Things that make us smile | Kristin's August Favorites!

August 08, 2022

It's August! With every new month of 2022, I find myself thinking wow, how is it already ____? This year is going by too fast!

Last month, I made a goal in hopes of slowing down mentally and, as a result, hopefully slowing down this quickly unraveling year! I wanted to start making note of everything that encouraged me during the month. This way I can appreciate the small moments and have more moments of taking my time. These are the ones that made an impact for me! :

1. MOCKTAILS

When I imagine a relaxing weekend at home, I picture a sunny day with no chores to do, a clean porch to sit on, and a cold glass of rose to enjoy while every one relaxes and plays in the yard. As you may have guessed, this RARELY happens. 🤭🧼🧺

But I HAVE found that making a very small version of this during the week is a great way to break up the day and have a few minutes of pure relaxing before getting to whatever chore, errand, or task for the night. The easiest way for me to do this has been making a "mocktail" for myself to enjoy outside! I've found it gives me all the relaxation and refreshment while still letting me get everything done afterwards. Here is my favorite recipe so far from The Modern Proper:

• 1 cup plums, pitted and roughly chopped
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped, pod reserved
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar, unfiltered
• 12 - 20 oz club soda or bubbly water

1. Place the plums in a glass jar or glass container along with the sugar and the seeds of the vanilla bean. Using a muddler or the handle of a wooden spoon, mash the fruit until it is fully incorporated with the sugar. Add the vanilla beans seeds & pod.
2. In a small sauce pan bring vinegar to a gentle simmer. Pour the vinegar over the plum mixture and seal tightly. Shake the mixture a couple of times and refrigerate for 24 hours or up to a week depending on how strong you want the flavor to be.
3. When ready to serve, strain the fruit mixture using a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth.
4. Mix equal parts shrub with club soda over ice. Add more or less to your liking. Serve and Enjoy!

 ______________________________________________________________________

2. LADY GANGS!

I was grateful to see so many moments of support this past month between women! What encouraged me the most is that these moments were not just between women in similar situations or women who 100% agree with each other.

I happened to see several videos of co-parenting moms supporting each other and working together to give kids their best life possible which was so heartwarming and fun to see! I also saw new apps and communities popping up to bring women together locally or even virtually!

This quote that I saw from @themommyconfessions perfectly summed up what I was seeing this month and hope to see the rest of the year!

 ______________________________________________________________________

3. NEIGHBORHOOD PRODUCE

This past month, I decided to try out community-supported agriculture (CSA) boxes and have been loving them. I receive one box every other week, and each time it is filled with unexpected items and challenges me to eat more veggies so they're gone before the next box! 

In addition to these boxes, I have been so surprised by the amount of produce my neighbors have been able to grow - I have gotten bags of tomatoes, plums, yellow squash, zucchini, and even okra! And while I love what I receive in my CSA box, having an excuse to chat with neighbors and friends and try their produce has been even more fun. 

Leave a comment

Comments will be approved before showing up.

Name *

Email *

Comment *

---

Also in ZoLidays