It's that time again...swimsuit season!

Pic Malia Mills

All right ladies. Let's do this! The weather is finally getting warmer, & summer is right around the corner which means now is the time to get out there and find the perfect suit. Courage my loves - it can be done!

No matter what our size may be, most women have moments of anxiety when exposing so much skin.

Here are my top tips to get yourself prepared to brave the beach in comfort and style.

1. Plan Ahead
Don't just haphazardly walk into a store and decide to buy a swimsuit, and don't leave it to the last minute and buy the first suit you see.  Please, do yourself a favour and don’t buy a suit that is too small and tell yourself you will lose weight by summer. Or conversely, select one that is a size too big and may fall off when splashing around in the water. And if you're one size on top and another on the bottom—like most women—look for stores where they sell separates.

2. Go Alone
I think it is less stressful to go alone when it comes to a buying a swimsuit. What matters is that you feel good in the suit. That trumps everything and everyone else. If you try on a bathing suit, and feel good in it, then go with it. You will no doubt hit the beach with confidence.

3. Ignore the Lighting
I remember standing in a dressing room wearing, what I felt was a great bikini, when I saw dimples on my legs that I had never seen before. I was furious - but I tried to keep my cool.  The suit fit me well. It highlighted my best features and it also fit my personality. Dimples or no dimples, this suit suited me. When I got home, I tried it on again, far away from the harsh unflattering, want to crawl under a rock lighting of the dressing room, and I was happy with what I saw. Phew.

4. Fit & Function
Think about comfort and fit rather than trends. Like when shopping for clothes, pick a suit that is YOU. Some swim suits can be plain and simple while others can be bold & bright, choosing one that highlights your personality will make you feel good all the time. Equally important is function. If you are going to be running around chasing after your kids, the two piece string bikini may be out of the question!  So be sure to pick a style that is appropriate for the setting.

5. Accessorize
Buying a cute cover up, sunglasses, hat, and sandals will make your outfit more complete. Instead of hiding behind an oversized shirt, buy a pretty sarong that will make you feel beautiful and self assured.

6. Own It! 
Once you've made your choice, own it. Wear that new suit confidently.  There is nothing more attractive than confidence, so embrace that beautiful body of yours and have a good time wherever you are.


Do you have your own tips for surviving buying a new swimsuit? If so, please share them!

Next up - Shop your shape. Styles that suit your body type.

What makes you, YOU?

“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” 
― Dr. Seuss, Happy Birthday to You!

What inspires you? What makes you laugh? What makes you cry? What moves you? Drives you? Excites you?

If you look at business magazines or motivational books, often you find sections that encourage you to make a list of all the things that make you stand out.  What makes your business or your services better than the competition.  However, I think this is an important exercise that everyone should do.

I was inspired to write and share this post because this exercise helped me to focus on my core values as a person and as a business owner. It also helped me to prepare for my first TV interview on CKWS. The other reason why I am sharing this is because of a conversation I had with a friend this morning.  All too often we let negative thoughts into our heads. It's OK to acknowledge fears, doubts, & insecurities, but it's equally important to push past them. That's how we grow. That's how we build confidence. That how we build trust in ourselves.

Grab a coffee, a pen and paper and take some time to find out more about yourself. You may be surprised with what you find!

Write a list of all of your talents. 

Write down the things that make you a great friend, mother, sister...

Write down a good deed you did for someone and how it made you feel.

Write down at least one thing that you love about yourself.

I am at my best when...

Write down at least one thing that you feel is missing from your life. Brainstorm and jot down ways you might be able to bring it back into your life. 

Set a goal to try at least one new thing this summer. 

Stand tall.

“I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead and some come from behind. But I've bought a big bat. I'm all ready you see. Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!” 
― Dr. Seuss

one step at a time

There are going to be many more moments like this in our lives. Milestones. Stepping stones. Moments of pride.  On Tuesday, I embraced & cherished taking my daughter Ryan to her fist day of Junior Kindergarten.  It is a time in her life where she gets to exert her independence. It's a time in my life where I learn to let go - 

just a little bit.  

Taking Ryan to her first day of school was particularly momentous for my husband and me.  For several months now, we have been working with a wonderful woman at Pathways* to help us & Ryan deal with her feelings and her anxieties.  More recently, we have been working towards making her feel comfortable going to school.  Not for the reasons one would think. Although it's actually quite common for kids to experience anxiety when it comes to starting school: Fear of not liking the teacher. Scared of not making any friends. Worried about being away from their mom and dad.  For Ryan, she wasn't worried about any of those things!  Her anxiety stemmed from the daycare that is attached to the school.  The daycare that she attended. The daycare that she once LOVED turned into a place she now FEARS. 

During "walk-through's" of the school, Ryan would cry and scream and say that she was scared anytime we were close to any area that reminded her of the daycare.  There are times when I have left our sessions with Pathways crying.  What could have happened to make my daughter shake when she nears the building.  Unfortunately we will never know. And since Ryan is under the umbrella of the highly sensitive child, there is the possibility that something or someone scared her, the situation was never resolved, and it has now created something bigger in her mind.

So, on Tuesday morning, just as we are about to enter the JK playground, Ryan started to scream and pulled back refusing to go in. Calmly, I knelt down to talk to her. I reassured her that everything was going to be fine. That she was in fact going to school, into the classroom that we had visited several times, not to the daycare. [Just so you understand completely, the daycare and the JK class use the same playground at the school, and in the middle are the steps that lead up to the daycare doors. Off to the left are the doors that Ryan will now go through to go into her school and into her classroom.]  She composed herself and holding my hand, she walked through the gate into the playground.  Ryan looked all around - as if looking at the area all over again for the first time. But she kept an eye on the door that leads to the daycare.  Not too long after we arrived, Ryan's teacher came out to greet everyone. She immediately came over to Ryan to welcome her and took Ryan's hand to lead her and her classmates in.   Ryan followed without looking back. 

At the end of her first day, Ryan was back outside in the playground, playing, laughing and talking with her new friends from school. When she spotted me, she came running over to me to tell me all about her day. Success! 

Hand-in-hand, we walked back home. Both of us beaming with pride.     

*Pathways is a Children's Mental Health Agency that provides a range of services to children, youth and families.

wear it like you mean it

Confidence. That has to be the greatest thing one can possess.  Too often we put way too much stock in how others view us.  Do you really want to live the rest of your life worrying about what other people think?  I know I don't.  It's not something that you can magically change overnight, but you can start by taking small steps.  Take your wardrobe for example.  We all have items in our closets that help to boost our confidence.  That make us feel great about ourselves, and our bodies. Why wouldn't you want to feel that way about your whole wardrobe?  Investing time and energy in creating a style that makes you feel happy, confident and entirely you, can only be a positive thing.

One way to feel confident is to wear clothes that FIT.  Don't wait until you have reached an "ideal" weight to start dressing your best.  I don't believe that clothes really make the person, however, it's hard to be confident inside when what you are wearing outside sends the opposite message.

Another tip is to look for clothes that highlight your best feature.  If you have a tiny waist, accentuate it with a belt. If you have gorgeous arms, opt for a sleeveless dress.  Clothing often works best when it draws attention to the areas that you love.  And that, in turn, builds confidence.

Creating a personal style can be such a rewarding and exciting process.  Building your ideal wardrobe with items that fit and flatter is a step towards making you feel strong, beautiful and ultimately, confident.