These are a few of my favorite things...
Since it's the holiday season, I figured I share some of my favorite things.
Some drinks, some brands, some go-to's that I use as I go about my daily flow. I feel like I spent several years as an influencer on social media, sharing my favorite brands and the discount codes I was given and now, I find myself resisting it. So much that over the last couple of years, I've stopped sharing codes & my favorite brands & items altogether.
I figured that because of the shift I've made, it would be easy and more simple to have a blog that I could direct people to!
So - here we are.
A few of my favorite things as a single mom, plant lover, entrepreneur, dog mom of 3 (yes, I said three... I'll share details soon) and a horse owner.
And just so you're aware, I'm going to share my daily flow so it's easier for me to remember what I use and/or consume throughout my day. If you see an item or thing highlighted, you can simply click on it to be directed to the site to view it. If I have any discount codes, I'll place them in parenthesis after the highlighted word.
Anyone else adjusting to the dark mornings? I most definitely am. I normally allow myself to wake up with the sun which is around 6 am in the Summer but now that it's after 7 am I'm struggling with the fact that I have to set my alarm some days. I just use the alarm on my phone and I select a gentle sound like "slow rise" or "story time" because I spent too many years waking up to the violent "wahp! wahp! wahp!" beep that triggers me into a morning of anxiety.
Archie & I wake up around 6:30-7:00 most mornings and spend a few minutes in bed snuggling before he jumps out of bed, prompting me to get up also. I slip on my UGG slippers that my kids got me for Christmas in 2020 and head downstairs to snag the other puppies for a morning bathroom break.
Yes, I said puppies. Two. A couple of days ago, Kenzie, my 17-yr old daughter, talked me into bringing home a 7-week old Husky puppy. She named him Rockie and he's officially a part of our pack.
The three pups head outside to potty while I start their breakfast and put my kettle on the stove. I know there are quicker ways in 2023 to heat water but I love my kettle. I grab a small saucepan and pour my Almond Malk in, turning the burner on medium to heat it.
While my morning liquids are heating up, I lay out the boys' supplements and get their breakfast ready. Archie takes an anti-inflammatory for his legs, along with UC-II collagen supplement & Welactin Advanced. Dexter takes a muscle relaxer for his back, along with Cosequin & the same fish oil. Rockie just gets his softened food, chomping it down alongside his big brothers.
Once the boys have full bellies & empty bladders, I grab my coffee cup and add a few Stevia Drops followed by 2 tbsps of my Mushroom Matcha (CODE: FRIEND-8CV3SVV). I add in 1/2-1 cup of my hot water and blend it with my frother before adding in my warm almond malk. Mmm, I've mastered this little cup of perfection.
With my warm matcha in hand, I sit down in my big oversized chair with the pups and grab my Daily Journal to write my morning page. After I get all of my thoughts out on paper, I grab my book & try to fit in a chapter. Right now I'm reading: Horses in Translation by Sharon Wilsie. It's really good.
About this time, the kids head out the door on their way to school and it's my signal to get up and get ready for the day. The boys follow me upstairs while I pick my workout clothes & get dressed. I'm obsessed with Vuori leggings, especially living with an Ileostomy, they're so comfortable on my stomach. Once my clothes are on, my hair goes into a top knot and I start my skin care/make up regimen.
I start with a Vitamin C Serum then apply my Moisturizer with two drops of Glow Drops. I use Glossier concealer and Anastasia Brow Powder and Gel followed by some dabs of Glossier Cloud Paint on my cheeks.
Whoop. Done.
After I make my bed, I head down to get the boys settled with their Kongs (with Peanut Butter or Cream Cheese) so I can head to Pilates. If you're in the North Denver area, you have to check out Rocky Mountain Pilates & Yoga. The studio is amazing, so aesthetic and the teachers are incredible.
After my 55 minute class, I typically grab an oat milk latte at our local coffee shop with my friend Andrea before heading home to hop on my One on One Coaching Calls. If I'm not on calls then I'm writing. I'm in the process of writing my first book in addition to these blogs & my monthly Newsletter. I don't really have any brands that I work with or items that I have to have in my day to day. I do use my Time Block Planner to organize my day & my to-do's and I'm a Kajabi Partner also. I use Kajabi for everything from my email list to website creation and hosting my courses.
I feel like I'm forgetting something here so please reach out (raina@rainaodell.com) if you want info on something I didn't mention.
I work from about 10 am to 4 pm each day. I pause for lunch grabbing my green juice (CODE: RAINA10) and whipping up some avocado toast usually.
On Mondays I host my weekly call with my Membership Community, Daily Rhythms. It's something I look forward to now each week because we talk about so many things, random & intentional, all in the same call.
On Tuesdays & Wednesdays, I'm usually stacked with back to back calls and on Thursdays, I focus on writing.
Fridays are my volunteer day so Archie and I are either at Denver International Airport, a school, or a hospital where Archie volunteer's as a Therapy Dog. He's registered through ATD which has been amazing and so fulfilling.
After work, I focus on things that "shift my lens."
My lens shift tends to vary depending on the day and my mood. I kind of close the work day and think "What do I need now?"
Some days it's laundry.
Some days it's a dog walk. Archie & I will either adventure to the dog park or take a walk around our neighborhood soaking in the mountain views while I listen to my favorite podcast.
Some days I head to the ranch to visit my two horses, Joey & Cesar. I'll spend time grooming them, riding Cesar bareback, or letting them out into the pasture to graze and play.
A few evenings during the week I take a shift at my ranch since we're set up as a co-op, feeding, mucking, and taking care of the barn & horses. I enjoy this time, usually putting in a headphone and listening to audible while I work and smell the smells.
I'm typically home to make dinner around 6:30-7 pm at the latest. I've usually had groceries delivered through InstaCart and have an idea of what I want to make. Because the teens are out and about or have made something on their own, I typically cook for one.
That sounds so depressing. Haha! Don't worry, it's not. I love that I can make what I want and eat what I want. The days of making multiple meals or stressing about what my family wants are over! I think it started when I made the shift to cook what I wanted, they could take it or leave it.
After dinner, I wind down hard. I take my rest and recharge very seriously. I usually have time to fit in one episode of whatever I'm watching. Right now, it's Love is Blind. Sometimes it's a new episode of Kardashians or a movie in the Top 10 on Netflix.
By 9 pm, I'm turning off my lamps, picking up dog toys, and making my way upstairs to shower and/or do my skincare. I've been using Monat shampoo which I've really liked, but outside of that, I'm not set on a specific body wash, razor, or anything.
I do use La Roche-Posay face cleanser and their moisturizer also - I love this brand. In addition, I use Versed Eye Balm before applying my regular ole' chapstick. Brush my teeth then I'm off to bed.
I was on a roll with reading in bed for a while but I took a break recently, I think because I'm just so tired, it's easy for me to crash into bed. Archie & I slip into the covers, turn on our ocean sounds and let our minds turn off.
And really - that's it.
I hope this gives you an insight into my daily flow and maybe some ideas of things to try out for yourself!
Again, if you're following me on social media and see me use or consume something that you're curious about, just reach out and ask me for the details. I'm really an open book and happy to share what works for me.
Guys, I hope you have a beautiful holiday. I'm going to send out a Newsletter next week so be on the lookout for that also.
Thanks for reading.
PS: https://www.amazon.com/shop/rainavsfood (I've got more random shares linked here!)
