How to Find Time to Rest with a Busy Schedule

Recently we have had a lot of coming and going of guests in our home. Squishing as many as 5 people in our 600ft studio apartment!

We have had late nights chatting and movie watching as well as early mornings whether it be for work or adventuring.

The last few days I have been feeling the exhaustion creeping in as I started to learn more and more on coffee and chocolate every day to keep me going. Not to mention my extremely extroverted self was slowly turning into an introvert.

The problem is that I spread my time and energy way too thin. Today everyone went home and I completely crashed. The feeling of sleep exhaustion, dehydration, whacked-out hormones, and sore muscles had me in bed for a nap at noon and fell asleep for over two hours! My husband has even taken a siesta today, and when we both need a nap you know we are tired.

So here I am re-evaluating how I approach the rest of this awesome summer and realizing that what we need in all the busy and exciting times is to slow down.

SO how do we slow down during one of the busiest seasons of the year? Well I totally get it, you have kids, you work all the time, have school, or maybe you're doing all three! Life won't stop for you, so you have to take responsibility for finding the time and ability to slow things down. Even though slowing down is important, it’s hard to know where to start, so here are a few tips to help you answer that question for your own life.

First of all, you want to begin to think about the time-wasters in your life. And by time-wasting, I don’t mean sleep! I mean mindless activities like social media that drain our time to rest and regroup in our day to day life. I am not saying that you have to go to the extreme and cut out all social media because life doesn’t work well on extreme restrictions. You are more than likely setting yourself up for failure when you have extreme restrictions and this doesn’t actually solve the problem of creating solid boundaries in life. There are things you can do like set times on your social media apps or leave the checking of social media for specific times of the day, away from bedtime when you are supposed to be taking time for yourself to rest and recover. What I do is set a 30-minute reminder on Instagram since its what I am on the most. Then over the course of the day if I have spent 30 minutes on Instagram it lets me know. It doesn’t shut off the app but is a simple reminder as to how much time is spent there. When I first started my average time on just Instagram was almost 2 hours a day, but now it has gone down to about 55 minutes a day! This is just a small example of how just becoming aware of time wasters we can cut back on to regain time to rest.

My second piece of advice is to recognize where you often say yes even though saying no would benefit both you and your family. Usually, these are fun activities or events that when you have energy sound great, but at the end of a long week are more taxing than anything. It’s hard to say no to something that is fun like a night out with friends, or a day spent at a theme park with your kids. These things aren’t a bad thing to have in your schedule, but we need to remember the importance of having a weekend or day off for rest and recuperation.

Lastly, I want to talk about asking for help. For me, this is very relevant because I hate to ask for something, even if I need it and the person has expressed openly their will to give it. This can be anything from a loved one watching your kids so you can take a nap, asking your spouse to run to the grocery store for milk, or seeing if a friend can cover a shift at work. The worst they can say is no, but more than likely if they love you, they will do what they can to help even if it doesn’t work out this time, it might the next! This is not one of those suggestions where you use and abuse the kindness of others without paying it forward because when you get these moments into rest and recuperate you begin to see the importance of them. Since you are better rested you can take the opportunity to do the same for someone else in need. It is a great opportunity to reach out to others and build stronger bonds as a community when we begin to work together to benefit each other.

SO first we find the time wasters and set some boundaries, we find where we say yes to plans when we should be saying no, and then we learn to say yes please to help from others instead of saying no thanks.

If we can incorporate these little changes into our day to day lives, we will find ourselves rested and able to give more to others around us!

Thank you for checking out my page!

Money Saving Tips on Buying Name Brand Health Foods

How to Buy Name brand foods on a Budget!

I don’t know about you, but when it comes to buying healthy name brand food on a budget can be a tad bit difficult without a strategy. Luckily I have worked the last few years as a new wife working on figuring out how to do it!

So here are some of my top tips for buying name brand foods on a budget for you and your family!

1. Figure out what your buying options in the area are.

For Daniel and me we don’t live near any of the cheaper health food stored like Trader Joes or Whole Foods so we have to rely on the more expensive grocery Stores. If this is you figure out when they run their specials and make a plan to go in and get out as soon as possible so you don’t get distracted and overspend.

For us, Fresh Market has 2.99 Tuesday where Ground Beef and Chicken Breast is 2.99lb! When this happens we stock up on about a months’ worth of meat so we cut down on the number of times were in the store.

2. Buy your Organic Vegetables Locally!

You can do this for signing up for your local CSA or find your nearest farm stand. This was you are only buying what’s in season so everything is higher quality, it’s usually a lot cheaper then what’s in stores and you're supporting a local small business!

3. Buy your Pantry Items Online!

I am sure you have heard of THRIVE Market and Amazon. Both places to find your convenience items, but both can really rob you of your money. This is why I am always careful in choosing what I buy from these stores and always have the mindset of only going on to buy essentials.

THRIVE market has similar prices to Trader Joe’s when it comes to Pasta, anything Tinned, collagen, etc. I try to stock up once a month since shipping is only free after $50 and I find it easy to overspend on unnecessary things. The nice thing about thrive is you always get a free gift worth about $20.

AMAZON, on the other hand, carries one of my favorite brand Anthony’s Goods, and don’t have to spend a certain amount to get free shipping. I also have compared prices and we have signed up for subscriptions for personal care items such as toothpaste and toilette paper.

4. Always Check the Price per ounce!

This is a trick my Dad taught me and it is one of the biggest money savers! There are usually a few different name brands of our favorite products like Almond Butter. Conveniently there all usually a different size with a different price, but don’t just grab the cheapest one possible! The Price per ounce shows you how much you’re actually paying per item. I have seen it where the packaging looks exactly the same size and the price is similar but one will be 30 cents more per ounce! This doesn’t seem like a lot, but it adds up and makes a big difference in the end!

So now that you have all your tools to make buying Healthy Name brand foods possible for your family, it’s your turn to show the grocery stores what you’re made of! And use that extra cash to put towards something meaningful and fun!

Thanks for stopping by!

-Sonya Peacocke

How to be Content

I don’t know about you, but birthdays for the last few years have kind of freaked me out. I know, I know, I am definitely still a spring chicken but when you go from the positivity of sweet 16 to the idea of ever being older than 21 it’s a weird adjustment. This happens for a lot of milestone Birthdays and I just wanted to take a minute to talk about it all.

Lately, I have been pondering the fear of aging. We are all fearful of some degree to age, whether it be for our looks, our abilities, our time with family members, etc. Becoming older is the one big thing everyone knows we have no control over and it’s a scary thought.

The problem I have with this thought of not wanting to age is what age gives us. Age offers experiences, children, wealth, friends, knowledge, memories, resilience, and strength. Yes, playing in the sprinkler on a hot summer’s day as a 5-year-old is a magical time of life, but we tend to idealize certain ages, thinking of only the good. We might always think back to the best moments and we often forget the moments which caused us pain. I did run through a sprinkler in the summer, but I also tripped over it and got into fights with my sister and brother over it. We had it easy, but even as a 5-year old I wasn’t content with what I had.

You might say you don’t even realize what you have no matter how old. Every day is truly a gift from God and I believe that when we spend a life in discontentment and worry we undermine Gods plan. He is involved in every small detail and we can’t even begin to see what he does.

I was recently reading Matthew 6:25-34 where the Bible discusses the importance of not worrying about tomorrow. It goes over how if God cares for something as small and insignificant as flowers and birds then he surely will care for us and we are not to worry. As well as worrying, God wants us to be content with what we have! Paul teaches us about the power of contentment in Philippians 4. In verse 12 Paul speaks to the people, saying “I know what it is to be in need and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation.” and Philippians 4:13 he goes on to tell the people “I can do all things through him who gives me strength.”

When our focus is on God we find contentment, security, fulfillment, and peace! When we focus on him, age doesn’t matter because with a content heart and a mind free from worry we will truly enjoy the gift of life that God gives to us every single day, no matter what age you are!

So here’s to a worry-free birthdays and a big BYE FELICIA to social media trying to convince us we always need to have a life that portrays perfection. I’ll leave that to the only one who is perfect in this world!

Thank you again for stopping by, and for being a part of Gods Plan for my life!

-Sonya Peacocke

Prioritizing Health and Wellness

I don’t know about you, but when it comes to health and wellness things usually turn out the best for me when I focus on it as an afterthought in life.  

I know what you might be thinking, because hello Sonya, isn’t health and wellness what you are all about? And to answer the question, Yes it is what my main focus is here and I believe it is my calling from God. The thing is, I believe that when our lives are focused on the right things in the right order, everything begins to fall into place.

Think of your time like a budget, where people often assume the thing they put the most time into will be successful; therefore bringing with it true happiness. There, of course, are several different types of investments, but the one thing that people (Myself included) need to realize is the only way to gain true balance and success is to first invest in your relationship with Christ!

In John 3:30 the bible says “He must increase, and I must decrease.” This doesn’t mean you as a person have to give up on everything brings you joy or makes you feel good. What it does mean is that what you invest in first and foremost in life is God.

My life did not reflect John 3:30 at the beginning of college when all I truly cared about was getting healthy and fit. It sounds innocent enough, but because I was putting myself as my main investment I began to act as though I was the only thing that could provide happiness in my life. I became so obsessed with obtaining happiness that I became a slave to myself. I stopped eating, was over-exercising, and lived for the high of loose fitting pants.

If you read Proverbs 27:19, it says “So as water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart.” My life reflected a selfish and broken system, a life dependent on self. I believed that in turning to myself and leaving God at the bottom of the list I could make everything right when in reality, my life was a disaster.

In Proverbs 21:2 it says, “A person may think their own ways are right, but the LORD weighs the heart.”  

My ways were not right, and even today I don’t always invest my time properly, but my end goal is to first and foremost focus on the LORD. I know that when my heart is not invested in him, my relationships, work life, and health suffer. 

So the next time you dive into a self-help book, blog, Instagram page, make sure that before working with these tools find out what's going on in your heart.

Thank you for stopping by, If you have any questions please let me know in the comments below or dm on my Instagram handle at @sonyasopencupboard. I would love to talk to you more about the freedom and LOVE which comes from God!

Love always,

Sonya

HoW to Form Healthy Habits

I don’t know about you but when it comes to keeping habits, I am usually a little all over the place when it comes down to it. Of course, the intentions are always good, but sometimes I lose focus, lose interest and my big plans usually fall flat.

After many attempts at fighting the desire to form a habit and then rebelling against what’s expected I have figured out some secret weapons informing and keeping habits.

· Tip #1: Learn how YOU operate.

One of my favorite things I did last year was take the Myers Briggs personality test and learn more about me as a person. When you learn more about how you operate it can make all the difference in how you begin to approach things like forming habits.

For Example as an ENFJ, I know that I can be a bit, well VERY idealistic. In order to combat this, I need to reel myself in a bit and start small with forming habits but keep my big ideas at the forefront to keep me motivated!

You can find the test HERE https://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test and use your results and the next three tips to start to build the healthy habits that you want!

· Tip a#2: Give yourself a time slot.

Sometimes if I know there’s no definite ending point I won’t even begin trying, even if it’s something I actually want to do. So instead start with a week-long commitment and when the week is over, start your week goal over again.

This way if you have a hard time committing to something long term by keeping things simple you’re more likely to continue with it, especially if you realize you actually enjoy doing it.

· Tip #3: Show yourself some Grace

Okay so one thing I find about forming habits, after a few weeks (or days) of staying on track something might get in the way and you have the time, forgot, or maybe just chose to not do it. In these situations, I usually get discouraged and quit since my plans for perfection have been derailed. This is where the grace part comes in.

It’s good to remember that nobody is perfect no matter what their Instagram feed looks like or how they come off. Everyone gets derailed, and it’s OK the only thing you have to worry about is to keep moving forward.

· Tip #4: Remind yourself WHY you started

When you first decide what habits you want to form write down a list of WHY you want to make the habit. If you want to go to bed early because you don’t want to be grumpy with your family in the morning then write it down. This way if you start to move away from your new habits you can take a look at the list and use it as motivation to stay on track!

Hopefully, with these tips help you feel motivated to form and keep those healthy habits!

Thank you so much for stopping by and checking out this post!

As always, lots of love and have a wonderful day!

-Sonya