Summer Edit ‘25
Happy first Monday of Summer! It’s been a slow build to the season over here — weather wise that is. We’ve been teased with one or two hot days, and I’m definitely ready for more. Now that we’ve settled into both being on mat/pat leave, I’ve been thinking a lot about how I want to spend these precious few months before Ben (and I?) go back to work and Emma turns one. On one hand, I want to do all the things and make the most of the season. But I also know from experience that trying to do everything rarely ends up being all that enjoyable.
There’s a quiet voice inside reminding me to slow down and not rush through each moment just to get to the next. We have some big decisions ahead about what we want life to look like (namely around my career and childcare), and I’m trying to spend some time getting quiet with myself, really listening to what my heart wants — not what society or other people expect.
I’ve had a bit of a realization lately that I’ve been slowly turning down the volume on my intuition over the years. I would attribute it to the comparison game and a little bit (ok, maybe a lot) of people pleasing. But motherhood has awakened my intuition and I’ve been reminded how powerful a tool it is. Always searching for answers from the internet, social media, podcasts, books friends, family, etc, I’m finally starting to remember that I have most of the answers within myself and that I just need to get quiet enough to hear them. And so, that’s what I’m calling in this summer: letting my intuition guide me through the season rather than chasing what I think we should be doing.
All that said, I do have a little list of things I’m looking forward to doing (and eating) this summer, which I thought I’d share. It’s nothing fancy or over-the-top. Just activities that invite slowing down and soaking up the moment. And rather than it being a to-do list, I’m thinking of it as more of a menu. Sure, I’d love to do all of these, but a starter, main course and dessert will more than suffice:
Evening walks to the park for swing time
Neighbourhood ice cream strolls
Hot afternoons at outdoor pools (can’t resist chubby baby thighs in swimsuits)
Saturday farmers markets for the season’s best produce (peaches, berries, summer squash, tomatoes…oh my!)
Family picnics at the park (pasta salad is a must)
A glass of wine (or maybe a spritz?) on our patio after Emma goes to bed
Re: above spritz — trying out a Hugo or Lillet version
Cheese and charcuterie boards for lazy dinners
Celebrating Emma’s first birthday! (cue the tears)
Quiet afternoons at home reading while Emma naps
Two family trips to the Okanagan (Kelowna in July, Naramata in August)
Playing with watercolour painting and beading (I’ve caught the craft bug)
Strawberry picking (and eating)
What’s on your summer menu this year?
