My boy, ROF, is a cocktail mix master. It is a balmy 90+ degrees here in Mad Town and here are some cool drinks you can make tonight or for brunch this weekend.
And if you need something to eat along with all these drinks, throw some of these DELISH steaks on the grill!
While it’s important to be present in the current moment, as I’ve mentioned before, I can’t help but to (constantly) read articles, blog posts and books on best practices. More specifically, best practices on being your best self.
Here are 3 of the best. Click on the title to take you to the article.
By Benjamin P. Hardy
A lot of people are good at what they do. Some are even elite. A select few are completely unstoppable.
By Thomas Oppong
Extremely productive people know the difference between urgent and important.
By Elle Kaplan
Who knew?
There ain’t nothing like a good egg. My family loves eggs and we make them many different ways. My sister, Katie makes a mean fried egg. She can even flip the egg in the pan without a spatula. She’s cool. ROF scrambles eggs like no other. it’s so simple yet so good. They are just the right consistency and filled with the previous night’s leftovers. Like salmon and cream cheese. My specialty? Poachies.
First is blogger Oh Joy’s rainbow pancakes. aren’t these the best idea ever? especially if you have kids. Pop over there to get the recipe that is in video format.
Second, is something that just made my mouth water a little bit. Baked baguette french toast by the Dash and Bella blog. I haven’t made this yet but think I will when I have my next overnight guests.
For the third recipe, I’m heading back to eggs. Check out these awesome egg cupcakes. Another great company breakfast. Thanks dine & dish for this recipe!
Lastly, how about these amaretto french toast bites by the awesome sweet paul? Delish!
I’m a lot easier on myself. As the years rolled on, I’ve learned to be as kind to me as I would be to anyone else. It took a lot of work to get to this point.
When I was younger, I always had this voice inside my head that pushed me on. It began with my mom encouraging me, and then it became my own. It whispered:
The sky is your limit. You can go as far and as high as that. Easily.
That was when I was a kid. Walking my dog, Maggie, at night. And I believed it.
Photo by reza shayestehpour
But that voice changed as I got a little bit older. It started to grow more critical and judgmental. It was damn harsh. Where did this come from? I think it was because I was so influenced by everything in my teens and 20’s. Magazine ads, sitcoms, MTV, friends.
You sounded stupid when you said that. You don’t even know how to do that.
And I started to believe that too.
But as I’ve gotten even older, I simply don’t care as much. Fitting in, keeping pace and people’s perceptions of me – all that -is exhausting. There’s a huge freedom in letting that go.
As I’ve gotten older, what I let influence me has changed. People who are authentic, funny and creative interest me more than people who try too hard to fit in.
I have the ability to realize – in the very moment – that everything I do becomes a memory. If your mind doesn’t go down the crapper, those collections of memories will be all you have someday. When I was younger, I didn’t think like that. I was too busy indulging. Now, I savor every moment I can knowing I will someday reflect back on that moment.
A good example of this was holding my dad’s hand when he was dying. I held his hand in mine and studied his flat palm, then traced the veins on top of his hand and I remember the softly rounded fingertips. I etched this in my memory to have forever. 13 years later, I can close my eyes and remember how his hands felt.
As I’ve gotten older, I realize the importance of really appreciating the present moment. I do this when playing cards with my husband, snuggling with my bulldog, laughing with my sister, visiting with my sister-in-law or just about anything.
Another thing I’ve learned as I’ve gotten older is how important it is to have a positive disposition. You always have a choice on what to focus on. Always. You can choose to live in a way that you add joy to others lives or you don’t. It’s as simple as that.
But as you get older, you are faced with a lot more shit. There’s the rub. YOU WILL GO THROUGH TOUGH TIMES. No doubt about it. Someone will pass away, you’ll have to put your dog down, or less dramatically — you’ll just have more crappy days. Anticipate it. Go through it. Feel it. But get a shovel and start digging your way out. The only thing that soothes pain (next to prayer, for me) is time. Spend your time wisely.
Getting older has helped teach me to reset my mind. To focus on my side of the street, to understand that I can control only what I can control and not to enable people I can’t control. If I want to be an encourager, then I must not let things trip me up
Don’t get me wrong, I am not thrilled with getting wrinkles and achy muscles. But these are some positive aspects of gaining experiences (or getting older…!) What are you learning?
Music is a big part of any fantastic weekend. Whether you’re running around with errands, road tripping with family, making dinner or just lounging around-it’s all better with music.
I’ve curated not one but two incredible playlists for you. I know they’re good because I’ve listened to them a million times.
Chainsmoking + Vodka is perfect if you are chilling out this weekend. Check out WILDFIRE by Mandolin Orange which I snagged from the great coffeehouse PORTER here in Madison. I do have to warn you, the new Ben Howard song is way out there but I admit, I LOVE IT. ROF wasn’t too keen on it. Let me know if you’re a fan.
Mascara + Chardonnay was originally compiled for women only. But I realize that men have good taste in music too. ha. laughs. jokes. I bet you can picture me singing “1950” at the top of my lungs. Because I do. I first heard the Ed Sheeran song at my friends cabin up north and had to snag that jam.
Enjoy! Spotify links below .
https://open.spotify.com/user/amyfulford/playlist/4LNDQfxFhjnmqanjUkt5ea?si=Gi5-A3OhTHWHbq2C3rgk3Q
https://open.spotify.com/user/amyfulford/playlist/0A20JEovN3Ou6qlDdTpEFz?si=MpK0RNHdTHaBOG27Sx-2_w
Have you ever felt like you’ve lost your mojo? That is how I’ve felt this year. I hate saying that out loud because I have so much to be thankful and happy for when so many of my friends and acquaintances are going through a hard time. Do you know what I mean? If all I’ve lost is my mojo then I’ve got it pretty good. Mojo might be over-rated anyway.
What this year has taught me so far is that life is finite. You see, I never thought that. My thinking as a self-absorbed career girl has always been that there is so much time left. In my 20’s I smoked like crazy because – WHY NOT? Life was long and I’d have plenty of time to quit (and thankfully, I did!)
Here is why I’ve lost my passion and how I’m going to get it back (took some soul searching)
How I lost it:
I’ve felt knocked off center a bit. But this is how I’m getting it back. I’m not going to include the things you think I’m going to say like being thankful. These are very true but you can read that anywhere. I’m going to be thankful and grateful every single day. Because I am. And just because I’ve felt off – doesn’t mean I’m not appreciative. After all, I am The Appreciator!
If you’ve never read anything by Eckhart Tolle, read him. His faith is different from mine, but I appreciate his thinking and beliefs about living in the NOW. This I’m going to practice.
Proverbs 4:23 says: ” More than anything you guard, protect your mind, for life flows from it.”
I’m going to guard my mind and train it to focus on my main passion – being curious. If I can stay focused on that goal and that is what I seek out in the content I’m consuming, then I think I can get my groove back on. It’s so easy to get off track and run down that rabbit hole of WOPAD (what other people are doing) – I’m going to stay curious.
Is this getting too deep for you? It almost is for me. Need a coffee break.
OK. I’m back. Here is the biggest thing. Saved the best for last.
I need to create. It’s what drives me. (wait. there is that word again!) And I’ve so gotten away from that. If I really think about when I’m happiest – it is when I’m being creative. Whether it is re-arranging furniture (only when ROF is gone, it stresses him out) or making a playlist, helping my clients, compiling an inspiration board or cooking dinner – I need to be creating.
Are you in a funk? What do you NEED to be doing? Do it.
