How To Become A Morning Person

I have always thought I was blessed naturally as a morning person. My dad has always been a morning person so maybe it has rubbed off on me? That was until I came across a pretty neat article. As I read the article, some of the ideas of how to become a morning person seemed so natural. That is because I have grown up with parents who already did most of these. So why wouldn't they seem so natural to me.

Since I became a mother of three I can get sleep deprived don't get me wrong. There are mornings where I feel as if my feet are dragging behind me. It wasn't till I had my third daughter when I started drinking coffee for the caffeine boost due to lack of energy. I soon became addicted and found myself making casual pit stops to the nearest Starbucks. Or even rerouting my drive to fit in my Starbucks craving. It got to the point where I knew which coffee shops to avoid and which ones were top on the list from experience. Sad I know.

But since reading about how to become a morning person and how I already do most of what is on the list, I couldn't wait to share. So here we go,

1. Yoga.  They say doing the "sun salutation" when you wake up is great way to start your day and gives you that boost of energy. I personally have started doing simple yoga to help when I get a sore back and migraines. Maybe I should start doing yoga in the mornings.
2. Turn up the music.  Set your alarm clock to a music setting. Play a radio while getting ready for work or school in the mornings. It helps build your endurance and boost your mood believe it or not. I don't know about you but when I jam out to music while getting ready I feel as if I am ready to conquer the world. 
3. Drinking water. You should drink a glass of water first thing in the morning. Sometimes I wake up so thirsty. Once I finish my glass of water I feel refreshed and energized. Water is actually known to help fight fatigue and help keep headaches away due to dehydration. So try switching out your first cup of coffee with a glass of water first. Could be a good start. 
4. Enjoy a cup of ginger root tea. When I started to eat clean I learned that ginger can speed up your metabolism and ease our digestion. I keep ginger tea in my kitchen at all times.
5. Laugh. Don't be afraid to let lose and have a good laugh. I was told growing up that Laughter is the best medicine. I now pass on the same phrase to my own children. It is also a fun way to boost your energy. I don't know about you but I love to laugh and surround myself with those who can make me laugh as well. In al reality who doesn't love a good laugh? 
6. Take a cold shower. This one is probably my least favorite. I sure wouldn't do this. I would skip out and drive to my nearest Starbucks, ha ha.
7. Eat delicious kiwi. Kiwi is known as a super fruit if you didn't know. Once again I learned this when I started to eat clean. It has good sugar in it that helps with your body's energy lows. 
8. Stay in the light. I grew up in a house where my parents always opened the shades once the sun was up. Therefore I never understood why people would keep all their shades closed 24/7. So it makes total sense. When it's sunny we're happy, when it's cloudy we're usually not so happy right? So open your shades and enjoy the light. 
9. Wear red. When wearing different colors it can put us in different moods. When where the color red it has potential for raising our energy. I have always loved the color red. I actually have red walls in my house. I also absolutely love my red lipstick. I feel like super women once I put it on. 
10. Go for a run/exercise. I'll be completely honest, I am nothing close to a runner. Although I use my elliptical and love to walk. I also love to get in a good work out in the mornings when I can. It is great for energy and productivity. I know when I work out in the mornings I get so much more done throughout the day compared to a morning when I do not work out. Not to mention running and working out releases happy chemicals. 

Do you already do any of these on the list??? If so please share in a comment below. 

Coffee Shops

So I have to admit I love the downtown Grand Rapids atmosphere. Really, I love the atmosphere of about any nice downtown city. The selection of generations and culture are a much greater variety. I love how cities are outgoing with people walking around and many cute shops trying to survive. But one of my favorites is the coffee shops. I love myself some great coffee or a mocha. Don't get me wrong, I love places like Starbucks, but I'd much rather go to a little coffee shop. The coffee shops in the old buildings with original wood flooring and details. Where the baristas actually know a thing or two about coffee. 

 With that being said, I found my favorite coffee shop as of right now. During a mommy day out with a dear friend we tried this new coffee shop called, The Sparrows; a coffee, tea and news stand. To me this wasn't your ordinary coffee shop. It's sells newspapers and magazines that you may read while sipping on your hot coffee or loose leaf teas. Of course the toys for children on the shelf caught my eye right away. It has the lovely vintage touch to it. The original creaky wooden floors and many other aspects to. Not to mention they make the best mocha; sorry Starbucks! It doesn't have that strong chocolate flavor to it. And can we say organic! Yup they have organic coffee. Even the sugar packets for your coffee are organic. If only it wasn't 10 minutes away on a day with good traffic. 

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