8 Things to Do Before Summer Ends

Thinking about the tomato selection at our grocery store in January is reason enough to stop what we're doing and go out right now to buy more tomatoes than we think we can use. They're at their peak almost all over the country in August, delicious on their own or in tarts or BLTs. Summer squash and melon are also hitting their prime time, and this interactive map will show you what else is fresh in your state this month (but bookmark it for all seasons).

Average ocean water temperatures are highest in August, most notably in the northern Atlantic and Pacific, where frigid readings often keep people on the beach. The water in Bar Harbor, Maine, is as warm as it's going to be all year—as high as a balmy 63—this month. The same goes for Astoria, Oregon, where temps could reach 68. And Lake Superior—the largest, deepest and coldest of the Great Lakes, where the average water temperature in summer is 40 degrees—has climbed all the way to 68 in certain areas this month.

The often cooler nights of August mean sleeping is a lot more comfortable, eating supper outside is actually pleasant and—most appealing to dessert lovers—you can turn on your oven again without feeling like you'll melt. Try one of these beginner-friendly pies; every single one of them is a winner, from the peach-and-vanilla puff pastry to a perfectly sized hand pie. And have an extra slice—bathing suit season's almost over.

We all want to capture our summer selves' sun-kissed shoulders and glowy look on camera, but sometimes light from a flash gives off a flat-lighting look, as we read in this helpful article on seven ways to take better seaside pictures. The remedy is easy enough: Just apply sunscreen. Its oiliness helps bring out highlights that give an image more definition. Getting your skin wet will give you the same effect.

Chilling Beaujolais nouveau, Beaujolais-Villages, Pinot Noir and other lighter red wines over ice for a few minutes before drinking them makes them deliciously refreshing on a late-summer evening. Or, let one bottle of chilled wine go a long way and make sangria; here are six new takes on the classic.

Philadelphia-based DJ Diamond Kuts says it's important to choose music that makes you feel good, but jerky stops and starts between songs with different tempos can make you look like an amateur. To premix tunes before the party, we like the iDJ app ($1.99). As you create your playlist, this application automatically matches the beats of different songs and adds transitions for a seamless flow of music that keeps everyone on the dance floor. Start with a line dance song, like "Electric Boogie" (better known as "The Electric Slide"), where everyone already knows the moves (or can easily follow along) to get your guests on their feet, says Kuts, who was just selected as one of Dove's Go Fresh DJs. If you've got a mixed crowd, stick to feel-good classics, she adds, like Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson. Or opt for her favorite summer anthem of 2011, "Last Friday Night," by Katy Perry. Want to call it a night, but the party is still raging? "Play two slow songs back to back," says Kuts. If that doesn't work, she relies on the no-fail announcement known by good DJs worldwide: "You don't have to go home, but you have to get the heck out of here!"

We see a different view of the home galaxy of the solar system (and Earth) each season of the year. The summer Milky Way is the brightest, though. Catch it before the nights become shorter and it's harder to appreciate it properly. Here's how to do it.

There are approximately 7,800 nerves in the human foot. Give them some love by walking barefoot, whether it's in the grass of your backyard, on a sandy beach or even down a muddy dirt road. Your bunions/hammertoes/calluses will thank you too. (And the next best thing to going without? Shoes that feel like you're barefoot.)