Summer is off to a rollicking good start.
My husband, baby girl and I traveled up to Maine for 2 weeks.
We watched the sunrise on Cadillac Mountain, had homemade popovers and fresh strawberry jam, went out on a lobster boat and had the most delicious dinner (and cocktails!) at a farm-to-table vegetarian restaurant.
More than anything, my time was spent reading, walking and of course with little Leona and my husband.
We all need that sometimes. A “pause” from our lives where we can relax, unwind and reconnect with ourselves and our loved ones.
I’ll admit. I did bring my laptop, but it rarely made an appearance. When it did, work felt more like creative play than real work.
I gave myself permission to pump the breaks on content generation in order to dream-up some new ways to bring YOU even more valuable, exciting and fun resources.
And that brings me to this post. The first of it’s kind, but definitely not the last. A glimpse into my life and what is inspiring, motivating, entertaining me at the moment so that you, too, can infuse more purpose-full fun into your life and business.
Below I give you the inaugural HOT List for July 2015.
What I’m reading…
Playing Big by Tara Mohr.
If you want to hone your voice, mission and message, Tara is your girl. Her writing is honest, compassionate and elucidating. I’ve had a number of “ah-ha” moments while reading her book, and her advice about how to “play bigger” has me thinking up tons of new ideas for myself and my business. Basically, in the absolute best way possible, she leaves us with no excuses and invites us to inhabit our WHOLE selves and live purposefully. Good stuff.
What I’m waking up to…
Yoga with Adriene.
If you haven’t yet checked out this gal, you need to. Even if you’re not into yoga, she’s a case study in building a thriving brand around what you love -- she has over 700,000 YouTube subscribers! She’s super sweet and funny, and she totally takes the intimidation factor out of it.
What I’m having fun with…
The Fitness Marshall.
Another YouTube phenomenon. I’ve been missing my Zumba classes ever since my baby girl was born, and FINALLY I’ve found an amazing replacement. This guy is like no-other, and his dances are badass. He’ll get you moving, sweating in booty-shaking in no-time.
What I’m drinking at happy hour…
I fell in LOVE with this cocktail up in Maine at The Gothic in Belfast. It’s so innovative and includes one of my most favorite things ever -- St. Germain liqueur. (If you don’t know St. Germain, you need to...it’s smooth, slightly floral, has a hint of pear and makes any drink better.)
At The Gothic they created this amazing cocktail called The Specs with vodka, St. Germain, rosewater and pink & black peppercorns (yes, pepper!), and it was ahhh-mazing. And so pretty! I’ve made it for my husband and myself since being home, and as best I can tell, this is the recipe:
2 parts vodka 1 part St. Germain 2 parts rosewater* 3 grinds of pepper
Put everything in a shaker over ice, shake it up, and strain it into a martini glass. Garnish with a pinch of whole peppercorns. *If you don’t have rosewater, you can substitute 1 part water, 1 part organic berry juice or even lemonade for a citrusy version.
(If you make this cocktail, you have to tweet me a pic @CailenAscher.)
So there you have it. The first-ever HOT List.
If you check out any of the HOT List items, let me know if you dig ‘em in the blog comments below, on Twitter, Facebook, or send me an email.
Have some fun stuff you’re lovin’ on this summer? Let me know. I’d love to check it out!
xo,
