How to Have a Coastal Summer

Even if you live nowhere near the coast! Plus, a crossword puzzle, coastal playlists, and my packing list for summer travel.

Happy Monday to you! Today’s letter feels very classic Feeling! Magazine. It includes a plethora of ideas for making summer feel dreamy and coastal, mostly using resources you already have available. I’m here to inspire that little twist of creative direction to infuse into your daily life. That’s what this magazine is all about!

Today’s newsletter was made in partnership with the marvelously elegant Sézane, a personal favorite for dressing like the writer I want to be.

I wanted to highlight a few exciting happenings before we get started. I know so many emails hide in so many inboxes, so I just want to make sure you are in the loop on things that may interest you:

✸ First, this is the final week to finish the Summer Reading Challenge! The competition ends on the 31st. I have been blown away by the response to this challenge. It turns out, we all really need sticker charts and good fiction. The best part of this has been receiving your sweet emails. So many included a note that mentioned this challenge encouraged you to read again, made you feel a sense of childhood wonder, or you read books that will stick with you forever. I loved that we took this offline and genuinely enjoyed ourselves.

I am so excited, in fact, that I’ve expanded the prize pool. Now, ten people will be randomly selected to win a very nostalgic prize. And one lucky winner will also receive three FREE months of a Book of the Month subscription.

All details about entering are in the post below, but the most important note is to email your reading log list to jenna@feelingpress.com by Friday!

✸ Second: The Pen Pal Program is officially up and running with applications open until tonight (7/27) at midnight EST. Paid subscribers exclusively have access to this perk! I’ve included all the details about the program in the post below. I’ve been able to keep the subscription price at the lowest option Substack allows ($5/mo) thanks to the generosity of current subscribers.

If you’ve been reading for a while and are interested in supporting this publication, I’ve really packed in the perks, and joining the Pen Pal Program is a great way to dive in! Here is an outline of what a subscription to Feeling! includes:

• Match-making by me :) with an introduction via email to your match!

• A new monthly inspiration drop newsletter for letter-writing themes, crafting ideas, and prompts for pen pals

• Exclusive discounts on greeting cards from the almost-open Feeling! Press stationery store

• Access to every article and column from Feeling! Magazine (Including the much anticipated graphic design classes coming in August!)

• Monthly desktop and phone wallpaper drops (they are really amazing btw)

• Monthly printables!

• *If you chose the “founding membership” ($89/yr) — you also receive a postcard and greeting card in the mail EVERY month! Perfect for sending to pen pals!

All the Pen Pal details are here, at the bottom of the post:

How to Have a Coastal Summer

Even if you are nowhere near water!

Starting strong with mermaid hair…try a shell clip!

This month, I was honored to be a guest at a beautiful house on a lake. For seven days, the pleasure of waking up to jump into glistening, refreshing water was mine.

I feel that innately human mix of wonder and comfort when I’m next to any body of water. I spent days wearing myself out in the sun, swimming in the evenings, watching the lake’s colors change and glow as the sun set over the mountain.

I came back to Brooklyn refreshed, but in a one-bedroom apartment far from any source of water and surrounded by concrete. I missed the connection to the blue tones of the lake, which ebbed and flowed every day.

I got curious. Could I have the feeling of a coastal summer without actually being on a coast? Through intentional design, am I able to evoke that sense of calm without sea spray nearby?

I tested my concept, and have good news. I found some practical ways to make this a coastal summer without a coast in sight.

Penhook, VA

1. Pay Attention to Your Pace

When comparing vacation life with normal life, vacation generally has a wealth of time for leisure and sunshine. Your normal pace relaxes.

To implement this feeling in your day-to-day, try moving any flexible parts of your day outside (even when it’s warm). After work or school, instead of coming home to lie on the couch, try going outside for your recovery period. This could be a long walk with an audiobook, sitting out at a park, or enjoying the weather at an outdoor cafe table.

To the best of your ability, immediately follow that outside time with a refreshing shower. That’s how it works on vacation — so create that same feeling for yourself at home.

Of course, you can scent your shower like leisure, too. I am currently using this coconut and lime body wash that makes me feel like I’m at a beach cabana. This bar of soap called “Vacation” literally smells like the best beach you’ve ever been to — it’s wrapped in nostalgia.

Anna Maria Island, FL

Try to move whatever part of the day that you have some flexibility and control over (like lunch, your morning coffee, or sunset) outside in the sun…and then always follow it with a splash in the shower!

*Think about the leisurely pace of vacation you personally enjoy. How can you implement more of those elements into your routine? Really consider this.

When I’m on a trip, I notice myself reaching for my phone less and books more. I also get more excited about eating dinner at home. And I am outside more often.

And so, despite having a long to-do list, I found that practicing reading before bed, treating myself to a leisurely dinner, or taking a long walk with an iced drink brings back a feeling of leisure into my routine that I miss the minute I leave vacation.

Red Hook, Brooklyn

2. Make a Menu

Make your kitchen feel more like a beach bodega, and less like a chore.

Think about the best coastal restaurants you have ever been to. Maybe it’s a classic lakeside tavern with chicken tenders and those really good, salty fries you wish you could have every night.

Maybe it’s a New England summer with seafood, pasta, and a bubbling blueberry soda.

Or a really tropical seaside type of vacation with a delicious cheeseburger, refreshing cola, and a key lime pie.

Or a European seaside villa with tart lemon pasta and a glass of wine.

Okay, yum. Whatever kind of vacation is your dream, bring that menu to your grocery list! Briefly research the region and its flavors. This includes looking up restaurants and browsing their menus.

Secretly, that’s where I get most of my dinner ideas from: my favorite restaurants from trips! I try to check back seasonally and see what they have to offer.

When you have leftovers, you can munch on them after some time in the sun the next day.

Sitka, Alaska

3. Dress the Part

Dress like you’re on vacation, and your body will take note!

Linen button-downs, stripes, shades of blue, loose pants, sandals, natural hair, and trust old hats. During the summer, take any opportunity to dress the way you love to on a vacation. Wherever your imagination takes you, dress accordingly. Here are some coastal outfits I’m bringing home with me from my time on vacation.

You can feel the breeze through this classic blue, striped Sézane button-down even on a really hot day. One hundred percent cotton, and a really timeless silhouette and pattern. I look like I am on a sophisticated vacation when I wear it. P.S. If you’re a lucky one who does have access to a body of water, it makes a really cute cover-up as well.

This stitched, sleeveless top reminds me of a melting sherbet ice cream on a blistering summer day. Publix orange sherbet was a staple in the freezer growing up in Florida. I paired the top with high-waisted denim shorts and a knit bandana in a look I’ll call “ice cream shop chic.” (Note: Sézane does make a delicious matching skirt if you’re interested in the set!)

A cozy, red crew neck makes me feel like I’m at summer camp, ready to jump in the lake at any moment. I loved throwing this on over whatever I was wearing and heading out at sunset. It sits on my skin like a breathable summer hug.

I’ve been wearing it around the house to feel like I’m still on the trip.

San Diego, CA

4. Select Leisure Material

Whenever I'm at the beach, it's like my brain activates, and I remember that paper crossword puzzle books exist and I want to do them immediately. Never, in my daily routine, do I sit down and do sudoku. Yet when I was at the lake house, I found myself looking at sudoku over lunch.

Half the days at the lake, I didn't even know where my phone was in the house. I'm trying to bring that practice back to make this the most vacation-feeling summer yet.

I've picked up more fiction books, of course, for the summer reading challenge. I'm going to pick up some crossword puzzles to enjoy this week, too.

I would encourage you to pull some tangible vacation staples out onto the table, where you can see them. Then, you have an opportunity to choose the handmade fun over devices. This would be great for the whole family to join.

Try crossword puzzles, word searches, 1,000 piece puzzles, coloring sheets, crafty activities, Rummikub, playing cards, or this murder mystery sudoku book my sister-in-law showed me. Leave options out on the table, see what everyone does next.

Watch Hill, RI

5. Make it Feel Right

Finally, the feeling. Vacation feels peaceful. While I understand our daily routines will never completely feel that free, I do think we can make active choices to embrace more rest in our day-to-day lives.

A lot of this has to do with our space communicating to our bodies, “it’s okay to slow down and rest.”

Consider warm summer air drifting through the windows, a beachy playlist you don’t normally choose, and the sound of birds chirping. Pay attention to the sunrise and the sunset. Wear a relaxed, breezy outfit just to grab lunch.

Explore places you’ve never been (even if they are nearby) and look for treasures like seashells or touristy trinkets to bring home and display.

Maybe make a fresh playlist. I made a beach bodega playlist that’s pretty fun.

Maybe it’s keeping the windows open. Maybe it’s your favorite can of soda iced in the fridge, or a really good homemade iced latte.

Whatever makes vacation feel alive for you, I would encourage you to do these three things, to wrap up this very coastal summer intention:

1. Jot down your favorite memories at the coast.
   This will be so specific to everyone. The more you write about texture, taste, feeling, sights, colors, visuals, the better.

2. Ask yourself how you can implement these feelings into your current space without having to buy things or ask how to resource your current space with these things.

3. Ask yourself what parts of your current routine are draining you, and where you could replace some simplistic elements of your day with the feeling of a coastal getaway.

I’m hoping this inspired you to use what you have where you are, throw on a button-down, and take a walk in the sun with your favorite iced drink. I also hope this reminded you that crossword puzzles exist, and you should do one soon.

I hope you have a great rest of your summer, feeling this season deeply in all its sunshine and glory as you invite the coast into your home.

✸ If you feel frustrated with a small space, I have a story to share that might encourage you. I have been working on transforming my apartment into an e-commerce warehouse. I learned a lot about design while trying to problem-solve, and shared the whole process here.

✸ Want some refreshing summer wallpapers for your digital spaces? Or printable wall art, gift tags, and punch cards? I made you some!

✸ Here is a punchy read for whenever you want a little more zest for life.

This summer, I spent about one month living out of a suitcase, as three trips fell back-to-back. I carefully considered what made the travel portion of the extended time away feel easier, and I am here to report back with personal recommendations. Some serious testing and earnest reviews below.

If you have a trip coming up, these are some things I would consider packing:

1. Wilder Shoes: If you are going anywhere outdoorsy, I have to recommend this shoe! It feels like it is barely there, but wraps your foot perfectly. I wore this for paddleboarding, kayaking, boating, walking, and swimming. It was the perfect solution to wanting to feel barefoot, but not have feet covered in mud and poked and prodded while exploring. Also, I didn’t have to burn my feet on hot pavement!

2. Earl grey lip balm: This is the only true lip balm to not dry out my lips. It is on my body at all times. It tastes like my favorite tea. It is truly incredible, from a small brand based in Brooklyn.

3. Suri Toothbrush: Not only was my toothbrush a cute coastal red color, but the thing about Suri that works is the UV protection case. You can sanitize your electric toothbrush in the case! Makes travel, especially extended travel, feel much cleaner.

4. Xtra Milk travel spray: My favorite perfume somehow smells even better in the small spray bottle. A sniff of home, no matter where I was!

5. Liquid Peptide Serum: You know how airplanes dry your skin out horribly? When you go out of town, does your skin do a flip? I do not know how this magic potion works, but I slather it on my face before bed, and I glow brightly the next day. I have bought two bottles and am loyal to this product. Really helpful for my dry skin, and one of the only times I’ve tried skincare and noticed a difference immediately.

6. Tinted Sunscreen: I wear this as foundation year-round, but am especially thankful for the SPF in the summer. Applies light and glowy, and a perfect tube for throwing in a beach bag.

7. Walkable Ballet Flats: I will get excited about any interchangeable laces, but particularly these white shoes have walked me across the world this summer. They are also machine washable! So all the travel grime will be gone.

8. International hair tool: Okay, this is my GAME CHANGER. Two years ago, I went to Korea and had no idea my curling iron has no power there. Even if you have the plug adapter, the voltage is not compatible. I had a full-on hair crisis last time, so this time I came prepared. This T3 set is made for international travel. It will not let you down, no matter if you are visiting Asia or Europe or anywhere with a different voltage than your home. Incredible tools! I was able to give myself a blow-out look. And the set comes in a convenient leather bag for packing in the suitcase!

9. The best little earrings for everything: Your vacation only needs one pair of earrings, and it’s these lightweight gold hoops with a little bling at the bottom. They go with everything and feel like you are wearing nothing.

10. Denim bucket hat: If you, like me, want to look a little like a skipper, then you are in luck! I love this hat because it feels like summer. I wore it everywhere this July. (It withstood my lake water test.)

---

JOY-SCROLLING:

---

🐚 Read more thoughtfully created articles here

🪄 Shop all my favorite things

🍒 Let’s be internet friends, please! @ jennaisfeeling

🪄 Get more inspiration

Working with brands and businesses helps me make this magazine dream come true! If I do work directly with a brand, I am very picky about it, and I disclose the partnership to you, my readers. A few of the links I included in this article are from ShopMy, which gives a small payment if someone buys a product from a recommendation. This helps fund future creative projects for this publication — thank you!

P.S. Telling my Substack friends before anyone else…new secret Instagram for the upcoming greeting card business is here. I would love to have you join the journey and see some familiar names!