Slow Living Lifestyle In The Early Days Of Summer

Practicing a slow living lifestyle calls for us to take the time to fully appreciate both the moments we are in and the beauty of the big gorgeous world around us. It beckons us to understand that all of our power is in the now.

tree on a summer day

Life really does consist of just the moment we are in. This very moment is where life is lived.

Yes, we must have goals for the future. And we need a solid plan as to how we are going to reach those goals.

We have to apply ourselves to working toward those goals. And, often, we will need to work very hard to reach them.

But … we also must be absolutely sure to enjoy the basic pleasures that can be found in the seemingly mundane tasks of every day living.

And regularly take a little extra time to squeeze every bit of pleasure out of activities we adore, but feel we never have time for.

Slow Living Summer’s Early Morning Hours

For me today … that was enjoying an early morning sunrise. Her beauty was enchanting and left me wanting to spend the rest of my morning dilly-dallying a bit in the great outdoors of northern Maine.

slow living morning sunrise

So, I decided to head out to the woods, for a long leisurely walk, before I really got a start on my day. And, as it turned out, that was exactly what I needed.

Picking Wildflowers

The weather was quite lovely, and I was feeling inspired to just immerse myself deep within the arms of Mama Nature. I set out to let the worries of the world fall away and simply frolic in her splendor for a bit.

It wasn’t difficult to do, as she had placed wildflowers absolutely everywhere I looked, to entice me. ABSOLUTELY EVERYWHERE!

I gathered enough to make this sweet little bouquet to put in my entryway to greet anyone who stops by to visit. I’m pretty wild about how the lilies and daisies compliment each other.

wildflowers in a vase by a welcome sign

I gathered some buttercups, yellow and orange hawkweed and several other varieties as well. I was able to make 3 more small bouquets to place around the house.

It’s the simplest things, like seeing a vase of wildflowers when you walk into a room, that lend a very notable level of quality to our days.

Implementing such seemingly small pleasures into our daily lives is one of my favorite slow living lifestyle principles for sure.

Making Sun Tea

Sun tea has been on my late spring/early summer agenda a lot this year. It’s mad silly how easy it is to make the tastiest jar of fresh brewed tea using just the power of the sun.

sun tea brewing in a jar

It’s as simple as placing a tea bag in a quart jar of warm water and setting it out in a sunny spot to brew. It really is that easy. Not even kidding.

woman drinking fresh brewed sun tea

And there is definitely something about the way it tastes when it’s ready to drink. It must be the slow brew process. And, of course, the infusion of the sun’s energy as it warms that quart jar should not be overlooked.

Making A Handmade Rose Sugar Scrub

While my sun tea brewed throughout the afternoon, I turned my attention to a few chores around the house. But only because they were necessary, as I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the roses I had picked earlier on my walk.

roses in a basket on a table

I’ve always loved handmade … well … just about EVERYTHING. And when I came across these lovely roses I just knew that some of them were destined to become a handmade rose sugar scrub for me to enjoy one evening this week.

One of the key components of a slow living lifestyle is to do ones best to keep things as locally and organically produced as possible. So shopping small and getting to know your farmer are the kind of things that slow living proponents strive for.

I love to shop small. And I’m all about getting to know my local farmer. BUT … the real point of living slow for me, is to produce and forage as much of the products I consume myself. So, when I can actually harvest the ingredients for a product and make it in my own kitchen I get pretty excited!

handmade rose sugar scrub in a bowl

And at this time of year when Mama Earth is giving my gorgeous fresh roses to work with … it’s impossible to resist making something indulgent for myself. Foolish even.

I made the most divine rose sugar scrub ever. I’ll put a recipe at the bottom of this post for you. You can snag it there, even print it out if you like.

Slow Living Afternoon Lunch

By the time I was done watching the sunrise, dilly-dallying in the northern Maine woods, brewing a little sun tea, and making a sugar scrub I was just starving.

vegan nachos slow living lunch

I had prepped some cashews yesterday to make a vegan cheese sauce and I was itching to get to it.

Vegan cheese sauce is just the best on loaded nachos. So YUMMY!

They’re so easy to make. They taste really great. And they really don’t heat up the kitchen at all. Perfect for summer.

Everyone loves them, vegan or not. And they make a great appetizer, lunch, and sometimes … even dinner.

I’ll put a recipe card below for the nachos as well. Snag it and print it. You’re gonna use it all the time, promise.

Slow Living Summer’s Evening Hours

Late lunches are usually followed by very busy afternoons for me. But today I was feeling pretty dedicated to having a complete day in tune with nothing more than nature and my own whims. A sort of dangerous combination as those who really know me would tell you 😉

slow living afternoon at the river

So, I ran with the whole I’m going to fully implement slow living lifestyle leisure activities into my day, my whole day. And I blew off the rest of the afternoon at a park with my gorgeous bulldogge, Riley.

The entire day was filled with positivity, indulgence, and self care. It was much needed. It really was.

So, I figured I might as well end it as it had begun. Admiring the glory of one of the sun’s two majestic performances each day, the sunset.

slow living evening sunset

And as always she gave me a one of a kind show. There is something very special about the northern Maine sky. She has a place in my heart for sure.

I’m not certain when I’ll actually get outside to see the sunrise and the sunset in the same day again. I’m not a routine early morning riser.

I do admit that in spite of the pleasure I take from sleeping just longer than the sun, I wouldn’t be too grumpy about a day like today coming around again real soon!

WATCH THE VIDEO FOR THIS POST

pinnable image for summer slow living lifestyle
handmade rose sugar scrub in a bowl
Yield: 1 treatment

ROSE SUGAR SCRUB

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Active Time: 2 minutes
Total Time: 7 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Estimated Cost: .75

Made from 3 simple ingredients, and whipped up in just minutes, this lovely rose sugar scrub will nourish, exfoliate, and hydrate your skin simultaneously.

Materials

  • 1 c fresh rose petals
  • 1/2 c granulated sugar
  • 1/4 c coconut oil

Tools

  • Magic bullet (blender)
  • Measuring cups
  • Spoon
  • Spatula
  • Airtight container

Instructions

  1. Place all ingredients in a small blender, a magic bullet is perfect if you have one
  2. Blend until mixed well
  3. Put in an airtight container to store until needed
  4. To use: Apply to wet skin with fingertips and scrub lightly using a circular motion. Rinse well. Remove oil residue with a clean towel.
vegan nachos slow living lunch
Yield: 3 servings

LOADED VEGAN NACHOS

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Additional Time: 1 day
Total Time: 1 day 15 minutes

Quick and easy loaded vegan nachos. Perfect for a summer snack, a light lunch, a party appetizer, or even for a late dinner on a hot summer day.

Ingredients

  • 2 c raw cashews
  • 2 1/2 c water
  • 1/2 c nutritional yeast
  • 3 tbls lemon juice
  • 2 tsp stone ground mustard
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • corn starch to thicken
  • 1/2 c diced red onion
  • 1/2 c diced tomatoes
  • 1 jalapeno, sliced thin
  • 1/4 c sliced black olives

Instructions

  1. Soak cashews in water for 24 hours.
  2. Place soaked cashews (with water), nutritional yeast, lemon juice, mustard, and spices into a food processor and blend until smooth.
  3. Pour into a small sauce pan and heat through, if mixture does not reach desired consistency add cornstarch 1 tbls at a time until it does, sift cornstarch over the mixture when adding as pouring it directly in will result in clumping.
  4. Lay out tortilla chips on a plate.
  5. Top with cheese sauce, red onions, tomatoes, jalapenos and black olives.
  6. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

3

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 619Total Fat: 42gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 30gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 954mgCarbohydrates: 46gFiber: 11gSugar: 8gProtein: 28g

This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix on 6/30/2022. Nutrition information isn't always accurate.

10 Comments

  1. I love all these ideas. Great post. I had no idea, or never thought of the fact that you can make tea in the hot sun! lol Especially right now — in Missouri it’s like 100° regularly.

  2. I want to do everything on here. When I was young my mother always had a pitcher of tea setting out on the porch waiting for dinner. Thank you for sharing.

  3. I love the things that help us to slow down, you have done a good job compiling these. I love the rose sugar scrub!

    1. Thanks so much Courtney! It’s so encouraging to me when someone enjoys my work. I’m new to this kind of post so it’s easy for me to question it. Make that scrub. It’s fabulous 😉

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