Spice Up Your Summer With a ‘Summer List’

I’m a big fan of intentionality. For me, “intentionality” is just a way to abbreviate doing things on purpose -rather than defaulting to whatever just happens. It doesn’t mean being a slave to productivity or never kicking back to just be; it’s just about valuing with your life (your time) the things you value in your mind.

Enter: the Seasonal List.

I first saw the idea for this pinned to pinterest from this blog. The seasonal list is kind of in the spirit of a “bucket list” or “life list”, but is full of things to experience before the end of the season.

Of course, if you’re one of those cruise director sort of parents (or spouses) who has no trouble making a party from a mud puddle, then this post probably isn’t for you.

But if instead you tend to get caught in an endless stream of the day-to-day without coming up for air, then give this a try; there is something about breaking out of the norm that wakes up relationships, creates lovely memories (often when things don’t go as planned), and the change of venue seems to inspire variations in conversation and behavior.

How to Create Your Summer List

1. Go crazy with ideas
2. Edit and Post

You know I like to keep my how-tos simple.

But just in case you’d like a few more details…

1) Go Crazy with Ideas

Start by listing anything you think you might want to do this summer. Include relational things and things you personally enjoy as well as seasonal ideas. For example, I initially had “special dates with the dude” (non-specific) which led me to include a few specific outings, like seeing an art exhibit and seeing Snow White and the Huntsman at Cinema Suites.

If this initial brainstorming has yielded plentiful results,  jump ahead to the second step. Otherwise…

A Few Ways to Stir Up Ideas for Your Summer List 

Ask yourself these questions:

• What things do I like in general?
• What things am I particularly interested in or enjoying right now?
• What special opportunities does summer afford?

Look for ideas online:

• Search for “free summer activities” along with the name of your city.
• Look on Pinterest.
• Find ideas on blogs (search for “summer activities for kids” or “summer date ideas”)
• Think of upcoming special occasions (Fourth of July, birthdays, etc.)
• Are there any festivals or other special events coming up in your area? Many cities have websites that list upcoming events or post half-price zoo and museum offers.
• And don’t forget to browse your own bookmarks, pinterest boards, etc. Saved items don’t have to explicitly apply to stir up good ideas.

2) Edit and Post

Be realistic about how much time and opportunity you’ll have at your disposal this season. In my case, we are only in the states for a few weeks (read: crammed calendar), and then we have a packed July/August back at home. I want to tuck a few special things in there, but I don’t want to tempt myself to feel like a failure. I ultimately decided on five items for my list including “take the wine tour” (a gift from my parents which we can’t do overseas) and take a “monkey day” with the dude (in which we let our creative monkeys out of their cages for a whole day, accomplishable anywhere).

Once you have an idea of what is feasible for you, finalize your list. Aim for variety. Pick things that excite you or that really resonate with you. If Shakespeare in the Park isn’t your thing, don’t include it.

Now format your list and display it somewhere. I’m pretty vanilla about these things, so I’ll be rewriting my list on a clean sheet of paper in plain black ink and sticking it on the fridge. But something like Jamie’s (from the blog linked above) is obviously more attractive.

So what made your list? Please share your favorite ideas in the comments. Or if you post it elsewhere on the web, leave us a link!