7 Creative Ways to Use Your Notebooks

Studies have shown that writing things down helps with your memory and helps with the likelihood of taking successful action. This video runs you through 7 creative ways to use your notebooks to improve your life. You may have a ton of notebooks lying around the house and perhaps considering how you can use them or get rid of them while you declutter your space. These quick and easy notebook hacks will give you some fun ideas on how to use your notebooks.

Notebooks and Supplies I Love

Hey, I’m Meghan

I’m here sharing content all about pursuing your own version of more and loving how you feel doing it. If that sounds good to you, stick around and let’s be friends!

Me and COVID-19: 5 Very Honest Thoughts I've Had in Pandemic

Well, hello from my home office. My home office- that is now my temporary/permanent office- is where I’ve spent a majority of my time since we are currently under quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Other than this office and walks around my neighborhood, I have literally only gone to the grocery store in the last three weeks. (Man, I can’t wait to look back on this post one day and think, “Oh, that was so crazy- remember that!?!?!”) 

At a time when we are isolating ourselves physically, I have been craving connection. I am just so curious what other people are thinking about this whole thing, how it has affected their lives and their work, and how they are handling it all. So I thought I would share five REALLY honest things that have crossed my mind during this crazy weird time in my life in the hopes that it would help both you and I connect right now. 

I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR SOCIAL MEDIA RIGHT NOW: As much as people tout the dangers of social media (some of it warranted and some of it not), it’s surely been a huge lifeline for me right now. One major takeaway from this whole thing for me has been that wow, the world really needs digital communication. Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, podcasts, Zoom, Google Hangouts, etc. are INCREDIBLE tools we can all use to stay connected when we aren’t physically surrounding ourselves with our people right now. Surrounding yourselves with positive and joyful people right now through digital means is going to make a huge difference in how happily you experience this time in your life. 

And those people don’t have to just be the people that you know in real life. They can be people who help inspire and motivate you on the Internet. I just recorded a video called Women Who Inspire Me: The 10 Internet BFFs You Need In Your Life Right Now that will give you tons of great ladies to follow on social media while you are distancing from your real life tribe right now. 

THIS IS JUST WEIRD.  I feel like I am living in a movie right now. It just feels so surreal. I mean, I KNOW what’s happening because I am seeing it play out in front of me, but it still doesn’t seem real that this will be my life for the next six weeks. That I literally will go NOWHERE except for the occasional trip out to get food/supplies. That I will literally be living and working at home full time. Everyone keeps using the word “unprecedented” to describe this situation, and while I am certainly annoyed by the overuse of the term, it does seem to perfectly paint the picture of what is happening. Our generation (and our parents’ generation) has not lived through anything like this. It is literally a historic event that our kids will eventually read about in history books.Living through history is new to us all and we are all just trying to figure out how to deal with it the best we can. 

WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF I LOST MY JOB? With 100 percent honesty, this has been my biggest fear. As an event planner, what I do for a living (gathering large groups of people together) is literally BANNED right now. I work for a small, family owned business who makes their money by selling event space to large groups of people and we are legally unable to do that for at least eight weeks, maybe more, depending on how long this lasts. While I know that my bosses are doing everything they can right now and exploring every resource available to them, I have to prepare myself for the possibility that if this drags on, I could lose part or all of my income. And,of course, thinking through that fear that is scary. I am sure many of us right now are walking through lost income (or the possibility thereof) as well. For me, it has made saving money into an emergency fund more important than anything else in my world right now. Every little bit of cash that gets moved into savings makes me feel better about the uncertainty. 

I LOVE WORKING FROM HOME: My husband and I are both lucky enough to primarily work from home right now. We’ve found a good set up for us both to be working at home at the same time, him in the dining room/living room and me in my home office. I have to say, neither of us having a long commute has truly been a blessing. We each would spend between an hour and three driving to and from work and having that be eliminated makes the switch between “work mode” and “home mode” instantaneous and I love it.

In that regard, being together this much has honestly been great- I really, really love it. It’s been so nice to enjoy his company more. And I know that sounds cheesy and like I am just saying it to say it, but I genuinely mean it. I’m not saying there aren’t little annoyances; I am just saying that overall, I wouldn’t want to be quarantined with anyone else. And as someone who’s aspiring to work from home permanently, this experience has only solidified that desire for me. 

THIS TIME IS AN OPPORTUNITY: I posted on Instagram last week a thought that crossed my mind while I was out walking one day. “This time is an opportunity to be more WHOLE people.” I’ve gotten the chance to regularly walk outside in the early evening and my husband actually has time at the end of his workday to get some outdoor projects done; something that he has always wished he had time for. All of those around-the-house projects that we all have had on our to do lists for years can finally get done and you can call your grandma and ask her how she is because YOU HAVE THE TIME. We have the time to be more well rounded people and have a whole life because so many of our normal distractions have been deleted. If you have a creative project to work on or something new to start, you now have the time to do it. Heck, even if all you had been hoping for was more time to rest, you have that time now! This time is an opportunity. 

I AM VERY CLEAR ON WHAT IS IMPORTANT: I saw a quote recently that said, “When everything is going crazy, everything that is important becomes clear.” Doesn’t that just hit home for you right now? The second that this crazy news started to become really REAL to you, what were the first few things you thought of? Those things are the important things. Modern life is full of demands and expectations and distractions that make our lives a big blur of running from one thing to the next. Now that a lot of that blurriness has been removed, the simplicity of what life is now is actually kind of refreshing.

Of course, these things have always been important. But now, they’re standing out from the noise more than ever before. Living intentionally through this time means spending your time and energy on your most important things. 

Stay home, stay safe, stay healthy and have a great day, Meghan

Hey, I’m Meghan

I love coffee, yoga pants, planners and color coordinating markers. Sound familiar? Yes! Let’s be internet BFFs. I am here sharing content on all things organization, productivity, goal getting and personal growth. Welcome!

The Internet BFFs That You Need In Your Life

They say you’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with. And that definitely includes not only the people you know in real life, but also the people who are in the information you consume every day. I’ve found a TON of value from these Internet friends and I’m sharing them so you can, too.

Rachel Cruze, Personal Finance Educator

Instagram

YouTube Channel

Book- Love Your Life, Not Theirs

The Financial Diet

YouTube Channel

Thefinancialdiet.com

Marie Forleo, Business Educator

Instagram

YouTube Channel

Book- Everything is Figureoutable

Rachel Hollis, Motivational Speaker

Instagram

YouTube Channel

Next 90 Days Challenge

Jordan Page, Family Life

Instagram

YouTube Channel

Funcheaporfree.com

Lydia Senn, Frugal and Simple Living

Instagram

YouTube Channel

Amy Landino, Productivity and Professionalism

Instagram

YouTube Channel

Book- Good Morning, Good Life

Jenna Kutcher, Marketing, Motherhood, Body Image

Instagram

Goal Digger Podcast

Lavendaire, Inentional Life Design

Instagram

YouTube Channel

Artist of Life Workbook

Kalyn Nicholson, Vlogger

Instagram

YouTube Channel

Hey, I’m Meghan

I love coffee, yoga pants, planners and color coordinating markers. Sound familiar? Yes! Let’s be internet BFFs. I am here sharing content on all things organization, productivity, goal getting and personal growth. Welcome!

Organzied Pantry Tour

Hey guys! I’m really excited to share this fun project update with you! At the beginning of this year, I decided to get the storage spaces in our home organized, starting with one of my biggest pain points- the pantry. Below is a video with the FULL ORGANIZED PANTRY TOUR, including details on all the products I used. Check the links below with all of the products in my pantry:

Better Homes and Gardens Pantry Containers:

10 Container Set

Cereal Containers

Bins , Baskets and Organizers:

Kohls Large and Small Weave Bin, Gray

Montauk Open Front Bin

Soda Organizer

Target Large Y Bin, Gray

Target Large Baskets (These aren’t the same ones I have, but are very similar)

Turntable

Labels:

Painters Marker

White Clip Labels

Resources:

The Home Edit: A Guide to Organizing and Realizing Your Home Goals

Hey, I’m Meghan

I love coffee, yoga pants, planners and color coordinating markers. Sound familiar? Yes! Let’s be internet BFFs. I am here sharing content on all things organization, productivity, goal getting and personal growth. Welcome!

Why I Started a YouTube Channel

Hey there! Welcome back to the Morning Coffee blog! 

In case you missed it, I announced a few weeks ago that I have expanded Morning Coffee’s platform to YouTube!  

Though I announced it not that long ago, I’ve actually been posting videos since last December. 

Wondering why I didn’t share it right away? Well, part of it was practical in nature- I wanted to be sure that I could maintain all of the work that the channel required on a daily basis before I made a promise to create content. Scripting, filming, editing and posting videos is actually quite a bit of work, and the last thing I wanted was to make this proclamation that “I make videos!”, release two and then get into the nuts and bolts of the process and realize I didn’t have the bandwidth to do it regularly. So that was part of it. 

But, honestly, the biggest reason why I waited to share it “publicly”,  was that I was a chicken. I was scared to hear what people thought of it and thought of me for deciding to release videos onto a worldwide platform. I was afraid they would judge me. 

 I realize that putting your face all over the Internet is really not something that most people would want to do. And I didn’t want people to think it was weird. And by “people”, I am mostly talking about the people I know in real life, as people who watch YouTube don’t really think it’s weird that people they watch make videos, because, well, they like to watch those videos. 

Besides my fear of not having anyone understand why I would choose to post on this platform at all, I also didn’t want them to think that I thought SO HIGHLY of myself and that I decided i was an EXPERT AT LIFE. I didn’t want them to think that I have everything figured out and that  I just HAD to share it because I think I AM JUST SO GREAT AT EVERYTHING. 

Because, I don’t. 

Like, I reaaaalllly  don’t. 

I don’t have anything figured out perfectly, not to mention having everything figured out all at once.

Guys, my laundry sits clean in a basket for a week before I manage to put it away. 

I am no freaking expert. 

So, if I didn’t decide to do it because I think so highly of myself, why did I do it? Well, I did it because I had always wondered what it would be like to try it. I have LOVED writing my blog over the last year and I have loved having a creative outlet for sharing my thoughts. But I really don’t feel like people read too much anymore and I wanted a bigger platform where I could share my content with a bigger audience IN A MUCH MORE DIGESTIBLE WAY. Heck, I would much rather watch a video than read a blog post, and I feel like my audience would feel the same way. 

When I approach my writing, the only way that I know how to make the posts sound authentic is to make them as conversational as possible. You know,  make them sound exactly like my real voice would sound if we were sitting down together at a coffee shop or over dinner. I hope that people who know me can literally HEAR my voice when they read my posts. But, a vast majority of the world hasn’t met me yet and they would have no idea what my literal voice sounds like…unless they could hear it for themselves on video. 

And that is why I decided to make a YouTube channel- so that I can share my real voice with more people. And not because I think I am some magical life expert, but because I am just like them and doing the best I can to figure it all out. Because I am just like them and because I am going through the same things that they are. 

If you haven’t yet, go check out my channel and see what I am talking about! I would love to connect with you over there!

Thanks so much for all the love and support for what I do! 

Meghan

Hey, I’m Meghan

I love coffee, yoga pants, planners and color coordinating markers. Sound familiar? Yes! Let’s be internet BFFs. I am here sharing content on all things organization, productivity, goal getting and personal growth. Welcome!

Favorite Clean Household & Beauty

Beauty

Dr. Bronner’s Organic Lotion

Dr. Bronner’s Castille Soap

Follain Toning Mist

Follain Moisturizer

Hurraw Mint Lip Balm

Leap Organics Face Wash

Household

Grove Cleaning Concentrates- All Purpose, Glass, Tub and Tile

Grove Stain Remover Spray

Method Toilet Bowl Cleaner

Norwex Descaling Spray

Norwex Dusting Mitt

Seventh Generation Laundry Detergent

Hey, I’m Meghan

I’m here sharing content all about pursuing your own version of more and loving how you feel doing it. If that sounds good to you, stick around and let’s be friends!

Why Goals Matter

If you’re anything like me, Sunday is the day that you get your life together. It’s the meal prep, laundry, cleaning and planning day. The day where you look over your schedule for the week and start to lay out what the week will look like for you. Basically, I try to pull all of my sh*t together in about three hours on Sunday night #relatable

A Sunday night a few weeks ago. I was sitting at my desk and looking down at a long, long to do list. And I was overwhelmed just looking at it, not to mention thinking about actually getting it done. And obviously, I knew the solution to the overwhelm was to prioritize what was most important. BUT. It was late. And I was tired. And frankly, I didn’t want to think that hard.

Luckily, my subconscious sent me a reminder at the moment when I was ready to just call it a night. JUST DO THE THINGS THAT GET YOU TOWARDS YOUR THREE GOALS. Ah yes, those three most important things I promised myself that I would work on in 2020.  It was simple thought, but right at that moment it was the perfect nudge I needed to focus.

I went through that huge long list and I starred the things that were directly related to my top three 2020 goals. And those were the first things that I scheduled into my days for the week. If I did nothing else except for those few things this week, it would be a success and I could actually say that I made progress towards making my goals happen. 

We’ve all had experiences where we’ve set goals and forgotten them. It’s happened to me many times. The place where we tend to get lost is not in the goal setting but in the goal GETTING. Doing the actual work, the actual things (habits and actions), that will give us traction and make us move forward- that’s the hard part. Because life gets in the way. We’re busy and tired and have a lot to do. And that’s why having goals matter. Because they help you identify the way that you should really be spending your time. 

They say that the way you spend your days becomes the way that you spend your life. Use your goals in 2020 to turn your to do list into the life you truly want to be living. 

If you liked this post, check out my recent posts on How to Keep Your Goals on Your Mind and Tools to Change Your LIfe in 2020 

Hey, I’m Meghan

I’m here sharing content all about pursuing your own version of more and loving how you feel doing it. If that sounds good to you, stick around and let’s be friends!

My 2020 Goals

It’s New Years time! I’m not gonna lie- I love this time of year. A fresh start always feels so new and promising. As I reviewed 2019 and reflected on where I’ve been in the last year, I decided to really pare down my list of goals for 2020 so that I could really focus in and finish each one. Here’s what is on my goal list for 2020:

1. Confidence- I have a weight loss goal for 2020 as well as some to dos for creating more confidence in myself in 2020- like cleaning out my closet, investing in new clothes and setting regular appointments for dentist, hair dresser, etc. so that I can feel good in my body and in my clothes next year.

2. Content- I am so excited to share that in 2020, I will be launching Morning Coffee on a new platform that will make my content even easier to enjoy. I have goals around producing regular content there, as well as social media and here on the blog.

3. Finances- I have set some financial goals for us this year that include paying off debt and increasing our emergency savings and saving up for fun.

Outside of those three main focuses, I have some mini goals as well:

• Take a week-long domestic trip with my husband this year

• My 2020 Reading List

• Decorate the lower level of our house

• Organize the storage spaces in our house

• Create our wedding photobook

This year, I am trying to really simplify and focus in on what I’ve decided my priorities for the year. What are your thoughts as you head into 2020? Comment below!

Hey, I’m Meghan

I love coffee, yoga pants, planners and color coordinating markers. Sound familiar? Yes! Let’s be internet BFFs. I am here sharing content on all things organization, productivity, goal getting and personal growth. Welcome!

Reviewing 2019

My big three goals for 2019 were:

• Start A Blog- CHECK! Not only did I start one, I maintained it all year. I didn’t miss one weekly post. I’m super proud of myself for setting this goal and following through on it consistently. It can be really hard to meet self-imposed deadlines when no one is holding you accountable, so I am so happy I came through on this one! 

• Take  A Big Trip With My Husband- CHECK! We celebrated our first wedding anniversary in Ireland and it was incredible! I am so happy that we made this happen this year. 

• Remake my Routines- I am realizing that this was more of a resolution than a goal- it’s not something that you can simply check off of a list- this is more of a work in progress. I do feel like I’ve settled into my routines over the past year, but I still want to continue to make them even better and more impactful for my life. 

My other goals were to:

• Curate my home. I did spend time decorating our house this year, but progress was much slower than I anticipated. I was hoping to tackle a room a month, and that was honestly just unrealistic considering all of the other things I was working on at the moment. I am continuing this project into next year. 

• I want to make a photo book and a gallery wall of our wedding photos. I have completed a gallery wall for our hallway and I have another one for our wedding 50% done.I have outlined a photo book and will carry these projects into next year.

• Take some online courses. The intention behind this goal was to learn more about managing an online business and social media. While I do think that I did that, it was through other means than online courses. 

• My 2019 Reading List. CHECK!  I read four of these five books, as well as several work-related books too! I am going to continue this in 2020, with my 2020 reading list. 

• I want to explore my style and have more fun with my wardrobe. This was a fun part of my year! Taking note of clothes that I really love and feel good in was a great way to make decisions on what I was buying to put into my closet and what to take out fo my closet. I will do more of this next year as well.  

 Looking back on the year, I’m happy to say that I accomplished some of my biggest priorities and I think the biggest thing that I am taking away from the year is that it’s better to focus on a smaller number of items that are most important so that you can see them through to completion as opposed to having a ton of goals that get partway done. I will be taking that lesson learned into 2020 for sure. 

Cheers to a new year and a new decade!

Hey, I’m Meghan

I love coffee, yoga pants, planners and color coordinating markers. Sound familiar? Yes! Let’s be internet BFFs. I am here sharing content on all things organization, productivity, goal getting and personal growth. Welcome!

Tools to Change Your Life in 2020

As 2019 comes to a close, I’m sure I’m not alone in getting excited about the prospect of a new year and a fresh start. You’ve probably already been thinking about what you want to do with your time and your life in 2020. (pssst- if you haven’t check out this post for a few quick things you can do to get ready for 2020). The thing about goals and resolutions are that they are super easy to set and not so super easy to actually achieve. Today, I am going to share the tools I use to keep moving forward on my goals.

1. The Start Today Journal by Rachel Hollis- This journal is part gratitude journal and part goal journal. It is designed to be used daily and there is space to write down five things you are grateful for and ten life goals you want to achieve. It’s intended to be used in the morning, but I actually use mine at night (you gotta do what works for you!) and it’s a really simple and quick process to find time for.

2. The Artist of Life Workbook by Lavendaire- GAME CHANGER ALERT! This workbook literally changed the way I set and tracked my goals and was a huge help in making progress in 2019. The workbook starts by helping your review 2019, setting goals in every aspect of your life as well as lifetime goals, and THEN- the most important part- it has sections for you to break down those goals into quarterly and monthly goals, and spaces to track your progress along the way. If there was only one tool I could recommend to you to get your goals in 2020, this would be the one.

3. Daily Planner by Day Designer- Making and planning out your goals is only half of the battle. The rest involves actually doing the work. And for that, you need a planner. You need to have some sort of system to take the action steps you need for your goals and assign them to a day and time frame to actually get done. Some people could use a digital calendaring tool for this, or maybe like me, you’d prefer a paper option. Lucky for you, I wrote a whole post on finding the right 2020 planner for you, in case you are in the market for one.

4. A habit tracker- I’ve learned that the little things you do everyday are what determine whether you make progress on a goal or not. If I have a goal to cook dinner regularly at home, tracking how many times per week I actually do cook at home reminds me to plan ahead so that I can accomplish that and get me back on track when I can see that it’s not happening. I track my habits in my Artist of Life Workbook, but in case you just want a tracker- Here’s a free habit tracker from Day Designer.

As the new DECADE approaches, these are some of the tools that you can use to turn your to do list into your dream life in 2020. Happy goal getting!

Hey, I’m Meghan

I’m here sharing content all about pursuing your own version of more and loving how you feel doing it. If that sounds good to you, stick around and let’s be friends!

My 2020 Reading List

I can’t tell you how happy I am that I rediscovered reading at the end of 2018. I read some great books this year and I’ve already complied my list for the new decade. If you want to read more in 2020, check out my 2019 reading list and the list for 2020 below for some fun suggestions. And hey- maybe you know someone on your Christmas list that might enjoy one of these, too,

2020 Reading List

Good Morning, Good Life: 5 Simple Habits to Master Your Mornings and Upgrade Your Life by Amy Schmidttauer Landino

The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance and the Art of Living by Ryan Holiday

Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin

Outer Order, Inner Calm by Gretchen Rubin

Crushing It: How Great Entrepreneurs Build Their Business and Influence- and How You Can, Too by Gary Vanyerchuck

Everything Is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo

Hug Your Customers: The Proven Way to Personalize Sales and Achieve Astounding Results by Jack Mitchell

The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron

You Are A Badass at Making Money: Master the Mindset of Wealth by Jen Sincero

9 Steps to Financial Freedom by Suze Orman

Hey, I’m Meghan

I love coffee, yoga pants, planners and color coordinating markers. Sound familiar? Yes! Let’s be internet BFFs. I am here sharing content on all things organization, productivity, goal getting and personal growth. Welcome!

Organize Your Christmas

The business of the Christmas season have your head spinning? If you are anything like me, the late Thanksgiving this year really threw you off of your holiday game plan. Have no fear, today I am sharing my Christmas organization sheets printables for you - free of course! These three sheets will help you organize your gift list and budget, keep track of all of your deliveries and make sure that you don’t forget to use that coupon on the gift your sister-in-law really wanted.

Click here for your free Christmas Organization Printables now as my early Christmas gift to you : )

Happy Holidays!

Hey, I’m Meghan

I’m here sharing content all about pursuing your own version of more and loving how you feel doing it. If that sounds good to you, stick around and let’s be friends!

Finding the Right 2020 Planner for You

As you are in stores Christmas shopping this month, you will probably notice a ton of planners on display as well- all bright and shiny and new and ready for a fresh year in 2020. As a planner aficionado, the office supply section is one of my favorite places in stores. As I figured you might be looking for a planner for 2020, I thought I’d give you some tips on how to pick out the right one for you. 

Here’s the questions you can ask yourself when you are shopping for a planner:

1. Do I want to plan daily or weekly? A key difference between planners will be the time frame for the planning pages. For example, I use a Day Designer daily planner, where each day gets its own page because I track both my work and personal tasks in one spot. For your average planner user, a weekly layout like this one is more common and this is perfect when you want to be able to see what you have going on for an entire week at once. 

2. How big of a planner do I want? Planners come in a variety of sizes. I personally have a full size 8.5 X 11 planner because I carry it with me in my work bag, but for some that would be too bulky. Other common sizes include 5 X 8, 5.875 X 8.625, and 7 X 9 and these are perfect for someone who wants to carry theirs with them in their purse or in the car. 

3. How much do I want to spend? The average planner that you can find in a store like Walmart, Target, Office Max, etc. should be somewhere between $15- $25. If you are shopping online through specialty websites like Emilyley.com, ErinCondren.com or DayDesigner.com, you can spend up to $60 on a hardcover, durable planner option.

Once you know the answer to those three questions, I’d suggest searching Amazon or your favorite retail store for that type of planner. So for example, you can search “ 2020 8.5 x 11 weekly planner” and see what comes up. You should be able to see pictures of the entire layout of each planner so you can decide what you like best and what fits in your price range. If you shop in store, knowing the answers to these questions will help you narrow down the options and not get too overwhelmed by all of the choices in the aisle. 

Here’s some of the planners I have used in the past: 

Living Well Weekly Planner  

Passion Planner Weekly Planner (they have dated and undated options

Blue Sky Weekly/Monthly Planner 

My current planner (as mentioned above)- Day Designer Daily planner

Happy planner hunting!

Hey, I’m Meghan

I’m here sharing content all about pursuing your own version of more and loving how you feel doing it. If that sounds good to you, stick around and let’s be friends!

The Cassa- Hall Gallery Wall

Well, it’s been awhile since you got an update on things over here at the Cass household (Cassa, if you will). One of my goals this year was to decorate with some of our wedding photos so that we could use those expensive things after all! And I really do love them, SO! Here’s the first gallery wall i did of our family wedding photos. What’s more interesting than the photos itself, is actually the quick and easy process I used to hang them straight, using wrapping paper! (I did not think of this, by the way, I saw it on Pinterest somewhere a few years ago.) Here’s how I did it!

The frames I bought are from Hobby Lobby if you are interested.

STEP ONE: Lay Out Frames on a Piece of GRID BACKED wrapping paper.

Lay out a roll of wrapping paper on a level surface. And here’s THE SECRET- You have to use wrapping paper that has a grid printed on the back (I get mine at Kohls). Lay the grid face up and arrange your frames on the grid however you would like them.

STEP TWO: Trace the outlines of your frames

Use a pen or a pencil to trace around the outsides of each frame, making sure to use the gridlines for guidance and keep everything straight. Mine frames were all laid out symmetrically because that is the way I wanted them, but this will also work if you are doing a gallery wall with frames that are more staggered instead of even.

STEP THREE: Mark Nail Holes on the paper

Turn each frame over and make an “x” where you’d like the nails to go for each frame. I slid my frame down a little bit from it’s outline so I could mark it best and used the center of the wall hanger as the guide for my nail holes. Remember to use the grid lines to help you keep all the nails aligned. WORD TO THE WISE- even if all of your frames are the same, measure each one individually. Some of your wall hangers may be slightly off than the rest.

STEP FOUR: Hang your sheet of wrapping paper on the wall.

Once you’ve marked the outlines of all of your frames and nail holes, take your sheet of wrapping paper and hang it on the wail where your frames will be hung. I used painter’s tape so it wouldn’t leave marks on the wall.

STEP FIVE: Put nails into the wall

Using the marks you made for your nail holes, hammer in your nails for each frame over the wrapping paper. My husband did this for me, but he said the wall template worked perfectly for him! Once all of your nails are hung, pull the wrapping paper off of the wall and TA=DA, you’re ready to hang your frames!

Super simple, right?? I mean, at least it’s waaaay easier than just guessing and hoping for the best. I’m really happy with how it turned out! I will be doing it again on a bigger gallery wall for our master bedroom, so stayed tuned for that! If you try out this tip, let me know how it works for you!

Hey, I’m Meghan

I’m here sharing content all about pursuing your own version of more and loving how you feel doing it. If that sounds good to you, stick around and let’s be friends!

Keep Your Goals On Your Mind

As we wrap up this year and look forward to 2020, you’re probably thinking about your goals and resolutions. About the ones you achieved, the ones you made progress on, and then let’s be honest- the ones you failed at or didn’t even start. I’m with you!

Goals are easy to set, and hard to follow through on. Here’s some of the ways I keep my goals on the top of my mind. 

• Make It Visual- Making your goals VISUAL is super helpful- check out this post I made about my 2019 vision board so you can make your own. You can go digital and then print it out like I did or do it all in paper form, but either way, having a collection of images that represent the life you want will help you subconsciously be aware of your goals every time you see it. 

• Revisit Them Regularly - Remind yourself of your goals by rewriting them regularly- either every week as you prep for Monday or even every day as part of a quick journaling exercise. I use Rachel Hollis’ Start Today journal for this- shop here! 

• Break Down Goals to Quarterly and Monthly Tasks- Tracking the progress I make on my goals has literally been a game changer for me. I use this workbook to set and review annual, quarterly and monthly goals. When you take apart your big goals into little achievable action steps, it’s easier to actually make progress. 

• Track Your Habits- I’ve learned that the little things you do everyday are what determine whether you make progress on a goal or not. If I have a goal to cook dinner regularly at home, tracking how many times per week I actually do cook at home reminds me to plan ahead so that I can accomplish that and get me back on track when I can see that it’s not happening. Here’s a free habit tracker from Day Designer.

Hopefully, those ideas can help you ACTUALLY meet your goals and resolutions for 2020. Comment below with one thing you really want to achieve next year! 

Have a great week, 
Meghan 

Hey, I’m Meghan

I’m here sharing content all about pursuing your own version of more and loving how you feel doing it. If that sounds good to you, stick around and let’s be friends!

Book Review: Do It Scared

Why I Picked it Up: I found Ruth originally through her planner product- The Living Well Planner. (Side bar- I used this planner for two years and really liked it. If you’re looking for a 2020 planner that includes goal setting, budgeting and meal planning features, this is a great option for you!). I’ve also followed her on Instagram and listened to some of her podcast episodes. The theme of the book was intriguing to me as I tend to shy away from taking risks. I was hoping the book would give me some inspiration to step my bravery up juuuuust a notch. 

Key Takeaways: 

Everyone’s fears come from a different place- Ruth breaks down common fear archetypes and has a quiz you can take online to find out your own archetypes, which I thought was a fun addition to the reading experience. Mine were The Self-Doubter, The People Pleaser and The Procrastinator in case you were wondering. She spends some time on each archetype with information and strategies specific to people in each category. She even includes some responses from real people her team studied for the book and this one really hit home for me- 

“For several years, I was afraid of leaving a job that was draining me. Because I didn’t feel successful at the job, I didn’t think I was capable of anything else. Instead of viewing the job as maybe not a god fit, I thought there was something wrong with me. It kept me stuck for a really long time.” 

There are small steps you can take to being more brave- Called the Principles of Courage in the book, Ruth breaks down a few strategies to work up your bravery muscle, like Dare to Think Big, Always Own It and Embrace Honest Feedback.

You have to take action- My favorite section of the book was probably the third section where she shares practical tips on how to ACTUALLY take action to make your scary goals happen. Ruth says, “Creating the plan is not the hard part. Putting your head down, keeping your blinders on, trusting the plan and doing the work- that’s the hard part.”

As a side note- if you are familiar with Ruth and listen to her podcast, I feel I should share that a lot of her content from the book was shared on her podcast so some sections felt repetitive to me. If you haven’t listened to it, you should be good! 

If you’d like to read this book, buy it on Amazon or add it to your Christmas list. Heck, maybe this would be a good gift for someone on *your* list! 

Hey, I’m Meghan

I’m here sharing content all about pursuing your own version of more and loving how you feel doing it. If that sounds good to you, stick around and let’s be friends!

When to Work and When to Rest?

I don’t know about you, but there’s enough items on my “want to do” and “have to do” lists that I could literally be “productive” all of my waking hours. And we know that’s not practical for many reasons, but mostly because it's not sustainable. People need to rest and recharge and have breaks to be the best of who they are. 

Because I’ve realized that a paradox exists- sometimes rest IS productive (like when you take a break and come back to a task with better energy and focus) and sometimes the things you do while being productive ARE PROVIDING A FEELING OF REST (like the refreshed mental feeling you get from a clean inbox or an organized fridge)

So, I’m often grappling with the question- how do I know when to rest and when to work? This can be especially tricky because sometimes rest is a legitimate need and sometimes, rest is a convenient excuse. The annoying but also realistic answer to that is that it is going to be different for every person. 

Here’s a few ways that I know I am truly in need of rest:

• I feel “OFF” or “not myself” for a reason I can’t identify

• My temper is shorter than usual

• I don’t enjoy things I normally do or enjoy them  to the same extent

• Physical signs like abnormal body pains, excessive yawning

• Lack of creativity 

I also know a few signs that tell me that I’m in need of some productivity:

• My physical spaces (car, desk, purse, kitchen)  are messy or cluttered

• I feel uncomfortable in my clothes or appearance

• I feel anxious or stressed

• I’m bored with my mindless activities (Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, TV)

• I forget something that I’m normally on top of

If you stopped to think about it, what are the signals that you send yourself when you are in need of rest or work? How do you tackle the balance between productivity and recharging? Tell me in a comment below! 

Hey, I’m Meghan

I’m here sharing content all about pursuing your own version of more and loving how you feel doing it. If that sounds good to you, stick around and let’s be friends!

Do You Have Home Court Habits?

I don’t know about you, but recently I have been feeling like I’ve been a bit off my game when it comes to habits. I don’t know if it’s just the point we are at in the year, or having traveled recently, but I’ve really lost consistency with my consistent, normal habits, or “home court habits.” 

I wish I knew where I had first heard that term,(I can’t find it anymore)  but essentially the term refers to the set of habits you do every day when you are at home and on your regular schedule. Some of my personal home court habits include reading for 10 minutes, my Start Today Journal, packing lunches, planning my next day the night before, etc. I also have home court habits for work, too.

You likely have a set of these habits without even realizing it. Maybe you cook dinner at the same time every weeknight, or you do your laundry on Sundays, or you work out every morning before work. These actions are the things that keep your life and your mindset running smoothly without having to think about it and when you miss doing them, you tend to feel thrown off and not quite yourself. 

If you’ve never sat down to make a list of these habits, now is a great time to do that. Having a solid idea in your mind of the habits that keep you on track and keep your life running smoothly will help you get back into a groove most quickly when you been thrown off. You can use this free Day Designer Habit Tracker printable to make a list of your home court habits and track how often you do them. 

You’ve probably heard over and over that habits are the key to making progress on a goal, and being intentional about what those habits are and ensuring that you do them regularly is really the only thing that create traction and get you to where you want to go. I hope you found the concept of home court habits to be useful and that you’re inspired to create a habit tracker of your own. 

Have a great Sunday!

Hey, I’m Meghan

I love coffee, yoga pants, planners and color coordinating markers. Sound familiar? Yes! Let’s be internet BFFs. I am here sharing content on all things organization, productivity, goal getting and personal growth. Welcome!

My Reset Routine

Hey guys, Happy Sunday! It’s Thursday morning as I write this and I am spending my morning trying to get organized again after being in Las Vegas for a work conference this week. I don’t know about you, but coming home from a trip always throws me out of whack. I am a routine person and prefer sticking to my normal schedule most of the time.

Now that I’m back home, I am doing a few things to reset and refresh so that I can quickly get back into my normal habits. 

1. SLEEP- As is common with travel, I didn’t get a ton of sleep while I was on my trip. I got home last night around 12:15 AM, and instead of trying to unpack, I just got what I needed out of my suitcase and got ready for bed ASAP. It’s hard to get back into the swing of things if your body and your mind aren’t rested. When you come back from a trip, plan to get as much sleep as you can so you can wake up again with energy. 

2. RECONNECT- I spent some time last night and this morning catching up with my husband after being out of town. The thing about returning from travel is that everything else in your life that was on hold while you were gone immediately picks right back up as soon as you get home. We specifically planned some time together for this morning so that we could touch base before going to work and continuing on with our “normal” lives.

3. PICK UP YOUR PHYSICAL SPACE- This morning I took ten minutes to pick up our living room and kitchen and unpack my bags. When your physical surroundings are cluttered, your brain and spirit will feel cluttered as well. You don’t have to spend hours doing a deep clean by any means, but tidying up for 10-20 minutes is a great way to quickly boost your mood and free up some brain space and energy for the rest of your day. 

4. PLAN- I went to bed early on Sunday night to get ready for our early flight, so I didn’t do my normal Sunday planning routine. Just before I sat down to write this, I pulled out my planer and got organized. I made a list of the things that didn’t get done last week that needed to move to this week along with the other to-dos on my calendar for this week. I looked at my calendar and got all of my appointments blocked in so that I had a better idea of where I needed to be and when. Then I filled in the rest of my calendar with the tasks from my list so I know when I will be working on them. Being productive is hard in general, but especially after a trip. Making a list and getting your schedule in order will help you jump back into your week and start being productive more quickly. 

The reality of life is that it doesn’t wait for you to slowly readjust when you get back from a trip. A travel hangover can spread into multiple days/weeks if you don’t intentionally reset and refocus. I hope you enjoyed these tips on getting back into your groove more quickly. Have a great week and I will see you next Sunday!

Hey, I’m Meghan

I love coffee, yoga pants, planners and color coordinating markers. Sound familiar? Yes! Let’s be internet BFFs. I am here sharing content on all things organization, productivity, goal getting and personal growth. Welcome!

Wanna Drink More Water?

I’m sure it’s pretty clear, just by looking at the name of this blog and all, that coffee is my favorite beverage. I love it, I enjoy it, I drink it all of the time. But unfortunately, while I’d like to think that a woman could live on coffee alone, that just ain’t the truth. Especially since coffee actually can dehydrate you. So, we need to drink water. The world tells us REPEATEDLY to drink water, but sometimes it’s easier said than done. 

I am not a “health nut” by *any* stretch of the imagination, but this is one habit that I can actually say I’m really good at. Here’s how I help myself out by drinking more water. 

MAKE IT CUTE- You need a cute cup/bottle/glass/etc- Let’s be real, regularly doing the habits that make us more healthy isn’t actually that fun. So, make it more fun by drinking out of a cute bottle or cup. I use this Yeti Rambler in my favorite teal color. I also bought the lid that comes with a straw because that’s how I like to drink my beverages. It’s the little things, you guys! . 

IT.GOES. WITH. YOU. EVERYWHERE. - It’s literally your third arm now, okay? Fill it up before you leave to go anywhere. Before you leave the house, fill it up. Before you leave work, fill it up. Before you leave mom’s house, fill it up. Bring it with you in the car, take it to your desk at work, take if on your errands or when you’re at a friend’s house. You get the picture. My Yeti is literally by my side all day.

LOSE THE PRICE GUILT- If you’re out somewhere and you’re thirsty, BUY THE WATER. I realize that you may be at a concert and it’s $35 for a 24 ounce bottle of water without a cap, and that’s really ridiculous, but honestly now, there’s a lot of worse things you can spend your money on than water. I see you at that concert buying a $12 beer or a $15 Captain and diet, I see you. So, yes,It’s overpriced, that’s the reality, but for the love of god, if you’re thirsty, just buy the dang water! (Restaurants and drive-thrus will usually give you water for free if you’re purchasing something else!)

I hope you enjoyed these tips on how to state hydrated because Around here, we believe that your cup should always be full.

Hey, I’m Meghan

I love coffee, yoga pants, planners and color coordinating markers. Sound familiar? Yes! Let’s be internet BFFs. I am here sharing content on all things organization, productivity, goal getting and personal growth. Welcome!