Simplicity In Summer
The year of 2018, I declared it to be my year of simplicity! I started strong with a no-buy challenge for the month of January, a recommitment to my personal yoga practice, and a pledge to clean out all the clutter in my house and a complete closet reorganization. My mantra has been less is more and to keep it simple! While I have fallen off the minimalism bus from time to time, I keep trying to pull myself back to the Simplicity Mindset! With Summer ahead of us, it was a great time for me to reflect on ways to keep things Simple and Stress free for the summer! So here you have it . . .
11 Ways to Add Simplicity to Your Summer:
1) Practice Yoga Daily – Look for outdoor classes which are everywhere in the summer, special workshops to deepen your knowledge, or a yoga festival. You’ll find me at Wanderlust this coming weekend! Connect to the Breath is the best simplicity practice!
2) Ditch the Alcohol & Drink Lots of Water – Or drink tons more water if you are going to drink alcohol so you feel better the next day. I am the first to admit I’m way more fun with a few drinks in me but not so much the next day. Wine messes with my sleep from all the sugar. Eliminating and decreasing alcohol consumption has definitely been good for me.
3) Read More & Less Screen Time for the Whole Family – Step away from Netflix (I just started Game of Thrones and need to stop!) and pick up a book. My twins and I are doing an amazing Summer 101 Picture Book Challenge which has been amazing! We’ve read 30 some books that I probably wouldn’t of read to them if I wasn’t focused on completing this challenge. It’s also forced us to reevaluate our books (We had doubles of lots of them!) and start trimming down the collection and visiting the library more. Click here for Book Challenge –> 101 Picture Book
4) Declutter – It’s easy to do in the winter but don’t forget to keep up with it in the summer! Donate clothes you aren’t wearing since your winter closet assessment. Tidy up the garage, shed, outdoor toy chests, etc.
5) Clean & Simple Eating – Keep meal prep to a minimum with healthy simple options with minimal ingredients. Salads, pre-cut veggies or prepared clean meats to grill to minimize time in the kitchen. Support a locally owned farm-to-table establishment to give yourself a break from the kitchen.
6) Juice Cleanse – Summer is the best time to do a juice cleanse imho because the temps are warmer and you are in a better mood! Plus, body temp tends to drop on a juice cleanse so in the summer heat is so much better and I swear I am less cranky. Your gut will appreciate the reset and break form digesting solid foods. I’m also thinking of a watermelon 3 day cleanse! Click here –> Watermelon Cleanse
7) Walk – Sitting is the new second hand smoke. Get outside and enjoy the fresh air alone or with your family. Listen to an engaging podcast or just the sounds of nature! Better yet, walk barefoot to get the benefits of Earthing! Click here to read more –> Earthing
8) Simplify your Beauty Routines – Use choice high quality products with safe and non toxic ingredients. Simple and less is more applies to beauty assuming you are using active ingredients that work (Vitamin A, Vit C, Hyaluronic Acid) May I suggest our new Gild The Lily Facial mist to keep on hand to brighten and freshen up the complexion?
9) Grow a Garden – Fresh Vegetable & Herbs at your convenience! We have had amazing luck with zucchini, cucumbers, peppers, lettuce/kale and herbs. Saves money, trips to store, and extra Shipt orders when you can pick veggies straight from your own garden.
10) Raise Monarchs – This became a big passion of ours last summer to help save the Monarch population by raising and releasing them from home. We are also growing milkweed and hope to expand more butterfly gardens in our local community. Plenty of resources available online and I would be more than happy to help anyone interested in this! There’s something so relaxing about this process that reminds me to SLOW DOWN and give yourself TIME.
11) Stay Off Social Media- why not detox for the summer for Facebook and Instagram? Less time scrolling and more time in the moment with those you love! The people who matter most know how to get ahold of you!
Enjoy your summer! Leave a comment below if you liked this or have other suggestions!
XO
Jen
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