It’s 9:27am on January 1st, 2020. I’m sitting in my LoveSac beanbag, watching my pups Copper and Cinnamon play. My husband Brian has the news playing on TV. I have a knot in my stomach as the seconds tick by, knowing that I need to start writing because my blog is launching at noon! My palms sweaty, I fidget as I stare at my blank screen. Something…anything. How do I start this blog off “right”? 

I guess I’ll start with the truth. I am scared shitless to start this blog. I am a recovering perfectionist. The way this shows up in my life daily is a need to control everything I can (and many things I can’t but try to anyway). This often works well for me; this often gets in my way. Perfectionism keeps me from saying what I want to say (what will people think?). Perfectionism keeps me from being who I want to be (too loud, too much, too extra, too goofy). Perfectionism keeps me from trying anything I can’t be sure I’ll be “good at” (ahem, starting a blog, writing my book, dancing, anything spontaneous).

Perfectionism keeps me in a box.

So, this blog is me giving perfectionism the middle finger. I don’t have a month or two of content planned out; I don’t have a business plan or marketing plan; I will post mostly unedited content; I won’t suddenly start doing my hair/makeup daily or photoshopping my belly rolls away. Because the striving for perfection allows me to keep people an arm’s length away. It allows me to wear a mask that tells the world I’m fine, when I actually struggle daily with body image, confidence, family, stressors, finding balance, parenting my dogs, and keeping my closet clean. Can any of you relate?? I think so.

This ^^ is why I’m committed to showing up daily in 2020 and sharing my inner mess. 2019 was the hardest year of my life, and I wouldn’t have made it through without shedding my mask of “I’m fine”. What I got from 2019 was life-changing: I experienced authentic connection. I found out who the people were who had my back no matter what I could offer them (or not offer them). Most importantly… I found my voice. 

Welcome to lemon LOVES. This is a love letter from me, to anyone who comes across it. My intention with lemon LOVES is to share my heart, my expertise, and my passions with those who take the time to read/view/join me in this journey. I look forward to getting to know you: the beautiful, authentic, perfectly imperfect version of you. I’m committed to showing up as that version of me, too. If you’re down for all this, please subscribe/share/support me in this endeavor however you see fit. 

Oh, I should probably tell you what type of stuff I will write about! Obviously, I will post a ton about lululemon clothes. The fit, function, form, fabric, and all the things you could possibly ever want to know about the brand, the lifestyle, and the apparel. I also plan to talk about health and wellness. I have 15 years experience in the health and fitness industry, along with a doctorate and masters of science. I love to educate others and share the information I’ve dedicated my life to mastering. Finally, I am SO excited to share my LOVES: the community I am blessed to do life with. These people are the reason I can share myself with the world. I am so excited for you to get to meet them!

My intention is to post Monday, Wednesday, and Friday weekly. Because it’s January, which means everyone is setting resolutions for the year, I want to share mine: I don’t have one! Instead, I am setting an intention for each month. I am giving myself the space to be spontaneous with my intention, because I’ve learned that a LOT can change in a year--or a month, week, day, and even an instant. More on that later.

My intention for January: Self Care. Each week I’ll highlight an area of self care that I or my community practice. I’ll post a lot of daily content to my instagram stories (follow me @drfoxyfit). I am very open to feedback so please let me know what you think, and what you want to learn! 

Okay, now I’m excited about this. My nerves have changed from fear to excitement, from dread to hope. Yay. Thanks for being here, I love you all.

~Mallory