1. Coppertone's Water Babies stick sunscreen. This is fabulous if your child is particularly adverse to having cream smeared all over her face. The stick is quick, handy and oh so easy to apply. Warning: keep this stick away from the crafts table as it may get mixed in with the glue sticks.
2. Sauteed spinach with garlic and Craisins. If you don't want to spend too much time over a hot stove but you want to have a satisfyingly healthy, tasty side dish, try this. On medium heat add about a tablespoon of olive oil, then add a small clove of finely chopped garlic. Once the garlic has infused the olive oil, add handfuls of prewashed spinach. Using tongs, turn the spinach in the pan until well coated with the garlic and olive oil and until slightly wilted. Transfer to plate and sprinkle with Craisins. Serve immediately.
3. Okay, so I've committed myself to reading at least 4 Hemingway novels this summer. I've started on "The Sun Also Rises" and am enjoying the transcontinental dialogue immensely. I like that the characters don't get mad, instead, they get sore. And, instead of leaving, they shove off. I also like that the female characters handle their liqueur just as well, if not better than the men. The story meanders through the cities and countrysides of France and Spain. There's bull fighting, fiesta's, The Running of the Bulls and much more. I'm looking forward to reading Hemingway throughout the summer.
4. Backyard yoga practices. I've been practicing yoga in my home yoga studio a.k.a. the basement, for months now. But, on Tuesday and Thursday nights, I get to practice yoga with several other woman in the beautiful, serene backyard of a Greenlake home. My friend Molly, yoga instructor extraordinaire, has a bounty of flowers, herbs and fruit to make backyard yoga feel like a retreat. Often at the start of our practice while doing our sun salutations, hummingbirds zip by and perch themselves high in the trees. And later in the evening the bats come out and circle the area. It's been an amazing experience.
5. My Target tote. I take this bag everywhere I go. It's large enough for extra sweaters for me and my girls, water bottles, snacks, you name it. It's durable and stylish and it only cost me $13. I love this bag and it's absolutely perfect for the summer.
What are your 5 favorite things for this summer? I'd love to hear from you.
5. My Target tote. I take this bag everywhere I go. It's large enough for extra sweaters for me and my girls, water bottles, snacks, you name it. It's durable and stylish and it only cost me $13. I love this bag and it's absolutely perfect for the summer.What are your 5 favorite things for this summer? I'd love to hear from you.
I like this post a lot Maya. It makes me feel protected, hungry, literate, healthy and fashionable all at the same time (okay, so I'll never be fashionable!).
ReplyDeleteI love your goal to read 4 Hemingway novels. He's perfect for the summer. France, Spain, Italy in the 1920's, right on.
You know I collect epigrams. The Sun Also Rises is full of cleverness:
"That was morality; things that made you disgusted afterwards. No, that must be immorality."
"I didn't care what it was all about. All I wanted to know was how to live in it."
"How did you go bankrupt?" . . . "Gradually, then suddenly."
"You know it makes one feel rather good deciding not to be a bitch . . . it's sort of what we have instead of God."
And I won't ruin one of the greatest pieces of closing dialogue ever written.
The other thing I find odd about Hemingway is that you always learn about every little expense: every trip, car fare, train ticket, hotel bill, etc. I think it's in this book that someone says, "If you want people to like you you only have to spend a little money."
I'll have to think about my 5 summer things, although one of them is having a child who LOVES going away to summer camp.
I'd have to some of my favorite summer things, raspberries, afternoons at the summer farmer's markets, walks in the cool evenings with the dogs, sitting at the patio table over morning coffee and being warm enough, watching the colors of my flower beds changing as the different flowers come to bloom, ok and 6th, spening an afternoon sitting in the shade enjoying a book. Gotta love summer.
ReplyDelete1) Solar Sense Clear Zinc SPF 45 Stick 2) sand volleyball at North Beach Volleyball 3) evening picnics at Matthews Beach 4) garage sales 5) sidewalk chalk
ReplyDeleteLove this post Maya! Had to ponder on this one, especially since I love making lists. Here goes:
ReplyDelete1)Avocado, sweet corn, palm heart salad with champagne vinaigrette. I was introduced to this recipe while visiting a good friend in Paris during the summer. Since then this dish has always been synonymous with summertime for me- long lazy afternoons, breathing in the scenery, and enjoying the company of loved ones, all while eating good fresh food.
2) Crocs. The shoes. I cannot believe it but I love these goofy shoes. For years I have avoided them like the plague, but a gift certificate to Nordstroms and a begging 5 year old found me relenting to this fad. My kids love them and they are the ultimate shoe- they get dirty they get wet- nothing matters as they weather everything. But the best part is how quickly they go on little feet. So far the longest it has taken them to put on their shoes is one hour. Crocs. I love em'.
3)After letting my kids soak in some Vit D for 15 minutes, out comes this very convenient spray lotion- Banana Boat Kids Tear-Free. No struggles. No tears. And apparently it kind of tickles when sprayed on backs.
4) Grapeseed extract. My father-in-law is the king of wacky naturopathic remedies...we have found ourselves trying some pretty wild things, but this time he is really onto something. Taking 100mg grapeseed extract twice a day has tremendously helped both my husband's and my horrible summer allergies.
5) Seattle. Summertime just showcases how gorgeous and bountiful our city is...there is so much to see and do. And the weather is perfect.
1. flipflops
ReplyDelete2. raspberries
3. corn on the cob
4. playing after the sun goes down and not realizing it's dark
5. sunrise at 5am
Awe, all of these are such luscious ideas. I too am a fan Seattle in the summertime too. Also playing until the sun goes down is something I enjoyed as a child and now as an adult. Good ones you guys. Thanks for sharing, now I feel like I have a whole new list of things to love. Cheers.
ReplyDelete