While this summer looks a little different than years past, there are some sweet signs that the best season of the year is nigh. Even if we have spacial parameters and are relegated to our personal sanctuaries, there are a few elements of this season that still make us feel great. That sweet smell of sunscreen and citrus still waft through the air, even if it’s just through the A/C. Here are the six things that make it feel like summer for us. 

The Music

Summer tunes are crucial to setting the mood of the season. Orville Peck got us thinking about the sweet smell of summer early with his latest slow-jam single, “Summertime,” and Diplo followed suit with Thomas Wesley Chapter 1: Snake Oil, his dance-floor ready take on the yeehaw movement that will turn your next park hang into a socially-distanced dance party. Whatever your flavour is, put some thought into your playlist because these are the songs that will define the moments you’re making.  

The Drinks

Summer brings in the heat. It’s time you swap your cappuccino for a cold brew and your hot toddy for an ice-cold citrusy cocktail. Just thinking about the sun beating down on our summer days is making us thirsty. And nothing says summer like a smoothly refreshing gin cocktail blended with delicious fruit flavours, kinda like our new beach buddy — Tempo Gin Smash. Light, bubbly, crisp and not too sweet, this refreshing gin beverage assortment is calling our name with its four flavours: strawberry lemon, grapefruit, and lemon mint. They also have a 0g sugar option – Tempo Gin Soda Lime – if that’s your thing. They’re all amazing in their own way but why not try them all to discover your favourite? It could be the smash hit of the summer.

The Food

You have to admit fruit doesn’t really taste like, well, fruit for most of the year. But once June hits, suddenly things start to sweeten. Cherries and berries are top contenders, but dare we say 2020 is going to be the year of the watermelon (you can thank Harry Styles for that.) Support your local farmers through Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs, which offer an alternative, locally-based economic model of agriculture and food distribution. 

Blooms

Science has proved it over and over again: flowers make us feel good. And, let’s be honest, we need a little extra good feels right now. Whether they’re blooming on tree branches outside your window, you’re lucky enough to have a little patch of greenery of your own, or your weekly ritual is grabbing a cool arrangement from your local florist, fresh blooms are the siren call of summer. 

Britney Spears’ Workout Videos

The best part of this particular summer season is the steady stream of workout videos her royal highness the Princess of Pop has bestowed upon our Instagram feeds and TikTok. If Britney Spears has taught us anything about setting the mood for home workouts, it’s not to light candles but to go with a playlist instead. Get outside (safely) and in the immortal words of Spears, “Work, bitch.”

The Fashion

Masks may be the most prevalent (and necessary) accessory right now, but nothing signals the commencement of summer like the first sight of a…straw bag. Slung over a floral dress, shoved in a bike basket, or pouring over with park hang essentials.