Preparing for Summer 2021: COVID-19

Caroline KnightlyLifestyle, Summer in the City

As we approach the summer season, we are all itching to get out of our shoebox apartments and out on the town. With the vaccine being distributed at a rapid pace, every generation is ready to get back to their normal way of life. From limited visitors in a nursing home to entering a bar without a mask, we’re on our way to normalcy. As the warmer weather approaches, a rooftop bar sounds ideal, but we’ve all been deprived of mingling and standing up at a bar…something that is so simple, something we took for granted pre-COVID. In the past year, going into a grocery store to pick up one thing has become an event. You must remember to sanitize as you enter, wear your mask and stop initially to get your temperature taken. An errand that should take 30 seconds turns into a five minute adventure, not to mention if it’s at full-capacity, have fun waiting in line!

Young woman walking along the beach

Friday Night Lights

Where’s the first place you’re going Friday night once COVID is over? So many options, so many ideas for girls-night out or that first-date from the guy you met on Hinge…Imagine you and your girlfriends going out with no mask, no mini hand sanitizer on call and not being stopped to get your temperature taken. It’s the little things in life that we took for granted before COVID came and ruined our social lives. Whether you’re in the Big Apple or in the suburbs of your hometown, go out and spend that paycheck that you’ve been saving. And just imagine, no more mascne…the pimples around your chin will disappear along with the mask mandate. Enjoy the oyster bar at Grand Banks along the Hudson River, or sit down with an ice-cold beer in a crappy, over-priced plastic cup at Yankee Stadium. Whatever it is, you deserve it.

Beach Bar layout

Hamptons Check

It’s that time of year again…Hamptons time! Whether you’re on a budget or looking to have a weekend full of financial regrets, time to soak up the sun with the girls. Hop on the train or jump in the car with the roof down, it’s time to put your feet up. As you make your way into Ditch Plains, stop by the Surf Lodge for that cocktail you’ve been craving all week, maybe a shot or two if it’s been a rough week at work. After that, hit the boutiques and swipe that AMEX like you’re still on your parents payroll. If it’s raining, use that as an excuse to have that birthday party inside that you missed in 2020. With basically all of us being vaccinated, it calls for a little celebration. Stay safe, of course, but let’s make up for all those lost get-togethers that 2020 took away from us.

Montauk beach with beach bike

Jersey Girl

We can all agree that there really isn’t anything quite like the Jersey Shore, whether you’re familiar with it or not. You can let out your inner Snooki, or go enjoy a nice boat ride along the bay with family, there’s always something to do. Lounge on the beach and stare at the hot lifeguards or gather your friends for a nightly booze cruise. From the Sea Shell Bar in Long Beach Island to Parker House in Sea Girt, there’s never a shortage of fun along the coast. If a hurricane decides to join you for the weekend, don’t worry, it’s just as entertaining. Watch the waves reach a height you didn’t think was humanly possible, yet Mother Nature decided to blow your mind. The sand will fly through the wind like sharp tacks as the lightening strikes right in front of your eyes. It’s an experience like no other.

Jersey Shore coast at sunset

Prep Time!

A good tan can never look bad on anyone, boy or girl. If you’re feeling risky, get a weekly pass for your local tanning salon, of course, apply lotion before. Instead, you can purchase St. Tropez or Jergens and prepare your skin so you can strut in that new denim skirt or the cheeky bikini you bought. A thin layer goes a long way. Cozy up at night and watch your skin glow overnight into the next morning. Right before Memorial Day Weekend or July Fourth, you’ll be ready to go. A nice subtle color on the beach will have heads turning, and of course will be the most natural looking tan there is! Once you get that nice base layer in the beginning of the season, you won’t have to rely on your lotion anymore….soak up the Vitamin D!

woman sunbathing

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