2.)  Miss. E  has started saying more words.  Those words seem to come in bursts.  She doesn't say anything new for weeks and then she will suddenly have 5 new words!  It always amazes and impresses me.

3.)  I had ordered new clothes from The Bay when they were having their Boxing Day sales and they arrived this week.  Unfortunately, I didn't like the fit of my new jeans.  I did love the fit of my new Guess gingham top!  I am so excited to wear it!

4.)  Hubby and I have arranged our first date night of the year!  Yay!  I am so happy!  That resolution is off to a good start.  Ha ha.  We are supposed to be going to a Medieval Feast if the lady calls me back about the tickets.

5.)  I got to sleep in this morning.  Hubby didn't have any work today (boo!) so he is staying home with Miss. E.  That means that I got to stay in bed for another 45 minutes!  Woot Woot!

How was your week?  Link up with the lovely ladies below and tell us all about it!

2016 Resolutions and My Word of The Year

I love the fresh start of a New Year.  It is always a nice time to reflect on the past year and look for ways to improve in the coming year.

This year I made a few resolutions.  I love making resolutions and I am usually pretty good at sticking with them.  This year I divided my resolutions into categories.  Here they are:

PERSONAL:

- Finish the KonMari Method by Marie Kondo by June 30/2016.  I am so excited to really clear out my belongings and hopefully achieve my goal of minimalism.

-  Continue to develop a personal relationship with God through my prayer life.

FAMILY:

-  Take a family trip.

-  Build up our savings account.

BLOG:

-  Post on the blog 2 times a week.  Re-evaluate in June/July and see if adding an extra post per week is possible.

-  Post to Instagram 3 times a week.  My Instagram account is my favourite form of social media and I am slowly gaining followers.

RELATIONSHIP:

-  Go on a date night once a month!

I am very excited for 2016.  I feel like it will be a fun year.  My goals are manageable and I am eager to get started!  I also chose a word for my year.  My word for the year is PEACEFUL.  This world can feel so chaotic and ill-mannered.  It is easy to get caught up in the things that are going wrong in our lives, our communities and our world.  I want to help add to the peace in my life and the lives of those around me.  I do not wish to add to the chaos.  I want to choose kindness and be slow to anger.  I have been really focusing on trusting God in my prayer life and it has given me a great sense of peace.  I will continue to work towards a peaceful life for myself and those around me.

Do you have any goals/resolutions for 2016?  I would love to hear about them!

High Five For Friday: 01.01.2016

Hello 2016!  I love the fresh start of a New Year.  I always feel a keen sense of renewal and hope at the beginning of a New Year.  It is fun to start 2016 off with a High Five For Friday post!  It is a great way to reflect on the holiday season.  Here are my five:

1.)  Miss. E was sick in the days right before Christmas.  We were so happy and relieved that she was back to her regular self for the festivities!  She was spunky and happy, which made the holiday a lot of fun!

2.)  Christmas Eve was a blast.  I watched White Christmas for the first time and I really enjoyed it!  We attended church on Christmas Eve which was wonderful.  Our priest spoke of the hope that Jesus brought to the world when he was born so long ago.  After church we went on a Christmas light tour.

3.)  Christmas Day was also wonderful!  We opened gifts in the morning.  Miss. E loved her kitchen from Santa and her baby doll from my Aunt and Uncle.  She was so excited!  We went for Christmas dinner at my Mom and Dad's house.  The food was amazing and so was the company!  We played a fun game called "Telestrations" and we giggled and giggled!  Miss. E was spoiled again and had fun playing with her gifts.

4.)  On Boxing Day, Hubby's family came to visit.  Of course, the Miss. E was lavished with gifts again.  She really enjoyed playing with her grandparents and uncles.  It was a lot of fun!

5.)  We spent New Year's Eve with my parents.  My Mom made an Italian meal, which was super delicious.  We played cards and watched Dick Clark's Rockin Eve.  It was fun!

Happy New Year, my friends!  I hope you all had a lovely holiday season!  If you want to tell us all about it, link up with the lovely ladies below!