Disclosure: I was hired by Mountain Valley Spring Water in Hot Springs to promote the awesome tasting spring waters from Arkansas. I was compensated on the link post noted below. All thoughts and opinions are my own, of course.

Today was a perfect weather day.

It started off a bit on the chilly side and as I woke up to meet the day I slipped on comfy sweats and a tee shirt. As the day ebbed on and we ran errands, I quickly released it was time for shorts and flip-flops. Summer is coming and she is ready to make residency.

Whenever I encounter perfect days such as today, when the slight breezes and half-sunshiney and half-shady days beg me to put up a hammock, I am reminded that life is meant for slowing down whenever we can. To really LIVE. Pick a flower, enjoy a long conversation, and just get your feet wet.

Does it seem to you that is all I talk about these days? Slowing down, enjoying life, and stopping to smell the flowers. Either I am getting way old before my time, or I think that life is just begging us to embrace it. I think I will go with choice #2! Yes, definitely #2!

Picnics.

Picnics are on my mind. Are they on yours, too?

I love a picnic.

They don’t have to be formal. They can be and that’s okay. Informality is pretty rocking, too. Tonight we picnicked on the boat at sunset with leftover frittatas from this morning’s breakfast, a few crackers, and a very limely gin and tonic. See, picnics don’t have to be all about cute baskets, complicated side dishes, and heavy expectations. Impromptu makes the best picnics.

If you need a little push in the picnic-planning department, hop on over to the Mountain Valley Spring Water blog for a recent post I guested on related to picnics. I shared five essentials when it comes to picnics. They are simple and straight-forward and well, a little bit of my philosophy of life shines through. I am really excited about writing for Mountain Valley Springs, an Arkansas company that has bottled delicious tasting spring water for more than 145 years.

Check out my list of five essentials for a family picnic and see if you agree. Maybe I missed a few here or there or maybe you agree with all of them. Who knows? All I know that I raise my (water) glass to picnics and wish you a merry week and to the joy of slowing down.

Happy picnicking, my friend.

Eat well, my friend. Eat well.
Lyndi