Start the day off right. When you do, it will lead to a more productive day and makes the overwhelming parts of the day more manageable.
Guest Post by Whitney Cornelison of Beauty in the Mess
Being in the trenches of motherhood has taught me a lot about myself. I thought I was a patient person, until I had kids. It has also helped me create systems to survive the day. I’m not one who is naturally inclined to routines and schedules, but they do make a world of difference in my sanity. Over the years I’ve learned through trial and error what works for us and how I can work smarter and not necessarily harder. I love this 80/20 rule about organizing your entire life!
Maybe you find yourself in the same boat I did, and still do some days. The night before you make a plan to accomplish your to-do list in the morning, but then you stay up too late, your alarm goes off, and all motivation goes out the window. Instead of knocking out your to-do list, you start the day behind, never catching up.
Don’t miss these three ways to start the day right.
3 Ways to Start the Day Out Right
1. Take some time and plan your meals for the next two weeks.
Meal planning takes one of the big stressors out of the equation. No longer will you be standing, staring in the fridge and pantry, wondering what in the world you’re going to fix while your children are endlessly asking the dreaded question, “What’s for dinner?” You’ll know! You will have a plan, and it will be marvelous.
2. Do not check social media first thing.
I promise that the world will not end if you don’t catch up on the latest happenings on social media first thing in the morning. It’s okay to not check social media until 10 am or even (gasp!) noon. Your productivity will thank you! You might even find more time for play dates and get togethers with your in real life community.
3. A great day begins the night before.
Believe it or not, your bed will make a huge difference in how you wake up in the morning. If you toss and turn most of the night, wake up with a sore back or neck, or have a significant other who tosses and turns all night, chances are really good you are already starting the day behind. You aren’t getting the rest that you need for your body to repair it’s self while you sleep because you aren’t really sleeping.
Believe me when I tell you this. Change your mattress. If money is an obstacle, start setting aside money now or make money to pay for the mattress.
Good mattresses are hard to come by. Especially organic mattresses that you, and your kids when they climb in, can feel comfortable sleeping on. I was sent the PlushBeds’ Botanical Bliss Organic Latex Mattress to review and it’s been a game changer. I haven’t been waking up with a stiff, sore back. That is huge!
9 Benefits of PlushBeds’ Botanical Bliss Organic Latex Mattress
I was sent the PlushBeds’ Botanical Bliss Organic Latex Mattress to review and it’s been a game changer. I haven’t been waking up with a stiff, sore back. That is huge!
Here are nine benefits I’ve noticed since sleeping on the PlushBeds’ Botanical Bliss Organic Latex Mattress:
1. The PlushBeds’ Botanical Bliss Organic Latex Mattress is made with the best quality, natural and sustainable materials. There are no synthetic blends, no fillers, no dyes, no carcinogenic adhesives, no chemicals and no pesticides.
2. The mattress is eco-friendly, hypo-allergenic and anti-microbial.
3. I’ve noticed the luxurious comfort, optimized pressure relief and uncompromising support.
4. The Botanical Bliss Mattress is organic with all certifications – USDA, GOLS; GOTS; Oeko-Tex and GreenGuard Gold Certifications.
5. Each mattress is custom made, offering you more options to choose the perfect mattress. It is available in a wide range of thicknesses and firmnesses.
6. The PlushBeds’ Botanical Bliss Organic Latex Mattress contains no chemical flame retardants. Instead, it has a 100% organic cotton cover with soft, non-allergenic Joma New Zealand Wool, quilted into it. Joma wool’s high keratin protein and moisture content make it naturally resistant to burning. Tests show natural wool to be among the safest bedding materials as wool can allow a latex mattress to naturally pass flammability tests without the use of chemical flame retardants.
7. They are the most resilient and long-lasting mattresses.
8. PlushBeds’ Mattresses come with a 25-year warranty.
9. There is a 100-night Free Return Policy and a 100-day Free Comfort Exchange.
Things to Note
While I do love the PlushBeds’ Botanical Bliss Organic Latex Mattress, there are a few things I feel like I should note in full disclosure.
If you are a light sleeper, purchase the split king mattress to avoid feeling the movement of your partner. The split king is (2) twin xls, placed side by side and held together with the bed frame. Another option is separate top layers. We tried the separate top layers and that hasn’t worked for us. Try the split king.
We are finding the PlushBeds’ Botanical Bliss Organic Latex Mattress to be very hot. Customer service has told me it is likely due to the mattress cover, as latex is normally very breathable. With four kids who tend to find their way into our bed sometime in the night and the possibility of a potty accident, not sleeping with a cover is not an option. So it’s common for me to wake up sweating even though the air conditioner is set on 65ºF and we only have a sheet and a quilt.
Other than those two things, the PlushBeds’ Botanical Bliss Organic Latex Mattress has been a dream to sleep on.
To get $50 off your own purchase of a PlushBeds Botanical Bliss Organice Latex Mattress, use the coupon code HEALTHYSLEEP50.
What do you do to start the day off on the right foot?
Aimee Hadden
YES – the night before is crucial. For me, going to bed on time is key. Waking up before my family has proved helpful in me not feeling behind or rushed all day. Good post!
Amanda Childress
AMEN to #3. Several years ago, we decided on a Tempurpedic Cloud Luxe split king mattress set (with the adjustable bases). The quality of our sleep as compared to our past mattress is just…phenomenal. You don’t want to leave this bed. Ever. As you say, the only thing is that it can be hot. Now, Tempurpedic offers a “cool touch” cover. I need to investigate these further as my husband is very hot-natured.
Now off to plan some meals. 😉
Dana M.
Great article. It’s nice to see others sleeping healthy. It’s amazing how many people sleep on chemical filled memory foam mattresses with harmful fire barriers. I recently purchased organic latex mattresses for my entire family. It’s the best thing we ever did. Comfortable & healthy too!
Jana Grillo
Hi Erin. I love your blog. It’s wonderful that you were able to get an organic latex mattress for your beautiful family and that you’re sleeping comfortably and chemical free each night. I have a suggestion which may make a nice difference for you. I have the Natural Bliss 100% natural latex mattress, also from PlushBeds. 100% natural latex typically sleeps cool – it has an open cell structure so it provides a cool sleep surface. It also does not retain body heat like memory foam. When I was making my purchase, I was deciding between the Botanical Bliss and the Natural Bliss. Both are 100% natural latex mattresses with no synthetics or chemicals and both have all of the healthiest certifications that you want in a mattress – GOLS; GOTS; OEKO-TEX; USDA; GreenGuard Gold, etc. The only difference between the two is the cover (the same 100% natural latex is used in both). Your Botanical Bliss contains 100% natural wool in the cover and my Natural Bliss does not. My mattress sleeps cool and it’s very comfortable. You may want to try swapping the cover on your mattress for the wool free cover. It should make a nice difference for you.
Rebecca Sullivan
Great article. I agree 100%. My day begins the night before. If I don’t have 8 hours of sleep, I cannot function properly and my day is not very productive. I love seeing information on these new healthy mattresses. I hear great things about 100% natural latex for comfort and pressure relief and I hear great things about PlushBeds. I’ll certainly check them out when I’m ready for a new mattress.
Erin
Yes–the night before prep is a complete must!