June | Summer Feelings
This month’s theme is around our approach to the summer - Summer Feelings.
Working from home requires a lot of the same thought processes of simply being at home. To avoid the stir-crazy that often exists working from the home studio most days, I ask myself “how do I want to feel today?” Is it productive? Is it excited? …rested, fueled, energized, playful, organized, adventurous?
I've been seeing lots of summer bucket lists graze my social feeds. Every year, I have these grandiose ideas of this frivolous schedule that entails much more than I realistically have the energy to do. By the end of the summer, we're all drained from the lack of routine and Louisiana heat. In my head, I want to have library hour every Wednesday and park days on Fridays. …where the days in between are filled with crafts and lovely laughter. However, when you run a studio business from home, a local brunch cafe in town, along with the lives of three children, yea. The days are not consistent.
Some days, we’re up for the adventure. On other days, we’re up for nothing more than a blanket, a movie, and the sound of those predictable afternoon summer storms that roll into the gulf coast like clockwork.
Working and spending summers from home is something I wouldn’t trade for anything and know that I’m lucky to have that flexibility. It does come with its mental hurdles of overcoming the silence, restlessness, and discipline required to do just that - work from home. Throw in kids home for the summer who quickly get to the “I’m bored” stage and you’ve got yourself a gumbo of chaos. What I do for myself through busy and lulls of seasons is ask myself the question - “how do I want to feel today?’
Here’s what that might look like in a more tangible or literal way. Some of these apply to just my work, some apply the family as a whole.
I want to feel ENERGIZED
With or without kids, there are moments when I feel sluggish, and know I need to feel more energized to get through the day as my best self. Here are the ways I/we might do that:
-Go for a walk! …even if it’s just down the driveway and back.
-Do a home workout. I have the Workout Mirror (now owned my Lululemon), and I absolutely LOOOOVE having the accessible workouts ready for me. Sometimes, that’s just a 15-minute stretch session.
-Take a drive. This is something I do often …especially when the kids were toddlers. Some say your best thinking happens in the shower …same applies to a drive.
-Sing. It sounds really silly, I know. But seriously. Turn on your favorite hype song and sing it loud and proud.
image: Noémi Macavei-Katócz @noemimk
I want to feel HAPPY
-Look up the bloopers of your favorite movie or show. If you’re a Friends fan, you can’t go wrong there. Melissa McCarthy, Paul Rudd, and Lesli Mann in This Is 40 is one I keep on file for a rainy day (this one is NOT for kids, definitely adult humor here). I’m vulnerably showing my sense of humor here hoping this doesn’t backfire.
-Funny kid-friendly videos definitely do the trick for my kiddos when they’re feeling in a slum or low.
-Surprise the kids with morning donuts. Sometimes, the night before, I’ll schedule an Uber Eats order for donuts to show up at the door super early. It always makes them smile.
-ANY of the energized suggestions will apply here too.
I want to feel PRODUCTIVE
-Make the practical pretty. I’ve got 99 problems and baskets solve ALL of ‘em. Baskets are a great and easy way to keep things organized, like shoes at the back door or toddler toys that have a home in the living room.
-Clean out your closet. If that’s too big of a task, start with just maybe a kitchen junk drawer. …or one closer drawer.
-You open your fridge a LOT each day! Throw away old items and reorganize what’s left. I have a wicker basket in my fridge to hold drinks and a vintage bowl holding grab items for the kids. Pretty and practical. I’m telling ya, baskets solve all my problems.
-If you’ve got kids home during these summer months, start doing one small load of laundry a day rather than letting it build up. A load a day keeps the laundry piles away.
I want to feel CREATIVE
-Find a local garage sell or visit your local thrift store. The trip alone is fun and a great way to also feel energized to simply get out and do something different. If you find something to repurpose or upcycle, even better. Shelby Goodman is the QUEEN of thrifting. If you don’t follow her, you should.
-Visit an arts and crafts store (a local mom-and-pop one if that’s an option) and stock up on summer supplies. I like to keep them in a place where my kids can readily access them with or without my help.
-Stick some backyard picks in your vase for different spots in your home. May ALL your weeds be wildflowers. Any greenery from the yard looks amazing solo in a big oversized vase.
-Sign up for a local art class. My town has lots of workshops hosted by different art stores and businesses …like pottery classes, cooking classes, etc. These are so fun to do with friends, loved ones, or kiddos.
Image: Ellie Ellien @ellienelie
I want to feel a CHANGE
-Plant printed photos around the house. I love updating my frames through the season. But more than that, I loooove to tape up printed photos around the house. I’ve got photos on my fridge, taped on the inside of cabinets, in the inside of my medicine cabinet, and stuck to a magnet on the outside of my dryer. I like to hide them like easter eggs so when I cross them, I smile.
-Create an outdoor space to retreat to. I love vamping up my porch with some new pillows for the swing or even just rearranging the existing porch furniture. It just feels different, which feels good.
-Rearrange your furniture. This is an activity I’ve been doing since the early 90s and I’ve created monsters with my children who do the same. But there’s something about the change that just sparks the endorphins for me.
I want to feel ADVENTUROUS
-Plan a day trip juuuust to try out a new restaurant.
-Visit your city’s local hot spots ….the park, zoo, aquarium, or museum. Go walk around a local university. If you’re ever in Baton Rouge, visit LSU’s campus, my alma mater. It’s a beautiful place. If you’re into hiking, that’s an easy go-to.
-We love trampoline parks, arcades, and laser tag spots. Those trampline parks are solid workouts too.
-Even if it’s local, go stay a night or two in a really awesome hotel. A staycation is good for the soul.
-Play in the rain. At any age, this is the most invigorating thing to do that will instantly bring you back to your childhood. Just do it. Play in the rain.
Image: Gage Walker @gagewalkerr
While some of these seem obvious and nothing special, the point is more so on how you want to feel more than WHAT it is that you actually do. Our goal is to give our bodies, minds, and hearts what it needs depending on the given day. We often live life on the fly, spur-of-the-moment style …which is a glorious mindset but still produces some anxiety around the lack-of-structure that summer often brings. The “how do I want to feel today” question IS our structure. It’s what we base the day around.
For many, summer months don’t change much throughout the year. But whether you have kids or not, whether your summers bleed into the rest of the year, or these warm months are vastly different than the rest of the year - well, I hope the same application may apply to you in some fashion. This is a question I ask myself daily, admittedly multiple times a day, as a mindful practice to give myself and my family the best version of me.
Cheers to June, my friend.
