I've been impatiently waiting for summer to end. The heat is unbearable, and I sweat as soon as I leave the house. And ironically, I know that I'll be sad when the season ends. Suddenly I will no longer be anticipating lazy summer weekends, Mister Softee soft serve ice cream, oyster happy hours, and warm-weather getaways filled with perfectly paused moments and unexpected smiles. What's a girl to do? Make the most of the last months of summer with the help of Sommerhygge.

The magic of dragonflies

There's something enchanting about dragonflies, and the more I learn about them, the more I love them.

There are about 7000 species of dragonflies. These insects come in many brilliant colors like copper, emerald, amethyst, and sapphire. I've seen a few dragonflies in my garden, and they are just wonderful to watch. These magical creatures can fly in any direction, including sideways and backward, and can hover in a single spot for a minute or more.

Dragonflies are all eyes – literally. Their head is essentially a giant eye. A dragonfly can see in all 360 degrees around it with only one blind spot, the area directly behind their head. I wonder… does that make them more present?

My favorite fact about dragonflies is that they help us control populations of mosquitoes and other insects. A single dragonfly can eat 30 to hundreds of mosquitoes per day. How amazing is that? Maybe it's time to create a dragonfly garden.

Inspired by love for summer, the Sommerhygge box included a set of delicate-looking dragonflies string lights. They won't eat the mosquitoes around you, but they will bring a magical and charming feel to your indoor space.

Forest in a cup

There's nothing quite like that first sip of a cold, iced tea on a sweltering summer day. This refreshing beverage has many fun options, and lately Blackberry Sage Oolong has been my go-to drink for escaping the summer heat. Oolong tea is blended with sage, raspberry leaves, and natural berry flavors to create a bold and earthy taste. It's an enchanting blend of flavors of the forest in a cup.

Melt in your mouth

Nobody enjoys melting in the summer heat, but foods that melt in the mouth… yes, please! Maison Bruyere's thin and crispy lemon-flavored butter biscuits do precisely just that. Based upon a pound cake recipe, it has that buttery richness with a hint of lemon. These light cookies are refreshing and perfect for teatime, fika, dessert, or even breakfast. I confess – I've eaten cookies for breakfast but only sometimes. That's ok, right?

To my meat-eating friends, if you ever find yourself in NYC and want an indulgent melt-in-your-mouth experience, I highly recommend checking this place out.

Exfoliating Ritual

I'm a big believer in the restorative power of rituals. There's great comfort in knowing which activities bring you a sense of calmness, coziness, and joy. This year, I focused on building a healthy skincare routine, not just for my face but my entire body. I paid more attention to the products I use and apply sunscreen religiously – that means even on cloudy days. A new ritual that I adopted recently is to exfoliate weekly with La Savonnerie du Pilon du Roy's Organic Argan Oil Salt Scrub. The amber-scented Argan oil is so luxurious - I feel like I'm in a spa whenever I smell it.

Exfoliating with a high-quality scrub is one of the most refreshing ways to pamper your skin. It cleanses your skin of impurities and dead cells, leaving it smooth, toned, and refined, as though it has a clean slate. What I love about La Savonnerie du Pilon du Roy's Organic Argan Oil Salt Scrub is that it's made with 99.5% natural ingredients and contains quality sea salt from Provence and the Mediterranean. And because the scrub is made with coarse salt that doesn't dissolve, I use it sparingly and only once a week on tougher areas of the body.

My exfoliating ritual looks something like this– First, I shake the scrub well, so the oil mixes in with the salt. Then I grab my bath mitt and keep it nearby. I apply the scrub onto my knees, elbows, and feet (not all at once) and then wet the bath mitt and scrub gently in circular motions. I hope you find an exfoliating ritual that works for you. And remember, never apply a salt or sugar scrub to sunburned or otherwise inflamed skin – it'll hurt a lot.

Something to Love

The first time I saw Eero Aarnio's ball chair, I told myself I had to have it. It's such an eye-catching design that I needed to find out more, so I started researching the chair, only to find myself adding every piece of furniture he designed to my favorite bookmarks page.

Fast forward ten years – I still love the chair and don't own one, but the little rabbit hole I dug into taught me that I love home décor. With each new apartment I moved into, I learned I didn't always need to change my furniture to make the space feel fresh. All that was needed was a fresh coat of paint, decorations, and accessories that I could easily change out each season.

Table runners are wonderful pieces to own because they can instantly change the home vibes. I don’t use table runners except when I’m hosting a get together like Thanksgiving, but I think that’s going to change. After I set the Danica Heirloom cotton table runner on my dining table, I felt cozy. I love the natural and simple design. Because the colors are neutral, it fits into my home design all year round. I was motivated to bring out the pretty dishes and add a vase of fresh flowers. The whole experience made me appreciate my home even more. I think I’m going to keep it on the table for a while.

And that, my friends, is the power of summer. Go out there and make the most of it before we transition to hibernation.