Back in May when I was perusing the June issue of Good Housekeeping magazine (my gram got me a 5 year subscription to it when I moved away from home in 1993 and it's been a part of every month since), I found a list of sorts on 30 Ways To Make This Your Best Summer Ever. I tore it out and set it aside, then found it again today. Let's see how we're doing so far....
1. Life is short, get your hair wet when you swim. Check!
2. "Eating is really one of your indoor sports. you play three times a day, and it's well worth-while to make the game as pleasant as possible"-Dorothy Draper Check!
3. Take your phone call outside, preferably barefoot, standing in a thick carpet of grass. Check!
4. The 10-minute, $10 personal trainer- a jump rope. Not Yet.
5. There's no shame in shelving the classics when it's hot out- it takes too much self-discipline to page through actual literature. Check! I seem to have gotten quite easily into George R. R. Martin of late.
6. "To me a lush carpet of pine needles or spongy grass is more welcome than the most luxurious Persian rug."~Helen Keller Well, our Colorado trip is in a couple of weeks.
7. Teach your kids about the joy of gardening. Double Check!
8. Turn a dinner of farmer's market produce into a decadent feast by whipping up some compound butter. Just mix room-temp butter with blue cheese and chives, and let the heat of the veggies set the melting in motion. Will try!
9. The almighty wind is yours to harness- all it takes to get swept up is a $5 kite. Not Yet!
10. Have a winning go-to look-whatever works for you (for Jackie O it was all about white jeans, Jack Rogers sandals and a collarbone-revealing T-shirt). Check!~ mine includes white denim capris :)
11. A pedicure can cover a host of sins. Check~even if self done!
12. Never turn down a chance to have a glass of champagne. Check~ or prosecco!
13. Eat dessert on the porch. Everyone gets a Popsicle, and no one has to fear for the rug. Check~ most meals too!
14. Ripe, thin-skinned summer vegetables. Check~ definitely got that covered!
15. Try this activity. Show your kids how to make really big (and really tiny) bubbles, using pipe cleaners as different sized wands. Combine a cup of water with 2 Tbsp. of dish washing liquid and 1 Tbsp. glycerin, and go for it. Not Yet, fun idea!
16. Attract a colorful buzz of hummingbirds and hang close to a window for a front row seat. Check~ well not for hummingbirds for for finches, chickadees, and everything else around here!
17. Don't underestimate the feel-good power of a playground swing. Hop in the saddle and experience the leg-pumping, heart-pounding joy of soaring for yourself. Not Yet!
18. Drive-ins are back! Not Yet~ need to get there tho'!
19. Collect two wildflower bouquets-one for your bedside table and one for an elderly neighbor. Every time you look at yours, thing about brightening two people's days. Cut plenty for us, now I need to collect for a neighbor, maybe a former resident of this house!
20. "Every summer I move a full-size bed right out on the porch, fill it with colorful mix and match pillows, and find that the whole family loves to hang out and relax on the bed" Annette Tatum~ Don't think I can swing that one!
21. Shave time and money off party preparations by skipping the high-maintenance flowers and decking out your table with a bowl of lemons. It worked for Vincent van Gogh; it will work for you. Check!
22. Reward your brood with "dirt" (crushed Oreos sprinkled over ice cream for dessert). Check!
23. Now playing on the biggest screen of all: shooting stars, Venus, and the twinkling magic of the Little Dipper. Spread out a blanket, and watch the show. Check~ I'm counting masses of evenings catching fireflies!
24. Find a quiet place and let the beauty of sights and smells wash over you. Check!
25. To fake-clean a house, turn on a fan and get the air moving, throw clutter in a basket, and concentrate only on your house's most high traffic areas. Deep clean after Labor Day. Check~ well off and on, I guess I'm too type A to wait that long!
26. Take a page from high-end Zen house cleaners and disperse scented oil in a diffuser as you clean or sprinkle a few drops of essential oil on a cloth or sponge. Check!
27. All hail the almighty flip flop. Triple Check, in fact this will be a post all of it's own!
28. Kid-churned strawberry ice cream. Not yet!
29. Backyard fads come and go, but a classic, nothing-fancy hammock will keep you dozing in the sunshine forever. Check!
30. Wisdom for the ages: "Summer afternoon- summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language." Henry James~~ Indeed.
Whew, now there's a list! I was really surprised that without trying, we have managed to get most of this list done just in the busyness of our summer. How much have you gotten done? As we head into the first weekend in August, take a moment and reflect on your summer, and enjoy!
**the above list is taken from Good Housekeeping Magazines' June issue, and adapted :)
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