savoring summertime at home

Without a doubt, summer is my favourite season.

There’s something magical about summertime. The looseness and long days feel wide open for anything. The blazing sun calls for outdoor play, endless ice cream, and impromptu evening hangouts with friends. Blurred routines somehow balance work with family fun because there’s an inherent excitement to LIVE out every minute of these 80 sweet, albeit sweaty, summer days.

Plus, it’s the one season where you can use and appreciate every part of your home, inside and out. Here are some of the summertime loves we're savoring now, at home and in our community:

seasonal treats

Food feels like a universal love language. So delicious and a delightful way to connect with your crew, and savor the unique flavors each season offers. I even attended a "garden-luck" party where we exchanged fruit, herbs, and veggies from our gardens and chatted about small, sustainable efforts we could each make at home to support our earth.

Juicy berries, stone fruit, and basil from our garden are the goodies my family looks forward to devouring every summer.

outdoor escape

Over the 8 years we've lived in our house, we've hosted backyard birthdays, neighbor parties, my husband's tenure celebration, and several impromptu evenings with friends.

There's something extra special about spending events like these outdoors. Even when the sun inevitably fades, the fireflies come out, and the music and conversation keep playing. Summer evenings just seem endless and fuller than when we're inside.

Having an outdoor living space to hangout together in, comfortably, really enhances your experience. We took it slowww...figuring out what we wanted our backyard patio space to be, and what would work well for our family and the gatherings we'd want to host.

It was WORTH doing slowly and so fun to reap the journey (and s'mores!) now. See our patio progress over the years in this post.

community connection

Collaging with my girl on First Friday at The Makery

In my last post, I shared how in lieu of traveling, we're embracing the comforts of home and what our community offers. There's no shortage of nature trails in our town, and with summer swim season over, my girls and I are spending 30-45 minutes M-F walking the neighborhoods around us.

We also have a thriving downtown community with fun, summer pop-ups and a monthly First Friday event featuring live music, free bites and beverages, and family-friendly activities hosted by small biz shops. Immersing in the town scene feels like a little getaway without the distance or expense!

what feels like summer magic to you?

I'd love to read about it in the Comments below, and I hope you make time to savor summer and all its magic, too.

Always,