Happy Friday!

I hope you’ve had an opportunity to check out Self-Love Summer! For those of you who’ve already joined us, I’m so excited to have you! I love hearing from you girls & where you’re from in the FB group and email already!

This year, Self-Love Summer isn’t JUST about loving ourselves more for me – it’s about so much more. It’s about learning to be more kind to ourselves so that we can be MORE present with the things/people that truly matter to us.

In the spirit of Self-Love Summer and what we’re all about, I decided to head to Ventura for the weekend to spend time with my aunts, cousins, and mom for an extra special “staycation.”

Most summers we find ourselves together in Lake Havasu, but this summer, since my sweet mama has been in bed most days (she got diagnosed with cancer in February) we’re having one close to home.

I want to share today what’s on my heart, and why I am so passionate about Self-Love Summer and the community we’re creating here.

The truth is, I spent too many summers distracted by how my body looked.

Today, with reality I’m facing with my mom, my perspective has changed entirely.

Today, when I take a photo with my mom I’m not concerned with thoughts like “Do I look good? How’s my angle?”

All I care about is that I’m in a photo with my mom. She’s here with me, and nothing could be more important.

Here’s the thing, it shouldn’t take something SO HARD to wake us all up to the reality and importance of enjoying our lives and getting present.

However, I’ve been in that normal spot where nothing big is really wrong, and I know how easy it is to get swept up in the little things. Until you really get the perspective shift, it’s hard to have.

Even so, can I encourage you?

Whether you join Abby & I and the rest of the Self-Love Summer Challenge community or not, I want to encourage you to think about your summer and how you want it to look…

Think about the vacations you’ll go on, the people you want to spend time with, how you want to feel each day, and the things that you want to say YES to. Make a list. Get intentional, and let my situation provide you with perspective.

This weekend, I’ll be taking time away (I scheduled everything ahead of time for work – yep, even this!) and am enjoying my sweet mama and family, embracing our time together, sitting in the sun, and soaking up the little moments.

Those little nuggets that I’m sure I’m having now, as you read this, that I’ll never forget.

Things like morning coffee, messy hair, and making fun of each other for morning breath (yep, all of it – the pretty and the ugly!).

I’ll be sitting beside the jacuzzi, unconcerned with my stomach and if I’ve got rolls. Unconcerned with my makeup, and if my mascara is running. In fact, I hope it is running because I’ll know there’s been laughter or tears. In either case, real, raw, emotions that I want to feel this weekend and all summer long.

I had a consultations recently with a sweet woman who told me that she wanted to be in a place where she could take her son to the beach, bend over with him in the sand, and care-less what her stomach looked like. She just wanted to be with her boy.

YES.

I want the same thing.

To take care of myself, to focus on feeling healthy because I LOVE myself and I am worth it, but to not be so concerned that it takes me away from those little most important moments.

If you’re with me, and you DO want to enjoy all of the special moments in your summer, join the Self-Love Summer community and let Abby and I teach you how. We did it last summer, and we can’t wait to do it again.

And like I said, EVEN IF YOU DON’T JOIN the community, do yourself a favor and think about what you want to appreciate this summer.

I know for sure, that this summer will be one to remember for me. Perhaps the most special I’ve ever had, and I won’t take that for granted.

Join me and the Self-Love Summer Community now (all details about SLS and what it includes this year are on the website!).

I’m poolside! Enjoy the weekend, and I hope to see that you’ve joined us when I return Monday!