It's another stay-cation summer for us. I don't mind. In my area, summer is the best tome of the year, the only time we can almost count on sunny day after sunny day. Despite loving our summers, I still want to punctuate these months with planned activities to celebrate summer, and that don't break the bank. So, I've come up with a list of 20.
In our own yard and home
- Stop and smell the roses. Well, our roses don't have much fragrance, but I want to take a moment every day to really appreciate the summer flowers in our garden.
- Cut flowers and make bouquets for the dining table a few times this summer.
- Press flowers and fern fronds.
- Cut lavender buds and sew a sachet.
- Eat watermelon, lots of watermelon. Watermelon is the least expensive fruit in summer for us. And in summer, it's at its best. I plan on having a lot of watermelon all summer long.
- Make gourmet popsicles.
- Bake lots of fruit pies.
- Make root beer floats at home. Ice cream parlors are expensive for what you get. The last couple of summers we've bought a two-liter of root beer and container of vanilla ice cream. On hot summer Saturday afternoons (when everyone is around), we find a shady spot and enjoy root beer floats. Doing our own at home is a bargain summer treat.
- Host hot dog cookouts around the fire ring, followed up with s'mores.
- Host Sunday afternoon barbecues.
- Sit outside after dark and check out the stars. My husband is a fount of information when it comes to stars and planets. (I'm more the expert on the moon.) Every summer, he identifies everything in the sky for me and helps me find them on my own. Around August 9 to 13, the Perseid meteor shower will be at its peak.
- Read a fun adventure novel from our local library.
- Sew some summer pajama pants. I have the fabric, pattern, elastic already. All I need to do is make the time.
- Keep a photo journal of my summer, taking one photo per day that sums up the best of summer.
Go places for free
- Take picnics to the beach more often.
- Take a picnic lunch to a nearby, really lovely and peaceful park.
- Visit the farmers market.
- Go hiking on a local trail.
- Visit a local (and free) arboretum.
- Visit the local art galleries in my town. (Again, free to visit.)
My purpose in making out this list is to give me something to refer to if and when I begin to take summer 2025 for granted. I aim to savor every minute of this summer.
What would you put on your budget summer activity list?
I am always checking out activities at the library of which there are many. I also keep a folder and list of things I hear about in the area that we might want to visit, most of which are free. This Saturday, we doing a barn tour in the area and watch local artists paint them. There are a lot of good parks and hikes around that we like to do weather permitting. Also, we've fixed up the basement to be our place to have a date and watch a movie. That's something we can do upstairs in the family room, but a change of venue makes it special. Also, we like to spend time outside on our covered porch listening to the birds. Your stargazing reminds me that my husband has a telescope that he hasn't had out in a while. Come to think of it, the local astronomy club sets up with fancy telescopes every month or so (weather permitting) for the public. It's amazing what you can see with them.
ReplyDeleteHi Live and Learn,
DeleteThanks for mentioning library programming. I'll check our library out and see if there's anything for adults this summer that would interest me. The barn tour sounds really fun. Have a good time with that.
What a good idea! I have similar ideas to yours and L&L's. Today my daughter and I are going to a nature center. There is a nominal charge, which goes to the preservation of the ecosystem, so I feel that it's money well spent. Hiking trails, beaches, and free museum days are big on my list. We might try to attend a free outdoor concert. Riding my bike is great exercise and is also fun. Picnics, both on our patio and while hiking. I hosted a young adult event this past Monday on our patio. We set up the badminton net. That's always a hit. Bonfires are another thing we might do. There are endless ways to have fun during the summer.
ReplyDeleteHi Kris,
DeleteHow as the nature center? I hope you and your daughter had a wonderful time there. I agree, it seems like summer offers so many ways to have fun.
This is a great list.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Tina.
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