Have you heard of the term soft life? Or soft girl era? This explains it:

I’m using the idea to focus on my soft mom era and specifically for summer. Here’s how!

Mornings

I love my coffee, I do, but I know it’s not the best thing to put in my stomach first thing. Over the winter I would have a cup of tea first. For summer I’m having water first. I keep a glass of water on my nightstand. This helps since it’s the first thing you see when you wake up. Soft mom era means taking good care of your body!

When I am ready for my first cup of coffee I’m going to enjoy it. Savor the flavor, the smell and the steam rolling off the top. I love black coffee and I’m making sure I always have my favorite types on hand.

My teens usually sleep in a bit (sometimes a lot!), so I have been enjoying quiet mornings. I think summer is the perfect time to enter into a soft mom era because it’s slower. Camps and other activities happen, so it’s not every morning. But overall, the slower pace is what I’m looking for.

Getting Dressed

Wear the dang dress! I love dresses and tend to shy away from wearing them for whatever reason. Never mind that now! Soft mom era means wearing those favorite dresses, or favorite other pieces of clothing. If you feel good and it makes you happy, wear it!

I recently put on my favorite dress, below, to wear in my backyard. No other reason than to cut some hydrangea for my table. I romanticized the occasion and had fun, twirled around for a while. For no one other than for myself.

Daytime

I have been writing in a journal for almost twenty years. It’s a practice I find beneficial for my mental health. Soft mom era is about focusing on that habit. Even when you don’t think you have much to write about, keep it simple. Keep it light. Some prompt ideas, how you are feeling in the moment? Why are you feeling this way? What’s making you mad right now? What is making you grateful today? Describe what you are looking at and what the room smells like.

Let’s talk about smells! Creating a relaxing and inviting home for the kids and myself has a lot to do with the scents. When my children were little I bought a bunch of flameless candles. Safety first! Now that they are older, I want to get in the habit of lighting real candles and experiencing the smells that come with them.

Movement

You all know I love hiking but I’ll admit this year it’s been slow. Hiking brings me a lot of happiness. Nature fuels and heals my soul. I have to make sure I’m getting out there. Do activities that fill you up and allow space for peace. Whatever that looks life for you.

Lately my favorite place to get in a walk or jog is at Fairfield Hills Campus in Newtown, CT. It’s not a hike, but it gets me outside. It’s a safe place to go solo because there are always a ton of other people there doing the same thing. Find a local safe place to get in those steps!

Evenings

One thing I do not do enough as an adult is walking barefoot in the grass. Why?! I don’t know. My soft mom era in summer is making space for walking outside in the evenings. Just the bare feet! It’s a grounding activity. It’s a sensory experience. Just go do it. In fact, it’s 7:30 pm at this exact moment. I’m saving my draft and heading out to the backyard. I’ll be back!

Let’s get back to talk about clothing for a moment. I tend to sleep in t-shirts or work out clothes. In the winter I find wearing workout clothes to bed helps motivate me to exercise in the cold mornings. Sometimes that extra time to change stops me! Sounds stupid but it’s true. For summer in my soft mom era, I’m focusing on real pjs. My husband bought me Hamilton pjs and it sparked something in me. I want actually soft and cozy outfits for sleeping. I went to T.J.Maxx and found some cute Kate Spade black pjs with white bows all over them. Be cute for you, even in bed!

These are just some of the ways to enter into a soft mom era! What do you think? How are you living a soft girl life?