Summer Bucket List

How can 4th of July have come and gone already?  Several friends of mine define this holiday as the 'midpoint of summer'.  While I'm not sure I agree, or at least don't want to think of it that way, I guess it is as close as we have to a mid-summer checkpoint.  As a kid, I remember summers being epic, awesome, endless, and amazing.  As a parent, I feel pressure to ensure that my children have those same feelings.

I have made mistakes on both ends of the spectrum when it comes to summer vacation.  I have announced that we are going to relax and have no schedule.  In a week, we are all bored.  I have scheduled the whole summer with 'special events'.  By the end, we are all exhausted.

A few years ago, we implemented something that has worked well, the Summer Bucket List.  The basic premise is, a few weeks before summer starts, we ask the kids "What things do you REALLY want to do this summer?"  They give us their short lists and my husband and I add a few too.  By the way, items on the list can be as simple as a picnic in the park.

Once you have a complete list, narrow it down based on a few criteria.

• Remove the 'fly to the moon' type requests that inevitably are there.  
• Make sure there is a mix of traditional things and new experiences.  If lacking in either, ask for more ideas or add them.  
• Determine who will be involved in which activities. Within reason, I let the kids pick the things that they want to do by adding their initials to the narrowed down list.  This can be interesting with teenagers who think of family time as a necessary evil.  I'm a big believer in quality time with everyone together, yet also realize that we have varied levels of excitement for certain outings due to gender, age, or interests.  It's perfectly reasonable to have a mix of plans where everyone goes and others where it is some of the family.
• Finalize the list with a reasonable number of items.  Reasonable is the key word, it depends on your family, what else you have going on and how much you like to run.  

Post the list where everyone can see it and cross them off as you get to them.

Don't let summer slip away, create your Summer Bucket List today!

Harness the Holidays

Personally, I love the holidays.  I love the energy and the decorations and even hearing the same 30 familiar songs over and over.  I love getting together with family.  I love the holiday outfits, the holiday activities and yep, even the holiday shopping!

You don't have to talk to too many people however to realize that not everyone shares my enthusiasm for this magical time of year.  In fact, most people I talk to say that the holidays are hectic, harried and for those who are truly disenchanted, horrific.

Fear not friends, I'm here to help.  Below are a few ideas on how to put the happy back in your holidays.

1) Own your holiday experience! Close your eyes and picture the holidays as you would like them to be.  Chances are, you'll be thinking about some special memories from holidays past...and likely they won't have anything to do with gifts or amazing holiday recipes.  Choose and write down a few (just a few) things that would make the holidays feel like they 'should'.  Now put yourself in that mind space. Now live there for the next 6 weeks.  Spend time on the things that make you happy...the things that will give you that warm fuzzy feeling you just thought about.  Let the other things go...seriously...I promise you won't miss them.  There is no right or wrong way to celebrate.

2) Take back your holiday calendar.  Go get your calendar...right now...I'll wait.  Okay, now write down all of the commitments you know of at this point through the end of the year.  Look at the month of December...does it have enough white space?  Think about the things that you really want to do...is there time left for them?  Pick days/times and schedule them, even if it is baking cookies with your kids, catching up with a friend for coffee, etc.  If you don't have your own priorities on the calendar, it's easy to push them off (and usually never get to them), when another invitation pops up.

3) Separate Buying from Shopping.  For many people, the gift buying is what spoils their holiday time.  Not that they don't want to give, it's the buying itself (the crowds, the rush, the pressure).  If this is you, do the majority of your shopping online and then make a few special trips to the store for the last few items.  You will enjoy the shopping experience so much more when you aren't rushing from store to store buying in mass.  Take in the people, the sites, the sounds, the smells.  If you aren't enjoying it, go home and order the rest online. 

Happy Holidays!