Recharge Your Batteries Why Taking a Vacation Is Important
Toph and I recently took a trip without our three kids. We went to wine country in Napa Valley for Toph’s cousin’s wedding and to also learn more about tax problems for the wine industry. We returned home feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. Our batteries had been recharged.
The reality is sometimes you have to put these questions aside. Taking time for yourself, whether it’s just a quiet weekend retreat or a weeklong vacation to somewhere special, is good for your mental and physical well-being. When you don’t take time to recharge, you can end up dealing with higher stress levels. Over time, if you let the stress build, it can lead to burnout. For the self-employed, burnout can be devastating. You never want to put work ahead of your health and wellness. The challenge, of course, is finding the time to take off for a vacation. Like many things in business and life, it requires planning. Look at your calendar and find a few days or a week to take for yourself and your spouse or family. Set the time aside and commit. A great way to do this is to book airfare or accommodations way ahead of time. This gives you much more accountability toward freeing up your schedule. Make time for the things that take you away from the everyday rush. Find a place where you can recharge your batteries and where you don’t have to worry about a single thing. You will return home feeling ready to take on the world.
As much as we love family time with all five of us, there is no denying the importance of sharing “us” time for Toph and I — and of “me” time, when one of us needs to be alone and relax.
It’s easy to get wrapped up in the bustle of work and life in general. It can feel like there is always something you need to do — and it never ends. At work, there’s always an email that needs a response or a phone call that must be made. At home, it’s time to do laundry or run to the store to get groceries. This is just the tip of the iceberg for many people. If you’re a small-business owner, your plate is almost always overflowing. It can sometimes be scary to take a vacation. Should you be taking this time off? What if you miss something important? Should you be spending this money? What are you going to come back to?
–Ashley Sheldon
Classic Apple Crisp
TAKE A BREAK
Inspired by Food Network
What do you do when apples are in season but you don’t have time to make a pie? You opt for a crisp, of course.
Ingredients
Filling: •
Topping: •
5 lbs Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and chopped 1/4 cup pecans, finely chopped
3/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/3 cup brown sugar 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
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3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp maple syrup 1 tbsp lemon juice
6 tbsp chilled butter, cut into pieces 1/4 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
Directions
1.
Heat oven to 350 F.
topping. Mix in butter until it forms lumps roughly the size of a pea, then stir in pecans. Sprinkle topping over filling. Bake for 35–40 minutes, let stand for 10 minutes, and serve.
2.
In a mixing bowl, mix all filling ingredients together. Transfer to individual serving ramekins. In a different mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt for the
Solution on Page 4
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