When I was a kid, we never went back to school before Labor Day, The holiday weekend was officially the end of summer and September was all about the back to school vibe. I can’t say September was Fall because I live in Florida and it’s still hot in September, but September isn’t summer. While I am looking forward to pumpkin spice everything and crisp, cool temps, I am not ready for summer to end just yet.
If you’ve been listening to the Bewitched Crafts podcast (find me on Google or iTunes!), you know I’ve really gotten into the habit of working my planner this year. It’s helped me to get clear on the experiences I want to give myself each month outside of the to do list of running my house and keeping my job. Every month I play a game with myself I call The Big Three. I choose three things to be the first entries on my calendar. These are the things I do for myself to fill my own cup, replenish my energy, and get my creative juices flowing. The Big Three is not about what I should be doing. It’s making time for an evening of swing dancing not scheduling my eye exam. The Big Three are on the vision board I create at the beginning of the month and they typically show up on my scrapbook pages at the end of the month.
In July I decided to add a second vision board to my planning with seasonal vibes. My summer vision board is all about savoring my favorite treats from ice cream to beach days. I had so much fun putting it together that I thought I would share some of my favorite ways to celebrate summer.
If you’re like me, different times in your life have a sort of soundtrack of the music you had on repeat. My college days were all about Classic Rock. It wouldn’t be summer without the Beach Boys and Jimmy Buffett! Don’t forget Don Henley’s “The Boys of Summer”, “Summer Nights”, and the Yacht Rock station on SiriusXM.
Looking for a terrific, wholesome family movie? “Summer Magic” starring Hayley Mills is a classic. Ready to reminisce about good times at summer camp? Check out “The Parent Trap” or who could forget “Meatballs”?
As a kid, it felt like we spent half the summer in the pool. We stayed in the water until our feet were rubbed raw and our skin wrinkled. There was always a road trip to my grandparents farm where we picked blackberries by day and chased fireflies by night. My treasured memories include star gazing, making smores over a camp fire, picnics, fireworks, and jumping waves at the beach.
This summer my vision board features a number of scents and tastes of the summer. I love wax melts, essential oils, and scented candles. I’ve been using fragrances with berries, lavender, honey, or citrus. As someone with red hair, I often joke that my skin is a whiter shade of pale (it’s a Procol Harum lyric; I told you I was into Classic Rock!). I’m typically covered in SPF 50 but I crave the scent of sun tan oil. My solution? Perfume! I recommend Bobbi Brown’s Beach or Chaz Dean’s Summer Mango Coconut. I also wear Dean’s 6 over 9 fragrance with it’s hint of lemon; it’s just right on super hot days.
I don’t know if I can say ice cream is a summer thing for me because I often have a bowl of peppermint ice cream at the holidays. Maybe I wouldn’t be so tempted if I lived in a cooler climate. I do know a Pina Colada belongs by the pool and not by a Christmas tree. My former mother-in-law served pina coladas on Christmas Eve in Ohio and I had to bite my tongue to keep from telling her that’s just not how it’s done.
Summer fruit bursts with flavor from peaches and plums to mangos and pineapple. I really only enjoy watermelon on hot days. Picnic favorites like fried chicken and potato salad make my mouth water. Gardening is a favorite pastime for me and there is nothing like eating fresh vegetables you’ve grown yourself. It doesn’t get any better than heirloom tomato salad.
The more I write, the more I realize is missing. Where is the ultimate summer book? We barely touched on road trips. How about hot dogs and baseball? Help me out friends. I’ve got one month of summer left. What else belongs on my list of the season’s best? Let me know if the comments.
You are such an inspired writer. I too am a writer, and I appreciate good prose.
As for summer’s list, you have covered everything I can think of. Enjoy these last days of summer. Blessings❣️