Sundays are for Setting up your Week

 

One thing I’ve done to set myself up for success is to take some time on Sundays to get prepared for the upcoming week. 

Here’s what I do:

1. Outline the upcoming week in my planner. I use inkWELL press* because it’s just. so. pretty. And functional! 

2. During this time, I also make a meal plan based on our plans for the week. This allows me to know which mornings I’m going to need to take a few extra minutes to prep the slow cooker. 

3. Then, I look through the cupboards and fridge to see if we need anything and place a pickup order for the next day. LOVE that grocery stores do this now. GAME CHANGER.

4. I fill up my pill organizer because if I don’t *let’s be honest* I will not take the time to gather my pills in the morning. I put my Monday pills in a little cup with a lid to take to work the next morning because I have one pill that needs to be taken 1 hour before the others. This way, I have NO excuse to take my meds/supplements. I’ve noticed a major difference when I slack on taking these things. DO YOURSELF A FAVOR - TAKE YOUR MEDS. 

5. One way I’ve simplified but beautified our home is to fill it with plants. I have chosen to surround us with succulents because they need the least amount of care. I can get by with only watering them weekly and Sunday is that day!

6. Then, it’s ME-TIME. Sundays are the days I redo my nails (that silver jar* there). My nails are weak and brittle and they actually hurt if they are bare so I found a dip powder that doesn’t require a UV light and for $26, I get about 6 months of manicures. No time at the salon for me! Love it. (The manicures can actually last up to two weeks but I love having a fresh mani each week)

7. We attend church on Friday nights so we can take Sundays to be well-rested for the upcoming week. So, I make sure to do a devo or listen to a sermon at some point on Sundays just to revive my heart before the week starts. 

8. Right after the kids are in bed, I prep my breakfast and lunch for the next day so that I can sleep as long as possible in the morning. I found great little reusable bento boxes at the store and both myself and my husband have found them to be great when meal prepping!

9. And, the best way to end the day well (and what I do every night, not just Sundays) is to close the kitchen at a certain time and use my trusty H2O chiffonnettes* to do one last wipe down of the counters and handles. Who doesn’t like waking up to a clean kitchen?! Then, once I’m done getting ready for bed, I do the same thing in the bathroom. Again, who doesn’t like waking up to a clean bathroom?!

I can see how you might think this is a lot. But, truthfully, each of these things don’t take very long and the satisfaction that comes from setting myself up for a win makes it all worth it!

Tell me, what works for you? How do you set yourself up for a successful week?

Products:

*inkWell Press - click here for $10 off your first purchase of $50!

*Revel Nail - click here for 10% off!

*H2O at Home - click here to see more! 

H2O at Home vs. Norwex: What’s the Difference?

 *this post was originally written by Rachel Swanson and published here. She has given me permission to repost my links.

Some of you have asked if H2O at Home is similar to Norwex.

I wanted to give you a factual breakdown of what I’ve found comparing these two companies that contain similar products. Do your own research if you’re not satisfied but here are some things to look at.

• H2O at Home submits their products to be regulated and approved by 3 European companies (Qualit France, EcoCert, and Cosmebio). Norwex has only 1 (but they do claim to have other built-in regulations within the company, just not submitted to outside companies for further review and certifications).
• H2O at Home has a less overwhelming catalog (less products) because they claim to focus on simplifying their products and formulating them for multiple purposes.
• Most of the H2O at Home products are less expensive and seem to provide better quality results, and you get the same amount or more than Norwex.
• H2O at Home products are mostly made in Europe, many with Fair-Trade labels. Norwex products are all made in China.
• Many H2O at Home products are fair trade, biodegradable, and made from the best organic/natural resources. Norwex…I’m not sure but I don’t believe they provide many of these benefits.
• H2O at Home is regulated by the Direct Sales Association. Norwex is not. Enough said.
• H2O at Home pays their advisors MORE in the mid to upper-level brackets than Norwex (I worked out the numbers which proved to be true for this). Norwex pays more for the initial start into the business (although H2O at Home is updating their compensation plan Jan. 2021 and this will no longer be true!)
• Norwex does offer an incentive where you can get your business kit for free (which is pretty cool), but if you don’t it costs more than H2O at Home’s business kit (only $119 but you receive over $450 worth of products!).
• H2O at Home is a Direct Sales company, NOT an MLM- Multi-level Marketing (doesn’t have the MLM structure); Norwex demonstrates an MLM company.
• They both provide great start-up bonuses in your first couple of months. Yay!
• This is my own personal preference but I like the look and feel of the company colors and the way H2O at Home lays out their products on the website (feels less overwhelming) than Norwex. H2O at Home is minimalist and modern.
• Again, personal preference, but H2O at Home microfiber cloths are softer than Norwex. (Many have said the same for this, too).
• Norwex has silver in their microfiber cloths that they claim self-clean within 24 hours (The science behind the anti-microbial properties of metal in microfibers is inconclusive. https://minds.wisconsin.edu/handle/1793/79905). These silver strands within the fibers are shown to wear out, losing effectiveness over time. Additionally, metal nanoparticles make their way down the drain and into water sources posing a potential threat to the environment. https://jab.zsf.jcu.cz/pdfs/jab/2008/03/01.pdf; H2O at Home says tests have shown no statistical evidence of metals being self-cleaning nor does it show a significant difference between microfibers without metals for self-cleaning. H2O at Home also believes based on some statistical studies that metals pose a risk to the environment which goes again their eco-friendly mission and standard. So H2O at Home provides an organic-based soap that cleans the cloths within 30 seconds (in my opinion, I’d rather have a clean cloth in 30 seconds than 24 hours), which has additional uses: remove stains from textiles, makeup from exfoliating cloth, remove bacteria from microfibers, etc. H2O at Home microfibers are some of the thinnest fibers available (makes them even more effective) and have a special patented ultrasonic cutting edge to prevent fraying of the fibers.

Regardless of what you use, both do a great job of ridding your home of toxic products and provide an eco-friendly alternative.

However, I chose H2O at Home because of some of the reasons above. It is better quality and lower cost, while lasting longer than other eco-friendly over-the-counter “green” products which makes my bank account happier.

Want to know more? Do you have further questions? What do you think? Do you use Norwex, H2O at Home, or a different product line to clean your home?

To find out more about H2O at Home and browse their products, click here! (I highly recommend the Premium Set as this will take care of 90% of your home cleaning and save you more money!) Want to sign-up for the business? Email me and I’d love to chat with you: Kelley @ gracefilledimperfection.com