Your Guide to Preparing for Your Next Move

Posted on by Amy Lauren

Within my 25 years of being on this planet I have moved… A LOT. When I was 17 my first big relocation was from my small southern Minnesota hometown to college. Although this move was was only twenty minutes from my hometown it was undoubtedly my most stressful, simply because I had no idea what I was doing or how to move effectively.

Fast-Forward to present day and multiple major relocations later I’ve become a self-proclaimed expert on preparing for a move. No matter how big or small (moving down the block counts too), the thought of relocating can be overwhelming and exhausting. I’ve found that preparation is key to easing those anxious thoughts surrounding your move. By taking a few key actions starting approximately four weeks prior to your move-in day you’ll be much better equipped to handle any unexpected stresses or anxieties that arrive as your move-in day gets closer.

1. Channel Your Inner Marie Kondo – There’s no better time like right before a big move to declutter your home. One of my favorite ways to reduce the items I’ll be taking with me to my new home is tackling packing / product sorting room by room. I make one pile for trash, one for keep, and one for donations. Does coffee mug #35 out of #50 bring me joy? Have I used it since moving into this place? No? Then someone else can probably benefit from this mug more than me- donate. Why do I still have this sweater just sitting in my closet when it has a huge hole it in? Can it be repaired? No? Trash. I find that it’s best to not think too hard about any one item and that by trusting your first gut-feeling the item usually ends up in the pile it’s meant to be in.

2. Start Deep Cleaning Early and Often-  Saving all of my cleaning for until after all of my stuff is moved out typically leads to some long and stressful days right at the end of my moving journey. So instead of dealing with that stress, try to mix in some cleaning during your packing/organizing process. This is especially important if you are moving out of a place you rent, as you will have the added stress of a final walkthrough with your landlord to worry about. After you’ve cleared a room of items that you are taking with you to your new home, tackle some of the major cleaning needs that you notice. This way you’ll be able to perform a final small cleaning-sweep after you have everything out of the house, which will feel like less of a monster than having to deep clean your entire home in a day does.

3. Let The Professionals Help- If you have too much stuff to move on your own, or if you are simply feeling too overwhelmed with the thought of having to move by yourself, don’t be afraid to hire professional movers to do the work for you! Be sure to do your research prior to hiring someone in order to make sure whoever you choose will handle your valuables with care. If you live in the Metro-Minnesota area, I recommend looking into Relief Moving Company LLC. They come highly recommended by their customers due to their attention to detail and offer both commercial and residential moving assistance! Although hiring professionals is an added expense, it’s worth it to the decreased stress and likelihood of being hurt during your move. Relief

4. Take A Break- You are human. You can’t be cleaning, packing, and worrying about moving 24/7. Even though this is a busy time in your life make sure you are taking the time you need for self-care. The easiest way I have found to do this is to set time limits for my work. If I commit to working on packing for two hours straight, I’m allowed to take some time afterward to watch the latest episode of my Netflix show. Another alternative is setting aside one whole day a week where you commit to not worrying or working on moving preparation. Send the day with your friends and family, or curl up with a good book instead!

Relocating can be overwhelming but, following these four practices will help decrease your stress and anxiety prior to your next move! While moving may seem like a daunting task, starting early, staying focused, and on task will pay off in the long run. And again, if you are feeling too overwhelmed by the thought of moving there is no shame in hiring professional movers to do the job for you. Best of luck on your next move!

What is your best moving preparation tip? Have you ever used movers in Ham Lake MN? Let me know in the comments – I’d love to hear from you!

Self-Care

Posted on by Amy Lauren

Ya’ll… times are so uncertain right now. All of the new phrases going around (social distancing, shelter in place, etc.) are enough to make anyone’s head spin. Now, more than ever it’s SO important to be taking care of yourself and everyone around you. “Self-Care” tends to look different for everyone, but finding what works for you is key.

My personal journey toward finding what helps keep me sane has been a long one. Trail and error, my friends. Trial and error. I’ve tried a lot of things. I’ve disliked A LOT of things. Along the way, I’ve discovered activities and actions that help keep my mental health in check.

My Top 10 “Self-Care” Recommendations:

1) Get outside. Go for a walk, a hike, a jog… whatever you need to do to get some fresh air.

2) Catch up with a long-lost friend. I use the term “long-lost” very loosely. Shoot a text to someone you haven’t seen in a week, face-time a hometown friend. Check on your people.

3) Try something new. Everything is closed… we have all the time in the world try out a new hobby.

4) Yoga. If you’re not feeling a public class, there are SOOOO MANY free online programs and classes out there. My personal favorite is Yoga by Adriene on YouTube.

5) Journal / Read a book. I prefer to do this before bed so I’m avoiding technology at the same time.

6) Cook a nice meal / try out a new recipe.

7) Take a bath, do a face mask, paint your nails, etc.

8) Listen to Podcasts. I listen to 10,000, but my favorites are Up and Vanished, Counter Clock, Crime Junkie, and Armchair Expert.

9) Snuggle your fur-babies (or real babies).

10) Seek professional help, if you need it. Even with all of the temporary business closures, you have options for getting the help you need. Many traditional mental health offices are currently doing telephone appointments (this is what I currently do) or there are online options available (betterhelp.com, etc.). There is absolutely no shame in doing what you need to do to take care of yourself.

We’re all in this together. Stay safe.

Seven No BS Questions You NEED To Ask Yourself If You Don’t Like Who You’re Becoming

Posted on by Amy Lauren

(CREDIT: This post was largely inspired by Ash Pariseau’s 11 No Bullshit Questions You Need To Ask Yourself If You Don’t Like Who You’re Becoming. Check out her post here: https://thoughtcatalog.com/ashley-pariseau/2018/04/11-no-bullshit-questions-you-need-to-ask-yourself-if-you-dont-like-who-youre-becoming/ Also, find her on Instagram at @ashpariseau)

Happy Sunday fellow coffee sippers!

I’ve been in a very self-reflective mood lately. When I haven’t been working, I’ve been spending a large majority of my time meditating, journaling, and looking at inspirational quotes on Instagram.  As basic as that makes me sound, I think self-reflection plays an important role in a healthy life. To me, self-refection is extremely important in terms of figuring out what you want to work on improving about yourself. It’s also good at helping you figure our who you are and who you want to be. It’s so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life and forget the basic things that make you, YOU.

Anyway, last week, while I was deep in an inspirational quote binge-session on Instagram I came across something that I completely fell in love with the moment I read it. An account that I follow had posted an Instagram Story called 7 No Bullshit Questions You Need To Ask Yourself If You Don’t Like Who You’re Becoming. As I was scrolling though this Instagram Story, each slide contained a question to reflect upon as well as a description of the question itself.

Now, I don’t necessarily dislike who I am or who I am becoming. BUT- I do think I have a lot of self-improvement that could be done. I’m not perfect (shocker, I know) and I definitely, at times, don’t feel like I’m living up to my full potential in life.

So, without further adieu, here are my thoughts on the Seven No BS Questions You Need To Ask Yourself If you Don’t Like Who You’re Becoming: 

1) Who Am I? 

(Allow yourself the time to take a look at the person you are today. How would you describe yourself honestly? What are the positives and negatives?)

This original article discusses how easy it is to get caught up in the idealistic version of who we are and that really hit home with me. Anyone who knows me knows that I totally live in a dream world half of the time. I always see the glass as being half full and tend to ignore the negatives or not realize how bad the negatives truly are.

So, who am I? Let’s start off with the positives. I’m extremely positive 99.9% of the time. I’m hard-working and extremely career driven. I’m generous and would do almost anything for anyone. I love fiercely and forgive easily.

The negatives… I can be such a push-over at times. I let people take advantage of my kindness. I assume everyone has the same heart as me. I’m not as disciplined in my personal life as I am in my work life. I let my anxiety hold me back from trying new things and meeting new people. I’m afraid to seek out help when I need it.

2) Am I Truly Happy?

(On a scale of 1-10, how happy are you really? How satisfied are you with your current situation and lifestyle?)

On a scale of 1-10 I’d have to say I’m currently at about a 6 on the overall happiness scale. Obviously, this varies day-to-day. Some days I’m a 4 and  some days I’m an 11. But, if I had to average it out I’d say 6 is a happy medium.

I think a big thing that contributes to my unhappiness is that I invest so much of my happiness into other people and how other people view me. One of my favorite sayings is that you can’t put the key to your happiness into somebody else’s pocket but I tend to find myself doing exactly that very often. You’ll never been truly happy if you are co-dependent on other people’s feelings and emotions.

3) What Do I Want To Change About Myself?

(Ask yourself exactly what it is about who you are that you don’t like.)

First and foremost, I feel that a lot of the changes that I want to make involve my personal life. I’ve spent the last 12-ish or so months trying to build my work/career life and I feel like I’m finally in a comfortable place as far as my job goes. However, my personal life and goals could use some TLC.

I desire to be a more confident, outgoing, and overall exciting person.

I want to invest more time in the things that bring me joy.

I want to work on both my physical and mental well-being as well as work on being a less insecure person.

I want to work on being less impulsive with my spending.

4) What Can I Change Right Now?

(Using the above list…how many things can you change as soon as possible?)

I think one important thing that I, and probably many other people, often forget is that change doesn’t happen over night. It’s an uphill battle. Usually, I’ll start off with TONS of steam and burn out after a few days because I treat change and growth like a sprint when it really should be a marathon.

Right now, I’m going to focus on making small, attainable, habits that snowball into HUGE differences in my life overtime.

For example, part of what I’m doing to be less insecure and focus more energy on things that I love is well…. what you’re reading right now! I’m EXTREMELY insecure about my writing but writing also brings me so much joy. So, I’ve decided to invest more time into blogging about what I love and improving my writing over time. At the end of the day, my writing is for me. If people read it and enjoy it, that’s great. If they hate it? Also great. Everyone has their own taste.

I’m also working towards the other goals by creating a monthly budget and doing my best to stick to it, staying active during my work day, and attempting to put myself out there more.

Small steps in the right direction every day eventually turn into miles.

5) What Have Been Your Achievements In The Last 3 Years?

(Although you may need to make changes in your life, it’s also important to reflect on your accomplishments and the good things you’ve done thus far.)

This question really hit me hard when I read it. Mostly because, when I really sit down and take the time to think about it, I have accomplished A LOT over the past three years.

I’ve graduated college as a first-generation student and moved to a city away from everything and everyone that I know. And I’m not just surviving here. Most days, I’m thriving. Not only that, but I started at an entry-level position with my company and within a year, I was promoted to a salaried position where I’m able to better utilize my degree and my skills.

I also purchased a new-to-me, nice, vehicle in the last three years. Again, something I never though I’d be able to do in my lifetime but I surprised myself yet again.

Lastly, although I still have a LONG way to go, I’ve come extremely far in terms of my mental health. Three years ago, I was extremely co-dependent and couldn’t handle going anywhere in public alone. Living alone away from everyone had made me face my fears in a good way.

6) What are your mistakes?

(What things have you done that you may wish you hadn’t?) 

I don’t love beating myself up over the things I’ve done wrong. I whole-heartedly believe what your mistakes make you who you are. However, I’ve definitely done some things I’m not exactly proud of.

Over the past three years, there have definitely been times where I’ve impulsively spent more money than I should have. I’ve also fallen for people too fast and have, at times, become more attached than I should be. Usually when that happens and they end up letting me down, I fall into this emotional black hole for a few weeks and it’s AWFUL.

I’ve also been bitter about other people success, or potential success. I find myself comparing myself to other people and their wins and it makes me feel extremely negative. I think comparison is something we all naturally do as humans. I find myself constantly reminding myself that comparison is the thief of joy.

7) Who Do I Admire? 

(Who do you look up to? What do you admire about this person?)

There are so many people in my life that I admire for different reasons. I could probably write a whole blog post that alone. However, for the sake of this post not turning into a novel, I’ll only focus on a few.

First, I admire my friend Allison. She is one of the most creative/talented people I’ve ever met. It seems like she’s always up to something new and that’s something I admire because she comes across as extremely confident and she’s putting what she loves out into the world and being totally unapologetic about it.

I also admire my friend Ashley. Ashley is just one of those people who come into your life exactly when you need them most. I admire Ashley because, although she will 100% argue this, that girl’s a fighter. When she faces setbacks in her life she doesn’t let them hold her back for long and keeps moving forward no matter what obstacles get in her way. I’ve seen her grow so much in the last year alone and her resilience is truly inspirational.

What’s Next?

So, as I begin wrapping up this post that started off in a coffee shop three hours ago and is ending at my kitchen table before I get ready for bed, I find myself reflecting upon what comes next after reflecting on the above questions. I honestly don’t know what comes next. Like I said, change doesn’t happen over night. BUT, I’m going to continue fighting to turn my small snowball of change into an avalanche. Small changes over time eventually turn into major successes. Life is about making each and every day a little better than the last.

 

World’s BEST Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Posted on by Amy Lauren

Happy Sunday fellow coffee sippers!

Are you in need of a late night treat before bed?

Or perhaps something quick to grab for breakfast while you’re running out the door in order to make it to work on time (We’ve all been there…)?

If so, these banana chocolate chip muffins are FOR YOU.

This is honestly my favorite muffin recipe for a few reasons:
A) It’s a fairly easy recipe for beginners to master. You definitely don’t have have to be a Top Chef for these to turn out well. And;
B) They are SO DELICIOUS. Banana and chocolate are two flavors that pair extremely well together.

Anyone who you share these muffins with will rave about how scrumptious they are. Or, keep them all for yourself… we don’t judge!

Hope you enjoy these muffins as much as I do! I can’t wait to hear what you think!

The World’s BEST Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins:
Yields: 12 LARGE muffins  Recipe Time: Approximately 30 Minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 Cup Butter, Slightly Melted
  • 1 Cup Sugar
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1/4 Cup Sour Cream
  • 3 Large, Overripe Bananas, Mashed
  • 1 tsp Vanilla
  • 1 tsp Baking Soda
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 2 Cups Flour
  • 3/4 Cup Chocolate Chips
Instructions:
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Slightly melt butter in the microwave. TIP : I melt for about 45 seconds, until the stick is half melted.
  3. In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until smooth.
  4. Add the eggs to the butter and sugar. Beat again until smooth.
  5. Add the sour cream, mashed bananas, and vanilla to bowl. Mix together. TIP: I use bananas that are still yellow with a few brown spots on them. Some people prefer to use totally brown bananas. If your need to ripen your bananas, stab them multiple times with a fork and microwave 30 seconds – 2 minutes, until soft. I mash my bananas with a fork.
  6. Add all of the dry ingredients to the bowl and gently fold them into the wet ingredients, until just barely mixed. TIP: DO NOT OVER MIX. If you do, you will have tough muffins. It’s okay to have streaks of flour in your finished batter.
    Notice the streaks of flour.
  7. Line 12 muffin tins with paper liners and fill them to the top with batter.
  8. Add a few more chocolate chips on the tops of the muffins.
    Feel free to be messy with you extra chocolate chips, it doesn’t have to be perfect!
  9. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the middle of each muffin is set.
  10. Remove muffins from pan and cool on a wire rack.
  11. Enjoy your treat. 🙂