august essentials

It’s August! The official month of vacations and sunbathing…or, more realistically, grinding your teeth at work while you pretend to be productive. In celebration, I thought I’d share a few of my favorite time-wasting goodies guaranteed to get your summer mojo flowin’. Just add sunscreen!

August Essentials, best summer buys, summer accessories, summer books, summer drinks

  1. This cutie-pie UE Boom speaker puts out some pretty serious sound in a tiny tubular package, and it connects via Bluetooth to multiple devices, so you can play Battle of the Bands with your spouse (or have it paired to your phone and your computer). And it’s pretty darn durable, so it’s just the thing to throw in a beach bag or a picnic basket. I went with the all-white version (shocking), but the blue/white is awfully cute too.
  2. I’ve developed a vampire-like aversion to sunlight lately, so I never leave the house without at least one pair of sunnies in tow. These from Silvano look good on everyone (and I mean everyone – my hubs and brother have both tried to steal them from me), are incredibly reasonably-priced, and they’re hip without being too hipster.
  3. I’m counting the seconds biding my time until the September issues start rolling in. Until that happens, I have a massive stack of books at the door to my back deck that I’m looking forward to devouring in the sunshine. Beautiful Ruins, by Jess Walter (Harper) and The Art Forger by B.A. Shapiro (Algonquin) are at the top of the pile. I’ll keep you posted.
  4. Speaking of daydreaming, I got the most fun call from my mom earlier this week, asking if I’d like to be her tour guide on an upcoming trip to London. So, now I’m devouring a stack of LUXE city guides and coming up with fantasy itineraries. Lovely!
  5. But of course, nothing says summer like a road trip. Whether you have one planned or not, it doesn’t get any better than this amazing graphic crossbody bag from Botkier. Light as a feather so it’s perfect for travel, and possibly the coolest thing I’ve seen all season. I’m coveting it like crazy.
  6. My new favorite thing to drink is coconut water with a bit of pulp, to which I then add a dash of excellent Vietnamese cinnamon (fair warning: it will ruin you for the grocery store variety) and shake vigorously. I saw it on the menu at Pressed Juicery for $8, and nearly passed out. My version is just as delicious – it tastes like horchata, without the caloric consequences – and will set you back about a buck.

What are your favorite August time-wasters?

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3 comments on “august essentials

  1. A

    Gratuitous tomato sandwiches: toasted white bread (artisan loaves are great but not necessary), mayo (Best Foods/Hellmann’s only), ripe tomato, coarse salt. Best enjoyed over the sink and not while you are wearing your favorite light-colored top.

  2. Roxanne

    “Beautiful Ruins” was a beautiful read. 🙂
    My time wasters right now are european fashion & film magazines, “Crazy Rich Asians,” Pinterest, coconut water, quinoa salad (err-day!), and writing long-winded letters to friends.
    xoxo

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