Archives for November 2019

Be Grateful

Written by Cassie · November 26, 2019 · This blog generates income via ads · This post may contain affiliate links

Do what you want this Thanksgiving | cassierauk.com

Thanksgiving is upon us, American friends. That means a few days off of my day job, some family time, and avoiding Black Friday shopping like the plague.

While you are spending time with family, friends, or just your beautiful self I want to you take a minute to be grateful for how far you have come within the last year/month/decade.

I know you are probably not exactly where you want to be in your life and the road ahead looks scary and hard. And that is why it is so important to take some time to look back and see how far you have come.

You have accomplished both huge and small things and there is more success on the horizon.

Five Free Things You Can Do Right Now to Prep For the Holidays

Written by Cassie · November 19, 2019 · This blog generates income via ads · This post may contain affiliate links

The holidays are right around the corner, my friends. Can you feel excitement/panic/dread creeping up on you?

Whether you love the holidays or loathe them, they are coming at us in full force. But, we still have a few weeks to get our shit together. Here are a few (free) things you can do now that will help you get started out on the right foot.

Clean your light fixtures.

Weird right? But stick with me. Light fixtures are one of those things that collect vast amounts of dust and dirt (and in our case, bugs). Light fixtures are also one of those things that don’t get cleaned very often.

But if you can set aside a couple of hours to remove the fixtures and wash them with warm soapy water, it makes a massive difference in the light that cast. And during a gloomy winter day in Minnesota, it makes a huge difference.

Get rid of 20 things.

Preparing for guests and putting up your decorating is a great time to declutter. And unless you are one of those weird guys who keep all of their worldly possessions in a backpack, you can get rid of 20 things. Probably more, but let’s start small.

You will feel lighter, I promise.

Wash your windows.

In the same way that cleaning your light fixtures makes your house seem brighter and cheerier, clean windows make the whole house look cleaner.

Hopefully, the weather is not too cold yet where you are, but now is a perfect time to grab your newspapers and vinegar and give those windows a good once-over.

Clean out your cabinets/fridge.

Since the season of cooking and baking is upon us, now is a great time to give your fridge and pantry a deep clean. Wipe out the draws and shelves in your fridge. Dig into the dark parts of your pantry and get rid of all of the old food and donate the things that you are not going to use.

Make a list.

Get out your trusty notebook and make a list. A gift list, a to-do list, a grocery list. It doesn’t matter what kind of list, get it out of your head and on to paper.

What do you do to prep for the holidays?

PS – A few ways to simplify your life.

The Joy of Being Bored

Written by Cassie · November 12, 2019 · This blog generates income via ads · This post may contain affiliate links

Sometimes sitting quietly in a waiting room can bring you the clarity that you need. I like to call it the joy of being bored.

For the last few months, I have been in the process of taking care of my dad’s estate. I haven’t been doing it alone, but it is a lot of tedious paperwork.

It also means I have spent lots of time waiting. At the bank, on the phone listening to horrible hold music, at the courthouse.

Most recently, it was at the lawyers’ office. No one was running behind, and there were no problems, it was just one of those things. There I sat there in the lobby, surrounded by strangers.

I didn’t pull out my phone and scroll through Instagram, I didn’t pop in an earbud and turn on an audiobook. I didn’t even pick up a magazine or newspaper.

But while I was sitting there with my thoughts something magical happened.

You see, not only am I dealing with estate issues, but I have also been working anywhere between 50-60 hours a week at the day job. Sitting in the lobby, I was stressed out, tired, over-caffeinated, and a bit hungry.

But as I sat there and stared out the window, my mind started to slow.

I stopped thinking about work and the self-imposed guilty about leaving early. (Mind you, I left an hour before the official end of my workday, but still managed to work 9 hours).

I focused on what truly needed to get done and what was unnecessary.

I calmed myself and stopped being annoyed by all of those little things that, when all bottled up, make you angry AF.

Soon enough, the lawyer came out and got me; I signed the paperwork I need to sign and left the office feeling lighter, just by staring out the window for 30 minutes.

PS – Self Care at Work

My Evening Routine (and why you should have one too)

Written by Cassie · November 7, 2019 · This blog generates income via ads · This post may contain affiliate links

My morning routine is pretty structured. I get up, and the whole thing goes on autopilot. On the other hand, My evening routine is much more free-flowing. Some nights I have some things to check off my to-do list so I spend some quality time with my laptop. Other times, Jesse is home, and we linger over dinner and talk.

It doesn’t matter if your evening routine I structured or free-flowing. The point is to find the things you need to do each night to set yourself up for a restful sleep and an excellent start to tomorrow morning.

There are a few things that are on my must-do list each day after work:

Get a bit of outside time.

I spend most of my days trapped in a near windowless building. So when I finally get home, I like to spend at least 15 minutes outside. I may take the dog for a walk, or I might spend time weeding the garden. If the day was particularly rough, I might lay in the grass under the tree with my dog.

I do this even on the coldest days of winter. It is more important than ever on days when the temp doesn’t get above 0.

Clean Kitchen

The kitchen room we spend the most time, and it is also the room I spend the most time cleaning. After supper, I pack up the leftovers for lunches, pack the dishwasher. and wipe down the tables and counters. And most importantly, set up the coffee pot for the next morning.

Brain Dump and Relaxation Time

Once the kitchen is clean, and any other pending tasks are complete, I take some time to unwind. I might journal (a new habit I am trying out), I might make some tea and chat with my husband. I might drink a beer and watch a couple of episodes of Parks and Rec.

The key is to relax.

I keep a post-it nearby, so I can write down any tasks or ideas that pop up, so I can write them down before I lose the thread.

Go to bed on-time.

I am pretty strict on my bedtime (during the week, anyhow). And since I get up at 4:30 am, that means I try to be upstairs getting into bed by 9. I read for a bit or listen to a sleep story, but my goal is to be asleep by 9:30.

My evening routine is simple, straight-forward, and to the point. But it sets me up for a restful night’s sleep and gives me a jump on the next day.

Do you have an evening routine? What is on your list?

10 Things I Loved About October

Written by Cassie · November 5, 2019 · This blog generates income via ads · This post may contain affiliate links

It is really easy to become blind to the beauty around you. Each October reminds me why I live in a place where both the summers and winters can be unbearable.

I got a new vacuum, and it might just be love!

I pre-ordered Anne’s book, Don’t Overthink It. This sounds like a book most women can use.

I read a while back that you should keep a dish brush full of soap in your shower for a quick and easy way to clean up while showering. Sure as shit, this is amazing.

I started giving myself weekly bentonite clay face masks and my skin has never looked better. Just mix the clay with a bit of apple cider vinegar and spread on your face. Wipe off with warm water and a washcloth when it is dry.

I live in apple country. I have eaten so many Honeycrisps it is getting a bit out of hand.

The weather is starting to turn pretty wintery around here, so I treated myself to a new winter coat. Even the pockets are soft!

I finally, FINALLY, finished Breaking Bad.

I read the much anticipated (for me, anyhow) finale of the Carnival series. Which is aptly names Finale.

And last but not least, nine wonderful years with my husband.

Be Grateful

You have accomplished both huge and small things and there is more success on the horizon.