Hi Reader,

There's a particular kind of busy that creeps in the week before a holiday. The to-do list grows a little longer every time you look at it. The grocery store feels like a contact sport.

And somewhere in the middle of the planning and the prepping, the things you were actually looking forward to — the slow morning, the people around the table, the sparklers and s'mores at dusk — get a little buried.

But before the week gets away from us, I wanted to share a few small ways to help keep a holiday week feeling intentional instead of frantic.

🇺🇸 Decide what actually matters — then let the rest go.

Pick the two or three things that make the 4th feel like the holiday you crave. Maybe it's the flag cake, or watching fireworks from the driveway, or that one salad your family always asks for.

Build the week around those, and give yourself full permission to skip the rest. Not everything on Pinterest has to happen in your kitchen.

☑️ Make a short list, not a perfect one.

A holiday doesn't require a flawless table. It requires you, present and not running on empty. The people you love will remember how the day felt long after they've forgotten whether the napkins matched.

🥗 Prep ahead where you can.

This is where a good make-ahead dish earns its keep — something you can pull together a day early, tuck in the fridge, and forget about until it's time to eat. (More on that in a minute.)

🌿 Protect a little white space.

Before the week fills up, block off an hour or an evening that belongs to nobody but you. Rest isn't the reward for finishing the list — it's part of how the week stays good.

None of this is about doing the holiday "right." It's just about making a little more room for the parts you'll actually want to remember.

Seven salads worth bringing to the cookout

Speaking of prepping ahead — most of these come together early, travel well, and only get better as they sit. Perfect for cookouts, potlucks, and "what can I bring?" texts:
​

• ​Vintage Broccoli Cauliflower Salad — crunchy, a little nostalgic, and even better the next day.
• ​Marinated Cucumbers — cool, simple, and a beautiful way to use up the garden.
• ​Vintage Calico Salad — colorful, no-mayo, and built to hold up in the summer heat.
• ​Classic Potato Salad — the cookout staple everyone hopes you'll bring.
• ​Classic Cobb Salad with Bacon & Eggs — hearty enough to feed the crowd as a main.
• ​Panzanella Salad — summer tomatoes and crusty bread, a little unexpected for the spread.
• ​Blueberry Grape Salad — sweet, creamy, and red-white-and-blue friendly for the Fourth.

Make one ahead, breathe easier on the day.

---

---

However your week shapes up, I hope you find a little room in it to slow down before the celebrating begins. Make the salad ahead, sit on the porch, and let it be enough. 🇺🇸🌭🏕️

Happy (almost) Fourth,