Top: Nordstrom [c/o] | Jens: Frame, Similar | Shoes: Cecilia NY [c/o] | Room Details: Here
Photography by: Angie Garcia
Skincare routine. Pajamas. Brush teeth. Get in bed. Turn on HGTV. Grab phone. Scroll Instagram. Order said top off Instagram. Check e-mail for confirmation. Start responding to some e-mails. See a marketing e-mail for food. Get hungry. Go grab a snack. Come back in bed. Grab phone. Do it all over again.
Sound familiar? Yep, that was my nightly routine and I started to notice a lot of bad habits stemming from it. First, I’d get so anxious before bed. As with many jobs, a huge part of my job deals with timelines of campaigns. Most times I check my e-mail, I find that something has caused a glitch in a timeline, resulting in a 30-minute task of rescheduling. It’s not a huge deal, but I’d have to do that before bed and I’d get all worked up over it. Stress is a domino effect, so once I started feeling worried about one thing in life I’d start to think about something I had to do next Thursday at 4. You can see the picture I’m painting. It caused me to wake up a lot at night and while I’m not someone who requires a ton of sleep, I need deep sleep.
I was getting headaches during the day from tossing and turning at night and I am one of those people that will complain about a headache but refuses to take an Advil. It drives my mom nuts! She said, “Okay, if you’re not going to take medicine, then at least do something to get better sleep.“
I also knew I wanted to start reading more in 2018. I adore a good book, but with a newborn and building a home, you don’t find yourself getting friendly with a best seller. But 2018 is my year of “rest” [or so I’m telling myself] and it was time for a change!
I made the small goal of reading one book per month for 2018. For January I read, “The Couple Next Door.” I had started it before I gave birth, but hadn’t finished. And when I say I started and hadn’t finished, I mean I literally don’t even remember starting it but it had a bookmark so maybe I did?
This is a thriller, think “Gone Girl”, All Perry Mason Books, etc., but what I love is that you can’t figure it out until the last page! I find that many books like this can be easily figured out about three quarters of your way in. I gave myself a goal of reading 20 minutes, for three nights a week. That small change turned into a few nights where I read for an hour or so. However, I’m warning you that this book is a quick read! I could have read two books this month but I didn’t want to get all overzealous and then not follow through the following months.
So what changes did I see reading three nights a week?
- I slept better! I’d get so calm reading a book and not looking at a screen that I found I slept really deep. I slept so deep in fact, I asked Paul if something was wrong with me about two weeks into my new habit. I was like, “Babe, I didn’t wake up once last night! You had to tell me my alarm was going off! What’s going on?!” He laughed and said, “No, you’re normal.”
- I watched far less TV. I’ve got This Is Us to catch up on, I don’t know what has happened lately on The Bachelor and I have enough Real Housewives on DVR to last a year. The funny thing is I don’t mind one bit! Now I’ve never been one to watch shows in live time [minus The Bachelor here and there], but I don’t have a desire to catch up. I do however have a desire to read my next book.
- I started to listen to podcasts. I started to listen to podcasts while driving, which is beyond normal for me. To be honest, I wasn’t a fan of them previously. Don’t hate me just yet, hear me out! I’d tried them and just couldn’t get into them. I felt like I was listening in on someone’s conversation and I didn’t want to hear the Real Housewives rehashed if I already watched it. I didn’t want to listen to career advice because this was when I was taking a break from work. I also don’t like how apple organizes them with the latest one first, like what if I want to start from the beginning?! But lately, while driving I’ll listen to Dr. Laura or Risen Motherhood and I’m obsessed! I think the trick is finding one you really enjoy, just like with reading. The reason I started to listen to podcasts was because I can’t really read while Maxi is awake, but I missed having a storyline with me. I can listen those while I clean or make her lunch, so it was an easy way to get my fix! I could try audible, but I’m a little old school and just like holding a book!
What’s on deck for next month? After brunch with a friend on Sunday, I ordered Divine Time Management. I was telling her that as a woman it’s so easy to feel like a vending machine and each moment someone is putting a quarter in to take something out, but you never get a moment to refill. She told me she felt that way until she read this book, so I ordered it right then and there. Now I can’t speak for it as I haven’t read it just yet, but she said it does focus on time management, but more so on the fact that if you don’t get something done you can trust God will take care of you.
Have you been reading in January?! What books are on your nightstand?
Congratulations on reading more! I’m still trying to do that myself, and cut down on the TV time… but those shows are crazy addictive, haha! I bought The Couple Next Door a while back, might need to start it now! 🙂
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
I read Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult this month. I love her books because her books always have a surprise ending that leave you surprised.
I’ll check that book out! I love surprise endings!! Thank you so much, Micha!
I’ve always been good at reading before bed, but I’ve not been good at keeping the phone down. I even often go to bed at 8 but don’t put my phone down until 11 AND THEN pick up my book at read for awhile. Not healthy! I’m working on a before bed routine that involves chamomile tea and leaving my phone in the kitchen to entice me to get up and drink a cup of tea to start my morning.
http://www.holycitylife.com
Love this idea girl! I’ve heard of people leaving their phones in their kitchen and I want to do that! I just need to get an actual alarm clock! haha. xo
I asked my adult girls to give me 1 book they wanted me to read & why …and 1 book for us to read together. (This was my Christmas list for them as I too put reading more on my 2018 list. I decided to start with The Simplicty Project by Corrie Clark (heard her on Cheryl Scruggs podcast Thriving Beyond Belief.) Next is Jamie Ivey’s new book If Only You Knew (love her podcast The Happy Hour). Once done with those I’ll jump into the books from my girls: A Legacy of Grace (Francine Rivers), The Glass Castle (Jeannette Walls), Pride & Prejudice (Jane Austin) and The Phantom of the Opera (Gaston Leroux) Happy Reading!!!! And Sleep well!!
I love the idea of them giving you books to read. I think I’ll start that with my mom and sister, thank yous o much for sharing! 🙂
Currently reading: Columbine by Dave Cullen
Current e-book: Crimes Against a Book Club {so funny!}
Current audiobook: The Nightingale {I listen to it when cooking, cleaning, or commuting! HIGHLY RECOMMEND. The woman who reads it has an excellent voice. Just don’t read the epilogue!}
PS last month I read You are a Badass and I’d 100% recommend. It would really go with your year of rest!!
Do you have a Goodreads account we could follow? xo
Ellen | http://www.apinchofserendipity.com
Hi girl! Okay, you’re amazing! I’m so impressed with all you are reading. I don’t have an account, what is that?! I’ll have to check it out! Thank you so much!! xo
Oh goodness, you’re too sweet. I just like keeping books in all places in case I get bored and want to read something in a pinch! Plus, Alexa + audiobooks is a total meal planning game changer.
Goodreads is just an online semi-social media thing where you can put books “shelves” – read and what you want to read. It has (I think) pretty accurate reviews for books. You can “follow” people (like celebs!!) to see what they’re reading. The BEST part is, you can’t set a “yearly challenge” for yourself – I set mine to 12 books this year – and at the end of the year it’ll tell you how many pages and books you’ve read. I love it! If you get one, let us know because I’d love to see what you’re reading for the rest of the year!! xoxo
Okay, that’s amazing!! Thank you so much for telling me about it! I’m going to make one! xo
I set a goal to get back into leisure reading with one book on per month in 2018, as well! I picked a mixture of spiritual, fiction, self-improvement, and history books and finished the first yesterday. It is definitely better for me before bed than scrolling through my phone, which is a habit I’ve yet to kick. As a blogger, I’d love see you write about methods you use to unplug without going crazy. ????
Love that idea girl! Thank you so much! As always, I LOVE following you on instagram! Please come cook for me! 😉
I’ve made a goal to read one book a month for 2018. This month I read Grace Not Perfection by Emily Ley. Next on deck is For The Love from Jen Hatmaker (A book I started reading during pregnancy and never finished!) and I’m anxious to pick up Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis for March. I’m gonna have to add Divine Time Management in the list, too.
I’ve also become a huge podcast listener lately, largely thanks to you! Loving the gals at Risen Motherhood. They’re writing a book, too!
Xo
I love Jen, I’m going to try that book!! These sound like amazing books, I’m going to try your recs! Thank you girl!
Currently reading: Big Little Lies
just finished: Digital Gold (non fiction)
Keep us posted with your monthly reads!
I will for sure! Thank you so much girl! xo
Love this post!
Thank you for reading! 🙂 xo
I recently tried poscast because I just got bored of my spotify /netflix for a while. I listened to the first season of “serial” then onto “acussed” and now just started “curiosity kills”. I enjoy my true crime stories a lot. Also love “yoga by candance” for motivation and just feels like talking to a friend whilehaving coffee.
Will have to try Accussed and Curiosity Kills! Thank you for sharing, girl! xo
I read All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda on my trip to NYC last Spring! I almost couldn’t focus on my trip I was so excited to get back on the plane to read!! It’s a thriller for sure. Kind of difficult to find the rhythm but once you do, it’s so good!
I just finished The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine. I chose it after a friend said she couldn’t put it down. I listened to it on audiobook and I marked things off of my to-do list that had been on there for months. I couldn’t quit listening and finished it in 2 days.