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Cheers to Summer Break with The Salty Dog Cocktail

Why I'm taking the summer off from blogging
Filed Under > Cocktail Hour

With Memorial Day weekend behind us, summer is officially here.  Break out the white jeans, beach drinks, and long leisurely summer nights.  I mean is there any time of year more nostalgic than summer? When I think of summer I have specific smells and feelings that coming rushing in.  There’s no season that truly makes me long to be a kid again, or in a kind of a sad way makes me feel how far I am from those carefree days, than summer.

That’s why I’ve decided to take a break from blogging this summer.  I’ve never actually taken a break from blogging.  I’ve plowed through every holiday, every date, every season, all the time.  But lately I’ve been feeling very unbalanced and a bit uninspired.  I’ve felt very disconnected from why I started blogging in the first place. It’s almost felt forced.  And forced is the opposite of what I want this space to be about.

So that’s why I’m pressing pause and soaking in every magnificent moment of summer I can.  I plan on taking bike rides, walking barefoot, eating food on a stick at all the local carnivals, playing put-put golf, taking spontaneous road trips, jumping into the lake, and maybe even being a bit lazy.  Yes I am drinking that summer kool-aid (both literally and figuratively as Kool-aid was a major part of my summers in Michigan).

Don’t worry I won’t be totally MIA. I’ll still be sharing all of my adventures over on Instagram and let’s not forget I have a shop that won’t run itself. I hope while I’m on a break you’ll still utilize WOM as a resource for all things home, food, beauty, and entertaining. As I’ve been doing this for five years I’ve built up quite the library of information that still feels rather inspired. And of course don’t forget about the recipe index! So many good recipes to try out!

Which brings me to today’s Salty Dog recipe.  This is the easiest, and perfect cocktail for those lazy days of summer.  Get the recipe below, and whip up a batch sooner rather than later.

So that’s it. I’m signing off until Labor Day.  Here’s to hoping I might just get a glimpse of that inner kid again. Truly, MKR

The Salty Dog
Serves 1
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Prep Time
5 min
Total Time
5 min
Prep Time
5 min
Total Time
5 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 1/2 oz. Vodka
  2. 3 oz. grapefruit juice
  3. coarse sea salt for the rim
  4. club soda
  5. ice
  6. grapefruit wedges for garnish
Instructions
  1. rim a glass with coarse sea salt or spicy sea salt for a little extra kick
  2. fill a glass and shaker with ice. to the shaker add grapefruit juice and vodka, shake shake shake.
  3. pour over ice into the glass and top with a splash of club soda and garnish with a grapefruit slice or wedge. enjoy.
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5 Netflix Documentaries to Watch Now

Check out one of these riveting, thought-provoking and Must-Watch films tonight
Filed Under > Everyday

Blog_Documentaries_to_watch

After seeing The White Helmets take home the Oscar on Sunday night for Best Documentary Short, I was inspired to settle in for a Netflix night.  It’s easy to let great films, especially documentaries, slip through the Netflix cracks, so I knew it was due-time to share a roundup of must-watch, noteworthy features that you can stream at the the touch of a button. 

While thought-provoking, and if not a little emotional draining, these documentary films shed light on important issues that matter to each and every one of us.  I know I won’t be binge-watching these in a row, but I’m looking forward to delving into these topics this month.  Next up on my list?  The Ivory Game, directed by Leonardo DiCaprio (love my boy Leo).  What’s next on your watch list?  I’d love to know your thoughts on these films and other must-watch films in the comments below.  Happy watching and learning!  Truly, MKR

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The White Helmets

Orlando von Einsiedel

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This 40-minute documentary took home the Oscar for Best Documentary Short.  The film follows three rescue workers, part of the Syrian Civil Defense, in Turkey.  They work to give emergency assistance to those caught in the civil war in Syria.

 

The Ivory Game

Leonardo DiCaprio

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Step inside the scary world of the ivory trade, and follow the corrupt network from the Savannah to the streets of China. The creators had to go undercover for months to make this documentary, shedding light on the poachers and dealers that are driving elephants to extinction. All I can keep thinking is, the poor elephants! 

Amanda Knox

Rod Blackhurst, Brian McGinn

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Twice convicted and acquitted of murder of her roommate, Amanda Knox was an American student living abroad in Italy. The long drawn out case came to different conclusions, where details were dissected and analyzed for years. Watch this Netflix original and let us know your verdict. 

Cowspiracy

Kip Andersen

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This political documentary opens our eyes to the environmental effects of animal agriculture and the issue of sustainability. Odds are, you’ll watch this one and walk away inspired to do your part to help the planet, maybe cutting back (or eliminating) meat in your diet. 

The True Cost

Andrew Morgan

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This feature-length documentary will shed some light on the human and environmental effects of cheap clothes (or “fast fashion”).  This deep dive into the $3-trilled fashion industry has us thinking twice about where we’re buying our clothes. 

Featured image, Rustic White for Waiting on Martha

Let’s Talk: Getting Involved

Discovering the Fulfillment that Volunteering Brings
Filed Under > Let's Talk

Let's Talk: Getting Involved with Volunteering Opportunities, @waitingonmartha

For years, my mom has urged me to volunteer.  To find a cause and give my time. To connect with others on a deeper level.  She’d tell me about how good it would make me feel, how it would maybe be the missing piece to my puzzle.  She’d tell me this whenever I was stressed, sad or feeling a bit out of sorts.  

I would shake her off, saying I didn’t have enough time.  My job was too busy.  I barely had time to see my friends during the week, let alone commit to seeing complete strangers.  I think in a way I was weary of just the thought of having one more thing that I didn’t reeeeally want to do.  I just didn’t want to have one more obligation on my calendar. 

My mom started talking to me about volunteering while I was in college.  She would mention it once in awhile in the years right after, too.  I still brushed it off, busy in my mid-twenties routine and consumed in work and my social life.  It was only in the past few months that I realized she was onto something.  It hit me one day out of the blue that I needed something…more.  I needed something to fulfill that part in me that needed to do something good.  

One night on my laptop in bed, I got the fire lit under me; I scoured Hands on Nashville, a nonprofit that organizes volunteering opportunities in our local community.  I had always assumed that finding volunteer opportunities and committing to specific projects would be a hassle to do.  But it was nothing like that; HON made it incredibly easy to search for causes that truly resonated with me personally.  I read all about these local charities’ missions and so many different ways to get involved.  I felt excited at the thought of connecting with a cause that I could grow with, and one that I could find new friends and make new memories with.  I was eager to find one that would help define the person I wanted to be.  

To say I enjoyed my first night in the garden harvesting okra and digging for potatoes with The Nashville Food Project is an understatement.  There was something about working with my hands—and no cell phone or laptop in sight—that did wonders for my mood.  I worked alongside other volunteers with totally different stories and backgrounds than me…and it felt good. 

As I near my 28th birthday this month, I can see how it gets easier and easier to just coast through day-to-day routines and almost even run on autopilot.  I can totally see how easy it is to make excuses about not having enough time, or money, or energy to give back to our communities.  I did that for years (and catch myself still feeling that sometimes).  But I’m also revived knowing that there are easy ways to help others…and it’s not as overwhelming as it sounds.  My mom was right all along; there are ways to get an even deeper fulfillment out of each day, and volunteering is one of the best ways to do it.  

Tell me, are you involved in your community through charity work?  Do you, too, struggle with finding the time to volunteer?  I urge you to see if your city has a local resource for finding the right volunteer opportunities for YOU, and if not, try a search on Volunteer Match.  I’d love to hear about your own personal journey in the comments below.  Cheers, Kat

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Photography, Bloomsbury Farm

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