My Evening Routine

Hell again, lovelies!

A little while back, I wrote about my morning routine and how to make sure each morning is as organized and chaos-free as possible. It just occurred to me that I haven't done a post on my evening routine yet. So here it is...

Just like my morning routine, it is essential for me to make sure I am as organized as I can be. I spend a lot of my time in the evening planning for the next day and making sure I have everything I need. A great evening routine will make a better morning routine. My evening routine usually starts as soon as I finish eating and cleaning up my dinner.

1.) I start by taking off all my makeup. Although I do wash my face twice a day, it's very important for me to make sure all traces of makeup, dirt, sweat, and/or any other "yuckies" are completely off my face. It just makes sure my face wash doesn't have to work as hard, and I end up being much more gentle with my skin instead of scrubbing hard

2.) I take a nice hot shower. I shower at night because that way I know I am completely clean before climbing into a clean bed. Evening showers also help me relax and unwind after a busy day. It's time for me to clear my thoughts and simply enjoy warm water and soap suds.

3.) I moisturize my body and put on my pajamas. It's super important to properly moisturize skin. (especially in these harsh winter months) It may seem like it takes too long or isn't as important, but it's so crucial for healthy skin.

4.) I like to read/journal/color. Quiet actives help me further de-stress and it takes my mind off of worrying about too many things. It helps calm me down, so it isn't as hard for me to fall asleep.

5.) I stretch and meditate before climbing into bed.

6.) As I'm lounging in bed, I like to give my hands and feet a little massage with some body cream or butter. Hey, self care is NOT selfish. After a long and busy day, it's important to reward yourself.

I try my very best to go to bed and wake up around the same time each day. Some days are less consistent than others, but I do try to stick to a routine just so I can relax and fall asleep better/faster. The most important thing is to find time to completely unwind and get rid of stress before bed. It's very hard to be successful without taking proper care of yourself.

XOXO
Chloe

There's Still Good

Hello everyone! I hope your week is off to a great start. I am now entering finals week! It's a pretty hectic schedule and on top of that, this morning, my apartment ceiling caved in and fell. It left a pretty big hole and was leaking with water. Thankfully, maintenance was able to come over and fix the leaking. They will start repair in a few days. But now, my roommate and I are doing okay. Just because there is one not-so-great day, that does not mean the entire week has to be bad. It's so important to find the good in each day. We all have to make the most out of what is given to us. Of course I wish the ceiling didn't have to fall right as I am trying to study for exams, but there was nothing I could do about it except to stay positive and breathe.

I understand stress can sneak up on all of us and launch a surprise attack. As difficult as it can be, we all just need to take a few steps back, breathe deeply, and figure out how to best solve the problem without getting worked out and negatively impacting the situation and others around us. Our attitudes are contagious. If we start to stress out and react, then we will affect other people around us, and we can ruin someone's day if we don't watch out attitudes.

I've been teasing myself and saying that my mantra/hashtag all semester has been "It's fine". I often say it with a giggle. Along with telling myself "It's fine",  I've also been telling myself, "It'll be alright". "You will get through this", "Stay calm". Believe me, it is NOT easy for me to sit back and watch chaos go on. I want things fixed immediately. I want things done my way. In reality, it's not about me. It's not about what I want or prefer. Some things are just simply out of human control. There's a reason meditation and prayer exist.

So this morning, I woke up (very early) to a huge mess on my living room floor with a leaky ceiling. It took a lot in me to not cry or scream. I took a deep breathe, poured a big cup of coffee, and just sighed. I even found time to laugh about it while trying to clean up some of the mess. As I'm writing this, I still have a huge hole in my ceiling, but I refuse to let this situation scare me. I choose to make the most out of what just happened. "It's fine." "Everything will work out". "This too shall pass".

XOXO
Chloe