Last summer, I stood in front of the mirror wearing a swimsuit I had bought three years earlier, which honestly felt two years too old for how I felt in it. My friend Femke just said straight out: "Anouk, you really need to get something new, you've been dragging that around all summer." She was right, I knew she was right, but I kept postponing it. That typically human trait of putting off things for yourself while still taking action for the rest of the world.
This year, I approached it differently. Early in the spring, I made a list of things I really wanted to renew or buy for my own well-being and appearance for the summer of 2026. No big luxuries, no excessive spending, just the things that make me feel better in my own skin. A good swimsuit. A few beautiful rings for every day. A way to stay active at home without committing to an expensive gym membership. And some small things for home that I had wanted for a long time. I’m sharing this here because maybe you recognize yourself in this.
A swimsuit that really fits, finally
I’ll be honest with you about how hard it is to find a good swimsuit if you don’t have a standard size. Or actually, if you just have a normal body with curves in places that don’t always match what the industry thinks a bikini or swimsuit should cover. Over the years, I’ve bought swimsuits that sagged after an hour of swimming, bikinis where the top kept occupying my mind all day because I had to constantly check if everything was still in place, and one that was so tight I got a headache if I wore it for more than thirty minutes. Am I exaggerating? Just ask Femke, she knows how much I’ve talked about it.
The 2 in 1 Women’s V-neck Swimsuit in black really surprised me. The V-neck is flattering without going too far, the fit is shaping in a pleasant way, and the fact that it’s fully lined makes a world of difference. No transparency when it gets wet, no uncomfortable feeling when you lie down in the sun. Black is simply unbeatable as a color for swimwear; it goes with everything and stays elegant without you having to think about it.
My mother is sixty, and last month she asked me what a good swimsuit style was because she’s going to Spain with her friends this year and wanted something that suits her well but is also comfortable all day. I showed her this one, and she was immediately enthusiastic about the style. For women of all ages, this is the kind of swimsuit that just works—it’s not too flashy, not too boring, and it does what it’s supposed to do. You wear it, you don’t think about it, you enjoy your summer holiday. That’s the goal.
Jewelry you can wear every day
I’m not someone who wears a lot of jewelry. For a long time, I only had a small gold necklace and that was it. But over the last two years, I’ve noticed I’ve started experimenting more with rings, maybe because my colleague Sofie always has such beautifully stacked rings on her fingers, and it looks different every day depending on what she’s wearing. I once asked her how she does those combinations, and she said: "Anouk, you just start with a good base and then stack on what fits your mood."
That advice really stuck. The 18K Gold Stacked Rings with Cubic Zirconia are exactly what Sofie meant by a good base. They’re timeless, elegant, and the cubic zirconia stones add just that little bit of sparkle without being over the top. The gold is warm and suits both light and dark skin tones, and the stacked design means you can wear several side by side or just pick one for a more understated look.
I wear them almost daily now, and I’ve discovered that jewelry really affects how you feel. Not in a mystical way, but just, when you put on a few beautiful rings in the morning, you start the day a little differently. More attention to yourself, more feeling of being put together even if you’re just going to the office or the supermarket. My neighbor Marianne said when she first saw them: "Have you had those long? They’re really beautiful." And that’s always proof that something works—when someone notices without you even mentioning it.
Moving at home without the gym feeling
I was a gym member for years. I really went regularly, two or three times a week, and I actually always enjoyed it. But after moving last year, the nearest gym is a fifteen-minute drive away, and that extra hurdle broke my routine. I noticed I found more and more reasons not to go. It’s raining. I’m tired. I’ll go tomorrow. Those kinds of stories you tell yourself while sitting on the couch.
The 14 in 1 Powerboard Black changed that for me. It might sound too good to be true, but the threshold to do something when it’s just in your living room is really much lower than when you first have to drive there. Ten minutes on this board before breakfast gives me a feeling of activity before the day has even started, and that sets a different tone than immediately diving behind your laptop.
What I like about the Powerboard is that it’s versatile. Fourteen functions mean you don’t get stuck in the same routine, which is important for me because I get bored quickly with exercises. I switch it up—sometimes more strength, sometimes balance, sometimes just some stretching while I watch something on my phone. It also just tucks away easily when I don’t need it; it’s not one of those devices that takes up the whole room. For people who want to move at home without a big investment in equipment, this is really a good start.
My cousin Lars, who has his own apartment with limited space, also got one on my recommendation, and he uses it every morning. He said: "It’s weird, but when I see it, I just grab it." That visibility helps; the threshold is zero when the stuff is just there and not somewhere in a sports bag under the bed.
The small things at home that make a difference
Self-care isn’t just the big stuff—the beautiful swimsuit, the jewelry, the exercise. It’s also in how you arrange your home environment and how that environment affects you. I’ve been much more conscious about this over the past year, partly because I’ve been working from home more and partly because I just noticed that a tidy, beautiful home environment really calms me down.
One of the things I changed is the lighting in my bedroom. For years, I only had that heavy fixed ceiling lamp as the sole light source, and it’s just not nice in the evening. Bright, direct, not very atmospheric. The 360 Wireless Rechargeable Wall Lamp in black is exactly what I was looking for: no hassle with wiring, you charge it and hang it wherever you want. I put it next to my reading corner, and the difference in atmosphere is immediate. You read better, you feel calmer, and you also go to bed differently when the lighting has been soft in the hours before.
My friend Femke was at my place when I just hung it up, and she said: "This is really different, that light." Exactly. The small detail that changes the room. That’s what I mean by the small things that make a difference. You don’t have to do a full renovation or hire an interior designer; sometimes it’s just that one lamp in the right place that sets the mood.
Drinking more water, but in a fun way
I know, this sounds like the most boring part of self-care. Drinking more water. Everyone knows it, almost no one does it consistently. Me neither, honestly. I drink a lot of coffee, too little water, and in the evening sometimes tea but often only after I’ve been up too long and it’s actually too late to keep up.
What helped me is simply having a beautiful jug on my desk. Sounds too simple, but it works. The 2-liter Glass Jug for hot and cold drinks sits on my workspace, and I fill it every morning. When it’s there, I almost always drink it empty by evening. When it’s not there, I drink half as much. The visual presence works as a reminder. And because it’s a glass jug that also looks nice, I like to keep it on my desk; it doesn’t have to go away in the kitchen when I’m done.
In the summer, I also fill it with cold water and some cucumber or lemon slices. That makes it a bit more appealing than just tap water, and you also meet that point everyone always talks about: drinking more water by making it tastier. My mother has been doing this for years, and she always says it helps her sleep better too. I believe it; there have been summers when I really noticed my sleep was worse and later realized I simply hadn’t had enough fluids during the day.
What self-care looks like for me in 2026
I don’t want to make a big story about self-love and routines and morning programs because that’s not my style and you can read that everywhere. But what I do want to say is that the small choices you make for yourself really add up. A swimsuit that fits well so you enjoy your vacation more. Rings that make you feel a little more beautiful every day. A way of moving that works for your life and your space. Lighting in your room that’s better for how you end the evening. Water on your desk so you drink without having to think about it.
Those aren’t big sacrifices and not expensive investments when you look at them one by one. But together, they make a difference in how you feel daily, and that’s actually exactly what self-care should be. Not something you do alongside your life, but something woven into how you live.
By the way, Femke asked me to send her the link after this piece. She wants to look for a new swimsuit too. We’ll probably go to the coast together for a few days at the end of July this year, and I like that she wants something new as well. Then we’ll both look good on the beach, in a relaxed way. That’s the goal for summer 2026. Not perfect, just good and nice.
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