It’s that time of year when I feel that summer is slipping away. People around me are planning classes and curricula for fall. I feel like saying, “Noooooo! Let’s stay in summer forever!” I wish I could just stop the march of time, and bask forever in the heat, the green grass and trees, the colorful fruit that hangs from trees, and the abundant flowers blooming everywhere. I guess I was meant to live in the tropics! But I also like living close to extended family, so I won’t be moving to the tropics anytime soon.

So, here’s my tip for enjoying this last month and a half of summer. It won’t cost you any money and just a little bit of time. Go sit or lie in the sun and read a book. This will work whether you are home or on vacation. If you feel like you never had a proper vacation this summer, this will allow you to have a little, mini-vacation every day. Even just doing 5 minutes a day, either just sitting in a chair, with your bare feet on the grass, or lying on a beach towel or blanket, or in a hammock, will help you bottle up some sunshine for the upcoming winter. It will help you feel like you had a summer that totally refreshed and recharged you.

Want some ideas of books to read? Here goes:

–Enchanted April by Elizabeth Armin

–Baby Catcher: Chronicles of a Modern Midwife by Peggy St. Vincent

–Brainiac by Ken Jennings

–The Secret Life of Miss Mary Bennett by Katherine Cowley

and get more ideas from Sarah Mackenzie over here. Happy reading and summer-bottling!