Summer is quickly approaching, and this year, our team is committing to slowing down, spending more time with the people we love, and savoring the good stuff before the fall months quickly come back around and the holiday hustle sets in. Every year around this time, we sit down and make a summer bucket list of things we’d like to do over the summer months (or not do - anyone else want to quit checking their email every hour this summer?). We love the challenge of checking off every idea on our bucket list and the fun memories that those simple activities create— like riding bikes as a family on the trail across town, or visiting the new ice cream shop down the street. We also know that sometimes having a long bucket list of things you have to accomplish can be exhausting and adds to your daily overwhelm. Today we’re sharing two different ways to complete your summer bucket list. No matter which way you choose to make memories this summer, we hope you remember to prioritize the simple, small moments that spark joy in your heart and will be tucked away in your memory for years to come.
The first way to complete your bucket list is the traditional way. Grab a giant poster board and start writing down ideas of things you want to do over the summer. Have a picnic in the backyard. Spend an entire day barefoot. Visit a local museum. Write kind words with chalk. Make your list as long or as short as you’d like. We suggest 1-2 small activities per week, depending on how much time you have to devote to checking things off. If you have little ones, get them involved with making the list, too! Let them decorate the poster board and come up with their own, creative ideas. Make the board special so that you can look back at it at the end of the summer and be reminded of all the fun things you did together as a family. Whenever you complete an activity on your list, check it off and move on to the next activity. Don’t forget to be intentional and write down plans in your Simplified Planner so that you remember to make time for them.
If the thought of planning out activities for your summer contributes to your daily overwhelm and makes you want to throw in the towel before you even start, opt to do a summer memory board instead. Decorate a poster board and write down activities on your board as you complete them. It might feel silly to write things down that you’ve already down, but there’s something special about being able to look back and see all of the fun memories you made with your people.
Whether you make a summer bucket list or opt for a memory board this year, remember to savor the small things. In the end, you’ll look back and realize that they were actually the big things. Don't miss them. :)
