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Feel Out of Sorts? These 11 simple tasks will help you get back on track.

Written by Cassie · April 28, 2020 · This blog generates income via ads · This post may contain affiliate links

Feel Out of Sorts? These 11 simple tasks will help you get back on track. | CassieRauk.com

Feel Out of Sorts?  These 11 simple tasks will help you get back on track. | CassieRauk.com

If you are anything like me, you have your fair share of listless days, especially during these pandemic days of uncertainty. I am talking about the days when you wander around the house and yard, not really getting anything accomplished. By the time bedtime rolls around, you feel crappier than before.

But there is hope!

I have a short list of things that I do on those day to shake me loose of my funk and I think they can help you too.

  1. Make your bed. Simple, but makes your bedroom seem tidy even when there is a pile of dirty laundry in the corner.
  2. Clean off our kitchen table and counters. Tables and counter are a magnet for clutter. Take a few minutes and put stuff where they belong.
  3. Clean out a drawer or cabinet.  Clutter makes you feel heavy, so get rid of some of your unused things.
  4. Wake up early(ish). You don’t have to wake up at the crack of dawn, but getting up a half-hour or so earlier makes the day feel like it has so much more potential.
  5. Help someone else. Pick up groceries for your elderly neighbors or ding-dong-ditch toilet paper on friends’ doorsteps.
  6. Make a list. I am a huge list maker.  And when I am feeling my most frazzled taking a half hour to write down all of the things floating around in my head makes everything seem brighter.  
  7. Delete unused files from your computer. You know all of those freebies you downloaded from websites and promptly forgot about? Move them into your trash.
  8. Clean off your desk.  This is especially important if you are working from home these days. Taking a few minutes to clean off your desk will make you feel more organized (even if the rest of your life is a mess).
  9. Adjust your privacy settings on social media.  Take 20 minutes to do a deep dive into your FB and Insta settings and make sure people are only seeing what you want them to.   
  10. Clean out your inbox. You know all of those unread emails that are plugging up your inbox? You are never going to read them, so just let them go. As for the ones that you do need to keep, tag them, and put them in folders.
  11. Tackle one nagging thing from your to-do list.  You know that one stupid thing that we need to do that we keep putting off. Take some time and run that errand or make that call. That one single thing will make you feel accomplished.

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

Filed Under: life + happiness, VIP

Pandemic Check-In

Written by Cassie · April 21, 2020 · This blog generates income via ads · This post may contain affiliate links

Pandemic Check-In | CassieRauk.com
Pandemic Check-In | CassieRauk.com

If you subscribe to my newsletter, you know I have been talking about how weird everything is. And that is putting it pretty mildly.

Since things are so weird, I thought I would interrupt the regularly scheduled programming and let give you an update on how things are going in the Rauk House.

Jesse and I are both considered ‘essential employees’ so the normal day-to-day getting up and going to work thing hasn’t changed. The fun new addition is the constant state of anxiety about getting the virus and passing it on to others.

I wash my hands so much they are raw, guys.

Other than work, our days have been pretty quiet. We have been working on projects around the house. And I have been using up some of my nervous energy by decluttering the crap out of everything. It started with the bathroom and has moved to the kitchen.

That is not to say that everything is all sunshine and rainbows. I cried in my car last week while listening to NPR, and I don’t know how much longer I will be working.

We are really just taking things day-by-day.

Spring is finally arriving in our little corner of Minnesota, and watching the grass turn green and hearing the birds chirp through the open window has been fabulous. With everything that is going on, it is nice to see that Mother Nature is doing her thing.

How are you all doing? What is going well and what is freaking you out (other than the obvious)?

Filed Under: life + happiness, VIP

9 Self-Care tips we all need right now

Written by Cassie · April 14, 2020 · This blog generates income via ads · This post may contain affiliate links

9 Self Care Tips We All Need Right Now | CassieRauk.com
9 Self Care Tips We All Need Right Now | CassieRauk.com

When COVID became the biggest part of our news cycle, I (and I am sure many others) hoped that this would be fast. A few weeks of staying home and everything would be back to normal in a few weeks.

It is becoming very apparent that we are in this for the long haul. Months, maybe.

That means that now is not the time to forsake your own well-being and sanity. We all need to be in top form to get through this.

Here are 9 things that will help you stay focused and de-stress.

Go outside. Fresh air and sunshine makes everything better.

Sit in silence (or meditate if that is your jam). Get away from the chatter and let your mind wander.

Move your body. Take a walk or do some youtube exercise videos.

Limit social media (and news). Constantly checking Facebook and the news these days is not good for your mental health. Try to limit yourself to a few times a day.

List your accomplishments for the day. It may feel like you didn’t do anything productive, so take a minute to write down what you did get done. And hey, if you managed to get out of bed and take a shower that is still a win.

Get away from screens. Take a break from the television, computer, and phone. Read a book, work on a puzzle,

Take a nap. A 10-minute snooze can make a world of difference if you are feeling cruddy.

Drink water. You can never drink too much and being dehydrated makes you feel like crap.

Connect with someone. Text your mom or video chat with your friends. Have a beer with your neighbor in your yards while staying six feet from each other.

Do you have any self-care tips to add? Let me know them in the comments!

Photo by Taisiia Shestopal on Unsplash


Filed Under: self care + wellness, VIP

Decluttering is not enough

Written by Cassie · April 7, 2020 · This blog generates income via ads · This post may contain affiliate links

Decluttering is Not Enough | CassieRauk.com
Decluttering is not enough | CassieRauk.com

I love Marie Kondo as much as anyone. I devoured her books when they came out, and love to watch her lovingly fold t-shirts on video clips and her show.

Not only did she teach me how to fold my shirts, but she also taught me that it was ok to let things go. I stuffed my homes full of items I bought on a whim, pricey items I purchased and never used, and sentimental family ‘heirlooms.’

But decluttering is only part of the answer.

The key to living a simpler life is to want less. And then buy less.

But that is hard. It is so hard.

Purging your closet of all of the clothes you don’t wear is excellent, but if you fill it back in with more clothes, you end up right where you started in the first place. It is disheartening when your forward progress pulls you around in a circle.

That is the nasty thing about decluttering that everyone seems to forget. You shouldn’t have to declutter your house every couple of years, and if you do, there is something else going on.

You need to want less.

How? How do you want less? That is the million-dollar question. And I am still trying to figure it out. Plus, I am pretty sure it is different for all of us. For me, it started with limiting my social media. I want a whole lot less when I am not looking at fashionable people in their stylish houses on Instagram.

I also take a look at my goals. If buying another pair of jeans is not going to help me reach my goal of staying out of debt, then I should pass. The same goes for my dream of a remodeled kitchen.

Now it’s your turn! How are you working toward wanting less?

Decluttering is Not Enough | CassieRauk.com

PS – Things I have done to simplify my life + How to create a morning routine.


Filed Under: life + happiness, VIP

My Super-Secret Productivity Hack

Written by Cassie · February 25, 2020 · This blog generates income via ads · This post may contain affiliate links

My Super Secret Productivity Hack | CassieRauk.com

I am a gal who gets things done. I have a super-secret productivity hack that I have used for years to be productive and efficient. Curious? Keep reading!

My Super Secret Productivity Hack | CassieRauk.com

I have a productivity secret. A super-secret productivity hack. One little thing that can change how much you get done. It can make you a better boss, employee, board member, and all-around person-in-the-world.

For a long time, I kept this productivity secret to myself. But if I share my secret, then everyone would start doing it, and I would lose my edge. Right?

But you know what? It is too good not to share. So lean in, and I will whisper it in your ear.

Stop fucking around and do the damn work. You can use every productivity app, every notebook, every planner in the world, but all of that doesn’t mean shit if you don’t sit down, focus, and do the work.

Earth-shattering, right?

And even if everyone in the world read this post, most would still not become more productive.

You want to know why?

Because doing the work is boring.

Doing the work isn’t sexy. There is no balloon drop or a shower of Champagne. It is just you and a pile of work.

If you want to write a book, you need to sit down at your computer and type out your shitty first draft.

How about that closet? If you want to declutter it, you need to pull out all of your clothes and start making decisions.

If you want to pay off your credit cards, you need to make a budget and stick to it.

You need to do the work.

PS – Self-Care at Work.

My Super Secret Productivity Hack | CassieRauk.com

Filed Under: productivity + time management, VIP, work + money

How I stay healthy in the winter

Written by Cassie · February 4, 2020 · This blog generates income via ads · This post may contain affiliate links

How I Stay Healthy in the Winter | CassieRauk.com

Trying to stay healthy this winter? Me too! I am one of those lucky people that doesn’t get sick much. Want to learn how I stay healthy in the winter? Read on!

How I Stay Healthy in the Winter | CassieRauk.com

I am one of those lucky people that don’t get sick often. (knock on wood).  

My dad always said it was because my sisters and I were farm kids. We played in the dirt and ended up eating our fair share of it. He put it this way, “When you have been outside all morning sorting cattle, and someone hands you a sandwich, you don’t say I have to wash my hands first. You eat the damn sandwich!”

There is probably some truth to that.

But I also take particular care of myself in the winter to prevent myself from getting sick in the first place. Here is how I go about it.

I get lots of sleep.

Winter is cold and dark, so why not spend some extra time in bed? My theory is that when you are sick, you need to rest, so if you get plenty of rest that you won’t get sick the first place. Right? Well, the Mayo Clinic agrees with me.  

I take walks.

When I was a kid and was sick enough to stay home from school, my mom still made me do my afternoon farm chores. “The fresh air will make you feel better,” she told me. For the most part, she was right. Now I make it a habit to get fresh air every day.  

Minnesota winters make this hard sometimes. Last year around this time, it was so cold that the air hurt your face, but what are you going to do. On days like that, I might limit it to the time it takes to walk my dog out to his spot to do his business, but on nicer days, we spend a bit more time trudging through the snow.

I drink all the wellness teas.

I am a massive fan of SleepyTime and Traditional Medicinal teas. My tea drinking started way to keep my hands warm in the cold warehouse and it morphed into obsession, During the winter, I switch to Echinacea teas to help boost my immune system. I drink Gypsy Cold Care in the cold afternoons and Echinacea Plus before bed.

Wellness teas may be a bit woo-woo for some people. But I think it helps. And drinking warm liquids when you are sick makes you feel better.

I am not a hugger.

Cold and Flu season is when my year-around standoffishness pays off. I am far less likely to be exposed to germs when I am hugging every sick aunt and cousin that comes to visit. But in all seriousness, the easiest way to not get exposed to viruses is to stay away from sick people. If they do get into your orbit (or sneak attack hug you) was your hands after.

I also want to say that if you do get sick, do your family and coworkers a favor and stay home and get well. No one wants to get sick, and most coworkers would much rather pick up your slack then get your flu.

Just a few easy lifestyle changes can mean the difference between spending the winter surrounding by spent tissues and moving forward with your life.  It’s worth a shot, right?

How I Stay Healthy in the Winter | CassieRauk.com

PS – How I prepare for winter.

Filed Under: self care + wellness, VIP

15 Ways to Beat Cabin Fever

Written by Cassie · January 21, 2020 · This blog generates income via ads · This post may contain affiliate links

15 Ways to Beat Cabin Fever | CassieRauk.com
cabin-fever

Mid-January is when the reality of winter in Minnesota starts to set in. The solstice may be behind us, but the seemly endless days of winter are ahead of us. And we don’t even have any holiday parties to look forward to.

That is when cabin fever sets in, and it can be pretty gross.

Here are 15 ways to beat off cabin fever, because spring is still a long way off, friends.

  1. Visit a greenhouse and buy some pants.
  2. Get some seed catalogs and plan next year’s garden.
  3. Go on a weekend getaway.  
  4. Get a daylight lamp.
  5. Take a walk (or snowshoe) in the woods.
  6. Plan a summertime road trip.
  7. Start a new hobby.
  8. Volunteer.
  9. Organize your pantry/garage/basement.
  10. Hold a cozy dinner party.
  11. Bake/Cook something new and time-consuming.
  12. Take an online class.
  13. Home spa day!
  14. Browse a bookstore
  15. Kitchen Dance Party while making cookies. (This might be something that I just do, but . . .)
15 Ways to Beat Cabin Fever | CassieRauk.com

Filed Under: self care + wellness, VIP

(Before heading to Target) Shop your house first

Written by Cassie · January 14, 2020 · This blog generates income via ads · This post may contain affiliate links

Shop Your House First | CassieRauk.com
Shop Your House First | CassieRauk.com

I know I have talked about it before, but for those of you that missed it, our house is constantly changing.  We moved to our 150-year-old farmhouse six years ago and have been working on it ever since. We have replaced some flooring, painted some rooms, and gotten rid of a whole lot of stuff.  All that work has barely scratched the surface. Our home projects will be never-ending.

A few months ago, I was planning a trip to Ikea.  I had new nightstands picked out and was considering if now was the time to get a love seat for our den-like area we call the porch.  Or maybe I should find a new chair for the living room? But that meant I needed to find a home for my dad’s recliner. Which was in good shape and super comfy, but it looked out of place with the straight lines of the couch we got a couple of years back.  

Then I remembered how it might be nice to have a house with all-new, trendy furniture. But I will not enjoy the credit card debt that comes with that.  So I (wo)man-handled the recliner into the porch. After I added a cozy blanket and a throw pillow, that chair looked pretty inviting. Then I dug out a console table that had been collecting dust in an unused room, things came together.  

Then I moved an old Ikea chair we had in our bedroom downstairs to the living room.  As much as I feel like I need a comfy reading chair in my bedroom, I hardly ever use it.  I picked up a new cover for it at Ikea and saving myself a load of money and end up with a new-to-me chair.  

Why am I telling you all this?  To remind you to shop your house first. 

Let me say that one more time:

Shop your house first.

Maybe that chair that is just so-so in the living room will make a great reading chair in the corner of your bedroom.  Or perhaps that old footstool would look much better in the corner holding your newest houseplant.  

The same goes for accessories.  I find much more joy grabbing my pens out of a Wonder Woman mug on my desk at work than I do the ‘pencil cup’ that I bought from Target.  

Before heading to the Ikea, your local thrift store, or settling down for some hard-core internet shopping, take a hard look around your house.  Shuffle furniture around and dig stuff out of storage.  

Your wallet will thank you.


Filed Under: house + home, VIP, work + money

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

Five Free Things You Can Do Right Now to Prep For the Holidays | cassierauk.com
Five Free Things You Can Do Right Now to Prep For the Holidays | cassierauk.com

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.


Filed Under: house + home, VIP

The Joy of Being Bored

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

The Joy of Being Bored | cassierauk.com

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.

The Joy of Being Bored | cassierauk.com

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


Filed Under: self care + wellness, VIP

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Howdy, I’m Cassie

Rural Gal. INTJ. Voracious Reader. 8w9. Enthusiastic Eater. Questioner. My sarcasm is on point and I am loud for no reason at all.
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