I used to hate the month of August. The summer-ending-scaries start to hit. You want to do all the fun things before summer ends, but there’s not enough time to do them. Don’t get me wrong, I love the fall. All the excitement of back to school and routine, and planning for all the holidays. The summer always flies by and feels so short that I started grieving the end of summer, starting on August 1st! But there is SO much time left to make the most out of your summer, after all, the first day of autumn isn’t until late September!A few years ago, I started a Summer Bucket List.
This was to make sure we do all the summer things each year. I started this before I had kids to make sure my husband and I prioritized events and activities. Since we’ve had kids, we’ve included them in this tradition, and we actually make the list in early June. Having the extra time really allows us to extend the summer fun for a few extra weeks, and when we have a free day, we can look at the list to see what we want to check off. And an added bonus is that some of the activities aren’t as expensive or crowded by starting in June or going in September.
We also keep our beach/pool bag packed and in the car. This helps us be ready on a whim to go to a pool, splash pad, or beach. The late August or early September beach days are some of the best. The water is still warmish, but the sun isn’t too hot; it can be perfect. For so long, I wouldn’t go to the beach after Labor Day.
Now, those September beach days are some of the most enjoyable.
September is the busy season for my job. A lot is going on at work, and then adjusting to the fall routine can be a tough adjustment. By changing my mindset and keeping some of those “summer activities” into the fall has really helped make September a bit easier to manage. Low-key picnic dinners, going out to ice cream on a weeknight, or nature walks, it helps to give us all some flexibility while adjusting to a new routine.
I’ve sort of implemented this, extending the season mentality year-round.
It’s helped me be more present and truly enjoy each season we’re in. For so long, I would just jump ahead to the next event or holiday. And I realized I was rushing myself and ushering out the joy that goes along with each season. There’s no harm in leaving my Christmas lights up until mid-January or going for a mid-September beach day.
Long live summer and long live the JOY all year round.
