So, in case you didn’t already know this… Organization and systems are my JAM! Like it might not be normal how excited I get about these things… but your girl needs structure when it comes to keeping my life in order. Not only do I need structure but I’m always on a hunt to find tools that make those systems as easy as possible. So today I thought I’d share a look at my process and some of the things I recommend if you’re trying to get a little more organized too.

Why Cozi is my Organization BFF

We’re jumping right into to my FAVORITE app for organization, Cozi. After Evan and I double-booked ourselves several times with family and friend get-togethers, I decided we needed to have a shared calendar so we could keep track of things and avoid saying yes to multiple things on the weekend. Sure, we could have just used a shared Google calendar, but another thing I realized was we were doing a lot was texting about groceries. “Can you pick this up on the way home from work?”, “Did you remember this when you went grocery shopping?” sound familiar? So I started my quest (yes, it was a quest) for finding an app that had a shared calendar feature + a shared grocery list option in one place. And I tested out a LOT of apps, just ask Evan 😂 and when I landed on Cozi I realized it had everything I wanted.

Guys, we use this for everything and it’s been a real gamechanger for us. Not only for our calendars and grocery lists, but we use it for keeping our other systems in check too. Things like meal-planning, weekly chores, weekend to-do lists, house projects, all of the things. One day I may just do a full blog post on all of the ways we use it because it is bomb.com. Here’s the best part too. It’s free.

It’s not just great for couples either, it was actually built for families and you can add your family members and decide who gets notified for what too. Trust me, it’s a life organization gold. The free version will totally get you by with all of the features I mentioned but they also have an upgraded version called Cozi Gold which we opted for which is $29.99/year. The biggest reason we did that was because you get a monthly view instead of weekly and then you also have more control over the notification settings too. Just do yourself a favor and check it out because it’s super convenient.

Creating Cleaning Routines

When you’re busy living life and trying to keep up with work and everything it can be easy to let some things slide. For me, I realized we weren’t keeping things very clean. Like… when was the last time we vacuumed?! For some, this might not be a huge priority, but I work from home and am always in a better mindset when our house is picked up and cleaned regularly. So we decided to sit down and come up with a plan that fit both of our needs. Sometimes just sitting down and having an actual conversation about things (especially because we had just moved in together) can be really helpful. For us, we broke our cleaning chores into the following:

• Daily: Pick up clothes off the floors of bedrooms, wipe down kitchen counters and stove, and wash or put away dishes

• Weekly: Vacuum, wipe down bathroom counters and tidy up as needed

• Monthly: Clean kitchen top to bottom, organize the pantry, sweep/mop/vacuum all floors, refill any items needed and do an inventory of what needs to be added to the grocery list, clean bathrooms top to bottom, clean sliding doors and mirrors, and clean baseboards

And you guessed it.. we add the weekly and monthly reminders to our Cozi! We’re definitely not perfect and there are times we slip up because things come up, but having a plan and routine makes it so much easier because it’s just built into what we do!

Having Monthly Check-ins

At the end of each month, we also have a check-in to go over things that we have going on for the next month. Obviously we update our calendar as needed but this is just a quick check-in to chat about anything we need to do to get ready for things (gift shopping, vacay planning, etc.). Then we also add in anything else we want to set time aside for like a date night or alone time (so we make sure the other knows not to plan anything for them then).

Meal Planning with Pinterest

This is a big one for us and has been super helpful in planning our grocery runs. If I don’t have a meal plan, I will buy everything at the grocery store (none of which will go together) or I may just eat mac and cheese every night. I’m definitely a simple meal kind of girl so planning ahead helps keep our grocery budget under control plus it takes away the whole mystery of what to eat each night. So each week (on Thursday evenings) we go through and plan what we want to have for the next week.

I have a few go-to easy recipes but for the most part we use Pinterest to organize all of the recipes we want to make. I have a lot of recipes pinned on my account and then Evan and I also have a secret board that has a bunch of different sections so all of our favs are in one spot. We opted for a secret board mostly because I use my Pinterest account for my business too but it’s really helpful in making the actual planning process a lot easier. You can also load in your favorite recipes to Cozi and then there is a “add to grocery list” option that will take all of the ingredients and add it to your lost. Super convenient!

Budgeting with Mint

Then when it comes to mulah, Mint is my go-to for keeping everything organized. It’s a free budget tracking tool that I’ve been using for over the last decade and it is SO helpful. Budgeting or keeping track of your spending usually isn’t one of people’s favorite things, I get it… but if you really want to pay off that debt, save up for that house, or just be able to go out with your girlfriends without being nervous about your card getting declined, then it’s a necessary evil. Personally I love Mint because it makes everything super easy. It connects to your bank account, allows you to add in all of your monthly bills, set up spending goals, SO many things. Most important though it makes the whole process so much easier so that I can do a quick weekly check and then monthly review to see where I’m at on everything.

And there you go! I hope this has been helpful. Like I said, I know I’m a little extra with this stuff but these have all been things that have really helped in me and hopefully they can help you too! If you ever have questions on this topic too, shoot me a message... I could literally chat about this stuff all day!

It doesn’t matter how much we plan or if we build the perfect plan to hit our goals, sometimes life throws you some surprises that will knock you on your butt. Oh you know, kind of like this big pandemic one we’re all living through?! Whatever it may be though, even the most dedicated are going to have times where we slip up or take a break from pursuing our goals. It happens to all of us. Yes, even the girl who is obsessed with goal planning!

When Scoots started to take a turn for the worse, I hit the pause button on a lot of my personal projects and goals. Obviously, he was top priority and when we later lost him… I’ve just been broken. So you can bet my goals have been about the last thing on my mind. Waking up early to work out or reading my latest self-development book? Yeah, definitely not on my radar. Life happens and it’s important that you do what you need to do. Your goals will still be there when you’re ready.

I’m definitely still working through a lot of things, but this week, I decided I was ready to try and get started again. My goals really give me purpose, and I’ve realized that I really need that right now. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from past breaks though, it’s that it’s not always a smooth transition. So over the years, I’ve put together a system of 3 steps that I do after a break. It’s taken a while to find something that works for me, but these are the things I do to get myself in the right headspace and set myself up for success.

Acknowledge Why you Slipped Up or Took a Break

Like I mentioned, life happens and sometimes we have to deal with tough things we weren’t expecting. Then other times, we’ll get busy and we intentionally (or unintentionally) shift our priorities. Maybe you got promoted at work and you’re working longer hours, maybe you started dating someone new and you’re so excited you’re spending more of your free time with them, or maybe you’re just kind of burnt out and watching Netflix has sounded more appealing than working on things. No judgment on why you took a break, but it’s important to acknowledge it. It’s not an excuse, but rather taking time to understand if it was something out of your control or if you’re finding yourself in a pattern. Because if it’s a pattern you may need to adjust your strategy. If you find that you’re unmotivated or giving up every few months, then maybe you need to make sure your goals are still aligned with your priorities. Or maybe, you just have too much on your plate and you need to scale things back a bit. Whatever the answer, take some time to acknowledge it.

Ask Yourself, are these Goals still Important to me?

After you’ve identified the cause for your break, another important question to ask yourself is are these goals still important to you? Sometimes we shift our priorities because something simply isn’t as important to you now as it was when you set your goal. Remember, goals can evolve and it’s also ok to drop some if they aren’t a priority for you anymore. Maybe something new has moved into its place or maybe you just realized your passion isn’t there for that thing anymore. When you’re doing this, it’s really important to explore your “why”. Here are a few examples of the practice I do.

Ask yourself:

Is this goal still a priority for me right now? Why or why not?

Example 1: Working out and continuing my workout plan is still important to me because taking care of my body is important to me and it helps keep my energy levels up for the other priorities in my life.

Example 2: Paying off my car early this year is no longer a priority for me. With the uncertainty stemming from the pandemic, I would rather focus on having extra padding in my savings.

These are two legit examples I went through myself this week. Between COVID-19 and losing Scoots, my goals have taken a shift and a break so I’ve been reevaluating all of the yearly goals. I think we can all agree this year has been interesting, so don’t feel bad if you feel like you need to scrap your whole list and start over… I know I’ve definitely adjusted several of mine and added some new ones that I wouldn’t have seen coming a few months ago. The key is getting to the root of what is, and isn’t, important to you right now and adjusting accordingly. Your goals aren’t set in stone so if you need to make changes, do!

Make a Plan To Ease Back into Things

As I mentioned, one of the toughest things to do is actually decide to start again. It’s one of the biggest reasons people give up! So when you’re getting back into things, consider making a plan to ease back into things! I know everyone has a ton of different kinds of goals but working out is a good example most can relate to… If you were working out 5 days a week and quit for 3 months then instead of going back in full steam, maybe start with 2 one week, then 3 the next, working up to 5. By easing back into things, it allows you to set small goals that are easier to achieve, which will give you small wins, and keep you moving forward! Or if there are 3 big goals you’re working on right now, maybe you start by focusing on getting back into your routines for the 1st one and then ease into adding tasks for the other two in the weeks to follow. I’m all about creating sustainable habits and strategies! I truly think that is the best way to accomplish things and yeah, maybe you’ll get to your benchmark or big achievement a little slower but it beats the alternative of getting burnt out and giving up.

When you’re coming up with your plan it may also be important to adjust your benchmarks if needed. If you have your goals on a yearly basis but you missed 2 months, then you may want to adjust things. I’m all for goals that are a little bit of a stretch but you’re doing yourself a disservice if they are more than likely unattainable. Same goes if they’re too attainable. It takes some practice, but try and find somewhere in between. This is another reason why I recommend having regular check-ins too. Goals can evolve and it’s important that they are serving you.

Give Yourself Grace to Keep Going

Another thing I think is important (that I’ve been working on too) is giving yourself grace when you hit bumps. Like I said, everyoneeee slips up, we’re human! You’ve made the decision to start again though and that’s the most important part! Working on goals is all about growth and working on yourself so give yourself some grace throughout the process. Remember, the process is often even more important than actually hitting those benchmarks so pay attention to that! Also pay attention to any patterns. Do things always fall out of place for you every March around your birthday, or do you find yourself getting burnt out every few months? Pay attention to any patterns you find during these check-ins so you can build more sustainable strategies.

I hope you’ve found this helpful and props for deciding to get back to it! You’ve got this!

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience which means if you purchase something I recommend I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you.

My office is my happy place in our home. Being able to have an actual home office at our apartment was a treat after living in NYC, but having a dedicated space that isn’t playing double-duty as a guest room is solid gold! It was one of the things I was most excited about when we bought our house! Working from home for my business, I spend a lot of time in my office so I really wanted to make sure it was a happy and inspiring space. So today I’m giving you a full tour!

One of the first things I decided I HAD to have in the office was a pink couch. You know your girl loves pink and I decided I had to make it happen! I spent a lot of time looking into different options before I decided on this one. There were a lot of different options but they felt either like the wrong shade pink or were way more than I wanted to spend. After spotting this option on Instagram I decided to go for it! It’s actually also a futon too in case we ever did need an extra bed.

Pink Couch: Wayfair | Side Tables : Similar | Faux Deer Head: White Faux Taxidermy | Letterboard: Target

It’s definitely the shining star in the office if I don’t say so myself! Next up was mixing up my gallery wall. I love having a variety of different prints that I find inspiring (some of which I make myself). Another thing I also like to have on display is my vision board. As you guys know, I’m bigggg on goal planning and my vision board is a big part of that too. I like having it front and center so I have a constant reminder of what I’m working towards. If you haven’t made a vision board before, I also wrote a post that walks you through the process on my business blog.

Aw, if you look closely in some of the other pics you’ll also spot Scoots. The office was one of his favorite places too. So even though he didn’t make it for this post to be shared, I still wanted to include him. One of my favorite parts of the office is I have a sliding glass door that goes out onto a Juliette balcony which was perfect for him being able to people-watch and look outside while I worked.

Sequin Pillows: Similar | Double Macrame Plant Hanger: Similar

Another thing that was a priority was having plenty of space for my plants! #PlantLadyLife is the best life!

Besides being an inspired space, function was also really important. Cue my wall of shelves! For years, I dreamed of having a props closet to organize all of my props for social media photos and this is my version of that! It’s one part prop organization, one part plant shelf and one part office supply organization!

Shelving: Ikea | Wood Crates: Target | Blue Bins: Similar | Wool Woven Storage: Similar

At the Tacoma apartment, I had a double shelf and then when we moved into the townhouse and I had more room I decided to get an extra one to make it 3 shelves. I ended up getting these at Ikea and they’ve worked out great, plus were a great deal!

Desk: Similar | Whiteboards: Lowe’s | Pink Chair: Similar | Faux Chandelier: Similar | Salt Lamp: Similar

Now for a peek at the other side of the office! If I’m being totally honest, I definitely spend more time working from the couch than my desk, but I like to have options! Plus, with all the Zooming we’ve been doing lately it is a much better location for that. Another one of my favorite things in my office are these ledge shelves. They’re such a great option for an alternative to a gallery wall and I love the layered look you can create.

I’m also very into my whiteboards! The one by my desk is for tracking goal progress and monthly intentions but I loved having it so much I also have two right behind my door. They’re perfect for brainstorming and having plentyyy of space at that! The great thing about them too is they’re only like $6 each! You can spend wayyyy more on whiteboards… but Lowe’s (and Home Depot) also sell these ones that are thin and super affordable. They also have a chalkboard on the back if you wanted to use that side instead too. One of my best finds for the office I think!

Here’s a peek at the current print line-up! I think the key to having a great layered mix is mixing and matching the frame colors and sizes. I also LOVE framing cards in the smaller frames. I’m such a sucker for a good card and it’s a great option for adding some artwork that is inexpensive to your space too! Ikea is usually my go-to for frames because the prices (especially for the bigger ones) are tough to beat. I also DIYed the glitter frames. As you’d imagine, those are a little bit messy but I love the look so it’s worth being careful with them throughout the moves!

That’s a wrap! I hope you enjoyed checking out the space as much as I like working in it! Truly one of my favorite spaces I’ve ever decorated! 💖🎉

Shop the office