Summer is indulgent. It’s soft-serve ice cream with rainbow sprinkles dripping down your hand, daylight finally dwindling as it nears 9 p.m., and salt water stinging your eyes as waves slowly draw you out to sea. Every moment feels like a movie that’s spontaneous and predictable all at once.
These sweet summer snippets are ones I’ve known all my life, spending most of June through August here on my tiny stretch of the Jersey Shore. I’ve known the scent of sunscreen and the squawk of seagulls since I was born on a hot summer’s day in July in 1996. I’ve inherited the connection to my beach town since my Mom’s family began summering here in the '60s, filling their hatchbacks with kids and summer clothes and driving South down the Parkway until they found the sea. My grandmother and her siblings pitched in to rent a big house on Ocean Avenue, fitting in as many Irish-Catholic offspring as possible, adoringly calling them “The Castle Kids.” Since then, much of my family has settled here, raising families of their own. While I didn’t grow up here officially, living an hour away in a more traditional suburban town, I still grew up here. It’s always felt that way, and even more so now as I sit writing this from the townhome I live in full-time, the same one I spent the peak of my adolescent summers in.
I’m a sucker for July. The world feels most alive in July, maybe because it’s the month I entered this world nearly twenty-eight years ago. Waking up to the sun's warmth makes every day feel like a vacation, here on the East Coast. July has stayed my favorite, despite it also being the month my world turned upside down with a cancer diagnosis just days before my fifteenth birthday. Luckily, the good memories of this month are fully etched into my neural pathways, reminding me of the magic it contains.
Knowing this season is finite forces us to pack in all the joy we can, while we can. It’s a lesson in making the most of something. The days are long, and the weeks are short, slipping away like sand falling through the cracks of your fingers. Unlike a European adventure, most of us can’t schedule our summer days by the hour, sourcing itineraries from luxury magazines and travel guides. To get the most out of it, we must live it, and integrate summer into our daily lives. For me, it’s stepping away from my laptop and heading to the beach on a Friday, enjoying unlimited amounts of seasonal fruits, hopping in the car solely to get an ice cream cone, driving with the windows down and not worrying about what my hair will look like, sitting outside to witness the last drop of sunlight, making hibiscus iced tea just because. Those sweet sips of Summer force me to slow down, be present, and be grateful for all I have right before me.
A Round-Up of Summertime Inspiration
“Doing It Fat”
I came across this video on Instagram and absolutely loved this creator’s story about when her young daughter said she didn’t want to be fat like her Mom because that meant she couldn’t run. With summer often comes a rush of body insecurity for most people, especially women and girls. These feelings can certainly make us avoid situations and events that heighten these emotions, but what will really help us feel better is doing it anyway. Celebrating body diversity is SO important and realizing that bodies come in different shapes and forms but that doesn’t mean we know their abilities or limitations!
Homemade Pop-Tarts with Sweet Loren’s Puff Pastry
I am a huge fan of Sweet Loren’s cookies and bring them to just about every social gathering I’m invited to. They’re vegan and gluten-free with better-for-you ingredients with the most simple baking method possible– place it on a pan. Recently, they came out with a new Puff Pastry product, and I was stalking Target.com to see where I could buy it as soon as it launched. This week I tried making homemade pop-tarts with the puff pastry and they turned out so cute! I will say that it took some trial and error to make sure they didn’t burst open, but after that learning curve, it was easy as (hand) pie!
I didn’t use a formal recipe, I followed tips on their Instagram and used a Cherry-Pomegranate Jam from Chia Smash as the filling and make a simple glaze on top with berry juice, almond milk, and powdered sugar.
Morning Matcha
I’ve been reigniting my love for matcha these past few months and that means making more at home and ordering it out more often. At home I’ve been using Thrive Market Ceremonial Grade Matcha, whisking it up with some hot water and a bit of Au Honey’s Lavender-Infused Honey and pouring that over iced organic almond milk. It’s a cooling, calming way to infuse a magical moment into my day. Matcha is high in antioxidants and a great way to get a caffeine boost without the jitters that often accompany coffee.
Until next time!
xo
Nicole
HBD 🥳
Love your description of summer. I feel the same way about June: end of school, fire flies, ice cream 😀. And that’s the month I came into this world! Can you really only be 28? A baby!