Ride your bike (mine is a bright yellow cruiser) to the park, string up a hammock between two trees, and settle in with a book. I currently have a stack I’m “reading,” but my go-to for hammock time is Gathering Moss by Robin Wall Kimmerer. It’s a poetic exploration of moss that reminds you how slowing down and noticing small, overlooked life can deepen your connection to nature and how you move through the world. Highly recommend.

Speaking of moss, this is my next recommendation. I own a moss loupe (I know, ultra nerd alert), which is a small magnifier used by bryologists (moss experts). I like to bring my Compass 360 stool into the forest and disappear into the tiny world of moss.
As a kid, I loved laying on moss. The feel, the smell, the softness. As an adult, I’ve come to appreciate how incredible it really is. Mosses are over 400 million years old. They are some of the very first plants to live on land.
And my favorite part? Moss is home to tardigrades, also known as water bears. These microscopic, eight-legged creatures look like chubby little bears with claws, and they are nearly indestructible. In 2007, scientists sent them into space and exposed them to vacuum and radiation, and they survived. Casual.

And what nerd doesn’t love this one, bird watching. My husband Zak and I have fully leaned in. We’ve set up five bird feeders in our yard and spend time outside in our Caddis chairs, or stretched out on an adventure sheet, identifying birds with the Merlin Bird ID app. It is basically Shazam for birds.
You would be amazed at how many species show up right in your own backyard. It turns ordinary time outside into something much more magical.