What Gets me Through the Weekday Hustle

This post is sponsored by Dannon® Oikos® Traditional Greek Yogurt but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

I’m not gonna lie – it’s been quite a year.  Somedays, I have so many plates spinning, I have no idea how I can do it all….until I miraculously do it. Between blogging deadlines, freelancing, teaching ESL and the kids being home for summer…well, it’s busy! Still, I do it because I love it – as well as being home with the kids.

Years ago I used to share my “Friday Favorites” – products and tips that made my life better. Today, I’m resurrecting the theme with useful tips and resources that make my weekday hustle easier.

morning routine

I wake up at ridiculously early hours to teach ESL. This works great for me – because I’m more naturally a morning person anyway. Waking up early gives me time to start my day right. I’ve been really regimented about being sure I fill myself up with good things before adding anything else to my mind and spirit.

That means every morning I’m very intentional about writing in my gratitude journal, reading a devotional and filling my mind with good, positive, grateful thoughts. It’s also an opportunity to pray about the day and release anything that is on my mind, so I’m free to move forward with my day with a clear mind that’s calibrated toward “gratefulness.”

podcasts

Part of filling my mind up with good things includes podcasts. Part of filling my spirit with good things includes inspiration and motivation – here are a few that I’m loving right now:

1. Oprah’s Super Soul Conversations
2. Oprah’s Masterclass
3. The Tony Robbins Podcast
4. How I Built This
5. Rise Podcast with Rachel Hollis

Lately I prefer to listen to a good podcast, even before music. Here are a few purely entertainment-focused podcasts I enjoy listening to:

1. This American Life
2. The Dave Ramsey Show
3. Lore
4. Generation Why
5. Once Upon a Crime

awesome apps

There are a few apps that I use on the regular to make my life easier. Here are my favorites:

Scannable – I’m constantly signing non-disclosures, photo usage rights and other documents, and I love being able to do it on the fly without having to open my computer. Just take a photo of your document and scan it in, right from you phone. LOVE this app.

AccuRadio – I don’t have great radio reception in my car, but even if I did I’d love AccuRadio. There are very few commercials compared to other radio streaming apps and more “skips” allowed. I live in Chicagoland where there is great video, but I love the diversity of music in streaming services like these.

Waze – If you know me in real life, you know I’m hopeless with directions. I couldn’t live without Waze, which even shows you traffic conditions and user-added tips, such as pothole warnings and vehicles pulled to the side of the road.

Amazon Photos – I’m obsessed with the preservation of memories, especially since I have littles, so I love that my Amazon Prime membership includes free unlimited backup of all of my cell phone photos!

Savings Apps:

Ibotta – We are on a strict budget lately, so every little bit helps. I love Ibotta for grocery savings, and the best part is you can do it AFTER you shop, with no coupons needed. There are bonuses available if you use it regularly, and you can pay out directly to Venmo or Paypal, unlike other sites that force you to redeem gift cards.

Earny – I am obsessed with this app! Yes, you do have to add your credit card, but after that, it secures savings for you. I earned more than $20 the first month I had it on purchases I’d already made! This one is totally worth it!!

Ebates – I use Ebates to save on any online purchase I make – just visit the Ebates website BEFORE you make your purchase to get up to 10% off sent to you in a quarterly rebate check.

healthy snacks

Along the lines of “filling myself with good things” I’ve also tried to be more intentional about snacking. That’s why I’m loving Dannon® Oikos® Traditional Greek Yogurt right now. Their Banana Cream flavor is so amazing, and I love adding a graham cracker and a squirt of fresh whipped cream for a snack that tastes like my favorite pie – banana cream pie.

 

I love earning money back from Ibotta – be sure to take advantage of these great offers here and here.

Head to Walmart (or even better, try Walmart’s grocery pickup service. It just came to my area and it’s sooo amazing!

What are your favorite tips for getting through a busy week? Let me know in the comments below!