It’s barely June, and I am already full throttle Summer. My pool has been open for 17 days, and I have been in a bikini….for 17 consecutive days. After a good, but hard-earned spring, I am ready to blastttttt Handle me? (Huh) Who gon’ handle me? (Who?) and remind the world what Summertime Mimi can really accomplish! 

Since we are still three weeks out, let’s make our list and check it twice to ensure we take full advantage of the most wonderful time of the year (do not tell Christmas!) 

The moment the temps hit 70 degrees plus, I am outside for the vast majority of the day. If you hear a pool bubbling in the background of my Zoom call, just mind your business! The chirping birdies, the honeysuckle throwing off the sweetest scents, and those 8 pm sunsets make it a non-negotiable to spend all daylight hours outside.  

To combat the UVBs and incessant bugs, I have a rotation of never-fail SPFs and repellants! These wipes by Cutter are fantastic when clean beauty just won’t do. My regular bug be-gone is this divine patchouli-forward spray that I buy in bulk from leh soap company, which I discovered in Cape May, NJ (a babydoll of a beach town) and then rediscovered years later in Rehoboth Beach, DE. For sunscreen, you know how I feel about UK-procured Soltan. It is generally less than 5 GBP, so I buy no fewer than 5 on every trip. I have also recently discovered that the new-ish brand Vacation has a TDF spray that literally smells like MPG x Pool. 

The trick to falling head over heels with summer is to make sure your utilitarian items are top tier. Having access to a pool is also quite helpful for a true warm weather love affair. If you are a fellow pool owner, just trust me and buy this cordless pool vacuum. I was re-upping on my pool supplies when I stumbled across this gem. Though a bit skeptical, I was like “f it, I’m willing to wage $100 Amazon bucks that this is a worthy investment.” It’s been seven days, and every morning I wake up ecstatic to toss this little guy in the deep end for a 45-minute deep clean! 

A great speaker is 1b. after the pool on the utilities list. (lol @ a pool being a checklist item) I know people love their JBL and Sonos and etc. etc. etc., but I truly believe that Amazon, Target or Costco can do you just right without breaking the bank. Summer shindigs can get hectic, and the last thing you want is a $1k sound system getting accidentally cannonballed by some poor guest. I also prefer a Bluetooth connection to Wi-Fi so anyone can “get the aux.” 

Seating is another key item, and you better believe the industrial outdoor furniture complex is a fucking racket. You think I’m going to spend as much on one chaise lounge as I did for my living room sectional? Get a life! Last summer I dropped $300 on a loveseat + ottoman from Better Home and Gardens x Walmart, and while I hardly ever endorse Walmart spending, this was well worth the moral cringe. I lounged and worked and sunned from it well into October. Other non mass-produced options that won’t put you into debt can be found here via Article and here via CB2. Another tip– browse your local vintage and antique shops for patio sets that will make you long for the days of summer lunches at your grandparents’! My sister recently uncovered a 6-piece set that is identical to the one I inherited from our grandma. 

Once your peeps are seated with sounds and sprays, they will inevitably need to eat and drink. It may sound absolutely nuts, but you won’t regret making the investment in a full set of outdoor dishes and drinkware. I guess it doesn’t sound that crazy coming from me– a verified hosting lunatic. But alas, I have a set of melamine plates that can go from snack carrier to full-on outdoor meal. My Harlem Toile by Sheila Bridges plates are my absolute favorites, but I also scour my local Williams-Sonoma/PB outlet for end of season deals. Another investment I have made due to an outsized snobbishness for drinkware, is shatterproof stemmed wine glasses and champagne flutes. I will melt into a hysterical puddle at the sight of a red Solo cup, so this purchase of a set of 20+ was a medical necessity. This will also sound very over- the-top but if you’re having fewer than ten people, break out the cloth napkins because it’s actually easier to just throw them all in the wash than dig soggy paper ones out of your yard! These from Target are affordable enough to buy in bulk. 

But, what about swimwear, you ask! A June-August checklist is meaningless without hoards of bikinis. It’s such an essential part of my lifestyle that it has to be a separate post— coming soon! 

Ok, lovies, let’s fully embrace Summer as a noun and a verb— and what the hell?— an adjective, adverb and pronoun. I am declaring Summer 2024 our best one yet! Xx  

**all images are mine except for hottie in the cold plunge via flamingo estate and screenshot of aerosmith’s inimitable music video experience “crazy”