Episode 140: Summer Vibes: Building Memories, Cultivating Body Acceptance, and Curating Unforgettable Experiences

Feeling the nostalgia and excitement that summer brings? Join me as I reminisce about my love for spending time in the water, and the fantastic activities I have lined up for this summer with my family. Let's discover how we can make the mundane magical when it comes to living aligned and fulfilled!

Plus, I'll share some tips on creating a summer bucket list that'll make this season unforgettable. Ready to make the most of your summer? Tune in and get inspired by this uplifting episode!

Purchase your Body Bliss Books here!

To learn more about The Bliss Retreat, visit thebalancebliss.ca/retreat 

Chapters

• 0:00 Summer Excitement and Nostalgia
• 9:18 Summer Plans and Body Acceptance Books
• 20:59 Summer Bucket List and Self-Care Tips

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

This show is brought to you by Female Alliance Media, by Women for Women. Welcome to the Balance and Bliss Podcast. I'm your host, andrea Mondu, a three-time published author, speaker and a lifestyle transformation coach who believes everyone should be given the gift of knowing how to live their lives feeling healthy and empowered. Things like moving your body regularly and feeling it well, taking care of your mind, setting boundaries, practicing self and body, acceptance, personal growth, manifestation and everything in between. Wellness is not linear and it's not just one thing. It expands into so many areas and on this show we're going to talk about just that. We're all striving to live a little more healthy and a little more well, but what does that even mean? My goal is to help you see that you can move from the mundane to the magic when it comes to living aligned and fulfilled, and by tuning in each week you can be assured you'll leave with nuggets of wisdom that you can implement into your day to day, like right now, to help you maximize your health, wellness and your life. Now let's dive in. Hey, thanks for coming back. For another week, another episode. I am here by myself today, which I feel like I haven't had a solo episode in a while and I have just been having like so many incredible conversations with people that this is really cool. So you know, the last year, i would say, since I have kind of stepped out into the podcasting world on my own, i've actually had a ton of people reaching out to me wanting to come and chat with me so that I can share with you, and it's really cool to be able to bring all you all these different kinds of diverse conversations for you, because that's really, to me, like what this podcast is to be about. Obviously, you like me, you're here listening to my show, but it's not just about me. There are so many other humans who can like spread so much goodness and so many like thought provoking conversations, and I want to share those with you as well. So today is just kind of like uh, i mean, it's the end of June, we are in the last week of school. If you have kids in school, or maybe you're a teacher and you are counting down the days, but we are just about to get into the summer fun.

Speaker 1: 2:29

When I think about July and August, i think a lot about like one trying to scramble into like when am I going to get work done because I have kids home with me. But also it's just like it's almost this feeling of nostalgia And you know, as a kid I remember the summers feeling like maybe you can connect with this too. I used to feel like the summers were so long and they went on forever And, you know, i would go to camps or I would stay home by myself and like there was all these fun things that we did. But as an adult I feel like the summers go by like that. I feel like they go by so fast And so as soon as this time of year hits, i'm just like trying to figure out how I can hold on to like every last bit of summer.

Speaker 1: 3:19

This time last year I was into the final leg, the final countdown of my pregnancy, and I struggled a bit last summer because I had a baby at the end of July. So I was really pregnant for the first half of the summer And then I was in postpartum for the second half of the summer And I had a C-section and so I couldn't go swimming And like, if you know me, i love the water, like I live and breathe being by the lake, being in water is so healing for me. In fact, before I recorded this episode, i went out to the backyard and did a little bit of like a cold plunge in the pool. It's been a little bit cooler and we don't have a heater hooked up to the pool And so I just like dipped in there And I don't know. There's something about water that is so healing. It's funny because it's not even my, my earth sign, but nevertheless I just love the water. So I'm really excited for, like all the fun things we're going to do this summer. July is like packed, august is starting to get packed And I'll tell you a little bit about what we're doing. But, yeah, like today, i just want to share in the excitement of summer with you.

Speaker 1: 4:33

Okay, i have to tell you this, though, so I don't even remember when it was, but One Tree Hill came out on Amazon Prime and I loved One Tree Hill when I was like a teenager. I guess I would have been like a teenager and young adult when it was out, but I was a One Tree Hill person. I was not. I feel like it's one or the other. It's like you either watched One Tree Hill or you watched the OC, and maybe you'll know, maybe you're like I've never watched One Tree Hill, or maybe you're like I've never watched the OC, where you're like me, but I feel like it was one or the other And I always tried to get into the OC because there were so many seasons of that Like. I think people have told me that they're like over 10 seasons. Yeah, i think there's like a lot of seasons I mean, there's nine of One Tree Hill, so it's slightly comparable in my opinion and it's still like teenage drama, you know, like so much teenage drama and parent drama, like they're very similar. So, anyway, one Tree Hill came out on Amazon Prime and when Mike and I first started dating it was still on. So we would like get together on the nights that One Tree Hill was on and also Grey's Anatomy. Those were like our two shows while we were dating. But once it came out again, we've been just like plowing through the seasons again. So we are on season eight, which is like it's been so cool reliving it. That show was so it is still actually so nostalgic for me And like I watch certain episodes and I still get emotional.

Speaker 1: 6:08

I'm like crying because that's just. I mean, that's just how I am, but no matter how many times it's like full house. I used to love watching full house. My God, you're finding out all these things about me. You're like Andrea, what is wrong with you? My friend and I we would watch the DVDs together like all the time. I actually have all of the DVDs and they recently took it off Netflix, which I went through a phase of like I wanna boycott Netflix because of the whole like no password sharing thing. They took friends off there a while ago. They don't have any of the Harry Potter movies on there anymore. There's just get your shit together Netflix. Okay. Anyway, i almost boycotted Netflix because they got rid of full house, but fortunately I have all of the DVDs. So Clara can still watch the DVDs and we can relish in, like the Bob Saget, john Stamos energy, which is just so great.

Speaker 1: 7:03

Anyway, i'm getting off track. We've been watching One Tree Hill and it's exciting because, like some of the episodes, like the earlier ones I've seen them so many times like the basically seasons one through four is like the high school years. I've seen those ones so many times. But the like five, six, seven, eight, nine, i don't remember as much. So I'm seeing some things again and I'm like, oh my gosh, it's so good. I'm crying, i'm laughing, i'm surprised. I don't know what I'm gonna do when One Tree Hill ends, because there's really like nothing else that we could watch. I don't know If you have any suggestions of like the next series that we should watch. We're gonna need to watch something over the summer because we're gonna be having all of these like cottage getaways, and what are we gonna do at night if it's rainy and we are just sitting inside Watch cottage movies? That's one really fun thing too.

Speaker 1: 7:58

Ever since Clara was a baby, every summer we have rented a cottage for a week and we just typically rent them like on Kijiji or Airbnb or wherever, and the last couple of years we've actually been renting from my friend, tara, and I love going to cottages and they have like their VHS or like their DV okay, vhs is probably not, but their DVD collection and it's just like movies that you don't really watch at your house anymore. You just bring them up to the cottage for like things to watch on rainy days, and so you're always watching movies that like you've never watched before or like really old movies that you forgot about. I remember we went to this cottage one time and we watched a movie called I Know Who Killed Me and it's by it's Lindsay Lohan. She's like the main character and it's really it was like the weirdest, most budget movie ever. But like those are the types of movies that you watch at the cottage, or like horror movies though I can't really watch horror movies at the cottage because then I'm like worried that whatever is going on in the movie is going to happen at the cottage. I'm like looking out the windows, locking all the doors.

Speaker 1: 9:18

I always imagine, okay, have you ever seen that movie? What's it called? The Strangers? or maybe it's just called Strangers? Liv Tyler is in it and it's based on a true story and her and her newly wed husband or fiance. They go to this cottage and then somebody knocks on the front door and says is Tamara there? And then the rest of the movie is just like these random people like terrorizing this couple. And at one point in the movie I still remember seeing this in the movie theater. It's like burned in my brain. But there was one part where Liv Tyler was in the house and in the shadows, like in the background of the movie, you can see one of the people just like come in with like this pillowcase on their head.

Speaker 1: 12:24

I try not to think about that movie too much, especially when I'm at the cottage or when I'm home alone. But yeah, i'm just looking forward to like cottage times and so if you have a show that you want to recommend to me, please send that along. So, like I said, this time of year just feels like kind of the wrapping up and the like kickoff to what is a really really fun summertime. So there's a few things that I'm doing right now to like wind down, because I know I'm gonna have kids at home and it will probably be a little bit more challenging to get work done. But one of the things that I'm, you know, actively doing right now if you follow me on any of the social media or you've listened to any of the most recent episodes, you'll know that this month Body Bliss Book 2 launched and it is the second in a series. So last year around this time we launched Book 1 and it is just a. I did get that. Could you try again? Oh, my watch is listening to me. That's so weird. That happens to me sometimes and I'm like they really are always listening.

Speaker 1: 13:32

Anyway, it is just like such a beautiful compilation of raw, real and like vulnerable stories where people are just sharing their experiences with coming to a place of body acceptance. Now, some of the stories are related to weight and body image in the sense of like how people perceive and look at themselves, how people perceive them, pardon me, or how they look at themselves, but there are so such a diversity of other stories that are included as well in the two projects as it relates to body acceptance, again, and body bliss. So there are people that have shared about trauma, there are people that have shared about eating disorders or, you know, boundaries or lack thereof, or people who are from minority groups and BIPOC communities, and it's just been like so many different stories and the common thread really is like listening to things that people have said on the outside or things that have gone on internally that have, you know, made things challenging for you, and then how you've kind of navigated that to start to move towards a place of acceptance. And all of these authors who are part of these projects like not all of them, some of them even say, like you know, i haven't reached the end of my journey as it relates to getting to this place of body acceptance, but I know. You know this is the way that I used to treat myself and maybe this is the way that I focus on treating myself now. So, anyway, if you haven't read either of the projects, i totally recommend getting your hands on them. You can actually purchase them through my website, which is the BalanceBlissca. You can actually purchase them through my website or there will be a link in the show notes for you to grab copies of those books. But the one thing that I am tying up, so to speak, is we are filling spots for the third book. So there's so much positive response from these books and so many people love hearing other stories and knowing that they're not alone, and so we are doing it all over again and creating more impact with this project.

Speaker 1: 15:52

So, if you are somebody who has, you know, thought that this might be something that you would want to do, or you have a story to share, you know you're here in this space because you are committed to wellness and growth to some degree, and so, you know, it really is like a mentorship type of experience. Um, it's like group coaching combined with healing, combined with catharsis, of course, when you're writing, um, like there's so much community with the other authors who just like link arms together. It's just such a fantastic time, um, and you get all of the support for the chapter writing process and marketing and everything. So if, if you are interested in this, then please do reach out to me, because we're hoping to fill the project within the next couple of weeks and we will be kicking that off when the summer ends. When people have, like, the end of the summer, when, like, fall is kind of getting closer, everybody is typically just, you know, your head's just spinning. It's been a whirlwind of a two months. You've been like getting it all in and having so much fun. You know all of the long weekends and all of the activities and like the schedules are just wild and late nights. So once we get into fall, that is kind of when we're going to be kicking off. So what you can expect from this podcast space in the summer, um, we're actually going to be doing a summer of re-releases, so I'm going to be sharing with you some episodes that have been really well loved, really well received episodes that will be easy for you to take in on your drives or when you're sitting on the dock or when you are lounging in your backyard or, you know, taking a walk down the beach in the sand, or maybe you're flying on a plane or walking through the airport. But I'm going to be sharing some really fun episodes that have um being shared before and also, just to keep you on your toes, i'm going to be sprinkling some new stuff in there as well, so get ready for that coming at you this summer. Here's what we're doing this summer.

Speaker 1: 17:58

I have like I'm looking at my nightstand right now and I have about four books piled on it. I have one book on the floor and I have tons of books in my audible wishlist library, so I have a few like want to actually read this summer's. I try and do a lot of reading when I'm at the cottage. Um, i can't read in the car. I'm not one of those people that can like read. When we're driving. I admire people. If I look down, even at my phone for too long, i start to get carsick and then it just like lasts for the entire drive and it's not any fun at all.

Speaker 1: 18:36

So the one book that's on my book reading list and typically I really like teeter back and forth between personal development books and then also just like fiction books that I read for fun. Calling Hoover's books are always always on my list, but the one book that I really, really want to read that I've heard so many people talk about is called The Body is Not an Apology, and this book is right up my alley in terms of interests that I have, and, of course, you know the type of work that I do and the things I love to talk about, and so that one I will read it, and when I finish reading it, i will come back to you. I will let you know how incredible it is, and if you want to read it too, then this is your time to put it on your book list. The Body is Not an Apology.

Speaker 1: 19:24

The other book that I want to finish is called Bear. It's by Susan Hyatt, and she is a master life coach in the anti diet space. Actually, this is something that I have been doing in the background that I haven't really shared about too much. I'm really really excited about it, though, and I'm waiting until I have my official certification, but when I started this work, i got a holistic health coaching certification, and you know the work that I do and how I work with my clients and how I show up has kind of evolved since then. But since the end of May I've actually been doing Susan's Bear coaching certification, and what Bear essentially means is like showing up Bear and showing up without all the armor, without all of the weight of the expectations of other people or the shoulds, all that kind of stuff. It's like peeling all those things back, all those layers back, and really helping clients to show up as their Bear selves. So it's really really fantastic because a lot of the foundations and principles that Susan is teaching in this certification are things that I actively practice for myself, things that I have shared with clients, and so having this certification is just going to really really beautifully compliment and enhance all of the work that I've already been doing with clients. So that's going to be taking me till the middle of July So almost done And then after that I will be a Bear certified coach as well. So I'm finishing up the Bear book.

Speaker 1: 21:00

It's really cool because if you were to pick it up, like each chapter is actually spread out, like, okay, read this chapter and work through what this chapter tells you this week and then move on to the next, and a lot of the things that are in this book are similar to things that I've talked about in my first book. You actually can do this, so doing a detox of your environment, so looking at what you're consuming and the conversations you're having and all this what's around your house and what you're reading, the accounts that you're following I think I said that already, but all of this stuff like really just like detoxing so that you can have the most calm, positive, uplifting experience. She actually talks about detoxing your closet, which is also really cool. I don't know about you, but I used to have not anymore. I'm getting better at this, but I used to have so many clothes that I didn't wear, clothes that were too big for me, clothes that were too small for me, as I have fluctuated, you know, through the postpartum seasons and just the different seasons of my body and how they've shown up, and so one of the things she talks about is going into your closet, getting rid of all the stuff that, like, you're holding on to just in case or just because, and make sure that all the clothes that you have in there really bring you that confidence and that joy. So that's something that we're learning about.

Speaker 1: 22:24

Anyway, i'm going to finish the bear book and a few more weeks I'm going to be bear certified, and so anybody who is working with me in one on one coaching going forward after that, you are going to be getting some treats. I actually am just wrapping up working with a client for my holistic body connection program, and so she's been having a really cool luxury that, as she's been going through this, i've been going through my certification, and so the breakthroughs and the conversations that we have been having have been so incredible, and I just commend her vulnerability for choosing herself and investing in herself in this way. I have been watching the transformation that's happening for her. You know, coaching is not something that you can like, tangibly explain or illustrate what the outcome is going to be, but always rest assured that there will be transformation. That happens because you are learning information and you are having conversations in ways that you may have never had those conversations before. Okay, listen, i'm getting completely off track. I was talking about my summer reading list and all of a sudden, i'm talking about coaching.

Speaker 1: 23:42

There's a few tips that I wanna share with you, though, of like what we do to try and make the most of our summers. So we started this a couple years ago and what it is is a summer bucket list. So Clara's so sweet. She actually draws a bucket on a piece of paper and then writes the things inside of it. But we do a bucket list of like, okay, what are all the things that you wanna make sure that you do this summer so that you can really feel like you're having the most exciting summer ever. And sometimes we feel like those things have to be really big, like go on these big vacations or like spend a lot of money, but sometimes there's really really like simple joys or ways that you can make the most of your days without really spending any money at all. You know I'm so excited to go on like hikes and Clara loves riding the LRT, so we're gonna be like riding the LRT a lot this summer. And you know just like really small things. So there's lots of like small little things that we plan on doing together this summer. We're gonna be spending a lot of time before I go back to a more full-time working type of schedule come September. So yeah, there's just a lot of really cool stuff that we have planned. Eloise is turning one at the end of July. We have our one week family vacation planned. We have a family reunion getaway that we're gonna be going to. Clara is gonna be spending time with her grandparents at the trailer. A couple of years ago, my dad bought a trailer out in just near Paris, and so it's a really great place for us to go. Even just on the weekend, we can go out there for the day.

Speaker 1: 25:25

You may have heard me talk about how much I love Horizon BNB in Leamington, but did you know that Shelby also hosts a series of connection retreats throughout the year? I strongly believe that taking dedicated time to pour into yourselves or connect on a deeper level with someone in your life is the key to creating bliss in your everyday lives. Every year, shelby hosts a variety of retreats, including couples retreats, which we have personally taken, mother-daughter retreats, as well as solo experiences, where you can connect and come home to yourself. Get this. She also hosts experiences for small groups of friends. Whether it be birthday celebrations or unique bachelorette weekend. You can work together to create a sacred and special way to create memories. To chat with Shelby about retreats or your curated experience, reach out to her at wwwhorizonbnbcom and you can start the conversation about creating magic together. So we have gone all over the place in this episode And if you're still here, thank you so much for giving me your time.

Speaker 1: 26:36

Thank you so much for tuning in and giving your attention. It is going to be a fabulous summer. There are so many incredible things and opportunities and experiences coming for you on the horizon, whether they are big ones or whether they are small ones, and I just wanna remind you to make sure that you are taking time to be in the moment, to stop when you are experiencing that thing that you have been looking forward to all summer. Just stop and look around and take a mental picture, take it all in. Make sure to take some time for you, because you deserve to have that time. And the other thing I wanted to say is that you know, if you are wanting to work with me a little bit more one-on-one, whether it be with coaching, whether it be in the body bliss project, i'm always ready to hear from you.

Speaker 1: 27:32

In my DMs. They are literally always open and I just I thank you so much for being here week after week. It was really nice having missed time with you today. I hope that you had a great time. I hope you get tons of sunsets, tons of sun, kisses and lots of laughs. Stay well. Thanks so much for being here. I hope you're leaving with a full heart, some inspiration, or you're feeling the kick in the butt you felt like you needed. If you really enjoyed this episode, be sure to share it with a friend or let me know Rates, reviews, subscribing and sharing are all great ways to support the show, and if you want to stay in touch, follow me over on Instagram at thebalancebliss. Thanks for listening today and stay well. I'll see you next time.