It's the Little Things...

Today is August 1. One more official month of summer (can this really be possible?!) and I am craving simplicity. Hammocks and books and beaches and simple suppers of garden produce and long walks and swimming in lakes. Given that I'm in the final stretch of book writing and production, that's not exactly in the cards for me anytime soon, but I am trying to infuse my day-to-day with little tastes of these simple pleasures. Like a run in the park. A Sunday morning spent drinking coffee and reading the New York Times. A stroll in my favorite sculpture garden. Rooftop dinners of Quinciple produce – like the peach, basil, and burrata salad we had last night – all feel extra special right now.

Brandon and I try and eat dinner together every night, no matter how busy we are (he recently launched his own company, so his work never seems to end) – it's our time to catch up, talk about our days, to re-connect. Taking this time to cook a meal and eat together has been so key to us staying connected during this crazy season. We were just talking last night how we're going to look back on this time – our lesisurely dinners just the two of us, talking about our projects and about life – with nostalgia. All the more reason to enjoy them now!

I have so much more to write, but I'm running out the door to go meet a friend's new baby! In the meantime, I want to share a really fascinating article in last Sunday's New York Times called "No Time to Think." It speaks about how busy everybody is, and the fact that when we slow down, we instantly feel sad. And so we stay busier and busier. I know from experience that this is a dangerous trap – never allowing ourselves to rest because of guilt and fear. (I wrote a post about this last year: "Rest is Not a Four-Letter Word.") I'm going to come back and share a bit more on this, but for now, happy reading. And happy Friday!

P.S. My second "Everyday Entertaining" column for Tasting Table is out! And it's all about how to cook – and entertain – in a small kitchen. (I know a thing or two about that!)

P.S.S. What are some of your favorite simple summertime pleasures? Comment below...I'd love to hear!