One of the enduring qualities of cottagecore is not the floral print dresses or picnics in the garden, but rather the emphasis on a quiet life well lived. The aspirations of a typical cottagecore aficionado is the opposite of what hustle culture encourages; instead of bigger houses and newer cars, most aspire to own little cottages in the countryside, instead of shopping hauls they dream of mended clothes and learning to sew, or perhaps shopping hauls of flower bulbs and herbs for the garden! So much emphasis is on slowing down, contentedness, appreciating nature and the seasons around you. So when I aspire to a Cottagecore Summer (or quite similarly a Hobbit Girl Summer) my bucket list is short and achievable. My goals are to slow down and savor the season and hopefully this list will help inspire your own Cottagecore Summer.
Visit a local garden or park. I can not think of anything worse than wasting a good day indoors…although of course many of our schedules don’t allow outdoor adventures at the drop of the hat! However with the sun setting later many parks have extended their hours and getting a walk or visit into your local garden after work is more possible now than ever. I really enjoy visiting National Trust gardens as they’re so well looked after and always feature a wide variety of flowers.
Re-read a cozy, nostalgic book. I am quite a fan of romances and fantasy books in the summer, but there’s something really relaxing about re-reading a book I enjoyed when I was younger. There’s no surprises in the text and sometimes the story will take you back to the moments when you first read it, when you were younger and life seemed to move a bit slower. I find it so nostalgic to go back and read books I loved as a child or teenager; it also helps me think of recommendations for my nieces and nephews and always cures me of reading slump.
Visit a local garden or park. I can not think of anything worse than wasting a good day indoors…although of course many of our schedules don’t allow outdoor adventures at the drop of the hat! However with the sun setting later many parks have extended their hours and getting a walk or visit into your local garden after work is more possible now than ever. I really enjoy visiting National Trust gardens as they’re so well looked after and always feature a wide variety of flowers.Re-read a cozy, nostalgic book. I am quite a fan of romances and fantasy books in the summer, but there’s something really relaxing about re-reading a book I enjoyed when I was younger. There’s no surprises in the text and sometimes the story will take you back to the moments when you first read it, when you were younger and life seemed to move a bit slower. I find it so nostalgic to go back and read books I loved as a child or teenager; it also helps me think of recommendations for my nieces and nephews and always cures me of reading slump. Bake with fresh berries. I get fresh strawberries nearly every week of summer while they’re in season and when visiting my family I ate a peach a day! There’s something really perfect about eating the fruit in its proper season and savoring that fresh flavor of summer—learning a new recipe that also incorporates that fruit is even better! My mother makes a really delicious strawberry bread and that’s on my list to try this summer, but there’s so many recipes you could try: blueberry muffins, grilled peaches, strawberry pie, the list goes on! I don’t bake much but every time I do find a good recipe it becomes part of the routine, so adding even only one recipe every few months means that in a few years I’ll have a wide variety of different things I can comfortably bake and cook. Sometimes we get so intimidated by not knowing how to do much or not being an expert at something, but if we look at things from a longterm perspective we only need to learn a little bit by bit to know a lot one day.
Make a flower crown. Flower crowns for me are one of my ultimate expressions of appreciation for nature. Whenever I make one I spend time outside slowly observing what is in bloom around me and trying to collect a variety of different wildflowers. I do my research on what I’m picking so I can know it’s safe, learn to identify more plants, and look into some of the lore surrounding it. The whole act is one of observation, studying, appreciation, and then while making it I get to bathe in the sounds of nature and work on a familiar task with my hands. Studies show as well that when we work on mundane or familiar tasks to us (like washing dishes) it actually opens up our minds to more creative thought, so by engaging my hands in a physical task that is familiar I can also let my thoughts wander more freely.
Eat a meal outside. While this could look like a perfectly planned picnic in a field of wildflowers, sometimes it’s also as simple as a takeaway or bowl of cereal enjoyed on the front steps of my house. Mercurial Irish weather makes me appreciate the sunshine and warmth when we have it, so I don’t always need an elaborate set up—just the sun on my skin and the breeze in my air is enough. Sometimes I like to take Solomon’s bowl outside and let him dine “al fresco” as well! Seems like a treat for him as much as me.
Make a flower crown. Flower crowns for me are one of my ultimate expressions of appreciation for nature. Whenever I make one I spend time outside slowly observing what is in bloom around me and trying to collect a variety of different wildflowers. I do my research on what I’m picking so I can know it’s safe, learn to identify more plants, and look into some of the lore surrounding it. The whole act is one of observation, studying, appreciation, and then while making it I get to bathe in the sounds of nature and work on a familiar task with my hands. Studies show as well that when we work on mundane or familiar tasks to us (like washing dishes) it actually opens up our minds to more creative thought, so by engaging my hands in a physical task that is familiar I can also let my thoughts wander more freely.Eat a meal outside. While this could look like a perfectly planned picnic in a field of wildflowers, sometimes it’s also as simple as a takeaway or bowl of cereal enjoyed on the front steps of my house. Mercurial Irish weather makes me appreciate the sunshine and warmth when we have it, so I don’t always need an elaborate set up—just the sun on my skin and the breeze in my air is enough. Sometimes I like to take Solomon’s bowl outside and let him dine “al fresco” as well! Seems like a treat for him as much as me. Handwrite a letter or send a postcard. Another form of slowing down and practicing thoughtfulness comes in the from of handwriting letters; we so rarely take the time to write snail mail or even send physical postcards these days. Whether it’s a local postcard from a museum or one you picked up on travels, why not take a few minutes to think of something poignant to share with a friend and mail it off?
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