Recently, I've come to find that peaceful, productive mornings are actually made in the evenings.

Here are 5 tips to a more restful night's sleep.


1. Keep your phone charging in another room. I can't tell you how many hours of precious sleep I have lost to mindless scrolling on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. Knowing it would always tempt me on my nightstand, I have since started charging it overnight in my office. I knew I was going to have to invest in an alarm clock since I wouldn't have my phone handy and ultimately decided on this "retro-future" alarm clock radio by Electrohome (pictured above).


2. Switch from an electronic reader to physical books to reduce the blue light strain on your eyes. I really wanted to incorporate reading before bedtime, but trying to read on my iPad was starting to affect my eyes and I would tend to get distracted with the apps I mentioned above. If you are on a budget, or like to keep minimal books around, your local used book store or library would be a great resource. We happen to have a few book shelves filled with books, many of which I haven't read before. I read a lot of personal development and science books for school, so I like to chill out with some fantasy novels before bed. I'm currently loving the Wizard's First Rule series by Terry Goodkind and the Sword of Shannara series by Terry Brooks. (I JUST realized while typing this that there are two extremely popular fantasy authors named Terry.)


3. Be aware and bring attention to your body's sleep needs. We usually hear "get at least 8 hours of sleep" (which I try to follow) but everyone's sleep to functioning ratio might be a little different (more or less.) The right amount of sleep will leave you feeling alert and refreshed upon waking. For me that can be anywhere from 8-9 hours, depending on how much activity I've done during the day.


4. Try allowing 15-20 minutes to meditate before you go to sleep. Those evenings when I've allowed enough time to do meditation have provided me with some of the best sleep. I was using the "Body Scan" meditation from Palouse Mindfulness and really want to incorporate it back into my routine. There are also lots of meditation options available on the calm.com and Headspace apps.


5. Keep a gratitude journal. Cultivating an attitude of gratitude contributes positively to our well-being. Ending the night on a high note, even when you've had a rough day, can provide you with some peace before you fall asleep. Right now I am using a regular notebook and will probably upgrade to this beautiful yet simple option from Etsy seller The Lively Pen (bonus- it's customizable!).


I've also heard great things about The Five Minute Journal which has a space for both morning and evening entries. I will probably check this out in the new year, considering it's almost October.

I will be sharing my new nightly sleep routine soon so you can get a glimpse into the things I do to prepare myself to be well rested for the next day.

Did one of these tips resonate with you? My challenge to you is to find one tiny step you could take to improve your sleep.

1. Jane Iredale Glow Time Full Coverage Mineral BB Cream
I have a confession to make. I have heard of Jane Iredale over the last few years, in passing, but I made the weird assumption that it was a brand marketed towards older women. (Ugh, I know, such a weird thought!) Of course, to my surprise, Jane Iredale is a mineral based makeup line free of perfume, alcohol, artificial dyes, and nasty chemicals. Luckily for pale people like myself, most of her products also have SPF. During my research, I found a ton of great reviews for the Glow Time BB Cream and decided to give it a go. I was really looking for something that was full coverage to replace my Estee Lauder DoubleWear Foundation (which is, sadly, not cruelty free) and after checking out some color swatches I decided on the color BB 3. I am in LOVE with this BB Cream! It does, indeed, provide a full coverage and great finish. For reference, I am very fair, with a slight case of rosacea/redness, and normal skin. The BB cream retails on the Jane Iredale website for $48.00 US but I actually got mine on Overstock.com for $35.49 US which is comparable to most other mid-priced foundations.

2. Evolvh Leave- In Conditioner
I have recently become a huge fan of  the "green" beauty movement and was perusing Credo Beauty when I came across the Evolvh hair care line. I decided to try the Smart Start Leave-In Conditioner as an introduction to brand. For reference, my hair is colored, a little dry, and prone to tangles, and this product delivered on it's claims to detangle and soften. I love that there are no harsh ingredients and my hair is left silky, shiny, and lightly scented. I bought the full sized (8.5 oz) bottle which may be a little pricey for some at $27.00 US, but I feel like it will last a while. If you want to try it before committing, Credo Beauty does have a 2 oz bottle for $10.00 US.


3. Pacifica Dream Big Mascara
I had some extra time before meeting a friend one day and so what else is a girl to do but check out the local Target? I was browsing the beauty aisles when I came across some new Pacifica products. I was familiar with their perfumes and candles, but recently they have built up their line of beauty products and cosmetics. Let me rave about Pacifica here for a moment. All of their products are vegan, cruelty-free, marketed at a great price point, and can be found at Target and Ulta. I purchased the Dream Big Lash Extending 7 in 1 mascara at Target that day and (full disclosure) perhaps it was partly due to the fact that there were stars and unicorns on the packaging. (It was basically calling my name.) I think this is a fantastic mascara and reasonably priced at $15.99.


I've also been working hard on my personal health and fitness goals so I'd thought I share some of my recent favorites from that category.


4. NuGo Bars
Of course whole foods are best, but when I'm traveling or out for a day, I really like a snack that I can toss in my bag or leave in my car for emergencies. Also, I have a sweet tooth and the fact that these have really nice ingredients (especially considering this is a packaged, grab-and-go snack) and are vegan gives these bars a lot of bonus points! They even passed my husband's taste test and he does not like very many bars.They come in lots of different flavors but my personal favorites are the NuGo Dark Mint Chocolate Chip and the NuGo Dark Chocolate Pretzel with Sea Salt. You can find them by the box on Nugo Nutrition Website for $19.00 or (as with most things) for slightly cheaper on Amazon.com. I also buy them individually at my local Whole Foods.

5. New Rules of Lifting for Women Workout
 I bought this book years ago after it started getting raves in some of the fitness forums I frequented. I tried it for a while and started seeing results so I have no idea why I stopped. I think it's because I didn't belong to the gym at the time and didn't have enough equipment to do the workouts at home. I've tried many other workouts since then, with varying degrees of success, but decided to dust this book off about 2 months ago. I had not lifted in a while so starting this workout program definitely left me struggling to get up the two flights of stairs in my house. As the weeks go by I can definitely feel myself getting stronger and leaning out. Bonus- the Stage 1 workouts are about 30 minutes if you do them at home with the "home workout alternative exercises" that they provide. This book can be purchased on Amazon for $14.00. (I also encourage you to check out your local library.)

6. Vega One Sport Performance Protein Powder
After transitioning to the vegan lifestyle about a month or so ago, I was on the lookout for a tasty plant-based protein powder that I could use in smoothies. The Chocolate flavor tastes like chocolate caramel and I love it! I also like the extra calorie boost that it gives me, especially on days when I'm weight lifting. I usually add this to almond milk, bananas, and spinach for a delicious snack that tastes like a milkshake. I purchased mine at Whole Foods but it is also available at Amazon for $41.00 and comes in Berry, Vanilla, and Chocolate.

They say that knowledge is power and when it comes to wellness, I couldn't agree more. When asked for advice regarding wellness related issues like needing more movement, better nutrition, and more sleep, one of my first questions is usually "Have you ever tracked <insert wellness metric here>?"

Some people track their metrics daily, but if that seems overwhelming, or too much of a commitment to start off with, I encourage people to track for one week. Tracking is  a great way to check in on your progress and goals. I use it as a wake-up call when I am not feeling my best. (Especially when it comes to food...a little bit o' this and a little bit o' that can add up fast!)

If you want to start using trackers to measure your goals, there are lots of different ways to go about it.

For those of you who prefer the good old fashioned pen and paper method, keeping a journal is a great way to track. Journals come in all different shapes and sizes and can be purchased at every price point.

JOURNALS

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