Here it is…the unofficial start to Summer is Memorial Day, and now that it has passed, we are free to embrace the season-expressing ourselves in colorful fashions, impassioned about healthy eating and staying fit, and ready to celebrate the change inherent in the shift of seasons.
In May, we naturally explored many of those topics, celebrated Moms of present and past, and took a hard look at mental health and personal development during National Mental Health Month. As the old adage goes, ”if Mom ain’t happy, no one is”, so we focused on thinking about things like bringing more fun into your life, staying sane in a crazy world, and enjoying the path to your 100th birthday (and do you know why women outlive men?)
We know that accessibility is everything, so our travel expert, Anne-Sophie Blin gave us some budget travel tips to ensure that we can all get out there and explore the world around us, which-in the long run, helps us to learn about ourselves too. In an ever-increasingly divided world, it’s important to be reminded how similar we all really are. Travel is one of the best ways to enthusiastically broaden your horizons (pun intended).
No matter where your vacation destination, you’re going to need some comfy shoes to get all those steps in, and we had a few suggestions from travel maven, Jan Sharry, on the perfect bag for every trip, from weekends to extended stays. With so many innovations in this market, it’s likely time to upgrade that bag! For the “cruisers” out there, we’ve also come up with a handy-dandy packing list for chic styles for every port of call.
If you’re worried about maintaining your fitness routine, or maybe don’t want to come back a few pounds heavier, writer Amie Hoff has a few suggestions to help you stay on the straight and narrow, plus get a workout in, all in the comfort of your hotel room! (If you didn’t get those pre-travel workouts in, don’t worry because there’s a shaper for that!)
In the news this month, women’s rights are being attacked on all fronts, which lead writer Nancy McKeon to wonder if our biology is our destiny. Is it unrealistic to think we can have it all, or is it that we need to continue to define how to have it all? If we’re all going to live until 100, we better consider how we spend our time while waiting for the world to catch up. It’s up to us to set the bar. To start, Susan Byrne, the ultimate ‘boss babe’, teaches us that we must continue to force ourselves to raise our hands and create paths for ourselves when navigating a traditionally ‘Man’s World’.
It truly is never too late to begin again or change directions. Something as little as starting off your morning with a dose of self-care routine can spark productivity in the long run. So can setting boundaries with your loved ones and colleagues.
One thing is certain, the prime woman’s life is full of milestones, from seeing our kids walk the stage (and coping with the shift in parenting), to enjoying your ‘un-retirement’ while fighting to break through the glass ceiling, celebrating the season of stylish soirees with weddings, events, and birthdays, or hosting estate sales after the death in the family—there’s a lot on our plate to juggle.
With all that in mind, June is shaping up to be another month of introspection and self-actualization. We’re focusing on all things fitness, family, personal and professional development.
Cheryl Suchors will be giving us advice on thriving in a second career, and we have an award-winning author giving us the step-by-step on taking our personal experiences and exploring a way to immortalize them through writing. Business and career guru, Bette Price, will have a few articles this month about honing our craft, connecting with clients, and using adaptability to advance your innovation.
We’re going to explore our love lives as well, taking a hard look at divorce, consider destination weddings in wine country and shop for a prime woman wedding dress, and perfect the art of communicating when dating someone new.
As focused as we are on our internal beauty, it’s also fun to think about our external beauty, as well. We’re going to get some tips about using essential oils in our skin care routine, how to go grey gracefully, tame our tresses in the summer’s ubiquitous humidity, and will be putting together some must-have looks for every occasion.
It’s going to be a great summer.
How does the Meadow-flower its bloom unfold?
Because the lovely little flower is free
Down to its root, and, in that freedom, bold;
And so the grandeur of the Forest-tree
Comes not by casting in a formal mould,
But from its own divine vitality.
-William Wordsworth, from A Poet! He Hath Put His Heart To School
