health + wellness Living Your Best (Napa Valley) Life by dr. sharon ufberg, d.C. MakingTImE 8ways to uplift your spirit and well being in 2013 NTRESEPfor the As 2013 begins, I have decided to spend more time seeking out and participating in activities in the Napa Valley that nurture my day-to-day sense of well being. It is always good to take a look around and find the simple ways we can enrich our daily schedules with activities that bring us more joy, and happiness. It’s so easy to get stuck in “busy-ness” that we forget to plan our days deliberately, but there are so many small ways to enhance your daily experience. And lucky for us here in Napa, the valley is full of opportunities. To inspire you to explore the choices, I’ve listed here some ideas below that I’m putting on my calendar this new year. consider adding a few of the following to your weekly to-do list too! 1. gardening: Once the tomatoes and pumpkins are gone it is easy to 5. Bike Rides: I am really good about forget about our gardens. But the winter months are a good time to prepare riding my bike down to the Farmer’s for an amazing Spring. And I’ve always found that gardening is one of the Market at Oxbow from May to October best ways to unwind, get some exercise, and enjoy the fresh air of country but when the market (sadly) closes for life. And if you need some help developing your green thumb: one of my the winter, I find myself looking for new go-to garden bibles, A Month by Month Guide to Gardening in Napa County, destinations and biking trails. There are and put out by the University of California Cooperative Extension & UC organized bike tours for locals or tourists Master Gardeners of Napa County makes it easy for us all to look like (www.NapaValleyBikeTours.com) and if great gardeners! (http://ucanr.edu/sites/ucmgnapa/gardening_Books/ you’re like me, you may just want to hop our_Books/) on your bike and cruise around town for 2. Breakfast, lunch or a late afternoon glass of wine with a friend: This some exploring of your own. This activity is is simple, but it isn’t always easy—as there never seem to be enough days in the underlined and bolded in my calendar. week to coordinate schedules with friends we love. I have committed to setting 6. Find culture, Enjoy Art: I am always aside two times each month to catch up with a friend. No business, just pure looking for more opportunities to see art pleasure. Some of my favorite breakfast or lunch spots include Bistro Sabor, and here in the Napa Valley there are more Tarla, Napa General Store, ABC Baking Co, Grace’s Table and Boonfly Café. art options than one might expect. Check And there is always Oxbow Public Market if you only have time to grab a cup out the Napa Valley Museum in Yountville and the Di Rosa Museum in Napa. of Ritual Coffee or Tillerman Tea. The Hess Collection is a lovely museum attached to the Hess Winery. You can 3. Take a walk around town: If you are not familiar with downtown Napa, also check out rotating photo gallery exhibits at wineries such as Mumm Napa stop by the Napa Visitor Center on Main Street for a city map- http://www. Winery in Rutherford and Turnbull Wine Cellars in Oakville. donapa.com/plan-your-trip/visitor-center#. It is quite remarkable how many 7. Read more books: I love spending time at our local Napa library. If lovely shops and restaurants are popping up around town. And if you haven’t you haven’t been, you’re in for a treat. The local Napa library (http://www. paid it any attention before, the architecture downtown is really a treat. countyofnapa.org/Library/) is an easy way to have access to all the latest Anyone that has enjoyed the annual Porchfest knows what I am talking about! novels and nonfictions, DVD’s and more. You can reserve your books online 4. Take a hike: The Napa Valley is filled with beautiful places to hike and and the library will email you when the books are waiting for you to pick up. wonderful vistas to view. This season the mustard is blooming and it’s a Check out the local Valley library closest to you—it is so convenient, and particularly majestic time of year to get outside and have a look around. such a sustainable and green thing to do! There are books and online listing of parks in the Napa Valley that offer 8. wine Tasting: When all else fails, there is no easier activity in Napa Valley options of trails and hikes for both the beginner and more rigorous enthusiast. to enhance your spirit than to pick a new winery or two to check out each (http://napavalley.com/thingstodo/parks_beaches/listings.html) month. Celebrating the beauty of our Valley has never been simpler! 40 w w w. N A PA V A L L E Y L I F E m A g A z I N E . c o m
NVLife Jan-Feb 2013
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