Didn’t summer vacation just begin? This is a question many parents and teachers ask themselves as they flip their family’s kitchen calendar to August. For me, August includes taking advantage of Back-to-School deals at local businesses and maximizing trips to the neighborhood swimming pool.
I feel a kind of sadness that summer is on the way out but, at the same time, I see a personal opportunity to plan a new goal for ME for the rest of the year. What goal do you have for the remainder of 2013? Is it a healthier breakfast goal, lighter snacking goal or more veggies for dinner goal? Perhaps your goal is the popular Couch-to-5K running program for beginners. For all of us, it’s time to enjoy summer and get ready to welcome fall.
Simplify Your Life Week is August 1-7!
Let’s face it – life is sometimes too fast-paced to keep up. I appreciate that the first week in August brings attention to keeping it simple and chilling out. Don’t you? Here are some ways to slow down and keep it simple this week, and every week:
- Make breakfast the night before using this overnight oats recipe.
- Take a long & de-stressing walk, with comfy shoes, early in the morning or just before dark
- Read a book you enjoy for 15 minutes or more
Celebrate Watermelon Day on August 3rd!
I just found out that one of my favorite summer fruits, watermelon, is to be celebrated on August 3rd. Yippee! I plan to celebrate and here’s how:
- Start the day with a wedge of watermelon as my breakfast starter fruit
- Drink a watermelon smoothie as part of my lunch. Simply blend these all together: 3 cups watermelon chunks, a small banana, 1 cup vanilla Greek style yogurt, 1 cup ice chips.
- Enjoy a watermelon popsicle or two.
- Finish dinner with a chilled bowl of watermelon with slivers of fresh basil on top.
Get to Know (and Grow) Fresh Herbs!
There is something special about using fresh herbs in your simple, homemade meals. They’re full of flavor, they’re colorful and they elevate the freshness of whatever you make with them. It’s not hard to grow fresh herbs either. Outdoors, they grow best in a sunny garden spot. Planting an indoor herb garden is also an option and this way, you’ll have handy herbs all year long. Kids enjoy gardening, too, so let them help with planting, watering and weeding in/around your garden, including the fresh herbs. Enjoyment of gardening is a perfect match for kids’ curiosity and it will instill a respect for the Earth, too. It’s a win-win-win!
Summer Wellness – Don’t Miss Out on What Matters!
Balance is probably the most important concept of overall wellness. It applies to summer, it applies to fall, winter and spring. Without mind-body-wellness balance, we get stressed out and we can experience unpleasant symptoms of illness. To avoid illness and achieve balance, summer wellness is a great place to go.
Here is a simple and inspiring website that targets summer wellness. I encourage everyone to take a look at their own balance and to adjust it if you need to. Talk to a friend about how to buddy-up for balance and wellness. You’ll be glad you did.