My day starts around 5:30 am during the school year.  I go to the bathroom, brush my teeth, throw on a cardi and head down to boil filtered water for my bulletproof coffee. I love my Aeropress Coffee system, but man is it S-L-O-W. But I do get the dishwasher unloaded and the kitchen counters cleaned up while it’s in the making. And I drink 16 oz of water from my Berkey with one drop of Lemon essential oil.  I like to diffuse happy oils, like Citrus Bliss & Douglas Fir, at the kitchen bar where the kids will eat breakfast. 

Also known my ‘this is mom’s time, please close the door’ time. This 60 minutes is when I get my spirit and mind in gear for the day ahead. Mama needs her time with God if I’m going to be up to all the things each day. I have a mess-free quiet room I call my Studio where I close the doors and sit at my desk. I read my Bible app, a short devotional and do some prayer journaling. I like to diffuse awakening oils in my Lumo diffuser to stimulate my thinking and energize my mood with oils like Lime & Motivate, or maybe Grapefruit & Balance. 

I have worked my way up to an hour+ here. Even just 10 minutes alone is so important for my mood and mindset for the day. And on days that I sleep too late, that’s all I’ll do. And before the oldest 2 kids were on their own and I didn’t have the space, I created a quiet corner in my bedroom. Where there’s a will there’s a way, mamas! Get creative in your space. 

 I throw on some workout clothes, pack any lunches or snacks the kids need and do the last minute run around helping everyone get out the door. Yes, this can sometimes be a stressful 15 minutes. There might be drama or lost things, but I try not to let that rattle my cage. And if I’ve gotten my Empowering Hour in, it’s so much easier to let things slide. If the drama child will let me, I’ll rub Balance on the back of the neck, but teenagers can be wise to my oil tricks so sometimes I just turn myself into a human diffuser and rub oils on MY neck. 

I drop my kids off to school and diffuse a mood-lifter combo in my car diffuser, maybe Wild Orange and Lavender. You’re welcome teachers!

If I don’t workout right after I’ve dropped kids off, it won’t happen. I know myself too well! I aim for 3-4 days a week. I’m a simpleton at the gym. I walk some rolling hills on the treadmill for 30 minutes and do some weight lifting on the circuit twice a week. My favorite part of the workout is happening in my mind. I love listening to podcasts while I exercise! Laying habits like this is key to enjoying them and continuing them. A little Deep Blue on my tight muscles afterward and some Peppermint on my sweaty neck, and I’m heading for home to shower. 

It would be easy to stay in my kinda sweaty clothes, but part of my self-care routine is liking how I look, so I shower and get ready for the day.  Sure, I work alone, but feeling my best involves looking good too. My doTERRA Essential Skin Care is fast and easy. I also try to down another 20 ounces of water with a drop of Grapefruit because it’s great for shrinking fat cells. 

After years of diets and eating plans that I couldn’t stick with or didn’t leave me feeling energized, I have landed on Intermittent Fasting. I do drink Bulletproof Coffee the first couple hours of my day, which I make with Kerrygold grass-fed unsalted butter and unrefined coconut oil blended unti frothy in my Vitamix. I usually eat 2 meals within a 7 hour window which starts with lunch at noon or so. Sometimes I have an afternoon snack at 4 pm(like some pistachios and my Lemon Cayenne Kevita), but I have found this has led to sustained energy and continued weight loss. I don’t eat flour of any kind or sugar. 

I add this here NOT because you need to do it as part of your healthy habits, but because I do think it’s important to decide what you DO want to eat to be healthy. Your food choices make a significant impact on your wellness and I think it’s too easy to just eat by default. You matter mama, and therefore you need to fuel your body intentionally.