20 Comments
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Gelsey Phaneuf's avatar

I love these selections Sarah, so creative!

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Lauren Flanagan's avatar

I'm also not a summer person! Having an autoimmune disease that impedes temperature regulation hasn't helped 😅 Thanks for these great recommendations!

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Marlena's avatar

I, too, have learned to embrace summer. Growing up, I loathed the pending sunburn, heat rash, mosquito bites, and humidity. As a mom who worked outside the home, I was jealous of the photos people posted of pooltime and kids sleeping in while I had dropped my kiddo off by 7:30 a.m. to what was a fun day of care and camp with loving humans. I found summer more stressful than the holidays - the countdown of the expansive sunlight and needing to cram "summer fun" into brackets of time that weren't that different than the rest of my days. And I, too, shifted. I released the idea of needing to create an amazing season for myself and my child and took it for what it was - the chance to read and eat outdoors. The opportunity to do nothing with friends. To smell how each day is different. What a gift to notice it all.

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Sarah Miller's avatar

Summer work/childcare is a whole other season in itself (which I still hate, fwiw 😭😆)

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Kuleigh Baker's avatar

This message spoke to me! I'm a summer hater but have learned to embrace time with my kids at our neighborhood pool. Anything to keep them entertained and keep me cool.

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Allison East's avatar

Oh so excited to check out this whole list!

Bracing myself for Texas/Oklahoma summer.

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Sarah Miller's avatar

Allison, I cannot even imagine. It horrifies me just to think of it 😂

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Allison East's avatar

I’m so sorry to say, you might die 😂

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Sarah Miller's avatar

Oh, no doubt.

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Afoma Umesi's avatar

Woohoo! Thrilled to see ESME on this list. Loved it. Hoping more folks read it this summer 😍

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Sarah Miller's avatar

Same! I really enjoyed it.

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The Symphony's avatar

I agree with your 'summer exposure therapy'! Although I still refuse to go 'back home' (Nebraska) from June - August (I don't want to pay to SWEAT PROFUSELY), I have also done a lot of work on my attitude and summer enjoyment, even when that means being uncomfortable and making *other people* uncomfortable with how much I sweat. LOL

Farmer's Markets + bursting produce, lake swims, early morning hikes, and walks until 10PM (because it's still light out that late!) definitely help. But by mid-September, I'm READY.

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Sarah Miller's avatar

Oh, same, same. I am so happy when fall arrives there are almost no words 😂

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The Symphony's avatar

I have one word: RELIEF!!!!! (shouted Braveheart-esque "FREEDOM") lol

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Mandy Handeland's avatar

I want the cover of "Our Pool" to hang in my house as artwork. It is so reminiscent of childhood days at the local pool. We will definitely be reading that one this summer! I have also had to adjust to the collections of little people and accept that we actually must pick up rocks and sticks from our adventures and bring them home like found treasure.

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Meredyth Pederson Cooper's avatar

I found When You Find the Right Rock recently at the library and my 3 year old and I love it!

I look forward to checking out your other recs here and seeing if they can move me closer to enjoying summer as well. Thank you!

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Julie's avatar

Lovely, thank you for this:).

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Victoria L.'s avatar

Summer got easier when I just decided to let it be summer. You're totally right. Sometimes it is just gross but it's the season!

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Laura Sackton's avatar

Lol Sarah I admire you so much but I will NOT be following in your footsteps. I think the only thing that gets me through summer is HATING IT LOUDLY!!! 😂 But, I love that you are changing your relationship to summer in ways that work for you.

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320 Sycamore Studios's avatar

Same with me re: Summer. You can take the boy out of Seattle ...

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