Someone once said that summer is a state of mind. With days that are longer and warmer we are reminded to open our homes and hearts for the beautiful opportunities that summer bestows on us. Here are four ways we can embrace the gift of summer:
- Enjoy a meal in nature
What is more enjoyable than a leisurely picnic brunch or a barbeque under a clear blue sky? A meal outside can be as simple as serving breakfast in your garden or grabbing a couple of blankets and a basket filled with sandwiches and heading to a park with your family. It could be a cheeseboard for just the two of you against the backdrop of a romantic sunset, or even just a solo afternoon tea in your own company.
- Invite summer into your home
Throw open your windows and doors; let the light stream through your living space. Warm colours and natural fragrances can turn any room into a summery haven by putting a simple vase of flowers, a potted herb plant or even a bowl of fruit on a table.
- Enjoy seasonal fruit and vegetables
Each season brings with it an array of delicious fruit and vegetables and the warmer months are no exception. Apples, apricots, cherries, grapes, pineapples, and strawberries can decorate a lavish cheeseboard or be served in a healthy yoghurt breakfast bowl or smoothie. Vegetables like aubergines, carrots, corn, and spinach are versatile ingredients for many mouth-watering recipes. Seasonal fruit and vegetables are healthy and sustainable ingredients that remind us of our dependence on mother nature and her harvest.
- Be active
Summer invites us to be more active and to rekindle our dreams and goals we set at the beginning of the year. Now is the time to shed the winter pounds, be energetic and try a new sport or physical activity. Run, dance, box, swim, or cycle to the beat of your summer playlist and sing along while you celebrate the joy of summer.
Summer is filled with gifts and opportunities – embrace it! Singer-songwriter John Mayer so aptly puts it in his song Wildfire: “A little bit of summer is what the whole year is all about”.