Long, sunny summer days provide ample time to embrace the joys of the season. The opportunities are endless for intimate gatherings with family and friends, impromptu sunset cocktail parties, a family hike and berry picking, or an afternoon of paddleboarding at the beach.
Take advantage of cool early mornings as a perfect time for outdoor exercise. Then, find a shady spot to enjoy one of the summer’s must-read novels, plan an outdoor adventure, or splash around with the kids in the pool and challenge them to a water balloon battle. Wrap up with a low-key, festive evening — an alfresco dinner ending with our homemade ice cream sandwiches or scrumptious blueberry cobbler as a sweet flourish. Visit our epicure section for inspiration!
Plenty of activities and adventures await you this summer, offering the chance for socialization and exploration. Take advantage of these joyous summer moments!
July is fresh, crisp, and flavorful! Balance summer’s heat with refreshingly cool dishes featuring luscious berries, juicy melons, savory herbs, and hearty produce — all sourced from your backyard or a local market. It’s prime time for blueberry picking, bringing peak flavor to our blueberry cobbler and blueberry muffin recipes. Draw from that herb garden you planted in May for our pasta salad and select a variety of fresh produce from your local market for the grill tonight. Planning a brunch or just in need of some inspiration for breakfast? Try our versatile crêpes with berries or simply with fresh lemon and a sprinkling of sugar. See all of our July epicure section and enjoy the tastes of the season!
Independence Day: July 4 is a perfect holiday to gather a small group of friends and family for a spirited celebration. Before the day heats up, encourage younger children to create their own parade! Decorate bikes, trikes, and red wagons with red, white, and blue streamers or balloons and let them ride along and enjoy their special moment in front of a relaxed, enthusiastic audience.
Set your outdoor venue for the festivities. Make your own pennant banner: cut out stars from red, white, and blue paper and string them on twine, then proudly hang your patriotic garland around your dining area. Add mini flags to your planters and string outdoor lights and plenty of party lanterns around your patio.
As the sun goes down, the fireworks go up! Sparklers and poppers are a must to complement your municipality's firework display. Enjoying these special moments and traditions with those we love is a pure joy!
Recentering Together: Host your girlfriends for an outdoor meditation/mindfulness class on a beautiful morning. Enhance the experience by sipping on fruited smoothies and coffee while sampling our homemade blueberry scones or muffins. To learn more about living a more fulfilling life through mindfulness and meditation classes, upcoming retreats, and coaching, visit thefullfillinglife.com.
Midsummer Night’s Feast: Gather a few couples and make some pizzas outdoors. Change up the summer barbecue game with an outdoor clambake. Whether you're at the beach or on your patio, enjoy these starry nights to the fullest!
Sunset Cocktail Party: The sinking sun sets the stage for one of our favorite summer traditions. Keeping your outdoor tableware handy and organized will mean you’ll spend your time making your signature cocktail and mingling with the people you’ve invited to help make this evening special, rather than running back and forth from the inside kitchen. When you’re gathering ingredients for drinks, don’t forget to make plenty of ice!
Outdoor Movie Night: Kids love movie night, but this is a special event for the whole family! Delight is in the details: a popcorn machine with individual serving bags, penny candy in old-fashioned candy jars, comfy cushions or chairs spaced across the lawn, and an outdoor movie screen. Add hand sanitizer or a nearby handwashing sink to keep everyone safe. With the children deep in the magic of the movie, the main attraction for grownups may be simply prepared and delicious appetizers, chilled rosé, and conversation with friends! Don’t forget to have our fouta towels available to keep everyone comfortable — use them as wraps when the chill arises late in the summer evening.
July is all about relaxed outdoor gatherings, whether at the beach, splashing in your pool, or just relaxing in a shady spot with a great book. Let your design instincts highlight fun family activities like outdoor games, roasting marshmallows, or sipping our summer-time lemonade.
Flower Power: hydrangeas, hydrangeas, hydrangeas! These blue bombshells are our bloom of choice when we think of July’s heatwaves and buoyant celebrations. These gems are stunning as part of a patriotic theme arrangement, but also pair well with yellow sunflowers for a rustic farm-to-table dinner. Team them up with fragrant lavender in your indoor bouquets. But don’t stop there. If you love flowers, this is your season of joy, with so many bright blooms to choose from.
Set the Table: Think simple and seasonal with your table design. Add a patriotic flair with blue and white dish towel or checkered napkins, red tin plates and mini flags. Display seasonal fruits, add fresh lavender to your lemonade pitcher and present drinks in mason jars for a nostalgic summertime feel. Organize outdoor tableware, napkins, lanterns, sticks for marshmallow roasting, extra candles, bug repellant, beach bag, fouta towels, sunscreen so you’re ready at a moment's notice for whatever kind of fun summer has in store for you and your family.
Festive napkins, raffia coaster and chargers, woven serving basket trays, our Summer Nights candle and our refreshing Rose Hydration Mist are all elegant additions to your summer banquet.
Fouta towels — both beach-bag staple and comforting outdoor wrap on a breezy evening — are the diverse, one-size-fits-every-occasion accessory of the season. Our summer market totes and lined pouches are perfect to keep your suncare products and beach essentials organized. Check out fresh, lightly scented body butters by Old Whaling Company — magnolia, coastal calm, and fresh coconut, to name a few.
Summer dresses are what’s on the air right now at partager la joie, along with casual slide sandals and adorable eyelet and ruffled tops that pair effortlessly with your favorite white jeans. Our seasonal African Half-Moon Small Straw Clutch by Half United completes a stylish and chic summer outfit.
Healthy snacking for get-togethers and everyday delight: Given the abundance of fresh fruit, especially stone fruit and those seasonal sweet blueberries, freeze some washed fruit and bring it along for a refreshing treat at the beach or for your next picnic. Berries and grapes work well, and so do sliced melon, pineapple, peaches, and nectarines. Remember the strawberry jam that brought us joy in June? Substitute fresh blueberries to conserve the flavor of July in all its glory.
Have your cake and eat it too: What about moving your home office outdoors? Don’t miss out on these beautiful days! Pop a festive parasol or awning, bring your laptop and iced coffee outside, and set up a summer outdoor home office. You can keep an eye on the kids playing, enjoy a bit of sunshine, and get your work done. Changing up your routine can be refreshing and lead to more productivity!
Re-envision your surroundings: Exciting announcement — guess what’s new at partager la joie? If you’re in need of inspiration for hosting your next gathering or curating a space in your home, partager la joie is delighted to announce our unique virtual design service, now available through our website.
One of the best ways to create a sense of continuity, security, and well-being in changing and uncertain times is by celebrating and honoring the traditions that bring us together with those we love. This year, dedicate the month of July to creating new memories and traditions, right here and now — as we find new ways make the silver linings shine brightly, to move forward with kindness, grace, resiliency, and peace, and to share in one another’s joie de vivre.
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