When life gets hectic and overrun with to-dos, I find it so necessary to take a rest day. This weekend Mr. Jackson and I celebrated our one year wedding anniversary and were so excited to indulge in a little staycation (we traveled to Nashville and snuggled up in the coolest airbnb) which included the best. rest day. ever. We woke up late, ventured out for a delicious brunch, reveled in the ritual of brewing our own coffee and then switched up the pace at Kanye's Saint Pablo Tour that evening.

Lately I've found it so necessary to take at least one rest day per week (when possible) to recharge, focus on self-care and check in with things. I'm by no means excelling at dialing back but I'm making an effort and that's all that counts! It's easy to fall into the trap of taking on too many projects, neglecting quiet time and basically firing on all cylinders without creating boundaries (I'm SO guilty) but intimate moments and introspection are the perfect remedy.

Since rest days can look so different for everyone, I've compiled a few of my favorite ways to recharge below...

self-care // One of my favorite things to do (and one I don't get to do too often) is to take a bath. We were lucky that this particular airbnb came equipped with a gorgeous claw-foot bathtub because our rental doesn't exactly make luxury a priority. Unwinding with a bath, tending to your body with a relaxing yoga session or face mask, meditating, journaling, reading, etc. can all be great ways to focus on caring for yourself. If you're in need of a relationship check-in, turn off your phones and spend some quiet time with your partner. As nerdy as it sounds, Ainsworth and I like to play board games together when it feels like we've been passing ships during a given week.

become a homebody // I'm totally guilty of using my days off for errand running and GSD (getting shit done). Unfortunately, this makes Sunday feel like one of the busiest days of my week. Outstanding emails? Chores? Grocery shopping? Take one week off from weekend tasks and dedicate a day to staying in. You may not feel super productive but your mental health will thank you. Sometimes nothing feels better than trading your OOTD for pajamas and staying close to home.

get a hobby // Having something frivolous that you love (something totally unrelated to work and done solely for your pleasure) is really important! For us that's collecting records, listening to music and seeing shows. Doing something that's purely fun is a great way to get out of the grind and soak up some enjoyment.

own it // Something I've learned as a mother, wife and entrepreneur: you can't take care of your loved ones or your business without taking care of yourself. Think of rest days the same way you might think of putting on your airplane oxygen mask. Sometimes you just have to put on your own mask before helping everyone else.

sidenote: Kanye West is a genius and we had a blast. ;)

select photos by Chelsea Rochelle

This week is over... thank god! Mercury has been in retrograde lately and I'm SO ready for things to settle back into a good place. Car trouble, fleas for Stanley, work stressors and MAJOR embarrassing moments (a cringe-worthy story for another time) have made for a pretty awful week. However, it's all coming to head because I'm directing a runway show on Sunday and I can finally take a deep breath as soon as it's over.
With things so hectic lately, I've had so little time for blogging. Come on quiet, slow Autumn... I'm ready to hunker down and create a little summin' summin'.

Without further ado, a few links I've loved daydreaming about (here and here)
inside Nadia Rosa's beauty routine with The File
Sophia Amoruso on how to be a #girlboss
Georgia Fowler's (beautiful) face in motion via Russh
the one product routine with Aimee Bayliss
in the kitchen with Naz and Garance Dore
& a stunning editorial by Wolf Cub Chronicles

I have such a strong affinity for the month of September! Nostalgia always sets in when the air gets a little crisper and the bell tolls for back to school season. Somehow the presence of spiral bound notebooks and pink erasers smelling of rubber motivates me to refocus and get the ball rolling in ways that the New Year simple does not.

With a new month also comes a new mindset and I must admit, I'm pretty much starving for an overhaul. The past month has been a transitional time (to say the least) and I've been thinking a lot about priorities and opportunities. Although I love to keep things glossy and perfect for the internet, the beauty of blogging is sharing real life and it's been real this Summer. As I try to shift my perspective to one of positivity, here are the goals (big and small) I'd like to accomplish in September:

create boundaries & balance // A lot of the reason this Summer has been so tough is the sheer amount of plates I've been spinning at once. I've been firing all cylinders and I'm starting to experience a whole lot of burnout. Never one to commit to something half-way, I've started taking on more than I can handle and it's time to downshift. This month I'm focused on leaving work at work, being in the moment (and not thinking too much about what's to come), not pressuring myself to create when inspiration simply isn't there and using my time a little more wisely. I'm slowly realizing that it's okay to let a few things go and that my 80% capacity might be 100% to someone else (meaning that not everyone expects you to be totally invested in everything and that's okay).

pursue passion projects // Although I've been creating a lot of fun things, I want to make an effort to create a few more things with no real aim. Whether it be more lowkey shoots or finally finishing our house's paint job, I'm excited to get my hands dirty.

usher in one year of marriage (with a bang) // Ainsworth and I are celebrating one year of marriage (I can't believe it's been a whole year since our wedding!) and we're heading to Nashville for a little staycation. We have tickets to see Kanye (!) and a whole weekend of Airbnb bliss planned.

begin the first steps of something different // I've been thinking a lot about Hazel + Scout and what it offers you. There are things I'm passionate about (motherhood, feminism, politics, art, etc.) that I rarely talk about but as I approach 6 years of blogging it seems like the perfect time to take back my content. I have something cool planned and am hoping September is the month that I get the ball rolling!

keep finding my zen // Lorelai started Kindergarten this year and we've been doing the drop-off / pick-up thing for 9 weeks already. Typically I have about an hour each day to sit alone in the car and wait for her to make her way out of school. The quiet time has been great and I've even started reading again (The Girls... pick it up!). I'm on a quest to keep carving out time for myself whether it means solo walks in the evening, trips to the salon for a quick mani/pedi or a yoga session before everyone wakes up in the morning. I'm slowly realizing that putting myself first isn't selfish, it's necessary.

* These seem like lofty ambitions and will likely carry over through the next several months but there's something motivating about getting them out in a written format. Are you making new goals this fall? Please share!