With Summer still in session (but school not too far behind), it’s time to get a good dose of festivals and outdoor activities while the day is young. Here are our top six can’t-miss Austin events for August 2017.
Summer vacation! As a kid, it meant no school, unlimited time to hang out with friends, trips to theme parks, and so on; as an adult, it can mean jetting away to an exotic island or country to get a taste of something completely different from home. Here at milk + honey, we think that summer vacation can also include exploring your own backyard. Inspired by the city, we’ve mapped out our ideal Austin Staycation guide. Just like our Houston Staycation roundup, this guide highlights which hotels, restaurants, activities should be on your to-do list.
From concerts to food trailers, here are our top seven can’t-miss Austin events for July 2017.
There’s no time like the present to address some hard-wired morning habits we all are guilty of — reaching for our phones to check email/Instagram/more email/SportsCenter/you get the picture the moment our eyes open, grabbing the first caffeinated thing we can get our hands on, and never giving the day ahead a “big-picture review” before jumping into our 9 a.m. meeting. To avoid the proverbial, waking up on the wrong side of the bed, we must take matters into our own hands (and minds!). And that’s exactly what were doing right here.
1. Lemon Water Is Your New Favorite Drink. More specifically, a cup of warm purified water infused with fresh lemon is the perfect AM wake-up call. Drink it first thing — yes, before breakfast (which you should also be eating – it is the most important meal of the day after all!) — and reap the benefits of a natural miracle worker. Seriously. Warm lemon water helps to flush out toxins, purges the body of unwanted substances, helps to boost your immune system, aids in digestion, and improves your mood. Like we said, miracle. worker.
2. Avoid Your Phone (and Get Your Head in the Game). If you’re one of those people (guilty as charged) that reaches for their phone as soon as you’ve reentered waking life, try avoiding the home screen — at least, for the first 10 to 15 minutes of your morning. Instead, take these initial moments to review the day ahead. Mentally align your priorities, assign goals for both the short term and long term, and give yourself breathing room. If avoiding your phone isn’t in the cards, then we say, “embrace it and open the Headspace app instead.” This app acts like a personal trainer for meditation, with exercises ranging from 10 minutes a day to lengthier sessions. Cellular clarity, if you will.
3. Make Stretching a Priority. Stretch before you even get out of bed. It feels so good and the actual health benefits are numerous. Let us count the ways. Stretching helps increase the blood flow to the muscles, which in turn, helps you to feel more energized and refreshed. It also helps to prevent future injury from muscle stiffness.
4. Get Movin’ and Sweat It Out. Stretching is one thing — and it’s important — but really getting your body into motion is equally important. Yes, this means you should probably invest in an earlier wake-up time, but it also means that you should create a time and space for something as simple as 10 minutes of mat yoga, a 25-minute jog around your neighborhood, or a 30-minute at-home barre workout. Many people find that working out in the morning jumpstarts their day (and metabolism), regulates their appetite, and provides a built-in rhythm and routine to the work week.
5. Nourish Your Body. There are so many ways to do this, but we’ll give you two excellent tips to set you on the right path for the day. First, in a more literal sense, try dry body brushing before showering. You’ll need a dry loofah or brush. With it, you’ll brush your body in circular motions toward your heart, working your way outward in. This action not only sloughs off dead skin cells, it also promotes better circulation and reduces cellulite. Second, make yourself a green smoothie. Remember to incorporate superfood ingredients like kale, spinach, and chard, but mix it with more palatable (but also nutritious) items like apple, ginger, mint, pineapple, mango, blueberries, and lemon. Need more smoothie inspiration? Go here.
For me, SXSW 2017 is all about the spectacular films that can’t be missed. As a movie fanatic, I’ve searched through the SXSW guide and have found some true gems. Let me know what you’re most looking forward to seeing.
Sit, click, and stay awhile. These are the week’s best links to read, all in one place.
[source: A Simple Feast by Diana Yen]
Essential oils might be the new antibiotics — The Atlantic
The greatest MLK speeches you never heard — CNN
And the Oscar goes to… 2015 predictions (we’re rooting for Boyhood!) — New York Magazine
Sweat with these Texas-based fitness brands — Austin Way
Are you showering too much or not enough? — BuzzFeed Life
Opinion: why I am not Charlie — a paper bird
Peel-to-stem, bang bang, and the wheat revolution — Details
This is what life after Serial looks like — goop
Mini dill frittatas for Sunday brunch, yes please. — Camille Styles
Wellness rules from exceptionally healthy people — well + GOOD
Modern love: 36 questions and a soulmate later — The New York Times
As a rule of thumb, winter temps and holiday indulgence don’t mesh well where perfect skin is concerned. Luckily, we love a good loop hole, and this is a really, really good one.
Commit this equation to memory:
Ultrasonic Treatment + Cosmedix Pure Enzymes + drinking (lots of) water = healthy, pretty, smooth skin.
What does it all do?
The Ultrasonic Treatment employs high-frequency vibration to gently exfoliate dead-skin cells for a cleaner, healthier complexion sans redness, swelling, and irritation commonly associated with microdermabrasion. It diminishes wrinkles and fine lines by stimulating the production of collagen and elastin; it aids in penetrating topical skin products beyond the epidermis through Sonophoresis.
Cosmedix Pure Enzymes This gentle, exfoliating mask harnesses the natural power of cranberry enzymes and lactic acid to scrub away facial impurities and de-congest blocked pores. As active ingredients exfoliate, protect, and revitalize the skin, potent, oil-free moisturizers add a dewy softness to blemish-prone skin.
Written by guest editor and milk + honey licensed massage therapist, Matt Walker
I love the holidays, but let’s face it, they can be pretty overwhelming. With the trifecta of Thanksgiving, Yuletide festivities, and New Year’s Eve in our midst, it’s inevitable that we get sucked in, overrun, depleted, lifted, and celebrated. Regardless of where you’re at in this spirited procession, you’ll want to take care of the “basics,” as in, first and foremost, take care of yourself. This also means that it’s a really good idea to keep things in perspective, and when all else fails, take refuge (or you know, a night off).
Here are some other life reminders — trust me, we all need a little call to action, and this is mine to you.
Have a self-care plan, one that embraces moderation:
- Try hard to get in about eight hours of sleep — here’s what’s in it for you.
- Daily movement is key. Or if an everyday schedule doesn’t work, try for 30 minutes of intense exercise a couple times a week.
- Whole, nutritiously dense foods with a minimum of ingredients, such as vegetables and meats present the most reliable pre-prescription for health.
- Be merry. That’s a given.
- Always get home safely.
And when you know “moderation” might not be in the cards for your night out, be honest with yourself.
- Know when you intend on pushing past your limits, and under which conditions.
- Avoid sugary treats and alcohol until sundown.
- Try to clear part of your day after the company party.
- Carpool or take a cab home on the nights you plan on over-indulging.
We can all lose a grip on things, especially when the holiday energy is high. Remember: a little perspective goes a long way. No holiday — no day, for that matter — has to be perfect. So, be thankful for the time you’re spending with family and friends. Count your blessings.
When all else fails, it’s time to take refuge:
- Move a little slower.
- Savor quiet time.
- Go outside.
- Cross something off your list without doing it, and go do something for yourself instead.
- Stay home.
- Schedule a massage.
- Visit a sauna.
- Meditate.
- Pray.
In the grand scheme of things, the holidays punctuate our daily lives, helping us to reaffirm those very things we would cherish everyday if the ideal were actual. It’s the best time of year to reflect, rejoice, and recharge for the year ahead.
Happy holidays, everyone!
Image: ABC Studios
Fans and readers of Rare Magazine turned out in droves to pick their favorite places, people, and things in this month’s “Rarest of them All” issue, and we’re so proud to have received an abundance of milk + honey love! Thank you so much, Austin, for choosing milk + honey as your Best Spa,Best Facial, and Best Massage.
Now you can put your two cents in on the Austin Chronicle’s annual “Best of Austin” Awards. We always love to hear from you, so if you have any feedback from your milk + honey experience that you’d like to share with us, please send your comments to [email protected].
