intentional living

7 Ways You Can Treat Yo’self for Free

May 3, 2019 by Allie Casazza Leave a Comment

Hey, where my mamas at?? Let’s have a little real talk.

Isn’t it so hard sometimes to pamper yourself without feeling guilty?!

We think, “Oh, I can’t get my nails done because we really can’t afford that right now.” Or “I would love to grab coffee from Starbucks but it’s like $75 for a tall (small) and that’s not in the budget.” Or “The kids need shoes more than I need a night out.” And we just let ourselves make it seem impossible. We let ourselves stay in the burnout.

For most of us going out and spending an exorbitant amount of cash on self-indulgence isn’t realistic. In some seasons it’s not even an option. Been. There.

But that doesn’t mean that we can’t treat ourselves at all. Mamas need love too! Remember, you can’t pour from an empty cup! We just have to be a little more creative sometimes in how the cup gets filled back up.

Because I love you and I strongly believe moms need self-care, I’ve put together 7 Ways You Can Treat Yo’self for FREE! Now you have no excuses, friend! I’ve done the brainstorming for you 😉

Take. A. Frickin. Nap.

For moms, sleep is a long-lost friend and a cherished memory. There are probably not many of us who actually get the recommended hours of sleep each night. We’re up before the sun and we don’t stop until long after it goes down.

Some of us work outside the home, some of us work inside the home—either way, we’re all working our butts off all day long. It’s a lot.

Taking a quick 30-minute nap during the day will have you feeling like a QUEEN. Or at least like a functioning human.

If you’re home during the day, set the kids in front of the tv. I promise it won’t fry their brains to watch Netflix for 30 mins. If you work outside the home, go out to your car on your lunch break, roll the windows down, lean the seat back, (set an alarm) and nap! You will wake up feeling so refreshed and like a million bucks!

Take a Hot Shower or Bubble Bath

Remember the days when you stayed in the shower until the hot water ran out? What a life, am I right? When you’ve got little kids, a hot shower can feel like an impossibility. You basically feel like you won a gold medal if you can wash the shampoo out of your hair.

It sounds ridiculous because, you know, we all deserve to be clean. But it’s true! It’s like kids have this radar that tells them that you’re about to do something by yourself and all of a sudden, they need all the things.

If your kids are really little and can’t be unsupervised for any amount of time, then wait until dad comes home. And don’t feel bad letting him watch the kids by himself for a little while. Sure, he worked all day, but you did too.

He’s a grown man, who (probably) has a job with a lot of responsibilities. He’s capable of watching your kids and you need to trust him. Plus, it’s great bonding time with daddy!

Side note: most husbands really do want their wives to feel good and they want to help with their children. So, just tell him what you need and then go take an hour-long soak in the tub.

If you’re single-mommin’ it. Call a friend or your mom to come watch the kids for 30 mins to an hour. Or, if that’s not possible, set them up in your room with toys or a movie, turn on the baby monitor and “Treat Yo’self!”

Netflix and Chill… By Yo’self! #livinthedream

After the kids go to bed, pour yourself a glass of wine—or a cup of coffee— get comfy on the couch and watch an episode or two (or ten) of a show that doesn’t include a talking animal. Talk about feeling like a new woman!

Olivia Pope will have you walking away feeling like you know how to handle your bizness!

Go For a Walk

Fresh air, mama. You need it. It can be so easy to find yourself stuck inside all day. Especially if you work outside the home.

If you’re a stay-at-home mom and your kids are little enough, strap them in a stroller, pop in some earbuds, and take a walk around the neighborhood. Or if your kids are older, let them ride bikes or walk in front of you. Either way, they’re not allowed to bother you for the duration of the walk. Unless it’s an emergency. They can handle it.

If you work outside the home, find a safe park or neighborhood near your office and walk during your lunch break. Listen to a podcast, here’s one of mine on self-care. 😉

This is also considered exercise so, look achoo workin’ out and stuff!

Read a (Good) Book

It doesn’t always have to be an educational/self-help book. Find a good piece of fiction. It’s fun, it’s stretches your imagination, inspires creativity, and is actually proven to make you a more compassionate person.

Books are great because they can transport you to another place or time. Who doesn’t wish they could be someone or somewhere else every once in a while?

Give Yourself a Mani/Pedi

You don’t have to go to the salon and spend $40 to get your nails done. Grab your favorite color polish and give your fingers and toes some love.

It’s not quite as good as having someone else do it, but you’ll feel better when your toes are pretty! 😉

Go for a Drive.

I used to do this all the time when my husband worked a lot. I would get my kids in their pajamas, put them in their car seats, and go for a drive.

They would be asleep in minutes and I would have the car ride to listen to music, pray, or just think. Basically, it was uninterrupted alone time.

This could work if it’s raining outside too. Wait until naptime, strap your kids in the car, and go for a long drive.

Write in Your Journal

There is something so therapeutic about getting everything in your head down onto a sheet of paper. Light some candles, pour a hot cup of coffee, and just have some quiet time. Write down your feelings, your dreams, and what you’re learning.

Here’s some Loving Your Body Better Journal Prompts because we could all do that a little better!

Heck Yes!

It’s so easy to make excuses when it comes to treating ourselves. We’re too busy, money’s too tight, the kids are too little. Or if we do, we end up feeling guilty because we could have done something else with that money.

Stop it now. No one is forcing us to feel that way and we shouldn’t.

So grab some chocolate, pour some wine, and TREAT YO’SELF!

THE SUPERMOM VAULT

A LIBRARY OF INSPIRATION

Replays of my very best online workshops (not available anywhere else)
Tons of actionable PDF’s, downloadable with one click
More than 20 audio & video trainings!
Professionally-designed printables for your home to keep you focused & inspired

Learn more

Six Things I Said Goodbye To In Order To Live A Life of Purpose

October 19, 2018 by Allie Casazza Leave a Comment

Minimalism can get a bad rap. A lot of times when people think about minimalism they think they need to empty out their homes and live with the bare minimum. That’s just not what I’m about.

I’m about simplification, about mindfulness, about purpose. That’s why I’m so intentional about the things I purchase and allow to take up space in my home.

When I buy something, I want to know that it will serve me and my family. I need to know that it will help me live on purpose and serve me well.

If you’re thinking, “What on earth does that mean, Allie? What does it look like to be intentional with my purchases? Where do I even begin?”

I’ve got you, mama!

I’m going to share six things that I no longer purchase that help me live intentionally. This is just my list. Your list may look completely different and that’s okay! We all lead different lives and have different priorities.

I’m sharing this with you to encourage you to start questioning why you’re purchasing something so you don’t end up buying cute junk you don’t need. Because we’ve all been there, am I right?

01. My kids’ school and athletic pictures.

It’s not that I don’t care about my kids’ activities or that I’m not sentimental. They’re just not my style so they’re not important to me.

I would rather be intentional about taking my own candid photos of my kids playing their sports than buying professional photos.

I want the photos of them living their full, little lives rather than pictures of them using props with fake smiles on their faces. That’s just not authentic to me so I don’t ever buy them anymore.

02. Cheap crap that doesn’t last

I’ve become really intentional about adding things to my closet and home that I actually love and know will last for a while. I don’t buy cheap, low-quality things just because there’s an empty space in my living room.

Instead, I’ll wait until it’s the right time and the right item and I’ll invest in a purchase that lasts. I’m not saying I never shop at H&M and Target (I do), but it’s really about quality for me now.

03. Items that I think are capturing a memory but they’re really not

I don’t know what it is, but souvenir shops can just suck you in! It’s so easy to feel like you need to bring back something. But I just don’t anymore. I’d rather take photos to remember trips and events than purchase a gift shop souvenir.

I’m not talking about collectible items – like maybe you collect travel coffee mugs from different places or some other item that means a lot to you. I’m just talking about crap that we feel like we have to buy that really means nothing.

04. DVDS

This is a huge NO for us. We don’t buy DVDs anymore because almost everything we want to watch we can get on a streaming service like VUDU or Netflix.

It just seems kind of pointless to buy a physical DVD when you can rent or buy anything you want to watch on Amazon Prime.

05. Things that I love at the store but I have no real purpose or place for them

Target is a place I go where I just think everything is cute and amazing! Can I get an amen? But I’ve really learned the art of appreciating something and not feeling like I need to have it in my home.

When I see something cute, I’ll ask myself, “What’s the purpose of this? Where would I put this? Why would I get this?” And if I can’t come up with a good answer, I don’t buy it. I just appreciate it for what it is and go on my way.

Just because something is super cute or I think it’s SO ME doesn’t mean that I have to buy it.

06. Things that I want to use but never actually use in real life.

An example of this for me would be hair clips. For a long time I was bad about buying these cute, little hair clips and then never putting them in my hair. Or I would see a cute piece of clothing that really wasn’t my style but I wanted it to be my style so I’d buy it anyway.

I don’t do that anymore because I know it’s pointless. I won’t use or wear these things and they’ll just end up taking up space and becoming clutter until eventually I get real with myself and get rid of them.

These are things things that I’ve just become really intentional about saying no to. And it’s not about saying no to everything or never buying hair clips. When I talk about minimalism I’m really talking about checking in with yourself and being mindful about the things that you purchase and allow to take up your space.

Make sure the things that you bring into your home serve you and the season of life you’re in. Make sure they serve your purpose, mama. Because you’re making a difference in this world and in the lives of your littles.

ARE YOU READY TO CLEAR THE CLUTTER AND FOCUS ON THE AREAS OF YOUR LIFE THAT BRING YOU JOY?

YOUR UNCLUTTERED HOME IS LITERALLY EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO BECOME A MINIMALIST MAMA WHO IS ABLE TO BE A LOT MORE PRESENT FOR WHAT MATTERS MOST.

I want MORE JOY!

A Typical Day in Our House

June 8, 2018 by Allie Casazza Leave a Comment

Do you ever wonder what someone else does in different areas of your life? Like how other people deal with tough parenting issues or how other moms structure their day?

Me too!

I think it can be really helpful to see how other people do things. Even if the exact system wouldn’t work for you, it can be inspiring and helpful in other ways.

Lately on Instagram (@allie_thatsme) and on the podcast, I’ve been sharing some things about my schedule, such as:

how I run my business
homeschool my four littles
fit in some self-care
and all the other things I’ve got going on

It’s been so fun to hear people’s feedback and comments! Since it’s been asked a bunch, I thought I’d get specific and share a peek into a typical day for our family!

So keep in mind, this is a typical day.

It’s not exactly this way all the time – that would be so boring I’d die, cause I love to be spontaneous!

OUR TYPICAL DAY

5:30-6:00

I usually wake up, slip into my workout clothes, and make coffee.

I go through my morning ritual and usually follow it up with some pilates.

7:00

The kids’ alarms go off (they play upstairs if they wake up before this), they make their beds, put their pajamas away, get dressed, and come downstairs. I normally put myself together for the day at this time.

7:30

Bella serves breakfast for herself and her brothers (cereal or toast and hardboiled egg, or something similar), they clean up after themselves, then unload the dishwasher (I always run it the night before).

8:15

I sit with the kids and we talk, pray over our day, and dive into Language Arts. During this time, sometimes Brian is working in the office, sometimes he’s working on a house project.

9:00

I head to my office to get some work done, Brian comes in to do math and science with the kids.

They take breaks as needed.

When they’re done the older two work on solo work (guitar or reading for Leland, art lesson or reading for Bella) while the younger two play outside.

12:00

We eat lunch as a family.

After we eat, we clean up the kitchen and do a 10-minute pickup around the house. Usually school books need to be put away, the robo vac needs to be run, and things just need to be straightened up.

After lunch, we might go for a walk to the park near our house, run errands, go out to do something fun, or take a family nap if we need it. On busier weeks, Brian and I might have the kids do separate quiet times while we get a little more work done in the office.

Sometimes I’ll take the kids out alone while Brian stays and gets some editing done (he’s the master behind the photos we use for the business and all my videos). Other times we’ll pack up and head to Legoland. It just depends on our workload and what’s going on that day.

5:00

Time to make dinner! Brian and I have assigned nights for who cooks.

It is always flexible, though!

Usually he cooks two nights a week and I cook three. The other two nights are date night (which means a frozen pizza for the kids and sitter) and the other night is family takeout/game night!

After we eat dinner and clean up the kitchen, we head into our evening routine – another 10-minute house pickup, Bella wipes the bathrooms down, everyone chips in with what’s needed so we can go to bed with a clean house. Plus bath/showers for all the kids.

8:00

The younger kids (ages 5 and 3) go to bed.

The older kids will normally hang out together or read separately. Sometimes they play on the iPad together, watch Blue Planet on Netflix or color and chat. At this time Brian and I are either relaxing on the couch or wrapping up anything that needs us (maybe work or a house project or just talking to each other).

9:00

The older kids (ages 9 and 7) go to bed.

I normally go to bed around 10:00, but it changes depending on the night.

THAT’S IT!

I feel like this is super boring but I know I like reading things like this from other people and so many of you were asking me for this, haha! There you have it! 🙂

Whenever I share something like this, I get a bunch of emails asking why there’s not more time spent on housework and how is my house always so clean on my InstaStory if I don’t spend a chunk of time each day maintaining it.

Mamas always write me saying how overwhelmed they feel and their day is so full of chaos and putting out fires. It breaks my heart! I know how that feels because it absolutely used to be my life!

Scroll down for info about “Unburdened”, The overwhelmed beginner’s guide to a simpler motherhood

But this is what I’m always telling you beauties – minimalism and simplifying your home and schedule will set you free from that!

Take action on that ish for yourself, mama by clicking right here and choosing what will help you the most right now…

Is it time management?

Decluttering?

Doing a surface sweep of your entire life?

Get straightforward help with what YOU need right now.

Whatever you need, I got you and I want you to know there is so much hope!

Love sharing with you all and I hope this is a fun read!

“Hey mama!

Do you feel like a simplified day is totally undoable for you?

I’ve been there!

LET ME HELP YOU GET UNBURDENED AND START THRIVING!

This small, straightforward course is everything for the mom who feels like she needs a total overhaul, but is too overwhelmed to start.

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Our Minimalist Homeschool Room

May 25, 2018 by Allie Casazza Leave a Comment

Why we chose to turn the loft into the school room

When we moved into this house, the upstairs loft jumped out at me right away.

I’m of the mindset that you can homeschool anywhere, without a designated “school room”, but if you have the space for it, it definitely makes things easier!

Even with a school room, we still sometimes find ourselves learning fractions at the dining room table and going over Egyptian civilization at the kitchen island while I make lunch. However, I love having a separate space just for learning and storing our curricula.

Homeschooling is messy, and I like that the mess is segregated from the rest of the house most days.

What’s in the room & how we use it

The first thing I did when we moved in was look up the different options for desks. We have four kids, and while only three of them are actively being homeschooled (Emmett is only three so he mainly just tags along), it’s a lot of bodies in a small room at once.

I didn’t want the room to feel cramped or for our set up to be inconvenient.

I’m not new to homeschooling, so that helped me have a sense of what would and would not work for us in terms of this school space.

I decided to ditch all the Pinterest images I was saving and do my own thing – a dining room table is what we really needed in here. This would give us lots of space for everyone to sprawl out with their books, and it would be easy for me to move around and go from kid to kid.

We got this super modern table from IKEA, and as fate would have it, it was previously purchased, put together, then returned without a scratch on it by another person, so we got the last one for 50% off and didn’t have to assemble it. #winning

The chairs are a collection of what we already had (but didn’t want to use at our actual dining table) and they’re comfy to sit in so this worked out perfectly too!

We use The Good & The Beautiful curriculum, and one of their main selling points is that there aren’t 100 books per subject – their design is very minimal, which I of course love. I knew we wouldn’t need a ton of shelving and storage, but definitely some!

One shelving unit is plenty for us, and we could even do with less space here, which surprises me with four kids!

We keep our Lego in the school room for a couple of reasons. First of all, it worked out in terms of space.

Also, all four of my kids play with the Lego, so it made sense to put them in a shared space rather one of the kids’ rooms.

We store Lego separately from their other toys (which are in a toy bin in the boys’ shared room) and we also use Lego for school on a regular basis. It just made sense to store them in this room.

We use the bins to hold segregated Ziplock bags of Lego. Leland likes order, so he’s usually pretty good at keeping the Lego separated by color, but it’s not perfect and I’m not picky.

As long as they’re off the ground and out of my way, I don’t care.

Lego are so valuable for learning and so good for the kids’ constructive play, I think they’re worth the mess they make.

Besides, a little mess is good for you, and raising kids is messy! If you’re analytic about every little thing being perfectly organized, you’ll probably end up miserable and not too much fun to be around!

How we keep supplies at bay

It is so easy to become overcluttered with homeschool supplies! So many times I find myself excusing myself to keep junk because we “might need in one day”, which I normally don’t struggle with!

I have to check myself and let that ish go.

Homeschooling is awesome but also unpredictable, so it can make you feel like you need to hang on to stuff all the time, but that’s not true.

Our homeschool supplies are what we need, and nothing else. I feel like we’ve struck a really good balance with where we’re at.

Currently, our homeschool practice itself is incredibly minimal and “bare bones”.

What I mean by that is that we aren’t doing a lot of extra stuff. We are in a very full season of adoption prep, business growth, and focusing on extracurricular activies rather than extra homeschool activities (things that go beyond the main subjects).

Our supplies reflect the season we’re in.

Someday we’ll do way more art and new languages and science experiments that will cause our supply stock to grow a bit, and we’ll adjust, but for now it’s super basic.

Do you homeschool? What do you love or hate about your homeschool space? Share with me in the comments!

Want to know where we got something you see here? I gotchoo, girl.

Our homeschool table: (similar one here) IKEA

Leather chairs: (similar one here) IKEA

Rug: (similar one here) IKEA

White book shelf: Target (similar one here)

Lego cart: Target (wheels purchased separately) (similar one here)

Lego bins: Target (similar ones here)

“MAPS” book: Amazon

Panda bear head is no longer available but here’s a cute llama: Target

Black macrame: Target (similar ones here)

Cactus art: By Bella 🙂

“Seek adventure” and other decor on that wall: Target

All frames: Target

Bean bag: Target (similar one here)

Curtains: IKEA (couldn’t find the link! Looks like they’ve discontinued them)

Pencil holder is no longer available, here’s something similar: Target

(Some of these links may be affiliate ones.)

BONUS 03: How “Enough” Lists Have Changed My Life

April 20, 2018 by Allie Casazza Leave a Comment

An enough list outlines what is enough in your life so that you can focus on what is important and determine what is excess. It can be applied to every area of your life; from business to family, your health to your home. Enough lists cause you to ask yourself, what is “enough” in this area of my life? What is it that I’m called to do in this area of my life? When it comes to being a wife, what is it that I’m called to do here? When it comes to running my business, what am I really called to do here? Basically, these lists are a list of things that are the bare minimum. And as you focus on the “enough” in your life, you begin to see what is overwhelming you. Having my “enough list” has totally changed my life and empowered me to make solid decisions and I hope you find the same empowerment as you create your own enough lists!

In This Episode, Allie Discusses:

What an enough list is.
How enough lists bring clarity to her life (and they can do the same for yours).
What areas of her life she uses enough lists for.
How you can create your own enough list.

Mentioned in this Episode:

The Hello Morning Podcast with Kat Lee
Unburdened
Create Your Own Enough List (This is a totally FREE download!)

Do you want to create your own enough list? I have created this FREE download to walk you through creating these lists in your own life. It will help you breakdown the areas of your life that you need to create enough lists for as well as help you determine what is enough for that area. I also share some encouraging statements and things that you can include in your “enough list” to look at when you’re feeling like you need to!

I want to create my own enough list!

who doesn’t love a GIVEAWAY?

Reviews are everything on iTunes! Would you take a minute and click here to leave a review? Email hello@alliecasazza.com with a screenshot of your review on iTunes. You’ll be entered to win one of Allie’s amazing courses for FREE!

If you have a question, comment or a suggestion about today’s episode, or the podcast in general, send me an email at hello@alliecasazza.com or connect with me over on Facebook & Instagram.

Mom life. We are surrounded with the message that it’s the tired life. The no-time-for-myself life. The hard life. And while it is hard and full of lots of servitude, the idea that motherhood means a joyless life is something I am passionate about putting a stop to. I’m on a mission to help you stop counting down the minutes till bedtime, at least most days. I want you to stop cleaning up after your kid’s childhood and start being present for it. Start enjoying it. I believe in John 10:10 “that we are called to abundant life” and i know mothers are not excluded from that promise. Join me in conversations about simplicity, minimalism and lots of other good stuff that leads to a life of less for the sake of enjoying more in your motherhood. I’m Allie Casazza and this is the The Purpose Show.

_______________________________________________________________

Hey guys! I am super stoked for this bonus episode. I just couldn’t wait to get this content out to you guys. I’m really excited!

I really feel like this is going to help a lot of you. This is something that I have done myself for a while. The other day I was looking at these lists that I have and had this light bulb moment, “Hello? Why haven’t I ever talked about this on the podcast? Or ever shared that I do this? It’s one of those things that I made up for myself. It is a part of my life and I don’t really think twice about it.

Sometimes it’s hard for me to think outside of my own self, look at what I’m doing and think, “This could maybe help somebody.” But I was actually doing a podcast interview for Kat Lee’s Show and she asked me a question (I don’t even remember what it was). But whatever the question was, my answer was, “I have these lists.”

And it was another reminder for me, “OK, I’ve got to get this out.” Then I looked at my editorial calendar. If I went along the normal flow of episodes, this wouldn’t have come out until summer. I wanted to get it out to you right away.

So, here we are with bonus episode #3 and we’re talking about these little things that I made up for myself that I call “enough lists.”

First of all, what is an “enough list”? It’s a little, very short list in my phone. I use my Notes APP on my iphone. I have one for all the different areas of my life. For running my business. Being a mom. Being a wife. For running my house, my health, fitness and wellness.

I have an “enough list” for every area of my life. Well, maybe not every single little area but, all the main parts of my life. Basically, these lists are a list of things that are the bare minimum.

What is “enough” in this area of my life? What is it that I’m called to do in this area of my life?When it comes to being a wife, what is it that I’m called to do here? When it comes to running my business, what am I really called to do here? I’m called to serve my fellow women by providing great content through my podcast and my courses and to change your life completely through that content, if you’re willing to do the work. I am called to pray for you guys, not to fix all your problems. It’s like a list of helpful reminders.

It serves as a guide for me whenever things start to get crazy. Maybe I start to feel the pull to say “yes” to everything or to try to do it all. Or maybe I feel overwhelmed by life and I just feel like it’s all too much. I can reference these “enough lists” and ask myself, “OK, what am I doing that’s excess here?”

Why am I feeling overwhelmed? If I’m doing only the things that are on these “enough lists” in these areas of my life, I shouldn’t be overwhelmed. But I am overwhelmed. Why am I overwhelmed? What am I doing that’s outside of this list? What can I cut back on?

For business, maybe I’ve been taking a lot of speaking engagements that take me away from my family and outside of the house. It’s really weighing on me, so I’m not going to do those anymore for a while.

Maybe it’s that I’m trying to go above and beyond with homeschooling the kids. Trying to do all this extra stuff, provide them with all of these social experiences and other things that are outside of the “enough list” for homeschooling. And it’s making me stretched way too thin and it’s too much.

I can look at the “enough list” and be pulled back to reality. I can re-ground myself and say, “OK, this is what is “enough” in my life. What am I doing outside of this? It’s too much. Something’s got to go.” It’s really a way for me to practice minimalism in my life.

Here’s a couple of examples. I actually shared this on the Kat Lee podcast. Have you heard that yet? I don’t know when it is coming out. It might be repetitive, but it is a great example.

I am a really competitive person. It has served me very well, especially in business. It served me well in lots of other areas of my life too. I am fiercely competitive. For those of you who watched Friends, Monica Geller, when people try to get her to do something (like jokes) and they’re like, “Think of it as a competition with yourself. Make a Thanksgiving dinner this year that just blows last year’s dinner out of the water.” She gets lit up and “Yeah! I’m going to mop the floor with myself last year!” She gets all amped up and competitive over nothing.

That is seriously how I am. I’m super competitive. It can also be a flaw where it is the driving force behind decisions when I really need to be, “Well, wait a second. Competitiveness is not the main goal here. I need to step back. Is this thing going to serve me? Is it going to be good for my family?”

I’m much better now. I think the Monica Geller example is hilarious because it really is like my natural nature, but I have matured so much in the last few years. I’m not actively like that anymore. It’s just my natural tendency to be like that.

Here’s an example. My social media manager is absolutely incredible. Jenny, if you’re listening – Hello! Jenny and I have been working to get me the Blue Badge Verification on Facebook and Instagram. Have you guys seen that when a public figure or celebrity always has (if it’s an official page), the little blue check mark verification badge on their page? Facebook owns Instagram. They have recently changed the rules and it’s very weird, specific and difficult to get that.

We’ve been trying to get that because there have been a few people who have made fake accounts trying to be me. Or claiming that something that I have created was theirs, like the Declutter Like A Mother Challenge, even though it’s copyrighted. People have been doing that. It hasn’t happened a crazy amount of times, but it’s happened enough that, “We should probably get that Blue Badge so people can know who the original is here, who is really the one running this challenge, created this course, talking about this, hosting The Purpose Show or whatever.” We had been working on getting that Blue Badge Verification and it’s been a process. I’ve just been sitting back and letting Jenny handle it.

Recently in an email, Jenny said, “Hey, they’re really having a hard time. They want you to send in this and this and this so you can get that Blue Badge; otherwise it might not happen.” I don’t know what it was but, all of a sudden I got taken over by this competitive surge in myself. I started thinking, “I could think of three people who are similar to me, do similar things as me, that I know have that Blue Badge.” I got filled with this fire to conquer everything, do whatever I can to get that Blue Badge. I put aside my work tasks and I was going to get that Blue Badge.

I might as well have smeared war paint under my eyes and put my fists up high and yelled, “Let’s do it!” because all of a sudden I got overcome by this competitive urge to beat everybody else and get that Blue Badge Verification on Facebook and Instagram.

And I just have to say that is super unlike me. I don’t really care. I don’t really care about my numbers. I don’t even know how many people I have on Instagram or Facebook. I never look. I have no idea. But, this sparked that old immature competitive edge in me and I started to freak out. I was working on this and doing everything that Jenny said to do and really upset that I wasn’t getting that Blue Badge, and “Why are they questioning me so much? Why can’t I just have that Blue Badge?”

I started to step back and think, “You know what? I have some really important tasks on my to-do list today. And they all serve my audience really well.” Having the Blue Badge verification on Facebook and Instagram doesn’t really serve my audience very much. It serves me. I was weighing my own verification as a person, as an influencer on that Blue Badge. That Blue Badge is meaningless. All it does is let people know, “Hey, if there’s other accounts and stuff, this is the real one.”

It was a badge of honor that I wanted to wear and I didn’t like that. I saw that in myself. I’m just being super honest here, guys. It might sound silly or stupid, but this is just me being honest with an example. I had that moment where I was, “You know what? Let’s take a step back. This doesn’t matter. It would be nice and it would be helpful, but this is not an identity. This does not mean that I’m legit. This is definitely not my mission, my goal, or my purpose in what I’m doing in my business and in my ministry.

My business is to serve you. To provide incredible value in my courses that are life changing. To provide incredible free value through the podcast twice a week. If something is going to make me focus on something other than that and take away from that, then it is not a part of my purpose. It is a distraction. That is such a pride issue and that is not how I want to live my life and run my business. So, I stepped back and I left the email there. I didn’t do anything about it.

I put it on my to do list for whenever I do have the time and I got back to the tasks that serve you guys. That serve my purpose. That are why I’m here. And that’s because I have that “enough list.” My “enough list” when it comes to my business. says things like “it is enough to that I serve my audience, that I provide free and paid value for them that will help them and change their lives. It is enough that I do the podcast every week. It is enough that I share my heart openly and honestly and be vulnerable.” The Blue Badge of verification has nothing to do with that.

That’s a silly example from the business side of things where the “enough lists” can come in handy, how they can help redirect and put you back on the ground where you belong with what really matters and is worth your time in the different areas of your life.

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Do you feel like you are barely getting through your days friend? Does motherhood feel more like a hurricane of chaos that you are just surviving rather than the awesome, joy-filled season that you want it to be?

Well, motherhood is hard. I am not going to lie to you about that. While it is servitude and giving to your family from yourself, it doesn’t have to be something that we are waiting to be over. Something that we are counting down the minutes till naptime, or bedtime, or waiting for the next day to start. If you are wanting to sort through the clutter in your mind, your heart, your home calendar, your health, routines, and relationships, I created Unburdened just for you!

It is a guide that will help you go from drowning in the sea of stress and overwhelm, to owning your time and living the best version of your motherhood. So you can live abundantly while intentionally focusing on those who matter most.

Unburdened is the overwhelmed beginner’s guide to a simpler motherhood.

In Unburdened, I will walk you through how to stop over-complicating, procrastinating, and just start making positive changes now. How to declutter, just a little bit – not super deep into it, because you can’t handle that when you are this overwhelmed – but a surface declutter that will get you real results in your house so you can clean up less.

How to declutter toxic relationships in your life and set some good boundaries. How to simplify cleaning, get healthy and feel better – finally!

How to simplify your calendar. How to start owning your time and not just managing it as life happens to you.

How to stop just setting goals and letting them sit there. Start actually defining where you want to go and getting there through reverse engineering and goal-setting.

How to create a cleaning routine that works for you and your life.

This course is a mini-course. It is small. It is straightforward. But it is everything for the mom who feels like she needs a total overhaul, but is too overwhelmed to start.

It will help you simplify the things that have you stuck and leave survival mode behind for good.

Is this resonating with you? Sound like you? Does this sound like something that would really help you right now? Go to bit.ly/getunburdened.

I really poured my heart into this little course. I created it for the mom who is really wanting to simplify, declutter, and pursue a life of less, but she is so burdened and overwhelmed with the mess of life. It’s not just her house. She wants to simplify at the surface of all the different things in her life so she can focus on her family more. So then she can focus more on really, truly purging her entire house.

If this sounds like you, I encourage you to check it out. You are probably the person I created it for. I want you in there. I want it to help you.

Check it out. bit.ly/getunburdened

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Another example – in the homeschooling community it can be difficult to stay simplistic. A lot of people do a lot of extra things, engineering classes, all different kinds of sports and activities. I think the fact that our kids are not in school makes us feel like we have all the time in the world and we can do any activities because our kids are not away from us for six or seven hours a day and it’s just a lie. We still get stretched way too thin, way over busy, and it’s hard to know that boundary, know the fine line of what’s too much. Looking at your “enough list” as a homeschooler – it is enough that I am doing language arts, math, history, science with my children for our school day. Anything outside of that is extra.

What a mind-blowing, simple but mind-blowing, realization about is for a homeschooling mom. This is what is enough. Anything outside of this is unnecessary and extra – art classes for my daughter, guitar lessons for my son, baseball for the boys, horseback for my daughter. All those things are great and they definitely have their place. They’re important for sure, but they are extra. Having a list of the bare minimum can help bring you back.

If you’re overwhelmed, let go of everything that isn’t on that list. It can help bring clarity to your life. Look at your life. What are the areas of your life that you need an “enough list” for? I put together a free download, as usual, for you guys that you can get for this episode. Again, it’s totally free and it’s kind of a next step.

It will help you actually do this for your own life. It will help you breakdown what are the areas of my life, what is enough in every area, and then I give examples from my own “enough lists”. I give some encouraging statements and things that you can include in your “enough list” to look at when you’re feeling like you need to.

I definitely encourage you to go and get that. You can just go to alliecasazza/shownotes/ bonus3. You can get that free worksheet.

I would encourage you to do this. This is a super short, quick episode to say that there are things that are “enough” in every area of your life and anything outside of that is excess. It is. It can be a distraction.

It can be a helpful addition. It can be great, wholesome, purposeful and helpful, but it can also be too much. I want to encourage you guys, have those “enough lists.” It doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re never going to do anything that’s not on that list.

Right now, we have a lot going on that’s not on the “enough list”. We willingly entered a little bit of a busier season right now because we know that towards the end of the year some things are going to be happening in our family that are going to make us have more home time, quiet time, less activities, and we’re going to have a very quiet winter holiday season most likely.

Right now, we’re OK with being a little busier. We do have horseback, baseball and guitar lessons. We have chosen not to do art lessons outside of the house but to make them online. That’s something that we’ve simplified. We’re still doing the art lessons.

It’s OK to go into seasons of extra for sure, but when you need it, when you feel overwhelmed, when you feel like you’re stretched too thin, when you feel like you’re not sure if you should say “yes” to something or “no” to something, have your list of “what is the point?”

What is the purpose in this area of my life? What’s my purpose as a business owner? What am I doing here? What’s enough here? What’s my purpose as a mom? What is enough here? Realizing that everything outside of that is extra can empower you to say “no” or “this is all great, but I do want to do this extra thing, so I’m going to say “yes” to it, can help you make decisions and bring incredible clarity to your life.

Having my “enough list” has totally changed my life and empowered me to make solid decisions. I encourage you guys to get that free download and start making “enough lists” for the different areas of your life.

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This was an episode of The Purpose Show. Thank you so much for tuning in. If you are ready to uplevel and really take action on the things I talk about on my show, head to alliecasazza.com for free downloads, courses, classes and to learn more about what the next step might look like for you. I am always rooting for you. See ya next time!

Hey mama! Just a quick note, this post may contain affiliate links.

BONUS 03: How “Enough” Lists Have Changed My Life

April 20, 2018 by alliecasazza Leave a Comment

In This Episode, Allie Discusses:

What an enough list is.
How enough lists bring clarity to her life (and they can do the same for yours).
What areas of her life she uses enough lists for.
How you can create your own enough list.

Mentioned in this Episode:

The Hello Morning Podcast with Kat Lee
Unburdened
Create Your Own Enough List (This is a totally FREE download!)