How to Keep Breakfast Interesting

Photo by Celeste Lidell

Breakfast is a big deal for us. We get up early and are active from the first minute, so we need solid fuel to keep the engine running. But having the same ol' cereal for breakfast can get boring pretty quickly, not to mention unhealthy. That's why I included breakfast in our meal planning schedule, and it's a different breakfast each day of the week.

When you plan what, doesn't really matter. But to keep it simple and save time, you can stick to the same plan for each week. That way you can also alternate between high protein and high fiber breakfast meals.

Our schedule is as follows:

Monday: pancakes
Tuesday: oatmeal
Wednesday: toast & eggs
Thursday: crepes
Friday: cold cereal/muesli
Saturday: French toast
Sunday: yogurt & fruit

When you make crepes & pancakes often, it become a routine and goes much faster than the first time around. I usually put at least half whole wheat flour for each of those.  By the way, making crepes is simpler than making pancakes.

Keep your breakfasts diverse by adding small little extra's to your regular meals. Pancakes become an extra nice treat if you add a fruit, or chocolate chips. I'll have more tips on how to spice up your oatmeal in a future post!

If you're short on time and need some quick options for breakfast: check out my post on 5-minute breakfast options.

Do you eat breakfast? Or skip on it altogether? What's your favorite breakfast food?

My 5 Best Time & Money Saver Tips for Future Parents

Breastfeeding in public: always ready and always free!

Alright, so after 6 months with a baby, I feel that I've learned quite a bit about what helps to save time and worry. These are tips I either heard, or wish I had heard, before having our little girl.

1. Breastfeed!
   If you can, of course. I know a lot of women who've tried and where it didn't work out. But if you're still on the fence and there's no physical or practical impediment you can't work around, go for it! It will save you lots of time and money! And it's pretty much hassle free.
2. Diaper bag ready to go.
   It's been really handy having a diaper bag ready at all times. There's wipes, a few diapers, some burp cloths, a change of clothes and some plastic bags to take dirty clothes home. I just toss in a few of her favorite toys before we leave the house and I'm good to go. No need to worry about forgetting anything.
3. Use a baby carrier.
   It's extremely handy to have your baby with you at all times so you don't have to worry about not hearing him/her cry or whether or not they're still breathing. Baby loves it too, by the way.
4. Shop online.
   Supplies like diapers and wipes I buy online and have delivered to the door instead of going out for them. I buy disposable diapers for going out and use cloth ones at home. I use www.diapers.com.
5. Buy used gear/clothes/etc.
   So much cheaper and you're sure to get stuff that stands the test of time and the test of baby-gums! I actually asked people for used stuff as birth gifts as well and got some incredibly useful and unique items. 

I'll blog about some of these issues again, I'm sure, but for now that's what I want to leave you with. If there's anyone out there who might be interested in this advice, feel free to steer them this way.

If you have advice to offer on the subject, as I'm sure all Mom's out there do, share share share!

Moments That Matter Journal

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Forget about minutes that are worth hours. Some seconds in your life are worth centuries and then some because of their intense quality. They are the moments that make up your life and that, put together, might be the one movie you'd never get tired of.

Intense emotion has the ability to stretch time. And some moments have this emotional charge. Looking at my little girl's face, it seems like I'm floating into eternity. And anyone who's ever fallen in love knows what I mean when I say that a look can last a lifetime.

Today, I want to urge you to cherish those moments of pure living in the moment, and to write them down. Keep a Moments That Matter Journal.

Pick a notebook that you can keep on your bedside table (so the size of the notebook kind of depends on the size of that table). In nice, swirley letters, write "Moments That Matter Journal" on the first page. 
Now, every night, before going to bed, think of a moment that day that really mattered. One that you think will stick with you in the long run. 
Mind, this doens't have to be a 'happy happy joy joy' kind of journal. Life's made up of all kinds of moments, and the happy ones are only some of them. Moments of intense pain, sadness, fear, surprise, love, etc., all have a place. 

 What moment in the last week would make it into your journal? I hope you'll share in the comments below! Let me know you're out there!

Getting Stuff Done With a New Baby

Using the tri-cotti carrier

Hello my old friend. After 6 months this blog is like a glimpse of what life was like pre-baby. By now we've been parents for exactly half a year (today our daughter is six months old) and nobody could have predicted how different life would be.

This blog will undoubtedly reflect our new life with lots of tips for parents with babies and young children, but those of you who don't have any offspring or who's chicks have matured into full-fledged birds won't go without either. Many of the posts will cater to both, so stick with me. Plus, in case you're ever called upon to babysit, you'll know where to look!

Clearly, finding time to do pretty much anything has become quite difficult. It only took me half a year to find a moment to write this post. But there are some tricks to finding spare time when you have a baby that I've been able to try out myself. Feel free to add your own in the comments! I can ALWAYS use an extra couple of minutes!!!

1.   Tip number one: Don't have kids! The only way not to have children take over your life is not to have any. I used to imagine long hours of writing while baby took her naps. Hahahaha! I imagine all those people who already have children must have found it hard not to laugh at my naive image.
   
2. Nap first! As a new mom I've felt pretty much tired every single day since the day baby was born. And I know I'm not the only one. Trying to get stuff done while you're tired is like drying off under a running shower: It never ends. Sleep is essential to your physical health, mental health and, not in the least, your relationships! And a rested mommy is worth ten tired ones!
   
3. Use baby's nap time. When our little girl's asleep, we try to get as much done as possible before she wakes up again. That doesn't mean we'll finish it all, but it's a start!
   
4. Carry baby around. I use a babylonia bb-sling to carry baby on my hip while I hang up laundry, chop veggies, vacuum the house. And Daddy uses it just as much! Baby is entertained and learns a great deal at the same time.
   
5. Chillax! Don't worry about the stuff that doesn't get done, it'll end up stressing you out every single moment of the day.

Life may be completely different with a new baby, but you will find a new normal. Keep in mind as well that most children do eventually grow up to become independent beings. By the time they turn 15, you'll be fighting to spend time WITH them instead of on your own.

Do Double by Doing Half

Picture by Richard North

My tasks these days have become a little less glamorous than they used to be, but I still have chores and things I want to accomplish each day. The only problem is that I don't always have the energy to do it all at once anymore.
Rather than not doing anything at all, or delegating to my dearest husband (who would do anything I ask him, but how unfair would that be?), I split up tasks to make them more manageable.
I start by just doing half of what I have to do. And then I cut whatever's left in half again.

Say you have to finish a report, write a blog post, do a load of ironing. Tell yourself that for now it will suffice to just do half the report/blog post/load of wrinklies. After that you deserve a break (grab a cup of coffee or practice corpse pose for a couple of minutes). When you come back to the second half of the task, do the same thing. Cut it in half again, and take another break. Keep doing this until whatever's left of the task is so small that you would just rather finish it right away. 

So which task did I have to use this on? I almost feel embarrassed to tell you, but in the spirit of full disclosure, I'll do it anyways: I had to slice 4 loaves of bread by hand yesterday, and it just seemed like too much to do at once. I sliced two, took a break, than one, rested for a bit, then the other. I still got the job done quite quickly since the break times took no more than 5-10 minutes, but I didn't feel stressed and rushed because I took care of my myself in the process.

What do you think? Wanna give it a try? Let me know how it went!

5 Easy Steps to (Re)generate Energy

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Today my mom said something that struck home for me. She said that she felt that it just wasn't her day. She lacked the want or the energy to do pretty much anything. She wouldn't be my mom if that meant she'd actually not done anything. Of course she still went on to cook lunch, take care of laundry, go shopping for a parasol with my dad and went out to eat in the evening. Still, it bothered her and she was thinking of ways to fix that problem. Since I often encounter the same issue, I thought we might not be the only ones and that there must be some things we can do to remedy this kind of situation.

1. Prevention.
   The best way to not have to fix a situation is to prevent it. I find that it can help to plan your day early in the morning or the night before. Make a rough sketch of how you'd like it to go and let that be your guide throughout the day. You can read my previous post on how to visualize your day.
   
2. Stay hydrated.We often forget to drink enough water, and it shows. Water makes up a huge percentage of who we are and what we can do, and lack of energy is one of the major signs of dehydration. Try to keep a bottle of water with you at all times to remind yourself.
   
3. Move often.Feel like you've run out of energy? Get up and move around. It'll get your blood flowing and thus bring more oxygen to your brain and muscles. Can't get motivated to move? Think of an appealing reward such as more couch time but without the guilt once you get some work done.
   
4. Crank up the music. When you are energized, your heartbeat increases. When your heartbeat increases, you get more energy. So how do you raise your pulse? Put on some music that has a good beat. It'll also pump you up mentally. If it gets you dancing you've scored double!
   
5. Breathe deeply.Close your eyes for a couple of seconds and focus on taking deep breaths. The deepest ones you can take. Imagine the air revitalizing you from the inside out, reaching every part of your body. Remember to push your belly forward when you inhale, so the air fills your lungs completely. This is another great way to pump oxygen through your system. More on breathing in this post from a while ago.

These are just a couple of ways I like to regain my energy when I'm in a slump, but there's tons more. What do you do when you feel like every bit of energy has leeched from your body and you need a boost?

I love to hear tips from others in case I run out of stuff that works at a given moment.

Take Time to Set Up

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I love to do a whole range of different activities. I enjoy writing, crafts, reading, playing board games, to only name a few. Each activity comes with its own set of necessary tools, and the tip I want to give today is one that will save you time whatever it is you need to do or enjoy doing.
One of the most important things for me when it comes to a task, is getting a proper start. I don't want to start making dinner only to have to head out for onions 10 minutes later. I don't like to start ironing only to find I forgot to get water. You get the idea.

So how do we avoid this? You make sure to take the time to set up properly. It only takes a couple of minutes (provided you don't have to run out to buy onions), but saves you lots more time and will make you much happier.

When you think of the activity you want to do, try to mentally run through the different steps in your mind. With each step, try to see in your mind what you're using and get that ready. If there are a whole lot of steps, take time to write down a list of what you need now so you can always refer back to it later.

It also helps to keep your materials together. If you enjoy knitting (like I do), don't keep your yarn in one room and needles in the other. Make sure you have it packed together so you can just take out the whole package at a time. 
It can help to keep a bottle of water next to your iron board, keep your cleaning materials together, your pencils and erasers. Organization is key here. 

BUT don't make the mistake of always taking out ALL the materials that are kept in one place. You don't need a meat cleaver to slice tomatoes. You don't need a head set to write an email. 

Getting your stuff ready ahead of time especially matters in activities like cooking, baking or painting, where your hands get too dirty to start rummaging around for stuff once you've gotten yourself all messy.
Are you someone who takes time to set up everything or do you find yourself running back and forth for the first fifteen minutes?
Feel free to comment below!

Improve Your Sleep with 5 Minutes Relaxation

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Sleep is one of those things that pregnant women and young mothers learn to say goodbye too. After a while, a solid night's sleep seems like a faraway memory, although a very fond one indeed.

During the course that my husband and I have been taking, however, the midwife showed us some relaxation techniques and I am always pleasantly surprised at how well I sleep after these exercises. I've learned that letting go of tension you build up during the day is key to falling asleep easily and resting comfortably (at least until the next bathroom break).
Below I'll give you some of the tips that she gave us for relaxing your body in about five minutes. No excuse for lack of time here.

Settle yourself down on the bed in a position that is comfortable. Most people will lay down on their back or their side. Breath slowly letting each exhalation go completely before breathing in again.Let your mind wander over the different parts of your body and first tense the muscles, to then release them. Start with your face and make a big frown, tensing all your facial muscles. Then slowly let your face relax completely, paying attention to every single area. In the same way go down your jaw, neck, shoulders, arms, stomach, and so on, until you reach your toes. Feel the tension drain from every part of your body with each breath out. 

Even if you don't use this to fall asleep, it can feel great when you find you have a nagging pain somewhere. Often this is the result of muscles that are too tense because of sitting in the same position or making the same motion each time.

Let me know if it worked for you!

Easter for Everyone

Posting has been a rare activity lately, I'm aware, but I'm not abandoning the blog. I'm just on pregnancy-birth-baby sabbatical.
In the mean time I sometimes lose track of all the tips that I've offered you throughout the year (it's almost the first anniversary of this blog), so I reread posts from time to time to remind myself.

Today I want to talk about Easter. As many of you know by now, I'm not religious, so Easter for me has no special meaning. What do I get with Easter? Lots of memories from the time I was a kid, mostly including chocolate (I'm Belgian, what did you expect?).

This year I celebrate Easter with my mind on new beginnings. Easter usually falls in that time of Spring when the first blossoms are blooming and the birds are building their nests. As I'm building my nest to welcome our baby into the world as well, I love to look outside and take a moment to notice the incredible power that inspires all this new growth.

After a cold, gray and harsh Winter, it's sometimes hard to imagine where Nature gets the energy to start all over again and create new life from seemingly nothing. But we know that the death from Winter is no more than a cover for the dormant life underneath. Deep within the roots of plants and within the bodies of sleeping animals is a patient power waiting for the right moment to break out and make a new start. 

After months of darkness and a lack of sunlight, we often feel drained as well. Keep in mind though that we also have this reserve of energy deep within us waiting to burst through. Observe yourself, mentally and physically, on the first sunny Spring day, and you'll know what I'm talking about. Know that this power is there to tap into whenever you want, just create that image of the coming sun in your mind and you'll start to feel your spirits lift. Go outside and be amazed at the buds bursting from the branches.

I'm going for a walk to do just that! Happy Easter, no matter how you celebrate, and a Happy Spring!

Triple Inspiration in a Single Minute

It's been a couple of months since I've had the pleasure of gathering quotes again for this blog, and I've missed it. I love the quick inspiration I get from reading a powerful quote and how I can share my thoughts quickly and efficiently.

So here they are again: 3 quotes to start off your week with an extra bit of pizazz.

Get Productive!

“Once you have mastered time, you will understand how true it is that most people overestimate what they can accomplish in a year – and underestimate what they can achieve in a decade!”
(Tony Robbins)

Get Happy!

"The secret of happiness is not in doing what one likes, but in liking what one does." 

(James M. Barrie)

Get Inspired!

"The power of imagination makes us infinite!"

(John Muir)

Let Someone Help

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We live in a culture where independence and self-reliance are valued much more than cooperation or the ability to ask for help. But with that we not only make it more difficult for ourselves, we also limit the people around us. Being able to help a friend, a family member, someone in need, is a great boost to your mood and your feelings of self-worth.

So today I want to urge you to allow someone to help you, because it's a win-win situation. You get someone on your team helping you achieve what you want and you offer the other person the opportunity to feel and do good.

When your partner offers to cook you dinner, when your best friend asks to get you something for your birthday or when a colleague wants to take some work off your desk ... let them!
Remember how enjoyable it is to help someone? Why would you want to take that feeling away from the people that care about you? 
We often feel that accepting help is the same as admitting weakness or that it chips away at our independence. We don't want to be demanding, needy. 
An offer to help, however, is a chance to do something for someone else, too. See it that way and you may discover that you can exchange favors and grow closer instead of each trying to do everything on their own.

I'm in my third trimester and definitely need a bit of extra help. My husband has been great about helping me out, and my sincere appreciation and increased comfort makes it all worth it for him. It draws us closer in a time where it's really just my body going through these changes and the hubby can just see my belly grow but can't feel what I feel. This way we're already cooperating even though the baby is not born yet. It's a wonderful feeling for both of us.

Do you find it hard to let people help you? Do you offer to help others only to find they can't accept your help? Feel free to share below!

Set a Priority - Break the Rut

Photo by Stephen McKay

Ever find yourself just going through the motions of life without any particular goal in mind? You go to work, cook dinner, watch TV, go to the occasional family gathering and party, and each year blends into the next without anything changing much.

Coming back to the US after being gone for over 4 years we were surprised to find how little some things have changed, notably the people around us. Our last 4 years were full of exciting goals we pursued and consequently arrived at, so it's sometimes unsettling to see how others get stuck in a rut and don't even seem to notice the time going by. It's mostly unsettling because from past experience I know how easy it is to get into a rut like that, and how difficult it is to escape once you do.

I'll make today's 5 minute task a simple one to get started on creating a life that is meaningful and fulfilling. All you have to do is set a priority. Choose an area in your life: family, health, work, relationships, etc; that you will view as your priority for a certain amount of time. It can be a priority for a day, for a week, a month, a year. 

Then think of what you would like to achieve in this area. Do you want to spend more time with your family? Are you hoping to lose some pounds? Do you want to start exercising more regularly? 
Having this priority set will already make you feel more goal oriented and inspired, and help you set the stage for true action.

I'm someone who'd much rather actively create my life and my circumstances than undergo them passively. It does take energy and effort however, and it is never easy to become pro-active once you're used to the comfort of letting life wash over you. Just keep in mind that you can and should be pro-active about doing nothing sometimes too! Watching TV on purpose because you happen to enjoy a certain show or because you really just want to vege out for a day is totally different from plopping down on the couch cause that's just what you usually do.

What are your thoughts? Are you stuck in a rut? Did you ever break out of one? Share below!

Final Five Review

Photo by Michael Coghlan

Wow, it's been a while, right? My last post dates from around Christmas, but I don't want you thinking I've been sitting on my bum doing nothing for the last two months. In that time we rounded up our lives in China and flew across the Pacific. Now we're living in Los Angeles, setting up for our lives with a new baby, only to fly to Belgium next week to actually have that baby.

Being focused, driven and productive in a time like that is not easy, but all the more important. There are so many things to get done and the lack of structure means that without concentration some tasks keep falling through the cracks.

So what we did was take the last minutes of each day and go over what we had accomplished and what was still left to do.

The best time to do this is right before going to bed. I suggest taking pen and paper to write down anything you might need to remember. Go over the day by yourself, or with your significant other, and congratulate yourself and each other on what you have accomplished. Even if it was a lazy day and all you did was go out to lunch with the in-laws, acknowledge that this is an important part of life too!

Then go over the tasks that you still have left to do and think of a time to do them. It could be as simple as planning to do them the next day or later. Just keeping them in mind is what helps. 

Doing this and reminding ourselves of our responsibilities ensured that we got a lot done but were still very flexible. More on the importance of flexibility later!

Worth Every Minute: Brain in Love

Yesterday was Valentine's Day, which isn't a really big deal to us since we're quite romantic most of the year. It is one of the only times a year, however, that I get flowers. I don't know why, but it just sort of worked out that way.
This year we decided that in the future we will celebrate this flower-day on February 15th or 16th to benefit from the post-Valentine discount.

So today I want to share some romance not inspired by Valentine's but by scientific research instead. The following link will lead to a TED talk on how our brain functions when we're in love and why romantic love is something to take very seriously!

Helen Fisher also shows why falling in love with someone who doesn't love you back only makes things worse, that animals do share the same feelings even if only for a second, and the difference between intimacy between women and men.

The video is 15 minutes, but worth every second! Interesting and entertaining. Enjoy!

Helen Fisher studies the brain in love