It’s summertime! When I was a child I couldn’t wait for summer. School was out and my time was my own. It’s not quite the same as adults but we can still capture some of that childhood joy if we are intentional about it. Let’s romanticize summer!
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ROMANTICIZE THE SEASON:
SUMMER
Summer has always felt like freedom to me. Fewer obligations and longer days feel luxurious. Let’s take the time to plan our summers and add some fun and romance to the season!
MAKE A SUMMER PLAYLIST
There are so many songs that evoke memories of summers past. As teenagers in Southern California, David and I have very fond memories of driving around in our 1966 Mustangs with the windows down (we didn’t have a/c) and The Beach Boys blaring from our car stereos (8-tracks at first and then cassette decks).
What are your summer music memories? Make a playlist and enjoy the trip down memory lane.
CREATE A SUMMER PHONE WALLPAPER
Most of us look at our phones multiple times a day. Why not get a little dose of Summer each time? If you don’t know how to create one, here are a couple of links to help:
How to make your own phone wallpaper using Canva
CHOOSE A SUMMER COCKTAIL OR OTHER FUN DRINK
Shirley Temples, gin and tonic, Cape Cod, sparkling water with cranberry juice, Kool-Aid, lemonade, iced tea…there are so many to choose from!
Keep plenty of cold water available, sliced lemons, and lot of ice. And why not enjoy a cool beverage in a fancy glass once in awhile? Maybe institute a late afternoon “cocktail hour”, whether it’s an actual cocktail or not.
ENJOY SEASONAL PRODUCE
Summer is my favorite season for fresh produce. Juicy peaches, buttery corn on the cob, fresh green beans cooked with tiny new potatoes, squash casserole…these are some of my favorite foods!
Make a point of including these and other seasonal delights in your menu.
This seasonal produce guide allows you to input your state and the month so you can find out what is in season in your area:
CREATE A SUMMER PINTEREST BOARD
Pinterest is a great place to find inspiration to help us romanticize summer. Start a new board and begin searching for wonderful new ideas for the season. I just started my own and plan to keep adding to it:
Romanticize the Season ~ Summer
MAKE DAILY APPLICATION OF SUNSCREEN PART OF YOUR MORNING RITUAL
It’s important to protect our skin from the harsh sun rays of summer. Consider making sunscreen application a regular part of your daily morning skincare ritual if it isn’t already.
The History Of Sunscreen And The Best Mineral Sunscreen From Today
BUY A CUTE SUMMER HAT
In addition to sunscreen, a wide-brimmed sun hat is a good way to protect your face as well as add a fun, fashionable look to your summer sundresses.
COLLECT SUMMER QUOTES
Add to your quote collection with some lovely summer-themed quotes or poetry snippets.
MAKE A SUMMER BOOKMARK
Get out your craft supplies and make a special bookmark for a new season.
WATCH SUMMER MOVIES
Here are some movies with a summer vibe:
T.V. SERIES
David and I have talked about how much we enjoyed the summer mornings of our childhood when would watch our favorite re-runs. They may not be specifically about summer but for those of us who watched them when school was out, these old favorites will always feel like summer.
Dennis the Menace (the original series) – David and I have just about finished watching the whole series and he commented last night that you could tell it was filmed in California because it was never winter.
And then there’s…
The O.C. – Is there anything more summer than a series that takes place in a California beach community?
MAKE TIME FOR YOUR HOBBIES
I’ve shared before how important hobbies are. Be sure to make time to enjoy your hobbies this summer. If you don’t have any, this is the perfect time to pick up one or two. Think back to what you enjoyed as a child if you need some inspiration.
CELEBRATE THE SUMMER SOLSTICE
It’s the longest day of the year and that’s worth celebrating. Here are some ideas:
Summer Solstice ~ Traditions and Celebrations
MAKE A PITCHER OF ICED TEA EACH DAY
Is there anything more refreshing than a tall glass of iced tea with a slice of lemon? I grew up drinking sweet tea every day in the summer. Grandma always had a pitcher available. With all the grandkids in and out of her house, I’m sure she must have made more than one a day. Here is how she taught me to make it:
And if you like Starbucks’ iced tea lattes, try this:
STARGAZE
Y’all know how much I love to look at the stars so of course I had to include it here.
Create a Beautiful Life With a Stargazing Ritual
TAKE MORNING WALKS
If you live somewhere hot like I do, you’ll need to get up early to beat the heat. But it’s worth it to get outdoors for a walk. Romanticize your daily walks by pretending you are a Jane Austin character. They were always taking walks, right?
ATTEND AN OUTDOOR CONCERT OR LIVE PRODUCTION
We recently attended a production of Romeo and Juliet in our local park. Our son enjoyed a jazz concert with friends at a park last weekend. Check your local events calendars and find an outdoor concert or play.
GO ON A PICNIC
You can take a picnic to one of the events mentioned above or just plan one all on its own.
SUMMER ROAD TRIP
I’ve really come to appreciate good old fashioned road trip the past few years. Load up the car and hit the road. Make some special treats for the drive. David was thrilled when I took freshly baked Oatmeal Krispies on one of our trips.
We enjoy a good playlist on the road. Here is one I created by crowd sourcing “perfect songs”:
We also love listening to audiobooks on our drives. If you don’t already have Audible, you can get a free trial here.
VISIT A MUSEUM OR ART GALLERY
On hot days, enjoy an air conditioned museum or art gallery. Check museums in your area for special exhibits. I’m looking forward to the Edith Head exhibit coming to the OKC Museum of Art this summer.
CREATE A SUMMER BUCKET LIST
Creating a Stay-At-Home Bucket List
INDULGE IN SUMMER TREATS
Try a new sno-cone flavor each week. Make homemade ice cream. Or how about an icebox pie?
9 Easy Icebox Pie Recipes For When You Can’t Be Bothered to Preheat the Oven
CREATE A SUMMER READING LIST
One of my favorite things about summer as a child was the extra time to read. Make a list of summer reads and work your way through the list. If you complete the list reward yourself with a personal pan pizza if you miss those days. I’m too old to have experienced that myself but younger folks will know what I’m talking about. There is no reason we can’t reward ourselves as adults. And it doesn’t have to be pizza. I’m thinking sushi, myself.
10 Things You’ll Remember If You Did Pizza Hut’s BOOK IT!® Program
Here are a few books on my list this summer:
The Summer Book Club by Susan Mallory
The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
100 Ways to Live a European Inspired Life by Fiona Ferris
The French Ingredient: A Memoir by Jane Bertch
Travels with Charley in Search of America by John Steinbeck
AT HOME MOVIE NIGHTS
There’s something about the experience of watching a movie in a theater and certain films are certainly worth the expense. However, you can still have a fun movie night in the comfort of your own home…for a LOT less expense.
One of the things I love most about movie theaters is the popcorn. But did you know you can get popcorn to-go? We’ve done it a few times since the pandemic began and it really makes the at-home movie experience special. Pick up your favorite movie candy at Dollar Tree for a fraction of the cost of movie theater prices and splurge on the popcorn.
Watching a movie at home means you aren’t limited by what is currently showing, you can get cozy with pillows and blankets, room temperature is under your control, if you wonder what other movies that actor was in you can pause the movie and look it up and best of all…pausing for bathroom breaks!
SUMMER COLORING BOOK
A new season is a great excuse for a new coloring book.
CHOOSE A SUMMER WORD
I’m in a life coaching group and our assignment for June is to “Design Your Dream Summer”. Group members have come up with some great ideas but the one that really resonated with me was “a summer of nostalgia”. I’m looking back into my childhood and teen years for inspiration.
Many choose a word of the year but why not a word just for summer? Other ideas to get you started. Summer of…
- joy
- adventure
- travel
- relaxation
- hobbies
- peace
Choose your word and then begin brainstorming ways to live it out this summer.
WATER PLAY
Summer is a great time for water play. If you don’t have a pool or live near the beach don’t let that deter you. Consider an inflatable kiddie pool. Run through the sprinklers. Take a trip to a nearby lake, river or ocean. Buy water pistols or super soakers and have a “water war” in the back yard.
COOK OUTDOORS OFTEN
Fire up the grill and enjoy hamburgers, hot dogs, grilled chicken or any number of other delicious meals. It will keep your kitchen cooler and if you play it right, you might be able to talk someone else into doing the cooking once in awhile.
The Best Summer Grilling Recipes
CELEBRATE LEON DAY
Are you more of a winter person? Is Christmas your favorite holiday? Why not celebrate Leon Day? Never heard of it? It’s “noel” spelled backwards and it takes place on June 25th, the halfway mark to Christmas. You can go all out or just do what I’m planning to do this year. We are going to watch a Christmas movie and I’ll make something festive for dinner or dessert. I might pick up tiny gifts, too.
How to Celebrate Halfway to Christmas Day (Leon Day)
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Would you like a free printable list? Click here.
Do you have other ideas for romanticizing summer? I’d love to hear them. Please share in the comments!
OTHER POSTS IN THIS SERIES:
Romanticize the Season ~ Autumn
Romanticize the Season ~ Winter
Romanticize the Season ~ Spring
LOVELY! You remind me that I haven’t been romanticizing my seasons of late and it does pay off.
I took my granddaughter to pick up fresh peaches and peach ice cream. That is the essence of a Georgia summer right there! She is from North Dakota and I hadn’t seen her since she was a baby. I loved seeing her get up each morning, head to the kitchen and grab a ripe peach for breakfast and watch her lick the juice from her fingers…HapPy memory. I bought myself a summertime coffee cup, it’s covered with peaches…
I adore peaches, too! There is a nearby town (Stratford) with peach orchards and a peach festival. I need to get to the farmers market early Wednesday or Saturday and get some peaches. Or drive to Stratford. I’m glad your granddaughter is getting to enjoy that treat and that you are getting to enjoy her. 🙂