It’s time for another edition of Life is Short, in which Backyard Owl provides you with 5 easy tips and practices for more inspired, energetic, and vital living.

1. Laugh until your stomach hurts at this lip sync battle – Jimmy Fallon, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Stephen Merchant. Need I say more? Just looking at Stephen Merchant’s face makes me laugh, even when he is just standing there. I watched this battle once, then watched it again, and then made everyone at the office watch it the next morning. Just thinking about it right now is making me laugh. There. I just watched it again.
2. Enjoy the country-melodious harmonies of Rascal Flatts in this summer jam: Rewind. Dance around, singing loudly, and pump your fists to the beat every time he sings “one. more. time.” I know I do.
3. Experiment with raw breakfast cereals, like this raw buckwheat porridge recipe from OhSheGlows. I’m challenging myself to reduce my food packaging waste (look for an exciting new challenge at Backyard Owl, coming soon!), and in the summer, I happen to love cold cereal as my breakfast option. Purchasing cereal from the store involves, from a waste perspective, a plastic bag (recyclable, but still – I’m aiming for reduce over reuse). Plus, cold cereal, even the healthiest organic ancient-grain flake brand, is still a processed food. With this kind of raw breakfast porridge, the only waste is the small bag containing the buckwheat groats, and I can reuse that in my kitchen. Or, if you found buckwheat groats at the bulk store, so much the better! You can use your own bag then.
4. Drink a tall glass of room temperature water. Right now. Even better, drink a tall glass of room temperature water with lemon. Even better than that, drink a tall glass of room temperature water with lemon right now and also first thing in the morning, every morning, before your breakfast. Drinking the water right now will give you a good boost of hydration, and can sometimes be the answer to feeling draggy or headachy in the afternoon. Drinking water in the mornings is a great way to hydrate your system after its long and (hopefully!) restful sleep and the lemon juice can kick the ol’ liver into action, in addition to letting your digestive system know it will soon be called to action. A straw is recommended, though, lest the lemon juice get into a fight with your tooth enamel.

5. 

   Plant something green (or purple, or pink, or yellow, or…). If you have only balcony room, like me, purchase a pot with drainage holes, some high-quality (and organic, if you can find it) potting soil, and plant something green! Herbs prefer the sun, but plants like coleus, lysimachia, lobelia, and more do just fine in shade or partial shade, so there is something to fit every sun situation. I love opening the window and seeing the beautiful purple and green greeting me. And a quick note: if you can, try to purchase plants that haven’t been treated with any chemicals. I found some great options at the farmer’s market, as well as some fabulous places online.

Until next time! 

© Eat Well, Live Vibrantly