make-believe: the living is easy.

Our kids’ last day of school isn’t officially until next week, but we’ve had a week of celebrating in anticipation of the eventual summertime freedom and school has been slowly grinding to a halt. Days have been filled with trips to the park and bubble blowing and end-of-year concerts (not to mention copious amounts of artwork getting sent home). In anticipation of a different pace, here’s a make-believe summer day, all lounging and reading and passing the time with nary a care in the world.

To wear, a coverup fit for a goddess.

To swim in, a bathing suit in one of three earthy shades (and made from recycled material).

To stay fresh, a new new natural deodorant (with refills).

For beachside walks, water-friendly sandals.

For loafing about, a bamboo folding chair. (No one ever said make-believe has to be practical.)

To read, Beauty & Being + an accompanying field guide.

For smelling sweet and salty at the same time: moon snail.

For a little something fancy, earrings.

For a little something nourishing, brilliance protection.

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In an effort to ground all of this make-believing in something a bit more down to earth, other places to direct our attention:

To keep kids free: Vote for Project NIA. The folks at ThinkSo are holding their annual Give a Brand! contest, which awards one underfunded nonprofit the opportunity for a pro bono rebrand. Project NIA is a Chicago-based nonprofit with a mission to “dramatically reduce the reliance on arrest, detention, and incarceration for addressing youth crime and violence.” Instead, it “offers a new way of thinking about crime and violence” by using principles of participatory community justice, also known as restorative or transformative justice. (You can vote for them daily until June 28.) Related: If you haven’t seen it already, do not miss Ava DuVernay’s Netflix mini-series about the Central Park Five, When They See Us. The film follows the wrongful conviction, imprisonment, and eventual exoneration of five teenagers from Harlem. Watching it is devastating, difficult, and necessary. More on the series and an interview with Ava DuVernay on Democracy Now.

To better grapple with the legacy of slavery in this country: Celebrate Juneteenth today, June 19. The holiday commemorates and acknowledges the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States. Here’s why Juneteenth should be a national holiday (also). Related: “We want a society that centers freedom and justice instead of profit and punishment.”

To help halt deportation, support the United We Dream Notifica app, a smartphone app that helps folks who are at risk of being detained by deportation agents to “plan, learn and act.” Donate here. If you see deportation agents or someone at risk, report it to the MigraWatch Hotline at 1-844-363-1423.

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