We are already having a great summer and it’s not even officially summer yet.

Our last day of school was on Thursday, so it is officially summer for us here in CT now.

But we unofficially kicked off our summer last Monday.

I  have been determined to make this summer one that is close to the kind of summer I had as a kid. An unplugged, less scheduled, more relaxed, and more spontaneous summer.

And my good friend Eileen from Little Acorn Learning and I are hoping to encourage and inspire other moms to do the same.

Because as we all know, time goes by  so quickly, and I’ve spent way too many summers looking back with regrets for not spending more quality time with my kids but also not giving myself any time to just enjoy this season we all seem to spend the entire winter waiting for.

So we came up with the #ShowYourSlow Challenge where we are hoping other moms (and dads) will be inspired to join the movement to slow down, unschedule and savor the moments of summer.

As part of the challenge, we have come up with different themes for each week of the summer.

These themes are not meant to be assignments or intended to be rigidly followed, but rather to provide you with some ideas for ways in which you can spend more mindful moments with your family.

Last week’s them was Roots and Shoots. We encouraged people to get outside and connect with the Earth.

Thanks to this challenge encouraging me to be more mindful,

we picked wild flowers.

For the first time in a long, long time, I just lay in the grass for ten blissful moments and stared up at the trees.

I did some gardening with Number 7 in my  bikini, because, well, why the hell not?

Then we made a big ass mud puddle.  I think I may still have some dirt in my butt, but it was totally worth it.

We had a good, old fashioned birthday party.

Number 7 discovered the joy of a pogo stick.

I spent some time in the early morning just appreciating my back yard.

And then, like I told you yesterday, serendipity gave me this:

It has been a wonderful first week of summer.

Of course my kids have still fought and whined and cried and bugged the shit out of each other on a regular basis.

But this challenge has helped us to have some really great and quality moments sprinkled in between.

Our movement is also gaining momentum! We’ve had over 100 posts so far from people all over the country joining in, and the moments that have been captured and shared are beautiful and cute and funny and inspiring and awesome!

Our theme for week two which starts tomorrow is Fun in the Sun.

Again, these aren’t mandatory or meant to be followed to the letter, but more meant as inspiration to help you slow down. (Check out Eileen’s blog at littleacornlearning.com to see how to make your own sundial).

If you haven’t joined in yet but want to be a part of the #showyourslow movement, it’s very simple:

• Follow @notyouraveragemomofficial and @littleacornlearning on Instagram.
• Check out our blogs each week to see what the prompts for the week are. (These themes are optional and purely inspirational!  Share ANY of your slow moments this summer)
• Post daily pictures of your slow summer moments on Instagram using the hashtag #showyourslow so we can all see each other’s slow moments.
• Follow along by checking #showyourslow and commenting to join in the fun!

Also,  I am excited to announce that Speckaboo.com has given me two pairs of children’s sunglasses to give away to two lucky #showyourslow participants! Here are just two of the styles available to choose from:

 

To enter, all you have to do is post your slow summer pictures on Instagram with the three following hashtags:  #showyourslow, #funinthesun, and #speckaboo.

Winners of the giveaway will be announced on July 3rd. They are super cute sunglasses and built to take a beating!

Again, it’s been a great first week of summer for us here in Connecticut, and it’s been very inspiring to see your other slow moments happening across the country.

I can’t wait to see the fun you all have in the sun next week!

Until then, keep it slow, and hope to see you be a part of the #showyourslow movement!

 

Please keep voting!