5 Ways to Keep Summer Simple and Special

No more school house, no more books, no more teacher’s dirty looks.  Ladies and gentlemen, it is summer vacation.  I wish I could add a “buuuum-buuuuum” sound effect to add to the grandeur of the statement.  I devise grand and elaborate plans for my summers with my girls.  I keep them going at full-speed in an effort to maximize the fun.  But after a few days of my “go, go, go” attitude, I realize the best plan is to keep summer simple.

Simple is what my girls want.  Simple is all about not over-doing it, but enjoying each activity or moment together.  So I’m letting my little ladies guide the pace of our time together, letting them design their own fun.

If they run out of ideas, I’ll share with them my Five Ways to Cherish Summer’s Simple Pleasures.

1. Stock up on Nostalgic Treats.  During summers as a kid, we ate popsicles by the handfuls. They’re inexpensive and a childhood classic.  We’ll be swapping out red velvet cake pops and macarons for the old-school favorites.
2. Go on a Test Drive Swing.  We love going on a great swing tour, where we compare swing sets from one end of town to the next.  Least squeaky swing always wins in my book.
3. Go on a Picnic.  Swap out the school lunch boxes for a picnic basket.  Enjoying the outdoors is definitely on my list of favorite summer activities.  If you’re looking for a way to make a simple lunch special, Hillshire Farm Lunchmeats and Hidden Valley spreads create a great picnic lunch.

Check out Hillshire Farm on Walmart.com, where you can mix and match sandwich ingredients to create your perfect sandwich. Choose your ingredients, including bread, cheese, Hillshire Farm Lunchmeat, toppings and Hidden Valley Spread to create your ultimate sandwich. Once you have made your sandwich, see what your creation looks like and print the recipe.

4. Stay Up Later. Part of the joy of summer is enjoying the longer hours of sunshine.  Stay outside a little later than normal and soak up every ounce of Vitamin D the world has to offer (while safely lathered in SPF 1 million).
5. Get Wet.  My childhood water play was very fancy…we sprayed each other with a hose. Each summer I pick up a new snazzy water toy that just doesn’t have the same appeal as the green garden hose.  You can chase your siblings or cousins.  You can admire rainbows formed in the water spray.  When it’s all done, you can wash your mom’s car. Bonus!

Before I know it, I’ll be back to school shopping.  In the mean time, I’m going to soak up every second of summer.  These glory days are my children’s memories in the making, and if I remember to keep it simple, we’ll be able to enjoy them together.

What are your favorite simple summer pleasures?