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The Finest Grilled Watermelon Salad For Your Subsequent Summer season Social gathering

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The Finest Grilled Watermelon Salad For Your Subsequent Summer season Social gathering


Relating to summer sides, the same old suspects take middle stage. There’s the corn (grilled, cooked on the stovetop, or skillet-roasted), potatoes nonetheless you want them finest, and nearly each tackle the classic pasta salad. In fact, thick slices of watermelon are served alongside—and infrequently overshadowed by—everybody’s favourite summertime sweets. However as this grilled watermelon salad proves, your warm-weather faves solely enhance when the fruit is given the highlight it deserves.

That is the form of common summer time salad that, because the recipe’s creator, Sarah Smith notes, children will love simply as a lot as adults. (What number of salads can that be stated for? Not many.) Alongside together with her husband Blake, Sarah owns and runs Walden Retreats, a glamping expertise outdoors of Austin. At a recent dinner the couple hosted on the property, Sarah served this salad to friends. Set towards the impartial tablescape, the colourful facet was a sight to behold.

In fact, watermelon wedges are the star of the present, serving because the colourful backdrop to the salad’s different parts. For those who’re cautious of a fruit-forward salad, take coronary heart—and belief that the combo works wonders. With cubed feta or goat cheese crumbled on prime, this grilled watermelon salad does the salty-sweet pairing completely. The combination of basil and/or mint leaves provides up a pleasant, contemporary herby chunk to spherical out the contrasting flavors. For those who’re not but ready to benefit from the good summer time salad, buckle up—this recipe is certain to fulfill.

Sarah suggests serving your grilled watermelon salad over arugula, as skewers, or with toothpicks to maintain all of it collectively. In fact, you possibly can take a cue from Sarah and serve the thick wedges on a wooden slab for a chic, however rustic impact. Laidback, considerate, and positively flavorful—we’ll be making this grilled watermelon salad long gone July is thru.

Get Sarah’s Recipe for Grilled Watermelon Salad



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The Finest One-Piece Swimsuits as Low as $25

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The Finest One-Piece Swimsuits as Low as


We could obtain a portion of gross sales if you buy a product via a hyperlink on this article.

With July underway and the summer season at its peak, we’re profiting from these lengthy, lingering days earlier than the back-to-school season formally begins. Meaning all the al fresco dinners, taking our exercises open air, and loads of sun-soaked afternoons spent poolside. With that ultimate to-do being high of thoughts, we’re scouring the web for all the perfect one-piece swimsuits. As a result of as a lot as we love our bikinis, there’s no denying: one-piece swimsuits are again.

After I say the perfect one-piece swimsuits, I imply it. Translation: We’re not suiting up for pool-length laps—these items are pure type. I’m obsessing over thin-strapped cami fits that give all of the European vibes and cross-back shapes which can be universally flattering. One of the best a part of all? These one-piece swimsuits are as reasonably priced as $25. That’s proper, we’ve completed the unattainable.


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Woman wearing one of the best one-piece swimsuits.

20 Finest One-Piece Swimsuits as Low as $25

Whereas Memorial Day and the Fourth of July are behind us, that doesn’t imply we nonetheless can’t take advantage of August’s dwindling days. (And honestly, we’ll all most likely be swimming properly into September.) The comfortable season remains to be weeks away, that means that slightly than preemptively pulling out our sweaters, we needs to be displaying off our swimsuits and filling our calendars with as many extra pool events as we are able to. Dive in and store on your subsequent one-piece fave!

This publish was final up to date on July 17, 2025 to incorporate new insights.



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A Soulful Makeover You Must See

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A Soulful Makeover You Must See


There’s a motive sure homes really feel drab and stagnant. Even when a house is well-designed, it might probably nonetheless really feel… off, in a manner. That often occurs when an area lacks soul—when every thing appears to be like “proper,” however nothing feels private. Infusing a uncared for house with style and personality is what turns a home into a house, and designers Amanda Leigh and Taylor Hahn of LA’s House of Rolison do that on a regular basis. 

It was clear that their most up-to-date mission—a 1930’s Hollywood Hills property—had misplaced one thing very important. The bones have been there, however the attract was gone. What was left was a house that felt generic, and dare I say, a bit boring. That’s, till Leigh and Hahn swooped in and remodeled it.

With wealthy textures, a moody coloration palette and daring, intentional design, this house is now something however boring. Forward, we’ll take a tour of this once-muted residence and chat with the design workforce about its daring reimagining. 

Photos by Nils Timm and Gavin Cater.


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1930's Hollywood Hills estate, exterior

What impressed the renovation, and what did you finally envision the house to be? 

We needed to convey the home again to life with out making it really feel like a duplicate of the previous or a Pinterest board of developments. After we first walked in, it felt like somebody had stripped away all of the allure. The construction was nonetheless robust, but it surely was lacking the guts. Our imaginative and prescient was to revive that sense of soul—utilizing supplies that had historical past, finishes that felt lived-in, and a palette that felt wealthy however grounding. The deep colours, textured partitions, and classic supplies have been all chosen to make the house really feel heat, a little bit cinematic, and genuinely timeless.

hollywood hills home tour

How did you resolve what to protect and what to modernize within the residence?

Truthfully, there wasn’t so much left to protect, which gave us some inventive freedom. However we did hold the unique stained glass home windows within the stairwell—it was one of many solely hints of the house’s historical past—and we constructed round that spirit. We sourced classic brick from Fb Market (a fortunate discover!) and used it on the façade and within the courtyard to offer the house some age and texture. For the trendy items, we targeted on operate—issues like lighting, structure, and move that may make the home really feel recent with out erasing its roots.


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This residence feels daring in such an inviting manner. What’s your method to creating that type of affect with coloration and design?

Daring doesn’t should imply chilly. We prefer to create stress—moody tones with tender textures, clear strains blended with patina, excessive distinction that also feels cozy. It’s about layering in a manner that feels wealthy however not overly formal. We would like individuals to stroll in and really feel one thing—but additionally instantly know the place they’d put their espresso down.


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1930s Hollywood Hills estate

You’ve layered in such placing items and darkish colours all through the house—how do you concentrate on selecting gadgets that make a press release with out overwhelming an area?

Each daring second has to earn its place. We love saturated tones and sculptural items, however the bottom line is to offer them house to breathe. We method it like curating a room, not adorning it—every factor ought to have a objective and a little bit presence, even when it’s refined. Assertion items don’t want backup dancers; they simply want the fitting backdrop.

hollywood-hills-home-tour6

How did you method mixing previous and new components to maintain the design feeling grounded and timeless?

We’re all the time on the lookout for that stability. Even in a extra up to date residence like this one, we attempt to combine in items which have a little bit of soul—one thing classic, one thing uncooked, one thing sudden. It retains the house from feeling flat or overly polished. We would like it to really feel prefer it got here collectively naturally over time… even when it was really finished on a good deadline and loads of espresso.

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Did you face any challenges throughout this design course of? How did you overcome them?

The most important problem was dialing within the daring palette with out letting it overwhelm the structure. We needed each house to have affect, however not on the expense of cohesion. So we stayed extremely targeted on the edit—if one thing didn’t align with the imaginative and prescient, it didn’t make the reduce. And we’re obsessive in regards to the practical particulars too—issues like chopping shops into stone or tucking away storage the place you wouldn’t anticipate it. Stunning is nice, however if you happen to can’t dwell in it comfortably, it misses the purpose.

Trying again on the finished mission, is there a specific characteristic or factor that you simply’re particularly happy with?

Positively the outside. It was a hodgepodge mess once we began, however we turned it into a complete expertise—classic brick underfoot, a shaded veranda, layered greenery, and a pool space that feels extra New England meets European than L.A. It’s quiet, calm, and seems like a little bit escape. It’s a kind of areas the place every thing got here collectively precisely how we pictured it.  



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How I Educated Myself to Wake Up Early—With out an Alarm Clock

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How I Educated Myself to Wake Up Early—With out an Alarm Clock


The yr is 2022. I’m 13 months postpartum, reliant on espresso, and questioning how to wake up early with out dragging myself away from bed. I wanted (learn: was determined for) a greater rhythm. I needed to start out my day with intention, not urgency. One night, a small curiosity became among the finest items I’ve given myself: studying to rise early—calm, clear, and with out an alarm.

Quick-forward to in the present day. I’ve skilled my physique to get up within the 5 o’clock hour. Not solely that, however I actually find it irresistible. It’s the quietest, calmest a part of my day. Whether or not “change into a morning person” continues to be in your 2025 wishlist—otherwise you’re craving better sleep—I need to share what’s labored for me. It’s no magic bullet, nevertheless it is light, sustainable, and rooted in each science and self-compassion. Right here’s how I skilled my circ rhythm and rewired my habits to assist my physique (and the mental load of motherhood).


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mom with child gratitude for others_how to wake up early

Why I Needed to Wake Up Earlier

It wasn’t till I had children that I felt like I used to be enjoying catch-up from the second I opened my eyes. However over time, I spotted the morning chaos wasn’t working for me—or my household. I used to be bored with waking to the sound of crying, tripping into the day with out a second of peace. I needed to reclaim my mornings. So, I set a objective: learn to get up early in a means that felt energizing and intuitive, not punishing. I didn’t need to at all times depend on an alarm clock or jolt myself awake. I needed to rise with the solar (naturally) and create area for calm and readability. In the end, what began as an experiment became a deeply supportive life-style.

You Can’t Hack Sleep—However You Can Reset It

If you wish to know get up early, it begins with recognizing what’s stopping you from doing so. For me, that meant taking a shut have a look at my sleep-wake cycle, often known as the circadian rhythm. This inside clock is closely influenced by issues like mild, meals timing, stress, and routine. Mine was utterly out of whack. I used to be staying up too late (typically scrolling or watching Netflix as my solely “me time”), snacking on the wrong things, and waking up each time my boys did. I realized that our our bodies need to observe a pure rhythm—one which aligns with the solar—however fashionable habits typically throw it off.

Step One: I Stopped Letting My Evenings Sabotage My Mornings

It may appear apparent, however if you wish to get up early with out an alarm, you have to go to bed earlier. And extra importantly, it’s a must to need to. You must need to spend your night hours filling up, not numbing out. You must need to really feel good tomorrow greater than you need to try tonight. Get the gist? So, no, my first step wasn’t forcing a 5 a.m. wake-up. It was gently shifting my inside clock backward, one 15-minute increment at a time.

This was the brand new evening routine I applied:

  • Dimming the lights. No overhead lights after dinner. We activate ambient flooring lights and have candles lit as a substitute. This delicate shift cued my mind that it was time to wind down.
  • Calming ritual. Assume studying just a few books with my oldest, tidying the kitchen, and prepping breakfast for the following day.
  • Tryptophan-rich snack. Why tryptophan? It’s an amino acid that helps the physique produce serotonin, which in flip will get transformed to melatonin. I sometimes make a Greek yogurt bowl combined with chocolate collagen peptides, basil seeds, frozen wild blueberries, crushed walnuts, and Ceylon cinnamon. That is full of protein, fiber, and wholesome fat for blood sugar regulation.
  • Aware display time. Watching a grounding YouTube video (she’s one of my favorites).
  • Units off by 8:30 p.m. Blue mild is infamous for suppressing melatonin, the hormone that helps us sleep. I swapped telephone scrolling for a book, journal, or lengthy bathe.

Proper now (summer season), I’ll swap the conscious display time for a 15-20 minute stroll. I really like how mild it’s. It’s a wonderful solution to gently transition from stimulation to stillness. Inside two weeks of adjusting my evenings, I seen my physique naturally began waking up earlier—no alarm needed!

Step Two: I Anchored My Mornings With Goal

As soon as I began waking up earlier than 6 a.m., I knew I wanted a cause to remain up. In any other case, what’s the purpose? I believe that is the place most individuals get caught. They don’t have a compelling sufficient “why.” For me, it was rooted in self-care: time to hydrate, get pleasure from my protein coffee, transfer my physique, and be with my very own ideas earlier than tending to everybody else’s.

My present morning rhythm seems like this:

  • Wake naturally between 5:15–5:50 a.m. No alarm. My physique merely wakes up.
  • Hydrate and gasoline. That is when I’ve my electrolytes and creatine. I’ll even have half a banana or a spoonful of Beekeeper’s Naturals superfood honey.
  • Go exterior. I’ll go exterior to do some mild stretching, stroll round our backyard, and lookup on the sky. That is such a nourishing a part of my day!
  • Motion. That is my anchor. I’m presently on a muscle-building journey, and transferring within the morning kickstarts insulin sensitivity and helps protect lean muscle. I additionally love the temper increase.
  • Protein-rich breakfast round 7 a.m. This helps reinforce my circadian rhythm, stabilize blood sugar, and assist hormone stability (particularly postpartum). Here’s what I’m typically having for breakfast!

Step Three: I Used Mild to My Benefit

Should you’ve ever traveled throughout time zones, mild is likely one of the strongest methods to reset your inside clock. I took this similar idea and utilized it at house.

  • Morning mild = wake sign. As talked about, I am going exterior inside 10-Quarter-hour of waking up, even when it’s simply stepping onto the porch. This tells my mind, “It’s time to be awake,” and suppresses melatonin.
  • Dim lighting at night time = sleep cue. As quickly as our youngest goes down, I decrease the lights in the home and change to warm-toned lamps. I additionally use blue mild blockers if I’m on my laptop previous 8 p.m. (which I attempt to keep away from).

This mild hygiene was key in coaching my physique to naturally really feel sleepy earlier—and extra alert within the early morning.

Step 4: I Prioritized Blood Sugar Stability and Stress Help

It seems your capability to get up early is deeply linked to your hormone health and stress ranges. For me, therapeutic my postpartum physique meant getting severe about blood sugar regulation and nervous system care.

  • No caffeine on an empty abdomen. I at all times eat earlier than espresso. This retains my cortisol curve in verify and prevents the mid-morning crash. I’m both consuming my total breakfast earlier than having an iced espresso or it’s so simple as making a protein coffee.
  • Protein and fiber at each meal. Talking of protein, that is an particularly necessary macronutrient at breakfast. It jumpstarts muscle protein synthesis and helps higher blood sugar management all through the day.
  • Every day motion, however not overtraining. Strolling, power coaching 3-4 instances/week, and one brief session of HIIT are my go-tos.
  • Nervous system regulation. I exploit instruments like journaling, vagus nerve breathing, and occasional chilly publicity to cut back stress and enhance sleep high quality.

The extra regulated I really feel all through the day, the simpler it’s for me to wind down at night time and go to sleep shortly—one other domino within the early-rising journey.

What I Realized: You Don’t Must Be a “Morning Particular person”

Individuals typically assume that if you wish to learn to get up early, it’s a must to be naturally wired that means. I’m proof that’s not true. It’s much less about self-discipline and extra about design. You design a life-style that makes early rising really feel good. And whereas there are seasons the place I fall out of rhythm (hey, teething infants), the construction is at all times there ready for me. Early mornings are now not a punishment—they’re a reward. A sacred, quiet time that belongs solely to me.


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Mari Llewellyn Kitchen with dog_how to wake up early

A Mild Reminder If You’re in a Onerous Season

In fact, not each season of life makes early mornings doable. New child phases, postpartum, persistent exhaustion, or simply plain survival mode—these aren’t instances to push your physique tougher. Let sleep be the reward it’s. However in the event you’re in a spot the place you’re craving construction, calm, or just time for your self, I hope this provides a nudge. There’s no one-size-fits-all components for get up early, however your physique desires rhythm. While you give it the appropriate cues, it’s going to reply—softly, steadily, superbly.

Edie Horstman


Edie Horstman





Edie is the founding father of vitamin teaching enterprise, Wellness with Edie. Together with her background and experience, she makes a speciality of ladies’s well being, together with fertility, hormone stability, and postpartum wellness.



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