Loading... Your 2024 Summer Glow Up Guide

Welcome to The In Between Podcast. I'm Astrid.

And I'm Alexis. And we're 2 best friends on a journey to living a fun, intentional life.

We know it's easier to share on a season of life once it's behind you, but what about when you're in the middle of the growth, confusion, and decision-making?

This lifestyle podcast is for the everyday gal who loves to travel, talk about business, relationships, fashion, and everything in between.

Hello friends, and welcome back to another episode of The In between pod.

It is one half of the pod, Alexis, and the other half, Astrid.

And I am so excited for today's topic. This one's for the girlies. It is. You all really loved our episode sharing some of our recs, and we're going to dive a little bit deeper into that and just share some of the things that we are focusing on to have a glow up before the summer. And that's not just the way that we look, but also just the way that we feel, a glow up from the inside out. And so I'm so excited to dive into this topic, have a little bit of a lighter conversation, um, to take a little bit of a break from our past few episodes that have been a deep dive.

Truly, truly. We're— again, I've mentioned this before, we have range. Today we're going to talk about all the fun things to have the best summer ever, and it's April. And so it's like, okay, we're— once May kind of starts is where I think things start to pick up. And so I was like, what can we be intentional about now in preparation for the summer? So I'm so excited for this topic. I even wrote a summer manifesto for the—

for a summer glow up.

So I hope this is inspiring to you.

Yay. Are you able to share that with us at some point in the podcast or is that a private manifesto?

Oh no, no, no. It's public. I don't do it pretty. I barely do anything in private at this point. Privacy? Never heard of it.

Never heard of it. Love it. Well, I can't wait to hear it and get inspired, and then we can all make our own manifestos for the summer.

Heck yeah.

I'm a huge, like, declarations and affirmations person, so I think that's gonna be so fun.

Same. Okay, life updates. What's new in your world before we jump in?

Okay, life update is, as of this morning, I booked a Hawaii wedding for next May.

Oh my gosh, that's amazing!

I'm so excited. They're the sweetest couple ever. And yeah, it's going to be like a full elopement day and then the next day go do an adventure session like around the island, get a car. Yeah, they got a really cool lineup of vendors too. And so their videographer is local.

Okay.

And has access to all these like private areas and knows basically where to go. So I am very stoked. So next May, I'll have Hawaii and Italy. So I'll be, I'll be gone next May, which will be very exciting.

Look at you, girl. You've already got 2 big trips planned next year and who even knows what else is coming your way. I'm so happy for you.

Thank you. Thank you. I know my, I texted my boyfriend when I got it. He's like, my PTO can't keep up with your trips.

Like, we need unlimited PTO. Come on.

Yes. Yes. But what has been new in your world?

That's amazing. Um, Pretty light on this end. The Bridgerton trailer came out. Oh my gosh, like, I am so excited. The chokehold that season 3 has on me, the— oh my gosh, like, they're just like— the chemistry oozes from them. I feel like a little like giggly when I watch any press of Penelope and the other guy. I don't even know his name. What's his name? Do you know?

I am the worst with movie names.

I think it's Colin. Colin and Penelope, I think. But anyways, yeah, I've also been reading a ton and just really enjoying like my free time. So yeah, work is crazy busy and Matthew's been traveling for work as well. And I am learning— this is gonna— can this be my in-between?

Go for it. Dive on deep.

Okay, my in-between. If you're new to the podcast, we always share what we're in between because we believe You're always in between something. And this week I'm in between revisiting how to be alone. And Matthew travels not super often for work, but he's about to start traveling a bit more for work. And that means that my routine, our routine is going to look a little bit different. And so I am trying to figure out like how to be alone again. And I don't know, we have not had time apart from each other for months. And we used to do long distance for years. Like, I'm very used to the long distance stuff. But I think it's less on like, how I feel in the marriage. I'm like, feeling great in the marriage. It's like me by myself that I think I struggle with. And so sometimes I kind of slip back into old patterns and I'm trying not to judge myself for that, but I'm trying to figure out how to give myself grace, but also keep up with the discipline and the consistency and a little bit of the mental toughness.

Yeah.

Because I find myself just sabotaging my bedtime and just doing things that I normally wouldn't if Matthew were here. I kind of feel like a kid whose parent... Is like, you know, they're like on it, they're on a trip. And I'm like, oh my gosh, Matt's not here. Let me just stay up and read till 1 AM. Let me just stay up, like stay up and scroll, or like, then that messes with my morning routine. And then I'm not getting up and going to the gym. So I'm just like figuring that out right now and trying to, again, have grace, but also like, this ain't working for me. So Yeah, that's what I'm in between this week.

Hmm. I'm so proud of you for the way you navigate such hard ebbs and flows in your marriage and your life because things change quickly, I feel like, on your side of things. And learning how to pivot has become a strength. And it seems like this is a new layer of it of, okay, you got settled into not having to pivot for so long. And now how do we navigate that? in between grace and discipline, which I think is a huge part of how do I have grace with my emotions but discipline with my actions? And balancing that little layer in between is really hard. But I'm proud of you. I think you're doing amazing. The fact that you recognize those signs and symptoms is huge, and it's going to create such a beautiful resilience once you're able to navigate this in between and be on the other side of it.

Yeah, thank you. I love that, having grace with your emotions but discipline with your actions. I don't think I've ever heard it quite so succinct before. That's beautiful. We need that on a shirt.

Done. This is your summer shirt. Grace with emotions, discipline with our actions.

Yeah, I'm in like merch mode too. Like, shout out to the, to the crew because the community is like getting us so inspired. Astrid and I are like, should we launch merch? So if you think we should launch merch and you're listening right now, send us a DM and just with one word, merch. Yes, we want merch.

We want merch and that's going to give us a push to design it and get it out there for the summer.

I know we really need it. So that's what I'm in between right now.

What about you? What am I currently in between? Also, side note, one of our listeners modeled for me this week and she's like, I love your podcast so much. Shout out to Kennedy.

She's like, I love your podcast so much.

She said, it's so funny how every week you guys talk about your in-betweens, but you never know what your in-between is going to be, as if it's a surprise question. And I'm like, so valid. It is.

It's like a pop quiz that you know is coming, but then you're like in the moment and you're like, oh no, I haven't prepared.

Yeah, the brain freeze. The brain freeze. What am I currently in between? Okay. So this more has to do with our next episode, which is on body confidence and how we feel in our bodies as the summer is approaching. And so right now, it's been a very interesting relationship with my body where I feel a lot healthier, a lot stronger. And at the same time, I'll notice when I eat certain foods or I've been navigating a season of sensitivity to certain foods that will bloat me. And so navigating my mentality around that of like, hey, the progress is still there. We're just reacting to the food right now and we're learning what we like and don't like. And like, we're fixing our gut health again. Like, there's just a whole new layer of it.

Yeah.

But navigating in that moment, not judging my body and being like, oh, well, we put in all this work and all this investment into personal training, and we're just still at the same spot. So was it even worth it? It's just wild what your mind will do to you and the relationship with body, too.

Yeah.

And even with that, I just went on vacation, and I felt bloated on vacation. I did not feel like my best. I was like, I'm just going to have a good time. It is what it is. Come back from vacation and debloat, and I'm like, of course, when I'm not going to be in a bikini, I feel much better.

But I will say, I saw the pictures that you posted of you in the bikini, the one where you're like looking back. Yeah, you looked amazing. I just stared at that photo for a while. I was like, my girlfriend is hot. Like, I feel you on being bloated, but also like, it's so interesting. I saw that photo of you on vacation and I was like, I like— I was speechless.

Oh, thank you. Thank you. Yeah, I think it's just, I don't know, your mind plays so many tricks on you. I even had a throwback to when we went to Miami and I was like, man, I looked good back then. I remember thinking back then, I want to lose more of this or I want to do this to my body.

Yeah.

And so I'm navigating that in between of like, am I really over whatever it is, bloated or whatever? Or am I just overthinking it? Or maybe dabbling a little bit with body dysmorphia? And how do you take a step back from all of that and not be so nitty-gritty about it? But also you have goals and you want to feel good in your clothes and you want to feel like— I love whenever it's summertime and I feel healthy and fit and I can walk miles and I'm not out of breath and my clothes fit how they're supposed to and I don't feel like I need to go shopping or hide. And not that you should ever feel that, but It just comes up when you're trying on clothes. And so, yeah.

Yeah.

So I think like, I am still learning how to navigate that relationship and still learning how to set some boundaries around that. I don't own a scale. I don't weigh myself. I refuse to weigh myself. It took me to a dark place at one point in time. And I'm just going off of how my clothes fit and how I look in the mirror. And that's it. So learning to find what are other boundaries that I need to set around my social media or other layers of it to keep my mind in check, but still continue with my goals in fitness.

You're so real for that. Thank you for sharing. I know that that's just— it's tough to navigate those feelings. And, you want to, again, give yourself the grace, but then you are still showing up every day, being mindful of your nutrition, your personal trainer, you're putting in the work. And so, it can feel sometimes extra frustrating. When you are checking all the boxes and putting in all the reps, so to speak, and the mind is still like not happy with whatever it sees, it is very— it's hard. So thank you for sharing that. I think a lot of people relate to that in their own ways. And it's just like, how do we find radical acceptance in ourselves when we know we're putting in the action? You know, like, so like, when is it ever enough? Right?

Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. I think it's just, I never want that to consume my mind so much. And I think for a few weeks there it was.

Yeah.

And I'm learning to navigate that. And if anyone out there has had success with this and you've struggled with this, like, please reach out to me. I would love to hear your thoughts on it and like what helped you. And at the same time, if you're struggling with this as well, reach out. We can hold each other accountable and love and just support each other. But It's real. And for whatever reason, the more that you work on it, I feel like it gets harder and more— and like the voices get louder. But maybe this will be the year that we can navigate that a lot healthier and be on the other side of health and wellness that's not so, um, just about how we look.

Yeah, word. I, I'm excited for that episode next week because I need to talk about it too. Like, I also think it's just that pre-summer anxiety is in my head where I'm like, oh my gosh, I'm like worried about this. I don't want to be worried about this. What does it say about me that I'm worried about it? Like, we judge ourselves for pretty much everything. So thank you for sharing.

Yeah, thank you for listening. Um, but now that we've talked about that side of things, let's focus on the fun side of our glow up. Yes, we are glowing up.

I, I just feel so drawn to this topic. I just really want this to be the best summer ever. And I can think back to some specific summers that truly did have that like incredible feel, like the feeling of them.

Yeah.

And I want, I want that this summer. So I was thinking of like, what is, what, what about those summers made me feel that way? And what do I need to embrace, let go of, surrender in order for me to really glow up my mindset around this summer? And I think a lot of times when we hear glow-ups online, it's usually about how someone looks. But I really want this to be your confidence glow-up this summer. And we're glowing up your self-esteem, we're glowing up how you feel. We're glowing up your routines. You're getting it right and tight, but you're also letting it flow and it's loose. And it's like trying to find the in-between of those 2 things. And so that's what this episode is about. So can I share my summer manifesto?

Please. I can't think of a better way to kick off this episode.

I also wrote this at a red light in Houston because the traffic is just nuts. So I was like—

The inspiration just hits.

I was sitting there and I was like, I'm going to write a little manifesto for my summer. So, okay, are you ready?

So ready.

Okay. Summer of 2024. We are outside this summer. We are saying yes, we are doing things on the weekdays. We are getting tan and feeling ourselves. We are wearing what we want, where we want, when we want. We are unbothered because we are focused on our pace and staying in our own lane. We're wearing kitten heels, tons of jewelry, embracing color, and trying new hairstyles. We're moving our body in ways that feel playful, social, and fun. I'm talking walks with friends, spontaneous 5Ks, and outdoor yoga. We are allowing some things to go unanswered because we are too busy living life. And most of all, we are accepting our full selves because life is short. This is our one body, our one life, and we'll never have another summer of 2024 again.

Oh, I love that. This feels like when you go for your summer vacation, When someone gives a speech at your senior year and you're like, yeah, dance party!

It's like a commencement speech.

Yeah, but more like the after-party speech where people are like, I love you. This is the summer. This is our summer.

I definitely wanted to have that feel to it. So, okay, what of the manifesto were you like, yes?

Oh my gosh, so much of it. I got chills at the end where it was like, let's make 2024. I think I can't remember the specific wording, but our best summer yet. And I think that it kind of taps into that younger fun energy where every summer in between years in high school or even college, you're like, what are we gonna do this year? Like, this is our junior year, this is our senior year summer. Like, we bring that energy into it. And so that made me get re-excited and be more intentional about what it is that I want. Um, I love the color aspect, like wearing the color, wearing like whatever you want when you want it. I think that's There's so many times that, especially for me, is like living in a smaller town, like, well, I want to wear this, but not here. That's too much for this area. And love my boyfriend. He always calls me out. He's like, what do you mean? Just wear it. I'm like, okay, fair. So, yeah, I think that is incredible. And spending time outdoors really resonated with me too.

Yes.

I feel like that's so good for your mental health. For the way that we are able to just move our bodies more and more than just, I need to get today's workout.

Yes.

And I really, really love the, we're saying yes more.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes. And doing things for fun. I think that maybe the reason why this topic just feels so close to me is that life is so serious. The older you get, You've got bills to pay. Like you're taking your job, your career seriously. Maybe you're growing a family, you're taking care of, you're supporting other people. Like so much of life feels honestly kind of serious. And I, it's not that I don't want to take, it's not that I don't want to be mature this summer, but I just want to like really tap into, like you said, the intentionality and that like sense of, Wow, this is our— this is like the summer, you know, after graduation or the summer, you know, like we, whenever we were younger, we took those so like intentional. And I feel like the older you get, it's like, yeah, it's summer. So what? It's like, no, it's summer though. Like, just like that excitement about it. I know it's just a season, but I think the new year we feel so much like excitement around new projects, new versions of ourselves, new habits, new routines, things we want to start doing and stop doing. And I feel like summer is kind of our opportunity to allow a lot of that to flow. And then like, I'll rest in the fall and winter. That's like my vibe right now. I'm like, this is not a restful summer for me. So, um, but if it is for you, I support that. But it's like, how do you just have that level of intentionality towards this season and it feel really connected to what you need right now? Instead of like, oh, it's just, yep, it's June. Well, like, I don't know, I just, I feel like that makes life feel dull. And it can make it feel like monotonous. And that every day is just kind of like, well, I'm here. And it's like, I don't know, I'm craving that, like, making it a big deal just because it's a big deal to you.

Absolutely. I think that a lot of times we, it's not until something happens, say like 2020, where people were like, oh my gosh, like, People are no longer here with us, or there's a big life event. Now we can't travel. I wish I would've traveled. Like, when will the restaurants open again and when will things open back up again? And I think there was such a surge in travel and experiences afterwards because we took it for granted. It was just always there. But when it's always there, we never do it.

Yeah.

So you may find yourself listening to this podcast and Maybe you're thinking, okay, well, Alexis travels all the time. Astra travels all the time. I can't. I have a different type of job, or I have a different— like, my lifestyle just won't allow that right now. Like, that's just one way that we love to explore and enjoy life. How can you still find that joy, that excitement, and what sets you alive and what you absolutely love, and then at the same time be able to Explore the things around you, like a new restaurant, a new book, a new park, a new experience. Like, okay, every day at 6 AM, I'm gonna go watch the sunrise.

Yeah.

It's free, it's before work, and it's a new experience for you, and it's healthy for you to watch the, the sun come up. So I feel like that those are the things that can really help us glow up from the inside out, where you feel more alive. And it's not until those detrimental life events that we're like, okay, I'm taking ownership back of my life now.

I'm so glad you brought that up because it's really about what makes you happy and what is accessible to you right now in this season. So maybe that's even doing some of the things you used to do as a child. Like, um, I remember a couple of years ago I went to an amusement park. There's this amusement park like water park in Indiana called Holiday World.

Yeah.

And we used to go like 1 to 2 times a summer as a kid and into my teens and even in college. And then, you know, you get into your 20s and it's like, ah, I'm not gonna go to like a kid's water park. And I remember going with one of my girlfriends and we had so much fun. And I'm like, I don't care that I'm 27. I'm gonna ride this ride. Like just allowing some of that. And I think tickets were I don't know, like $70. Like, it's not necessarily travel, but it's like, you know, a ticket to a park, or maybe it's spending some time at the lake. Or something that I think would be so fun is organizing like a hide-and-seek night in your neighborhood where like—

Yeah.

I mean, just like this, I don't know, how do you organize some, some like picnics or some cookouts or just things that bring people together that don't have to be plane tickets and travel, but really like allow you to You know, be a bit more social or tap into some of the things that you used to do as a kid that you miss and that you enjoy, but maybe you just aren't making time for them, um, as much in this season of life. So my first glow-up tip, and I do feel like this is contradicting and I'm okay with it, but we're buying some new clothes this summer.

Because I feel— as long as it's intentional.

Yeah. Intentional shopping. Obviously, like, know what the gaps are in your wardrobe. Go through your wardrobe. I just went through my closet a couple weeks ago. It was super helpful to see like where I'm missing some things or really just like letting things go as well. But there's something too about having a couple of fresh new pieces in your summer wardrobe that you're excited to wear. Maybe you're going to a concert or a date night or you're having a girls' night out and you just want to put on like that new top, that new dress. Got a new pair of earrings, like whatever it is. But there is something just so girly and so fun about wearing something new. And so there's a span to this. I don't care if you're at TJ Maxx or you're at Nordstrom, like find something that you genuinely actually might need and buy it. Like, I feel like we have, you and I on the podcast have been very like, we're, we're in our no spend and, you know, we're like really cutting back. But I just want to like, I'm loosening the reins personally. A little bit of like, let's make conscious buying decisions. But I do think that that's something that can really help you feel more confident is, you know, what you have in your closet. You feel like fun putting things together, whether that's shopping in your closet or, you know, shopping elsewhere. But that's a big one that I'm like leaning into prepping for summer. And I'm excited about it. I'm also like trying out some new boutiques that I have never shopped at before. So I just bought 2 pieces from an online boutique called Rumoured. Never shopped there before.

Oh wow.

I'm really excited about that. I got a cute top and a dress that was on sale. And then I also have been getting a ton of ads from Dish, Dish with 2 I's. And they have some really cool linen skorts. And I'm like, that is something that I really want for this summer. So I got a black one and a white one. And then there's also the drawstring. Drawstring linen pant is in. Like, it's so in. And I have a few pairs of pants, but they're a bit more like slack, like trouser. And I don't have that like throw it on for the beach or like with a cute button-down. So I got a pair of those from Dish. And then there was another boutique called Pepper Mayo. Also been getting so many ads from them and it's working.

Yeah. Okay.

And I have not purchased these things yet, but I have a couple things in my cart. But I got some silky solid dresses with different necklines that are classy. I know that I'm going to wear them again. I can layer them with cute suit jackets and stuff like that over. But a few of those for just trips coming up. And I'm feeling very excited about those. So I think my first little glow up tip is You know, getting a few little pieces that make you feel good.

Yes. Oh my gosh, I love those so, so much. You have to let me know how you like the linen skort from Dish because I was actually looking at the linen skort this week at different brands. And I just feel like when you have a booty, sometimes like the skort just ends up being very up in the butt, very short. So let me know how those fit because yeah, I feel like it, especially linen, doesn't give as much too. And then it's like very gappy around the waist. So, uh, we'll need that. But on those lines, my, uh, I've been doing something very similar where for the past 2 months or 3 months, I created a Pinterest board for summer style. Yes. And I've really been pinning. I started just pinning anything I liked. And then I started catching trends of what I was liking, which was a lot of linen, a lot of silk, No denim and very comfortable. So the baggier pants with a lot of open back tops, for example, or silky tops and some of the silky dresses. And so knowing I'm going to spend my summer in Europe, I can tend to want to shop right before a trip. And so I just started 2 months out being like, okay, what's my vibe for this summer? Let's pin a bunch of this stuff. What do I have already? What do I still need? And so if you feel like, yes, I would like to have a different vibe in my style for summer, then pin a bunch of stuff that you like until you narrow it down. That can be so, so helpful. And also on the side of outfits, I think that feeling so good in your own skin and in your own outfits brings so much to the confidence and hence to the glow up where you're like, I love my sunglasses. I love how my hair looks. I love my accessories. Like, it can be very simple pieces from wherever you want them to be, but for you to love them, that's a way— maybe it's just for us, but like, for me, I feel like I'm enjoying my day when I'm wearing an outfit that I love and just having fun. It doesn't matter where it is that I'm going.

Yeah.

So yeah, I could not agree more with the outfit side of things.

Yeah. I love that too around prepping for trips a bit more because then you're not urgency buying and you're not buying things that you might actually not need. So you're just like giving yourself a bit more runway. I love that. Um, my next one is nails, hair, and skin. So Doing things with your nails, like painting your toenails. You know, we're like taking time, we're doing a scalp treatment on the hair. We're spending some extra time on our skin. We're wearing sunscreen. Okay, we're wearing sunscreen for a lot of reasons. Cancer and sunspots and aging, like it is real. Sunspots run in my family and I literally have one right here on my chin that's coming in. And I'm like, okay, cool.

Lathering in that sunscreen.

We are putting on the SPF. Okay. Um, but yeah, just like doing those little things that feel like nurturing to yourself. And so maybe that's like getting a pedicure, getting your nails done somewhere else or doing them yourself. Or like maybe that's cutting your hair, getting your hair colored or doing a scalp treatment, oil treatment at home. But just like doing those little things when you are at home, or that you want to do for yourself that make you feel good.

Yeah.

And that can, again, like there's range to that. But I do think like spending a little extra time loving on yourself, it one makes you feel good. But I also think like when I look down and I have my nails done, I smile. Or like when I'm on camera, I'm on Zoom all the time. And when I see my nails in the Zoom, I'm like, those are so cool. Like I love my nails. Like just like those, how I feel about me. And it's not even for anybody else. And I think that's like a big piece of glowing up is that it's for you. Like, yeah, I don't really care if anybody notices or compliments them. Like, this is for me because I like it and that's what matters most.

Yes. Oh, I love that so much. I think that from my perspective, a lot of times that will be some of the things that I self-sabotage, like especially my skincare. If I get so busy or I'm overwhelmed, I'm not like keeping up with my nighttime skincare as much. And actually that happened this week where I was just working late every single day and I didn't do my skincare routine at night. So then the next day my skin looked more dull and then I felt just a little bit more uncomfy in my own skin the next day. And so I cannot agree more. Like, just as simple as taking care of yourself, doing things for your skin that you know are going to be good for you. Then the next day, if you want to go makeup-free or whatever, you're like, yeah, like my skin looks as healthy as it possibly can right now. We embrace the imperfections and then we move forward with it. But having that layer of self-care is also just like, I think it adds to the glow that you have when you show up as a person because you're bringing in that self-respect and that self-love and giving yourself time before everybody else rather than I'm the afterthought and whatever's left of time. Then you bring that energy into that conversation as well. So, um, time to book those appointments ahead of time. This is your reminder. All your stylists and your nail people and your estheticians are gonna get booked up. If you want to feel good, just book them all out so you don't have to think twice about it. You just get the calendar reminder and you show up.

Yeah. Or if you don't want to do that, you can also wax. Pluck, paint, oil treatment at home. And I've been watching like tons of TikToks and YouTubes. So like getting recommendations for different kinds of oils, like that goes a long way. But then ordering them and making time for them, maybe even like blocking some time in your calendar or like Sunday nights are your self-care nights, but just like making that time and being intentional about it. Okay. The next one. We're unfollowing people. We are. We're going to unfollow people. We're going to, um, also teach the TikTok algorithm what we don't want to see. You can just tap on it and say, I'm not interested, and it'll stop showing you stuff like that. Same for Instagram. But like, we're really trying to be mindful of what we're consuming online and who is having an influence in how we feel, how we think, and just taking ownership over that. Because if you are in a place where you are trying to cultivate more confidence internally, but something externally, usually on social, is negatively impacting how you feel, that is your responsibility to manage. And that's your responsibility to say, hey, I need to mute this person. I need to unfollow this account. I need to stop looking at content like this because it doesn't Help me. And I think like that's a big piece of ownership over your mood and over how you feel, that we sometimes like blame it on social media, but we are an active participant in what we see online. It's curated to us.

Mm-hmm.

And so like, let's take back the, take back the scroll, take back the follow button, and be more intentional with the content that we see online and try to use it as a source of inspiration, education, entertainment, things that motivate you. And when that line teeters into self-doubt, making you have lower self-esteem, you know, impacting your mental health, then we have to take ownership of that.

Absolutely. I love this tip because I think that can be such a a light line that we don't notice when and how it's affecting us until we're there, until we're feeling less about ourselves, until we feel not pretty enough, not rich enough, not talented enough, et cetera. And so being able to notice when those feelings pop up and say, okay, like I feel my consumeristic self pop up whenever I see the Amazon haul. So let me just click not interested in these because I'm buying all of this. So. What can we do to protect that energy so that we are proud of who we are? And I think along those lines too is having this mindset of abundance for our glow up of I have more than enough. I have more than enough clothes that I can mix and match. I have more than enough experiences already built up for the year. I have more than enough in my house. I have more than enough here. that I can work with to have that glow up. If you find yourself in a season where you're budgeting, where things are a little bit tighter, you have things around the house that you can use for this glow up too. So don't let the internet, or even with this podcast too, as we're mentioning some of our favorite ones where you're like, oh, I need one more thing. No, you don't.

No.

There's literally sugar. There's so many facials that you can do with natural ingredients at home too. But I think being able to have that mindset where you're constantly reminding yourself, or every morning having a manifesto or a declaration of, I have more than enough, I am more than enough, I'm beautiful, I like bring the best energy, like I smile from the inside out, like people love being around me, like all these different things that you can say and declare about yourself that you want to feel and be this summer. Then just say those every day. And I think that that almost acts as a shield to a lot of the content we may consume during the day because it kind of bounces off of us rather than like go straight to our, um, like self-confidence and our thought processes.

Yeah, that's a good point. Like we allow things to absorb when we're in that headspace. So it's like having that abundance blocker. If you will, where it's like you can see something and it doesn't even affect you because you're just not in that headspace. I love that. Um, okay. The next one is, and this is probably kind of like self-explanatory because we've talked about it already, but the social calendar, the social calendar is giving, it is giving life. We, again, like we are saying yes to things. We're not saying yes to everything, but. If a friend is like, hey, do you want to go grab like coffee this weekend? Do you want to go to happy hour? Do you want to go to this concert? Like, so-and-so is going to be here and the tickets are $40. Like, do you want to come? Like, even if we don't even know the artist, we're saying yes.

Yeah.

We're saying yes. Like, we're leaning into that weekday fun as well and not saving all of our energy for the weekends and then Are like burnt out on the weekends. So how can you be intentional with the social calendar and not feel like you, one, are overwhelmed, but you want to make sure that you're doing things that bring you energy?

Mm-hmm.

And like just being open, like you're open to possibilities. And, um, that's been really fun. Like in the book club, uh, group chat, I think there's 10 of us in there now. And anytime anyone's like, hey, we're going to go to happy hour. Hey, um, this person has a concert. We're doing outdoor yoga. Like it's become a place where even if you can't go, you now see that as a resource. So like, is there a big group chat that you could put together that's specifically for like social, like this is the social summer group chat.

Yeah.

And when someone's doing something, they pop it in and they're like, hey, I'm gonna go. Would love if like a couple of y'all joined me, if whoever's free. And it's this very low-pressure thing, but it's just you being open to some of those more spontaneous plans instead of everything needing to be like so rigid and blocked out. Because I have lived life like that for a very long time, and I'm really trying to like lean into like the last minute, you know, hey, let's go do this. And you're like, you know what?

Yeah.

I will. I will do that. So we're really leaning into that this summer.

I love that. I had a reminder the other day where a plan came up. It was actually the trip to Florida. And I was like, well, I'm going to be gone all summer. Do I really want to take another weekend off to travel? And then I just reminded myself, I'm literally 29 years old. My boyfriend wants to drive me the entire way to Florida. I don't have to drive and I don't have to work. It's just a fun trip. Why am I saying no when all I have to do is lay on the beach? All I have to do is lay. Sometimes we box ourselves, especially if we're Type A. We box ourselves into, that was not what I expected for this weekend, for this day, or I have to wake up early tomorrow. Okay, if it's a Thursday night, can you swing a little extra coffee on Friday and then make new friends and have new experiences and just, again, tapping into that more teenage energy or college energy where you're like, yeah, I have to wake up in 6 hours, but it's fine. We're having fun. Let's roll into it.

Yes.

Also with this one, I think that there's so many people we meet in our lives and in our towns and cities where we connect with them and we're like, we should grab coffee sometime. We should go to dinner sometime. Make a list of those people that you're like, I would love to be friends with them or know more about them. And start reaching out to them and be like, hey, what does your May look like? Would love to grab some coffee or dinner and make those plans happen. Because for all you know, you might create some beautiful new friendships for the summer, some beautiful new experiences that you can do together and put it on the calendar. It doesn't have to be super structured, but at least reach out.

Yeah, I, I agree. I like the idea of having a list in your head of like people that you want to deepen or even just have fun with. You're like, you know what? They seem like a good time. I want to have a good time with them.

You, let's go out. Yeah.

That was me to you in 2020. Okay. The next one is reading books for fun and not to learn. So I've had so many conversations with, I think, recovering Type A ambitious women where they're like, yeah, I'm trying to read nonfiction, but I don't really like it. But I feel like if I'm going to read, I need to be learning something. Because like, just school programs you to think of reading, I think, as a tool for learning, and not always a tool for like genuinely enjoying what you're reading. And so this— just pick up a beach read. It's not that deep, baby. Like, do a little rom-com, a little sci-fi, a little, you know, thriller, whatever you're into, and just enjoy it. And like, don't judge yourself. And make time to sit in the sun. Read a book, have a spritzer or like a LaCroix or a Poppi, and just like give yourself the gift of reading. You know, like, I don't know, I'm just, I'm such a fan of how reading can transport us. And it's also like such a beautiful way to use your brain and your imagination that a lot of times TV does not lend us.

Yeah.

So anyways, I'm a Kindle girly through and through. Highly recommend Kindle Unlimited because you can save a ton of money by renting books from Kindle's library instead of buying like every single book you want to read. So yeah, we're reading this summer. Yeah.

Uh, Kindle has changed my life. I absolutely love it. It's been incredible for travel. I've had a lot of beach trips and I have just devoured the books in like 3 hours.

You know what I just pictured as you said that? I picture like us at a like Nice, you know, south of France, little like beach club. And we've got like a little Aperol and we've got our Kindles and we're just like vibing, you know? We're not saying a word to each other, but like we're connected.

We're just there. We're enjoying the activity together.

Wait, maybe we should read the same book. Like, um, That week, and then we can just kiki about it. That would be so fun. Yes.

Well, I'm reading the ACOTAR series now, so maybe we can— one of those last few books, I'll save it just for Denise's trip, and then we can read it at the same time together.

I love that. Or you might even be done by the time of that trip, and we can start Throne of Glass, which is supposed to be— I've never read Throne of Glass, but that's supposed to be like the best series from Sarah J. Maas.

So we could start a new one together. Even better. And then afterwards we'll go to dinner and discuss it and be like, what just happened? I love it. But yeah, I could not recommend this anymore. I feel like for a long time I lived in the personal development only space and it was really hard to rest. It was really hard to go on vacation because then what I would read would be more personal development. There's nothing wrong with that, but I did feel like I needed a break from that. And so reading some just books for fun or whatever it is that you're into. If you don't love to read, like grab your phone, put it on do not disturb and browse on Pinterest, like homes that you want to live in in the future or like what you want to decorate your house for. Like just do something for fun and just veg out. Give yourself permission to veg out in like a beautiful environment. And take yourself out on a date. And I think that can just, again, spark your imagination and your creativity and just let your mind function in a different way than just social media or watching TV.

I love that. And I think another thing is when you're reading so much personal development or professional development, it's a lot of deep, meaty material. And so you're thinking about your life and you're thinking about— it's like, ah, I'm on vacation.

I just want to chill out.

Like, I just want to freaking relax. I don't want to think about trauma. I don't want to think about my 5-year plan. I just want to exist. And so, yeah. Okay.

I love that.

The next one is, this might be one of my favorites and something I'm really channeling right now. We are taking pictures, we are taking videos, and we're posting them.

We're posting them.

Mm-hmm. We're not caring about the curation of the feed. We are not caring about what people think. We're not caring about how many likes it gets. We're not caring about engagement. We are literally keeping a photo diary and we're posting it just for fun because it makes us happy. Or, you know, if you don't like social media, you're not doing that. But like, even just for your own enjoyment, just we're taking a lot of pictures. We're capturing the moment. We're taking fun videos with our friends. We're taking mirror selfies. Like, we're really just like allowing ourselves to capture the life that we're living, especially since this summer is going to be so iconic. You're going to want to look back on this shit. Like you're going to want to be like, oh my gosh, I documented that summer so well. It was like my favorite summer ever. And you get to go back and actually watch videos and look at photos and like relive it through that as well. So I think this is something I'm leaning into more with social media is like creating reels, having fun and just not caring. And like, I don't care how this does. I don't care how this performs. I obviously care if people— like, I love when y'all comment on it, and that means something to me. I don't mean to be like, I don't care at all. But like, I think that I've let strategy and aesthetics get in the way of genuinely just posting things I want because I like them. And yeah, so I'm just leaning into that.

I love that. I think that a lot of times social media has pushed us away from taking so many photos too, where you're thinking, okay, will this go in my feed? Will this go on my story? And so if you're listening and you're not someone that loves social media, take the photos just for yourself.

Yes.

Just to remember the moment, because that's exactly what photography is for and what videos are for, is for you to remember the moment. And a little pro tip too that I think would be fun, and I think I might want to incorporate this myself this year. Artifact Uprising does these very cute photo album prints that are from your phone, like your phone pictures. And you could just have a 2024 summer photo print from all your phone pictures and put it as a coffee table book. And then you can look back on all of them. So whenever you're taking photos, if you're not into social media, don't think about it as what can I post in my feed, but think about it, what will go in my book that I can look back on and remember. And if you do love social media and the art of it, then beautiful. Post as many things as you want, not caring about it. I think we put so much pressure into what it all looks like that at the end of the day, if I wouldn't have had the pressure I put on myself like 4 years ago, I would love to— like, first, no one's seeing it right now. And two, I would love to look back on that. So that's really—

That's a great piece of advice. I've been kind of toying with the idea of doing that, but I think you've solidified that in my brain a bit more. It would be fun to— we're going on a Mediterranean cruise here in a couple weeks, and it would be really cool to do a coffee table book of every— because we're stopping in 11 different places.

Wow.

And so it would be so cool to have a coffee table book that actually captures that and it's something we could have in our home. Something that other— it's a conversation starter that other people can go through and they're like, oh my gosh, tell me about your trip. And you get to like relive it.

Yes. Can we make one for our niece trip?

Yes.

And we make like— we have a matching book in each of our homes and it's our girls' like niece trip. How cute would that be?

We're doing it. It's done. I'm already like thinking about what the COVID of it's gonna look like.

What do you picture?

I think like, um, I definitely think a picture of the Mediterranean. Like maybe like with some umbrellas, and then like maybe we set up a self-timer and we're like kind of off in the distance a little bit. And then it's like landscape. Yeah. And then it's like, you know, South of France, '24, because we gotta get the— we gotta get the year in there because again, iconic summer.

Iconic summer. This— that's what the podcast is gonna be called.

Yes, how to have an iconic summer. I love it. I love it.

They also have these, uh, linen covers for those types of books. too. So if you have a specific style in your home, you can just choose different colors and then you can have them all lined up together. And just like the side of it is the gold foil of like Mediterranean cruise, Nice girls trip, like just like a little library. Um, I think that's sexy. That is very sexy.

I love that. Uh, it doesn't have to be like pops of color, but it can like actually be aesthetic to your home. Um, okay, the next one. Is routines. So we're shifting up the routines this summer. We are revisiting our morning routine and our evening routine. Obviously, like with daylight savings, it's getting darker later and it will eventually get lighter earlier. And so just like figuring out what your ideal summer morning routine and evening routine is. I think again, in the beginning of the year, we can be very rigid. We're like, we're going to wake up at 5 and we're going to like, we, we can get very like, specific. And maybe you shift that around. Maybe you do that, maybe you have like an early morning 2 days a week, and then the other 3 days a week you have a slower morning. And so it's like, what works for you a bit better this summer that you feel is more in line with your energy, with, you know, your social calendar, with taking care of yourself? And sometimes that like rigid morning and evening routine can stand in the way and like be a blocker. And so where do you want to like maybe be a bit more flexible, shift things around, maybe something that you normally do during the week you actually do on the weekend now so that you can make time for different things during the week. And so just like figuring out a routine that feels a bit more loose, um, but intentional at the same time.

I love this one because for me, if you work at home, for example, this is a great time to add in an activity that includes some kind of sun exposure and some kind of being outside situation. Uh, I feel like the best part about summer is that you feel like you'll get more life in your days because there's more light. So how can you be more intentional with those? One thing that I have been loving and wanting to do is go kayaking. So I'm trying to schedule it for sometime in May, but do it during the week. Like the sun setting later, there's lots of, even though my weekends are all booked up, I still have life during the week as well. So how can we do some more of those activities in, um, the summertime and be able to be intentional with that as well as our wind down? Because if the sun setting later, then is that going to be affecting our bedtime? And then the time that we want to get up. So maybe you're reading more, or maybe you're stretching before bed, or you're doing a sleepy time mocktail, like whatever it is that works for you. But setting some kind of fun routine that you look forward to at night to help you wind down from having a much longer day than we're used to in the winter and the fall.

Yeah, I am all about that sleepy time mocktail, but I hear you on like Even last night, I looked up and I was like, it's 9:30. And because the sun had set like a little around 8, and then I kind of started like, I didn't even eat dinner until 8:30 because I'm just so used to like the, the sun and I'm just kind of finding my rhythm. And yeah, last night I was watching Step Up 4, LOL.

I love that.

Which is such a masterpiece in its own way. Um, it's actually in Miami and they do like the main dance scene in the beginning Oh yeah. It's like so iconic. Um, but anyways, I like looked up and I was like, oh my gosh, it's 9:30. Me a month ago would literally be like almost asleep by now. And right now I'm watching a movie. And I was like, do I judge myself? No, we don't. Because this is just like, yeah, we're living a bit more life right now. And like, where can you be more flexible with your routines?

Um, yeah.

The last one, and you kind of already mentioned it with a couple of things we've said earlier, but we are really infusing that childlike energy. We are being open to adventures. We're being open to new experiences and whatever that means to you. I know we've already mentioned this, but I feel like it's a good one to end on. So maybe it's like making your summer bucket list.

I—

did I say this on the podcast or whenever we were prepping? I think I said it whenever we were prepping. So I saw this TikTok and this guy— Prepping.

Yeah.

Yeah. This guy had made a, um, he had done like a green screen of like, remember whenever we were young and we made like summer bucket lists and he had like a picture of one and it was all multicolored with like stickers on it. I'm thinking like, think like you at 13, 14 making a summer bucket list. What's your version of that?

Scrapbook.

Yeah. Yeah. Like scrapbook vibes. What is your version of that now as an adult? Like, what is your summer bucket list? Maybe it's not even like, you know, I think the one he shared had like 50 things on it. So maybe it's not that, but what are like 10 to 15 things that over the next 14— it's not 14— the next 4 months you want to do that excite you, that bring you joy, that is something new that you haven't done in a while or something you've never done that you can make that time for, share it with your friends, share it with your partner, and be like, this is my summer bucket list. Like, I want to get all my people in on it. And maybe there's some things you want to do just for yourself, but I think that is a really fun way to kind of, um, cement like what your goals are or your bucket list is for the summer.

I love that. I remember last year we did a summer bucket list episode And it was so fun because I hadn't done one as an adult of intentionally setting a bucket list. And I feel like it helped me have a better summer because I set those intentions. I'm like, okay, I want to go out more. I want to take more trips. I'm going to take myself out on dates, like all these different intentions. So we should totally bring that back for the summertime.

I would love that.

And follow up this episode with the summer bucket list.

That's a great idea. Maybe we'll release that in May because I'm already thinking of a few that have come to mind because I've been thinking about this episode and I think that'll be really fun to give people ideas as well as they're creating their own summer bucket list. Yeah.

Yeah. I think that'd be amazing. And I genuinely think this is going to be the best summer. And I hope that you all listening feel that as well and channel that in. And no matter what it is that you've been going through, if maybe you've had a heavier fall or winter, You deserve to have the best summer ever, no matter what's going on around you. So what does that look like for you? And I hope that you give yourself the gift of dreaming that up. And sometimes that can be really hard when you've navigated heavier things, or you just— you're navigating a lot of changes in your life too. So give yourself the time to dream, take yourself out on a coffee date, and figure out what it is that your dream summer 2024 is going to look like.

Yes. And let us know, send us a DM. We love to hear what you're, what you're thinking through and, you know, what, what aspects of each episode resonate with you. So if you're like, this is going to be on my summer bucket list, let us know. We would love to cheer you on, support you. Maybe you'll give us ideas on what to add on ours. And, um, yeah, thank you so much for these recommendations. I think this was another like recommendation from one of my friends. that was like, you should do something on like how to glow up, or like, you know, what, what that vibe is for the summer. And I'm like, okay, yeah. So we really appreciate your, um, your encouragement. Thank you for being here. And if you ever want to send us a DM, you can do that at inbetween.pod. And if you ever want to reach out to me directly, you can do that at Alexis Teichmiller.

And you can reach out to me at AstraJohannaPhoto. Thank you all for listening, and we'll chat with you Bye! See you next time.