My Family’s Zero-Pressure Summer Bucket List

At first glance, the concept of a “summer bucket list” might seem like a really bad idea.

I mean, by its very nature a bucket list is just another to-do list (albeit a fun one), and if you’re anything like me, you have enough of those in your life already!

No, summer is supposed to be different. It’s supposed to be about slowing down, kicking back, and savoring life’s sweet moments—not about checking things off and getting things done.

That’s why this year my family is making an alternative kind of summer bucket list, one that doesn’t come along with so many requirements or restraints.

It’s the kind of bucket list that will leave you feeling “lazy” rather than accomplished—which is actually quite perfect for the lazy days of summer!

My Family’s Zero-Pressure Summer Bucket List

Take an impromptu road trip.

There are so many places we want to visit as a family—many of them well within driving distance—but we haven’t gotten there yet because planning a day away with two young children sounds downright exhausting.

Solution? Nix the planning. We’ll just gather the essentials, jump in the car, and see where we end up!

Plant something.

Maybe it will be a tree in our backyard. Maybe it will be fresh flowers in the beds around our house. Or perhaps we’ll all pitch in and tend to the veggies in my husband’s garden.

Ultimately, I don’t really care what we plant—just that we all get our hands in the dirt and reconnect with the outdoors that beckons to us over the summer months.

Go for a picnic…in the backyard.

If we make it to a park, that’s great! But if not, there’s no reason not to spread out the blanket and dine al fresco right in our own backyard.

All we have to do is throw together some sandwiches, cut up some fresh fruit, and grab a summery drink. Our top pick this year? Simply Lemonade® with Raspberry.

It’s the perfect combo of refreshing: Simply Lemonade® and sweet summer raspberries. Delicious because of what’s in it (great-tasting fruit, never-from-concentrate juices) and all natural because of what’s not (added preservatives, colors, or artificial flavors).

The best part of a backyard picnic? If you forget something—say, napkins, which always seem to slip my mind—you can just run back inside and grab ‘em!

Star gaze.

Once the bright light of the summer sun goes down, we’ll all lie down on a blanket together and simply admire the expanse of sky above us.

Because the best conversations always happen while you’re admiring the stars.

Get wet.

Some days it might be at the community pool, others in the backyard with the sprinkler, and still others at a friend’s house where we’ll fill up the water balloons and go to town.

In any case, we’ll be finding plenty of fun and relaxing ways to cool off.

Enjoy a family fun night.

The slower pace of summer is perfect for spending the evening hours all together. This season I foresee a family movie night (complete with popcorn and a Disney Pixar flick, no doubt) and a family game night. My 3-year-old’s getting quite good at hide-and-seek, so I better watch out!

Sip slowly.

Is there anything better than the first taste of a refreshing drink on a hot summer day?

The summer months are made not for gulping down your beverage, but savoring every thirst-quenching sip. I can’t wait to recline in my backyard swing or chill out at my picnic table, soak up the sunshine, and slowly enjoy a glass of Simply Lemonade with Raspberry.

I can feel good about drinking it, too, because—as the name suggests—it’s made with the simplest of ingredients: pure filtered water, sugar, not-from-concentrate lemon juice and raspberry puree, and natural flavors.

The perfect drink for a lazy summer day.

Take evening strolls.

Not races. Not power walks. Just leisurely strolls in the welcome cool of a summer evening.

Watch a sunset.

When I’m stressed, watching a sunset is one of the best ways to let my frustration fade away. The changing shades of red, orange, and pink, the way the glowing light recedes ever-so-slowly—it’s one of the most calming scenes nature gives us.

This summer, I want my whole family to experience some sunsets together. No deadlines, no schedules, just uninterrupted family time in front of a beautiful sight.

Meet someone new.

During the rest of the year we’re often so busy with work, school, and activities that we lose touch with what’s most important: CONNECTION.

This summer I want my family to have plenty of time and space to connect with each other, of course, but I also want to see us make some new friends. Maybe a new neighbor, maybe a new friend at day camp, or maybe the new worker at the farmers’ market.

It doesn’t really matter who it is, just that we’re using the calm of summer to forge new connections with those around us.

Sleep in.

Because we could certainly use the extra shut-eye!

And yes, the goal is for everyone to sleep in (including both the preschooler and the baby). Hey, it wouldn’t be a bucket list without a little dreaming, right? 😉

What’s on YOUR summer bucket list this year? Share in the comments for a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card!

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