Your Cozy Summer Toolbox
activities, eats, outfits, and self-care for a summer of ease and delight
Earlier this year, as winter was beginning to loosen its grip and the online world started chirping about spring, I felt both melancholy for the end of winter and excitement about the warmer months ahead. While I love the bright, warm, shimmering days of summer, I also really, really love the colder months and the joys of cozy living.
This mix of feelings led me to start a “cozy summer” Pinterest board that I have been pinning inspiration to since late February. The word cozy is often associated with the fall and winter months, and it’s certainly a critical means of navigating the cold. But I wasn’t ready to give up the cozy sentiments that bring ease and joy to my life, so I started thinking about what cozy could look and feel like in the summer.
Here are some of the ways Merriam-Webster defines “cozy:”
enjoying or affording warmth and ease
marked by the intimacy of the family or a close group
Sounds pretty ideal for summer if you ask me. So let’s set the stage, picture yourself HERE this summer:
And the thing about being cozy is this: when our basic needs are met (as every being deserves), and we approach our days with thoughtful intention, cozy can be pleasantly accessible to all of us. Cozy doesn’t require an overhaul of the way we live, nor does it necessitate new tools and supplies; it just asks us to lean into the things that bring us comfort in any climate and spend our days meaningfully with people we cherish.
I know summer can be a mixed bag— parents juggling work with kids out of school, uncomfortably hot temps, loooots of sunscreen slathering— but what if we approach it, as much as we can, with a similar ease as winter? We swap the living room fire for a backyard bonfire, our cozy sweaters for cozy linen, and slow cold days for slow warm (errr… hot) days.
Do we think we can make this summer a cozy one? Yay! We’ll then let’s kick things off with a cozy summer toolbox— sentiments to equip you with the tools to enjoy a summer that soothes. Take some of these concepts and apply them to your summer or use them as inspiration to create a cozy summer toolbox of your own, something you can pull from when things start to feel like too much (as they so often can for me on a hot, humid, oversimulating day).
You don’t need to have every moment planned or jetset around the world to have a meaningful summer. Some of the most memorable and joyful moments are the little things.
✿ celebrate— Find reasons to celebrate anything and everything— root beer floats on the last day of school, a bonfire for the first day of summer, an ocean-inspired treat for Shark Week, or a just-because dance party. Pile up in the car for a trip to get ice cream in your pajamas, go glamping in the backyard, make a peach cake with candles for everyone to blow out, and light sparklers even when it’s not the 4th of July. Schedule a few celebrations for no reason at all because you actually have every reason to celebrate everything— sun in the sky, air in your lungs, life is a celebration.
✿ reading— under a shady tree, on a towel by the water, in your favorite backyard hammock, reading in the summer is joyful comfort! And if ya need a good book, I have 99 for you right here, and most of them are backlist.
✿ card & board games— shelter indoors during a summer thunderstorm, enjoy a game of cards on the deck under string lights, pack games in your tote for your vacay. Games provide play for all ages and bring people together. Here is a roundup of some of our family favorites.
✿ be in nature— from hikes, to parks, to lakes, to your own little backyard garden, just getting OUT where the grass sways and the birds sing can be life-giving. Time your adventures accordingly if you live in a hot climate, prioritizing early morning or evenings to maximize the coolest temps.
✿ splash in the water— from the pool, to the lake, to the sprinkler, the simplicity of a little water can go so far on a hot summer day. And you are never too old to lounge in a flamingo-shaped floatie or glide down the slip-n-slide.
✿ create— Take 15 minutes to create an inventory of arts & craft supplies you have on hand and venture over to Pinterest to see what you can create (I also have a “cozy crafts” board if you fancy a look to get started). Lay a blanket under a shady tree, or find refuge indoors near the AC, and create something with your hands. Invite over a gal pal and channel your inner 12-year-old endlessly gluing magazine clippings onto poster board, or make friendship bracelets with your children as if you are at summer camp.
✿ movies from the library— Determine a recurring household movie day to observe this summer. The rules are: everyone must participate, and a trip to the library to choose the movie from the DVD selection is required. Intentional is the name of the game because there is nothing cozy about wasting your summer days scrolling Netflix options. Here is my throwback summer movie list, but I’ve also got some recommendations for soothing content and spring movies that also fit the bill.
✿ community events— Visit your local community center and/or library for a calendar of local events this summer. It is soul-filling to interact with folks from your community and remember that we are all so much more alike than we are different. But if that’s not enough of a reason, your tax dollars are sponsoring these events, so don’t leave that money on the table.
I’ve struggled with my summer wardrobe in years past. I want comfort and fun, stylish and practical, and I’ve only recently started to define how that looks for me. Here are some of the easy breezy things I’ll be wearing on repeat when the temps start to spike (ps I have a post coming soon with a lookbook of secondhand outfits I’ll be living in this summer):
✿ oversized button-down— open with a tank or crop top, or 1-3 buttons buttoned, over denim bottoms, bike shorts, leggings, linen pants, whatever combination you desire
✿ overalls— shorts or pants, denim or linen, over your swimsuit or dressed up with a flouncy top, also perfect with a plain white tank
✿ maxi skirt or dress— For the past 9ish years (basically, since becoming a mother) I’ve had ONE of these to my name, but a trip to my local consigment shop a few weeks ago completely changed that and I feel like a new woman! Maxi is the way to go for functionality as a mother of young children, and there are so many fun ways to get creative when assembling outfits— oversized concert tees, basketball jerseys, layering a dress with a t-shirt underneath
✿ baseball hat— My favorite accessory (and solution for days I don’t want to deal with my hair) is a baseball hat. And keep one in your bag for quick and easy shade on hot sunny days.
✿ wide leg linen pants— a cozy coastal grandma staple for feeling easy breezy and put together. Pairs well with just about anything from cotton crew neck sweaters to bikini tops, and a little crinkle gives it an effortless lived-in touch.
✿ create your own go-to outfit formula (a la Ina Garten)— Create ease by limiting decision-making. For me, this is an oversized button-down + bottoms. It’s something I can always reach for to feel comfortable and put together, but with minimal effort. Bike shorts and layered tops? Linen overalls and a cropped t-shirt? Babydoll dress and chambray button-down? If nothing comes to mind, do a bit of scrolling on Pinterest to find outfit inspiration using what you already have or can find at your local thrift store.
Summer meals shine because it’s PEAK produce season, so kick your heels up because the plants have us covered. Summer is also a season of dumping whatever you have available on a plate and serving it out on the deck— when a full day of summer fun wears you out, anything counts as a meal.
✿ hummus and veggies— When I had my 3rd child in peak summer in Oklahoma (also peak COVID…), we spent our entire days with our two toddlers by the backyard inflatable pool, and dinner was never easier than a tub of hummus, some veggie straws, and a plate of veggies. We called it “pool dinner,” and nothing tops a meal with minimal clean-up after a long summer day.
✿ fruit bowls— My go-to summer meal for hot mornings is a big a** bowl of fresh fruit and a scoop of silken tofu topped with chopped pistachios and hemp hearts. It’s fiber and protein-packed, hydrating, delicious, and makes you feel like you are vacationing on a tropical island. You could also throw on some fresh mint for extra vibezzzzz.
✿ have a “bar”— A sandwich bar with all the veggies and spreads, a smoothie bowl bar with a variety of fresh fruit and whipped coconut cream, a trail mix bar with nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and chocolate chips, an avocado toast bar with colorful toppings like pickled red onions and sundried tomatoes— lay out the goods and let everyone create a custom dish. There is novelty in individuality.
✿ banana cream iced latte— Girl, go live your best summer life and make this already okay. But also! Coconut butterfly pea bubble tea and shaken brown sugar iced coffee. We are cozy aaannndd caffeinated.
✿ tofu egg salad— This has been a go-to dinner to pack for baseball nights, and it’s even become a hit amongst friends and their kids! My strategy in every season is to cook once and eat lots, so I make a big batch using two blocks of tofu— one I cut up into little cubes (to mimic the egg white) and one I crumble (to mimic the egg yolk). From there, it’s really about taste and preference for how you would prepare a traditional egg salad, but the key for the eggy taste is black salt (which you can get at most Indian grocers!). I use vegan mayo, turmeric (for color, but also the nutritional benefits are a nice bonus), nutritional yeast, hemp hearts (for added nutritional benefits and no one even notices them), a little bit of Dijon mustard, a little splash of apple cider vinegar, salt (black salt and sea salt), and a splash of pickle brine. I just throw it all in, mix, taste, adjust, repeat. It’s exceptional on soft, fresh sourdough with some lettuce. Or try this delicious curried version (I skip the raisins and pumpkin seeds).
✿ pasta salad— The perfect summer picnic meal to prep in advance. Use whatever veggies you have lingering, toss them in with some cooked pasta (P.S. Brami protein pasta is at Costco right now!), add your dressing, and keep it stashed in the fridge for a grab-and-go meal anytime.
✿ pistachios, olives, salt + vinegar chips— The actual perfect apetizer tip that Amelia Wilson turned me on to. It’s easy, salty, and satisfying. Can’t you just see yourself on a deck sipping something cold and fizzy, nibbling on these? Dinner is served!
✿ bean salad— I have been enjoying this marinated bean salad (I will toss in extra veggies too, like sundried tomatoes and cucumbers) on heavy rotation lately, it’s so flavorful and really delicious served over a little cashew yogurt (drizzled with EVOO and sea salt_ and enjoyed with some type of carb (pita, tortilla, baguette) + a side of spinach or arugula. Perfect for a hot summer day or to bring along to the beach/pool.
✿ dumpling tomato salad— One of the most surprisingly delicious ways to enjoy fresh basil and tomato season is this easy peasy dumpling salad using frozen veggie dumplings from the Asian market. It would be great to bring/serve at a gathering, but also delicious on a hot summer day at home. This is summer comfort in a bowl.
✿ grill everything— The most satisfying meals are when I gather up ripe veggies from the garden, slather them in EVOO + salt and paper, and toss ‘em on the grill. You haven’t lived until you have tried grilled kale leaves with a splash of lemon— TRUST. Also, grilled eggplant (and we had the nerve to go and create hundreds of animal factory farms, are you kidding?)!!!
Find comfort in the small and large ways to tend to yourself and your needs, because on long hot days, we need TLC just as much as a backyard garden box, so take care.
✿ appreciate the small and mundane moments— What a privilege it is to have mundane moments, to be safe, to live in a home occupied by your favorite people within an arm’s reach. Savor the things that make life rich: the fresh produce of summer, extra time with your little ones, mornings with nowhere to be. A year from now, life could look very different (and if you have young children, it will certainly look different). This summer is uniquely one-of-a-kind; cherish it as much as you can and keep perspective.
✿ manage news consumption— There seems to be an endless scroll of devastating breaking news. And that starts to take a toll on our minds and spirits. This past month, I’ve been intentional about slowing down my news consumption (after I noticed it ramping back up), and I feel a lot better emotionally. Get rid of the news app on your phone, schedule an intentional time to consume the news from a non-inflammatory source, and give yourself permission to not always be in the know.
✿ schedule time for rest— Afternoon quiet time, morning reading hours, meditation, whatever it looks like, prioritize time for rest and time away from technology and to-dos.
✿ get a full night’s sleep— This may mean getting into bed while the sun is still up in the summer, and honestly, it’s such a delicious feeling. Make bedtime as appealing as playing in the sun— have a great book to read, some cozy PJs, a bedside lamp, and a routine that makes you crave tucking in. Set a bedtime and stick to it as much as you can, you will feel like a million bucks!!
✿ walk— It’s so simple but feels so good. Walk around where you live or venture to somewhere more scenic, listen to an audiobook, podcasts, music, or the sounds of nature. Create a morning or post-dinner ritual and be consistent; the endorphins are worth it.
✿ sleep on linen sheets— Treat yourself like the valued guest of your own life with linen sheets. My husband sleeps hot, and linen sheets are the year-round solution; they are sooooo comfy. We also skip the top sheet and have zero regrets— it’s easier to make the bed in the morning and less to get tangled up in while sleeping. My favorite sheets are from Parachute, and we have had them for years upon years.
✿ open the windows (when you can)— We don’t have A.C., and while I’m cursing the sun on hot, humid days, for most of the summer I am grateful for the fresh air filling my home. Fresh air is better for us than air-conditioned air (also from an environmental perspective) and improves indoor air quality. Throw open the windows when you can, even if just for a few minutes at night or in the morning.
Hey! If you enjoyed this, I think you may also love these!
Yes, summer is bright, and bold, and busy, but with a little intentionality it can also be soothing, restful, and relaxing— even amidst the mundane and endlessness of our busy little lives.
What will you do to be intentional about comfort this summer? I’d love to know!
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I am... not a summer person (like, clinging to any day I can put on a sweatshirt and fuzzy socks, lol), so I loved this post! Going to print it out, actually, so I'm not so miserable the next few months, haha! Thank you as always for the inspo.
Loving all these cozy ideas 🥰🥰 SO excited for summer this year (although that feels true every year, the excitement is especially high)