This newsletter is basically a round-up of life things - what I'm enjoying, reading, learning, buying, doing, thinking about, and more. Thanks for being here! š
PERSONAL REFLECTIONS
Hi friends - itās been a while! Hope youāre having a great summer so far. Ours seems to be flying by! Today, I wanted to talk about āØ being outside of your comfort zoneāØ.
But first - let me back up.
I used to be someone who did things out of my comfort zone all the time. At the age of 22, I moved to San Francisco - a city Iād never been to and knew no one - by myself. For so much of my life, Iāve been someone who is up for adventures and putting myself out there. Someone who was always saying yes, trying new things, leaning into curiosity, challenging myself in different ways outside of the usual. And Iām not sure what shifted - getting older, the pandemic, having kids, numerous other factors - but Iāve found myself less inclined to live outside of my comfort zone these days. Iāve even avoided it.
Until recently. āØ A few opportunities have come up that have definitely been outside of my comfort zone and rather than back away and stick to my normal routine or what feels āin my wheelhouseā ā Iāve said yes instead.
On the work front, Iāve worked mostly with consumer and lifestyle brands in the food + beverage, health + wellness, and toy space over the last few years. I recently had an opportunity to work with a tech brand in the data + AI space. At different points in my career, Iāve worked with/for tech brands (PayPal, Adobe, AMD, Meta/Messenger, Spatial, Firefox/Mozilla, etc.), but itās been a while and I feel a bit rusty in that industry. I could have said no - Iām not qualified. I canāt learn a new thing. I wouldnāt be good at that. Imposter syndrome certainly creeps in more than Iād like. But I decided to say yes - to put myself out there and work in a new-to-me space andā¦itās been really rewarding (and challenging, in a good way) so far.
On the personal front, Iāve gone to therapy off and on for a few years now, and then stopped going because ānothing major was going on.ā A few months ago, I decided to push myself to do regular, ongoing therapy as self-help and personal āmaintenance.ā The idea of therapy has never been outside of my comfort zone, but doing it āfor no reasonā sort of is. It was actually easier for me to go to therapy when there was a specific trauma, situation, or topic to work through - it just made sense to talk about it and process with a professional. But going for no reason, except to uncover things about myself and learn and challenge myself and my ways of thinking and being - that's been out of my comfort zone. But I believe really, really good for me.
And lastly, on a personal but FUN front, I decided to sign up for tennis lessons this summer! Iāve never played tennis before and certainly donāt describe myself as athletic. But I was feeling pulled to do something new and push myself out of my comfort zone. I didnāt know anyone else doing the tennis lessons and certainly didnāt know how to play. But I showed up and keep showing up every Wednesday night with strangers to awkwardly learn a new skill and play. Playing a sport - especially as a beginner - is definitely out of my comfort zone. Learning to play tennis has brought me so much JOY this summer and Iām really proud of myself for trying a new thing and embracing play as an adult.
Not only has pushing myself outside of my professional and personal comfort zone been good for ME lately, but itās also been a really cool learning opportunity and connection point with my girls. With Lucy starting kindergarten soon and going to a new school, we often talk about trying new things, doing hard things, etc., being brave even when we feel scared, etc. My recent experiences of pushing myself outside of my comfort zone have been great opportunities to talk about - and tangibly model - my kids what that looks like. And that is pretty freaking special. š
LIFE LATELY:
Weāre heading to Mexico TODAY! š²š½šāļøš¹ We discovered that we could fly direct (and inexpensively!) from Nashville to Cancun so will be spending a couple of days down there with the girls. Weāre not planning to even leave the hotel - literally just bop between the beach and pool and of course, get Vacation Winnieā¢ļø her daily mocktail. š¹
THREE WEEKS FROM TODAY IāM SEEING TAYLOR SWIFT!!!!
Lucy starts kindergarten in a few weeks! WHAT?!?! HOW?!? š Itās truly wild to me that I have a child old enough for āreal school.ā I might need to dedicate my next newsletter to being a āMoms of Kindergartenersā support group.
RECENT PURCHASES
Iāve shared about these before, but itās worth mentioning these high-rise ādadā shortsā again - they are so flattering and comfortable and cute.
Iāve had portable chargers/battery packs before, but this one is by far the very best. It charges quickly, is slim and lightweight, and has three charging cords to charge alllll my devices. I also love that it has a built-in wall cord, so I donāt have to find yet another cord to charge it.
Iāve gotten a million compliments on this one-piece swimsuit (thatās also on sale!). Itās one of those flattering and sexy, but not *too sexy* to wear while chasing my kids at the YMCA pool kinda suit. š
Just bought this colorful + fun crochet swim cover-up dress - will be perfect for our upcoming trip to Mexico! āļø
Donāt sleep on Targetās Joylab exercise clothes, yāall! I recently bought this V-neck seamless tank in tan and green and love it! Speaking of Joylab, I also found these high-waisted shorts that are a (in my opinion) more comfortable and less expensive Free People dupe. š
RECENTLY SHARED
Kids School Uniform Guide - Iāve been on a mission to find cute uniform-friendly options for Lucy! Hereās a bunch of ideas!
READING/WATCHING
Books Iāve recently read: Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin came so highly recommended and like so many of you, I LOVED it and was so sad for it to end! A few other books Iāve recently finished are Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng, Beartown and The Winners by Fredrick Backman, Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson, and The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel
Article I liked: āToxic masculinityāand the persistent idea that feelings are a āfemale thingāāhas left a generation of straight men stranded on an emotionally-stunted island, unable to forge intimate relationships with other men. It's women who are paying the price.ā via Harperās Bazaar
Shows Weāre Watching: We finally just finished Succession (!!) and The Ultimatum: Queer Love (not usually a reality TV fan, but this was an entertaining and mindless show to watch!). And Iām now watching the latest Hillsong documentary š³
FROM MY CAMERA ROLL
CODES & DISCOUNTS
BETTER DAYS - use code LUCKYANDI for 10% off
CHATBOOKS - use code LUCKYANDI20 for 20% off!
EIZZY BABY - use code ANDI25 for 25% off
HIYA VITAMINS - use this link for $15 first order + free shipping
NUULY - use this link for $10 off your first order!
SHOP LUCKY COLLECTIVE (my Moroccan textile shop!) - use code LUCKYANDI for 10% off!
PAST NEWSLETTERS
No. 13 - September 2022 (The Travel Issue)
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