In our house the phrase "clean eating" has two meanings, how/where we eat and what we eat. 

Do you ever notice that when your life starts getting a little busier or more stressful your eating habits start to decline and then consequently the piles of mail and uncleaned crumbs start to increase on the kitchen counter? Whenever this starts to happen for me, I have a quick trick to get back in the swing of things...clean the kitchen. 

It may sound like just one more thing you don't have time for, but with just thirty to ninety minutes of organizing and prep, it can turn your unhealthy habits around. 

One of the reasons I love home decor and design is because how you feel in your home and in your space can impact your mental state. If things start to get out of order in your home, you will surely start to feel that same stress and disorder in the rest of your life. The same is true for the opposite, stress from work, kids and relationships can cause us to break some of our better habits. So just like New Year's resolutions, I have found that a quick power hour of cleaning or organizing can get my mind in the right place for positive and productive focus. 

The best way I have found to fuel my healthy routine in times of stress is:

What is the 1 & 1? You know the "junk drawer" in your kitchen, thats one. The other is the pantry. No matter how many times I clean these two places, they always find a way to get a little bit "higgly piggly" as my mom always says. Each one should only take 15-30 minutes each to clean depending on how big they are, but be RUTHLESS in your cleaning. It may be hard at first, but trust me it's worth it in the long run of feeling good in your space. 

For the pantry:

• Check expiration dates and see what you can donate. (If you haven't eaten it in five years...are you going to?) 
• Place items back in the pantry by "type" I like to put pastas near pasta sauces and cereal near granola boxes. If you have enough space, try using bins and labels to keep things together and organized. (Major inspo here from Brighton Keller). 

For the junk drawer: 

• Ask the question, "should this go somewhere else?" I find that sometimes things that have another home end up in the junk drawer for who knows what reason. So first up is put things in their rightful homes. 
• Second, keep it to one layer. The reason these drawers become junk drawers is because we don't know what the heck is in them. So as you purge this drawer, try get it to a point where you can see everything in it the moment you open it. This way you a) .know what's in it and b) only keep the super important things that make the cut there. 

The best way to eat healthy, is to have the essential items easily at hand. I've found keeping my olive oil and stir spoons right on the counter in a decorative way does two things. 

• Makes it easy to grab them when you are sautéing (one of my favorite ways to cook up healthy meals with tons of veggies and ground turkey or cubed chicken).
• Adds unique dimension to your kitchen. I had some old candle holders that never got used and they now hold my oil and vinegar bottles. Looks great, is functional, and keeps them in a quick and easy spot. (win, win, win!). 

Once you've got a little organizing done, grab you keys and head to the grocery store. (If you have time, give your fridge a nice cleaning first). It's much easier to eat healthy, when you are excited about what is in your fridge. Here is my go-to list for re-inspiring the clean eating train. 

• Spinach (I love eating it raw in a salad or steamed. Takes almost no time to cook and has tons of nutrients). 
• Yogurt (My favorite is plain, whole milk yogurt. I love it for protein rich breakfast with cereal or granola and then also use it as a substitute for cream in more saucy dishes). 
• Fruit and Veggie snacks (carrots cucumber, apple slices, oranges or celery, they are great to have on hand as an easy grab and go when you are busy and also pair well with peanut or almond butter for some added protein.)
• Pick a healthy treat (Life is all about balance right. I like to have one little sweet treat after dinner but to keep it healthy, I stick to either low quantity a.k.a. a tiny piece of something decadent or low impact like Halo Top ice cream or fresh strawberries with a light drizzle of chocolate sauce. 
• Flowers (They may not be edible, but they definitely help make your space brighter and draw you in to spend time enjoying where you are. While what you eat fuels your body, where you are fuels your mind.)

The craziness of life isn't always in our control, but for me a little organization can help bring my mind and motivation to the right place for other healthy habits. Clean space = clean eating :-) and if you need a little motivation while getting your clean on, check out my Spring Cleaning playlist. I hope the tips help and if you have questions or ideas I may be missing, I'd love to see them in the comments. 

This weekend I had a bee in my bonnet and was all about cleaning and getting everything in it's little spot (I mean, I started cleaning the kitchen at 7am on Saturday :-0 spring cleaning must be in the air). 

​Anyway, it made me realize that much like being in a long car ride or an exhausting fitness class, some good beats make the time fly by and add an extra boost of energy to the whole experience.

So I put together a playlist that actually makes cleaning FUN, for me at least! I know it doesn't seem possible but a few scrubs one way, a couple dance moves the other makes for a quick clean and a pretty decent exercise routine too. LOL. 

Hope you enjoy! Oh also, what are some of your favorite jams or maybe even podcasts to clean to? I always am looking to add some and would love some suggestions in the comments! ​

Jessica

You know those times where it feels like you wake up, drink your coffee and it just isn't doing it for you? Where your energy feels low, you want to sit and do nearly nothing, and your just not sure if you're doing the right things with your life? 

I called it my quarter life crisis at 23, 24, 25 and 26. 

No, not every day feels like this, but it's more like you are going along with life, everything seems on track and then SMACK, you run into a wall that tells you, "something just doesn't feel right". 

Now you may not have it on a bi-annual basis like I do, but for those times where you need a little inspiration, encouragement, assurance, or knowledge that you are not alone, these 5 are my go-to's.

I heard a quote once from a famous business coach who said, "90% of this things I'm going to talk about today are not new to you, but it's the reminder that makes all the difference". 

Personal development is a lot like business development. If you want to grow the best business, you have to keep adjusting, changing, and strategizing all towards a mission or vision. . So likewise, if you want to be the best version of yourself, you have to keep growing and intentionally living out your passions and purpose. 

Each time I listen to these (I'm a big audible fan!), I hear something familiar in a refreshed way that helps me take a deep breath and feel confident in chasing my dreams. Hope you enjoy and if you've been wanting to give Audible a try, you can now give it a go and get two free audiobooks! Click here for more info.

Looking forward to hearing which one your favorite is in the comments!

Jessica

For these three, don't get hung up on title names, instead just take a listen to the first few chapters and prepare to get enlightened by everyday things seen through new insights. 

To find ANY talent takes discipline. Olympic athletes spend thousands of hours perfecting fundamentals to build theirs and guess what? They all have coaches. In fact, most people hone their talents through coaching, so think of these three as your very own personal coaches to help get you the discipline you need to find and ignite your talents. 

There is something so exciting about a new year, a fresh beginning, and a chance to pivot in a new direction or charge forward in one that you love. This year, I have set out some lofty goals for myself. Goals are funny in that way, you have to have them to reach your dreams and yet writing them down scares the bejeezus out of you and almost makes you want to turn away from your dreams or at the very least say "I'll get to you later". Well not this year. I'm writing them down for you all to see and keep me accountable. 

2017 was a year where I got to really channel my interior design love at the office (I led the design and buildout of a new laboratory for a Precision Cancer Care company). So in 2018 I want to bring all that excitement into my own home. Although the budget may be a bit tighter, I think the love and grind of more DIY projects will be well worth it. 

Travel is a treat for me. Sometimes it is to grand international destinations and other times local hotspots or short drive adventures. This year, I want to document my trips consistently, providing unique insights into the things I love (and sometimes don't love) about travel. 

Whoosh, wellness goals are always something that top the list for peeps in the New Year. Although I normally strive to maintain balanced wellness throughout the year (mostly healthy eating accompanied by balanced indulgences - hey we all have to stay sane.), towards the end of 2017 I found myself on the lazier, unhealthier side of the equation. So for 2018 I have some pretty strong goals.

• Plan a menu on the weekend with all groceries purchased to be ready for the week. 
• Eat out for lunch only once a week. (Bring my healthy leftovers instead, also much better for the wallet).
• Move 7 days a week with at least 4 being more intense workouts
• Continue to explore meditation/visualization to find what works well for me. 

Some of these are small undertakings, others much larger, either way I'm excited to take my blank canvas and paint it with achievements from this year. I have what I call an "art vision board" and look forward to sharing it with you in the months to come and if you are like me and find sharing your goals helpful in staying accountable and taking action, I'm here and listening and would love nothing more than to be an accountability buddy with you. 

Cheers to an amazing year ahead!