Tag: lifestyle

How to Romanticize Your Summer Part 1

Summer is my favorite season. I will forever be a summer girl. The weather is warm, everyone seems to be in a good mood, there’s a happy vibe in the air. Not to mention summer is beach season. Need I say more? So how do we romanticize the heck out of summer and soak up every last drop of sunshine-filled goodness? Keep reading for some fun ideas to make this your most magical summer yet.

Visit a farmer’s market. Farmer’s markets are becoming more and more popular and for good reason. They allow you to have first choice of all the delicious summer bounty. You’ll usually pay a little less than you would pay at the supermarket because you’re buying direct from the farmer with no middleman. You are supporting your neighbors and local businesses.

Really get into romanticizing your visit. Don’t roll up in yoga pants with a hole in the knee and a twenty-year-old T-shirt. No, channel your inner French girl. Put on a beautiful sundress, a flowy skirt with a fitted top, or a shorts set that shows off your gorgeous gams. Put on a chic straw hat, some strappy leather sandals, and a pair of oversized sunglasses. And don’t forget your big wicker bag or canvas tote for carrying around all of your purchases.

Take your time while you’re there. Go through all of the different stalls. Take in the sights, sounds, and smells. Talk to the vendors. Find out where their farms are located. Discuss ideas for recipes using the ingredients they’re selling. They are a great source of inspiration and information.

A few years ago, I purchased some peaches from my local farmer’s market. The farmer taught me a little culinary hack–boil the peaches for a few minutes and then dunk them immediately in ice water. This makes removing the peels so much easier. I never would have known that if I hadn’t talked to him. On a side note, those peaches made the best peach cobbler I have ever made.

Farmer’s markets are great for purchasing in-season fruits and veggies such as heirloom tomatoes, summer squash, zucchini, peaches, and all kinds of berries. But many markets also have vendors for items such as fresh flowers, homemade soaps and candles, locally sourced honey, and more.

Can you imagine yourself there now–strolling through the market in your elegant outfit, stopping at each stand to inspect the produce, chatting with your neighbors? Visiting a farmer’s market is all about slowing down and appreciating what’s in front of you. Even if you only buy one or two things, the experience will make you feel more connected to your life and to your community. Make plans to visit your local market soon.

Woman holding sunflowers at an outdoor flower market stall
A woman enjoys selecting bright sunflowers at an outdoor market

Choose a theme for the summer. Have you ever heard of Tomato Girl Summer or Coastal Granddaughter Summer? These were trends on social media in recent years. The Tomato Girl Summer theme was all about the Italian countryside lifestyle–linen pants, gauzy white shirts, and planting and harvesting your own vegetables in your garden. The Coastal Granddaughter Summer was more about an Eastern Coast chic lifestyle.

Having a theme for the summer may seem a little silly at first, but it can completely change the way you experience the season. A summer theme encourages you to slow down, make intentional choices, and fully embrace the kind of life you want to create.

You can choose a theme based on a location. Think An Amalfi Coast Summer, A Coastal Cali Summer, A Hamptons Summer, or a Hawaiian Island Summer. Or your theme might be a little more broad. Maybe A Summer of Joy, A Cottagecore Summer, or A Summer of Creativity.

Once you have your theme picked out, start making concrete plans for how to make it come to life. Make a mood board on Pinterest or cut out pictures from magazines.

Once you have your theme picked out, start making concrete plans for how to make it come to life. Make a mood board on Pinterest or cut out pictures from magazines. How will you make your vision come to life?

For example, I would love to have a French Riviera Summer. When I think of the French Riviera, I think of Grace Kelley in To Catch a Thief. I think of elegant French ladies wearing beautiful sundresses, strappy leather sandals, and silk scarves in their hair. I think of enjoying a cocktail on your balcony before dinner. I think of seafood and summer salads and pastas. I think of spending weekends at farmer’s markets and driving around the coast soaking in the views. I think of elegance, laid-back luxury, and coastal charm.

Now, I don’t live anywhere near the French Riviera. However, I can bring elements of the French Riviera into my summer. I can wear sundresses and silk scarves. I can enjoy cocktails on my patio before dinner. I can research recipes and make French inspired seafood and pasta dishes. I can spend my weekend at my local farmer’s market or driving around taking in the sights and sounds around me. It may not be the coast, but there’s beauty to be found everywhere. I can bring the vibes of elegance, laid-back luxury, and coastal charm into my life with some intentional choices.

Think about the candles you light in the evenings, the flowers you plant in your porch pots, the music you play while cleaning the house, the activities you plan with friends, the drinks you mix up on hot afternoons, and even the way you plate and serve your meals.

The little things matter more than you think. They help turn ordinary moments into experiences that feel beautiful, intentional, and memorable. Your theme can weave its way into every corner of your life, creating a season that feels immersive and magical. There are endless ways to bring the essence of your summer theme into your everyday routines and fully embrace the vibe you want to create.

Smiling woman in yellow floral dress holding a drink in a garden patio with flowers and string lights
A woman enjoys a drink while sitting in a vibrant garden at sunset

I hope you enjoyed these ideas for romanticizing your summer. Stay tuned for Part 2 for more ideas!

Embrace Hygge: Cozy Tips for a Happier Winter

What is hygge? Hygge (pronounced huh-guh) is a Danish term that embodies a sense of coziness and contentment, especially on a cold day. Since the good old Danes are supposed to be the happiest people on the planet, we should all probably pay more attention to this concept and follow their example to add some joy to our lives.

The cold, dreary days of winter can leave us feeling blue. There is even a day in January called Blue Monday that is supposedly the most depressing day of the year. This year it falls on Monday, January 19, 2026. By this time of the year, all of the happy high vibes and festiveness of the holidays and time off of work and school is in our rear-view mirror. What’s left going forward is months of cold, dark, and gray days until the happiness and liveliness of spring. That can certainly lead many people to feel depressed this time of year.

But it doesn’t have to be this way! Enter hygge.

Instead of allowing ourselves to get discouraged and downhearted about the cold weather and the fact that the sun is still setting much earlier than we would like, we can take charge of our feelings and romanticize the heck out of the remaining cold, winter days. Here are some ways to make your life feel like you are the main character in a cozy, happy romantic comedy that just happens to be set in the winter.

Indulge in a warm, comforting drink.
Think hot cocoa, a steaming cup of freshly brewed coffee, or a cup of your favorite herbal tea. Get out your prettiest mug or teacup and treat yourself–multiple times of day. Take your warm drink to a cozy corner of your house and savor it. There is something so soothing about feeling warm liquid slide down your throat and into your belly on a cold day. Stop to take a deep breath and appreciate how good it tastes and how cozy it makes you feel. Wrap your cold hands around the mug and soak in the warmth. Imagine you are the main character in your own rom-com and this is the scene where the heroine looks chic and peaceful sipping her warm drink by the window.

Add some twinkle lights to your indoor and outdoor space.
It doesn’t have to be December to enjoy the warmth and ambiance of twinkle lights. Add some twinkle lights (some people call them fairy lights) to your home any time of year you want to feel an extra bit of coziness. There are many fairly inexpensive options available online. Most are battery powered, and some outdoor options are even solar powered. Some even come with remote controls or timers to come on automatically, which makes them even more easy and fun to use.

Put a string of lights above your headboard to give your bedroom a warm, ethereal feeling. Wrap some lights around various plants in your home–that fake Ficus or fiddle-leaf fig tree or the pathos plant in the corner. I have some around a fake olive tree in my den that I love. Every time I turn them on, it makes me feel happy. Weave some in between dishes, glasses, and plates if you have a glass-front cabinet. Place some in a lantern and put it on a table or fireplace hearth in your living room. Outside, you can wrap them around trees or the posts of your porch or pergola.

Wherever you end up putting them, they will bring instant joy and coziness to that little corner of your home. You just can’t be sad when looking at twinkle lights. It’s not allowed.

Put out soft and cozy blankets.
Invest in the softest, coziest blankets or throws you can find. Add them everywhere you want to relax–your sofa, your recliner, the end of your bed. Be mindful of how a blanket feels against your skin before you buy it. We’re going for max softness here–nothing that makes you feel itchy or could dampen your mood. In your free time, wrap yourself up in your softest blanket, grab your warm cup of tea, and watch your favorite show or movie. Can life get any better than that? TJ Maxx and Marshalls are great places to look for throws and blankets, but I have even found some great ones from Wal-Mart. You don’t need to spend a lot of money to feel like you’re wrapped in marshmallows.

Wear cute winter clothes.
Sure, sundresses are pretty and sandals make our toes happy, but winter clothes can have their moment. Celebrate the cold weather by wearing your cutest sweaters–the fair-isles, the turtlenecks, the cardigans, and the cable-knits. They can all be beautiful. Embrace the joy of wearing coats. There are so many chic options available. Wear your coziest, warmest boots to keep your tootsies toasty. And don’t forget the best part of dressing for the winter–the accessories! Go crazy with cozy scarves, beanies, hats, mittens, and gloves. Remember, you’re the main character in your own movie. How would she go out for a night on the town–in a boring, over-sized sweatshirt just to keep warm or in a beautiful, soft fair-isle sweater with an elegant wool coat, cozy pink scarf, and a beanie with a pom-pom on top? Dressing in your best winter clothes will lift your mood and help you embrace the season just as it is.

There are so many more ways to add hygge into your life this winter. I have created a fun BINGO card that you can download below that has even more ideas. You can check them off throughout the winter as you try them or even come up with your own ideas.

No matter how cold it gets or how cloudy the day, we have the choice to either feel dark and gloomy or cozy and content. I hope you choose cozy and content. Share how you hygge in the comments below. Happy hygge!

Click here to download your free hygge BINGO pdf document.

hygge bingoDownload