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Hygge summer?
Yes! It’s time to keep the hygge going during the warm summer months. Hygge, pronounced hue•gah, is a Scandinavian custom that promotes a lifestyle focused on coziness, comfort and simple pleasures. Often associated with winter time, hygge can actually be practiced throughout the year.
Here are 15 ideas to try out, to enjoy a hygge summer.
Stargaze
Find a quiet place free from city lights and look up. Lie on a quilt on the ground, stretch out in a lounge chair or sit in a pickup truck bed. Watch for shooting stars and make a wish. Check out this website, to find out what’s in the summer sky.
Go Camping
A hygge summer is all about enjoying the outdoors. Make your campsite comfy. Bring lightweight throws and quilts from home. Lay a rug down outside the tent, or inside if the tent is roomy enough. Have fun being outside while enjoying some comforts of home.
Grow a Garden
A flower garden, an herb garden or a veggie garden all provide beauty and/or food and allow a connection with the earth and growing plants. Get your hands dirty. Need garden ideas? Check out a couple of these Backyard Garden Series posts:
Create a Butterfly & Bee Garden
Watch a Sunrise and a Sunset
Bookend the day with the promise of a new day and the satisfaction of a day well spent.
Play in the Water
Cool off at the beach, in a pool, or with a garden hose and sprinkler. Have on hand piles of thick fluffy towels, wide brimmed hats and lightweight cotton cover ups. And don’t forget to drink plenty of water, while playing outdoors! Check out Foods that Hydrate for great tips and the warning signs of dehydration.
Drink Flavored Ice Teas
Swap out hot teas for cold iced tea. Try new flavors of herbal teas. One of my favorites is rose hips tea blended with orange juice and chilled before drinking. Another is this delicious hibiscus lemonade.
Watch Fireworks
Celebrate the 4th of July with your own mini fireworks display or attend a big sponsored event with friends and family. Carry in your own comfy chairs and lightweight blankets and quilts, for coziness.
Travel
Take a day trip, a road trip or a two week vacation. Go somewhere new. Explore different cultures and cities and meet new people. Create a scrapbook capturing your trip.
Build a Fire in the Backyard Fire Pit and Light Candles Throughout the Yard and Garden…the Ultimate Hygge Summer Activity
Candlelight and firelight are important aspects of hygging. Create a cozy evening in your own backyard with a fire and candles. Use safe containers for candles and monitor the fire!
Watch a Movie or Attend a Concert Outdoors
Check local news sources for movies in the park or outdoor concerts. If you are fortunate enough to have a drive in theater nearby, take family and friends to watch a movie on the big screen. Pile lots of cotton throws, blankets and pillows in the car.
Experience a Thunderstorm While Sipping Tea
Appreciate nature’s cleansing through thunderstorms. From a safe place, watch the lightning, listen to the rumble of thunder, catch the scent of rain. A cup of hot chamomile tea is a good choice for a calming drink if thunderstorms make you nervous.
Walk Barefoot in the Grass
Benefit from receiving the earth’s energy as it enters through the soles of the feet. This practice, called Earthing, grounds the body and inspires peace and joy. Plus, it is fun to walk barefoot and reconnect with childhood memories of long summer days.
Create an Outdoor Room
Turn your porch, your patio or deck into an outdoor room. Add comfy seating, waterproof rugs, cushions and pillows, and tables to hold drinks and stacks of books. Include twinkling lights or candles. Eat outside, read, daydream, entertain or simply relax and enjoy the beauty of the space.
Make Your Own Ice Cream
Use an ice cream maker and create your own yummy flavors. For a healthy easy ice cream treat, blend 3 frozen bananas, cut into chunks, in a blender or food processor until smooth and creamy. Top with fresh fruit.
Slow Down
Observe life. Listen. Rest. Breathe. Take naps, in a hammock or on a pile of pillows. Eat lightly. Savor fresh fruits and veggies. Hydrate throughout the day. Stroll slowly through the neighborhood or wander in the woods. Visit with the neighbors. Take your time.
Hygge Summer
Hygge is such a beautiful way to engage in life and care for the self and the soul. Connect with others. But most importantly, connect deeply with yourself.
Happy hygging!
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This post linked on Senior Salon #24