Food, Home

A Slow Living Summer in Pennsylvania

It has (again) been a hot minute since I’ve last sat down to write a blog post. I don’t necessarily have a reason for taking a little break. It has just been a different – but still lovely – summer. I was SO thankful to get back to work at my boutique after the shutdown in the spring. I am also grateful to have had a busy summer serving brides and wedding guests.

When I was not working, I enjoyed every bit of our gorgeous summer here in Pennsylvania. I have always been a fan of practicing slow living which is essentially saying no to a hectic, busy lifestyle and finding happiness and fulfillment in the little moments that make up everyday life. With the virus and all the restrictions that come with it, Nicolas and I totally embraced a slower-paced summer by spending more time at home and with my family doing the things we love. I believe that hygge and slow living go hand in hand. Here is how we spent our summer days. 🙂

On the deck

This was our first summer in our new home, and we definitely enjoyed having an outdoor living space! We ate every meal we could outside, and we also enjoyed cooking outside on Nicolas’s new griddle. P.S. If you haven’t met him yet, that is our new puppy Draper. 🙂

Swimming and relaxing at the pool

The community we live in has a private pool, and the employees did an amazing job with ensuring that social distancing guidelines were followed and that every single chair was sanitized after use. It was different but also very nice to be able to swim and experience some ‘normalcy’ this summer. 🙂 Sidenote: I also read a ton this summer. My favorite author lately has been Robyn Harding. Another sidenote: Who else LOVES Hint water? I am obsessed.

Convertible rides

Baking

I loved making breakfasts and desserts with strawberries, peaches, and blueberries from the local Farmer’s Market.

Taking care of my plants and flowers

I was so excited to plant flowers in the flower boxes on our deck. I also planted some basil and mint. I love using fresh mint in my lemonade during the summertime!

Spending days at the lake

My parents recently moved into a new house on the water, and it has been wonderful to spend so many of our summer days there. The view is SO beautiful. I literally feel like I am on vacation when I’m there. I’ve recently started kayaking, too, and have really been enjoying it.

Ice cream, ice cream, and more ice cream …

 

Going on walks

Nicolas and I have loved taking Draper on walks – sometimes with my sisters and our other family dogs. 🙂 My dad and I also walked together on most Sundays.

Homemaking and putting together flower arrangements

I’ve also enjoyed continuing to make our house a home with little projects here and there. I loved decorating for summer and making floral arrangements with flowers from our local grocery store. 🙂

 

I would LOVE to catch up and hear what you all have been up to this summer. Feel free to leave a comment down below. Stay safe, healthy, and happy.

xx, Madison

 

 

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6 Comments

  • Reply mamasmercantile September 1, 2020 at 12:08 pm

    So nice to see you have embraced the slower pace of life and stayed close to home, which is exactly what we have done.

    • Reply Madison Marie September 11, 2020 at 12:17 am

      Yes, so happy to hear you’ve been doing the same! 🙂

  • Reply Linda M. Conley September 1, 2020 at 12:53 pm

    It is so nice to see you posting, Madison. Been wondering how you have been etc. and I am so glad to know your business has picked up, smiles. Draper is so adorable. Thank you for the smiles. Western NY is still on pause here, so really, not doing much. However, with it entering September, I have a feeling we (my family) will be doing more.

    • Reply Madison Marie September 11, 2020 at 12:16 am

      Linda, I am so happy to hear from you!!! Thank you so much. Take care and enjoy the fall season. <3

  • Reply Lisa (hotcoffee4lisa) September 17, 2020 at 12:42 pm

    Hi Madison! Just catching up on a few blogs right now😊 Your summer looked lovely! Mine wasn’t the same as past years as well but we made the best of it! You are so lucky you got to enjoy that pool! Swimming and going to the beach was one thing we didn’t get to enjoy as much as we normally do but we did go out for ice cream a lot 🙂 I enjoyed reading this!! Love hearing about homelife & food from others❤️ And I really like that Hint water as well! Super refreshing! See ya back on Instagram 😉

    • Reply Madison Marie September 19, 2020 at 12:36 am

      Hi Lisa!!! Thanks sooo much for your comment. I always love keeping up with you! xx

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