If your beauty routine involves more butter than blush, you're in the right place...
Summer is our favorite time of year. Tomatoes taste like sunshine, dresses and swimsuits come out to play, and dessert in a coupe glass tastes even better when you dine alfresco. What we're sharing with you today began last July, when my friend Mia and I explored the back roads of Sardinia, an island in a Blue Zone, which refers to a region where people live some of the longest, healthiest lives. And no, the locals aren't buying the most expensive salads and longevity serums, but instead, indulging in the true riches of nature.
When we weren’t walking around town or swimming through caves, we drove along pristine mountain roads in search of local cuisine. Despite a strong language barrier, an agriturismo host greeted us with pitchers of homemade wine beneath his hundred-year-old fig tree. Another host gave us the unfortunate news that the kitchen was closed for lunch, but went to his cow and returned with a jug of raw milk that was still slightly warm.
It’s important to note that the decadence of summer just so happens to be good for every part of you: your hormones, your skin, your energy, your mood. Summer just naturally encourages the kind of thriving that happens when you’re indulging in the simple riches around you. And you don’t need to wait for vacation as an excuse to experience your ideal summer. You’re already spending energy making meals, pouring drinks, and socializing with friends, so why not take a few minutes to incorporate these simple and intentional swaps to make summer as good as any possible vacation? This is your blueprint for a golden summer.
Closet Essentials
Natural fibers are especially important in the summer. You’re perspiring. Your pores are open and your skin absorbs everything. Synthetic fabrics itch, and the microplastics they shed can enter your skin and lungs, quietly disrupting your hormones, almost like an uninvited form of birth control. This is why we choose cotton, linen and wool, especially in summer heat. Here are some great options for your closet:
Crisp linen and cotton sundresses: white, cream, and floral patterns are perfect for summer.
Tennis skirts and tank tops: activewear is a tough category but as a bare minimum, make sure to at least have natural fibers touching the skin.
MASA Swim: the only 100% cotton swimwear you’ll find with a great fit (use MIASWIM at checkout for a discount)
Soft-knitted sweaters: essential for cool evenings, just check the label and avoid acrylic or polyester blends.
Linen or silk pants: the best for a light summer feel and look.
A quality French basket market bag: perfect investment to protect your valuable market finds.
Ancient Summer Beauty Secrets
Linen soaked towels: Empress Sisi of Austria would soak linen face towels in crushed cucumber and strawberry juice, and place it over her face like a sheet mask. Freeze some strawberry and cucumber soaked face towels and lay back whenever you want to cool down and have a nice mask, without any effort or cleanup.
FAUNA skin (coming soon): For medicinal (makeup) face powder and lip gloss. Just like soda and candy, makeup used to be medicinal. The crushed pearl face powder and grass fed lanolin tinted lip gloss are so clean, you could virtually eat them. All Fauna formulas are inspired by ancient beauty secrets, Ayurveda, and Traditional Chinese medicine. You’re literally getting a beauty treatment while wearing them.
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) hair and face mask: naturally has an SPF of 8, found to potentially reverse sun damage and deeply moisturizes your hair and skin.
EVOO shot every day: Taking a shot first thing in the morning sun helps bloating and digestion to make you beach ready while fighting any inflammation in the body. Add a little citrus juice, crushed mint, pinch of salt and hibiscus flower to make it even better.
Floral ice cubes: Add spring water, dried hibiscus flowers, blue butterfly pea and chamomile to add color and minerals to your hydration.
Rose or neroli hydrosol: Spray on your hair or face for a light natural scent and topical hydration.
DIY solid perfume in a vintage small tin: Melt a tablespoon of beeswax and a tablespoon of EVOO together in a double boiler over low heat. Remove from heat and add in your chosen natural scents. Let cool completely and add it to your beach bag.
Rosewater and aloe vera ice cubes for your face: tightens and hydrates the skin while soothing sunburns and evening skin tone.
What's in Our Beach Bag
A paperback book: some of our favorites include The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, Slim Aarons: Women, The Circadian Code, The Untold Story of Milk, and Beauty is Bone Deep.
Coconut oil or EVOO: turns into a hot oil treatment that protects your hair and skin from salt water, with a natural SPF of 8. Plus, if you apply before entering a chlorinated pool, it helps block chlorine from being absorbed.
Fresh juices for hydration: you can always add juice or fruit slices to water to make your own flavored water. Always choose a glass bottle, especially for the beach.
Natural fiber hats: wear your sun protection especially for sensitive places like your face. Plus, a hat elevates any outfit.
Silk sarong or linen coverup: for modesty and comfort, or if you decide to stop somewhere while out all day.
Sourdough baguette sandwich or a crustless quiche: always plan ahead with food.
A cotton blanket and towel: never a bad idea especially since most public towels are bleached and washed in toxic detergents.
A glass bottle of spring water: glass or stainless steel over plastic, especially on hot days to minimize toxic exposure and improve the aesthetic.
Kitchen Essentials
Keeping your kitchen stocked with the following ingredients will allow you to whip up quick, nourishing and seasonal summer meals (bonus: bring as many meals as you can outside!)
Sourdough pasta (Bionaturae has a great one)
Raw local unfiltered honey
MASA chips and organic salsa
Whole grain Kamut or Emmer flour (fresh-milled if you can)
Raw milk, cream, butter
Loose leaf herbs for medicinal iced teas (hibiscus, rose, jasmine, nettle, dandelion)
Tallow fried potato chips like Vandy crisps (yes, addictive yet still ancestral-coded) with a dip of your choice
Grass-fed and pasture-raised meats from local farms
High quality EVOO for drizzling on every meal
Seasonal fruits (you can also go pick at an organic farm and have frozen jams and berries for winter)
Medicinal soda syrups and sparkling waters (sodas used to be medicinal and were only sold at pharmacies)
Kola nut syrup for Coca Cola, which improves digestion
Sarsaparilla for root beer, known for easing pain and inflammation
Tip: Always have last minute hosting essentials stocked. Whether you’re inviting guests over at the last minute or running out the door on an adventure, we recommend having a jar of nice olives, raw milk cheeses, a bottle of raw wine, chips + dip, nice loose leaf teas (preferably already iced in your glass cold brew maker), organic coffee (freshly ground if possible), and ice cream on hand. If you’re wondering what to make, Valerie shares seasonal, nutrient-dense weekly meal plans every Sunday on Substack, with a deep dive into ingredients, pairings, and preparation! You can explore all of her pieces at valerieribon.substack.com.
(This is a great collagen-rich bone broth recipe that she shared recently)
Shop the Farmer's Market Like a Pro
If you don't shop with intention, you can easily find yourself lost in the farmer's market. Here are some essential seasonal ingredients to build every meal around that are worth getting:
Grass-fed burrata and fresh mozzarella
Heirloom tomatoes
Freshly harvested garlic (you can start making garlic honey for the winter!)
Summer squash (like zucchini)
Crisp cucumbers
Wild blueberries, strawberries, black cherries in early summer
Juicy ripe peaches and melons in late summer
Dandelion, nettle, mint, and basil
Foraged greens and edible flowers
Grass-fed beef or lamb
Raw honey
Home Essentials
Create a home that feels like a wellness retreat, where everything is intentional and nothing is toxic.
Thick wooden cutting boards: superior to plastic cutting boards. Larchwood ones are a piece of art!
Mason jars and artisanal mugs: for your morning lattes and iced teas.
Martini and wine glasses: night time drinks (raw wine, mocktails, juices with a drizzle of EVOO).
Glass, ceramic, or stainless steel storage: last forever and don’t release toxins into your food.
Terracotta pots: growing herbs (basil, mint and rosemary are the most useful).
Abundance on display: fresh kombucha brewing, fruit displayed in big ceramic bowls, pitchers of iced tea or lemonade in the fridge.
Glass cold brew makers: make the best medicinal iced teas.
Ice cream maker: our go-to recipe for decadent ice cream is a raw milk with cream, egg yolk, a fruit jam, and stracciatella chocolate.
Flour mill: milling your own flour truly takes your health and pastries to the next level.
Sunset lamps and red light bulbs: put them on timers to shift the lighting as the day ends.
Fresh flowers: hydrangeas, wildflowers, or whatever’s in season.
Clean, crisp linen tablecloths: rotate them daily if you can.
Pretty plate collection: use them for everyday meals, not just special occasions.
Living beautifully is a choice. Even the smallest upgrade—making your coffee at home and taking it to go in a mason jar, eating everyday meals with beautiful plates, lighting a beeswax candle with dinner every evening—changes the energy of your day.
How We Elevate the Everyday
These are the underrated rituals and habits that make summer feel like summer.
Favorite Morning Rituals
Wake up early (watch the sunrise if you can).
Gelatin latte with raw milk and honey.
Sauna or journal in the morning sun.
Stretching barefoot on the grass.
Ripe fruit at breakfast—peaches, figs, strawberries.
Spritz rosewater on your face.
Open all the blinds and windows.
Play soft music.
Favorite Evening Rituals
Eat dinner by candlelight: it’s not only beautiful, it has major health benefits.
After dinner walks under the moonlight: according to Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda, moon gazing increases fertility, lowers stress and the walking helps digestion.
Watch vintage movies with red light glasses.
Play board games more often.
Ice cream or a chilled juice in a coupe glass, with a drizzle of EVOO.
Firepits. As many firepits as possible.
Grilling—every dinner that you can. There’s no easier time to eat real foods than summer—you just throw on your protein and some veggies, sea salt, and the perfect dinner comes together in 10 minutes.
Elevate Your Weekend
Read a paperback book or journal under a tree.
Find live music outdoor concerts in your area.
Forage for wild herbs (most places have classes!).
Make jam from local fruit, and perhaps a loaf of sourdough or raw butter to go with it.
Pick and freeze summer berries for the winter.
Sew your own linen tablecloth—or pick 1 new skill you’d love to learn this season.
Host a European-style lunch or dinner with raw wine and homemade sourdough galettes.
Make a big batch of fresh squeezed mint lemonade.
Make ice cream! It’s literally raw milk, cream, egg yolks, and cane sugar or raw honey—pure metabolic fuel.
Swim in rivers, lakes, creeks—water’s conductivity supercharges grounding, while your skin soaks up magnesium and minerals that naturally restore and relax you.
Picnic with a group of friends—raw cheese, fresh lemonade, and a sourdough baguette is all you need.
Host a barbecue—nothing nourishes your body, mind, and soul quite like a barbecue with your favorite people. Stock up on fresh lemonade, iced tea, sourdough buns, grass fed meats, chips, salsa, raw wine, and board games.
Hobbies With Benefits
Wind instruments—playing the flute or clarinet— gives you the same benefits as breathwork.
Scrapbooking—bringing back physical photo albums as an heirloom is so rewarding.
Freshly milling flour—some bread experts say freshly milling is even more important than sourdough.
Baking sourdough bread and pastries—not only is it nourishing for your body, but manual repetitive tasks actually help regulate your nervous system.
Flower arranging—nothing makes a home feel like summer more than fresh flowers, linens, and open windows.
Soap making—add raw milk, organic herbs, flowers, and EVOO to your soaps in beautiful molds—the possibilities are endless.
Sewing with natural materials—learning how to make table cloths, curtains, and upgrade your items is a lost essential skill.
Foraging and foraging classes—an incredible way to connect with the earth around you, get sunshine, and ground.
Tapping birch trees—for hydrating, nutrient dense, birch water.
Creating herbal tea blends, tinctures, and infusions— or build a mini apothecary in your kitchen.
Writing letters—a great way to connect with older and extended family members.
Tips For Moms
If you’re a mom, it might seem nearly impossible to fill your summer days with all these tips. Here are some tips to help you embrace summer as well.
Bring a natural fiber baby carrier for naps or transportation on the go. Linen is best for hot summer days.
Bring an extra linen fabric (your shirt, Dad’s shirt, blanket, etc.) to cover your baby or stroller in the sun.
Bring your baby outside for your morning rituals and keep them in the shade during peak UV hours.
Buy an electric fan for those really hot outings.
Opt for shirts and skirts over dresses for easy breastfeeding.
Always make sure you have hydration and a snack when nursing.
Bring helpful friends on outings to help with the baby.
Map out activities to include nap times, places to crawl around, use the bathroom and wash off, etc.
Invest in a steel stock tank or raised garden bed for a plastic-free baby pool. You can always repurpose it for later or even find one used online. These should be kept in the shade and padded. If you do decide to go for a plastic pool, opt for hard, thick plastic with no patterns over soft, thin plastic.
For long car rides, play different types of old, classical music for the baby. Older music is often less overstimulating and includes more calming frequencies for the baby’s nervous system.
Find natural rubber, wool, or wooden toys for the baby instead of plastic. Again, if you do use plastic toys choose hard, old school plastic over soft, flexible plastic.
Create Your Summer Vision Board
Create a Pinterest board of how you want your summer to feel—foods, outfits, experiences, home details, places. Turn it into a collage and make it your iPhone background. I love to do this every season.
This is the blueprint we’re living by this summer. Not as a checklist, but as an anchor. A way of living that feels ancestral, indulgent, grounded, and deeply alive.
If you want more seasonal living and beauty hacks on your feed, follow @valerieribon and @theoliveoilqueen on Instagram. Mia has just launched her Substack, so subscribe here for more pieces just like this.
Here’s to fruit on every plate, firepits, fresh lemonades, and the art of living well. What are you adding to yours?
Your blueprint for a golden summer was a labor of love crafted by Valerie Ribon and Mia. It was first published in Summer 2025 print of the WARKITCHEN. Get yourself a copy and start designing (and enacting) the kind of summer you’ll remember forever. This year, and every one after.
Here’s the unboxing experience, courtesy of Valerie.
Really regret coming across this article this late in summer
butter is the new blush