#HEYGRRRLFRENNNS How is everybody feeling on this fine Wednesday?? Hopefully amazing, confident, beautiful and most importantly SAFE AND SOUND! I feel like every week I go through a cycle of missing you all but then before it becomes too much it’s already time to chit chat again!! While we are talking about hanging out, I would just like to take this opportunity to say that I am very excited for grad school to be ovaaaa! Seemingly off topic, but totally not. The reasons are fairly obvious, the first reason is that my brain is literally turning into a deep fried burger patty as we speak and that’s not really my vibe for this summer, or ever. The second and most important reason is that I will finally have more free time!! Can I get an AMEN? Ohhhhhhh, the things that I would do if I actually had time to breathe. I would probably go to sleep, maybe catch up on Vanderpump Rules (I’m still on season two so NO spoilers), but after I caught up on my beauty sleep I would for sure create more radical content for my grrrls. 

Oh wait, and I would definitely book a trip or two and be outty 5000! MMMMMBYYYEEE! If I could make “out of office” my entire lifestyle I most definitely would, which brings me to the piping hot tea I have prepared for us this week!! Here’s the sitch: What is a grrrl to do when her mind is in Lisbon but her pockets are on let’s not?? It’s time to make the most of our rent check! There is soo much external pressure to be outside, remember to catch flights and not feelings, and to always be living your #BestLife especially over the summer. This can kind of be a bummer for those who are not able to travel for whatever reason whether it’s time, money, or even health. If you identify as a stay at home grrrly but have aspirations of life abroad have no fear because I have got your back as always! This week, I want to talk about how to make everyday feel like a holiday and making the most out of your summer staycation to make everyday feel like a holiday.

Your Happy Place

When you are traveling, the first thing you need to nail down is your destination and the same is true for the perfect staycation. Yes, physically you will be on your couch but spiritually you will be in Cabo or wherever else your little heart desires! The easiest way to find this location is to think about your happy place. Where do you feel most at ease? Most like yourself? Like the hottest grrrl in the universe? Saturn or bust! Once you have that figured out, start packing your bags because that’s exactly where you need to go. If for whatever reason, you have difficulty envisioning yourself relaxing because it has just been that damn long first of all, I feel you grrrl, and secondly the solution is simple: Time travel! Where did the younger version of you want to go? Where do you see your future self having the time of her life? You have the power to make both of those dreams come true, and the best part is no matter which you choose, past, present, or future, you are still serving yourself and THAT my friend, is radicaaaaal. Now time for the fun part, turning your space into your personal oasis! If your happy place is tropical, bad news now you have to go pour three tons of sand into your living room and run your shower until it overflows and simulates the ocean. Just kidding, some beach waves audio, a sugar scrub, and an ice cold tropical drink is more than enough to get the beach party started!

Stick To The Plan

There are soo many things (aka WORK) that go into taking a vacation before you actually get to that part where you can enjoy yourself. Obviously all of that running around can get a little annoying and expensive too but you are willing to do it because you are taking this time to yourself seriously. I think you should do exactly the same thing for your staycations too. Remember grrrls, if you fail to plan you plan to forget to take your staycation… or worse, accidentally use the time you were saving for yourself to cater to someone else! EWW! This is why indulging in a little pre-staycation prep isn’t silly, it’s actually essential. Think about everything you need to do to make sure that your staycation takes place in a fortress of uninterrupted solitude. It’s the same as actually leaving but better because there is zero chance that you’ll miss your flight. Make sure to clear your work email, walk the dog, and check in with your family before you leave. Anything that could potentially remind you that you are not actually in Mykonos HAS to go, but don’t worry you’ll be right back. Also, thinking about the little things that go into taking a vacation that is fun for you and recreating it is another added layer to maximizing your me time. Personally, a vacation doesn’t feel real to me until I start buying what I am going to wear and customizing all of my vacation looks. So even if I am on my couch, I’m still going to look fly. If your favorite part is the in flight snacks, hit the grocery store before! You like collecting souvenirs? Make a me-time memento! You like the adrenaline of running through the airport to make your connecting flight? A little pre-staycation work out will do you good! 

Sense You’ve Been Gone

Now that we have figured out where you are going, we have to get you there! If this was a movie this would definitely be a fairy god mother moment, but this is real life so some good old fashioned advice from your grrrl will just have to do. Feeling like your on vacation starts with focusing on the five senses sight, touch, hearing, smell, and taste. I feel like it could potentially be overwhelming to try to achieve all five out of the gate so like maybe start with two and work your way up. That way you don’t have to spend your whole paycheck on throwing a luau for one in your living room. Aloha bankruptcy! We already went tropical so let’s shake it up go somewhere more challenging: The arctic tundra! If you are an ice queen your happy place might include snow, cold weather activities, and hopefully a hot cup of cocoa every now and then. How the heck are you supposed to recreate this in your own home? Easy, blast the AC! If you are looking for more than a raise in your electric bill first, pick which part of a cold weather vacation speaks most to you. We are starting off slow by adding a few elements at a time but it should still be meaningful. Do you like the way that your cashmere sweater feels like a great big hug? Do you like seeing the snow covered mountains in all of their glory? What about hearing the crackling of firewood as the background noise of your log cabin style Airbnb? These are all things that you can recreate in your home. A fuzzy blanket, a youtube loop of the worlds most majestic mountains, firewood amsr audio a la Spotify and the piece of resistánce: mountain scented candles for that heat AND smell combo! BOOM! Welcome to Aspen grrrl!  

Taking the time to transform mundane moments into memorable experiences will make you feel like you’ve traveled the world in eighty days and is another super fun way to move forward in your radical self-care journey. By integrating these creative tips for a little more rest into your daily routine you have unknowingly created more opportunities to strengthen your relationship with yourself and pour positive energy back into your life, which is such a big deal! Embrace the process of learning and loving more about yourself. You are unique, you are deserving, and you are loved. Radical self-care is not just a one-time event but a continuous, evolving practice. It’s about being kind to yourself, recognizing your worth, and giving yourself permission to enjoy life to the fullest even when it doesn’t seem like you can. Take the time to celebrate yourself and your progress, no matter how small, and give yourself credit for the efforts you make every day to nurture your overall well-being. Cheers to a summer filled with making more memories, moving forward to becoming our greatest and highest selves, and feeling good doing it! Now go and be great you lil grrrly pop! TTYL!