When festivals start springing up like pop-up tents, you know summer has truly arrived. It brings that delightful festival feel that is accompanied by too many jugs of sickly Pimms, fruity cider, balmy evenings standing outside London pubs, flowers in your hair, picnics and BBQs.
Get into the vibe with my 4 steps for summer:
1. Eat summer foods
Move over porridge and macaroni cheese (I don’t mean that mac, I love you really. At any time of the year). It’s time for fresh, fragrant foods. Think strawberries, citrus fruits, leaves and newly picked veg. Thanks to The Dressing Room pop-up who have turned salads on their head and are a refreshing breathe of fresh air amongst the influx of greasy burgers, salads are less wilt and more wow.
Swap your toast for fruit in the morning. And it doesn’t have to be a boring apple. Go crazy. Make melon balls and drizzle them with lime and mint leaves (recipe taken from Florette).
I take my summer inspiration from these Florette salad recipes, Deliciously Ella and Secret Squirrel.
2. Get out and about
Gyms are generally characterless, windowless, moist places swishing with the sound of sleek cross-trainers and fake breezes. Whilst these are perfect for wintry days nothing beats the outdoors – the smell of grass, a real breeze on your skin, the feeling that you can run for miles, the dogs playing in the park – you can’t beat it.
If you’re the kind of person who needs a kick up the ass to get exercising, try an outdoors group session. You’ll find loads with just a few minutes of Googling but my favourite is the SW4 Boxing.
If, however, you’re the kind of person who relishes competition and can motivate yourself, download the Nike+ Running App and set challenges with your friends. I’ve got a friend who, every month or so, challenges us to run 50+k. It annoys the hell of out me but I can’t resist!
3. Go for walks. With Mr Whippy. And a furry friend.
Regardless of where you live, whether you’re city-based or country-based, walking is the one free pleasure. You can go where you want, take in the sights, discover hidden places and just… wander.
Of course, walking on your own can be a bit lonely so you may want to take a friend. However, if you don’t want to chat or you don’t care to share your Mr Whippy (with a flake. Of course) then you may prefer a furry friend – someone who lives for walks. Sign up to Borrow My Doggy to see what dogs are in your neighbourhood and looking for humans to walk with.
4. Keep cool
Keeping refreshed can be hard but not when you’ve got the right tools. And there’s nothing better than a chilled bottle of the uniquely pink, Unoco. Harvested from young green coconuts, the water is unadulterated, untouched and purely pink. And delicious.
Once you’ve got your pink fix, it’s time to sort out your skin. There’s nothing worse than arriving at your destination to slow feel beads of sweat creep onto your face. Now there’s no magic solution for this but there are things that can help. I love Pretty Athletic’s Perfect Balance Calming Moisturiser. It contains soothing aloe vera as well as Witch Hazel to tighten the pores. Keep a tube of this in your handbag to whip out when needed.
Clothes will also add to the heat factor. Are you wearing the most suitable clothes for the weather? Bamboo is great for wicking away sweat, plus did you know it’s also antibacterial and antifungal. Goodbye sweaty smells! I love Mokio’s Cool Bananas and Can Noodle Bamboo T-shirts.
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Great article.