Night Owl Brain Dump

'Good Evening, fellow night owl Mama!'

Or should I say.....'Good Morning!'

It's currently 1:11 a.m and I am writing from the comfort of my couch, in my jammies, with tired eyes...desperate to stay awake a little longer and embrace some of that absolute quiet ME time, in this new found silence. I've waited all day for this moment! The one time of the day when I only hear my thoughts, and I get to have those personal conversations with myself, completely alone.

Everyone is asleep, and not a creature is stirring. Except for...well me. And probably some neighborhood cats outside. I randomly see them strolling up the street, in front of my house, living their best life...

But I've got so much to do, and so many secret snacks to get into. My one biggest excitement tonight is being able to finally unroll the La Cocina Tortilla chips that I have been waiting to get into all day. Every.single.time I saw them in the cupboard, there was someone around. And I know that if my kids saw me with the bag, they would wait....and pounce when I wasn't looking... totally commandeer the bag and I would maybe get 5...maybe 8 or 9 chips...if I got a good big handful right off the bat. Then like a flash... bye-bye chippies.

So I kept them secret. Don't judge. I'm not into a lot of sweets but corn chips are definitely my vice. And guacamole. And Cheese.....and beef jerky. Now I want nachos. Mmmm. But alas, I am too lazy for that.

It's 1:15 in the morning!

Seriously though, I made my family Devil's Food Cupcakes today with homemade chocolate icing, so I don't even feel a little bit guilty about keeping these chips to myself. Let them eat cake!

I've only got like....10 more things that I have to do before I get ready for bed, 11 if you count 'teeth brushing'. And of course I want to catch up on some blogs, my social media feeds, play a little bit of a farming game....

But, I really am here writing this so I can share a quick secret with you. One of my favorite things to do before bed, for real, is to sit quietly and do a complete a 'Night Owl Brain Dump'. After trying so many other routines before bed in an attempt to help myself fall asleep soundly, I just tossed and turned and could never seem to find something that could consistently turn my brain OFF. I wondered if it was because I was overtired, or maybe I didn't drink enough water, or maybe my body was too anxious from everything that had happened that day.

Because I am a OCD list-keeper and maker, I figured that I would start doing my list at bedtime, and it would be one of the very last things that I would do. Maybe during this time I would figure out what was keeping me from getting to sleep. So I started to 'Brain Dump'.

And it's actually pretty simple. All you need is a sheet of paper, a notebook, or your trusty planner. Every night I get out my very favorite everything-planner and check over my to-do list. And after I cross out any finished tasks, I write down absolutely everything that I need to do tomorrow, who I need to call, what I need to shop for, and looming small-but-necessary information that I know would cross my mind a gazillion times after I close my eyes. It doesn't matter if it is neat, or in perfect columns, just that it is recorded on a physical page of page -or for the techies- in your list maker app. When my brain is emptied out, and I feel like I've caught all the straggling and annoying thought-tails, I close my book up, set it by my bedside table, and start collecting some much-needed Z's. It's like a brain work out... and then the part at the finish line where you just lay and rest....and sleep.

Everything is safe on a page, I will not forget it, and I literally don't have to think about it anymore. Brain Off! Please let me know what you do at your bedtime ritual, and if you also brain dump before you sleep.

Love & Light,

Cassie