Vacation Whenever You Want
How can you have a vacation this summer? It's quite simple, change it up!
Now that summer has arrived it gives us an opportunity to enjoy nature more easily and to slow down our pace. While we all have established routines that can't be let go, we can decide to do them a bit differently. By tweaking our routines a bit and maybe adding some new temporary routines, we in essence are giving ourselves a vacation. Here are a few things that come to mind, some of which I have done in my own life.
Morning Coffee
I enjoy my morning coffee and breakfast out on my back porch once summer arrives. Listening to the birds, the buzzing bees and the trees as the sway ever so slightly puts me in a relaxed and joyful frame of mind. Don't have a yard? Step out onto your balcony. No balcony? Take your coffee to go, get away from the crowd and find a nearby park or beach where you can sit for a few minutes to enjoy nature before starting your day. Depending on how hot the day is forecast to be, you can be pretty certain you can enjoy a little outside time before your work day begins. After work, do the same when you can. Have dinner where outside seating is available or at home grab a glass of liquid refreshment and relax outside while dinner is cooking. Whenever possible, eat dinner outside as well.
Gardening
Even with just a windowsill to grow some herbs, summer is a great time to grow things. We belong to a community garden and we also have vegetable and herb plants at home. You can grow some wonderful tomatoes right on your porch or balcony. Don't forget to look into community gardens that may be available in your city or community. Gardening is relaxing and satisfying as you see your vegetables and herbs bloom.
Hobbies
Whenever possible, take your hobbies outside and craft while surrounded by nature. It's easy to do with portable hobbies such as knitting, crochet , small looms, embroidery and some jewelry making. I like to have some knitting with me at all times when I am out. I love to go to the local botanical gardens and knit while enjoying the surroundings. I have also taken small knitting projects on hikes as well. The keyword here is small!
Food and Drink
Change up the food and drink by taking advantage of the fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs and make these dishes or drinks strictly seasonal. For example, I only make and drink iced tea and lemonade in the summer. It's something that signals to me that summer is here and I get to have something different. I love to add fresh herbs like lavender, mint, lemon thyme and lemon verbena to my iced tea or lemonade. No time to fuss over making these drinks? Celestial Seasonings makes single serving cold brew iced tea bags in 4 or 5 flavors. In five minutes you can enjoy a glass of iced tea with no effort and no crowding in your refrigerator. Remember to add your fresh herbs whenever you cook as well. Barbecuing is a nice way to change things up and to enjoy marshmallows for dessert. We all tend to gravitate towards lighter foods in the summer because of the heat. For me it's not so much what I cook that is special for summer only, it's what I leave off the menu. For example I never make chili, pot roasts or apple dishes in the summer. I reserve those for fall and winter. Instead I rely on summer fruits and veggies to use in my meals. Picnics are another fun thing to do in the summer as well.
Day Trips
No matter where you live, I bet there is a destination that you haven't been to or rarely go to. Summer is the perfect time to do it. In our state we can get to the mountains in very little time and enjoy a bit of hiking or sightseeing or shopping along with a nice lunch before making our way back home. Being gone all day doing something fun, feels like a vacation. Going to festivals and local outdoor concerts on the weekends also gives you a feeling of being away.
Decorate
I change my house up a bit for each of the seasons. It's a ritual I use to help me embrace each season in both a visual and sensory manner. In the summer I tend to have more fresh flowers in the house that come from either my yard or the store. I also change up my mantle and use a nautical, simple beachy theme. I put candles and lights out on my back porch and make sure to have several wind chimes up as well. For summer, I do keep the seasonal decor to a minimum because I want summer o feel and be carefree. Placing vacation photos or photos of nature you've taken around your home reminds you of carefree times and the beauty of nature that you've captured. I also change up my tarot cloth tarot deck and the oracle cards I use for the summer!
Whatever you choose, be mindful that changing things up is refreshing to the soul because it awakens possibilities on where we can go from here. If you can change just one routine and it results in you feeling happier and more relaxed, imagine what else you can do.
Now that summer has arrived it gives us an opportunity to enjoy nature more easily and to slow down our pace. While we all have established routines that can't be let go, we can decide to do them a bit differently. By tweaking our routines a bit and maybe adding some new temporary routines, we in essence are giving ourselves a vacation. Here are a few things that come to mind, some of which I have done in my own life.
Morning Coffee
I enjoy my morning coffee and breakfast out on my back porch once summer arrives. Listening to the birds, the buzzing bees and the trees as the sway ever so slightly puts me in a relaxed and joyful frame of mind. Don't have a yard? Step out onto your balcony. No balcony? Take your coffee to go, get away from the crowd and find a nearby park or beach where you can sit for a few minutes to enjoy nature before starting your day. Depending on how hot the day is forecast to be, you can be pretty certain you can enjoy a little outside time before your work day begins. After work, do the same when you can. Have dinner where outside seating is available or at home grab a glass of liquid refreshment and relax outside while dinner is cooking. Whenever possible, eat dinner outside as well.
Gardening
Even with just a windowsill to grow some herbs, summer is a great time to grow things. We belong to a community garden and we also have vegetable and herb plants at home. You can grow some wonderful tomatoes right on your porch or balcony. Don't forget to look into community gardens that may be available in your city or community. Gardening is relaxing and satisfying as you see your vegetables and herbs bloom.
Hobbies
Whenever possible, take your hobbies outside and craft while surrounded by nature. It's easy to do with portable hobbies such as knitting, crochet , small looms, embroidery and some jewelry making. I like to have some knitting with me at all times when I am out. I love to go to the local botanical gardens and knit while enjoying the surroundings. I have also taken small knitting projects on hikes as well. The keyword here is small!
Food and Drink
Change up the food and drink by taking advantage of the fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs and make these dishes or drinks strictly seasonal. For example, I only make and drink iced tea and lemonade in the summer. It's something that signals to me that summer is here and I get to have something different. I love to add fresh herbs like lavender, mint, lemon thyme and lemon verbena to my iced tea or lemonade. No time to fuss over making these drinks? Celestial Seasonings makes single serving cold brew iced tea bags in 4 or 5 flavors. In five minutes you can enjoy a glass of iced tea with no effort and no crowding in your refrigerator. Remember to add your fresh herbs whenever you cook as well. Barbecuing is a nice way to change things up and to enjoy marshmallows for dessert. We all tend to gravitate towards lighter foods in the summer because of the heat. For me it's not so much what I cook that is special for summer only, it's what I leave off the menu. For example I never make chili, pot roasts or apple dishes in the summer. I reserve those for fall and winter. Instead I rely on summer fruits and veggies to use in my meals. Picnics are another fun thing to do in the summer as well.
Day Trips
No matter where you live, I bet there is a destination that you haven't been to or rarely go to. Summer is the perfect time to do it. In our state we can get to the mountains in very little time and enjoy a bit of hiking or sightseeing or shopping along with a nice lunch before making our way back home. Being gone all day doing something fun, feels like a vacation. Going to festivals and local outdoor concerts on the weekends also gives you a feeling of being away.
Decorate
I change my house up a bit for each of the seasons. It's a ritual I use to help me embrace each season in both a visual and sensory manner. In the summer I tend to have more fresh flowers in the house that come from either my yard or the store. I also change up my mantle and use a nautical, simple beachy theme. I put candles and lights out on my back porch and make sure to have several wind chimes up as well. For summer, I do keep the seasonal decor to a minimum because I want summer o feel and be carefree. Placing vacation photos or photos of nature you've taken around your home reminds you of carefree times and the beauty of nature that you've captured. I also change up my tarot cloth tarot deck and the oracle cards I use for the summer!
Whatever you choose, be mindful that changing things up is refreshing to the soul because it awakens possibilities on where we can go from here. If you can change just one routine and it results in you feeling happier and more relaxed, imagine what else you can do.
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