Welcome, summer!! Here at The Everygirl, we’re so excited to get outside (and stay outside) as often as we can. To stave off the potential of “we’ll do that someday” (and then never doing anything), we made the ultimate summer bucket list for 2018. Read on for our top activities to take full advantage of the long days and warm nights.
Host a breakfast with friends
Easy breezy summer mornings are always more fun with friends. Especially if you live alone, bringing the pals over for a potluck breakfast or a progressive brunch — when you move from home to home for each new course — can make the most of the early summer sunshine.
Source: @kkarmalove
Spending the day at a local forest trail
Take a stroll, a hike, or a long run around a local forest trail. Spending some time breathing in the fresh air and pine scent will do you so much good. If you have a dog — or can borrow one from a friend — bring them along too!
Source: @mynameisjessamyn
Majorly shake up your fitness routine
We’re talking about more than just taking your sprints off the treadmill and into the sunshine. Check out classes or activities that will stretch you, like yoga in the park or on a stand-up paddle board, or a hip-hop dance class. Get your heart pumping in a whole new way — and bring some pals along for your summer sweat sesh!
Source: A Pair & A Spare
Visit a flower farm/botanical garden with girlfriends
Frolicking through flowers with friends? Yes, please. Find a botanical garden or conservatory near you for a fresh and fun summer outing with the girls. If you’re allowed to, bring home a curated-by-you bouquet of summer blooms as a souvenir.
Choose a summer beach read written by someone you totally disagree with
While laying on the beach reading nothing but Nicholas Sparks novels is good for the soul, sometimes it’s wisest to do something good for the mind. Find a popular book about something waaay out of your comfort zone: a religion that’s not yours, a politician you disagree with, a comedian you don’t think is all that funny. The perspective shift will be a welcome breath of fresh air during the sometimes-stifling summer.
Source: @filipajackson
Find a swimsuit you actually love
If shopping for swimsuits is the absolute worst for you, welcome to the club. I often find myself trying to whiz through the mall as quickly as possible, becoming more and more discouraged as I see my body in swimsuits that make me feel uncomfortable and under fluorescent lights that make me feel worse. I’ll end up buying whatever I don’t hate the most, and you know what? I carry that uncomfy/unsexy feeling with me every time I put the suit on. Bummer.
No. More! This is the summer where we’ll put in the extra effort, give ourselves extra hugs, and take the time to find the swimsuit that makes us feel fine as hell. It’s out there, and it’s your right to feel your best wherever you are.
Go berry picking
Summertime berries are to die for, and although the farmer’s market might get close, nothing beats snacking on them right off the bush. Gather berries for all the summer sweet treats — cobblers, salads, or just plain.
Source: Could I Have That
Light a bonfire — s’mores mandatory!
Get back to those iconic childhood summer moments by building a bonfire, either while you’re camping or at your local forest preserve. Friendly reminder to keep it safe and contained, and to of course bring extra materials for s’mores!
Source: @nicholeciotti
Root for your team at a baseball game
Nothing feels more like summer than a ballpark hot dog, a slightly warm soda, and thousands of screaming baseball fans. Don a jersey, grab some buddies, and take a day root, root, rooting for the home team (go, Cubs, go).
Plan a treat yo’self day for a rainy day
Most likely, not every summer day will be a sunny one, so make the most of your day forced inside. We’re talking face masks, Netflix originals, and your favorite snack foods. We all need a treat day, especially during those summer thunderstorms.
Source: @spiritedpursuit
Take a ceramics class
Paint and wine nights are fun, but get your hands really dirty with your friends or a date at a ceramics class, where you can make a vase or mug or set of plates that you’ll actually use (or something kind of close to those shapes).
Source: @graeme_o
Get out on water and kayak/SUP/canoe
There’s nothing quite like getting out on the water during the summer. Get yourself to a nearby natural source of water and explore it via canoe or kayak. Better yet, test your balance on a stand-up paddle board. Bonus points for kayak-drag-racing with friends.
Watch a drive-in movie
Summer blockbusters are best on a huge screen, and the drive-in is the place to watch ‘em. Best enjoyed with milkshakes and burgers, 1950s style.
Source: @kiitana
Spend a day being a tourist in your city
You know the sights you see only when family or friends come to town and you grumble a bit because it’s crowded and just so #basic? Make them all your own! Spend a Saturday afternoon doing all of the classic insert-your-city-here activities. You might find yourself reminiscing over old memories of visits past, and making new ones on your own.
Source: @lisahomsy
Take out the headphones and listen to your music live
Whether it’s Lollapalooza or a free jazz concert in your local park, there’s really nothing like fresh air and fresh tunes. It’s a great way to spend some time with friends or get to know someone new on a date!
Source: @emelinahh
Make a meal from farm(er’s market) to table
Spend a Saturday crafting a delicious summer meal. Stroll through your local farmer’s market to grab fresh summertime produce and flowers, then gather some pals to whip up the meal and enjoy it together. Maybe this is the time to debut your signature summer cocktail?!
Source: @missenocha
Watch the sun rise on a weekend trip
Treat yourself to a much-needed change of scenery and take a weekend away with family or friends. A must-do is to get your booty out of bed before dawn to watch the sunrise over the lake/skyline/trees, depending on where you are. With blankets, coffee, and friends, we guarantee smiles all around, despite the early hour.
Engage in a new culture at a street festival
Cultural festivals are some of our favorite ways to eat new food, learn about new people, and engage in life that’s different than our own! Check out your city to see when events like art fairs or Greek fest are happening.
Source: @mdvanderluis
Vineyard tour
We love wine. We love it with The Bachelor, we love it on the porch with our friends, we love it all the time. We’re excited to get right to the source by touring a vineyard and seeing how all the magic happens — and hopefully sipping a blend or two (or four).
Source: @daniellemoss_
Master a unique cocktail featuring summer flavors, like lavender or peach
Rosé on the patio is a great thing and is so quintessentially summer, but try branching out from the millennial pink box this summer. Pick a summery flavor and make it all your own. You’ll have a new drink you love and a fun party trick at your next cocktail party.
Source: @girlborntotravel
Play around at a carnival or fair
Laughs abound where there’s rickety roller coasters and cotton candy galore. Throw your calorie counting and insecurities out the window for the night and indulge in double-fried Oreos and looking like a fool wandering the hall of mirrors.
What are you doing this summer? Tell us your bucket list additions below!
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