Happy Thursday

“Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

In today’s issue, we’ll take a look at:

• A baby giraffe gets her name

• The case for a slower evening

• Why your entryway deserves more attention

• Sunset of the day

• The new trick to reducing stress without losing focus

A Baby Giraffe Named Kumi

The Fort Worth Zoo has a sweet new arrival, and thousands of people helped choose her name. Born on the last day of May to mom Kala and dad Apollo, the little giraffe already stood over six feet tall on day one, which is a humbling thought for the rest of us.

After a public vote that came right down to the wire, she was officially named Kumi, edging out Honey by less than a single percentage point. Kumi is Swahili for the number ten, a fitting choice, since this bright-eyed calf is Kala’s tenth baby.

And she isn’t the only good news from the herd. Just under two weeks later, a second calf arrived, affectionately nicknamed shin guards for the darker coloring on her legs. Two new giraffes in one summer feels like exactly the kind of gentle, hopeful story we could all use a little more of.

The Case for a Slower Evening

If your evenings tend to sprint straight from dinner to bedtime, you’re in good company. But the way we close out the day has a quiet influence on how well we actually sleep, and a slower, gentler wind-down can make a real difference.

It doesn’t take much. Dimming the lights an hour before bed, trading the screen for a few pages of a book, cracking a window for some cool night air, or wrapping your hands around a warm, calming drink can all tell your body that the day is done. Swapping in natural fibers and letting the room run a touch cooler help too, the kind of small, low-effort choices that tend to be gentler on you and the planet alike.

The goal isn’t a perfect routine. It’s giving yourself a soft landing at the end of the day. When your evenings slow down, your sleep often follows, and mornings have a way of feeling a little kinder for it.

Sunset of the Day

Reader Mary Kay sent us this sunset from Concord, Massachusetts, where her son stood at the edge of White Pond and watched the day soften into evening.

In her words: “He was enjoying the beauty and peace of a sunset over White Pond. It made my heart feel good to see him so relaxed.”

Thank you to Mary Kay for sharing your sunset with us! Want to be featured next? Send us your best sunset photo!

The New Trick to Reducing Stress Without Losing Focus

Trapped in the cycle of workplace burnout making it hard to focus, leading to more stress? You need CBDistillery’s new Daytime Calm gummies. With 50mg of CBG, shown to increase focus and reduce stress, each gummy is formulated for daytime focus and stress support – and code COOL saves you 25%.

Keep Your Cool

Quick Picks

• 🍽️ The make-ahead summer dinner party plan

• 🏡 The simple way to elevate your entryway

• 🐨 Australia built a bridge just for wildlife