Savor Your Solstice

The summer solstice—aka the longest day of the year—has arrived, and we at Toad are ready. More sun equals more outdoor awesomeness, longer days chillin’ in the garden, and of course, more burgers and dogs (veggie or otherwise) on the grill. 

Here are some recs to help you soak up as much of that sweet, sweet bonus sun as possible. 

Have five extra minutes of sun in the morning?

Pull out the yoga mat and do some Sun Salutations to welcome the day. Also known as Surya Namaskars, these 12 poses flow together to stretch your whole body and open the heart, shoulders and chest. Not bad for before coffee. 

Have five extra minutes of sun in the evening?

Use those five bonus evening minutes to grab a pen and notebook and write down what you’re grateful for. Don’t stress over style or making your grammar perfect—this is just for you, so let whatever comes to mind pour on to the page. At the end of five minutes, reflect on what you wrote. Life’s pretty great, right?  

Have an extra 30 minutes of sun to spare?

We live in a culture that’s always hustling. So today, rather than racing through your chores as quickly as possible, try slowing it way down. Got errands to run? Take the scenic route. Cooking dinner? Skip the pre-made stuff and do it from scratch. With everything we have going on, kicking it back into low gear is a great way to  remember that there’s joy to be found in everyday tasks.

Have an extra hour of sun?

An extra hour of the day is basically a gift from the gods, and who wants to waste that? Take this time to do that one thing you always say you’re going to do, but “never have time for.” Whether that’s finally checking out that park near your house or tuning up an old bike, today’s the day. 

Ready to catch that late sunset? 

With the sun out into the night, now’s the perfect time to host a backyard shindig. Start up the grill, grab some cold ones, fill up a kiddy pool if you’ve got one. (And then recycle that water for your plants.) Have your friends and fam over for BBQ and beer, soak in the sun’s rays and chill ‘til late. Why not? It’s summer. 

Have the whole day free? Lucky you.

Lucky you. Try this Toad-tested sun-up to sun-down Solstice itinerary.