Hello hello, and welcome to Episode 29 of Life On the Brink!
We are just a few days away from the official start to summer, and I am so excited! For all my fellow teachers, as well as students, well done, we made it through a challenging school season. And now, it's time to enjoy like never before.
Last summer, while we certainly made the most of it, was definitely an abbreviated, less-colorful version of summer. We couldn't enjoy all of the things we love about it, or celebrate with those we love. This year I feel like George Bailey at the end of It's a Wonderful Life when everything that was "normal" is suddenly extraordinary. I feel like this summer has the potential to be one of the very best.
You may recall from Episode 20 on goal setting that Josh and I enjoy making seasonal bucket lists with things that we'd like to do. As I started thinking about what we should put on this summer list, I started to wonder what makes summertime so magical.
I think it's because we have so many childhood memories of summer. It was the time of our life that wasn’t regulated by school every day, when we had time to explore and have fun. I think summer carries an inherent nostalgia as we grow up, and this year especially I’m hoping to capture some of that.
You can take this list of 20 things as a Summer Bucket List, or maybe just let it inspire you to enjoy this season completely and fully. Make it your own!
What’s in my teacup? Iced green tea (a staple in my fridge these days)
Here we go!
20 WAYS TO CAPTURE THE MAGIC OF SUMMER:
1. Have a pool/beach day: We all have beautiful memories either at the beach or at our local pool, and I vote for fitting in as many of these days in as possible this summer. Bring a lunch and some sunscreen and live it up.
2. Enjoy your local amusement or water parks! None of these were open last year, so they seem a bit more magical to me now. I went to Busch Gardens in Williamsburg a couple weeks ago and it was wonderful. Summer truly didn't feel like summer until I made that trip, as I had almost every summer since childhood.
3. Have breakfast (or coffee) outside: Before the heat gets too oppressive, I love sitting outside with my breakfast and remembering summer mornings on my grandmother's porch swing. It's calming, warming, and all-around wonderful.
4. Go to the movies. Never a bad idea, especially now. All the blockbusters that couldn't come out last year are making their appearances, not to mention those summer movie matinees. Popcorn is obviously a necessity!
5. Make ratatouille: The pinnacle of summer cuisine. I have a slight obsession, so you can just use my recipe here. Trust me, it's delicious.
6. Go hiking. Summer is the perfect time to enjoy the natural beauty around you, and is a great excuse to bring a picnic!
7. Make fresh lemonade. This is so much easier than most people think, and it's the most refreshing wonderful drink you can make. This is the recipe I got from my grandma, it's perfect:
--Simple lemonade recipe: 1 part fresh lemon juice to 3 parts water, plus any sweetener you prefer (I used liquid sucralose) until it's to your liking.
8. Harvest from the summer garden. My fellow gardeners and I have put a lot of planning, time, and energy into our gardens, and come summertime we're finally going to see some of the rewards! Garden tomatoes are my favorite thing in the summer and I'm getting closer to it by the day.
9. Make popsicles. I found this book by People's Pops a few years ago and it was a game changer. They're so easy to make, and take advantage of the seasonality of different fruits. So fun!
10. Do a flip off a diving board. This is on my personal life-long bucket list. I don't even mean like a full, well-executed flip. I just mean a jump into a pool where I truly don't care what I look like, when I can just jump and not fear.
11. Watch fireworks. We loved these as children, so why not let yourself be filled with wonder again? Summer is full of fireworks, and I plan on reveling in them each time.
12. Watch fireflies. This is the same idea. Fireflies are so magical, and I think there's value in taking a pause before heading inside after a long day to marvel at the beauty they bring.
13. Grill. There's something about the smell of smoke from a grill that immediately sends me back to my childhood. Grilled food is happy food, and not something you can take advantage of all year.
14. Master a summer cocktail. I'm pretty good at making margaritas at this point, but this summer a really want to try piña coladas or maybe a sangria to share with friends at a summer party.
15. Read more books! I have a memory of heading to Barnes and Noble every summer when I was in elementary school. If you read a certain number of books, you got to pick a free book from a particular display, and I got that free book more than once! Whether you're at the beach or are able to enjoy a quiet afternoon or morning to yourself, summer is the perfect time to jump back into a love of reading.
16. Go to a bonfire (or at least sit around a firepit). I love the comfort of watching the faces of my loved ones by firelight, even if my hair smells like smoke after the fact. It's the ultimate cozy summer night activity, especially when there are smores involved.
17. Have a phone-free day. or at least a screen-free day. I don't want to let this summer go right past me because I was half-distracted by something on my phone.
18. Go to an outdoor concert. As a musician and a performer, I missed not only going to concerts, but being in them. This summer, though, there will be plenty of opportunity for both and I'm so excited! Check out the local concert series in your area, you won't regret it (just maybe bring earplugs for the volume.
19. Eat ice cream outside. I have such fond memories of the Blue Bunny ice cream truck circling through the neighborhood and being able to enjoy a sweet treat outside after a summer day. Even if it's not from a truck, you can go to a local shop, or even make it yourself!
20. Have a summer movie night (or marathon). Again, popcorn is necessary. And if you're curious about which movies are perfect for summertime, make sure to tune into next week's episode!
This Week’s Little Joy: A recipe from (huge surprise) Half Baked Harvest. It's her "20 Minute Lemon Butter Pasta with Ricotta and Spicy Breadcrumbs" and it is divine. I'd never caramelized a lemon before, but it certainly won't be my last time! It's fresh, so so simple, and absolutely delicious. Perfect for summer!
What I’m Listening To: In Between Dreams by Jack Johnson is one of my favorite albums of all time, but I really only listen to it during the summer. Just start at track 1 and let it go. It's chill, it's groovy, it's exactly the vibe we need this summer. Enjoy!
As always, thank you so much for listening. Please feel free to comment with your summer to-dos and ideas, and, of course, have a lovely week!