+ Greg likes to talk to me about the cycle of expanding and contracting. A lot of what I do at home and for work is about contracting/simplifying/letting go. One of the reasons I do this is to create room for expansion/potential/inspiration. Here are some of the things that have inspired me, or at least made me smile, this month:

1. One of the best decisions Greg and I ever made was to have him visit me in Majorca, Spain while I was working there on a shoot. We dreamed that weekend that we would someday live there for a little while… this post helped remind me why: JCrew Travel Notes: Majorca.

2. Camille Styles jumping on the capsule wardrobe bandwagon!

3. “Science Says There Are 4 Kinds of Introversion” More self-knowledge for introverts! After considering myself a Social Introvert for years, this quiz diagnosed me as a Thinking Introvert. “If your introversion is of the “thinking” flavor, that means you enjoy analyzing yourself.” Hah.

4. Remodelista focused on essentials and simplifying for a week. Fyi, I think the best drinking glasses are the ones you already own ;)

5. Gretchen Rubin’s new book, “Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives” was released and I’m looking forward to reading it. Expecting ideas like these from her interview with Brigid Schulte, the author of another great book: “Overwhelmed: Work, Love and Play When No One Has the Time" "As trite as it sounds, but the way we live our days, what we do at 10 am, at 3 pm, how the evening flows, like habits, it really is the way we live our lives, as the writer Annie Dillard said. And that to live a meaningful life, means making meaningful choices for what to do at 10 am and 3 pm and in the evening. And that means taking time to pause, to step out of the swirl of crazy busyness and think about what really matters most to you. Then put that on your To Do list."

6. Garance on The Art of Living: “How do you organize your life so that it really fits you? Is it like in the fashion world? Do you have to try different things and make mistakes? (I think so) Find inspiration in others? (Probably) Question your way of doing things every season?” Woot, monthly experiments and Essentialism!

7. I refocused on friendships this month and had some inspiring outings with so many inspiring people. Date nights, a weekend with two of the most amazing ladies I know, wine country with a favorite couple, and a crazy evening of meeting strangers who quickly became close friends. So blessed.

8. I read some fiction (!!) and then started reading books of personal essays by female comedians including Tina Fey’s “Bossypants” and Lena Dunham’s “Not That Kind of Girl”. They are both such great storytellers... man. Although I liked parts of Lena’s book, I really liked her promotional videos. "Focusing on your own vision for yourself and pushing forward. Make a fatty to-do list and just hit that shit hard."

9. We made these Toasty Coconut Oats, topped with the first strawberries of the season!

10. Know What To Ignore: The Simple Dollar on one of my favorite articles on priorities: “The Most Productive People Know Who to Ignore”. “Figure out what’s actually important and focus on that.” Essentialism 101!

Mine has been a sunny, productive, surprising March. Yours?

+ Yay! It’s the last Friday of the month which means a new monthly habit and a recap of last month’s. These monthly experiments help me build healthy habits, break unhealthy ones or just learn more about myself so I can figure out what’s essential for my best life.

I have been loving this month of re-committing to my Morning Routine (more on that in a bit), so I’d like to continue on this kick through April! One element of a healthy morning routine that I’ve been meaning to add is stretching. Greg tends to be tight and has started doing it first thing. I don’t usually feel tight but... I play soccer. We all know the benefits: increased circulation, flexibility... it's also a great way to start the day body-aware.

Okay, the goal is to spend 5 minutes each morning stretching/posing. I’m planning to follow something like this “5 Yoga Poses to Practice First Thing”. I’ll probably oil-pull first and use that as a trigger to begin stretching. Then I’ll resume the routine with meditating. (I have the dream to get into a restorative yoga practice one day so this is my first baby step ;) Any advice? As always, I’ll let you know how it goes!

Reflections on our March Habit: Morning Routines (Mornings March!):
As I mentioned above, I’m loving the recommitment to my Morning Routine. March has gone well for me and I know it’s related to this practice. Starting the days calm, nourished and productive really makes everything a little better!!

I had more than an 80% completion rate which to me is a great success. The few days I missed were due to:
+ Sabbath: On Saturdays, we try not to look at screens or do anything routine. I maybe did half of the routine on a couple of these days.
+ Illness: I also had an annoying cold for five days and missed my routine for the first two days (sleep!). On day three, I knew getting back into it would make me feel better and it did.
+ Late Nights: After a couple of long evenings out, I started to hit the snooze bar in the morning. Ack, I tried to put an end to that quickly: getting to bed earlier was a start.

Did any of you start to think about your morning routines? Do you have a small practice that helps put a smile on your face?

+ I’ve found that it’s easier to take on multiple small habits like this if they are grouped as a Morning Routine. Mine grew slowly out of multiple monthly habits. Waking up earlier, oil-pulling, meditating, drinking enough water, and practicing gratitude all started as experiments for me. If you have a change you’d like to make in your life, try something similar. Start small and think it through, proceeding as an experiment.

+ I know a few amazing women who know a lot more about stretching and yoga than I do. I’m starting a monthly guest post series and I think I’ll reach out to them for more advice!

March Inspiration

April Habit: Stretching (Asana April!) and a March Habit Recap