I love LUSH all times of year, but things get even more amazing around Christmas.  Part of it is probably that I tend to take more baths when the weather is colder, but also they just have so many great products this time of year.  So here are the items I picked up on my last trip to LUSH:

So that's what I bought on my last trip.  If you have any LUSH favorites, please tell me about them in the comments below so I can try them the next time I'm there.

It's amazing how quickly things can change, isn't it?  Sometimes it almost happens without us even realizing a change has occurred.  And other times the change is so significant that you can't remember what life felt like before it happened. 

I've definitely experienced my fair share of change, especially in the last year.  In December the company I had been at for almost six years announced that they had been acquired and we would be moving over to a competitor.  It was completely unexpected and at first a little scary, but in the long run it has turned out to be a good change.  Now I love the company I work for and appreciate how much they invest in each employee's growth and development, much more so than my last company.

I feel like I've also changed my mind a lot in the past year.  One day I'm completely certain I know what I want to do with my life and then the next moment I'm questioning everything and letting go of something that recently felt so certain.  

The biggest thing I can think of is my decision to move to California.  Once I decided that's what I wanted to do, I was hard set on making it happen.  I even flew to San Diego with a friend and went apartment hunting!  Now, I realize that moving to California was my attempt at making change happen in my life for the wrong reason.  I was trying to change the outside of my life instead of looking inward and changing on the inside.   

Ultimately, I would still love to move to California sometime in the future, but I just don't think now is the right time for me to make that change.  I guess that's a lesson you have to learn the hard way; figuring out that something you think you want isn't the right thing at that moment.  

So although I am not pursuing a move to California anytime soon, I am working on some other changes that I think will really make me a better, happier person.  Self-improvement has been on my mind a lot lately and is actually one of the main reasons why I started the Something for Yourself series.  I had been spending a lot of time working on improving myself and wanted to share what I had learned.  I would like to let you follow along as I continue on my journey towards being a happier, healthier person.  So, stay tuned for more Something for Yourself posts and a bunch of other content I've got in the works for you.

And now, let's get into the main purpose of this post.  We've already talked about setting a morning routine and a night routine for yourself, but we haven't focused on a daytime routine.  This is something that may seem obvious and somewhat unnecessary, but since creating my own daytime routine I have felt much more focused and centered.  It's nice to feel like you have a set plan for the day, especially when you work from home like I do and need some extra structure to your day.

Here's the routine I set for myself a few weeks ago, including my morning and night routine:

7:00am

• Wake up
• Feed cats
• Put on workout clothes
• Make bed
• Write in gratitude journal
• Take pills

7:30am

• Workout
• Stretch
• Shower
• Skin care
• Get dressed
• Have breakfast
• Make coffee/tea

9:00am

• Start working
• Morning break (snack & sparking water)
• Keep working

12:30pm

• Make lunch
• Eat at table (no TV)

1:00pm

• Back to work
• Afternoon break (snack & tea)
• Keep working
• Make to-do list for tomorrow

5:30pm

• Done working
• Make dinner
• Eat at table (no TV)
• Relax (read, watch TV)

7:00pm

• Feed cats
• Take pills & vitamins
• Put on pajamas
• Skin care routine

9:00pm

• Get in bed
• Bible study
• Pray
• Meditate
• Sleep

It may seem silly to put some things on the list, like putting on pajamas or actually sleeping, but for me it's just nice to see everything laid out and to have placeholder for each part of my day.  

There are some things on my list that I've intentionally included in order to spend time on them and not forget about doing them.  Some of these are things like writing in my gratitude journal, bible study, or eating without watching TV.  These are things that I used to only do if and when I remembered to do them, so now I've got a nice reminder to make sure I make them a priority in my day.

So that was a look at what my daily routine looks like.  Again, you may not need to write down certain things that you're already going to remember to do each day, but it might be a nice place to start by just writing down everything you do and then adding in those bonus items that you sometimes forget to do.

I hope this was helpful.  Let me know in the comments if you have any questions on easy ways to structure your day.

It's been a few weeks since I have written a Something for Yourself post, so I figured it was time to do another one.  This week I'd like to talk about making your house a haven, which can mean different things to different people.  To me it means that you have created a space for yourself where you are comfortable and relaxed.  

Home should be a place you look forward to returning to, and these are some of the ways you can make your home a haven for yourself:

• Make sitting areas more comfortable with pillows and blankets
• Install dimmer switches for your lights or use low wattage light bulbs for more serene lighting
• Decorate with low-maintenance plants and flowers
• Hang beautiful artwork or motivational quotes to give depth to each room
• Use candles to provide a relaxing warm glow to any room
• Have diffusers or plug-ins to give each room a nice scent

And here are some other ideas from Pinterest on making home feel cozier.

The best way to feel relaxed the minute you walk through the front door is by having a a great entryway.  This type of entry provides organization as well as comfort to your home.

After a long day at work there's nothing better than curling up with a good book and a glass of wine.  This reading chair looks like a perfect place to relax after a long stressful day.

Another great way to relax is by taking a bubble bath.  This tub would be ideal for a long soak because it is so deep.  All you would need are some candles and you would be all set to go!

Of course, the best way to unwind is to have an amazing bedroom to rest and relax in.  I love that this room has soft lighting and a lot of comfy touches to make the room more cozy, like the warm colored walls and the soft throw pillows on the bed.

These are just a few ways you can make your home a haven.  If you have any other tips and tricks, please leave a comment below to share your ideas.

Last week I talked about creating a relaxing morning ritual for yourself to get your day started off on a nice note.  Today I will talk about ending your day with a "me" night that will let you relax before bedtime.  Here are some ideas for your "me" night:

• Light some candles
• Take a bubble bath
• Spend a few minutes meditating
• Journal about your day
• Make a list of what you want to accomplish tomorrow
• Set out your clothes for the next day
• Drink some tea
• Go for a walk
• Watch a sunset

Here are some YouTube videos that have other ideas on how to have your "me" night:

These are just some of the ideas you can add into your night routine for a "me" night.  You can mix and match whichever ones you like and keep switching up your choices until you've created a routine that works for you.  Let me know in the comments if there is anything else you like to do on your "me" nights.

This week I'm going to talk about starting your day off right by establishing a morning routine for yourself.  Each person is different, so there's not one perfect morning that will work for everyone.  

What I would suggest doing is writing down two or three things you can do each morning so that you can start your day on the right foot and set the tone for the rest of the day.  

Here are some ideas on things you can do:

• Get in some form of exercise
• Relax with a cup of coffee
• Meditate for a few minutes
• Write a to-do list of what you want to accomplish that day
• Spend some time getting caught up with social media
• Write in your journal to set intentions for the upcoming day
• Make a nice breakfast for yourself
• Spend some time outside and soak up some sunshine

And here are a few YouTube videos that have some other ideas for you:

Hopefully after a week or two of following your routine you will feel like mornings are a time to get centered for the day instead of feeling like you're starting off the day by being frazzled.  Let me know in the comments below which of the ideas you have incorporated into your morning routine.

Meditation is one of the most recommended forms of relaxation and stress reduction.  It is easy to learn and only takes a few minutes a day, so even if you are new at it you can still enjoy the benefits right away.  I have been meditating on and off for a few years now.  As one doctor explained to me, meditation is a chance to do nothing for a few minutes of your day.  While meditating you are free from worries and concerns that typically stress you out.  

Here is a great article by Daily Makeover on how to get started with meditation.  Either follow the instructions listed in the article or try it on your own.  There are plenty of ways to get started with meditation and different formats work differently for each person.  

The way I started meditating is by finding meditation podcasts on iTunes and doing guided meditation.  This made it easier for me because I needed to hear a voice that would guide me along the meditation.  For me, sitting in a quiet room is a perfect recipe to let my mind wander and start to overthink things, which is the exact opposite of what you're trying to achieve.  One of my favorite podcasts is called Meditation Oasis.  

There are also apps you can put on your phone that can guide you through meditation.  Here's a link to a previous article I wrote about the meditation apps I use and why I like them.  Some of them include visualization to help you relax, which is another form of stress relief I like to use.  Visualization is also great in helping you achieve your goals, similar to what we discussed last week with vision boards.

However you decide to bring meditation into your life, remember that it takes time and practice to quiet your mind and relax your body.  The more you do it the better the benefits you will see in your life.

I am always looking for new meditation podcasts and apps, so if you have any favorites please share them in the comments below.

Next week I will talk about establishing a morning routine that will allow you to get your day started off on a positive note.

I have recently been trying to focus on relaxation and meditation to alleviate stress in my life.  It turns out there are many apps out there that can help with guided meditations or sounds to play while relaxing.  Here's a snapshot from my phone of all the apps I've downloaded:

I'll give you a quick description of each app and how I've come to use each of them:

Calm: 
This app is free and very easy to use.  You're given pre-set scenes with relaxing sounds that can be used with a timer.  Sometimes I'll just open this up while I'm reading or doing stuff around the house to have some background noise.  There is also a series of meditations and a program of guided meditations to follow.  I haven't used these yet, but plan on trying them out soon.

End Anxiety:
As the name implies, this app can be used to alleviate anxiety.  There is a pre-recorded meditation session that lasts for almost half an hour.  I found it to be very effective to help me relax and clear my mind.  The free version has limited options for the settings, but they can be configured if you pay $2.99 for the upgraded version.

Headspace:
In the free version of this app you are given 10 days of meditations.  They are each 10 minutes long and are guided by the same person each time.  The app also has some handy animations to explain some of the principles of meditation.  This program would be great for a beginner who doesn't have much time.  There is an option to subscribe to the service for more programs.  I have gotten through 7 out of the 10 days, but I don't think I'd subscribe for other programs only because there are other free options available elsewhere.

Relaxing:
This app is similar to the Calm app in that it has pre-set recordings you can easily choose.  It also has a timer function so you can set the sounds to stop after a certain amount of time.  There are locked sounds that you have to pay for and I find it frustrating that it gives you the option to unlock the sound but doesn't tell you how much it costs.  When I click the unlock option it prompts me for my iTunes password without giving me any indication of how much I'm about to spend.  I'll just use the free sounds if I'm tired of the sounds offered by Calm.

Relax M:
I think this is my favorite app for sounds.  It has a lot of options that you can layer together into your own personal mix.  My favorite right now is a combination of Thunder, Rain on Roof, and Wind in Trees.  I like it so much that I haven't tried any of the other sounds.  There are other sounds that are locked.  It says you can get a lifetime access of all 108 sounds for $9.99.  Your other option is to choose either the 3 month subscription for $6.99 or the 1 month subscription for $4.99.

Simply Being:
This is the only app that I paid money for out of all the ones I've listed.  It was recommended by one of my favorite YouTube channels, so I went ahead and bought it for either $1.99 or $2.99, I can't remember which.  As soon as I heard the voice for the meditation I realized it was from Meditation Oasis, which is a podcast I've been using for meditation for the last couple of years.  So if you want to save some money and not buy the app, just go to the Podcast app and subscribe to Meditation Oasis.  They have plenty of meditations for different purposes, so I can't imagine that the app is much better.  

Sleep Pillow:
I have had Sleep Pillow for a long time and had kind of forgotten about it until I got back into listening to relaxing sounds on my phone.  It is easy to use and gives you the option to either use pre-mixed sounds or the option to create your own.

Smiling Mind:
At first I really liked this app because it has set meditation programs for you to follow and gives you badges as you complete the series.  I also like that it tells you how many minutes you've spent meditating with the app and how many meditations you've completed.  I started with Mindfulness 101 in the Adult section of the Programs menu and really liked it.  Then I went to Mindfulness 102 and things started to get weird.  One of their meditations is called "Where Did My Food Come From" and another is called "Mindful Eating".  Maybe these are common meditations to some people, but it seemed weird that they were in the generic Adult section.  I stopped following the program at that point and have yet to get back into it.  I just looked ahead to Mindfulness 103 and it looks a little better.  Maybe I'll keep trying it.

Unwind HD: 
This is another sound app that I've had for a long time.  I find it a bit clunky and not as user friendly as some of the other ones, but it is possible to create your own scenes and sound mixes.  I've got mine set to Waves after playing around with the other options.  I turn it on when I miss being on a cruise and want to remember how relaxing it is to listen to the waves outside my balcony.

So those are all the apps I've found that I would recommend to anyone who is hoping to relax or meditate.  I also just found Happify but have not had time to play with it very much, so I don't know if I would recommend it or not.  If you have any apps you think I would like, please let me know in the comments below!