self-care for summer + self-isolation

Speaking for the moms out there, summer 2020 is a different beast than most. After having kids unexpectedly homeschooling for several months and now facing a few more months with all of the camps and things cancelled, definitely some self-care is going to be in order to keep the sanity. So here are a few ideas for some summer-specific self-care while we're still in a state of (semi) self-isolation, and semi-permanent kid presence...

Splurge on a juicy new read - for you, and for the kids. Find something that will keep them really occupied and thus will buy yourself plenty of escapist reading time. For Hendrik, I'm thinking he'll spend hours poring over Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (he's a little Harry Potter obsessed at present), or else a Weird but True book (those never get old to a 6 year old boy), and then I can put up my feet and pick up an escape - Beach Read is absolutely perfect for this in a summery, steamy way; if you want a good summer thriller instead, check out The Guest List.

Try a new cocktail of a refreshing variety. Cools you down in more way than one... I'm thinking a rosé cocktail sounds very promising. Or you could just plain try a new kind of rosé! (For daytime, you could treat yourself to a new sparkling water flavor - I'm loving this ginger & peach one from Target lately.)

Make a summer playlist. Some summer-appropriate tunes can make great self-care because they just make a person happy, and they can ramp up the summer vibes in so many situations - such as, you could double up on the self-care by listening on a walk or a run in the sunshine, or if you're stuck at home, you could turn the playlist into a dance party session, solo or with kids! (You can find fun ready-made options on Spotify too, of course, either summer-specific, or else the Happy Folk playlist always gives me happy summer vibes.)

Take up a craft hobby for when you need some quiet time in the cool of the air conditioning! Creating something and working with your hands can be such good self-care to relax your mind while you do something creative and tangible. For me, embroidery kits are an obvious starting place, since you get everything you need in one package, the instructions are really helpful for getting the hang of the basics, the project can easily move around with me if I want to work on it in the playroom while Hendrik does a project of his own or if I want to pick it up and hide out somewhere else in the house where nobody else is, and it's just such a soothing process to move the needle back and forth (and of course so satisfying with how the pretty product comes together in the end!). Check out this beginners' hub for crafts if you're interested in even more ideas of where to start with a creative project for self-care.

Those are some ways I'll be practicing self-care this summer that can even be done with kids around - and maybe come fall I'll be able to go back to some of my old ones, like pedicures and hair cuts, which require both childcare and corona-safe environments. But we'll see! Either way, needlepoint and embroidery projects could get a girl through any season.

Thanks to LoveCrafts.com for the embroidery kit; all opinions are my own.