Make The Most Of The Rest Of Summer With Our Last Minute Summer Bucket List
It’s hard to believe summer is practically over! Some schools have already started classes, and stores are putting out their pumpkin products. But you still have time to enjoy some summer fun!
Indulge in some summertime fun and freedom with our last minute summer bucket list.
1. Host a Backyard Wine Tasting
String some lights, arrange flowers in vases, put together charcuterie boards, and have your guests bring a bottle of their favorite wine. Enjoy clinking glasses and laughing with your friends as the sun goes down and the stars come out.
2. Deep Clean and Decorate
You’ve heard of spring cleaning, but summer cleaning is just as good, if not better. Toss open your windows and freshen up your home. Once all the scrubbing is done, do some decorating. Rearrange your furniture, create a photo wall, or even just hang that painting that you’ve been meaning to hang for months.
3. Weed Out Your Closet
While you’re in cleaning mode, why not go through your closet? Donate all of the pieces that you no longer wear and make room for your autumn wardrobe.
4. Bake Something Fruity
It’s almost apple season, but there’s still time to take advantage of all of the delicious summer fruits. Maybe try this skillet brown sugar peach cobbler from Half Baked Harvest, or, if you’re looking for something a bit lighter, this vanilla strawberry rhubarb crisp from Ambitious Kitchen.
5. Explore a Local Spot in Town
Even if you’ve lived in the same place for years, it’s fun to be a tourist in your own town. Find a museum, historical site, or natural attraction near you and go explore!
6. Watch the Sunrise
Set your alarm and hop out of bed early one morning. Sit in your backyard or head to a perfect sunrise-viewing spot near you, like a park, the beach, or a mountaintop (if you’re really ambitious and want to squeeze a hike in first).
7. Have a Picnic
Pack a basket full of goodies and grab your favorite person (or people). Find some shade somewhere beautiful and enjoy nature, good conversation, and good eats.
8. Start a Book Club
Have you enjoyed extra leisure time flipping pages this summer? Why not invite some fellow book-lovers to join you on more reading adventures as the weather turns crisper? Create a list of titles and get things kicked off with a brunch party.
9. Or Just Read a Good Book
Maybe you aren’t feeling that ambitious since you haven’t quite gotten to that stack of books on your bedside table yet. Pick one that looks especially enticing, find a cozy spot, and begin!
10. Go to a Farmers’ Market
It’s such a joy to spend a morning strolling around a farmers’ market, filling a tote with the freshest produce and homemade/handmade treats and goods. Plus, you’re supporting small, local farmers! Bonus challenge: Make dinner with only the ingredients you purchase at the market.
11. Make S’mores
Did summer even happen if you don’t roast marshmallows?
12. Have a Spa Day at Home
Put on some soothing tunes, pour some homemade sangria, and pamper yourself! Paint your nails, deep condition your hair, and try out an all-natural DIY face mask.
13. Put Together a Photo Album
There’s nothing like turning the pages of a photo album (sorry, Instagram). Order prints of your favorite pictures and start compiling them into a book. You can even add cute captions (with actual ink).
14. Spend a Day Media-Free
Let’s be honest… We could all use a break from the news, social media, and noise in general. Pick a day to turn off the TV, close your laptop, and turn your phone on silent. Relish the peace and quiet!
15. Volunteer
Find an organization whose mission you’re passionate about and spend a day volunteering. It always feels good to step outside of yourself and serve others!
16. Go out for Ice Cream
All too soon, the weather will be too cold to enjoy ice cream cones outside. So, while the days are still hot, take a trip to the local ice cream shop and treat yourself to a scoop (or two).
17. Paint Outdoors
You don’t have to be an Impressionist master to set up an easel en plein air. Choose a scene that speaks to you and spend an afternoon turning a blank canvas into your own masterpiece.
18. Take a Long Bike Ride
Biking is one of the most pleasant modes of transportation, especially in the warm weather months. With a friend or significant other, take a long, scenic ride. Maybe you have a destination in mind or maybe you just see where the road takes you.
19. Find a Fitness Routine That You Love
Now is the perfect time to try out some new forms of working out. Maybe you’ll discover that you love the graceful movements of barre or perhaps you prefer to get outdoors and run. Find something that you genuinely enjoy so that you can stick with it!
20. Send Handwritten Letters
Take time to sit down at your desk and pen some thoughtful letters to relatives, long-distance friends, or even a stranger in search of a pen pal.
Closing Thoughts
Some people already have pumpkin spice everything on the brain, but we’re still soaking up the summer sun. Make the most of these last weeks, because you’ll be missing the fireflies and tan lines soon enough.