and so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, i had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.
— f. scott fitzgerald, the great gatsby
it really does feel like life starts again the summer. like one day you wake up and the warmth you’ve been waiting for isn’t just a dream anymore, it’s here. our days become drenched in golden rays, and the lens that we see life through is changed to one that’s more saturated.
if you’ve been around here for a bit, you know i am a big proponent of living life seasonally—leaning into the rhythms of nature and the earth through the year, letting them guide our lives a little bit. it’s one of the main ways i romanticize my life, grounding me in the current moment and season we’re in. i lean into specific routines, activities and comfort media depending on the season, and in these posts i share some of how you can do the same!
for more life, season by season
jenny han said it best when she wrote “everything good, everything magical happens between the months of june and august.”. while i’m definitely a fall and winter girl, i actually think as i get older i’m just a seasons girl. there are so many specific things i enjoy about each season. letting my life ebb and flow with the rhythm of the earth brings me such a sense of peace and grounding. i love how each season carves it’s own space in the year, and summer is truly one to behold.
summer always feels like it pulls us outwards, like a sweet, joyful friend grabbing you by the hand and pulling you out into the world. it’s a reminder that things can be bright, full, and good again.
what i love most about summer is the feeling of ease it carries. waking up on a sunny day with nothing ahead of you but to enjoy and soak it in. the added hours of sunlight make it feel like everything is possible, like you don’t have to rush as the day unfolds. each day holds it’s own promise of warmth—i can feel my shoulders drop and my breath get a little deeper, knowing that ahead lies a day of reading, puttering, enjoying. sitting out on the patio with a bowl of strawberries, or heading to the beach in the evening with nothing but a blanket and a book.
summer is so invigorating. it invites us to hope and wish. to start that thing you’ve been dreaming of, to take on more, to be unapologetic with what you want. there's something about the warmth and the light that makes desire feel less complicated than usual—like the season gives you gentle permission to reach for things without overthinking it. the days are long enough to hold all your ambitions, making it feel like anything is possible even without being perfectly polished. summer doesn't demand anything of you, but it has a way of making you want to choose more for yourself. somewhere in the long evenings and the golden light, self-doubt gets a little duller. summer just makes things feel possible, and it gifts us with the energy to pursue our passions.
early summer feels like a new, fresh beginning, but one that arrives with a purpose. unlike the gentle unfolding of spring, summer arrives like a rushing in tide, it’s current carrying us towards more. it feels like a long exhale. the warmth arrives and something in you relaxes. the days are generous without being overwhelming, the light is bright but gentle. there's an openness to it—like the season is just getting comfortable, finding its footing. you find yourself outside more, staying a little later, lingering without needing a reason.
late summer feels golden and slow in the best way. the days feel thick with warmth, and the light comes in lower now—long amber evenings. everything feels ripe. you notice that particular quality of late-day sun that makes ordinary things look beautiful. it’s a fullness that asks nothing of you except to be inside it. if early summer is a pastel sky, late summer is a burning sunset.
i think summer is a mix of moods: it’s slow syrupy days balanced with moments of buzzing joy. the contrast of days spent reading on the porch with ones spent going from the beach, to the beer garden, to the fireworks or a bonfire at night. it’s like every good thing rolled into one, and somehow it just feels easy. like the summer is the embodiment of the fruits of the labour we put in the rest of the year. like a vacation built in to everyday life.
little moments of summer: sandy skin at the beach, the windows open all day, a post beach day shower, golden hour drives…
a beach day
pack your beach bag, a picnic basket or cooler, and grab a good book and your sunscreen. i think a perfect beach day is the ultimate summer moment. it’s everything rolled into one—the sun, the sea, the sand. it’s relaxation paired with fun. this year, try to go to a beach you’ve never been to, even if its a much further drive.a summer vacation/staycation
a little vacation is what makes summer feel like summer. ever since i was a child, some of my most prominent core memories of the summer are the road trips my family would take each year. you don’t have to go far, and you don’t have to go for long. even just a night away somewhere close by really carves out the summer, and years later that time sticks out like an extra bright star.a new project
summer seems to invite us to try something new. maybe there is a project or thing you’ve been wanting to do, but were waiting to feel ready. well, ready or not, here you go. start the newsletter, sew the quilt, practice the skill, do the sport. now is your time. ready is overrated. allow yourself to dream big and believe it’ll all work out this summer.
i wholeheartedly think every season is baking season, but the treats we gravitate towards and the settings we enjoy them changes. nothing quite hits like sitting outside and enjoying an ice cream or dessert on the porch, hair still damp from a post beach shower. in the summer time i find myself pulled towards delicious sweets that are cold, comforting and a little more light or tart.
this is my summer sweet treat bucket list. i’ve been loving making a little list of desserts to make for the season as i broaden my baking horizons.
a summer baking bucket list—
homemade vanilla ice cream—i desperately want the kitchen aid ice cream maker attachment
smores — linked an oven recipe, but best made over an open fire
gooey, melty chocolate chip cookies — reminds me of being a kid
i also really want to try my hand at decorating cakes. i’m thinking a lemon cake with strawberries to look like a lobster like this one, it’s so cute.
summer was our best season: it was sleeping on the back screened porch in cots, or trying to sleep in the tree house; summer was everything good to eat; it was a thousand colors in a parched landscape; but most of all, summer was dill.
—harper lee, to kill a mockingbird
keep a jar of summer
a little sand, some shells, sea glass, rocks and petals you find, anything. collect these bits in a jar over the summer, and keep it somewhere you can see it the whole season.make your signature summer drink
take the first week of summer to experiment with different drink recipes, and find oyur favourite. that will be your go to for the season. a mocktail or cocktail, something you’ll share with people as they gather around your table.find “your spot”
a specific picnic spot in your local park, your favourite tree to sit under, a spot you gravitate towards on the beach. visit it often, to read, to write, or simply just to be.morning watering
before it gets too hot and the sun is fully over head, head out and water your garden because trust me, it needs it.a mid day dip
try to have a mid day dip at least once a week when it’s warm enough. in the pool, lake, ocean, or even just a run through the sprinkler or a cool shower at home. it’s something that feels so quintessentially summer.go barefoot
as often as you can. take your shoes off in the grass at the park, or as soon as you hit the sand of the beach. even just stepping out barefoot into your garden with coffee in hand.drive in saturdays
another unmistakable sign of the summer—the drive in is back open. truly one of my most favourite summer activities. it feels so nostalgic and sweet. the best summer date night!keep a running playlist of the summer
start a summer playlist, but don’t rush to fill it out. rather, let it be something that evolves over the season. add to it when you hear a song during a core moment of the summer, or a song you find yourself playing on repeat.
summer solstice (june 21st)
the summer solstice, the true beginning to summer, and something that deserves your attention. i’ve loved celebrating the solstices and equinoxes over the past year, it’s something i definitely plan to keep up. it doesn’t have to be grand, just a little acknowledgement of the world and her wonder.full strawberry moon (june 29th)
june’s full moon is called the strabwerry moon, named that because it traditionally marks the peak of the wild strawberry harvesting season in north america. much like with the solstices and equinoxes, i think celebrating the full moon makes each month feel a little more full.canada day (july 1st)
patriotic or not, i love celebrating canada day. mainly because a day off in the summer is always something to celebrate. a perfect day for hosting, spending all day outside, followed by a barbecue dinner and dining alfresco.independence day (july 4th)
the american equivalent, the 4th of july. as a canadian i don’t celebrate this, but i feel like it’s still the perfect day for my usa readers to have a day outside with friends and a barbecue.full buck moon (july 29th)
the full moon in july is called the full buck moon, named after the time of the year where male deer antlers are in full growth. bucks shed and regrow their antlers each year, so take this full moon as a time to reset and regrow.natal day (august 3rd)
august 3rd is a civic holiday across most of canada, though the exact holiday varies. here in nova scotia, it’s natal day—our birthday! there’s usually festivals, parades, events and activities the weekend before and on natal day. i love going to see the fireworks, and visiting the buskers festival on the halifax waterfront. it’s always so fun and summery!
world lake day (august 27th)
this is a global observance that raises awareness about the importance of lakes to the planet and ecosystems. while not really a traditional “holiday” or celebration, i think its a great time to celebrate nature, go swim in a lake, and bring a trash bag to clean up any litter you see.full sturgeon moon (august 28th)
the full sturgeon moon gets it’s name from when the giant lake sturgeon—north america's largest freshwater fish—was most abundant and easy to catch. the assiniboine people named this moon the black cherries moon, referring to when chokecherries become ripe. a perfect excuse to bake a cherry pie, i think.
golden hour evening
pay attention to the evening light. technically, after the summer solstice the days start getting shorter again (i know… insane), but we still have months of long, stretched out days. soak it in.summer flowers blooming — hello hydrangeas!
look out for the flowers that are the truest sign that summer is here. for me, thats big bushes of blue and white hydrangeas, and bright pink rhododendrons.the sound of ocean waves
truly the sweetest sound of the summer. my summer soundtrack.
summer birdcalls
birdsong returning is always a sign of the spring, but the birds are always so vocal in the summer time too! try noticing different calls than the ones you did in spring.the smell of rain on hot asphalt
a smell that will forever be nostalgic for me. it's one of those smells you can’t quite describe, because it smells like a feeling.sun dancing through the leaves
stop to notice the way the sun glows, peeking through gaps in the lush leafy tree branches. it reminds me of the way the light dances on the surface of the water. a little bit of everyday magic.
— prompts:
what am i looking forward to most this summer?
summer and the 5 senses—what does summer look, feel, smell, taste, and sound like to me?
what are you doing this summer that you never do the rest of the year?
what’s a summer memory from childhood that still feels vivid?
if you could freeze one moment from this summer so far and keep it forever, what would it be?
summer is a season of expansion—where in my life am i being invited to open up, take up more space, or say yes more?
what is ripening in my life right now? (think: something growing slowly that isn’t ready yet but will be soon)
what’s something you want to do at least once this summer, even if it feels small or silly?
what version of yourself comes out in summer that doesn’t show up as easily the rest of the year?
write an end of summer letter to yourself. what were your favourite moments? how do you want this summer to feel in memory?
— creative writing:
mermaids are real—write about what their homes are like, and what they do all day.
the fireflies start spelling a message and guiding you to a fantastical world… what happens next?
an ice cream truck appears on a hot summer night… it’s song hypnotizes and draws people out of their homes. where does it lead them?
you find a door at the back of a beach changing room that wasn’t there last summer. it opens onto a completely different time period.
what would you do in your perfect summer nostalgia weekend—timelines aren’t real, you can pick anything from any time.
things to treat yourself to
a summer signature scent
a new sundress
a lightweight beach blanket
running through a sprinkler on a hot day
a linen outdoor dining set (tablecloth, cloth napkins)
a good sunhat
fresh herb pots on your windowsill or patio (basil, mint, lavender)
a beach read
a good spf
a farmers market basket bag or tote
a favourite place to sit outside
a coldbrew concentrate to keep in your fridge
watercolour paints for slow afternoons
a watchlist—
📺 tv shows:
the summer i turned pretty
we were liars
the perfect couple
stranger things
outer banks
every year after
🎬 movies:
the kings of summer
moonrise kingdom
call me by your name
grease
stand by me
mama mia
dazed and confused
dirty dancing
footloose
american graffiti
knives out glass onion
something’s gotta give
🏕️ cozy nostalgia:
camp nowhere
it takes two
babysitters club
aquamarine
the parent trap (old & newer)
the sandlot
our lips are sealed
🪓 summerween:
it
sleepaway camp
pet sematary
fear street trilogy (specifically p2. 1978)
i know what you did last summer
the babysitter & the babysitter killer queen
my best friends exorcism
addams family values
a reading list—
i have a full summer reading list post coming soon, but every good summer reading list needs at least one of the following:
a classic — my picks: to kill a mockingbird, east of eden, the great gatsby
a romance — my picks: beach read, every summer after, just for the summer
a thriller — my picks: the block party, the perfect couple, death at the party
a horror — my picks: it, joyland, the southern book club’s guide to slaying vampires
honourable mention: the books i have to read every single summer, we were liars and family of liars (the prequel, but you must read it second).
the ingredients for a perfect summer aren’t necessarily the big plans and moments, but rather the little ones that really carve out these months as their own in the year. it’s about chasing sunsets, salty hair and sun-kissed skin. those fleeting moments of summer bliss, here for now, and gone before we know it. this guide is to help you really soak it all in. be present in the summer, don’t let it pass you by. summer is a season built off easy moments at home, the feeling of grass or sand underfoot, taking an afternoon to read outside without caring what time it is.
i hope this guide helps you achieve your sweetest summer.
with love, kyla
ps. what moment of summer is your absolute favourite?
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