Spirited Spirits: Flowers for Myself

Self love is hard. Without exaggeration, loving one’s self can be the hardest thing that you do on any given day, and getting in the habit of loving and forgiving yourself is even harder. As we approach Valentine’s Day here in the United States, there is so much attention on romantic love and couples that it exacerbates these problems. With all of the intentions of love permeating the air though, there isn’t a better time to focus on your self love journey, and we’re here to help. Whether you’re looking for an aid in self love due to bad break ups, problems with friends or family, increasing stresses, or even trying to break habits of self doubt and self-criticism, we’ve got some tricks up our sleeve for you.

Affirmations

With self love, it’s very important to set out clear intentions for ourselves before starting anything. When we are already doubting ourselves, lack of direction and clarity can muddy our progress before we even start. That being said, here are a few affirmations to keep in mind before starting this journey:

Self-Love is Gentle: now is not the time to be hard on yourself or to push yourself. Be kind to yourself, and focus on positive reinforcement with yourself. Reward your accomplishments, and try not to dwell on any setbacks or negative thoughts that you might be having.

Celebrate yourself: you are deserving of all of the nice things, praise, and accomplishments that have had so far. Do not focus on others, do not compare accomplishments, do not try to say that others are more deserving than you. Celebrate how far you’ve come, celebrate the wonderful person that you are, and celebrate the fact that you are not giving up.

Progress is not perfect, and that’s alright: progress is not a straight line for anyone. Progress comes in waves, there are plateaus and setbacks and obstacles to overcome, and all of this is perfectly normal. Any bad stretch of time does not negate the progress you have made; focus on self care during these times, and just work on getting back on track when you can.

Small rituals every day can help immensely as well, ranging from the serotonin boost of adding a splash of vanilla to your coffee in the morning to popping open the nice bottle of wine you’ve been saving just because you deserve it. Here’s a fun recipe of ours that hits on all of the affirmations we talked about, and is a great way to celebrate yourself for Valentine’s Day.

The Drink

The basis of this drink is the Bellini, a common brunch drink featuring peach nectar or puree and sparkling wine. Right off the bat, this drink hits a lot of key things we’ve talked about: love, beauty, and celebration. We’re going to add a few things to it to round out the intentions and shape it a little bit more to our desires.

Peach: the basis of what makes a bellini, a bellini. Peach is well known for love and beauty rituals, and the main part of what we’re going to be focusing on. Remember: you deserve the love you give yourself, you are a beautiful person inside and out, and how far you have left on your journey does not negate how far you have come already.

Vanilla: this wonderful orchid is one of the gentlest flavorings, known for its distinctive floral flavor and its capacity for boosting and strengthening other flavors. It’s also incredibly potent in love magicks, and tends to work in very gentle and soothing ways. Envision the vanilla lifting you up, supporting you, caring for you, helping you to be the best you you can be.

Elderflower: We tend to be extremely vulnerable while we are practicing our self love. At the core of self love, we are actively addressing parts of ourselves we are uncomfortable with. During these times, external energies and complications can easily derail us, and it’s important to protect ourselves from outside influences. Elderflower is well known for its protective properties, and allows us to retain our focus inward while handling outside noise.

Sparkling Wine: Wine and grapes already are known for abundance and celebration, and the added steps of making it bubbly just intensify this even further. Sparkling wines are bright and fun, and they are the perfect way to celebrate yourself.

For all of you struggling with loving yourself this time of year, or just in general, I hope these tips and tricks help you. Be kind with yourself, be patient, and more importantly, don’t give up.

Let us know any self love tips and tricks you might have, and until next time, take care.

Author: Matthew Johnson

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Flowers for Myself

A cocktail designed to help promote self love, and to celebrate yourself and the progress you have made.

Ingredients

Flowers for Myself

• 1/2 oz Peach Syrup
• 1/2 oz Lemon Juice
• 1/2 oz Elderflower Liqueur
• 1-2 Drops Vanilla Extract
• Chilled Sparkling Wine to fill

Peach Syrup

• 250g Frozen Peaches
• 250g Sugar
• 250g Water

Instructions

To make the Flowers for Myself

1. Add the peach syrup, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and elderflower liqueuer to the bottom of a champagne flute.
2. Add a couple of ounces of the sparkling wine, and let it settle.
3. Once it's settled, fill the rest of the way. Stir if needed.

To prepare the peach syrup

1. If the peaches are not pre-sliced, cut them into large chunks or slices.
2. Add the water, sugar, and sliced peaches to a medium pan, and bring up to a boil stirring until the sugar is dissolved.
3. Reduce to a simmer, and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes. Break up the peaches as you can.
4. Remove from the heat, and allow to cool.
5. Pass everything through a strainer, pressing the peaches through to get as much liquid out of them as you can.
6. Add water if needed to make up for any reduction (back to 500g)
7. Bottle and refrigerate. Will last 2-4 weeks in the fridge.