I know I am not alone when I say that I kind of dreaded summer. It’s my favorite season because of the energy, being outside, the food and of course beach days. This summer has shown a bit less energy, being outside looks different, the food shopping is getting old and eating out can be too complicated and finally, the beaches are where you want to avoid because of the crowds. I knew for my own mental health that staying inside all summer was not going to go well so I packed a suitcase (and another one and a few duffel bags) and drove to my parents house to spend the summer there. Since they are in a county with few cases and have a big property, it makes spending all day outside feel normal because we can self isolate without feeling constricted. Running errands is low risk because of the small population so with a mask and timing it right, I walk down empty aisles while I shop.

I had a few weeks of living on vacation but now that it’s my second month here, I am craving some structured routine. I’ve started to wake up early since quarantine and not working really messed up my sleep schedule. After sitting all day I had trouble falling asleep and often would go days without sleeping since I honestly wasn’t tired after sitting all day. Those mornings, or mid-day, when I would wake up, there would be no rush to get out of bed to go… sit? Which is why I’m happy to be at my parents house because I’ve been waking up with the sun naturally eager to get my day started. I’ve been spending all day working in the backyard; weeding, landscaping, sweeping, powerwashing. It’s a big property and a lot to take care of so I work all day in my bathing suit to get some color while I work. Now I go to bed around 9pm because my legs are throbbing after all of the manual work. I’ve noticed my stomach is getting toned and my thighs slowly getting slimmer. Most of all, it is so rewarding to work all day and be able to see what you accomplished. I hope to take this enthusiasm and love of weeding back with me to Philadelphia in the fall. There are a lot of sidewalk and lots overgrown with weeds where garbage gets stuck. I plan on making it a weekly project to go out myself and do some sweeping and weeding to get some fitness in but also keep our street looking nice. For months I did mat ab workouts and yoga and saw little to no changes in my body. Now with spending time outside, I’ve seen a big positive change in my body.

With better sleep and waking up early, I’ve had more time in the morning for me time. I like to start my day with water and lemon before I drink my cup of coffee. Since I’ll be out in the sun all day my skin can get really dry so I’ve been using sunscreen, a good moisturizer and I’ll carry a face mist which I can spray all over when my face feels dry.

While I sip my morning water and coffee, I’ve been getting back in the habit of checking my emails and writing in my planner. Yes, there is nothing going on right now but I like to make goals and realistic plans as something to look forward to. My morning does not consist of running (never going to happen), an hour long yoga session or some elaborate breakfast (I’ve been adding veggies to my scrambled eggs and it’s been so good!). Just by giving myself an hour of “me time” has done wonders for my day. I’m excited to wake up in the morning and after a busy day, I’m going to bed early with joy in my soul.

The products mentioned in today’s post were received complimentary and there was no commitment for a blog post, but I have been loving them so I thought I would share them with you all on the blog.