I've been gloriously absent from the internet for a while, soaking up family time at the lake, enjoying lazy days playing cards, building forts, and watching my babies run through glistening sprinklers in the sunshine. Three weeks of bure bliss. . . . and then, as all things do, it came to an end. My husband had to fly across the country and get back to work, and while the beauty that he had three solid weeks to spend frolicking with us is not lost on me, I have found my self in quite a slump the last few days.
The thing is? The end of vacation is not the same thing as the end of summer, it has so much glory to still share that is ours for the taking!
I can keep slipping away into long days with little meaning or I can soak them up for all their worth, build into them with intention, and make a plan to enjoy the rest of this season to the hilt! To encourage myself, I wrote a little manifesto. I thought I'd share it for any other mamas needing a bit of mid-summer moxi. Plus, using the word manifesto makes me feel serious and professional- there's no messing with a manifesto, you know? Its all about legit goal setting right here. So without further adieu, I give you:
A Mom's Manifesto for Soaking up All of Summer
1. I Will Not be Afraid to go Slow.
I will not fight, but will instead, savor, the quieter rhythm of these days. I will enjoy my coffee in small sips, and remember that it is a luxury not to have to warm it at least twice in the microwave (whereby it loses a bit of its coffee bean soul each time.) I will welcome pajamas and tousled hair and jelly on faces and delight in my children's pleasure of the freedom this season brings.
2. I Will Not Sit on the Sidelines.
I will put on my swimsuit, despite my curvy edges and squishy tummy that make me blush now and then. I will show my children that mothers are strong and courageous, that we are proud of the bodies that bore them. I will show them that I am fierce and playful and theirs, and that diving for rings and holding my breath in a contest to infinity is much more precious to me than hiding all the jiggly parts of myself.
3. I Will Become an Explorer and Lead My Children toward Adventure
In the simplest of moments, I will guide them into wonder. I will hunt for it, for the sake of my own heart and theirs. We will frolic in the cool grass and picnic, we will collect insects and sketch flower petals and spend as many afternoons as we can deciphering the pictures of the clouds. We will howl at the moon and stargaze, and build forts and sandcastles- and I will be okay with the dirt that will surely cover us because it is the sign of a day well spent.
4. I will Not See the Summer as Half Empty
It may be mid July, but I refuse to dwell on the idea that the summer as nearly over. Instead, I will embrace the mid-summer dream, ala' Shakespeare and see this day as one of the fullest, where the sunshine lingers longer than any other time of year, where whimsy abounds and where I have the opportunity to show my kids that I am ALL in for ALL of summer (not just the first half where I was full of energy and ideas, ahem).
5. I will Not be Afraid to Let Fun Reign
I will let the popsicles drip, let my kids stay in their swimsuit all day long, let a sprinkler count for bath time occasionally and be perfectly ok with only serving chips and salsa for dinner every once in a while. I will recognize that the blessing of these days comes in the form of something other- in a rhythm that is loose and in the bug eyed looks of amazement from my children when their mama says "yes, let's do that!" more often than any other time of the year.
6. I Will End These Days Well
I will close out our days with a with songs and beautiful books and back rubs, with soft sheets and cuddles and words of delight. Even when I am drained, I will let the last thing they see before closing their eyes, be a smile from me and a whisper for an invitation to play again tomorrow. Because, I only have one summer with these little people at these little ages in my home. This is it and I'm going to choose to love every moment.
A Miraclesuit Giveaway- Valued at Up to $200!
As we talk about soaking up all of summer, I have to be honest about one thing that has held me back in recent years- putting on a swimsuit. I'm fighting hard to be strong and restore wellness in my life (and the life of my family), but in the place I have found myself in recent years I've been left feeling all shades of self conscious.
Recently I had the chance to meet the amazing PR team at Miracle Suit. It only took knowing them for about 30 minutes to bring me to tears. These women were so encouraging, so life giving and ALL about empowering women to feel beautiful. I was chosen to model a suit at the MomTrends Trendy Travel Event in Manhattan and was a little nervous about the idea of wearing a swimsuit in front of fellow bloggers and the press! I was given several suits to try on and, truly, I couldn't believe what I saw when I looked in the mirror. I couldn't believe how great I felt. I had to touch up my makeup before pictures because I cried hugging the Miraclesuit team. I knew that I could soak up this summer with my kiddos with confidence- and I really hadn't recognized how much that mattered to me until that moment.
Miraclesuit is known for making swimsuits that make you "look 10 pounds lighter in 10 seconds," and its a magical moment when you see that happen for you in one of their suits. What I was more impressed with though? The amazing quality and structure. I absolutely love their styles- they are fashion forward and always on trend, but these suits stay put. I can literally run all day, run on the beach or dive in the pool again and again with without worrying about any slipping or sliding or adjustments to be made in order to preserve my modesty. As investment pieces, these suits will last- no more buying a suit here and there every year and hoping it will get me through the season- I will pull out my Miraclesuits for many summers to come.
I am beyond thrilled to be partnering with Miraclesuit today to offer one of their suits to one of you! Squee!!! I don't know if I've ever been this excited to share something with you. Its a big kiss to my readers from the middle of summer sunshine. You can enter using the rafflecopter below until Friday at midnight EST. You can even enter multiple days in a row by sharing on social media or get multiple entries by commenting. The winner will be connected with the lovely team at Miraclesuit (the sweet ladies that brought me to tears) and able to have the suit they love best delivered straight to their home next week!
Good luck friends!