June = Enjoy the Little Things + Celebrate Summer!

Summer is here! Can you feel it? Here in the Midwest we have brighter days and longer nights. Instead of feeling like it’s time for bed because it’s dark at 5 pm, it feels like you gain a huge part of your day when it’s light until 10 pm! Seriously, in summer I get my second wind and I am running errands, grilling dinner, having cocktails, then going for a bike ride and getting more done, when in the winter I normally would have already been in my pjs and crashed on the couch.

One of the things I love about living in the Midwest is the change of seasons. Don’t get me wrong I love summer and warmer weather, but I think I would go a bit stir crazy if I didn’t have a change in seasons. I actually like change (when it’s good change) and like having something to look forward to. I am looking forward to the change in pace for my kids as they are home and working instead of at school. Since I quit my day job last fall to focus on this business of mine, this will be the first summer I have been home in a while and I am so looking forward to the change of pace for me too. I’ll still be working, but my design time will be with my laptop on our front porch and our dachshund Max by my side.

My son just mentioned to me that he’s looking forward to warmer weather too, which mean picnics at the beach and dinners on our front porch. My goal of this summer is to celebrate more of the little things. Why wait for a major milestone to make it an occasion to celebrate? Three days of rain and the sun came out? Time for a porch party! Girlfriends have a few hours between running kids places? Go for an appetizer and drinks. Summer solstice = have a bonfire and cookout! Your kids first day at a job? Make and enjoy a meal together! There are always the big events to celebrate in life - Graduations, Birthdays, Weddings, and Anniversaries. And I will talk later this month on the blog about ideas to make parties for those events easier. But life already goes by so fast, so let’s slow it down for even a short window of time and celebrate the little things, the ordinary, daily things.

What things can you think of that you need to celebrate or ways you can incorporate thankfulness into our everyday?