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Nourish and Flourish: A 30 Day Challenge!

admin — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 07:47:03 +0000

It’s March 1st!! Can you believe it? Spring is just around the corner and we are so excited for all of the new beginnings that spring brings. To help prepare, we wanted to embark on a 30 day challenge to help everyone flourish and nourish! This challenge will be made up of 30 daily prompts, focusing on your wellbeing, including mental, emotional, physical and spiritual elements!

Participating in a 30 day challenge is the perfect way to try new things, challenge yourself, and develop new habits! It keeps life feeling fun and fresh, connects you to a community (hiiii!!!) and gets you out of your comfort zone. Who knows after completing the 30 days, you might find a new passion, learn some self-love practices or simply remind yourself to take a breath every now and then!

We hope you follow along with us on this journey. Take photos and videos, share them and tag us on Instagram or Facebook! You can use our hashtag #sunkissedandgrateful so we can follow along! We can’t wait to see you nourish, flourish and bloom!

30 Days to Nourish and Flourish with Sunkissed and Grateful

Nourish and Flourish //Days 1-7

Day 1 // 100 squats – Build that Booty! This is an easy and fun way to kickstart the challenge! Take a few minutes out of your day and complete all 100 squats or break it up throughout the day. You can do them in your kitchen while cooking, in the shower or pretty much anywhere! Not only will you get those endorphins flowing but you will be strengthening your booty (quads, hamstrings, and core)! Just make sure to use proper form. Make sure your knees don’t go over your toes!

Day 2 // Practice Gratitude and List 10 Things You are Grateful for Today – It’s definitely not a secret that showing gratitude and counting your blessings is a proven way to increase happiness and reduce stress! The more you flex this gratitude muscle, the stronger it becomes and you will reap the benefits! Simply write down 10 things you are grateful for this prompt! And if you are interested in an amazing gratitude journal, we love this one!

Day 3 // Put on Your Favorite Face Mask – We actually just did a blog post about some of our favorite clean face masks to reveal glowing skin. (You can find it HERE). Not only will you show your skin some love, but you get to practice a little self-care too! It’s a win-win!

Day 4 // Screen Free Meals – I don’t know about you but I often find myself scrolling through social media while I eat, especially when I have a minute to myself. Not only does screen free meals provide a great opportunity to develop healthy eating habits, lowering mindless eating, but it also allows you time to build meaningful relationships with family and friends! So put that phone on silent, tuck it away and don’t get tempted to check it!

Day 5 // Give Yourself 3 Compliments – How hard will this be for some people? I remember when I first started incorporating this into my daily routine I felt so silly. It almost felt like bragging about myself, something I think a lot of people tend to steer away from because they want to appear more humble. But friend, this is so important for some self-love! Say it loud, say it proud. The more you pay yourself compliments, the more you will believe it and feel it! So if you are super funny, say it! If you have amazing legs, brag about it! Or if you have the kindest heart, be proud of who you are!

Day 6 // Listen to an Inspiring Podcast – Such an easy way to change your day! I’m currently loving the Live Beautifully Podcast by Katrina Scott, as well as Earn Your Happy and The Goal Digger Podcast by Jenna Kutcher.

Day 7// Pay it Forward to a Stranger – This is such a fun one! It can be super simple like buying a coffee for the person in line behind you or it could be buying flowers for a random person in a grocery store! I think sometimes we think too much about our own needs without considering how our behavior affects others. By paying it forward, we are positively affecting someone else’s day, which will most likely cause you to feel good as well. It’s an easy way to make a difference.

Nourish and Flourish // Days 8-14

Day 8 // Drink More Water – This is such a great and effective habit to adopt! Drinking water has so many benefits, including improving our skin complexion, flushing out toxins and increasing energy! Try and drink half your body weight in water and see how you feel at the end of the day!

Day 9 // Ground! Connect with Earth for at least 5 minutes – One of our favorite practices! We love grounding or earthing and the many benefits it provides! Since we live near the beach, we typically go every day, even if it’s only for 15 minutes so we can walk barefoot on the sand! Studies have found that grounding has been shown to reduce chronic pain, improve sleep, lower blood pressure and improve mood, as well as tons more! All you have to do is go barefoot, find some grass, dirt or sand, and simply absorb the earth’s energy!

Day 10 // Create a Pinterest Board of Things You Love – I don’t know about you but there is something so relaxing about pinning on Pinterest for me. I get inspired and motivated and just love to look at quotes I love and beautiful places. Make a board that inspires you, brings you happiness or simply gives you the feels!

Day 11 // Clean up Your Email Inbox – This is an easy way to feel more organized and in control of your life! I recently learned about Unroll.me, a free service that will instantly provide you with a list of all your subscription emails. You can then unsubscribe easily from whatever you don’t want!

Day 12 // Start Your Day With a Hot Lemon Water and 5 Deep Breaths – Get your glow on and your mind right with these two items! Drinking lemon water in the morning on an empty stomach is a simple thing you can add to your daily routine! With vitamin C, folate and other important vitamins, you get essential nutrients and kickstart your digestion. Don’t forget to take 5 deep breaths to set the tone for the day!

Day 13 // Buy/Pick Yourself Some Flowers– It doesn’t have to be a fancy bouquet, but do something kind for yourself! Buy or pick a pretty bouquet and show yourself some love! You are worth it!

Day 14 // Compliment A Stranger – Such an easy task, but one that brings so much joy! Have you ever received a compliment from a random stranger and just felt so good inside! When I was sixteen and really insecure about my nose, a random lady in the grocery store once told me to never get a nose job because my nose made me look exotic. It was such a kind thing for her to say and she didn’t know how much I would hold on to that! It honestly helped me grow more comfortable in my own skin and appreciate my own unique beauty!

Nourish and Flourish // Days 15-21

Day 15 // Go for a 20 minute walk – Regardless of what time it is, a 20 minute walk feels oh so good! It gets those endorphins flowing, exposes you to some sunlight (get that vitamin D baby!) and gives you time to decompress! It’s a great habit to add to your routine!

Day 16 // Create a Mood-Boosting Playlist – Music is therapy! I love the power of music and how just hearing a song can bring up a memory, change your mood or evoke an emotion! Put together some of your favorite jams and don’t forget to share them with us! We love discovering new music!

Day 17 // Try a 1-minute Plank– Planks are so good for the body! Not only does it work and strengthen the abs, but it also works the glutes, obliques, hips, back muscles and pretty much everything! It’s so beneficial to have a strong core and planks are a great way to get there! If you can’t hold it for a minute, try 30 seconds! Just challenge yourself!

Day 18 // Connect with a Family/Friend Today – Pick up your phone, shoot a text, Facetime or have a coffee date! Whatever you can do, do it! Just connect with a loved one and feel the amazing benefits that a good conversation can create! Just make sure you keep it uplifting or else you might feel drained! We don’t want any toxicity over here!

Day 19 // Take Pictures of Things Throughout Your Day that Make You Smile – Do you ever browse through your phone and see a picture and smile? We do! Usually, it’s pictures of our kids, but lately we have been taking pictures of flowers, sunsets, pretty quotes out and about and it’s felt so good! At the end of the week, I go through and save some of my favorites to a little album on my phone! It’s kind of like a digital mood board!

Day 20 // Watch the Sunset – Research shows that watching sunsets can increase your satisfaction in life, relieve stress and improve mood! I mean just looking at the majestic colors painted in the sky brings me peace! Drive to your favorite spot and watch your worries fade away!

Day 21 // Tell Your Spouse/ Significant Other 5 Things You Love About Them – Not only is this a great way to make someone feel good, it serves as a great reminder of your significant other’s amazing qualities, thus helping you appreciate them more! Plus, if your spouse has words of affirmation as their love language, you are speaking to their soul!

Nourish and Flourish // Days 22-30

Day 22 // Get Your Doodle, Color or Creativity On – Unleash your inner child and color! There is something so meditative and relaxing about this mindless activity! My husband and I have a few adult coloring books that we take out from time to time to release some stress and just zone out! It’s such an easy way to relax!

Day 23 // Complete Your Favorite Workout – We love moving our body and feeling good! It’s an easy way to improve your mood, feel strong and show your body some love! Melissa recently shared some of her favorite free home workouts so click HERE if you want to read about those! They are so good!

Day 24 // Donate 5 Items You No Longer Need – I love doing this when I feel overwhelmed! I like things to be minimal and clean, but sometimes with kids I feel like clutter piles up! To combat this, I try and go through our house regularly to identify things we no longer use or don’t need! I take it to our local donation center and I feel good knowing someone else can use it, while also restoring my minimal environment!

Day 25 // Try a New Recipe – I love to cook and try new food! It’s a fun opportunity to improve your cooking expertise, delight your taste buds and perfect your inner chef!

Day 26 // Get 15 minutes of Sun – Soak up that sun and get that Vitamin D! It’s an instant mood booster that will leave you feeling energized! Increase your immunity and your serotonin level! You will be left feeling energized, focused and warm ;)!

Day 27 // Write Down 3 Affirmations to Repeat Daily – We do this with our kids, as well as ourselves! It’s just a simple statement, said out loud (often repeated) with confidence and conviction to help you reprogram your brain! Find or create one that resonates with you!

Day 28 // Create a Bucket-List – I love a bucket list! I actually have quite a few different ones! One for Travel, one for different seasons, one for fun experiences! Create one and let it motivate you to work towards fulfilling your dreams!

Day 29 // Turn Your Phone off For One Hour – This may sound easy, but it’s actually a lot harder than it sounds! We have been so accustomed to always having our phone on us and using it as a way to browse, take in information, do research etc. that we don’t realize how often we stare at our screen! I didn’t realize how much I was on my phone until I set a daily limit! So do yourself a favor and turn it off for an hour! It’s so liberating!

Day 30 // Spend 10 minutes Learning a New Language – I downloaded the app Duolingo a few years ago and am obsessed! It’s a free app that allows you to learn so many different languages! The lessons are fun and interactive and you can win points and rewards, level up, and master a language effectively! I try and do this 10 minutes a day a few times a week! I go back and forth between Spanish, French and Italian! It’s fun, but keeps my brain challenged!

We hope you participate in our 30 days to Nourish and Flourish Challenge! If you do, please don’t forget to tag us in your daily challenges! We can’t wait to see how you feel after completing this fun challenge! It really is a great way to kickstart March!

Here’s a PDF version if you want to save it!

A9C35978-D65A-4E1B-8101-E7CCF440CEF0.PNG Download

Thank you for following along and constantly supporting us! We appreciate you all so much!

xoxoxo,

Kari and Melissa

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20 Books to Inspire Gratitude and Thankfulness in Children

admin — Fri, 13 Nov 2020 20:46:09 +0000

We love fall! We love books! And so it only made sense for us to create a fall-inspired book list to help inspire feelings of gratitude and thankfulness. While these books are geared towards children, they definitely help remind adults to practice gratitude and thankfulness as well!

Reading with your children is such a game changer! Not only does it give you tons of quality time with them, but it helps in so many other ways.

Reading to your children can

increase imagination and creativity
prepare them for academic success
increase vocabulary
instill a love for reading
develop empathy
increase concentration skills
further develop a bond between you and your child!

Gratitude and Thankfulness Books//

Apple Cake: A Gratitude by Dawn Casey // We are a sucker for cute illustrations and this book has the cutest little pictures in it and encourages children to practice gratitude and thankfulness. It’s the perfect book for November and Thanksgiving.
When Grandma Gives You a Lemon Tree by Jamie L.B. Deenihan and Lorraine Rocha // My daughter loves this book and right away (at 4 years old) she understood the lesson of the story, “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.”
If I Had a Little Dream by Nina Laden // This book is such a great reminder to be grateful for all of the little things in our lives. The artwork is super cute too!
My Heart Fills With Happiness by Monique Gray Smith // We love this book for many reasons. It showcases different family and cultural traditions, has beautiful illustrations, and helps inspire both children and adults to appreciate the small moments in life.
Gracias/Thanks b y Pat Moira // This book is about a boy who is Mexican/Caucasian and discusses some of the everyday things he is grateful for. We love that it is written in both Spanish and English.
Sweep by Louise Greig // This book is one we were so excited to finally read! I’ve had it saved in my camera roll forever to purchase and it did not disappoint. While it is about fall, it also uses the analogy of leaves to talk about emotions, moods, gratitude, and mindfulness. Win-Win in my book!
Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Pena // Gorgeous book! It follows a little boy and his grandma as she teaches him how to see the beauty and fun in his world. So heartwarming!
Llama Llama Gives Thanks by Anna Dewdney // Who doesn’t love Llama Llama? He’s a classic in our house and we love the simplicity of the message in this book, especially for younger children.
Fletcher and the Falling Leaves by Julia Rawlinson // This beautifully illustrated book talks about the changing of seasons, empathy and wonder! We love the Fletcher the Fox series!
Pinkalicious: Thanksgiving Helper by Victoria Kann // The Pinkalicious series are always so fun! In this book, Pinkalicious and Peter want to be Thanksgiving helpers but end up making a mistake. However, in the end, what really matters is being with your loved ones!
Powell’s or a local family owned San Diego bookstore, Warwick’s.

Just a small disclaimer, if you purchase a book using our Amazon links above we do make a small commission.

Leave a comment below and let us know your favorite book or if you have any other suggestions on books about gratitude, thankfulness or just ones you love! We can’t wait to follow along with you!

Have an amazing day,

Kari and Melissa

Click Here to Save as PDF: https://sunkissedandgrateful.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/369B0972-DDB1-47F8-8499-0CECE006A1F0.pdf

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“Things to be Grateful For Today” Graphic

admin — Thu, 12 Nov 2020 05:45:03 +0000

There is always something to be grateful for…

We are huge believers that a grateful mindset can change your life! There really is always something to be grateful for!!

Kari introduced me to The 5 Minute Journal several years ago and I’ve been using it ever since! Something so small as listing daily what you’re grateful for truly impacts your outlook for that day. Give it a try and let us know if you notice the difference!!

Practice Gratitude

A habit that I try to cultivate is the practicing gratitude. When I’m not consistent with practicing gratitude I notice a difference! It’s easier for me to focus on the good when that is in the forefront of my mind. If you haven’t yet started a daily gratitude list, I highly recommend it. Part of our bedtime routine as a family is sharing the “best part of the day” and I love hearing my 4-year-old son share his. It may seem simple, because it is!! And, one is never too young or too old to be grateful!

Free Graphic

We created this fun free graphic as a reminder that everyday, no matter what, there is something to be grateful for—so pin it, share it and live it

Xoxo, Melissa

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