Times are tough. it’s no secret. And the grief, loss, strangeness, and sadness of the last months has made me really appreciate the simple things. The smell of baking cookies, snuggling my sweet girls, picking flowers for the table, cooking new recipes, and arranging decor in my home…all of these things have become even more precious than before. Our little family has been spending more and more time on our property and being home (like so many of you), and it’s been hard at moments but also a true blessing in disguise. I am choosing to focus on the little things that have been bringing me joy lately:
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-Fresh flowers: Not only do I love picking flowers of my own off our property, I also love picking up little bouquets of locally grown blooms from the Farmer’s Market or local farms. There are three or four vendors who have little bouquets at the market each week if you go to the Medford one, and my favorite is Merry Blooms! They even offer little glass jars and vases for purchase with their pretty and simple arrangements. They’re perfect for gifting or keeping!
-New flavors: A new treat at the Farmer’s Market is a rose vanilla latte! It’s available at our local market, but you can probably request something similar at a coffeeshop near you. It’s very similar to a lavender latte, with just a hint of floral flavor. I love it iced on a hot day, and it’s so refreshing! If you find one near you, try picking up a second one for a friend to brighten their day, too!
-Essential Oil Blends: Diffusers are a great way to brighten up my home during the summer months! Although you know I love the ambience of candles, it’s a fun change if you want to try something new. One of my favorite blends is lavender, lime and lemongrass (2 drops each) in a diffuser for a pretty, light, and fresh scent! It also makes the house smell super clean, which is always a plus! If oils aren’t your thing, or you don’t have a diffuser, you can try a candle in a scent like lemon or lime to mimic the fresh and summery scent. It is uplifting!
-Traditions: I’ve talked a little bit about how traditions like pizza night or movie night have helped our family routine, but they don’t always have to be a ton of work. Going to a park or grabbing ice cream after dinner can be a new tradition that doesn’t require a ton of planning. It doesn’t even have to be every week, even something that you do once a month or so can become a “tradition”…like having tacos for back-to-school night, or something similar! Kids love that kind of thing, and it brings me joy to see how happy it makes them!
-Music: When I am having a hard day, music always changes my mood! I don’t know if you have a Google or an Alexa, but these are great ways to keep music around your home all the time. Whether you like country summer tunes or the latest pop song, turn it up and dance it out! Or you know, just clean your house, like me :) If you have little children, try getting them an old-school CD player and snag some cd’s at yard sales and Goodwill! it is a great way to introduce them to fun songs without giving them a smartphone or iPod when they’re quite young.