Summer is officially here, and with it comes longer days and warmer weather. This issue of American Lifestyle is full of ideas to help you make the most of the season from the comfort of your own home with tips for having the ultimate staycation, three ice-cold beverages to enjoy, the perfect crafts for a lazy afternoon, and strategies for cutting down on screen time.
Though summer is a great time to travel to new destinations, it’s also a wonderful season for exploring local offerings and enjoying time with those who mean the most to you. Inside, discover how you can have the ultimate staycation, including different fun activities to do both in your home and around town.
Whether you’re unwinding after a long day or hosting a gathering, ice-cold beverages are a must on hot days. This issue offers three flavorful concoctions—a spritzer, berries-and-lime Pimm’s Cup, and beer sangria—that promise to elevate your summer experience with every sip.
Are you looking for a fun craft to do with your family and friends this season? The enclosed projects for personalized house numbers, a stunning patriotic centerpiece, and an intricate mosaic birdhouse are the best ways to transform your surroundings and create lasting memories with your loved ones.
As the sun shines bright and natural wonders beckon, break free from the digital world to savor all the joys of summer without constant screen distractions. Learn the secrets to reducing your total screen time along with the various physical and mental benefits that come with a digital detox.
Here’s hoping you have a great summer season! As always, it’s a pleasure to send you this magazine.
Looking ahead to some well-deserved time off? Ditch the expensive flights and high-priced hotels in favor of organizing a staycation that’s unique to your interests and location. Whether you take a long weekend or a full week, there are numerous ways to enjoy your time off—immerse yourself in the local culture, engage in various recreational activities, or simply prioritize getting some much-needed R & R. Here are a few of the best experiences to put on your itinerary for your next at-home retreat.
If you consider yourself a foodie, break free from the mundane by savoring the unique tasty delights of your region. Explore neighborhood eateries you’ve been meaning to try, or seek out hidden gems for something completely unfamiliar. Many cities and towns also offer food tours, providing an opportunity to discover an area’s rich gastronomic history along with some delicious dishes. Prefer to stay in? You could take an online cooking class with your partner or friends to master a new technique or cuisine, allowing you to indulge without having to leave the house. Or if baking is your passion, make a day of it—allocate a few hours to whipping up your favorite goodies, then bundle them up and share them with neighbors and loved ones.
Whether you’re planning a family staycation or a romantic one with your partner, there are numerous options for outdoor activities everyone can enjoy. If the weather is favorable, consider venturing to a nearby campsite and setting up a tent, where you can delight in roasting marshmallows over a fire and lay out a blanket for a night of stargazing. Alternatively, you could hit the trails for a lengthy bike ride or hike that will get your blood pumping while providing beautiful views of nature.
No matter the location, most areas generally have plenty of art and entertainment to explore, including street festivals featuring community artists and crafters, art exhibits at local museums and galleries, and various music and theater performances. If you’re a history buff, one unique way to immerse yourself in the past is by joining a guided walking tour to hear stories and obscure facts about your area. You can also wander at your own pace using an app like Geotourist, which leads you to various sites through interactive maps and detailed narration.
A break from your busy schedule and list of commitments, a staycation is the perfect time to try your hand at something you’ve been wanting to experience. Perhaps your interest lies in accessing your artistic side, such as by learning how to paint or work on a pottery wheel. You could even delve into the world of floral arranging or woodworking, either through online tutorials or a local class. Whatever your vibe, use your time off as an opportunity to engage the different sides of you—you never know what talents you might discover.
Have you been feeling like certain areas of your home could use an upgrade? Whether it’s framing and hanging pictures, giving an old piece of furniture a fresh coat of paint, or wallpapering a room, you can tackle any number of simple yet impactful tasks in just a few days. Even larger projects may be feasible. For instance, if you enjoy spending time in your backyard, you could transform it into a relaxing oasis for you and your family just by installing a hammock, hanging some soft café lights across the yard, and placing potted plants around the area. For an extra touch of style, try painting a canvas rug to add vibrant splashes of color to your outdoor space.
While you have many options available to you for a staycation, don’t feel obligated to engage in activities you don’t want to do. After all, this is your time off. If lounging in your favorite chair with a good book, some delicious snacks, and your favorite beverage is your desire, go for it! Maybe make this an opportunity to pamper yourself by enjoying a day at the spa, where you can leave the world behind for a few hours. Or if it’s a gloomy afternoon, catch up on a TV series you’ve been meaning to watch. To cap off the day, consider organizing a game or movie night with family or friends, complete with candy and popcorn.
Some of the best adventures are often the ones closest to home, and a staycation offers endless possibilities. Whether you do an online search, refer to a travel guidebook, or visit your local chamber of commerce, you’ll be able to find plenty of ways to immerse yourself in the spirit of your community.
As the days get warmer, there’s nothing quite like a chilled drink to quench your thirst. Delight in the essence of the season with these three cocktails: a refreshing spritzer, a twist on a British summertime drink, and a unique combination of two classic beverages. Not a drinker? Not a problem! You can simply swap out the spirits to craft a mocktail that’s equally as delicious.
With a delectable mix of fresh strawberries, lemon-lime soda, and rosemary, this cocktail is the perfect cooldown at the end of a warm day.
Try this fresh take on a traditional British beverage, which features a blend of berries that truly captures the spirit of summer.
A mixture of two staple drinks, this combination is both sweet and hoppy, making it the best way to elevate your next gathering.
Top off your picnic under the hot afternoon summer sun with this ice-cold spritzer. Packed with fresh berries and plenty of flavor, it’s just what you need to beat the heat.
Serves 4
Pimm’s cup is a classic British summertime cocktail served in icy pitchers loaded with fruit and mint. This version uses strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries for a very-berry enjoyable drink!
Serves 4
Beer gets the sangria treatment in this recipe—it’s combined with orange juice, ginger beer, orange liqueur, and loads of fresh fruit for a deliciously unique cocktail you won’t want to miss.
Serves 4
Tip: You can make this sangria a day ahead of time—the longer it sits, the more liquid and flavor the fruit will absorb.
Crafting is one of the greatest ways to relax in the shade, bond with your loved ones, and stimulate your creativity. Whether you’re looking for an alternative to tiring outdoor activities or want to spruce up your home with some exciting new decor, the simple supplies and instructions in this collection of projects are sure to yield gorgeous results you’ll be proud to show off.
Enhance your home’s curb appeal by displaying these artistic, custom house numbers.
Wow guests at your next red, white, and blue bash with this quick-to-make yet elegant table feature.
Swap plain wooden birdhouses for this elaborate one, which no one will believe you made yourself.
Ordinary house numbers may fade into the background, but custom features like these painted signposts will add eye-catching appeal to your home’s facade. Using simple tiles from any hardware store and common craft supplies like acrylic paint, you can whip up these numbers on a summer afternoon for results that will blow you away.
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Whether you’re hosting a big Fourth of July cookout or just want a patriotic way to decorate, this make-at-home American flag centerpiece is an excellent alternative to store-bought decor. With just a few craft supplies, you can transform common Mason jars into an extraordinary work of art just waiting to be filled with accents and florals of your choosing.
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You aren’t the only one trying to avoid the sweltering summer heat—birds could also use a shaded spot to nest and stay cool! So why not create your own colorful custom birdhouse to both provide them a habitat and decorate your yard with? As intricate as this project appears, it’s surprisingly simple to assemble, and you’ll love showing off the results just as much as feathered friends will love cozying up inside it.
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With its delightful warmth and bright sunshine, summer is ideal for traveling, savoring the outdoors, or simply relaxing. But if your digital devices are dividing your attention this season, can you really enjoy everything it has to offer? Check out this guide to discover the upsides of reducing your screen time along with tips for doing so successfully.
As beneficial as our electronic devices can be, they can also hurt us in several ways. For starters, constantly being on them takes us out of the moment and distracts us from life. Imagine hiking through a peaceful forest or spending an afternoon on a pristine beach with your eyes glued to your phone—you’re likely going to miss all the beauty around you.
Even worse, too much screen time can have a negative impact on both your physical and mental health, such as by straining your eyes, impairing your sleep, and even raising your risk for anxiety, depression, stress, and heart disease. Additionally, research has shown that excessive social media use in particular can lead you to negatively compare yourself against others, potentially lowering your self-esteem.
Globally, individuals spend an average of nearly seven hours of internet-connected screen time daily. By reducing yours, you could carve out more of your day for other activities, allowing you to fully enjoy everything summer has to offer.
The first step in embarking on a digital detox is taking a moment to evaluate your current habits. Which devices and apps do you use most and for what purpose? What time of day are you most active on them? How long do you typically spend on each activity? To determine this information, pay attention to your screen usage over the course of a week, whether you’re watching TV, scrolling social media, or playing a game. You can also check your phone’s settings to see your screen-time totals, such as your overall time on your device and how much you’ve spent per app. By getting a comprehensive understanding of your screen use, you can better identify the best places to make adjustments.
As you consider what changes you want to make, avoid trying to accomplish too much too quickly. You’ll be more productive if you take baby steps first and then try bigger strides—the small wins you make can spur you toward larger ones. For example, you could aim to put your phone on Do Not Disturb at dinner and just before bedtime. Once you can sustain that, add silencing distracting notifications during your workday. Continue building on your goals, and eventually you’ll be able to remain off your devices for your target length of time.
When it comes to screen time, phones are perhaps the most frequently used devices. An effective measure for limiting this usage is to set boundaries utilizing your phone’s settings—Focus for iPhones or Focus Mode for Androids. These allow you to block text and app notifications while making exceptions for phone calls or texts from specific contacts, such as colleagues and close family members. Additionally, you could install an app like AppBlock, which enables you to make apps off-limits during time periods of your choice.
One of the best ways to reduce your screen time is to simply keep your devices out of reach. Perhaps try leaving your phone tucked away, or even at home, while you go for a dip in the pool, ride your bike, or practice your backhand. Or swap your online activities for some offline ones—for instance, instead of scrolling through social media just before bed, get lost in a new book or write in a journal. You could also consider taking your TV out of your bedroom or banning your phone from your room at night so it won’t disrupt your sleep. If you need an alarm, treat yourself to a minimalist wood alarm clock or one that awakens you by progressively getting brighter.
It’s easier to break a habit or keep a resolution when you have help, so loop in your loved ones to your detox plan. If friends and family know when you aim to be offline, they can support you by agreeing not to text or call you during that time frame, understanding that they shouldn’t expect an immediate response if they do. You can also ask them to call you out if they notice you falling back into your old habits. With others aware of your goals, you can have greater accountability to continue striving to achieve them.
After a week or two into your challenge, evaluate your progress. Celebrate the positive steps you took, and note where you can do better so you can tweak your strategies where needed. For instance, you could give yourself extra motivation by allowing yourself a small treat after an hour of dedicated focus time away from a device.
In today’s digital age, it can be difficult to limit screen time. But if you can pinpoint areas where you can reduce it, you might find yourself relishing your experiences more, whether you’re exploring new places, hanging out with friends, or just enjoying some quiet time in your own backyard.
