During the winter months, it’s basically impossible to spend more than two minutes on any social media or magazine-y news site without being told how to embrace hygge, the Scandinavian concept of making the cold months cosy. Whilst I love a candlelit reading session under a cosy blanket with a cup of hot chocolate to sip on, I don’t actually need help enjoying the winter months. I love winter. I love that I get to bundle up in sweaters and woolly hats. I love that I can persuade the kids to go to bed earlier because it’s already dark outside. I love that I don’t have to shave my legs or paint my toe nails (I know I don’t have to in summer either, but as much as I’d love to be the kind of gal who can confidently rock hairy legs, that’s not who I am).
Of course, I live in a temperate climate so our winters aren’t too long or too cold. We usually get some snow but it would be rare to have more than about five days of it in one winter. The temperatures don’t usually drop below zero before January, and by March the really cold weather in generally behind us. Whilst rain and wind can make it less appealing to be outside, most of the time it’s still possible to go on a walk or to the park without turning into ice blocks.
Summer, on the other hand, is another story. In recent years, we’ve experienced increasingly extreme heat, both in terms of the temperature itself and the duration of heatwaves (Europe is the world’s fastest heating continent, if you didn’t know). Between June and September, we have been experiencing sustained periods of 35°C+ (95°F+). As you may be aware, air conditioning is unusual in European homes, and whilst houses of centuries gone by were built of thick stone (usually at least 12”) in order to keep the heat out, that’s obviously not the case with newer builds like ours. Fortunately almost all French homes are built with fitted black out shutters to help keep the heat out, but they also keep the natural light out. Although air con is becoming more common, many people - including my husband and I - feel a resistance to the idea of fighting the increasing heat with something which is in itself a contributor to rising temperatures.
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Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is believed to be a “real thing” in which people’s mood is negatively affected by the shorter daylight hours autumn and winter, and whilst I don’t want to be flippant about a legitimate disorder, I definitely find that my mood is negatively affected by the long days, high temperatures, and mosquitoes that plague us in summer. So, why not look for ways to enjoy the slog of the summer months in the way that hygge has encouraged us to lean into winter? That’s the idea behind this series: a bunch of (hopefully) fun recommendations for those of us dreading the coming months. I’d love to hear your suggestions, too!
Buy
I generally do not enjoy being told that I have to buy things in order to be happy, but I also recognise that sometimes investing in certain items can make difficult periods more tolerable. First up: sun protection. Sunglasses, sun hats, and SPF. My dad bought me a pair of sunglasses I love from Anthropologie in Las Vegas in 2012, and I still have them and love them, but the fact is that they don’t really protect my eyes from the sun. I find myself squinting when I’m wearing them, and they definitely don’t have any actual UV protection. This year, I decided to get a good pair of dark shades with decent UV protection, and found some in H&M for €12.
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This is also the first summer I’ve invested in a good, versatile summer hat. I have a large head so I have a hard time finding summer hats that fit me comfortably, since they tend to be more structured than winter hats, but I found this adjustable straw hat from Uniqlo (side note: I absolutely love Uniqlo, most of my clothes come from there). Although a wide brim looks impressive and provides shade, they also leave me feeling blinkered, so I wanted one with a relatively modest brim.
Finally, a good SPF. I think we can all agree that sun cream is The Worst, but a necessary evil. The intensity with which I deplore it is somewhat reduced if I use one that applies easily, smells nice, and isn’t sticky. My go-to brand is La Roche Posay, which is fairly high end yet not too expensive here since it’s French, but I’m sure it’s very expensive elsewhere. I think splashing out a bit on SPF is worth it if it means you’re more likely to use it, given how important it is.
Book
You’ve probably already read I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith, but if you haven’t, put it to the top of your summer reading list, and if you have, it’s time for a re-read. I consider it to be the perfect summer read - just thinking of it evokes scenes of lying under the shade of a tree, a gentle breeze brushing the leaves, the English countryside rolling over the top of a book. I think this scene is equally derived from the book itself and the mood it evokes.
I Capture the Castle, published in 1948, has books and writing at its centre, as well as the loss of a mother and a fortune, an eccentric father, an awakening to the complicated nature of love and possible marriage, and lots of Englishness. You’ll glide through the book with ease, and will be both entertained and nourished. I find it hard to imagine how anyone could fail to love this novel.
Bev
Do North Americans say “bev” to mean “alcoholic beverage” - mainly ironically - or is that a British thing? Also, I don’t know why I decided that all my subheadings had to begin with B, but here we are.
During our vacation in Crete this April, my husband and I really enjoyed a vodka and grapefruit cocktail offered by the hotel, which was fruity without being too sweet, refreshing, and not too strong to sip on whilst watching kids splash in the paddle pool. (We took shifts drinking alcohol in daytime hours so try not to judge us too hard). I took a photo of the ingredient list and tried to recreate it at home, although I did not have honey and grapefruit infused vodka or pink pepper, both of which were required.
Grapefruit vodka spritz
2 measures vodka
2 measures freshly squeezed pink grapefruit juice
2 measures strawberry juice (fresh would be lovely but I bought it bottled)
1 measure honey simple syrup
Soda water
Lime for garnish (every other grapefruit cocktail suggests rosemary but I couldn’t find any)
1. Shake vodka, grapefruit, strawberry, and simple syrup in a cocktail mixer with ice.
2. Pour into a highball glass, with ice.
3. Top off with soda water, garnish with lime or rosemary or a slice of grapefruit or whatever you like - or nothing.
Be
How to actually enjoy being in summer? I usually want to crawl out my skin and fill my head and my husband’s ears with grumpy thoughts about the weather. Going back to basics for the beginning of summer, I personally need to remind myself that we need to significantly rejig our usual rhythms. Whilst for most of the year we tend towards slower mornings at home with crafts, reading, and games until an early lunch and nap/quiet time, in the summer we will have to make the most of the early hours to get outside and enjoy the cooler temperatures.
On the other hand, I need to envisage afternoons inside with the blinds down and a very busy toddler, rather than out at the park as is our habit. This will probably mean regular “cinema” (a movie with cold drinks and popcorn or ice cream), audio books (if anyone has figured out how to do read alouds with a toddler around, please let me know), and puzzles/games. My tolerance for mess and chaos is much lower in the afternoon, especially if I am feeling hot and have no natural light, so I have to be realistic about that and accept that this is not the time for involved projects or tackling big tasks at home.
I had thought that I’d include a summer recipe, too, but the fact is that I hate cooking in summer and I don’t really have a good supply of summer recipes. I don’t want to turn the oven on, but the slow cooker only produces wintery fare, and there’s only so much salad a gal (and her family) can eat. If you have suggestions, I’m all ears.
Thanks for joining me in the first part of this series! I plan to do one per month until (and including) September, which unfortunately still very much feels like summer these days. Wishing you all breeze and shade!
Delightful post. We don’t say bev in the US. It’s just a drink. I’m from the Midwest so I’m sure people from other parts use different words like they do for a carbonated drink - “pop,” “soda,” or “coke.”
This is fun! I have wanted to read I Capture the Castle for awhile; good to know it’s an essential summer read. That IS a fabulous photo of you. I have a large head too and I can never find hats…unless they’re from my dad or something. 😛 Thank you for that recommendation.