Sometimes, when I feel like time is passing me by way too quickly, I like to come up with a list of things that pretty much always make me happy, and try to incorporate them into my life to really savor and enjoy them. So with that said, here is a list of a few of my favorite summer things that make it really easy to be present and “in the moment”:
- Twinkle lights on a warm and lazy summer night. Preferably on a back patio or pergola.
- Fireplaces/fire pits. And for extra points, roasting marshmallows on said fire pit.
- Just sitting in the sun on a lawn or pool chair, or even better, a cushioned outdoor swing. Feeling the hot rays beating down on your skin, and your skin seeming to actively soak up all that delicious vitamin D (with proper protection of course). And the sun so bright, you can see it through your closed eyes.
- A refreshing caramel frappuccino on a warm summer day.
- Going for a quick swim at the pool (even though my version of swimming is a back float and the occasional doggy paddle.)
- A bike ride through a gorgeously green bike trail.
- Going on a walk in perfect 75 degree (fahrenheit) weather (with a delicious breeze) and discovering places I never knew existed before, right in my own neighborhood. (Trespassing anyone?)
- The smell of a barbeque, even if it isn’t my own.
- Watching kids play outside, sans technology, and just running around, cuz they’ve been waiting all winter long for this exact moment.
- Waiting for my untannable skin to turn an ever so slightly darker shade of pale white.
- Wearing bright jewelry, makeup colors, nail polish, and choosing all the fun fruity scents for perfume.
- Lighting a candle in the background, preferably one with aforementioned fruity, summery scents.
- Having a glass of some ice cold Moscato D’asti, even though it’s probably not even considered alcohol, it makes me feel more grown up, because it technically has 5%.
- Browsing through the patio furniture section at Target, and dreaming of what my backyard will look like one day.
- When the air conditioning in my car finally reaches that exact temperature I was dreaming about just moments before.
- The pitter patter of a summer rainstorm on my bedroom windows, complete with lightning and thunder…most appreciated at night just when I’ve just begun to feel sleepy.
- The fresh smell of the earth, and the deep green of the leaves after a rainstorm, like I live in a rainforest, and my suburban surroundings are suddenly transformed into nature at its finest.
- The fact that I don’t have to think about putting on layer after layer just to go outside.
- Sandles and the freedom they allow my usually covered toes.
- The long shabbatot where I’m forced away from tech and allow myself to get engrossed in some good ‘ole summer reading.
- My birthday and all the fun surprises that come along with it.
- Heading out to the beach, building sandcastles, and dipping our feet in the water all day.
- The nighttime glow of lightning bugs, and the calming sound of grasshoppers; each one bringing its own kind of wonder and harmony to the world and those in it.
- Lying on the grass on a clear warm night, staring up at the stars, and thinking about how small we are in this vast universe that surrounds us.
- Fireworks and sparklers and all things fourth of July. Happy 4th, by the way! (Noticing a theme of any and all types of light? (Minus fluorescent school/industrial lights..I’m pretty much light-obsessed.)
Hope you enjoy your summer as much as I enjoyed writing this list.
XOXO,
Nehama
