Happy {almost} summer! Somehow, Memorial Day usually feels like the unofficial start to summer, even though it doesn’t technically start until June 21. The warmer weather, the longer days, the sunshine, the BBQs, the beach trips, the completely relaxed vibes…
I don’t know about you, but I’m definitely ready for summer to arrive!
And since I’m already feeling that relaxed vibe after the Monday holiday this week, I thought we could take a momentary break from recipes (don’t worry—I already have a delicious one lined up to send you later this week!) and talk about something unexpected and exciting that recently happened.
So pour yourself a cup of coffee or tea—hot or iced, I won’t judge!—or even a fresh glass of water… And pretend you and I are sitting across from each other at a coffee shop.
Are you ready? Then here we go!
Last month, I took my first real vacation in years.
Crazy, right??
To be fair, I’ve taken numerous trips over the years, including quite a few for fun, yet… On each of those trips, I still set aside time to work each day. Time to check emails, log into social media, respond to comments, share new blog posts, those sorts of things. I never truly “clicked off” during those vacations and always had my mind halfway on work.
Not surprisingly, I always ended up feeling slightly stressed and frazzled during those vacations, instead of feeling happy and relaxed, and I usually counted down the days until I needed to start “full-time” working again. Then as soon as I returned home, I felt just as frantic trying to catch up and get ahead again.
But this time…
This time, I decided it would be different.
I wouldn’t check email, I wouldn’t share any new recipes on the blog, and I’d only text back and forth with my awesome assistant whenever she needed me. (Megan, you’re the BEST!)
Instead, I’d be fully present. I’d be in the moment. I’d be truly enjoying the time I spent with my family at our mini reunion.
And when my mom decided to hold our mini reunion at Disneyland… It actually wasn’t all that hard to decide to ignore work for a few days! ????
That weekend, we met up with our aunt and cousins (we hadn’t seen our cousins in ten years!) and spent three jam-packed days dashing around the theme parks, squeezing in all of our favorite rides and sweet treats, and snapping as many photos as we could.
I had forgotten what it was like to pull out my phone just to use as a camera… And not as a lifeline to my business, my blog, and social media.
I felt happy… carefree… excited… peaceful… and whole.
I had almost forgotten what it was like to simply be Amy… Rather than to be “Amy’s Healthy Baking.”
So in case you’re going through a period like that too, where work is incredibly involved and consuming and overwhelming… Maybe this can be your reminder, just like it was mine.
A reminder to pause… take a deep breath… relax… and put yourself first.
Because as my mom always says, you have to refill your teacup and recharge your batteries and put on your oxygen mask first before you can truly help others.
And hopefully…
You won’t wait as many years as I did to remember that. ????
As someone who obviously loves taking photos (and not just of food!), here are some of my favorites from our Disneyland and California Adventure trip! And yes… We’re already thinking of going back!
Great pictures!
Nice you had such a wonderful time.
Sandy
Thank you so much Sandy!
YAY! Love this. It’s SO important to take time to yourself, turn off work, and recharge. I hope you can do this at LEAST once a year (or MORE!!), Amy! Is that someone we know playing sax that you took a photo of?? I can’t tell for sure. 😉
Thanks so much sweet pea! I’m definitely planning on doing this more than once a year now. So important to recharge! 😉 And YES!!! We randomly stumbled upon him playing the Disneyland band playing on Main Street our first day, so I texted him on our second day in Disneyland to find out where they would be performing. It was SO fun!!
Amy;
Hi,i love and enjoyed looking at your pictures of your trip with your mom and cousins,the pictures are so awesome.I am going to look at your recipes on your website to pick a recipe to make at home,it has been a long time since I baked one of your recipes.I was thinking on making your cornmeal cake recipe but i will have to look at your recipe to see what ingredients i will need in order to make your cornmeal cake recipe.
Have a nice day today and I hope to hear from you soon,and I will let you know what my mom and I think of your recipe ok amy.
Kim
You’re so kind Kim — that means the world to me! Thank you! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you and your mom think of the cornbread too!
Thanks for the reminder to take time off! Great pictures!
Thank you so much Miriam! I really appreciate it! 🙂
Amy, good for you that you made time to unplug. I loved looking at your photos. I am a little envious of you. My family hasn’t had a real vacation in a long time. Right now we are waiting for our new house to be built and live in an Rv 5th wheel. It was fun at first but it has been 2 1/2 years! Any way, I am saving all your healthy baking recipes for when we do have our house and a REAL OVEN! Cooking/baking in a camper is no easy task!
Thank you so much for your sweet comment Carol! I can’t imagine living in an RV for two and a half years… Especially knowing how hard cooking and baking can be without a real oven! I’ve gone a few months without a kitchen before, and it was no easy task. I’m so impressed that you’ve been going this long without a real kitchen! But at least you’ll get to move into your dream house, right?? 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what recipe you decide to make when that happens — and I really hope it’s soon!!
Amy – your Mom is a wise woman! Everyone needs to “recharge” eventually ????. Your pictures are wonderful. It’s the happiest place to be – how could you not have fun!
Thanks for all the great recipes. I’ve made several of the vegan desserts over the past few months. Hosting family I have a nephew who’s vegan – and he’s not the only one that loves the recipes I make – thanks for all you do!
Karen
Thank you so much for your kind words, Karen! I definitely agree. My mom is incredibly wise — and thankfully, I learned to listen to her wisdom pretty early on! 😉 I’m so glad you and your family are enjoying my vegan recipes! Since my brother is allergic to eggs and lactose intolerant, I’m pretty familiar with “veganizing” baking recipes, so if you ever see one of my non-vegan recipes that you’d like to modify to be vegan, please don’t hesitate to ask. I’m always happy to help! 🙂 And I can’t wait to hear what recipe you and your family decide to try next!
Thank you for sharing your pics!! It makes me miss going to Disneyland and California Adventure. I will be going to Maryland next month. I plan on relaxing and taking a ton of pics.
It’s my pleasure Kela! Your trip to Maryland sounds wonderful. You can never take too many photos on a trip, right?? 😉 Have a fantastic time!!
This looks like such a fun trip Amy! I’m so glad you were able to spend some time with your family. & I really hope you had that brownie ice cream sundae (it looks amazing!) & at least one of the other awesome Disney treats. I’ve never been to Disney World or Disneyland, but from your pictures I definitely should plan a trip, if not to just get a Minnie Rice Krispie Treat 😉 I can’t wait to see where you go next!
You’re so sweet — thank you Megan!! ♡ It was so fun to get out of the kitchen and out from behind a computer screen for a couple of days. 😉 I haven’t been to Disney World either, but my cousins have! They also bought lots of Disney-themed treats while we were there and always offered to share. The brownie sundae, pink Minnie Mouse cake pops with edible glitter, Mickey-shaped ice cream sandwiches… You name it!