I've Got a Life Hack for You

But spoiler... it won't help you organize your closet, supercharge your morning routine, sleep better, or find a lost phone. It's better than that.

Perhaps you remember the summer analogy I posted in June? Time to revisit it.

Happy Thursday!

I hope you’re all easing into August, holding on tight to every day of summer. As a former teacher, the word “August” actually used to be a word that terrified me because of the Summer is Like a Weekend Theory I learned as a young Jedi Master (aka middle school Spanish teacher).

To the teachers in the crowd… CHERISH each and every quiet, meeting and student free morning you have left. If your mind starts to go to bad places and think about scary things like staff meetings, team building, class rosters, or (even worse) Open House… find a happy place or pop some earbuds in and float away with this visualization. (Maybe even have it on reserve to secretly listen to during an inservice? Just a thought.)

At any rate, whether you’re headed back to school or just winding down the summer… hope things are going well.

My husband and I just had an epic mini staycation as we entertained our dear friends from Spain. We wanted to make their six days with us memorable, so we put together a roster of local fun… a boat ride, trip to see Frank Lloyd Wright’s estate, a visit to Madison, the Harley Davidson Museum, Milwaukee Art Museum, a sampling of area restaurants and a winery, and of course… shopping. (Lots of support for the US economy. 🛍️)

We even took our Spanish friends to visit a friend from their country… Plensa.

Our group had so many laughs on this whirlwind tour of the area near our house. We’d all had a great week, but it wasn’t until the last night that I figured out why when our friend Rodrigo shared a sentiment…

And, yes, you knew it was coming. That sentiment happens to be What I’d Rather Be Talking About this week.

As we were recapping the incredible week, Rodrigo told us that people in Spain had asked them, “Why are you going to Milwaukee? What will you do in Milwaukee?”

Now, instead of telling these people about the museums, the lakes, or any of the other tourist sites, Rodrigo simply said, “It doesn’t matter. We’re going to Milwaukee to see our friends.”

He continued, “It’s about being together. And laughing. Talking. We’re not coming here to see the sights - we’re coming to be with our friends.”

His wife Rocio agreed, “It’s true… it’s about the moments together.”

And then he shared the best part. (And this is the life hack I was talking about.)

“A trip isn’t about checking off a list of places to visit. It’s about the small things. The small moments of laughter. Those are the important things about a trip.”

B A M.

BAM.

Did Rodrigo nail it, or what?

The small things. The small moments.

Whether on vacation or in your own backyard…

the small moments are the things that matter most.

With that, I invite you to finish out August and the summer… keeping in mind that you don’t have to do it all.

Just enjoy… the small moments.

7 THINGS I’D RATHER BE TALKING ABOUT

Photo by Vivek Doshi on Unsplash

PODCAST: Getting a little deep in this podcast - The Daily Creative talks about the Chaos Theory and brings up the question, are we all connected? Different topic, but equally as interesting… are we getting enough rest? Tune into Hello Monday for all about the healing power of rest.

Photo by Link Hoang on Unsplash

BOOK TITLES THAT CAUGHT MY ATTENTION: Life As No One Knows It by Sara Imari Walker, The Astrology Advantage by the AstroTwins, and looking forward to trying some recipes in plantyou by Carleigh Bodrug (a birthday gift for my husband, from my sister).

Photo by Louis Hansel on Unsplash

HEALTHY FOOD IDEA: Have you noticed the buzz about protein? Pick Up Limes can help. They’ve even got this app that’s full of recipes to help you get your daily dose of nutrition and protein. Or take a look at this YouTube featuring three protein packed vegan recipes. More of a reader? Check out this great article!

Photo by Clint McKoy on Unsplash

WELLNESS TIP: Did you know August is National Wellness Month? Click here for 5 easy ways to add more wellness to your day. Hint: start by drinking more water. Also, watch out for toxins in cosmetics and how about these toxic chemicals hiding in our homes?

TRAVEL IDEA: Have you been home all summer and just want to get away? Check out these last minute vacation ideas, or how about a trip in September? Try these fall trip ideas.

These didn’t make Bobby Parrish’s list of healthy foods. Photo by ün LIU on Unsplash

SHOPPING: Here’s what our uber healthy pal Bobby Parrish recommends from Costco this month. I love Bobby’s videos because he only gives us clean, healthy suggestions.

Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash

PRODUCTIVITY: Maybe the end of summer has you thinking about your goals for the rest of the year (and maybe for your life in general). Well, there’s a Map for that. (Not an app, a map.) A lifemap, in fact. Check out this article from VeryWellMind that can help you take examine things a bit more closely.

Bonus productivity - if you’re a teacher, or just like getting a new calendar at this time of year, I found a few for you:

• First, what do you think of this ADHD planner? As someone with a good case of ADHD, my initial thought was, “COOL!” But, is it a bit too busy?

• Here’s a spiral bound option that feels very intuitive and lays flat.

• Last one I’m featuring (because I felt a wormhole dive coming on…) here’s a planner that offers a lot of great extras.

And that’s a wrap!

Remember… don’t worry about getting everything in and crossing off each item on your to-do list this summer.

As the wise Rodrigo said, It’s the small moments that matter.

Focus on those, friends.

Until next time,

Abbey

Hoping your August is full of sunshine and blue skies.