How to start a daily routine

I’m not a morning person, ie: a person who has the most energy in the early part of the day. By definition, I’m actually the opposite of a morning person. I’m a night owl through and through. I was always the last kid asleep at slumber parties, and I feel the most creative at night (although some nights I wish that wasn’t the case when I find myself wide awake at 3am, brain bouncing with ideas).

I don’t love mornings but I do however, love routines. I’ve finally managed to find a morning routine that helps me ease into the day without feeling groggy for several hours, which has been a game changer for my productivity and overall mood. Here are some practices that I’ve been trying, maybe you’ll find them helpful as well! 

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  • First and foremost, don’t get on your phone. Don’t even touch it because if you touch it, you’ll get sucked in and before you know it an entire hour will have passed. I made this switch on January 1st and it’s been amazing for my productivity. The few times that I’ve accidentally checked my email before I got out of bed, I noticed that it gave me a feeling of uneasiness first thing in the morning. No good.

  • Keep a nice pair of house shoes right by your bed. Especially when it’s cold outside, this is crucial in motivating myself to put feet to floor.

  • Similar to the house shoes, my robe hangs on the back of my door and it’s the first thing I put on on my way to the kitchen for coffee

  • On that note.. let’s talk coffee! I’m a big fan of a traditional coffee pot that lets you set the timer the night before so you can wake up to the smell of fresh brewed cup. Love that. But we just upgraded to a new espresso machine and it’s definitely a mood booster in the mornings for me. My go to for the first cup is usually a tall americano, then I come back in the afternoon for a 2:00 oat milk cortado. Heaven.

  • Set up a space where you can do yoga, or whatever form of exercise you’d like. I keep my yoga mat in my home studio so after my coffee is made I go in there, close the doors, and turn on my space heater (another must for the winter months). I spread out my mat and sit on the floor with my planner and sip my coffee while I reflect on my goals and to do list for the day. Having a space and a time where I can make this a part of my routine has been a huge for me. Before my new routine, I tried to do yoga every day but it was usually something that I would put off for later. “I’ll do it sometime after lunch.” Or “I’ll do it tonight”. Just very vague. Now, I know that I need to be out of bed and ready to start yoga by 9. With that routine in place I’ve been able to do yoga every single day for 55 days!

  • Meditate. Until very recently I didn’t think I could get into meditation. But I downloaded the Down Dog meditation app and have started doing it for 4 minutes at the end of yoga and it is wonderful. It’s super simple.. basically it guides you through some relaxing breaths, reads a quote to focus on, and helps you clear your mind for the day. Highly recommend!

  • After all of this is when I make another cup of coffee and sit down at my desk to finally check my email and look at my phone.

This schedule can totally be adjusted to fit your needs.  All in all it’s only 30-45 minutes because some days I do yoga for 5 minutes while other days it might be 15 or 20. Be flexible within your schedule but know the rough time frame that works best for you and try to stick to it every day!

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Try it out! Wake up 30 minutes earlier. Stay off your phone. Lay out your yoga mat the night before. I think it’ll boost your mood and start your day off in a more focused way.

Source: kelseydavisdesign.com

How to Display Photos in Your Home

When you order a custom family portrait from me you’ll receive a digital file to use however you’d like. But I know that often times we put off printing our images, so they end up sitting on our phones instead of filling our homes and making us smile. You know what I’m talking about, those vacation pictures from the beach belong on your wall! So let’s do something about that, shall we? Here are some ideas for how you can display your portraits around your home.

illustrated portraits, cute square prints

Parabo Press prints. (I’m obsessed with this square format! I mean obviously, that’s the instagram lover coming out in me.) They come on a heavy textured paper and look so cute hanging in a grid on the wall. Use my code IIXEOV and get $10 off your order.

family portrait gallery wall

Canvas Prints. Printed on sturdy canvas with wrapped edges around a wooden frame, these look so nice in a gallery wall with some of your favorite art! If you need some tips on how to create this look yourself, then check out this helpful guide.

magnetic wood framed poster

Magnetic Hangers. This look is one of my favorites. Printed on semi gloss sturdy canvas ready to hang in no time.

wooden block photo stand

Wooden Block from Rooted and Built Design. This would make a GREAT gift idea for mom or dad or anyone who works at a desk that could use some cheering up. (these work best if your print is on a thick paper that can hold it’s shape. Parabo Press prints would work perfectly.)

family portrait present tags

Christmas present toppers. How cute is this? Your family portrait can double as your Christmas tags this year! Simply use twine or yarn and a mini paper clip and you have the most personable gift tags ever. I’m definitely going to be creating some gift tags for my husband and I’s Christmas gifts this year.. better get on that. ;)

Kelsey Davis Design family portraits

And of course, the classic shelfie. A print in a frame with a simple vase is so timeless!

These are just a few ideas but there are so many other ways to incorporate prints into your home. I hope they inspired you! Let me know what you think and give me a shout if you have any questions at all about family portraits or printing. xo.

Feel Good Friday

Things I'm loving right now.

WATCHING: You guys have to check out Little Big World on youtube (or Amazon Prime!). I stumbled on it today and it's amazing. Basically it's a series of time-lapses taken all over the world and edited with a tilt shift lens, which makes everything look miniature and adorable! Each episode is less than 3 minutes, so it's super fun and easy to watch.

PLANNING: Our trip to the Bahamas! We're staying on Long Island in March. If you have any tips for the Out Islands send them my way ;) If you're interested, you can follow along with my planning on my pinterest board.

LOVING: Design Love Fest's interior.

Design Love Fest

EATING: I got a juicer for Christmas so I've been doing a lot of experimenting. I like to keep track of the combinations I've used so I might post them here from time to time. Because I mean, those COLORS. So gorgeous right? Y'all have any fave juice recipes? 

carrot, ginger, apple, lemon. juice recipes.

WEARING: It's been unusually warm in OK for February. I've basically been living in a tank top with a light sweater and it's been bliss.

light sweater + tshirt+ tennis shoes

INSPIRING: I just stumbled on Charlotte Love's instagram and OMG it's fantastic.

Charlotte Love

WANTING: This burrito ring from bando.

Burrito ring from Bando

LISTENING TO: Feel good indie pop girl, Frankie Cosmos. We're taking a quick trip to Chicago to see her and Real Estate in May. SO PUMPED. Check her out here.

frankie cosmos