New season, new ideas, new beginnings. I am writing from a cool and raining May 1 in Santa Fe, NM. Last week, my family and I made a pact to be a bit more intentional the month of May. Through email, we discussed ideas around what it means to be more grounded, live a little closer to the earth, and try and make space each day for reflection.

A few ideas for how this might look: sit on the porch each morning to listen to the birds, journal daily, be in the mountains, take sugar and packaged food out of the daily diet, drink more water, and create a regular sleep schedule. All these suggestions are simply that, just suggestion. No hard rules, just trying to be a little cleaner this month as we prepare for the long, hot summer days ahead.

Many us of spend the months of April and May tending our gardens, preparing the soil to plant flowers and food for the months ahead. It seems we should be giving the same thoughtful care to our bodies as we do our gardens. The list compiled by my family is an attempt to tend to our bodies as we do our gardens. We have set some loose “rules” or maybe better said “ideas” to live within for the next four weeks. We plan to have a monthly check in and see how we are doing with all the suggestions; accountabilty the key is key to success. By June, my hope is we are feeling balanced and energized for the months ahead. Long summer days filled with friends on the river, followed by evening nights spent walking, talking ,and eating delicious veggie forward dinners on the porch. I truly love summer!!

Hopefully this little letter will encourage you and your family and friends to also try a mindful May. I hope to send weekly recipes from my kitchen that are simple, clean and, inspirational.