Summer…Time to Have Fun, Eat Light, and Simplify

Easy Tips and Ideas to Enjoy This Special Time of Year

By Karen @ KB Naturally

 
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“Summer Afternoon-Summer Afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.”

-Henry James

 

I think I may have to agree with Henry on this one.

Summer is my time…my season, my favorite time of the year. The hotter the better for me! I have this unscientific theory that maybe the time of year you are born into might determine the weather you feel most comfortable in…hence, I was born in the middle of summer. But for me, the weather holds only a part of the magic that the summer holds. I love being outside, opening the doors and windows (not a fan of air conditioning), summer celebrations, quiet connections with family, and one of my favorites…spending time on my porch! The porch is such a magical place for me.  Special conversations are had, good books get read, late night games by candlelight, quiet reflections in the morning with…you guessed it…a cup of tea. We get to enjoy a summer rain shower without getting wet, wine and appetizers with friends…the list goes on and on. As you can tell, the porch is definitely one of my ‘happy places’.

 

For many of us, that happy feeling when summer finally arrives stems back to our childhood. That last day of school when you had, what seemed like an eternity, of a season in front of you. Of course, now as adults, we don’t have that same luxury of just playing all day, not knowing (or caring) what time or date it is. We have obligations, work, and calendars to adhere to. Oh, to be a child again. Well, I say we give ourselves a summer vacation mentality…even with the obligations we may have. We don’t have to wait till we’re away on vacation to do this.

Give yourself permission to:

·      Sit on a hammock & take a nap

·      Get an ice cream cone

·      Play frisbee

·      Grab an iced tea & a good book

·      Meet up with some friends & go to a restaurant with outdoor dining

·      Play miniature golf

·      Sit around a firepit with your family and friends and play some music

·      Dance in the moonlight

·      Find a piece of chalk and make a hopscotch board

·      Try your hand at jump rope

·      Cut up some watermelon wedges and sit on your front step to eat it…if it has seeds, see how far you can spit them

·      Go on a bike ride

·      Get those bare feet on the earth

The list is endless, and we all have our own favorites…what summer fun really means to each of us. It can be something fun and exhilarating or relaxing and peaceful.

  

“Let us dance in the sun,

wearing wildflowers in our hair…”

-Susan Polis Schultz

 

Eat Light-Feel Great!

 

The summer is also a wonderful time to lighten up on our food choices. It’s an easy time to eat light, fresh, and clean. With so many more fruit and vegetable options around we can make lots more interesting salads and dishes. By eating lighter you are giving your system a well-deserved rest from a lot of the heavy foods we may tend to eat in the colder months.

·      Grill some veggies

·      Squeeze some lime on your watermelon…if you’ve never done this…it’s so good!

·      Slice some organic strawberries onto your salad

·      Grill some pineapple slices…or peaches

·      Even slice a head of romaine lettuce in half and lightly grill it for a twist on a Caesar salad

·      Make your own cole slaw and use a healthy dressing (and less of it)

·      Chop up some cucumber, tomato, carrot, and celery and toss with some dressing & lemon

·      Try some lighter pasta options and toss with those grilled veggies

·      Be mindful at a BBQ and don’t load up on the heavy mayonnaise salads

·      Do without a bun

·      Be sure to drink more water & eat more  hydrating fruits and veggies (cucumber/watermelon)

·      Try and avoid the deep-fried foods

·      Make a fruit salad and have that as a snack

 

Again, the options are endless. So, head to your nearest farmers market, stock up on some organic produce, and try some new, light dishes.

Summer Simplicity

Life has been stressful for everyone these days. Just as I suggest eating lighter for our bodies this summer…I also think we need to lighten up our spirits and our time. Nothing makes the summer go faster than a jam-packed calendar. Take it slow and give yourself the gift of less pressure.

Don’t pack the calendar with activities

Shorten your to-do lists & prioritize fun

Less electronics

More game nights

Impromptu intimate backyard party and everyone brings something…no stress!

Something for the little ones too…

 Even though my kids aren’t little anymore, I just have to mention the little ones. Ten months of the year they are in school…and what a school year it’s been for them! I cannot even imagine the levels of stress and confusion they had to endure throughout this whole pandemic. They have worked hard, taken lots of tests, did lots of homework and had to navigate a whole new way to do that. So, for these next two months they get a well-deserved break.  I believe it’s more important than ever for them to slow down, get creative, and have some simple fun.  When my girls were younger, I never liked to hear them say, 'I'm bored'.  Those words were off limits! Don't feel like you have to fill every moment with activities. Let them know what down time is and to be able to ask themselves what they feel like doing. Even write a list together before the summer so they can refer to it and choose something on their own if they are ever feeling that b-word.

A sample list might be:

·      Go into the art bin and color 

·      Choose some summer books together

·      Play frisbee  

·      Get some chalk and draw on the sidewalk 

·      Play a game 

·      Put on a show  

·      Create an obstacle course

·      Jump rope

My personal favorite...read a book!  It’s the perfect one to get quiet and really experience down time. Let them fall in love with reading and be taken away on a journey. Read to them, let them see you read. Read, Read, Read!  With my children, because the school year was so busy, we couldn't wait to choose some special books for the summer, some they would read on their own and others we would experience together. As you might guess I’m a big advocate on getting children to fall in love with reading and make them life-long readers.  It’s a gift you can give them that they will literally open forever.

 

I wish you all a blessed, healthy, fun, and light summer.

 

Please let me know some of your family favorite things to do>

 

 

 

 

 
 

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Karen BenedettoComment