1 Spend at least three hours a week tending to the garden that you have created. Take time to string the beans so that they are easy to pick and pull weeds and add fertilizer. This will ensure the most produce form from all the efforts in seeding and planting your food!
2 Plan a trip for a small getaway for the family to some place in Texas. Perhaps a trip to San Antonio tubing now that the weather is warm enough for the river to not be too cold.
3 Start compiling the menu for Fourth of July and assigning family members to the recipes so you are not stuck having to do it all. I like to make a Pinterest Board and then invite each family member and friends who are coming over to that so they can decide who’s doing what.
4 On my nightside table now is The Chessboard and the Web: Strategies of Connection in a Networked by Anne-Marie Slaughter and The Witch must Die by Sheldon Cashdan.
5 With the warm weather you’ll be poolside more and that can mean unwanted pests! There are plenty of natural ways to deter them and using neem oils works . You can also introduce beneficial insects, like ladybugs to kill aphids, or parasitic wasps to eat caterpillars.
6 It might sound early, but trust me on this…Start making a list of people who you want to give a gift to this holiday. It’s time to begin thinking about what you will be making for your friends and family this year. Last year I made lavender milk baths. Assembling these is best done with help and can be a fun summer activity for you and the children. Imagine that when they go back to school in the fall that you could have all your presents waiting in the cupboard or gifting in a few short months!
7 Take a drive to Galveston and fly a kite with the children. Make some of my Brie, Bacon and Apricot sandwiches and sweet potato chips to take along with homemade strawberry lemonade.
8 Go to the dollar store and get little bags and small American Flags. Stuff the bags with s sweet thank you note and some candy and fruit and drop to the local VA for Fourth of July!
9 Take the cats and dogs into the vet to be groomed, clipped and updated on all their shots. They will love being clean and cooler in the hot months.
10 Take a moment to make a cup of tea and read a bit of the Bible. I am really digging how each of the Disciples had their own take on Jesus and his time and purpose both then and now for our lives.
Alisa Murray’s aka. Auntie A’s Brie, Bacon and Apricot Sandwiches
You’ll need:
Fresh bread of your choice
Apricot Jam
Brie Cheese sliced thinly
Bacon strips
Balsamic Vinagrete
Take the bread and on each piece smear Apricot jam
on one side place four strips of bacon
on the other side place three think sliced pieces of french brie cheese
slap those two together and place on a buttered indoor grill until bread is marked and cheese has melted, remove from grill, cut into pieces ad drizzle balsamic vinaigrette over the finished sandwich
