It’s the first full week of June and most kids are on summer break. If you live in a place like I do (Sunny California!) you’ve already experienced your first 100+ degree day(s).
Despite all this, are you having trouble getting into the summer spirt? Here are a few things I like to do to make me feel like summer is officially here.
First off, I’m a big fan of making my closet summer ready. Of course this means packing away the bulky coats and sweaters into storage containers. But it also means that I don’t pack away all of my cardigans.
Two Reasons:
The dress code at my work is pretty standard ‘American style’ when it comes to office wear.
I can get away with many of my sundresses that might be considered weekend wear, if I pair them with a cardigan and nice wedges, heels, or fancy flats. If you are in a similar situation, this is a great way to stretch your wardrobe.
I still get cold – A LOT.
Restaurants, movie theaters, and malls all seem to pump up the AC to crazy lows when the temps outside rise. As one friend puts it, it’s time to break out the tank top, shorts and always have a down blanket handy.
For these reasons l leave my basic cardigans hanging in the closet. Black, white, and neutral is all I really need for summer. I also keep a few zip-up sweatshirts handy for wearing to the gym or running errands.
Total side note- have you seen this parody about active wear on YouTube yet? If not, do yourself a favor and enjoy. I saw it a few days ago and I’m still cracking up.
On to eating- during the summer my family loves eating outside.
To make it easy, I’ve invested in some low cost, but nice, and sturdy dishes and cups. In the summer I move all these items so they are easily accessible. If I have to dig for them, I’m less likely think about eating outside.
I have a full set that includes plates, serving trays, and glassware (actually plastic-ware) that work great for the backyard. If you’re in the market, Target, Pier 1 Imports and Home Goods are all great places to look.
Keeping with the theme of eating, summertime means fresh fruit is available in abundance most places.
But I’ve found just buying the fruit doesn’t always mean people will eat it.
An easy fix is to keep fruit in clear bowls or Tupperware that is highly visible in the fridge. When I do this everyone, including me, is more likely to grab it as a snack.
Strawberries, cherries, blackberries, and blueberries are all great to have on hand.
I’ll also buy both a watermelon and pineapple once a week. I like cutting them into bite size pieces on the weekend so they are easy to grab during the week.
Not sure how to tackle cutting up either of these fruits?
I was intimidated too, but I found great guides on The Kitchn that helped me with both.
And finally, who doesn’t love a good mindless summer read? I’m a huge fan of self-help books, but during the summer I also like to have a fun book that makes me feel like I’m on summer break too.
I think Elin Hilderbrand is the queen of a good beach read. One of her recent releases, The Rumor, did not disappoint. It’s a great story about friendship and drama in a small beach town.
I’d also highly recommend Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll and The Girl on The Train by Paula Hawkins. Both are great suspense novels and really enjoyable.
Why not channel your inner kid (or lazy teen) and embrace summer this year?
It’s nice to take things a little slower, enjoy the things that are unique to summer, and embrace the fun of these next few months.
