It’s no secret that this summer hasn’t gone exactly as we had planned [side note: let this be a lesson on making plans ;)] As July rolled into town, we were suddenly hit with a couple of family emergencies which had our weeks and weekends consumed with funerals, hospital stays and a lot of time rushing from here to there, all while our stress and emotional levels were off the charts. This was all a little opposite from the chill, beer in hand, floating in the pool “plans” that we had envisioned all summer long. As August approached, Shawn and I vowed to each other that we would try to “bring summer back” and allow ourselves a few chances to enjoy some of the outdoor summer activities that we hadn’t gotten a chance yet to do.

Insert summer. Being that we live on a river, we’ve got a backyard full of outdoor opportunities, yet, we can quickly take it all for granted. Example: we’ve had kayaks just hanging out on our patio for a solid three years yet take a guess at how many times we’ve taken them out [hint: it’s less than the number of years we’ve owned them]. We finally decided to dust off the ole kayaks, throw ’em in the water and take off for one last [aka first] summer hoorah. We went out first thing in the morning which is my absolute favorite time of the day to be on the water — it’s quiet, peaceful and you can envision all of the people slowly waking up, enjoying their cup of coffee [which quickly makes me crave a cup of coffee and question why I’m sweating my head off out on the water instead, but that’s neither here nor there]. It was a time to just be, enjoy the sounds of nature and conversation between each other.

Of course, when one is doing outdoor activities, one needs outdoor gear to go with it [I’m always up for an excuse to shop]. Thanks to Backcountry’s semi-annual sale [up to 50% off on clothing, gear and accessories, now through 8/31/18] I stocked up on a few items for Shawn and I. I am a HUGE Backcountry brand and can honestly say they are one of the best companies I’ve ever shopped with. Their customer service is out of this world, their incredibly fast shipping is A+ and their ginormous inventory of all of the brands I love [From The North Face, Patagonia, Sorel, Free People, etc] makes it a fun place to peruse the internet aisles of. Bonus: On top of their semi-annual sale, Backcountry is offering Living In Yellow readers 15% off w/code YELLOW15 on your first purchase [exclusions apply*]

For me, I picked up some new Patagonia wear, coordinating water bottle [gotta look cute on the water obviously ;)] and my beloved Maui Jim sunglasses. I only paddle as fast as good as I look [which is SLOW] but these pieces helped get those paddles going. Patagonia Fleur Tank Top [true to size] // The North Face Beyond The Wall Free Motion Bra [in love with this sports bra! true to size] // Patagonia Strider Short [size up if in between] // Olukai Ohana Sandal [true to size] // Maui Jim Ocean Polarized Sunglasses // Camelback Water Bottle

Shawn can’t get enough of these Under Armour Tees which are a great price and apparently quite comfortable [enough to flail those arms around while kayaking]. These shorts are also high on the must-have list for outdoor [or lounging] activities. Under Armour Threadborne Streaker T-Shirt [true to size] // Under Armour Raid 2.0 Short [true to size] // Reef Phantoms Flip Flop [true to size] // Ray-Ban Justin Sunglasses

I am so glad that collectively we are making a conscious effort to make the most of summer while it’s here, because shortly enough this river will be frozen over and we’ll be tucked away inside wishing we could get back out there. All we need sometimes is a quick reminder that these moments are passing [FAST] and if we aren’t doing anything to soak up these times, we’re going to look back someday and think “what did we do with that time when we had it!?” What are you doing to reclaim summer?

Don’t forget to take advantage of Backcountry’s HUGE semi-annual sale and use code YELLOW15 for 15% off your first purchase!*

*offer does not apply on top of any other offer or discount, exclusions apply, one-time use only!

Disclosure: Thank you to Backcountry and ShopStyle for partnering on today’s post.