After what seemed like forever, summer is finally here! I did a summer bucket list last year, and it turned out to be a nice way to remind myself of a few of the little things I wanted to make sure to carve out time for in a season that's always so much busier than we expect it to be. So, this year I'm doing it again! Here's a few little--and not so little--things I want to be sure to cram in before Labor Day this year...
Get some fancy ice cream. I've been wanting to visit Dominique Ansel Kitchen for their famous summer-only soft serve forever, and I just...haven't yet. This year I'm doing it, dammit! Right now they don't have the one I've really been wanting to try (burrata!), but they do have their watermelon soft serve, which sounds amazing, and looks even better. I want to try it...and 'gram it (of course).
Do a ton of reading. I'm on a roll this year with reading (as of this writing, I've read 38 books so far in 2019!). I want to keep up that pace--or even amp it up!--this summer. I'm going to give myself the goal of reading 12 books between now and the end of August, which should be doable if I keep up the pace I've been going at. To help me out, I recently joined Book of the Month and am excited to get my first book any day now. (If you've been thinking of joining BOTM, too, use this link and get your first book for just $9.99!) And the virtual To Be Read pile on my Kindle app is stacked high right now. A few books I've already bought and plan to dig into soon: Ask Again Yes, A Nearly Normal Family (my first Book of the Month pick!), and Lost Roses. (And a few more that I got early sneak peeks at and recently finished that I highly recommend you grab/preorder for summer beach reads: Mrs. Everything, Fleishman Is In Trouble, Things You Save in a Fire, and City of Girls. All were amazing!)
Enjoy our (new-ish) backyard. As you may remember, we did a major backyard renovation last year complete with treehouse, fire pit, outdoor kitchen, and more. The only problem was that it wasn't completed until the end of the summer, so we didn't have a ton of time to enjoy it. This year I want to do many more meals outside and just hang out there more. And speaking of that...
Cook our own pizza. We love making pizzas from scratch in our Big Green Egg, but it takes awhile to cook them, so it's a little frustrating. (But they taste amazing!) To remedy that, I've had my eye on the Ooni pizza oven ever since Helena from Brooklyn Blonde mentioned hers. I'm planning to get this one (the Ooni Koda) which is super small, gas-operated, and cranks out amazing-looking pizzas in just 60 seconds!
See a movie during the day. This has been on my all-seasons to-do list for that past three years. When I went freelance, I actually said to myself: "Working from home will be so great! Every once in awhile, I can catch a movie during the day!" And I've done that exactly zero times. So this summer, at least once, I'm going to take advantage of my flexible day, and steal away to our local theater for a two-hour escape.
Garden like crazy. If you follow me on Instagram Stories, you may know that I started a vegetable garden for the first time earlier this spring. I don't even own any houseplants, so this was a big step for me. But, much to my surprise, I'm loving it! What I originally planned to be merely a small, raised container bed, has turned into two raised beds and tons of individual containers. I'm growing zucchini, eggplant, cucumber, beets, tons of herbs, kale, romaine, butter lettuce, spinach, mesclun, and three types of tomatoes. Whew! This summer, I want to work hard to maintain it and produce/eat loads of veggies! (And then make alllll the salads! I have a Salads Pinterest board, if you want to follow along. I'll be relying on it heavily!)
Make a cobbler. This was on my list last year. I didn't do it. I have no idea why. This year, THE. COBBLER. IS. HAPPENING.
Eat lunch outside. By myself. With a book. I'm in awe of people who eat alone in restaurants. I never do it! It's not so much that I'm nervous about it; it just never occurs to me! But I love the idea of taking the time to eat lunch by yourself with nothing but a great book to keep you company. And the thought of doing it at an outdoor table on a beautiful day sounds even better! Think I'm going to do it at Elysian Cafe here in Hoboken. It's a delicious restaurant with an incredible outdoor patio, and oh yeah, my husband and I happen to be part owners! ;)
Visit Philadelphia. It's super close to NYC, but I haven't been since my husband and I went as one of our first trips together probably 13 years ago! Both of my kids learned a lot about Ben Franklin this year and they're really interested in him. So what better place to go? If you have any Philly suggestions (particularly kid-friendly ones!), please let me know!
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What's on your summer bucket list?
yes yes yes to all of this my friend- def did a book club too ( i host one too if you want to join ha ) and cant wait to do all the reading and make time for it! great list and hope you have a great summer!
ReplyDeleteI hope you manage to get through your summer bucket list. There is nothing quite like spending time out in the garden, reading over summer is there?
ReplyDeleteLove your list! I want to do a ton of reading, make cobbler more than once and enjoy the grandkids. Gardening is a top priority too.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you have a busy summer coming up! I have a lot of travel this year, but that's about it for me.
ReplyDeleteYou know what I love your Summer bucket list! I think I might do a lot of things on this list myself. They sound like so much fun.
ReplyDeleteYou have a great list here! So far mine just says "sleep in." Ha. But we will be doing some fun stuff over the summer!
ReplyDeleteLOVE your summer bucket list and I LOVE that reading a ton is a part of that list!!
ReplyDeleteWe have already eaten lunch several times outside. This is a great summer list.
ReplyDeleteYou'll like making the cobbler. It is my preferred way to get fruit and crust on a plate! :)
ReplyDeleteLove your summer bucket list. I love fancy ice cream. It just makes summer so much better.
ReplyDeleteSounds like some wonderful things to occupy your summer. We'll be doing some camping, swim lessons, swim beach time and probably some hikes.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you in wanting to see a movie during the day. This sounds like a fantastic summer bucket list!
ReplyDeleteSounds like you have a great list. I need to get mine going soon. My kids will be out of school for the summer this Friday. I see some things on your list that my kids would enjoy too.
ReplyDeleteI thinks all of those are really the best things to do this summer. But for now I want a fancy delicious ice cream. Yummy.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a fun bucket list to accomplish. I think you'll enjoy burning books and read as many as you can. It's quite a relief and an escape.
ReplyDeleteHope you get to make the cobbler. I have a blackberry cobbler recipe if you want. :) Also, thanks for the idea about the fancy ice cream. I'm going to grab one too.
ReplyDelete-Lynndee
Great list and sounds fun! I took a long vacation time a few months ago, so this summer, my husband and i will focus on work.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great bucket list. Sounds like you're going to have a summer full of fun.
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