Summer for me brings to the surface the nostalgic memories from my childhood, the smells, the sounds, and those moments when I can close my eyes and vividly see the places we used to spend time in. There are fond memories as a child at home, being a student, life in my 20s and 30s. Summer also stirs up a desire to cultivate something new in this season of life as a parent.

When I think of summer I can think of so many aspects I love about the season; visions of golden fields, flowers in bloom, wafts of grass, a warm breeze, sitting under trees with dappled light twinkling through the gaps in leaves, tasty picnics with sandwiches wrapped in paper and string and delicious salads, late lunches and drinks outside.

There are memories of vibrant bulky greens of plants, flowing roses, bright geraniums in pots, and scorched lawns. Hot and sticky car journeys, activity magazines bought for a holiday in Devon or Cornwall, beach fun, laughter, the clink of ice cubes, the sounds of the buzz of insects and crickets (there is noticeably this sound missing at the moment), smells of sun screen on warm skin, salads full of colour with olive oil and herbs, barbeques with friends, and drinks as the sun goes down. For me the long days and warm weather are the ultimate recipe for being outside and experiencing summer at it’s very best. I’m sure you have your own favourite memories which you can similarly write down.

There’s something about the opportunity to be outside and appreciating the long days which leads me to dream about what I want to do, the places to visit, the moments to spontaneously pack a bag and head out somewhere with a map and camera in hand. My dream pops when I think about the reality at the moment. I know that if we headed out as a family my daughter will walk for only so long (probably 20 mins) before she wants a piggy back or go on Daddy’s shoulders, our trip would be a lot smaller than I had hoped for. So for now I’ve scaled back my summer aspirations into small micro adventures as a family.

I love to find ways to remind myself of ways to connect with the season, the things I find uplifting and joyful, the topportunities which top up my mental wellbeing, and ways our family can enjoy the season together. Creating a list or wish jar has been a helpful way to keep track of a ‘bucket list’ of ideas, full of the many places to visit and travel to spotted in magazines or online, and the things to see and do which feel very aligned to summer, but for me there needs to be more than a list of to dos.

In the year where Root is my word of the year, I’m exploring those parts of me and my creative habits I’ve loved and have a desire to reinvigorate. One of these practices and ways of being which brought real joy was the creation of a seasonal manifesto. During 2016 and the years beyond I decided to create a regular habit of writing intentions for the season ahead, many were connected to my word of the year, and they were connected to my senses. I shared a series of blog posts called ‘My Seasonal Manifestos’ over a number of years and they’ve stayed very close to my heart. Most recently the ideas and intentions stay in my notes app, my personal planner, or in my mind as I plan the season ahead. But now they are returning to this space.

I’ve really enjoyed bringing this practice of creating a Seasonal Manifesto to life again, dedicating some time to think and create it, using words to inspire and now a vision board to go alongside it too (thanks to the wonderful creators sharing their images on Unsplash). It’s more than a list of to dos, it’s a way to connect to our senses, to create mindful moments which I know have brought joy in the past and will bring joy again. I’ve included things just for me on my list as well as things to do as a family. I know I need some space to recharge and reconnect to me, when I’m topped up I can give the best to my family and create memories with them too.

My Summer Manifesto 2o23

Savour solo quiet time outdoors

take a mid-week solo trip to a park, read a book, write in a journal, do some cloud spotting, try some drawing

Connect with the coast

enjoy family time on a beach, discover the world of rock pools, notice and photograph beach landforms and textures, feel the sand between my toes

Cultivate simple and slow memories of summer

time with family and friends, toast marshmallows, take small day trips, create micro-adventures in our city, impromptu picnics on weekends and weekday evenings, fly our kite, go to a pick your own fruit farm, tend the tomatoes, use a map and plan a short walk

Appreciate homegrown and homemade

use homegrown herbs, reach for a different cookbook and try something new using seasonal and local produce, create something handmade for our home

Elevate the everyday and get curious

learn the latin names of five plants in our garden, try leaf spotting in our local park, identify birds

Rise early and enjoy the early morning light

root into a writing rhythm, enjoy headspace to create gentle plans, read the books in my summer stack

I hope you are able to take some inspiration from the manifesto above and perhaps create your own. It could be as simple as a list, a short set of statements like I’ve created above, or even a vision board with your words included. I’m adding my vision board and written manifesto to our magnetic notice board, fridge, and next to our wall calendar, to keep them front of mind and help create some wonderful memories of the summer. I’ll be mapping some of the ideas out on our calendar but will have most of them ready as spontaneous things we can do on quieter weekends and evenings.

I hope you are able to savour the summer in simple and gentle ways which can help you create more pockets of joy and nourishment this season.