As the days gradually grow shorter and back-to-school buzz grows louder, we’re continuing to ride the rollercoaster of 2021, while hoping for the best and focusing on the good. In many ways, summer is still going strong, thanks to events like free outdoor yoga classes happening every Thursday in Gas Works Park (hosted by local company Yerbana).

Here are a few event updates and product discoveries that have been making us smile:

Looking for an end-of-summer, nearby adventure? Try Crystal Sky Camp, an exclusive glamping retreat for groups and weddings (now open through September 31), which opened this July as a pop-up experience collaboration between Under Canvas and Crystal Mountain. The site is located at 6,000 feet, in the shadow of Mount Rainier within National Forest Service land. It’s nestled into Campbell Basin at the foot of Crystal’s legendary King, Queen and Throne peaks.

Some events are reentering the virtual world. Earlier this summer, the annual Cider Summit Seattle – the region’s largest hard cider tasting festival – had announced its return after a pandemic pause. Recently, however, they decided to be extra-cautious and prudent, canceling the live event. Cider fans can still get in on the action, thanks to three new to-go tasting kits; place orders by September 1 for pick-up in Seattle or delivery in Washington state.

The to-go kits will be accompanied by tasting notes and a guided virtual tasting. Starting September 7, an event guide is available for download with tasting notes for every selection. Many participating cidermakers are producing short videos, too, to guide participants through the tasting — available on the Cidercraft YouTube.

The inaugural DAY IN DAY OUT music festival is Saturday and Sunday during Labor Day Weekend, September 4-5, 2:00 – 10:00 pm, outdoors at the Fisher Green Pavilion in Seattle Center. Event headliners include Scottish synth pop trio CHVRCHES and Grammy-winning beatmaster KAYTRANADA, accompanied by BIG WILD, AMINÉ and six additional artists plus local DJs playing between sets. Get your tickets here.

We hate that wildfire smoke and poor air quality has increasingly become a reality for our Seattle summers, but we’re grateful to have learned about the Wynd Plus Personal Air Purifier with Sensor. The uber-portable, lightweight device is perfect to use at home or on the road, and can be easily charged in your car via USB. It has an 8-hour battery life, too.

“We drink filtered water, use non-allergenic detergents, and try to refrain from too much candy. But what about the air we breathe? This is what flashed through Ray Wu’s mind as he stepped off a plane in Beijing into a thick shroud of smog. He realized that he needed a device that could sense the air and clean it up as needed – wherever he went.”

Here’s a video featuring the company’s founder on Amazon Launchpad’s Innovators of the Year.

We were recently treated to some tasty samples of Ayurveda artisanal chocolate brand Elements Truffles’ Classic Collection. These raw and organic chocolates, made with fair-trade Ecuadorian cacao, can be found in six different flavors: Ginger with Black Pepper, Rose with Cardamom, Orange Quinoa with Turmeric, Peppermint with Lavender, Sea Salt with Turmeric and Raspberry with Beetroot. Each bar is handcrafted in micro-batches, and the beautiful packaging is almost as alluring as the chocolate itself!

We were also excited to try Get Supr’s instant, hemp-infused coffee. Founder Whitney Eckis recognized that coffee was providing her with energy while also increasing her anxiety and stress levels. After being diagnosed with a severe anxiety disorder, she discovered that, by adding water-soluble hemp extract into her coffee, she was able to enjoy her morning coffee while softening her anxiety’s presence. Learn more here.

On the topic of coffee, we enjoyed discovering that lifestyle brand Ecletticos works directly with artists on all their designs. We’re absolutely in love with this minimalist Topo Coffee and Tea Mug, made from eco-friendly material —and featuring a soothing aesthetic influenced by mountain ranges and rolling hills. An ergonomic handle make this kitchen addition perfect for daily use.

Keep those summer vibes going at Pioneer Square D & E, where the staff has decided to celebrate the final weeks of the season by partnering with Kiona Vineyards and Grosgrain Winery for Berger & Burger, a Monday-only pop-up before the final three baseball games. Reserve your dinner spot for remaining dates 8/30, 9/13 or 9/27.

The special pairing menu includes the sold-out, popular vintage of the Grosgrain 2020 Lemberger Pétillant Naturel. Highlights include the Kiona Lemberger, recommended with the D&E duck burger with shitake mushrooms and red wine demi-glace, or Grosgrain Pet-Nat, paired with an octopus burger with chimichurri aioli and pickled red onions. The tasting menu also features a selection of sides, complete with Lemberger sorbet for dessert.

More burger goodness is happening in Fremont, with Uneeda Burger having announced earlier this summer that it’s fully reopened and back to full capacity. (Since March 2020, the friendly eatery had been operating a take-out only model, with delivery and open-air seating added in April 2021). Today, Uneeda Chef Scott Staples and his staff are thrilled to welcome back beloved customers and community members, daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. There’s plenty of dine-in seating available, inside and on the patio; pick-up and delivery remain available, too.

Aside from the obvious burger options (try the signature Uneeda beef patty with red onion jam, bacon, Beecher’s cheddar and house sauce), fan favorites include: the Buddha Bowl ($15) that consists of kale, spring mix and romaine, tomato, apple, sweet potato, chili-lime pepitas, feta, miso-clementine vinaigrette and your choice of chicken or a veggie patty; the Seasonal Tempura ($4.50, fried mushrooms or green beans); and hand-dipped Shakes ($7) made with Snoqualmie gourmet ice cream (flavors include salted caramel, Oreo and huckleberry).

In homefront news, The Seattle Design Center announced it’s expanding again, even in the face of the pandemic, and Resource Furniture is the next addition to the PNW’s premiere design center. Resource Furniture, the leading provider of transforming, multi-purpose and space-maximizing furniture, is now open to the public by appointment. (Sources share that the decision to expand to Seattle is a complimentary nod to our city as a major design hub!)

This showroom features the most wall beds, for which the company is renowned, of any Resource Furniture showroom across the country, outside of its New York City flagship. Two new products on display in the Seattle showroom: Giro transforming table and the Flip-Down Desk Unit (which comes from Resource Furniture’s Turati collection of fully customizable storage solutions).

Put on those shades; summer’s not over just yet! Eco-conscious consumers will be excited to learn that otaaki™, a global eyewear company with operations here in Seattle, France and China, launched in the U.S. August 10. All otaaki frames are made from renewable or recycled materials, and the company “applies an ethical, sustainable and mindful approach to every aspect of the product from design, production and distribution.”

Designed in otaaki’s Parisian studio, all sunglasses, readers and blue-light collections are affordable, gender-neutral and reflect each customer’s unique personalities. In addition, otaaki’s brand motto #SEEINSIDE, reflects otaaki’s core belief that all customers, employees and neighbors “are to be seen and appreciated for who they are inside.”

And while we’re certainly still savoring this season, we have to admit we’ve started to get a wee bit excited about the next one (with definite hints of fall lingering in the air this week).

We’ve always been a huge fan of MyChelle Dermaceuticals clean skincare offerings, and we were thrilled to discover that Pharmaca, with several locations here in Seattle, carries many of their products. Our latest discovery? The company’s Pumpkin Renew Cream; since pumpkin is packed with fruit enzymes and alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), the product helps increase cell turnover to promote brighter, smoother skin. It also contains antioxidants like Vitamin A and Vitamin C that soften and sooth skin, while boosting collagen production to prevent signs of aging.

Here’s to soaking in the final weeks of summer, while looking forward to what’s to come!