Photos by: Erika Dash Photography

Products: Hat, Blanket, Mug | Sweater | Jeans |Earrings & Ring Set | Shoes​

Hello, everybody! I hope you are having a wonderful week so far. It snowed Sunday here, in Denver, and there is still lots of snow on the ground! When I first moved here, it surprised me how easily the days got sunny and nice again, even right after a snow! But I guess we are almost in the snowiest month, so I better not get my hopes up about really nice weather any time soon!

Last week, we started talking about Enjoyment. It's my personal and my blogging theme for 2018. I've latched on to the idea of a New Year's Theme instead of Resolution, because I think a theme can influence many pieces of my year. It's more relaxed, yet more powerful, in the long run, than a Resolution because it's not pass or fail. A theme shapes my decisions little by little and I eventually end up closer to where I want to go.

After a whirlwind 2017 - filled with travel, piling up blog to do's, oh, and PLANNING A WEDDING - I decided I need to slowwww down in 2018. I took a 2-week break at the beginning of January and that has really helped me hit the refresh button! And now, I'm excited and glad to be back!

It's so easy to say "I really want to enjoy my year!" and "I want to enjoy something every single day!" But in reality, we all know that not every single moment of our day is going to be glamorous or fun or enjoyable. We're going to have moments that catch us by surprise and disrupt all our plans. We're going to get overwhelmed by our emotions and need to hit pause. We're going to live life - and life doesn't always follow our rules! Am I right?

So what can we do? One thing I can think of, to help us try to add peace and enjoyment back into our days, is to think about our Morning Routines. How can we start our day with peace, calm, and structure? What are some things we need to do to get our minds in the right place before something else claims our attention? What can we do to make our days more enjoyable instead of waiting for something enjoyable to happen? Put another way, what can we do to make our days more enjoyable, instead of reacting to the day ahead.

I usually start my morning with a cup of coffee, grab my Bible, sit on the couch and read either 1 chapter or 30 minutes (whichever comes first). These days the sun is starting to rise so I pause to watch it. Then, I typically scroll through my podcasts and choose one for the day (My topics are usually: Jesus, Marriage, Blog, Finances, & Fun). I take my podcast with me to put on make-up, fix my hair, pick out clothes for the day, pack a lunch, and start my commute. In one hour, I've adjusted my mindset to focus on how I want to live out the rest of my day.

So, how can we add peace and enjoyment back into our days? You probably guessed it! It starts with us, on the inside, choosing to have an enjoyable day. We have more control over our day than we tend to think. If we prep our minds and find some inspiration in the morning, we can imagine all the good things coming our way. Then, when those good thing happen, we're more likely to recognize them! We'll appreciate our chai lattes, the neat clouds in the sky, and the people around us, and we'll remember that all those things are there for us to enjoy!

There are so many ways to get our minds and souls straight before heading into the day. We could workout, take time to meditate, spend time with whoever else is in the house, sing, dance, or do nothing at all! What are your favorite ways to start your day? Do you think you'll add to or take away something from your Morning Routine to make your life more enjoyable? Let me know in the comments below!

Thanks for stopping by!

holly canon