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Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for being with me on this ride! You'll now hear from me each week with some topic of discussion. THEN, each month, you'll get a big, juicy newsy newsletter like this one.

My theme today is DELIGHT. 

The more we train our brain to notice small delights, the more it will. But where and how do we start? That was a big part of my masterclass discussion, which you can watch here with passcode: muR#9^T3 (if you watch the masterclass, please email me your feedback and I will send you a code for a discount off my juicy new course, Luscious AF!).

We can look up, look down, or turn over a new leaf so to speak. Photos, top left, who knew that in looking up, I'd discover a mythical bat (?). What do you think he is? Or, lol, Carpe Diem...by looking up and down, I spied a Carp Downspout on Isle Saint Louis in Par-ee! Turning over a new leaf....who says that you can't have a romantic dinner without wine? At Pétrelle in Paris, our sommelier/server enthusiastically informed us of an elegant, very dry kombucha made not of fermented tea but of fermented fig leaves. Very sexy. And delicious!

Industry News 

What is a hard-selzer with the alcohol removed? I mean….that’s just funny, y’all!! White Claw is introducing next year an alcohol-free hard-selzer, the ultimate oxymoron, right?!

And Captain Morgan Rum is running an ad about its new AF rum. It’s a pun/parody of a viral song called Why You Always Lyin’ but in this version, it’s Why You Always Whyin’, as in, a campaign to call attention to how uncool it is to ask someone why they aren’t drinking! I think it’s great. And we’re just going to have to get ready to be gaslit by the alcohol industry as more and more they will introduce ads for non-alcoholic products that sound like, “Who us? We always said it was cool to not drink!” Uh, no, you didn’t!

And Regé-Jean Page, hottie star of Bridgerton is now a spokesperson for the alcohol-free distilled spirit, Seedlip, with the tagline, "Don't mind if I don't!"

Adele is three months AF!! But she apparently is not having fun! Should I invite her to join us for my new course, Luscious AF! I have a few tips and tricks that are just the recipe she needs to make this adventure juicy, not dry!!

Do you know the term EANAB (Equally Attractive Non-Alcoholic Beverage)? Urban Dictionary defines it as: An attractive and enjoyable beverage on par with the alcoholic beverages being served and may be substituted without the drinker feeling left out of the celebration. EANABs are required for parties on many college campuses such as Stanford.

A Toast To Delight!
A super chic drink that we can easily make at home and serve in a sexy Champagne coupe? That’s a delight!! Here is Paris, at one of the city’s newest hip hotels, French Bloom and Ghia are getting into bed together to create a sophisticated holiday spritz! You can do this at home!! Just pour a little of your favorite bitter aperitif (mine are Ghia, For Bitter For Worse, or Wilderton) into a fancy coupe or flute, and top with your favorite, low-sugar AF sparkler (French Bloom rosé, Noughty, No & Low Sparkling Chardonnay or Joyus rosé for me!). Cheers to that!! I ran into Ghia founder, the French-born Melanie Masarin, at my favorite coffee shop here in Paris! That’s like AF royalty! 

Following, Reading, Liking

Last week, I tried a body sculpt class with weights (using the lightest weights they had). Here’s an article about why menopausal women need all the muscle they can make. 

Interesting to see an article like this, Is Alcohol The New Tobacco, in Wine Enthusiast Magazine. 

This article, about bars in Portland where alcohol isn’t the main draw, made me want to visit each fun and funky establishment! Vintage video games, badminton, fire pits and food carts, ping-pong, and mini-golf?! And the opening line, “lots of folks don’t want alcohol to play a central role—or any role—in their social lives,” is a line we wouldn’t have seen in a magazine...ever, up until now. 

Speaking of headlines and articles that never used to see the light of day…this article in Forbes, Are You Tired Of Drinking With Your Colleagues? 

Free meditation sessions with a trained instructor are a delight, right? My friend Annie is an Oregon winery owner now loving life AF and trained as a meditation instructor. She is offering free short meditation sessions plus a chance to chat online on Sunday evenings. Email her to get the Zoom link. 

I ran across a quote this month that delighted me. It came from a lovely, young, creative Aussie who writes a passionate curated guide to events in Paris. Instead of just swallowing this small delight, I decided to savor it. I reached out to the author and we met a few days later, at a matcha cafe. We’re both journalism/marketing majors who love to write and create community events. Here are her words:

To adventure is to treat moments as if they are equally the first and last time - matching the thrill of discovery with the deep appreciation of knowing it’s over all too soon. As the weather turns, I implore of you: play outside, explore more. These golden days will be gone before we know it.

A night out in Paris, meeting new people, learning how to make NA cocktails, looks fun right? But it's hard, isn't it? Because the brain just wants to keep you safe and comfortable and has LOTS of excuses to NOT do things. To learn more about the science of human resistance, and what I call "activation energy" and how to harness it for the good of our brains, spirits and connections...WATCH the replay of my masterclass, passcode muR#9^T3.

Happy adventures! 
xo,
Martha

Like this newsletter? Please forward to a friend! Merci!!

From my hometown of New Orleans to working with Food Network chefs, to the vineyards of Oregon...food, friends and flavor figured centrally in my life - and got ALL tangled up in alcohol! I didn't want a wine habit running my life, but I was scared that giving up wine meant living with a "glass half-empty." When I got certified as a sobriety/mindful drinking coach, trained in the neuroscience of habits and behavior and did a deep dive in the health benefits of cultivating joy, I realized I didn't have to give up places and rituals I had enjoyed! I could double-down on them! I invite you to visit my site and book a free call because
I believe you deserve a juicy life, not a dry one!