The picture above transports me back to the cliffs of Oahu, Hawaii again, which of course gets me thinking about summer. A bucket list is essentially a list of things you want to do before you “kick the bucket.” However, in more recent times, a bucket list is usually described as a list of things you want to achieve or experience during a certain period of time. It’s just about summer, which means the temperatures are soaring, school is letting out, and energy is both high and leaning towards relaxation. Since I’m big on list making, I decided to make a Summer Bucket List Challenge, basically challenging all of you and myself to create a list of ten things I want to do before the end of the summer. It can literally be anything from places you may want to visit to an exhilarating adventure you’ve been intimidated to do. I sat down last night and created my bucket list on my iPad and I wanted to share mine with you. My summer bucket list is after the jump!
Go camping. Even for one or two nights. When I was younger, it was a family tradition to go camping very often, and most of my family photo albums contain pictures of us in the great outdoors. Most people who know me well now know that I don’t “do” camping. To be fair, it’s been a long time since I’ve gone, and I worry that all the modern day conveniences I am used to will be too much to give up, so I’m challenging myself to go camping, even if it’s for a night or two only. I think the experience will be peaceful and adventurous at the same time.
Visit the South Carolina Farmer’s Market as often as possible. I am already really big into shopping locally for my produce, plus you can get amazing deals on fruits and vegetables there. Our state farmer’s market is huge and has an entire grounds set apart for vendors so it’s really an “experience” to go there and visit. I can walk around for an hour or two and just get lost in the craftsmanship of peoples’ homemade items, the freshly grown produce, and the beautiful plants for sale. My goal is to visit as often as possible, preferably once per week on the weekends. My favorite time to go is on a Saturday morning, fairly early, before the hustle and bustle of prime time happens.
Go blueberry picking. Make smoothies and a blueberry tart. Blueberry picking is such a fun experience that if you have an opportunity to go, I strongly urge you to try it out! My family and I went blueberry picking last summer and it is amazing to see how huge the blueberry plants get and just how many blueberries one plant can produce. You can fill a bucket up with a massive amount of blueberries, and because blueberries are a small fruit, it will take you awhile to walk around and enjoy the scenery while you fill up your bucket completely. We came home with a massive bucket that is still in our freezer, begging to be made into smoothies. My favorite things to do with blueberries besides eat them fresh are to make smoothies and this year I want to bake an elegant blueberry tart.
Go to a drive-in movie theater. Here in South Carolina, we have a really cool retro drive-in movie theater called The Big Mo. I’ve always heard people say how awesome it is to go watch a movie the classic way, but every summer passes, and every summer I never go. This summer I am definitely checking out the Monetta Drive-In theater, even if it’s a movie I’m not dying to see. It’s all about the experience!
Juice homemade lemonade. Experiment with different kinds. Once upon a time, my husband and I were honeymooning in Hawaii and we got to taste homemade, freshly squeezed lemonade. We were both in heaven after tasting it because it was so naturally sweet and tart at the same time. The cool part was watching him actually juice the lemon and put everything together. I’ve been seeing very scrumptious looking lemonade recipes on Pinterest lately, and I want to experiment with classic lemonade and adding flavors in such as watermelon. There is something simple about sitting outside on a hot summer day with a pitcher of ice-cold lemonade that you made with your own hands.
Have a water balloon fight. Who doesn’t love water balloons? It’s like a snowball fight without the chills! I want to turn it into a “water balloon party” where I invite friends and family over for some food and fun. Dress attire will be clothes you don’t mind getting wet in because dessert will be a bucket of water balloons filled to the brim. There is something silly, fun, and child-like about throwing a bunch of water balloons around and letting loose. It’s a fun and harmless way to revisit old memories and have a little fun competition.
Host a Fourth of July barbeque. Decorate with red, white, and blue. Sure, party hosting and planning can be stressful, but it can be a lot of fun to plan one out ahead of time. I’ve already started a Fourth of July Party Idea board on Pinterest where I am pinning my favorite barbeque idea’s. I am looking forward to being a little dorky and decorating with red, white, and blue decorations too. I already found some really easy craft idea’s for decorating online and the rest can be purchased on the cheap at the Dollar Store. Having a themed barbeque is fun for everyone, and afterward we can enjoy the massive amounts of fireworks that go off all around our neighborhood (hooray for legal fireworks!).
Make a tie-dye tank top. In grade school, we had “field day” every spring where each class was a team, and we’d always make tie dye t-shirts in art class to go with our coordinating team color. I remember how fun and impatient I was to rip off the rubber-bands so I could see how my shirt came out. Fast forward to modern day where tie-dye is back in and trendy (did it ever really go out?), and I want to create my own tie-dye tank top. A few simple purchases at the craft store, including an old plain tank top or shirt will give you a top you can be proud to say you created yourself. Plus, anything that brings back your childhood is soothing for the soul.
Go on a picnic. You always see people going on picnics in the movies and on TV, but how many of us have actually gone on a legitimate picnic for no reason? There’s something simplistic and joyful about filling up a basket or cooler with your favorite picnic foods and drinks and setting up somewhere beautiful like a park or the beach. I want to look up picnic recipe idea’s and bring along some chicken salad or wraps. I’ve always wanted a real picnic basket a la Dorothy style, too!
Make homemade s’mores. S’mores are one of the universal desserts that almost everyone loves. I haven’t made or eaten s’mores in forever, and I am craving them! The ooey-gooey marshmallow and chocolate that melts in your mouth is irresistible. And you know what? If I get chocolate and marshmallow all over my hands and face, it was more fun!
Challenge: I challenge all of you to create your own 2012 Summer Bucket List! If you’re a blogger, feel free to pass this “tag” along as you write and share your own bucket list. Even writing this list down and putting it on your refrigerator is a fun idea for when you’re bored or feeling like you’re out of idea’s for something to do. Remember, a bucket list is never meant to be dangerous or hurtful to anyone, so keep your bucket list challenging, intimidating, maybe even scary (i.e, sky-diving), but always safe and legal. If you create a summer bucket list, feel free to share it with me!
[ALL PHOTOGRAPHY ON THIS SITE IS TAKEN BY REBECCA KAZIMIR. NO PHOTOGRAPHS ARE TO BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION.]
Annabella Freeman says
I want to come to your place for you summer bucket list – it sounds like loads of fun! 😀