50+ sweet & simple ways the aunties are romanticizing summer ♥️
You're going to love these 🥺 (Try some this weekend!) Plus, more fun things I'm loving right now + our official cocktail of summer! Have you tried it yet? 👀
Psstt open this in your browser or the Substack app for the best experience!
Happy Friday Aunties!!
HOW are we basically in mid June already!?
If you're like me, you are simultaneously OVERJOYED to the brink of tears that SUMMER IS HERE–while also starting to mourn the end of it even though it's BARELY begun!! (I am so guilty of doing this with everything. 🫣)
The other day on stories, I asked how you were romanticizing the little things this summer and honestly, your responses were absolutely ELITE.
They made me even more excited about the next few months ahead of us, and also made me feel like pulling off this whole "90's summer" thing is actually possible and not just another unchecked goal on my to-do list.
I hope this list helps you make your weekend (and the rest of your summer) a little sweeter.
On a related, but different note–and I realize this is a bit of a jarring transition, but this is the world we live in–we’ll be traveling over the weekend, but if we weren’t, we would definitely be attending a local No Kings protest.
If you too have been horrified by the cruel and inhumane treatment of immigrants and their families across the country and especially in LA, wanted to pass along some helpful info! Consider joining a local protest (click here to find one in your area!) There is also a map of protests right here. Also, a list of protestors rights to brush up on before you go.
If protesting is not your jam, I would suggest googling, asking in local Facebook groups, and asking around by word of mouth as to the best ways to get involved in your own community–whether that’s donating to a local org or volunteering your time or services. I have a whole Aunties Substack thread (available to *all* subscribers!) dedicated to political conversation + organizing (formerly our Harris/Walz election support group that was such a bright spot in November) so please use it! ♥️
Pop into the chat thread below to coordinate efforts, meetups, or just want to connect with likeminded members of this community! (Simply click on the chat below to open it!)
My red pants + little 90’s girl sandals are giving me so much summer joy right now! (Outfit details here!)
Now, on a lighter note–let’s jump into today’s topic.
The over-arching theme? Slowing down!
There's something about summer that makes us want to cram everything in—every barbecue invitation, every weekend trip, every pop-up market and festival.
But at the same time, we are all so desperately craving the simple life we grew up with in the nineties because it is SO far from the over-scheduled, overstimulated, overly-stressful life we live every day.
And if we aren't super intentional about these next couple months, we'll bulldoze right through another summer without ever really experiencing it!
Join me in practicing the art of the summer pause?
Before you automatically say "yes" to another birthday party you feel obligated to attend, or that work happy hour that conflicts with your evening walk, take a beat. Ask yourself: Does this align with how I want to spend my summer? Will I be glad I said yes to this in September?
Your time isn't just more valuable in summer—it's more magical. Those long evenings, the way the light hits differently, the permission we give ourselves to be a little more spontaneous... all of that disappears when we overschedule ourselves into summer burnout.
Creating containers for joy:
I love this idea of creating a “container for joy”–in this case, a "container" is basically a boundary that protects time and space for joy to unfold naturally. It's not about "scheduling happiness" (although is that not the most American sounding thing you've ever heard? 😂) but about creating structure that's also flexible.
Maybe it's as simple as "I will eat dinner outside whenever possible" or "I will read fiction again" or "only one planned activity per weekend" or "I will not make plans more than 2 days in advance."
These aren't hard commitments, but intentional choices that dramatically shape how your summer unfolds!
The beautiful thing about summer intentions is they're often about subtraction, not addition.
What can you remove to make space for more presence? What commitments can you skip to make room for wandering? What rushing can you replace with lingering?
Because here's what I know: September always comes faster than we think. And when it does, you want to feel like you actually lived your summer, not like it happened to you while you were busy saying yes to everyone else's agenda.
So what are your summer intentions? What are you protecting this season? (If you're like me, you're hoping maybe some of this practice can stick around come fall, too. 👀)
Let's jump into all the amazing ways you all are romanticizing your summer (plus, some additions from me, of course.)
50 simple ways the aunties are romanticizing the small things this summer:
Sweeten the morning routine:
Play outside in the morning before work/school drop-off
Hit a weekday farmer’s market before work/school
Make homemade lavender simple syrup and add it to your morning iced coffee! (Bonus if you grew the lavender in your herb garden! 🥰)
Making a point to take your morning coffee outside (or maybe on a morning walk!)
Use the early morning sun to your advantage: If your kids are waking earlier than usual, take advantage of that extra time! Start the morning off slowly by reading together outside. Toast some bagels and cream cheese and eat breakfast at the park together before school. Swing by a coffee shop before drop-off and enjoy some treats on the patio.
Change up your usual transportation i.e., walking, biking, taking the ferry, trolley, etc. (Obviously you know I am the biggest fan of biking EVERYWHERE so I approve this message 😂)
Embracing the simple but fun activities:
Dance parties in the yard! Get a little disco light to set the mood when the sun starts to set! (A good way to get the energy out for bedtime!)
Play mahjong IN the pool! (You can get floating card tables!)
Paddleboard picnics!
Sign up for salsa classes
Garage sale hopping with coffee and friends
Get a big watermelon and eat it outside while kids play in the sprinkler
Reading outside–bonus if it’s in a hammock! (P.S. I LOVE this portable hammock that’s really easy to set up anywhere! I bought it for camping but my goal is to take an afternoon off and go in the woods and set it up and read. 🥰)
Make Arnold Palmers with sun tea and fresh lemon slices!
Yard games + family-friendly card games outside. (Spoons is a big hit it in our fam!)
Make homemade ice cream (this post details how to do it without an ice cream maker!)
Putting special drinks in cute cups! (Get the little umbrellas!!)
Long walks playing tourist in your city
Fly a kite
Make a goal of running to catch the ice cream truck every time you hear it!
Play in the rain with your kids
Grow lots of herbs and make different cocktails, salsas and fun dips with them! (Omg Ambitious Kitchen’s green feta sauce–you must make this!)
Keep your sidewalk chalk in a bucket by the door so it’s always top of mind and ready to play with!
Slip n slides!
Plant some flowers!
Move your regular at-home workout outside! (Outdoor yoga, stretching, pilates, whatever!)
Juice boxes! (We don’t usually buy these but buying them and enjoying them outside makes any night special!)
Daily walks with the family + making them part of your routine
Give everyone in the family a disposable camera to document their summer! Frame and hang everyone’s favorite photos.
Bringing the magic back to summer evenings:
Theme nights: Pick a day of the week (Fridays are always fun!) and choose a new (very simple) theme each week. “Theme day Friday’s” for example.
Some thought starters:
Spritz & Snacks: Different aperitifs + a snack board outside (or even just chips and olives)
Farmstand dinner challenge: As a family, go pick up whatever’s fresh from a local stand/farmer’s market and make a fresh, simple, no-recipe dinner with ONLY the things you bought! Everyone pitches in!
“Cold Dinner”: Rotisserie chicken, cold pasta salad, crudités, and dips. Can buy it all premade from the store! No cooking allowed!
Picnic in the Yard: Even if it’s just PB&J or a frozen pizza and juice boxes. Blankets + snacks = magic!
Frozen Cocktail: Try out a new blended cocktail each week (or mocktail, so the kids can participate!)
Grill & Chill: Throw something on the grill, even if it’s just hot dogs, and keep the rest super low-key. (Chips + watermelon make it a full, easy-peasy meal!)
Backyard Bar Snacks: Think popcorn with everything seasoning, fancy pickles, deviled eggs, truffle potato chips, etc. Make it as elaborate or as easy as you want–a Costco appetizer spread would SLAP–just saying!
Weekly ice cream nights: every Tuesday night, for example, trying a different spot each time + rating them together!
Outdoor movies & concerts (put some time on the calendar to find ones in your area and put them on your calendar so you’re more likely to actually go!)
Weeknight picnic dinners in the park: Pick one weeknight per week, invite a bunch of families and let the kids run around. Nothing formal. Bring your own dinner + drinks. Whoever shows up shows up! It’s technically planned but feels spontaneous and flexible and zero stakes at the same time.
Take dinner (even drive-thru!) somewhere with a view (beach, forest, mountains, park) and eat out of the trunk.
S’mores with Toblerone triangles! (This sounds delicious 👀)
Breakfast for dinner!
Family pool night (bring sandwiches to the public pool for dinner, and do showers + PJ’s in the locker room and then they’ll be ready for bed as soon as you walk in the door!)
Solo movie theater nights (love the sound of this!)
Evening walk to a local drive-in to get soft serve!
Wine walks! (Solo or with friends! No need to make fancy plans, just pour your own and meet up to walk and take in the beautiful weather.)
“Camp” in your backyard. (Set up the tent. Cook some Mac n cheese on the camp stove for extra credit. Actually sleeping in the tent not required.) Alternatively…
“Camping dinner”– head to a local picnic area for dinner. Can cook something on the camp stove (or just prepare at home and ditch the stove, and assemble there) + eat at the picnic tables. Can be as simple or elaborate as you want! (Breakfast for dinner is so easy. Walking tacos would be so fun especially for a crowd! Sloppy Joes would be super easy too!)
Catch fireflies with your kids
Porch reading/writing/Netflix (just watch on your computer/tablet outside!) with wine or favorite drink- bonus if you have a porch swing or a hammock!
Caprese salads weekly with garden basil & tomatoes and farmer’s market mozzarella! 😍 (Can make a whole no-cook meal with a rotisserie chicken!)
Impromptu backyard dinners with friends
Popsicles in the bath after a long day playing outside
Light lots of candles and eat dinner by candlelight!
Special analog evenings: no electronics! Play board games, card games, and everyone keeps their phones stashed away in a basket/bowl/box/etc inside!
If you usually sit and relax in the back yard, try doing so in the front yard or stoop and chat with neighbors as they pass by!
Sunset journal (Or, if you have kids, just after bedtime, before you head to bed 🤪) sit outside and journal or do a guided meditation. (I love the 5 minute journal, or TBM’s Daily Practice journal prompts!)
Outdoor bedtime routine: bring the soap outside and kids take a bath in the water slide/kiddie pool! Brush their teeth with the hose while you’re at it. (We did this last summer and it was THE BEST.)
Before we go, some more fun little things/updates lately:
I forgot to take a photo so this is a still from a video I took of Neal making them for us 😂
Favorite new summer cocktail: the Tinto de Verano:
Have you tried the Tinto de Verano yet? I saw NYTimes post about it and thought it sounded so refreshing and also reminded me of the Kalimotxos (pronounced cali-mo-cho) that I had in Spain (which is red wine and coca-cola. I know, it sounds so gross, but I promise it’s really good! 😂)
This is similar–essentially just a red wine topped with lemon soda over ice! You can get fancy and use a fancy lemon soda, or just regular old 7-Up.
It’s lower ABV, so it’s a nice little afternoon patio sipper and a perfect cocktail to mix into a pitcher to serve to friends! (Here’s a recipe for a single and also for a whole pitcher, but of course, you don’t really need a recipe! I would just recommend using a lighter-bodied red (preferably a Spanish red! But any red will do!)
Currently eyeing: Fun short overalls
The aunties are in agreement that GAP is having a MOMENT.
I just discovered that my favorite red GAP ultra-soft jeans (see them styled in this reel!) now come in short OVERALLS!!
Tomato red has become the color of my summer, so of course I’m loving this color–but they also come in a really cute blue and white, too! The material is SO SOFT. Truly–feels like pajamas. Overalls are one of my main wardrobe staples these days and spark so much joy! (More about my journey to dress more joyfully in this stage of life in this post!)
To keep cool, I often just wear my overalls over my favorite affordable crop top/sports bras, with a fun button down layered over the top! (Of course, jellies are encouraged too. 👀 Mine are on sale in certain colors!)
JOYFUL THINGS from Gap Factory!
Speaking of GAP…GAP FACTORY has so many cute fun sets on sale right now! (No secret I love a matching set 👀) I rounded up some favorites here and here!
JUNE STICKERS!!!
My friend Katie surprised me with these stickers she made on her Cricut machine and made a bunch for June’s birthday for everyone to wear 🥺 They literally made my entire week. She said she’s open to taking some orders from aunties, too! (Pricing will depend on quantity and how many photos you’d like!) Email her at hello@katieklinzing.com!
@KeysatTheFleas behind the scenes
Speaking of my friend Katie, she is (obviously) wildly creative, so I took her up on her incredible offer to come help me frame some of my prints from Paris for upcoming drops!
I brought back a LOT of really amazing vintage prints from the fleas because of course, they take up basically no space and were packing friendly. I was excited to figure out some fun, creative ways to frame them–but the challenge is that sourcing the right frames, matting, backing, etc is a SIGNIFICANTLY bigger undertaking than I imagined. Luckily I snagged some vintage frames from my friend Liz (you must follow her Instagram @RelicRefurbishing! She has a booth at one of the local antique malls and so many good things!) so we just had to figure out how else we wanted to customize them!
If we're being honest, sometimes I get pretty panicky about the pressure I'm putting on myself to get more drops released, more quickly–more, more more. But I remind myself that the point of this entire process is to just be IN it, enjoy the creative process, LEARN, and be intentional about figuring out which way I want it to lead and grow. And in this season of life right now, as a busy mom juggling so many other things, this is just the speed I can handle. And that's okay. There is no need to push for no reason. (Background on how Keys at the Fleas started back in January after years of creative burnout, and more about my learnings throughout this process right here, if this resonates!)
So anyway, yesterday, Katie and I spent all afternoon playing around and came up with some really fun combinations (I am SO grateful for her–also–those vintage seed packet prints–can you even? 🥺)
Also, want to know the coolest thing? I found an old book of–get this–FRENCH PROVENCAL-INSPIRED gift wrap that used to belong to my Granny. I had no idea what I would ever do with it, but nobody else wanted it, and I've literally had this probably since… college?
I remembered it yesterday when we were brainstorming creative framing ideas. I'm thinking I'm going to use some of it as backing for some of my vintage cocktail labels!
I'm still playing around–but I’ll keep you posted! It makes me happy to think of something that came from my Granny's house ending up in one of YOUR homes. ♥️
Hoping the next drop will be coming next week or at the latest, the week after! Stay tuned!
That’s all for today! I hope you enjoyed this little newsletter as much as I enjoyed writing it. I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day–now get out there and soak up that summer fun!! 🥰
If you enjoyed this post, here are more great Hot Mess Auntie roundups you may have missed:
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Why the paywall? These posts take a lot of time and effort to write and are typically more personal in nature. I pour *a lot* into them, so I like to think of this as the NPR model–a few bucks per month really adds up to help me keep creating content like this while also keeping our little community a safe, close-knit space full of wonderful likeminded women! ♥️
Hope you have a WONDERFUL summer weekend! I’m so grateful for you and I’m so glad you’re here!
Love,
Jess
Girl, my simple summer so far has been swimming daily and letting the kids free range eat snacks instead of meals 🫣 don’t tell the mom police 🤫
The Little 90s Girl sandals are on sale right now for only $60!