At partager la joie, June is the time of year that tops our list. It’s the height of la belle saison, when we cherish the sweet, simple splendors of this golden season—sunshine, beautiful blooms, local produce, time in nature and celebrations with family and friends. There is just something about June and the start of summer that brings out our inner glow. We think it has something to do with fresh strawberries, peonies, picnics, lavender, a change of pace, longer days, later sunsets, and so much joy!

Picture-Perfect June Days

We’ve been thinking about what it is that makes a “perfect” day. Of course, this is different for everyone—certainly the sunny, temperate weather plays a part— but we’ve found that what makes one day better than another for us is the ability to find balance. To be productive, yet feel relaxed. To spend time with people we love and also have time to take good care of ourselves. To have meaningful conversations, feel fulfilled with what we’re doing in life, and to take the time to be present in the moments we enjoy.  At plj we think it's important to strive for our “perfect days”—and remember that it may be all about finding well-being right where we are. 

A Fresh Perspective

As you know, we like to focus on the impact of making small, positive, sustainable changes to enhance our lifestyle, our homes, and ourselves. Learning, new experiences, and connection with others are all vital to our personal growth and longevity. Whether we’re visiting a new county or interested in starting a new endeavor, it's important to vary our daily routines—and the golden month of June inspires us to do just that. Make a bucket list for the summer (see last month’s blog for ideas). Having something to look forward to and making positive edits to our everyday life (healthy eating, exercise, good sleep routines, etc.) does wonders to foster fulfillment and to cultivate joy.

Father’s Day Fun

June 15th is time to celebrate our fathers, grandfathers and all the father figures we adore. Let them know how special they are and how much we appreciate the love, guidance, and support they have given to us. Take advantage of the season and plan something outdoors—a barbecue, a day at the beach, a few hours playing his favorite sport or taking a family hike. Remember, it’s more about the time spent together than about the particulars of the activity.

Summer Solstice 

Mark the longest day of the year on June 20th with a garden or beach-inspired gathering. This can be as simple as Aperol Spritzes and a grazing snack board or a themed dinner showcasing the fresh market produce of la belle saison. Try our Caprese Pasta Salad or Garden Herb Pasta along with your grilled favorites, or a family-style seafood paella or our Oven-Roasted Shrimp Boil for a larger group. See our Summer Apéro section below for more ideas and shop our new home finds for styling your outdoor table.

Looking for curated inspiration for hosting your summer gatherings? Get in touch here and schedule an Inspiration Workshop with us. 

Elevate Your Everyday

Summer Apéros 

With so many special occasions—birthdays, anniversaries, graduations—June is the perfect month to host outdoor gatherings. Even the simple pleasure of a June day or evening is enough of an occasion. We have fallen in love with the French tradition of a pre-meal apéritif, or apéro—the epitome of casual relaxation made festive by sharing a glass and a few nibbles. The weather is temperate, nature is blooming, and gathering to celebrate and relax is the most appealing thing imaginable. Simple, carefree get-togethers are what summer is all about… would you agree? 

Now that your outdoor spaces are summer-ready, let’s talk about some ways to make seasonal entertaining joyful. To start, arrange beautiful flowers for your table and serving areas. Set a help-yourself bar with your favorite spirits, wine, and bubbles. We’ve been doing a lot with specialty ice cubes lately—rosé cubes and various frozen seasonal fruits and edible flowers are making a splash in our cocktails and mocktails this season. Prepare fruits for garnish, a few bottles of fresh juices, sparkling water, and mixers of choice. Don’t forget the nibbles: olives, mixed nuts, assorted cheese, summer fruits, crudités, crackers and chips, baguette, various spreads like our homemade hummus, tapenade, or herbed butter and charcuterie… These are all part of a classic French apéro. If you’re planning a dinner, we’ve got plenty of inspiration in our Epicure section, from homemade pizza to our barbecue favorites. Visit epicure here 

Summer Travel Spotlight: Biarritz, France

What we like most about traveling around Europe is the ease of the public transportation system. Once you arrive, there are so many ways to get to your next adventure, with numerous flights and trains available. As you may know if you’ve been following us for a while, we’ve spent quite a bit of time in France since last summer and we just love it. One highlight was our recent visit to Biarritz, a simply charming seaside community in southwestern France along the Basque coast. Famous for its surfing competitions and popular summer residents, Biarritz boasts delicious sea inspired cuisine, beautiful cobblestone streets, local markets, lovely shops, and exquisite sweeping coastal views. We were delighted to discover this region of France, just four hours from Paris by high-speed train. We stayed at the historical Hotel du Palais perched on a cliff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean… reminiscent of our familiar New England coastline, but with French splendor. Sun-filled days walking along the coastline, lingering at a cafe, sunset apéros, shopping in the open-air markets and enjoying the best of Basque cuisine with loved ones made this destination so memorable for us. 

Find a Summer Glow

We’re all busy juggling many responsibilities on any given day so we like to plan out even a very flexible itinerary for the summer months. This helps us prevent time from getting away from us (does “Where did the summer go!” sound familiar?) Here are a few ways we like to approach summer planning at plj.  

If you have young children, plan some time when they have structured but creative summer activities with playgroups, educational activities, summer camps, sports, or art lessons. If you have teenagers at home, talk to them about how they envision spending their summer days—travel, volunteer work, a summer job, sports, leisure and enrichment activities, and so on. Remember, the idea is not to schedule all their time. Keep activities and commitments flexible—after all, it's summertime, and many young people have had a busy, challenging school year and will need the space to rest, to do nothing, to just let themselves be. However, a loose sense of structure and purpose actually helps most children relax (and you too!), so it’s helpful to get their input and organize some activities with and/or for your child. 

Whether you have travel plans or are staying close to home this season, plan some summertime gatherings with family and friends. Weekend plans, afternoon picnics, patio dinners, sailing, beach days—no matter how your family likes to enjoy time together, be sure to make these moments happen. And don’t forget to schedule in a little time for yourself! Summer is the perfect time to enjoy a beach read, savor the sunset, or enjoy time in your garden. Finding the right balance between spontaneity and the stability a schedule can provide will put you and your family on track for a healthy, fulfilling, and joyful summer. 

Nurture Through Nature

What is it about getting out into nature that makes us feel so good? Make it a part of your daily ritual and you’ll find you’re living more fully. Every morning we like to open up our living space and let in the fresh air. Gardening, a hike in the woods, a walk on the beach especially in the early morning or evening… by creating time for more leisure activities outdoors during our day we are able to ground ourselves and facilitate those mindful moments we’re always talking about. 

Strawberries 101

We can’t get enough fresh, local strawberries in June! Plan a market day or schedule an excursion to a pick-your-own strawberry farm and let these sweet-ripe berries inspire you. This month is a great opportunity to learn something new and make strawberry jam or our easy to make strawberry ice cream. We’ve highlighted some of our favorite strawberry recipes in our epicure. You can serve them with cream on our Belgian waffles, as warm sauce over vanilla ice cream, swirled into a breakfast in a parfait with Greek yogurt, or in a classic strawberry shortcake. From sorbet to salads, we like to savor these little gems while they last. Follow along on IG for our latest strawberry recipe inspiration!

Here are our favorite methods for cleaning fresh strawberries, followed by freezing tips (source: tasteofhome.com). It’s best to wash strawberries right before you are ready to use them, and freezing is our preferred method to preserve their bright bounty for enjoyment all year round. Whichever washing method you use, don’t soak the berries. They’ll absorb too much water, which will affect the texture and flavor. A quick rinse is all they need.

• Cleaning Strawberries with Water

Washing strawberries with tap water is the easiest and most effective way to rid them of bacteria and residue from packaging and processing. First, wash your hands for 20 seconds with soap and water (always start with clean hands). Then, either holding them or placing them in a colander, rinse the strawberries under running water, rubbing gently as you rinse. Dry on a clean paper towel.

• Cleaning Strawberries with Salt

Even if they look clean and ready to eat, little critters might be hiding in and enjoying your basket of berries. Who can blame them? Soaking strawberries (and other fresh berries) in a salt-water bath can draw out bugs and other contaminants. Fill a bowl with about two cups of warm water and two tablespoons of salt. Let the salt dissolve and the water cool, then add the berries. Allow them to soak for about five minutes, but no more. Rinse under running water and pat dry.

• Cleaning Strawberries with Vinegar

If you get your produce from the farmer’s market, you might notice a little extra dirt on your strawberries. According to the CDC, a vinegar wash helps remove grime, spores, and bacteria and prevents the berries from getting mushy. Wash berries in a mixture of 1 cup of white vinegar and 3 cups of water. Then rinse your berries with clean water to remove any leftover vinegar. Pat dry with a clean paper towel. (Pro tip: a vinegar bath is also a great idea for lettuces, mesclun mixes, radishes, sweet baby carrots, snow peas, and any other market produce that you plan to eat unpeeled and raw, as crudités.)

• Freezing Strawberries

Choose berries that are dark red, firm, and fully ripe. Discard any moldy berries. After you’ve cleaned them with your preferred method above, use a sharp knife or hulling tool to remove the stems and caps. (Here’s how to hull those strawberries quickly!) If your strawberries have mushy spots, slice them off. Lay the strawberries out in a single layer on clean kitchen towels or paper towels and allow them to air dry. Strawberries can be frozen whole, sliced or crushed, and with or without sugar. For whole, unsweetened berries, first freeze the strawberries in a single layer on a baking sheet. This will keep them from getting stuck together. Once they’re solid, place the berries in airtight containers or freezer bags. To prevent freezer burn, remove as much air as possible by either completely filling the containers or gently pressing extra air out of the bags.

Summer Design Notes

June in Bloom

At partager la joie, June is the height of flower delight! Peonies are one of our favorites—with their array of pale colors, sweet soft fragrance, and elegantly overflowing clusters. While they last, capture these blooms and display them in your favorite vase, jar, or any other decorative container. Dahlias also take center stage this month, artfully arranged in a monochromatic bunch or a vibrantly hued bundle. Place small, lively bouquets of ranunculus in jars and line them down a table. Add them to your outdoor spaces to make their gentle elegance part of your morning café au lait or evening apéro. 

There are endless possibilities when it comes to styling summer flowers. Choose perennials, lavender, salvia, alliums, poppies, or whatever blooms are currently making their appearance in your garden or local farmer’s market to find your inspiration. Pro tip: potting summer cooking herbs is not only convenient but adds flavor and freshness to your favorite recipes.

Gather Around a Summer Table 

With plein-air dining in full swing, we like to elevate our outdoor spaces by adding lanterns with flameless candles, beautiful linens, and hints of woven and olive wood accessories to personalize our tablescape. We’ve sourced lovely new cotton table linens in beautiful patterns and solids (a cute new ruffle detail is making an appearance this month too) and added stylish new woven tableware, ideal for hosting at home, an impromptu picnic or to give as a special hostess gift.

Summer Style

We’ve stocked our go-to summer styles and incorporated a few new seasonal items to all of our collections: a classic recycled leather tote, travel sets and scarves, our previously sold-out white cotton gauze pants and shorts, a ruffled cotton top, and simple stripe beach/pool kimono are here. We’ve added new candles—Basil Mint and Lavender, along with a Coconut and Vetiver—to our home collection. And our go-to wellness favorites and sleep essentials are available in our wellness collection.

 Shop partagerlajoie.com 

Epicure

With Memorial Day weekend come and gone already, June means the summer barbecue and outdoor dining season is in full glory. At partager la joie we love a seasonal cooking transition! This month we’re making seafood paella and a mini clambake pouch. We’re tossing lots of veggie and grain salads and creating a picnic-style grilled board to celebrate Father’s Day. And of course, strawberries are our inspiration for many recipes this month—but you probably already guessed that :) Smoothies, homemade jam, a classic shortcake, creamy fruit sorbets and  fresh berry sheet pan ice cream are all on our summer agenda. Follow us on IG and visit our epicure to see what’s new. Be sure to let us know your summer favorites too—we love to hear from you!

June Menu Highlights

Strawberry Jam

Strawberry Shortcake

Blueberry Pancakes

Five-Ingredient Energy Bars

Belgian Waffles with Strawberries and Cream

Caprese Pasta Salad

Shrimp Ceviche

Burrata Board

Parmesan Chopped Salad

Sheet Pan Salmon Nicoise Salad

Skillet Spaghetti

Seafood Paella 

Flank Steak with Couscous, Mint,Feta and Corn

Strawberries & Cream Sorbet

Berry Cobbler

Strawberry Ice Cream

On Golden Time

It doesn’t seem possible, but June marks the middle of our year already... time certainly flies when we share the joy. Take a few moments to reflect on 2025 so far and on what you aspire to continue, change, or adjust going forward. Journaling is a good way to take stock, especially if you set some intentions at the beginning of the year. 

On this last stretch up to the solstice, no matter what your goals are and how you’d like to move forward through the year, be sure to enjoy the relaxed, carefree feeling that nature in bloom brings this summer. Be kind to yourself. Creating balance in life is about finding your inner glow and leaving room for personal growth too—it's a work in process. Remember, YOU are golden every day! Take a moment to appreciate the beauty around you—the people and places that matter the most. Cherish this time and look back with gratitude, for all you’ve accomplished—and to the many summer joys that still lie ahead💛