On the scale of hell to hygge, summer has always seemed to straddle the 5th layer of Dante’s inferno in my mind. Granted, I live somewhere that makes anything less than 90% humidity feel like a venture through the desert. From June to September? I consider myself indoorsy.
Except summer can actually be so cozy, and I’m fully leaning into balmy summer nights and blissful summer days this year. You just have to close that tab permanently open to Halloween shopping, take off the proverbial scarf, and find the summertime magic.
Go check on the plants. They probably won’t survive without you, and they love attention. Examine their leaves—and the undersides!—for mean-spirited vermin who insist on threatening your tiny potager. Talk to the plants (and the vermin). I recommend doing this first thing in the morning, cup of coffee in hand. Bonus? You get early sunlight, which is great for your circadian rhythm.
Learn how to make a fancy iced coffee shop drinks. Ooh, strawberry jam matchas with rose cold foam. Ahh, rhubarb-spiked iced espresso tonics. Mmm, iced chais with cherry whip. Knowing how to make elevated coffee shop orders at home instantly brings luxury to your kitchen, and you can marinate in seasonal flavors that are equal parts refreshing, cozy, and chic. Oh, and fog-clearing, speed-inducing, and sleep-shaking. You just need a few simple tools (like a way to make espresso [investment, solid, entry-level]; froth things, and whisk matcha) and your favorite coffee shop’s menu.
Walk barefoot in the grass. I’ve been prioritizing grounding a habit for years now—essentially standing barefoot on the solid earth. My thinking? At best, the practice reduces inflammation, and, at worst, I’m taking a moment to put my feet on the earth and visualize my connection with a secure, solid foundation. And nothing says cozy, throwback summer like bare feet on warm, dewy grass. It’s good for you and your soul, I promise.
Make your own summer camp. OK, there are two ways to do this: (1) host a summer camp-themed party for your favorite people (2) take yourself back to summer camp. There are so many easy logo templates in case you want to kick it up an extra notch.
Group Summer Camp:
Make a friendship bracelet station. Beads are ultra-wearable, or go tremendously retro with this embroidery thread book set.
Canoe/kayak/paddleboard. It doesn’t get more Camp Wannahockaloogie than this.
Pass out mid-camp popsicles. They don’t have to be fancy; if it comes as liquid encased in a plastic rectangle, you’re thriving.
Tie dye stuff. Tote bags for grocery trips are a great grown-up twist on the classic tie-dyed tee.
Field games. Water balloon tosses, egg-and-spoon relays… bring out the competitive side of your campers. Bonus points for matching tees for the teams.
Serve summer staples on mess-hall trays. Think sloppy joes, BBQ chicken sandwiches, baked beans, grilled corn, mac and cheese.
S’mores. Get a campfire going, burn your marshmallows, let your hands get sticky. Consider elevating the classic with different types of chocolate bars (like my blackberry white chocolate s’mores), flavored marshmallows (like my matcha raspberry s’mores), or adding fresh jams or fruits (like my dark chocolate cherry s’mores).
Solo Summer Camp:
Nature walk + leaf crafts. Collect leaves and flowers, then make fun things with them fresh or pressed.
Make friendship bracelets for yourself or for someone you think is great.
Paint a mini canvas. Keep it simple, and please make sure it’s not perfect. Might I suggest a happy little tree?
Eat camping classics, even if you cheat and make them (way more easily) indoors. Think chili, skillet hash, baked potatoes. Or try summer classics like hot dogs, walking tacos, sloppy joes. The only requirement is to finish it with…
S’mores. This is non-negotiable. You can make them in the microwave, the air fryer, or with the tiniest tabletop fire pit. But you’re making s’mores. They don’t have to be basic.
Watch camp classics, like The Parent Trap, Moonrise Kingdom, Wet Hot American Summer.
Write a postcard! Your mom would perish if she got a postcard from you.
Throw a party for no reason, even just for yourself. Maybe especially for yourself. Three reasons why: (1) it feeds your creativity, (2) gives you something to plan and look forward to, and (3) makes these summer moments feel special and warm. Pick a simple theme, dream it up exactly how you would want, and make it happen. Don’t worry about everything being perfect, but focus on what you love and how it feels to make it a reality for no reason at all, other than you love it. Which might just be the best reason of all.
Every summer for the last three years, I’ve hosted weekly, themed, mini dinner parties for my kids. We’ve been through the first six Harry Potter books (aptly named the Glug Club, due to the adults in attendance), wall-E (with dirt-and-rocks-inspired meatballs and a BnL milkshake bar), Little Mermaid (with a treasure hunt, chocolate gold coins, DIY pixie dust necklaces, “tastes like chicken” teriyaki alligator [OK… chicken], and “second star to the right” pasta stars), and more. Some nights it’s “Pretend You’re At Disney World,” with park food favorites made at home, a Magic Kingdom playlist, and Mickey ice cream bars in front of a video of the fireworks on YouTube (followed by a TRON ride POV video, of course).
Then we started turning our house into our favorite places to eat, like a cute, pastry-forward café or classic pizzeria. So…
Make your house a café/pizzeria/your favorite restaurant. Plan the menu, make a logo, print a menu, make stickers… Or if that’s a bit much (even for you), focus on a nice, styled spread with tablecloths, flowers, and a perfect menu. What’s the criteria for perfection here? Only that you simply love it, it feeds your creative (and your belly), and it brings you joy. Invite a few friends, or not. It’ll feel special either way. And how cute are these dinner menu templates?
If you want to get more specific:
Café suggestions: Pull out the good coffeemaker, learn to make a few great coffeeshop drinks, lay down butcher paper. If you’re feeling energetic, make a logo and print it on labels for paper coffee cups. Arrange pastries over the butcher paper, write labels on the paper with a marker, turn on the “open” sign, and you’re in business.
Pizzeria suggestions: A red-and-white-checked tablecloth is a must. Try to find old basket-cradled chianti bottles and stick candles in the tops. Pour wine in stemmed glasses or soda in the red, textured cups you haven’t seen since you finished the BOOK IT! program at Pizza Hut. Print your logo on stickers and slap them on individual pizza boxes. Buy premade pizza dough and portion it out for everyone to make their own pizza. This playlist
is great.
Hot tip: If you invest in a few basics (like an LED “open” sign, butcher paper for your menu, and serving pieces, and printable sticker paper), you’ll have the foundation to transform your residence into a restaurant at a moment’s notice.
Do yoga before bed. I’m not here to make you read about the benefits of yoga before bed, I’m here to convince you that taking a few minutes before bed to gently stretch, regulate your breathing, and intentionally transition to deeper rest is the coziest way to live in your body this summer. You’re not yet aching to roll under that fluffy duvet the moment you get changed for bed—but you will be in a few months!—so take advantage of your freedom to move (and with warm toes). I’m a big fan of Peloton’s yoga classes, and you can find literally anything on YouTube.
Journal. Journaling makes everything pretty cozy, and summer is a fantastic time to shift your journaling outward. What did you see, hear, feel, and experience today? Was there a heron prancing through the lake during your walk? Were there fireflies after dinner? Your journal wants to hear about it. Fall and winter are natural times of introspection, so take a moment to really live in your body, on this earth, during the warmer months.
Eat popsicles. Eat popsicles on after-dinner walks. Eat popsicles in the pool. Eat popsicles whilst reading. Eat popsicles whilst reading outside. Find a popsicle you really love; buy plenty. I recommend JonnyPops mango with fresh cream. Heaven.
Summer cozy playlists. Every season needs a soundtrack, and these scene-setting tunes are perfect for burrowing into a fully present summer.
Take a drive, with the main-character scene set. Roll the window down, throw on sunglasses, find the perfect playlist, and feel yourself transition into the main character moment we all need sometimes. Find music that fits your mood and state of mind especially well right now, and when you hear it again in the future? You’ll be transported back to this summer forever.
Sit outside and read or journal. Finding a cozy summer is all about slowing down… occasionally, anyway. Sit outside wherever you can and read or journal, and listen for the birds, the bugs, the kids, the thunder. Watch for fireflies and that ultra-slow transition to darkness. Absorb the moment without a pixel to distract you. Soak in the humidity before it turns to bitter cold (because it will come, and that’s part of the beauty of right now.)
Take a walk through as much nature as you can find. Forests count; city parks count; sidewalk landscaping counts. Put your phone down and just live in your body, in the season, in the world.
Pick flowers and leaves, if that makes sense (Please don’t forage the sidewalk landscaping.) and make bouquets or crafts with them (in the moment; later).
Cold brew tea. Tea is a lead actor in any cozy scene, but hot tea in the summer often feels like adding fuel to the fire. We sort of skip sun tea these days, but you can cold brew tea for a cozy moment that’s more refreshing than steamy (save steamy for the smut you’re reading outside with popsicles and fireflies, you vixen).
Find some water to float in. Pool, lake, ocean, a corner of the community pool at the Y? It all counts. No laps, please, just floating for maximum cozy vibes. Focus on the feeling of the water on every centimeter of your skin, how weightless you become, how hard it is to be anxious this way.
Watch a cozy summer movie. There are so many to choose from.
Switch your activewear for high-quality, flowy natural fibers, like linen, silk, and gauzy cotton. We still need to be comfy and cozy, but these fabrics, in timeless cuts, make feeling put-together as easy as they are breezy. Bonus? No microplastics, if that’s a thing you’re thinking about. I highly recommend Quince for silks, J. Crew for linen, and Z Supply for gauze.
Go look for fireflies. On a nature walk, while you’re watching TV, while you’re driving home from flag football practice… It doesn’t have to be a dedicated activity, simply set your awareness for nature’s twinkle lights. Oh, and make sure you let everyone around you know when you see a firefly, or it doesn’t count.
Go to the farmers market. Buy flowers, honey, and fruit. Try some cheese. Bring your cotton net bags to stuff it all in. Support your community. Buy produce without any real plan in mind, then make something fun with it later (just don’t let it rot away in your fridge). Pet a pup, listen to some local music.
Eat a big wedge of watermelon. Don’t cut it up into little bite-sized pieces (although I know the perfect way to do that). Eat it down to the rind, let the juice drip down your chin, spit the seeds into the yard (or off the balcony—it’s probably fine).
Grow a little herb garden. Whether it’s a full raised bed or a single basil plant in an old tea tin on a windowsill, it counts. Think chives, mint, basil, sage, parsley… except keep that mint separate from everything else. Girlfriend has no boundaries. Pick leaves from your herb garden for a fresh glaze of flavor in your favorite dishes. Yes chef.
Start bird watching or listening. There’s nothing cozier than turning into your grandma. Take a walk and just listen. Look out your window and identify the birds in your little corner of the world. Pretty soon you’ll be all, “Is that a yellow-throated warbler? Well butter my toast!” and I think that might be peak cozy.
Keep fresh flowers in the house. All over the house. Remember that nature walk? That trip to the farmer’s market? Even if your week was too busy for any of that slow luxury, flowers are cheap and abundant right now. Add a $5 bouquet to your grocery store pickup this week and put them in a vase you love. Revel in delicate, abundant leaves of summer flowers, the light perfume, the freshness brought indoors.
Eat an ice cream cone outside. We’re living in the most delightful ice cream era yet. Have you been in an actual grocery store lately? The flavors in the coolers read like the most artisanal scoop shop in Brooklyn. Buy something that sounds good, scoop it into a cone, and eat it outside. Let it drip down your fingers and worry about it just as much as you did when you were a kid. Or take a trip to the most artisanal scoop shop in Brooklyn and eat your cone on a street bench or stoop.
Make a fancy girl dinner that’s light and easy but beautifully styled. When it’s this hot outside, cooking can seem like a punishment. Listen to your body and mind and simply skip it some nights, without missing an ounce of your homemade dinner. Think charcuterie or grazing board: plate fresh fruits, proteins, cheeses, veggies, dips, or whatever’s really in your fridge. Arrange it beautifully and pour yourself a glass of wine or mocktail in your fanciest glass. Eat it outside: 10 bonus points.
Make a summer fruit dessert. I look forward to summer all winter long, if only for one reason: fresh fruit. My kids insist on strawberries year-round, which is—I know—not great for the environment, and—I also know—not great for my wallet. Take advantage of the abundance of fresh, ultra-flavorful fresh fruit and make it the centerpiece of your dessert. Think peach cobbler, cherry clafoutis, blueberry pie, strawberry shortcake. Not a baker? Roast some fresh summer fruit and serve it over ice cream. Delicious.
Lean into your hobbies or pick one up.
Paint something: And you don’t have to be a painter to do it. These paint-by-number kits are extra seasonal and you can enjoy the process without stressing about direction and management.
Learn to embroider: Think of all the fun things you can bedazzle! Pillow cases, canvas tote bags, Converse… That’s why I bought this kit a few months back and started learning to embroider.
Journaling: Journaling doesn’t have to be all thoughts and no doodling. In fact, doodling is highly recommend. Find a pretty journal, some great pens, and. Consider learning about Bullet Journaling, too.
Scrapbooking/collage: I’m obsessed with digital collages, and making old-school physical collages is creative and relaxing. Highly recommend.
Print it out, tape it to your fridge, remind yourself often. There’s just so much to love about summer, and you deserve to take the time to enjoy it fully. Why? Because I said so.
A quick note about links:
Some of the product links I share are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through them—at no extra cost to you. It's one of the ways I help support the work that goes into creating 40 Aprons!