the recipe for a perfect morning.

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I’ve mentioned before how important it is to me to start off my days with a certain type of morning. The older I get, the more I realize how much my mornings can transform what my entire day, week, and even life looks like! So when Folgers asked me to describe a little bit more of how important mornings were to me, I was happy to share.

Starting the morning off on the right foot is the key to me having a productive day. But even more than that, it’s important that I get my mind and heart in the right place before embarking on whatever crazy, stressful, or exciting things lie ahead. That’s why I’ve made it a point to spend at least the first 30-60 minutes of my day aiming to have “the perfect morning.” And that looks a little bit like…

1) journaling
2) listening to music
3) drinking coffee

…simple enough, right? :)

Coffee has been a part of my mornings for as long as I can remember. It’s not even so much about the caffeine for me, but the comfort and memories that coffee bring me. The smell of coffee actually reminds me of my mom. I remember waking up every morning as a child to the smell of coffee, and it gave me comfort knowing that my mom was already awake. As I got older, I began enjoying the coffee too.

Over the past year or so, music has become another important addition to my morning routine. In the past I would be quick to turn on the television, but that wasn’t exactly the perfect way to ease into the day with a clear mind. Music, though, is perfect for getting me to wake up a little bit faster while also leaving me feeling inspired and excited for the day ahead. Now I have tons of music lined up on my iPad to listen to every morning while I journal. It’s just not a good morning without the addition of my favorite songs!

Listening to the right songs in the morning can really change my entire day. When life throws you a curveball it’s nice to be able to turn your mind to inspiring lyrics, or even a song that just gives you a sense of joy. I’ve said before how important valuing creativity is, and sometimes there’s no better way to do that than through music! That’s why I love how Folgers is supporting musical creativity in the lives of young people. Check out the annual Folgers Jingle Contest, which supports aspiring musicians.

Vote for the best Top 10 Finalist in Folgers’ Jingle Contest! Meet the Top 10! Take a look at Folgers® Jingle Contest Finalists, and listen to the tracks that earned them a spot in The Top 10. Cast your vote once every day through June 19th. You could win exciting prizes, like free Folgers Coffee, iTunes® gift cards, signed CDs from Gavin DeGraw, and even a $10,000 Grand Prize just for voting! Before you vote, follow the Road to the Jingle on Facebook to see how they traveled the U.S. to track down the Top 10 contestants! Remember, you can vote once a day through June 19th! Click here for official rules.

What’s your recipe for the perfect morning?

my {be me} plan.

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Remember that time I posted about being yourself?

Well, I have a confession to make. Being myself – being fully and unapologetically Gracie – is not something that is entirely natural for me. It’s easy for me to get caught up in what I think my goals, likes, and role in life should look like (especially here in New York). It’s not something I’m proud of, but it’s the truth.

With that being said, though, since writing that post I’ve gotten a lot better at learning how to be true to my (bow loving, television obsessed, sometimes a bit emo) self. But because it’s not something that comes easy to me…and especially because I can so easily get wrapped up in work and my tasks for the day…I have to make an active effort to implement things in my life that remind me to be ME.

So here’s a little list of things that help me to do just that. It’s definitely nothing crazy – just simple activities that help remind me to slow down, be present, and remember to enjoy life.

- Start every day spending prayer and devotional time with God

- Take a 5 minute break from working to stretch and/or just relax

- Cook/bake new recipes

- See my family at least every other month

- Plan dinners out with my girl friends

- Listen to podcasts *

- Treat myself to pedi or massage

- Journal at the start or end of the day

- Keep a running list/plan of vacations I want to take

- Have cozy movie nights at home

- Take at least one day a week (or a few hours a day) to unplug from technology

- Make plans to get together with friends I don’t get to see all the time

- Let myself get lost in Pinterest

* Some of my favorite podcasts are from Joyce Meyer, Tim Keller, Bethel Church, Liberty Church, and Joe Focht.

Last but not least, I think it’s important to be honest with yourself about the things you love, embrace those things, and do them as much as possible! It seems like as we get older it becomes easier to push those things to the side and define ourselves based on what we do or what we think our role in life “should be.” While those things definitely are important, I’m learning that being true to myself and the things I love will actually improve my career, relationships, and everything in between…

What simple things do you do on a daily/weekly basis to stay true to yourself?

3-in-1 spring style + tide pods review & giveaway!

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I don’t know about you, but as soon as the holidays end I seem to automatically get a severe case of spring fever. There’s just something about the months of January and February that are so…well, bleh. But, thankfully, with the help of fun tools like Pinterest and fashion blogs, I’ve learned to appreciate these last few months of winter as the perfect time to start planning my wardrobe for the next season…spring!

For me, planning a wardrobe for any season always means making good use of what I’ve already got. When I go shopping I really try to aim for pieces that:

a) can be worn in more than one season
b) will still be at least somewhat in style a year from now
c) can easily be mixed and matched with different styles of outfits

For example, take this simple cotton floral top of mine. Here are three different ways I’ve been able to wear the same shirt.

With dress shorts for an afternoon bridal shower:

Layered with a cardigan for a casual evening out:

With high-waisted, belted black skinnies for a night out of dancing:

That’s a 3-in-1 success if I ever saw it.

With this sort of wardrobe planning, there’s one other very important thing to keep in mind: keeping the clothes fresh and clean. And, speaking of a 3-in-1 plan, I’ve very much grown to rely on Tide Pods.

I’ll be honest – I usually dread doing laundry. But, living in New York where I’m constantly walking around in many interesting elements, I need to make sure to do it often. Thankfully Tide Pods have made the job so much easier - and more efficient - thanks to it being a powerful 3-in-1 detergent that cleans, brightens, and fights stains. Not to mention it really doesn’t get easier – all you have to do is pop it in the washing machine.

Tide Pods is the the only 3-chamber unit dose on the market, and just one removes more stains than 6 caps of the liquid bargain brand (based on stain removal performance of one pac of Tide Pods vs. 6 doses of the leading liquid bargain brand base variant in a standard top loading machine). So, when planning my wardrobe and making sure my clothes are ready to be mixed, matched, and worn out on the town…I’m definitely sticking to what works best. Pop in a whole new kind of clean with Tide Pods.

Tell me about something in your wardrobe that’s versatile and provides 3-in-1 style. By leaving a comment, you’ll be entered for the chance to win a Visa gift card for$100. Pop In. Stand Out.

Rules

No duplicate comments. You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

  1. Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post.
  2. Tweet (public message) about this promotion, including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: “#SweepstakesEntry”; leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post.
  3. Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post.
  4. For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected. The Official Rules are available here. This sweepstakes runs from 2/19/13 – 3/19/13. Be sure to visit the Tide Pods brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win!