Devine Fairytale

a magical lifestyle blog

Categories: Lifestyle

Choose Joy Each Morning: My Morning Routine

Shirt: The Hollis Co,
Routines and habits are so important.  They are things that we CAN control, especially when everything else feels out of control.  I choose to start each day in a way that will put me in the right mindset to have a great day!  

After I wake up and shower, I start by drinking a glass of water and making some coffee.  I recently got a milk frother and my morning coffee has been feeling so fancy; like a special treat.  It’s also usually in a Disney mug that sparks joy and that’s an added bonus!  
Milk Frother: https://amzn.to/2Kufr12
With coffee in hand, I pull out my gratitude journal and one of my favorite pens.  The prompts are simple, nothing overly complicated.  I write down five things I’m grateful for from the past 24 hours.  These are specific little things, not all encompassing ones.  It could be the sunshine on the run I took the day before or that my husband brought home Chic-fil-A for dinner.  Focus on those.  Sometimes you have to look a little harder, but they are there. Promise!    
The second part is writing down ten dreams, written as if they have already happened.  The beginning of the journal has some pages to work out what these are for you.  There is also a video series to help with this part if you want to do this practice on a notebook you already have (https://starttoday.com/pages/how-to).  Writing these out each morning keeps you focused on where you’re going.  One of the dreams I wrote down in my first journal was that “I ran a half marathon” and I was able to replace that with a new dream earlier this year!
Start Today Journal: https://starttoday.com/pages/shop

I make my priority list and schedule for the day the night before, but I look over my day after I journal.  This sets my intentions and I can focus on what the day has in store for me!  I know we’re all busy and have to-do lists a mile long, but something that is super helpful is selecting three items each day that will move the needle on your goals and make them non-negotiable.  Get those done first and you’ll have accomplished something meaningful…and not just the laundry!

Next, I read or listen to a podcast for 15-30 minutes depending on the day.  This is typically either personal development or business related.  I finish getting ready for the day and then try to time block at least a couple of hours of work before any meetings or errands.

What does your morning routine look like?

xoxo Shannon 

Categories: Lifestyle

Sunday Prep for a Great Week

Sundays are one of my favorite days of the week!  I make sure to take time out to prepare myself for a great week ahead.  It makes the week just a little bit smoother and as stress-free as it can be! 

I do a LOT online, but I still prefer to have a planner I can write my days out in and keep track of my To Do lists.  I love being able to cross things off once I’ve completed them! Anyone else?!  I was so excited to receive an Erin Condren Life Planner to try out and share with you all.  I’m only a couple weeks in, but I love how fun it is to customize to my needs and my style.  I even personalized it with my name on the cover!  
I chose the vertical layout when I ordered my Life Planner.  Right now, I am putting anything scheduled in the top boxes, using the middle boxes for MUST DOs for the day, and the bottom boxes for any extra notes.  On Sundays, I take some time to fill in the week.  On the far left, I keep a running TO DO list of anything I want to accomplish before the next Sunday.  Then I make sure to add some fun stickers!  
I try to do at least a little bit of meal prep on Sundays so it’s easier to make better choices during the week when I’m short on time.  These containers are perfect for me! They have three sections that I use for protien, veggies, and sometimes grains.  Some of my go-to prep recipes are here: shredded chicken, egg cups, and salads.  You can also check out these meal prep containers and other items that I use in my Amazon Store.  One other tip:  placing a grocery store order online through Walmart and driving to pick it up is kind of amazing and I suggest giving it a shot!
I also take a little time to do some beauty maintenance.  Whether it’s going to get my nails done or doing them myself, using a face mask or treatment, or relaxing in a bubble bath it’s always nice to just enjoy a little bit of downtime before the new week begins…even if it’s just 30 minutes! [These came in my latest FabFitFun Spring Box!]
What are things you do on Sunday to get yourself ready for the upcoming week?
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Erin Condren. The opinions and text are all mine.

xoxo, Shannon

Categories: Health & Fitness, Lifestyle

Top 5 Tips to Stay Motivated on Your Fitness Journey

Life is tough sometimes, right??  Things don’t always go the way you plan and it can be chaotic at times.  You get tired, you get in a funk.  You don’t want to work out, you would rather curl up on the couch and binge on Netflix.  Have you been there before?

If you start out on a fitness journey and want to make a change in your life, there will be highs and there will be lows.  Just like anything else in life…it takes work.  You have to be willing to make the effort for yourself!
Here are my TOP FIVE tips to keep yourself motivated:
1.  Schedule your workouts – – – and show up for YOURSELF! You wouldn’t cancel on your boss would you? Don’t cancel on YOU.
2.  Set goals.  And I don’t mean a number on the scale.  Do you want to workout 5 days a week instead of 3?  Is there a pair of jeans you want to be able to fit into again?  
3.  Reward yourself.  When you reach those goals you set, do something for yourself.  Get your nails done, buy a new workout outfit.  I suggest not relating this reward with food.
4.  Stay off of the scale, it’s not your friend.  Seriously.  The number on the scale is just that…a number.  Instead, focus on the way you’re feeling and the way your body is changing.  Do you have more energy?  Are you sleeping better?  Do you see definition in your biceps?  I workout because I want to FEEL better and FEEL strong and not because I want to weigh a certain number on the scale.
5.  Have a support system.  I think this is something a lot of people miss.  If I didn’t have my girls in my accountability group, my days off the wagon would certainly last much longer than they do.  We check in with each other and we notice if someone is missing.  We share our struggles and offer encouragement.  We share what has worked for us and help others who may be where we’ve been before.  So, find YOUR people!  Maybe it’s your best friend, sister, significant other, or an online group of people you don’t even know yet (I promise you, it’s not scary!).
xoxo, Shannon

Categories: Lifestyle

Personal Development Suggestions: How to Find What You Need to Read

Something that has played a huge part in my life over the past couple of years is investing time into personal development.  YOU are important and need to make sure that you are taking time for YOURSELF.  You can’t pour into others if your cup is empty.  You need to feed your mind with positivity, knowledge, confidence.  You don’t have to be in a deep depression or completely lost to need to read personal development.  Everyone has moments where the negative thoughts, or doubts and fears, can creep in and you need to flip the switch.  

I promise that taking a few minutes a day can help change your life.  I am a happier person, I am more focused, and I am more understanding of others since making this a habit in my life.  
I encourage you to look through the list of books and find what speaks to you.  What do you need more of in your life?  Are you doubting that you are on the right path?  Do you want to know how to better communicate with a significant other?  Read something that relates to that! That is how you will get the most value out of your time.  
You also have to TAKE ACTION from what you are learning and be sure to not just hoard the information.  That is how you move forward and better yourself!
Confidence:

“Unlimited” by Jillian Michaels

“Daring Greatly” by Brené Brown

“The Confidence Gap” by Russ Harris


Time Management & Goals:

“Eat That Frog!” by Brian Tracy

“Push” by Chalene Johnson

“Make It Happen” by Lara Casey

“7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen R. Covey

“The Miracle Morning” by Hal Elrod


Leadership:

“Entreleadership” by Dave Ramsey

“Leaders Eat Last” by Simon Sinek

“Strengths Finder 2.0” by Tom Rath

“21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership” by John C. Maxwell


Business:

“Go Pro” by Eric Worre

“Go For No” by Richard Fenton and Andrea Waltz

“The Entrepreneur Roller Coaster” by Darren Hardy


Consistency:

“The Slight Edge” by Jeff Olson

“The Compound Effect” by Darren Hardy


Connecting to People:

“The Five Love Languages” by Gary Chapman

“Personality Plus” by Florence Littauer

“The Go Giver” by Bob Burg


Social Media:

“Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook” by Gary Vaynerchuk

“Platform” by Michael Hyatt


Mindset:

“You Are a Badass” by Jen Sincero

“Yes, Please” by Amy Poehler

“Big Magic” by Elizabeth Gilbert

“The Dip” by Seth Godin

“Start With Why” by Simon Sinek

“#Girlboss” by Sophia Amoruso

“The Happiness Project” by Gretchen Rubin

“I Thought It Was Just Me” by Brené Brown


Nutrition:

“The Eat Clean Diet Recharged” by Tosca Reno

“Made to Crave” by Lysa TerKeurst

“It Starts With Food” by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig


I will continue to update this list over time and add new books!
I also want to mention that books aren’t the only option to get in personal development.  I also enjoy listening to audio books on Audible, Podcasts, and Youtube videos.  For myself, it depends on what I need in that moment.  Audio books and podcasts are great while driving or traveling.  I also want to encourage you to keep a personal development notebook and/or highlight in the book you’re reading.  It helps you to remember quotes that spoke to you and actions you want to implement. 
Do you have any suggestions to add to the list?  Leave them in the comments below!
xoxo Shannon

Categories: Lifestyle

2015: Your Year [Goals and Planning]

Can you believe it’s already February and 2015 is off and running?!

Did you make resolutions for the new year? Or maybe set some really awesome goals to crush?

I made my own goal board for this year with a foam board, Post It notes, and a Sharpie.

I chose 20 goals from several different areas of my life to focus on.  The MOST IMPORTANT tip I can give you is to set measurable goals.  It’s great if you want to lose weight, but your goal should be to lose a certain number of pounds or inches.  If you want to save money, have a dollar amount written down.  This way you can easily track your progress!  

Having something like a board to look at daily also helps keep your mind focused on the things that are the most important to you.  I also have a document on my laptop where I can keep notes of my progress, for example, I will be adding each personal development book I read to the list.  Look at often!

Have you been able to take steps toward any of your specific goals so far this year? Have you stayed on track and committed?  If you have…that’s great!  If you haven’t…that’s okay too!  Sometimes all you need to do is recommit to the goal.  Other times, it may require a revision to make it work.  Life happens and things get hectic and everyone is busy.  Things change and all of that is okay.  It doesn’t make you a failure and it doesn’t mean you can’t do great things.

A great book about setting goals is Push by Chalene Johnson.  I highly recommend this book if you are looking to refocus your life.

Another tool that is really working for me is a new planner I ordered from Whitney English, the Day Designer.  First off, it’s BEAUTIFUL!  But of course, it is also super functional and the perfect planner for anyone who loves a good to-do list.

There is a full page for every day of the year (except the weekend is on a single page).  There is plenty of room to log your schedule for each day and any things to check off of your to-do list.  When I first got my planner, I put in all of the holidays, birthdays, etc.  Basically, any event I know will definitely be happening.  I also do this on the days certain bills are always due.
At the beginning of the month I start to do some initial planning and adding in tasks to complete to keep me on track with my timeline.  Then on Sunday nights I go more in depth for the upcoming week.  I take 5 to 10 minutes every night to evaluate what was completed and what wasn’t and then make any adjustments or notes for the next day.  Seriously, just a few minutes each night can make a huge improvement in how productive your day can be!
Don’t give up on your year.  Keep pushing forward!
xoxo Shannon

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