Mmmk, can we just take a collective breath for a second? Because the heat is finally, officially, actually here. I feel like we’ve been waiting for this for approximately three hundred years (give or take a few weeks of New England gloom), and now that it’s here, I am basically begging it to stay. Please don’t leave! I’ll give you all the brie! (Actually, no, don’t take the brie, it’ll melt, and that would be a tragedy).

But seriously, God were we moooving this week. If my life was a movie, it would just be a montage of me carrying heavy boxes while sweating and trying to look like a put-together professional while my internal monologue is just screaming at myself for not cleaning my nugget ice machine this week. It’s on my checklist.

The Vermont "Escape" (Spoiler: It’s a Lie)

You all know I got back from Vermont last Sunday night and let me tell you, nature is great and all, but the concept of "vacationing" as a solo business owner is essentially a myth invented by people who don't have to check their email while standing on a mountain.

Don’t get me wrong, Vermont was stunning. The green hills, the fresh air (that actually smells like cows and pine trees, which I weirdly love?), and the lack of city noise. But even when I’m "away," I’m never really away. I’m always on the clock.

And then there's the kiddo factor. If you have kids, you know that a "vacation" is really just parenting in a different location with fewer of your own supplies. It’s not exactly the spa day my soul was craving. It’s more like "don't fall off that rock" and "yes, we can have maple syrup for the fourth time today" while I sneakily reply to catering inquiries in the bathroom. (We've all been there, right? Tell me I'm not alone in the bathroom-office struggle).

The Sunday Night Scramble & The 7-Day Reality

Coming back Sunday night didn't mean I got to crash on the couch and watch Netflix. Nope. It was a straight shot into the kitchen for meal prep!

I work 7 days a week. Every. Single. Day. Well at least lately. People ask me how I do it, and the honest answer is: I have no idea, and I am mostly fueled by Redbulls (bad new habit, I know) and the sheer terror of forgetting an order or delivery. (Kidding! Mostly). But really, being a solo business owner means the buck stops with me. If I don't prep the grapes, the grapes don't get prepped. If I don't respond to that grazing table inquiry it stays in the void.

It’s that weird burnt out business owner vibe where you’re so tired your eyes are twitching, but you’re also weirdly obsessed with what you’re building? It’s just me right now, Graze is a one-woman show, and damn, WTF. It’s a lot. Like times a million a lot. But at the same time, I am so incredibly happy I don’t work for someone else. I’m happy where I am, in the place I’m at, even if that place currently smells like cheddar and exhaustion.

The Tewksbury Win

The big goal for the week was a ribbon cutting in Tewksbury on Wednesday. And let me tell you, after the Vermont-to-kitchen-sprint, I wasn't sure if I was going to be a human being or just a pile of crackers by the time Wednesday rolled around.

But! Success! Done! It was beautiful, the food looked amazing, and the energy was so good. There’s something about seeing people gather around a beautifully curated table that just makes all the 7-day-week madness feel worth it. It’s that "I did this" feeling. Even if I’m still recovering but the feeling of success keeps the engine running.

And then because apparently the week was not done beating my ass yet, after my Wednesday event I was right back at the shop prepping for a wedding shower for Saturday morning. Which basically meant I had to double down and prep for the shop Thursday opening and all the cheese board orders, which... cool cool cool, very chill, very manageable, said no one ever. I had to write my grocery list for meal prep, send out meal prep (a day late, because of course it was), and then prep the meal prep on Saturday while I was working. I snuck out to deliver to the shower and missed a customer picking up for another baby shower. Whoops. If you looked at my notes app and calendar right now you’d probably think it belonged to someone trying to solve a crime. It is NUTS in there.

I did have one of those weird little pause moments though, just for a few minutes, where I sat down and thought about how far I’ve actually come. And yeah, I also had the very dramatic "wow I’m 38 and really wish I had done a whole bunch of things differently to make my life easier" thought spiral. Love that for me. But honestly, that’s life, right? You grow, you learn, you fuck up, you do some things backwards, and then you keep going anyway. Which is basically the whole vibe over here lately.

Why the Burnout is Worth the Boss Life

I know I’m complaining a little (okay, a lot), but I really want to lean into the vulnerability of this. Social media makes it look like owning a business is just aesthetic photos of boards and working from the beach. The reality is more like:

* Waking up at 5 AM to check inventory.

* The ongoing ADHD chaos in my head about which task to do first.

* Realizing you forgot to drink water for 8 hours.

* Wondering if you can count "lifting boxes of fruit" as a gym workout (I say yes).

Being a solo entrepreneur is a special kind of chaos. It’s levels of weird sometimes. But even when I'm "donzo" (that's a technical term for being completely finished with the world), I wouldn't trade it. I love being the person who gets to decide how we grow and what we offer. I love that I get to be part of your celebrations, even if it means I’m a little scattered and very tired.

How to Survive Your Own Summer Hustle

If you're feeling the same way, whether you're a business owner, a parent, or just someone trying to survive the heat, here are my non-expert, totally-vibe-based tips for staying sane:

1. Hydrate or Diedrate: Seriously. Get a big water bottle. Put some lemon in it. Pretend you're at a spa for 30 seconds while you drink it.

2. The 5-Minute "Me" Window: Even if it’s just sitting in the car for 5 extra minutes before going into the house. It counts as a vacation. I’m making that a rule.

3. Lower the Bar: Everything doesn't have to be perfect. Sometimes it is just what it is. Acknowledge the mess, laugh at the typos, and keep moving.

4. Buy the Good Cheese: (Obviously). Life is too short for bad brie.

5. Don’t be a hermit: It’s so easy to get lost in the chaos and heat of the week. Go find that human connection. Get out there. See the people you love and remember there’s a whole world outside of your to-do list.

I’m currently writing this while looking at my to-do list funny enough which is roughly the length of the Amazon River, but hey: it’s almost time to wrap up the day. Tewksbury event was a win, and I’m my own boss. I’ll take the tired. I’ll take the 7-day hustle. I’ll also take the reminder that somewhere in all of this, you really do have to find a balance and some actual happiness too. Because yes, hustle hustle hustle, obviously, but also... shoo away the negative energy, babes, because whyyy would anyone want that hanging around? Life is rough. Life is beautiful. Both things can be true at the same time, which is rude but also weirdly comforting.

And during these 12-hour shifts and the daily routine struggle (definitely the wrong word) of George, chores, bedtime, rinse repeat... standing in silence is just unacceptable to me. I need a little escape hatch that still lets me keep moving, and lately that has been binging *Off Campus* on Prime instead of doing the usual dead-eyed TikTok scroll. And listen, it was steamy, funny, romantic, had a great soundtrack, and yes, let’s just call it what it is, those men were impressively ripped in a way that does not exist in regular everyday life. Maybe except HyRox. It was the perfect little brain break while still keeping the hustle going.

To battle against said exhaustion I try to do at least one big thing for me once a week and grab little sparkles of happiness daily. Monday I went to Lynnfield to have lunch with my little sister at Legal Seafoods for a couple hours before taking an afternoon of calls. We both could use a serious spa day. I’m talking robes, slippers, cucumbers on the eyes, a long snooze type spa day. SOON.

Speaking of more sparkles, I’m in my delusional little "I am health" era and I went for a 3-mile run the other night and absolutely died. Just fully expired. Humidity said, "that's cute," and humbled me immediately. So now I’m currently heading for a basement workout because at least down there I can pretend I’m not breathing through hot soup. Adapt! Survive! Try not to perish dramatically in sneakers.

And honestly, it’s those little things that sparkle that keep me sane. Tiny creative pockets. Tiny human moments. Tiny reminders that I’m not just a cheese-slinging robot running on Redbulls. I used to play piano, and I’ve been getting back into it lately, which has been such a good reset for my brain. It’s one of those creative escapes that helps balance out the hustle and makes me feel a little more like... me again.

Thank you guys for being part of this journey and for being patient with me when I’m a little scattered. You’re the reason Graze exists, and I’m so grateful for that, even when I’m sprinting. Keep hustling, babes.

Stay cool out there!

XX,

Abby

Song of the day: Fall Away by SOZI

Perfect thematic anchor for that burnt out- business vibe and just letting it all fall away because what else am I going to do?