I would be remiss to place all the emphasis on back-to-school to-do lists this coming of fall, without diving into our fave things we do before summer ends. After all, summer is still here in full force. What’s the big rush?
There are about a million things we love to do as a family, as a couple, and for ourselves as summer comes to a close. We spend so much time getting our school and work supplies, checking off our to-do lists, and nailing down our long and short term goals – we forget to enjoy the moment. And that moment is now. The last three weeks of summer.
Hmmm… so what to do?
Here are the 5 of our favorite things we do before summer ends…
1:: THINGS WE DO BEFORE SUMMER ENDS – Get Outta Town
Being the mother of a mini travelista, I really have no choice. Since July, we’ve been flying from country to country, state to state, province to province, and lucky for us, the fun is still not over.
Taking a break from a routine 10 months, it’s not only ideal, but imperative. I’m all about teaching Little Mama early on, that life isn’t just about work, and of course life isn’t all about play (though, what a wonderful world that would be, wouldn’t it?), but a healthy balance of both.
We all need to hit the reset button sometimes.
2:: THINGS WE DO BEFORE SUMMER ENDS – Get In On the Sales
We have never been shopping haul kind of people (surprise, right??). Getting what everyone else is getting, shopping when everyone is shopping, I can’t think of anything more, dare I say… unappealing.
Or exhausting.
But what about the sales? Oh yeah – the sales. We keep our eyes and ears peeled for sales around the city, and word of mouth is always the best way to hear about sales. So we’re never afraid to ask around. We make an adventure of it and visit different stores, look for clearance racks, color coded price slash bonanzas, 2 for one deals, and the red signs (oh the red signs!). We go in with intention – know what we’re looking for, and then we’re on our way. I think the biggest challenge of back to school shopping, is the lingering amidst the crowds. We love scoring great deals, and shopping for future seasons. Yes, it’s hard to gauge how big/small Little Mama will be next Winter or Spring, but I have a pretty good idea. Bigger is always better than small, so I’m pretty comfortable going one or two sizes up. And how wonderful it is to know that by buying sale summer/spring items and select Fall/Winter items now… I can skip out on (the headache of) future season shopping hauls. Win Win!
The goal is – the sooner we get the shopping done, the sooner we can get the heck outta there, and really enjoy the summer.
…which brings me to our next fave…
3:: THINGS WE DO BEFORE SUMMER ENDS – Spend Time Outside
Coming from the West Coast and spending a big chunk of our summer in the East Coast and the Mid West, the humidity is kind of a challenge. But we’re embracing the warm, more tolerable evenings. It’s nice to go for a nice walk along the riverside or make sandcastles at the beach, or monkeying on the monkey bars at the park. Whatever we do, as long as we’re outside away from the tablet, and getting in our daily dose of Vitamin D – we’re good.
A household fave is pitching the tent in the backyard and “roughing it out” while keeping the amenities close. Being one with nature is almost always a good idea.
4:: THINGS WE DO BEFORE SUMMER ENDS – Binge Watch a New Series on TV
Big Daddy and I have decided that it’s an absolute must for us to make time for our nightly tv binge fests. So far, this commitment has continued successfully. Oh don’t get me wrong – I’m no couch potato (but power to ya if you are! You deserve that R&R time!). Multitasking is always at its peak during this much needed mommy and daddy screen time. Sometimes I fold laundry, cut up watermelon, prepare our salad mason jars for the week, pack for our next trip, all while watching back-to-back episodes of Suits.
But what if my favorite tv binge viewer partner is thousands of miles away for part of the summer (much to Little Mama‘s dismay…)
Well, thanks to FaceTime, we find ways to cover our co-watching quota for the week.
5:: THINGS WE DO BEFORE SUMMER ENDS – Be A Tourist in Your Own City
We live in an overwhelmingly beautiful city. As a frequent traveler, I have yet to see a city (big or small) that doesn’t have amazing stories to tell, historical landmarks, and mind blowing views. There is always an adventure waiting to be had in our own backyard. We just have to get out of the house and do it. Once again, we don’t just nod our heads blankly when a friend tells us about a breathtaking water feature in downtown or a great summer band they watched overlooking the pier. We actually do our research, and go! We’ve discovered so much beauty and culture in our own city, and the surrounding cities in the last year. So much to explore, and only 2 months of the year to truly do that.
So glad we’re still enjoying the first week of August. I’m hoping these next few weeks move slowly so I can really take the time to absorb what these sunny days have to offer.
Don’t forget to visit our fabulous co-host of #5faves at The Koala Mom for her list of fave personalized products! We would love to hear some of YOUR five favorite things too. Link up below!
Summer is still here – enjoy!
“Snap” us on Snapchat @babyStylista
“Like” us on Facebook
“Tweet” us on Twitter
“Catch” us on YouTube
“Hangout” with us on Google+
“Follow” us on Instagram @babystylista
“Pin” us on Pinterest
jen recently posted…{five favourites}: Miscellanea (LXXI)