Summer is wonderful.
At least... that's what we tell ourselves every year. In reality, summer can sometimes feel like an Olympic event. Suddenly the kids are home all day, expecting you to be their personal entertainment team. You're packing for a holiday (which somehow feels like moving house), there are barbecues you "really can't miss," garden parties, family visits, summer drinks, spontaneous get-togethers, and a calendar that somehow fills itself without asking for permission.
And somewhere in the middle of all that fun... ...you forget about yourself. That's exactly why I created The Summer Survival Kit by De Verhalenheks. This isn't another checklist of things you have to do. It's simply ten little moments you can intentionally gift yourself this summer. Think of them as tiny holidays hidden inside your holiday. Try to give yourself at least one of these moments every week.
🌸 Your Ten Summer Challenges
1. Buy yourself a beautiful summer bouquet. Not because there's a special occasion. Simply because you deserve flowers too.
2. Go on a little treasure hunt. Give yourself a small budget and browse a thrift store, bookstore, flea market or a charming little shop while you're on holiday. Don't look for something useful—look for something that makes you smile.
3. Send yourself a postcard. From your holiday destination or even from your own hometown. Write a few kind words to your future self.
4. Create your own summer playlist. About fifteen minutes of music that instantly lifts your mood.
5. Do something you've never done before. Take a different route, try a new recipe, visit a place you've never explored or step into a shop you've always walked past.
6. Visit a place that means something to you. Sit down for a while. Breathe. Let old memories find you again.
7. Watch the stars... or wake up early to watch the sunrise. Let the world keep turning while, for once, you simply enjoy the view.
8. Order something you'd normally never choose. A different drink. A new dessert. A dish you've always been curious about. Sometimes adventure begins with a single menu.
9. Become a tourist in your own neighbourhood. Take a walk, snap some photos and pretend you're discovering the place for the very first time.
10. Create your own Quote of the Day. Write down one sentence that inspires you, decorate it or save it as a little reminder of this summer.
Need a little more me-time? If one moment a week simply isn't enough...
(Honestly? We completely understand.)
Here are a few bonus ideas:
- 🍿 Watch your favourite childhood movie or cartoon. Popcorn is highly recommended.
- 🎲 Let a dice decide today's mini adventure.
- 📦 Create a small time capsule with five meaningful objects or memories and open it again next sum mer.
- 🧺 Pack yourself a picnic and find a peaceful place to enjoy it.
The best summer days are rarely the ones where everything went according to plan. They're usually the ones where, even if only for a little while... ...you didn't forget yourself.
De Verhalenheks