How to Make This the BEST Summer Ever! (free download)
Tomorrow is the first day of summer and I am so excited! By the time you listen to this, I will be in upstate NY, vacationing with my family. While upstate NY might not be the first place you think of when you think summer vacation, unless of course you are a big Dirty Dancing fan such as myself. In which case, you are expecting it to be just like Kellerman’s, the Catskills resort from the movie. We are going to Cooperstown for my son’s baseball tournament so something tells me there won’t be a big dance finale at the end of the week...but hey, you never know!
Grab your free Summer Bucket List
It’s the first cross-country vacation we are taking as an extended family and I am so excited! I know that it’s going to be an incredible trip full of memories. I always tell Tyler that these kinds of trips are about making memories but that no one says they have to be happy memories. because lets face it, sometimes famiy trips are great and somethimes they are awful but so often when we look back even the worst moments can bring s smile. I’m thinking of a time I got carsick on my sister during a roadtrip to massachusetts. At the time, terrible awful moment but now, we can look back and laugh. At least I can - I htink Vicki might still be a bit traumatized.
I am so excited about this trip because summer is my favorite season and for me, nothing says summer like a plane ride across the country.
Growing up, my parents lived on opposite coasts and every year starting in the 4th grade, my sister and I would leave the heat and humidity of Queens NY and hop on a plane to Los Angeles the day after the last day of school (sometimes it was the day school ended or a couple of days depending on the airfare deals). We would spend the summer with our dad in Orange County, which is just about as different as can be from Queens. We ride our bikes barefoot around the neighborhood, go to the beach every Sunday and you could always find us at one of the community pools just about every day. I remember my hair would get so blonde from being outside and then it would turn green from being in the chlorine every day. So I was rocking rainbow hair before it was cool.
Summer was always about possibility and carefree days. My sister and I had a lot of freedom and when I thnk of summer, I think of lazy days, laying by the pool with my nose in a book. Of riding our bikes to the movies with the neighbor friends or running inside for money as soon as we heard the ice cream truck’s tune in the distance.
This summer is especially fun for me because, since I am coaching from home, I am in charge of my own schedule for the first time in a LONG time. It means slower mornings and taking time to meet friends for lunch. It means impromptu beach trips and finding my rhythm. It means a whole season of new possibilities.
Every year, usually between the last day of school and the first day of summer, I create a summer bucket list. It’s a list of things I LOVE doing in the summer (like going to the beach, or outdoor concerts, do-nothing days) as well as new things I want to try (like paddleboarding or making ice cream from scratch).
Writing out a bucket list is a great way to be intentional about your summer. So often we look up and the summer is halfway gone - especially true in California where school starts for us in August. My East Coast self still can’t wrap my brain around this, so I have my bucket list go from Memorial Day (right around when the kids get out of school) to the last day of summer. Sure, the kids are back in school by then but it’s still summer in my book. Hell, we sometimes get summer temps well into October...so I might just extend my summer bucket list timing to include Halooween.
I like to gather everyone together to brainstorm ideas and to see what activities resonate with everyone. I am trying to spend individual time with each of the kids this summer and this list is a great way to learn what each kid is interested in as well as what sorts of things we can do as a family.
I like to keep two lists - one for myself and one for the family. I save them in my phone so that I can access them easily when planning out the week. If it’s something big, that requires planning like a trip, I put that in the calendar right away so that I make sure we actually do it. I am also making BORED jar that will have some of the low-cost, no-planning activities in it for when one of those dreaded “I’m bored” moments arises.
For me, this summer is all about FUN. My main goal is to have more fun this summer. With that in mind, here’s the top 4 things on my list so far:
Makeover the backyard.
OK, Ok...I have been saying I was going to have a summer backyard party for (checks watch) seven years. But I have never gotten my backyard into shape. It’s time to make my backyard a place I want to spend more time. SO I am adding some height to the fence for added privacy and planting star jasmine because the smell makes me SO ridiculously happy. I am also adding some lounge chairs and an umbrella so I can lay out and read. I love having people over so the goal is to makeover the backyard and have a shindig or two this summer! I’m also thinking of putting some sort of fun sprinkler back there since it gets so damn hot in the Valley. Again - just keep thinking of what would be fun to have back there.
Cook more.
It seems counter-intuitive to want to turn on the stove in triple digit heat but I’m counting salads and cold dishes here as well. I tend to cook the same couple of things and I want to branch out a bit more this summer and I definitely want to cook more vegetarian foods. Tyler is a vegetarian and the kids all have braces now so that has me thinking more about the amount of sugar and processed foods they have been eating. I’m hoping to learn some tasty dishes that might get them excited about eating veggies or at least not mind them. Hey, a mom can dream right?! If you have any recipes - please send them to me!N
Spend more time at the Beach.
The beach is my happy place, and if the theme of the summer is fun, there is nothing more fun to me than going to the beach. There is something so peaceful and relaxing about the beach. I can literally feel all my tension leave my body once I get there. And I love the beach at any time of the day, in any kind of weather. So whether it’s a solo early morning coffee walk or meeting up with friends for a day at the beach - I’m in.
Love my body!
That means feeding it good food and being active, sure. But doing those things out of love and not punishment. I think so often, we cut out sugar or go to the gym because we are trying to lose weight because we aren’t happy with how we look. I know that has been why I’ve done those things in the past. But this summer, I’m working out and being more mindful of what I eat out of love. I want the kids to eat less processed foods because I love them and want them to have the nutrients their bodies need. Same goes for me.
Loving my body means loving it as it is, today, without apology or reservation. I’m banishing any negative thoughts about my body this summer. So when I catch myself in a mirror, I’m going to make a conscious effort to give myself a compliment. That sounds way more fun than picking myself apart. And like I said, this summer is ALL about fun!
Ok, action time! If you want to join in the fun and make a list for yourself, I have created a free download for you. Just download and print it, fill it out and starting having your own Summer of Fun. When you post it to social, please tag me! I want to see what you’re up to and maybe even grab some ideas!
If you really want to take your summer up a notch and you are tired of just surviving your life and you are ready to start thriving in your life, reach out to me and we can chat about taking you and your life to the next level.
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Have a great week! Talk to you soon!