At the beginning of the year, Brad and I sat down and did our annual goals planning. We decided to do things a little differently this year and not only do it once at the beginning of the year, but also check-in every 90 days and reflect on our progress to make sure we are still on track and have our priorities in the right places. 

Health and well-being is important to both of us, in fact, between physical and mental health, our 90 day planning template has 2 entire sections dedicated to health. This weekend, we spent time planning our next 90 days and in doing so, I reflected on how my health was over the last 3 months and here is how it shook out. 

In January and half of February I was really good about tracking my progress and was hitting my goal more than 85% of the time. Then, after I got sick in February, I took some time off and although when I was feeling better, I got back to working out, I didn't get back to tracking it. So although I think I was doing well at reaching my goals, I have no way of actually knowing.  

Tracking our actions can be really overwhelming. First of all, it's one other thing to remember, to actually record what you are doing and secondly, it forces us to hold up a mirror of reality right to our faces at the end of the week or month. There are countless times when I end the week, craving a pasta dinner (it's my favorite Friday treat) thinking, "I was pretty healthy this week, I can totally have pasta for dinner." Then I sit and think back on the week and it's more like, "Well I guess I had ice cream after dinner last night, oh and that extra latte on Tuesday, and oh shoot, also that glass of wine on Monday night, and now that I think about it... I only worked out twice." Well shoot! I thought I was completely on track but now not only am I frustrated with myself, I'm also thinking what the heck should I have for dinner now. 

I know it happens to all of us, but as we laid out our goals for the next 90 days, I'm re-committing to not only doing the work, but also tracking it so that I can hold myself accountable and actually achieve what I set out to do this year, not only in my health, but all the other goals I have. (Cue downloading the  Boost Action Planner  for Q2 now). 

So whether you are tracking workouts, water intake, meditation or any other form of well-being, I've rounded up my favorite workout outfits and well-being treats to help us all get motivated, keeping each other accountable, and ready for summer! 

​What's one of your favorite things for staying healthy?

Guess what, I got it from my Momma! In my family, my mom is known as a super cleaner. We joke that she “loves” to clean, when in actuality she just loves a clean space. Now, however, all my sisters and I know exactly what she meant all those years. Having a clean home seriously makes any bad day feel better.
 
The fresh scents, clean counters, and neatly organized drawers makes things easier to find, take stock of and just overall keeps me smiling. I need to look into the psychological effects of a clean space because I swear, there is something to it.
 
But the counters and toilets are not the only things you should be cleaning. Try incorporate the 8 things below into your cleaning routine. These ones don’t have to be weekly cleanings, but things you should do every 1-2 months to keep even the darkest corners feeling fresh.
 

1. Light switches – We touch these probably more than door knobs so keeping these fresh keeps the germs at bay, sticky free from any dirty hands that touch them, and your walls looking fresh.
2. Base boards – This is like a dust collection monster or a shoe scuff’s favorite spot. A magic eraser sponge does wonders here. 
3. Drawer/Cabinet crumbs – No matter how much I try to keep things in organized tupperwares or their sealed packages, there always seem to be crumbs, especially in the junk drawer. So every time you clean, try to dump out one drawer or cabinet and wipe it down. And then overtime, you’ll keep those crumbs under control.
4. Dishwasher filter – I always forget about this one and then wonder why my dishes aren’t looking as clean. The first thing my mom says, “did you clean the filter” and every time, that is the reason. One day, I’ll remember, and now all of you can too :-)
5. Kitchen cabinet faces – Whether it’s a little cooking grease that accumulates or dirty hands hitting them as they pull the drawer open, these can sometimes start to look a little sad. Taking a quick spray and wipe down makes your kitchen stand out even more.
6. Door knobs – Seriously, we touch these all the time and so does everyone else that comes to our home..
7. Fans – Dust accumulates up there, especially during summer months when our doors and windows are open more.  Wipe them down with a damp cloth and keep a bag nearby to wipe the dust into so it doesn't fall on the floor or your furniture. 
8. Under the bed – turn your mattress while you are at it. To keep your mattress lasting longer, you should actually rotate it often so that you don’t end up with too deep of indents on any particular side. So, while you lift the bed to get all those dust bunnies, take a mattress rotation too. 

How often do you guys clean these spots? Any other nooks and crannies that need some extra love and attention on your list? I'd love to hear them in the comments!

Inevitably we forget things. I think we all have the best intentions to not forget, but no matter what, it happens. And if you think about it, it makes sense. Did you know that we make over 200 decisions a day around food alone? 200! I only remember maybe 6 of those a day. Our brains are certainly impressive, keeping track of things we don’t even realize for all our projects and tasks, all while keep our foundational systems running to help us stay alive.
 
I used to think that if I just focused more or worked harder on remembering things, I would be able to stay on top of things. That may work for some of you still, but, after letting myself down time and time again, I realized that I needed a system to help me. I started with just pen and paper to-do lists, but I ended up leaving them between work and home and not getting much actually checked off.
 
So, slowly but surely, I implemented little things to help me get better. It started out with my hot list to do system (all about it in this post in case you missed it) and as I started getting better from that, I added in other aspects like the Boost Action planner to help keep myself accountable not only to one off tasks but also to consistent habits that help me improve my health, well-being, and specific intentions for the year. 
 
Every Sunday I spend 5-15 minutes reviewing my Boost planner and setting myself up for the week ahead. I realized that I was naturally doing a few other things on Sunday’s to help prep for the week (although not consistently) and when I did, I felt so much more on top of it and was able to reflect on a weekly basis on how well I was doing. That way if, by chance there was anything I forgot, it didn’t go months and months before getting the attention again.
 
I love this system because at the end of the day, the only way we can stop forgetting things is to keep ourselves accountable to our Intentions and actions. If not for ourselves, then for those around us, because if we don't hold ourselves accountable, for many of the things on the list, we don't just let down ourselves, but we also let down someone or some grand goal or vision down as well. 
 
This month's March Boost action planner includes my week start checklist to help you set yourself up for success each week. It will help keep you refreshed, focused and grounded in your intentions so that you can reset and keep moving toward them each week. CLICK HERE to download your template. 

This year, I plan on sitting down and doing a similar exercise for a personal quarterly review. I've included my template in the March Boost Action Planner (click here to get the March Boost Action Plan)
 
Here is how I break it down: 

Where were you in January? Were you only working out once a week and where are you now?
If you’ve been using your Boost Action planner, use metrics! (i.e. I used to do 1 workout a week now I am consistently doing 2 a week) or I’ve been achieving 75% of my goals so far. (i.e. drinking 60 oz of water 22 days out of 30).

In college, Brad and I would spend hours watching Cake Boss. Well, Cake Boss and River Monster’s, can you guess who chose which one? 
 
I’ve always loved the idea of cake decorating, I even made my sister’s 16th birthday cake in the shape of a car and big 5-0 numbers for my parent’s joint 50th. So when it came time for my wedding almost two years ago, I decided that one way I could save money was by making my own cake!
 
Everyone thought I was a little crazy, but I was so excited about it. I made 7 practice cakes leading up to the big day and brought them into the office for taste testing and feedback. By the time my wedding rolled around, I swear I had perfected the chocolate chunk chocolate cake recipe with a blackberry vanilla cream filling and large floret finish. Here's a pic.

If you’ve been following me for a while, you know that I have been wanting a dog for a looonnngggg time. When my sister lived with me, I basically acted like her dog, Winston, was mine too and lived vicariously through her. So, when Brad and I welcomed Stella into our family in October, I was beyond excited.
 
To be honest, I knew it would take some convincing to get Brad onboard (he loves dogs too, but just didn’t think it was the right time for us) and so I did a lot of research on what type of dog` would be good for an apartment, how we would fit it into our lives and the cost. I compiled it all into a PowerPoint and expense spreadsheet. I know it sounds excessive, but it was actually a great gut check to see if we really could take on the responsibility.
 
And so, when we decided on Stella, I quickly hopped online and made frequent trips to PetSmart and Petco to get all the goodies for Stella’s arrival (She flew to us through Delta Pet Cargo and they were amazing!)
 
I know a few of you are gearing up for your own puppies and I’ve been getting tons of questions on what to buy so I’ve compiled my complete checklist of what to buy for a new puppy before they arrive and few others you can get based on things you learn about their behavior after a couple weeks.

Some of the best places to shop and get discounts: Petco, Petsmart coupon books, PetFlow, Chewy. Also, remember almost all these places will price match if you ask. 

◊ Check out the Banfield Puppy Plan through Petsmart for amazing petcare at a great price
◊ Make sure you ask what food they are currently eating so you can get the same one
◊ Leash - I love the rope leashes, they are really durable and look cute!
◊ Harness - This one is really good. Stella didn't love wearing it at first but it helps a ton so that she doesn't slip out of her collar while on a walk. 
◊ Collar - I got both the xs and s that Stella needed in a sale bucket at Petsmart but found similar ones here and here
◊ Potty Bags - you can get these in bulk in Amazon.
◊ Potty Bag Dispenser - I like this one with the zipper so you can store some treats in there as well. 
◊ First Toy – This was seriously her favorite toy. We gave her the little whale baby as soon as she got out of the crate the first time and then put the blanket in her new crate so that she could have something that instantly made her feel like home. She still drags both of these all around the house and it’s the cutest thing.
◊ Food bowl - I loved the dipped ceramic look to go with the rest of my neutral decor at home.
◊ Water jug - This one is super helpful so that you don't have to fill the water as often 
◊ Bed - I got Stella's on sale at Tuesday Morning but here is one similar. She loves the lips on the side to use as a pillow for her head. 
◊ Crate - I really wanted to DIY her crate, but even DIY couldn't beat how affordable this one was. Maybe one day I'll still do a DIY but for affordability, this is the way to go!
◊ Crate Pad - to keep her cozy even in her crate. You can wash this too if there are any early accidents. I did keep a potty pad in her crate for the first few weeks just to be safe. 
◊ Training Treats - Stella is super food motivated and love these. 
◊ Puppy pads - We used these when she was a puppy and also again once she got spayed so she had an easy spot to go when she was out of it. 
◊ Fresh patch - We don't have a yard so we get these delivered monthly and keep it on the balcony so she has an easy spot to go. 
◊ Carpet Cleaner - literally the MUST have purchase while potty training. We traveled a lot while she was a puppy too so this came in handy in everyone else's house too. 
◊ Food Tupperware - I keep Stella's food on the kitchen counter so I really wanted a cute container. I love this one and then I keep her big 50Lb food bag in the pantry and refill it as needed. 
◊ Treat Tupperware - I love this one as a simple and fun jar that keeps her treats fresh.
◊ Brush - I like that this one has a soft side and a harder side. Stella was super sensitive to brushing at first so having the soft side really helped her get used to brushing. 
◊ Shampoo - I haven't tried any others yet but this one is great so far.
◊ Slow eating food bowl - Stella eats way too fast and almost inhales her food so we had to get these to try help slow her down. This is the one we got, but here is a more stylish one that I want to get soon. 
◊ Mini tennis balls - She LOVES fetch and these are perfect for a small dog or puppy
◊ Chew Toys - I mean, can a pup really ever have too many toys. This one and this one are her favorite. 
◊ Toy box - I hate clutter, so everyday, I put her toys back in the bin before bed. I love this one from ikea
◊ Antler chew – This is an amazing toy while teething or if you'll be gone for a few hours, it keeps them entertained and is great for their teeth too. 

I have to admit, this year, it took me a little bit of time to get back into the swing of things. Well to clarify, I was in full swing planning and goal setting, I tried a few new approaches this year that were really fun and effective in getting me to think about exactly what I wanted out of the year and how I can break that down into manageable chunks to get there. See the full posts here and here. 
 
So now that planning is officially finished, or at least the annual one (I like quarterly planning too, sorry it must be the project manager in me) I am taking action once again. One of the goals on my list this year is to do an intense workout 3-4 times a week, something that elevates my heart rate and burns lots of calories.
 
Fitness has always been a big part of my life, I was even a barre instructor for a couple years, so I’ve tried quite a few workout regimens/classes. I like to switch it up often (I normally stick to something for 3-6 months and then fall off/get bored so by switching things up I keep it fresh and coming back for more).

​Also, depending on my schedule, at home workouts are sometimes much easier to fit in then a studio class, so I incorporate those in as well. At the end of the day, I really hate being in a gym solo (even virtually solo). If you're like me and need someone talking you through the different postures and motivating you to work harder, then the list I've compiled here is for you.

These are some of my favorite spots, ranging from local San Diego treasures to national chains and home programs. I’ve tried them all and compiled a review for you to find the one that works best for you. None of these are sponsored, just a look back at my experiences, what I like/liked and what I didn't. 

These are just some of my experiences over the last couple years of training. There are so many other programs out there, both small and large and I’d love to hear some of your favorites to add to my list of workouts to try! Let’s hear it in the comments! 

​I’m really excited to share with you guys this amazing product I got to try out. As I got ready for the holidays, I was lucky enough to partner with Smile Brilliant and I have to say it’s one of the best whitening products I have ever used.
 
To back up a little, I’ve actually tried quite a few whitening systems. Growing up, to say I had some teeth issues would maybe be a bit of an understatement. Eventually my parents started calling me the “cha-ching child” because of how *unique* my teeth were. Before I was 16 I had 4 teeth pulled, an expander, braces, and professional whitening since I had some "miniature teeth" that needed to be bonded. Yes, I definitely was the butt of some jokes throughout middle school and early high-school (I also had a back brace but that's a whole different story)
 
As I got older, I knew the benefits of maintaining all the dental work, but in the laziness of everyday life I ended up drinking all the delicious things like coffee, tea, and wine and gradually wore my retainer less and less. I tried whitening toothpaste, whitening strips and even at home whitening kits so I’ve done my fair share of research and inevitably the product always had a horrible taste and made my teeth super sensitive that I ended up stopping early.
 
When I got my Smile Brilliant kit, I was surprised that they help you make professional custom-fitted trays. Passed kits I had tried used hot water molds to make the trays, like mouth guards, and never fit quite right. These impressions took less than 10 minutes to make and then I sealed them in a pre-paid label and one week later my custom trays arrived and fit really well. 
 
After that I applied the whitening gel for 45 minutes. I did it every other day just because I know that a slower process works better for me. I actually did it while walking the dog in the morning. It was so easy and then I’d switch out the trays to the desensitizing gel for 20 minutes while doing my hair and make-up for the day. I’d already had my breakfast and coffee before the walk so it was setting basically until lunch. It was so simple to incorporate into my morning routine, and the best part is that it had more of a minty taste unlike all the other products I’ve ever tried. Check out my results below after just 2 weeks!

It’s really amazing to see how far teeth whitening has comes since I first tried it and I’m thankful I finally found something that whitens the coffee stains away without making eating ice cream impossible from the tooth sensitivity.
 
To make things even better Smile Brilliant and I have partnered for a giveaway for one of you to get a kit that will start your new year off bright! 

To enter click here and enter your details, bonus points for sharing on social!
Also, if you don't win the giveaway, you can get 15% site wide by using the code beyondtheclock15

​Good luck and happy whitening! 

Ok so even though we are already on the 6th day of the month, it has felt so difficult to get back "into the zone" this year. Not only that but I feel like over the last few years New Year’s resolutions have started to get a bad reputation. It used to be a way to start something new or maybe restart something you should have been doing all along. Now, it feels like everyone fears the failure of falling off as the year gets going so they would rather not set them.
 
My view falls somewhere in between. I think the act of reflecting is so important to improving so unless you make a concerted effort to track and reflect upon your goals, they can become frustrating. What’s more is that as we get busier with the year, if we don’t keep them top of mind through a intentional system, they will quite likely fade into the background of things on the very bottom of our to-do list that eventually just fall off.
 
Planners have never really worked for me, I always use them for a week or two and forget after that. Then when I finally do remember, I've forgotten the planner in another room or at work or something. Last year, I started to find a system that really worked for me using both the Reminders app on my phone (it syncs with my computer) and a modified bullet journal that I made on my ipad. So over the last couple days to help get our minds (especially mine) out of vacay mode and into the domination zone, I’ve revamped my tracking template for accountability and a few of my tips to sticking with it and making 2019 your best year yet... but actually. 

• Keep it simple – When setting goals, don’t take on too much. Sometimes a good goal is to continue doing something you already do and is helping you. 
• Segment your goals - There are 3 categories that help me organize my life and feel good about keeping balance across the board.
  1. The first one is foundational - health - both mind and body need to be tended to in order to be good both at home and at work. 
  2. The next one is home, meaning the people you connect with most (they don't *have* to live with you, but be important to your network of relationships) and the space you either rent, own, or love to frequent. When these pieces of our life feel good, you have the peace and confidence to do more beyond the clock.
  3. The last pieces is to take action for your goal or passion beyond the clock. This could be the things that help you get ahead in your full-time job, hobbies you love and want to improve on, or growing your side-hustle.
• Write it down - Writing something down helps us commit it to memory and commit to it overall. It's especially helpful if you place it somewhere you see often, like in your bathroom or next to your stove. 
• Track it - This really is the second half of "writing it down". The ability to track against an expectation helps in two aspects, one, it gives you accountability to yourself, and two, it allows you to have a metric at the end of the month. Let's say one of your goals was to lose weight, and to measure that you wanted to go to the gym 3 times a week. At the end of the month you ended up going 10 times out of your goal of 12, you can feel good about being close to your goal. If instead you hadn't tracked it, then you would likely focus on the times you missed and slowly give up altogether when in actuality, doing a good percentage of you goal is better than nothing at all. 
• Talk about it - This is another way to keep yourself accountable. Talking to other people about your goals makes you not only want to stay true to it for yourself but also for others. In fact, sharing it with some of your closest friends is even better than sharing it broadly across social media so that you know people are really listening. They can also be a great support system to keep you going or get you back on track when you may have fallen off. 
• Reset on Sunday - Set a reminder on your phone for 15 minutes every Sunday. It could be morning or night but just sit and catch up on any tracking and take a little time to recommit to your goals and keep them top of mind. 
• Review quarterly​ - Lastly, don't let this process be something that happens only once a year. If you do it quarterly (or even monthly) you will keep focused on what you really want and make sure it happens. 

Most people think the hardest part about New Year's resolutions is sticking to them, but actually the more difficult part is creating a resolution that you can track and actually give yourself the opportunity to stick to. If you leave out the details that will help get you toward a goal, you can easily push that to the side, I mean there is no way to tell if you are really working toward it or not. So if you need a little help getting out of vacay mode, feel free to download this action planner template that I use and always always, text, email, or DM me with any questions. I love talking about these things and want to stay accountable with all of you.

It was just about 1 year ago when Brad and I were lying in bed talking about our side hustles. I had just recently shut down my handbag business venture, aLign, and was feeling a little disheartened around the whole thing. The idea had really been good, I had gotten great feedback when people saw it, (now there are some bigger companies that have a bag just like it) but at the end of the day, there were no buyers, or if there were, they certainly didn’t know about me. As I lay there, I thought about what things had gone well and what hadn’t, and I realized that the parts I loved most about the venture was to design. As I progressed with the thought a dream unfolded to have a shop filled with treasures from my favorite places and people around the world, to create, and to share with a community of amazing people. Basically, to do all the things I loved to do outside of my typical 9-5 working hours (although, who really works hours like that nowadays, it’s more like from email to slack to text working hours). Either way, with a bit of reflection, I jolted upright and thought, well why the heck am I not just doing that already. Why do I have to wait for something else, or some other business idea to be successful to enable my true passions to take hold.
 
I literally hopped onto my phone and bought the domain name for beyondtheclock that very second. I didn’t exactly know what it would be yet, just a place for me to share my passions outside of work, but I knew that I needed to make it happen.
 
After a little bit of time setting up the website, I wrote one of my first posts planning my year for myself and sharing it with all of you to help keep me accountable. Here’s how I stacked up and how I plan to keep my goals moving forward next year. 

2018 Goals

• Better management of my to-do list - I came up with a system that really helped me using the reminders feature on the mac and iphone. I create multiple lists and then a single hot list that I move the top 3 things to accomplish each day onto to really keep things prioritized and moving. 
• Learning more about marketing and social media - I studied Instagram quite a lot and learned a ton. There is still a long way to go but between content generation and understanding the algorithm, I think I made a big dent on this goal that I'm excited about. 
• Being more consistent on Instagram - The first half of the year was definitely better than the second. I posted almost every single day up until June. When we launched Little Foodie in July, my focus shifted to that Instagram account. I'm hoping to get back into more of a balance between the two in 2019.

2019 Goals

• Be more confident in asking for the things that will help me grow. 
• Build maturity around product development and product launches/commercialization strategy. This is driven both by my full-time work in the cancer care industry as well as with Little Foodie. 

2018 Goals

• 12 DIY projects - I ended up doing 9 DIY projects and 3 new recipes (all linked below) so I made it to a version of 12 and am excited to do more next year. 
• Pin design inspiration at least once a week - I didn't end up doing anything with Pinterest and focused more on Instagram in 2019. Next year will have a bit more focus on Pinterest to expand my content.

2019 Goals

• 20 DIY or Recipes
• Expand my knowledge and use of Pinterest - Create a pin for every blog post

2018 Goals

• Plan a menu on the weekend with all groceries purchased to be ready for the week. - I probably only ended up doing this a total of 6 weeks out of the year. Next year we may try one of those meal prep companies like Blue Apron to see how that works for us. 
• Eat out for lunch only once a week. (Bring my healthy leftovers instead, also much better for the wallet). - It's more like twice a week on average which I think is an ok balance but I hope that with some shifts I make on meal planning in 2019, this can be more of a reality. 
• Move 7 days a week with at least 4 being more intense workouts - To be honest, I didn't do the best job tracking this. Once we got our dog Stella, I definitely move 7 days a week walking her, however the intense workouts are more like 2-3 times a week. 
• Continue to explore meditation/visualization to find what works well for me. - I started doing this more towards the end of the year and it has really helped reduce my stress so I am excited to integrate it further into my wellness routine.

 
2019 Goals

• Plan 3 weekly menus that rotate throughout the year - I think this way it will be more manageable to do but we will see. 
• Add stretching and guided meditation at least once a week. Keep more intense workouts to 4 times a week.

2018 Goals

• Document my trips more consistently - I actually did a great job with this on my Instagram stories and it was so fun to get questions and comments from everyone learning more about the places. 

2019 Goals

• Continue to document on Insta stories and incorporate more aspects into blog posts as well.

Although I had specific goals, there were a few items that weren't on the list that I added throughout the year. They took some time away from my other goals but were so worth it. 

• Beyond the Clock Design - I launched my home and commercial design work and had 4 clients. It was so much fun to get to work on my passions and find fun ways to make spaces that people love
• Little Foodie - I launched a kids apparel and gift company with one of my best friends. It has been so much fun and we have such great feedback that I'm excited to see where 2019 takes us. 

It’s amazing what happens when you write something down. Overall, I’d give myself a B+. I may not have tracked everything to a T and I definitely fell off from workouts and blogging here and there, but overall, I kept at it, I found my way back and I enjoyed every second of it along the way.
 
The very best part about this whole thing is the people I have met through Instagram, collaborations, emails, and friends I have reconnected with through new conversations. I smiled with delight when I received a text from one of my old friends asking for advice on some new living room décor. I don’t think she ever would have thought of me for a question like that prior to this year and it feels amazing to know that the work I’ve been doing is resonating with others.
 
I know that with working a full-time job and running a baby company on the side, this blog doesn’t always get my full attention, however, I can’t thank each one of you enough for following along on this journey with me through thick and thin. Each like, comment, and email that you send, fills my heart with one of the greatest joys and it means the world to have you here.
 
As we head into the last few days of the year, I wanted to say THANK YOU and get ready for a 2019 filled with fun new content and giveaways to hopefully help keep you motivated and inspired for all things you love beyond the clock. ​Happy New Year!