Happy Pickleball Monday! **crickets…crickets**

Ok, so maybe that’s only a thing for me and my family, but I have casually taken up pickleball. It’s not a lifestyle thing like mahjong, but it has become a fun hobby that I share with my aunt and uncle. We have a very sweet teacher, who patiently walks us through the fundamentals and basic rules of the game. It’s a miracle he gets a word in, between the girl-bossiness of me and my aunt! Nevertheless, he persisted!

Though I have only played a handful of times, it was apparent immediately that I can hit the ball and hard. The number of times I ricocheted that little sucker well out of bounds during my first lesson! “Ok, let’s try a bit softer,” our instructor encourages me gently. WACK! “Softer…” WACK! “Just a little less strong,” he says, thinking that repackaging will help me to get it.

See, I was raised on Serena Williams-style tennis with 100 mph serves and a Come On roar after acing an opponent. Therefore, it was simply outside my realm of understanding that winning the point could require way less strength. Well, like most things, I was setting myself up for a very nice life lesson.

We moved onto dinking, which is defined “as soft, controlled shots, usually hit near the net.” My teacher’s refrain started exactly the same, but I caught on much quicker this time, as I discovered my lighter touch was allowing for perfect precision on each hit. I slowed the game down and could anticipate my opponent’s response so much more accurately. Leaving my first lesson, I realized two things: I could just enjoy this new hobby with no consideration of expertise or perfection, and second, I am a born dinker!

As I explore the easier life, dinking fits in seamlessly. Doing less, making it softer, taking a chill pill but still hitting the target. One of my favorite mantras for this year is from Jenna Zoe and her Human Design method– “It’s not about taking more shots, it’s about taking more shots on target.” Preach, hunny girl!

A few tennis/pickle essentials I’m eyeing/own:

• A most adorable onesie from FP Movement– the piping detail is such a fresh pop!
• Shoutout to the home team and the best Major of them all, the US Open!
• In this heat, an insulated water bottle is a must. I cannot handle the Stanley/Odwalla/Hydro/Yeti craze so will be trying this retro Igloo style.
• Toile x Pickle?! What a made-for-Mimi combination!
• FP Movement also has some great set options– love this, this and how impractical/fab!
• My go-to shield sunnies from Izipizi!
• Fuel, supplements and hydration!

Why dunk when you can dink? Xx

**image via that girl Sloane Stephens during her flawless coverage of the French Open. We love to see a Beautiful Black Tennis Queen!