Luxe Living: 8 steps to a super confident Summer!

I thrive on routines and schedules, so allowing the flow of Summer ease without giving up my work or creative endeavors. It's important to stay in tune with your dreams + goals so you can feel more confident in your life and about your days. 

The topic of confidence comes up a lot in my coaching sessions so I created a love letter with 8 ways to have a more confident Summer. When I sent this love letter out,  I received the best response from this letter so it felt appropriate that I make it into a sweet blog post. 

ONE: Look in the mirror.

Try to fall in love with what you see. You may not be bathing suit ready and that’s okay. Just pick out one thing you like about yourself and highlight that! Say for example you have great legs and you feel good about them. Get yourself some pool side dresses that show them off, pick out some fun shorts that highlight them. Get some great lotions that keep your legs smelling great and shiny. Take yourself on hikes and walks to beef them up even more. Be grateful for them! Get excited and proud of your legs. Your hair, your teeth, your shoulders. Whatever your one thing is, have a SUMMERTIME love affair with it.

TWO: Embrace being uncomfortable.

We can’t always be good at everything or have it all figured out but we can find the joy in things that are uncomfortable. It can be such an exciting adventure. When you can handle the uncomfortable things that life brings, it gives you a sense of calmness in the craziest of storms.

People are always attracted to that person because they offer a sense of strength. Can you imagine how it must feel for Hilary Clinton to be running to become the first female president of the United States. Something about that really speaks to me as a woman in business for myself. I am challenging myself to not be afraid of doing something that hasn’t been done before or out of my comfort zone.

Why not try a new class, sign up to a new volunteer opportunity, take your kids on a small road trip and learn something new with them, switch sides of the bed with your significant other. Shake up things in your life, get uncomfortable and see how that creates some confidence in you this summer!

THREE: Create your calendar.

Sometimes when we don’t know where we are going, we don’t have that sense of assuredness that we feel we need to be calm and confident. So take out your calendar and start filling yours up. Call up an old friend you haven’t seen in forever and book a lunch at a place you have been dying to try. Summer is always a good time for a fun road trip with friends, or a great time to have friends over and try a new recipe.

Take a class for a new language or create a list of books you MUST read this summer. Here are a few of my favorites. Put it on the calendar. There is something about seeing a full calendar with things to do that gives you a sense of pride and confidence. Also, when you always have something to look forward to next, you kill the FOMO vibes and have a constant sense of excitement about you. How awesome is that?

FOUR: Confident Smiles.

Put a smile on your face at all times! Even if you have to fake it till you make it, smile at everyone and everything. Smile at your coffee mug in the morning if you have to. If you are out and about, smile at the grocery store, smile at the people next to you in line at the airport, smile at everyone you come across. Smiles are everything!

FIVE: Enriching and Empowering conversations.

Have you ever had a friend or a mentor that you could just talk to for hours? Where you get really deep and the conversation is exciting and empowering. Have more of these! I think its important to surround yourself around people who light you up, see the best in you and have your back.

I literally live for these conversations and I LOVE being this person for my coaching clients. They give you a feeling of connection like you aren’t alone in the world. Make more time for these people in your life. Perhaps take a trip to a local winery with one of these friends and make a super fun day out of it.

SIX: Let your love flow.

One way to spread love to people is through food. I love to have people over and cook for them, something about preparing food for another creates a bond between you, its a sharing of love. This gives a sense of family, togetherness and its totally a beautiful thing.

Having a sense of connection to others gives you a feeling that you belong and are needed. As women this is essential for our wellness. You don’t have to be the best chef or the ultimate hostess to do this ( see some easy recipes here ). My sister and I love to make extra special breakfasts and lunches together. It’s just a small thing but it makes our whole day feel exciting and fun.

SEVEN: Find your element.

My element is water. Anytime I can be around it, I feel better about everything. I feel so confident because I am in my zone. If yours is heights, take a trip to the tallest building in your town and look out from the top and take in the view. If you love the earth, go to your local park and read a book and have a picnic. Whatever you feel you need to really connect with nature, I highly suggest doing it. It will give you a sense of balance, restore your wellness and give you a glow.

EIGHT: Invest in your sanctuary.

Now of course I add this to the list because I believe in the importance of a space that supports you in being the best version of yourself. A space that helps you create the life you dream of. I just took on a new E-design client, who hired me to help her create a master bedroom that is like her and her husbands favorite hotel because they are ready to start their family and have a baby.

She believes in the power of her environment and is changing up her space to help her achieve her dreams. What would a newly styled up home office be like for you? Or a backyard patio for dining outdoors with family and friends? Whatever you want to create for yourself, use this summer to invest in your nest!

images via: Oprah.com | me | Heidisbridge.com

Moving into a new home...

I am no stranger to moving. Let’s just say I have probably moved more times than years I have been alive. I’ve lived in many cities (New York, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Fransisco, Austin, Dallas and Houston). I’ve moved across the country, across two of the largest states a few times over and I can remember every single home that I lived in. And exactly two weeks ago today, we moved into our new home. There is nothing more exciting for me than moving into a new home, a fresh slate, fresh sheets, a new start, not to mention, a new decorating project.
They say moving is one of the most stressful life changes that humans experience. However, unlike most people, I actually enjoy moving and I find that after every move, I feel more inspired, alive and ready for more in life.

Because this move has been a little bit of a different experience for me, I felt compelled to make some notes about what I experienced and learned from the process.

I’m typically the type that likes to move in and unpack quickly. I like to be set up and settled in my new home as soon as possible because I need my home to be very HIGH VIBE. I like to make sure the bed is fresh and new, kitchen is stocked and ready for guests and my bathtub is complete with candles and face masks. It usually feels like a whirlwind and I don’t pay much attention to what I’m bringing into my new space.

ELEVATING TO A NEW LEVEL

This move, we decided to be mindful, to take our time deciding what should stay, what should go, where things should get placed and what we want to create with the space. We decided to be intentional with how we set things up and what energy each piece brought into our home.

I will add that I’m very lucky that my love is open to my woo-woo ways. I think I hooked him with just one episode of Marie Kondo’s show on Netflix. Next thing I knew, he was the one pushing me to thank things for what they’ve given me in life and then give them away. He helped remind me that our new home is an opportunity to create our new life, to begin to create new habits, new structures in our life. For example in our new home, we have plenty of space for more dishware, so we could actually entertain a larger amount of people in our home. We have more space for an extra recycling trash in our kitchen. It’s the small everyday habits that lead to your lifestyle. We intentionally made decisions based on the people we want to be, not based on how we’ve done things in the past.

BE EASY TO LET GO OF THINGS THAT KEEP YOU TOO ATTACHED TO YOUR PAST.

So, we set the intention of using this move as a way to elevate to our next level. To intentionally create space for new memories, opportunities and habits for our family.

With each box I unpacked, I made more of an effort to connect with everything I allowed into the home and felt myself easily letting go of things that did not represent my best and highest self. We discussed and connected with the memories of where we’ve been and we allowed our home to help refine and edit our things and be the creator of where we are going.

The energy in our home is lighter and brighter than where we lived before. We can physically feel the way a cleansing of clutter feels. Even the smallest things feel more elevated in our new home, a high vibe for us and our little baby boy sleeps better in our new home than he had the week prior in our old space.

YOUR HOME TELLS THE STORY OF WHERE YOU ARE GOING

Looking back over the last 3.5 years of living in the same high rise building in 3 different apartments, I realized more than ever how each place carried along with it a different theme in my life. I was incredibly emotional thinking about how much that building had to do with so many of my life’s unforgettable memories…writing my book, creating new ideas, falling in love, becoming a mommy, etc. Each chapter is defined by the home in which the memory was created.

When I first moved into the building, see photos here , I had absolutely no idea where it would lead me to today. It makes that old saying really ring true…”it’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey. The home is such an important part of the journey, isn’t it?

When I experienced those huge life changes, my space was painted in all black, my home was curated with ornate, glamorous decor and it smelled of Sandalwood & Myrrh. I can transport to that place when I need to go back and remember those memories. My beautiful home helped with that. When I think back on the places I lived that I didn’t put much thought into decorating and curating, the memories within that space aren’t as clear and impactful.

In your new home, you get to create the signature of your space, the stamp / brand of that chapter in your life. Are you creating the backdrop of your life to support your dreams?

(Pink lights in our new kitchen)

MAKE THE MOST OF THE HOME YOU HAVE

I find that a lot of times people hold off on painting or making renovations to their home until they move in to their dream home or until they finally purchase a home. But it’s so important to remember that ANY space you live in WILL be permanently attached to the memories it holds.

You can get creative with the way you style your space. Paint and fabric go a long way! There’s a really cute book by my friend Chelsea, Rental Style that can give you some ideas if you’re not wanting to make permanent changes. Try to remember that setting up your home should be a process, not an all-at-once event. Here’s a few things you can think about when you are planning to move into a new home:

1. How does the natural light work in this space? Will you need to invest in some lighting. I personally love the HUE lightbulbs, you can choose from the rainbow of colors that you want to see in your space. Colors of light can heal, enhance and uplift you, instantly.

2. How does the wall color make me feel? Do I need to add some colors that comfort me? The fastest and easiest way to do this is fabrics. Work on getting drapery and window treatments done first. They make a huge difference in how cozy a home feels.
   
   3. How does the chi enter the home? Naturally, I like to asses the Feng Shui in the space before I even think about moving in. However, if you’re just getting started or have just moved in, the most important point is the entrance. It’s where the energy comes in the home Aka where new, exciting opportunities enter your home. If you make sure to clean up and decorate your entryway, you will ensure that only positive energy enters the space. I like to keep black tourmaline at the entrance of my home, it protects bad vibes from coming in. You can learn all about how to decorate your home with crystals here.

   4. Flowers will help you settle in more quickly. Flowers hold a lot of energy, really abundant, powerful energy. So, you’ll definitely want to bring in your favorite flowers with you when you move in. Moving can be stressful, daunting and draining. Flowers will help to combat those low level vibrations and pull you into your most abundant, beautiful energy.

Even if you are convinced you aren’t living in your dream home you might as well make the best of what you’re living with right now. I can promise you that when you do begin to do that, you’ll be amazed by how much faster you become a magnet to your desires & dreams! What is your home saying about your desires?

(pretty tulips on our dining table)

MAKE A PLAN FOR THE THINGS THAT YOU WANT NEXT

One of the things on our list is a bigger dining table. However, we have a list of several things we want for our new home. So, how are we supposed to not feel overwhelmed when the list feels so long? My favorite way to keep my mindset from experiencing anxiety and overwhelm when moving into a new home is to make an actual plan for the things that that I want to buy. I do all of my notes and lists in my bullet journal so that I keep it all in one place. I begin by making a big list of the experiences at home that are most important to me.

For example:

1. Comfortable sleep

2. Family dinners + entertaining

3. A place to focus when working at home

4. Organization for shoes

   …….you get the idea of the list.

   Then you can draw a line down the middle of page and on the right you can make a list of the items you want to purchase to fulfill your home priorities.

On our list, we put sleeping at the TOP of our list, so our first investment was in a brand new mattress, this incredibly beautiful bed, new sheets and pillows. Next on the list is family dinners at home with room to entertain more people so a dining table is the next priority on our list. When you make your list this way, you can really be mindful about your decisions, budget accordingly and estimate when you’ll be making the bigger purchases.

And then you can go down the list as each new month comes up to purchase the smaller things and scratch them off your list. It’s also very helpful so that you can make smarter purchases that all go together instead of buying things at random. Having a plan helps you to stay on budget, make smarter decisions and most importantly it keeps your mind organized and free or random stressful thinking.

I hope you found this post to be helpful, I think you will like this post, too.