While we all revel in the joys of a British summer, from barbecues to camping and days lounging on the beach, sometimes the little things such as working from home, cleaning and even just sleeping can feel a bit more difficult. Here are just a few ideas I’ve been using over the last few hot British summers that have made a world of difference!
Swap our your duvets for quilts or throws
As Brits, we’re fans of a cosy duvet but often the lightest weight duvet in summer is just a tad heavy for a comfortable night’s sleep. Instead of replacing your duvets with sheets, I find that quilts are a cool and cosy alternative.
There’s enough weight to snuggle up but they’re lightweight to keep you covered and cool at night. Plus they're simple enough to throw into the wash at the end of the week. Making the bed in summer has never been easier!
Keep hydrated and make it fun
Keep a carafe of water topped up in the fridge. If you’re working from home, replace tea breaks with iced tea breaks, nip to the fridge to pour yourself some ice-cool water or something a little fancier.
At night time, I like to keep the carafe with some tumblers beside my bed. The water will warm up throughout the night but this is much better for you when your body is trying to rest up.
Make the most of summer and get creative with mixing your own drinks and tipples from home. Here are a couple of my favourite recipes which can be made alcoholic or non-alcoholic:
Pink lemonade
Ingredients:
- 100ml vodka (optional)
- 8 tbsp Chambord or other raspberry liquor/cordial
- 4 lemons, juiced
- 4 tbsp sugar or syrup
- 800ml soda or still water
Pout the Chambord, liquor or cordial into a large jug or carafe. Add ice and top with the ingredients. Give it a good stir and voila! Tip: freeze some raspberries or lemon slices to serve!
Iced tea sangria
Ingredients:
- 150ml white wine (I prefer pinot gregio)
- 1/2 orange roughly chopped and save some peel for garnishing
- 1/2 lemon, roughly chopped
- 2 tea bags or two teaspoons of loose leaf chamomile tea
- 2 tbsp of runny honey
- 50ml of dry vermouth
Put the fruit and wine in a small bowl and using the end of a rolling pin or a spoon, muddle together to infuse the juices then pop in the fridge. For a mocktail version, juice the fruits together and pop in the fridge while you make up the tea,
Steep the tea bags in 200 ml of boiling water, add the honey and leave to steep and cool for around 45 minutes.
To serve, pour out the fruity mix into two glasses or pour into one carafe and top up with the cool tea, vermouth and plenty of ice.
Here are a few products to help you out on your mixology!
Porcelain measuring spoons - £7.50
Set of 4 measuring spoons - £4.00
White porcelain lemon squeezer - £5.00
Stainless steel tea strainer - £2.80
Broadwell recycled glass carafe - £12.00
Small mango wood chopping board - £10.00
Keep chores simple and stay indoors during the hottest part of the day
Inside the home can sometimes feel just as warm as outside during summer, but the best thing to do is stay inside during the heat of the day, close curtains to direct sunlight and open windows to let air flow.
Also, make life as easy as possible when it comes to chores and make the most of warm weather and being able to keep the windows open. Hang your laundry inside to save you from going outside. On warm days with the windows open, it will still dry just as well! Put the tea towels away and let dishes to dry on the dish rack.
Stick with multi-purpose cleaners for simplicity with natural fragrances to keep the house fresh, from your laundry to surfaces. Our Marseille soap bar has multiple functions for washing up, laundry etc but is also a fantastic insecticide which you can dilute (finely grate two tablespoons of Marseille soap in a spray bottle and dilute with water) and spray on your houseplants if you have unwanted guests moving in this summer with the balmy weather and open windows.
The Rosemary in our Join multi-surface cleaner is also great for keeping bugs and mosquitoes away as they’re deterred by the scent. A perfect pairing for a beautiful smelling, clean home while keeping pests at bay!
