I love to create seasonal bucket lists.

Sometimes I can be incredibly forgetful, so it’s nice to keep track of everything I want to do!

Here are some things on my summer 2018 bucket list:

Happy Labor Day!

I’m sad this is the unofficial end of summer, but I’m looking forward to everything autumn!  Bring on the corn stalks, pumpkins & apple cider!

Before I go full speed ahead into fall, I thought I’d share some of my favorite posts I wrote this summer!  There’s still a little time left to soak up the sun!

- The App That Will Make Your Road Trips Epic – We’re planning on hitting the road next week & I’ll definitely be using this app!  Give me all the weird attractions!

- Summer Punch – Before we head into the holidays with the traditional punch, I’m planning on giving this pretty drink a last hurrah!

- How To Have An Epic Summer – How’s your summer bucket list coming?  Mine is dismal, but there’s still time to catch up!

- Summer Wreath – I currently have that wreath proudly displayed outside.  This reminded me to take it down before I get into fall decorating!

- 10 Drinks To Make This Summer – I still need to make these!  I’ve been drinking premixed Margaritas this summer!  So embarrassing!

- Pineapple Upside Down Cake – This is delicious any time of the year, but especially in the summer!

- Summer Potluck Ideas – I actually only attended one potluck this season & I didn’t bring anything!  Better luck next year?!

I’m off to get my summer on!

I couldn’t believe I forgot to add ‘road trip’ to my summer bucket list post!

Spontaneous road trips are my favorite.  I love hitting the road without a specific destination.  Road tripping that way leads to so many random & cool adventures!

Of course, when I just randomly travel across the map, I miss out on a lot of sights!  Whenever I come home from a road trip like that, I like to open up Google Maps & see the big picture of where I’ve been.  I end up finding so many cool places nearby that I could have visited.

I needed to find a balance between spontaneity & seeing the sights.

Summer is finally here!  It’s time to break out the bucket lists & make this summer epic!

I’ve gathered lots of links & ideas together to make sure your summer is the best one ever!

Food + Drink

For me, the best part of summer is the food!  There is so much great food in season right now.  I’m loving the fresh watermelon & strawberries!

It would be so fun to go berry picking!  Check out this site to find local berry picking areas!  There are also a ton of roadside stands out there right now.  Just take a drive to the country & follow the homemade signs to find the freshest produce!

Once you’ve picked your berries, it’s time to make them into jam!  Check out my cherry jam post to get the best recipe ever for small batch jam!

Summer is also the time for BBQ’s!  Check out my post about what to bring to a summer potluck for perfect sides to make!  You can even check out my “Potluck Food” Pinterest Board for more ideas!

If you’re into desserts, you can always make my pineapple upside down cake!  It’s guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser!

If drinks are more your thing, check out my 10 drinks to make this summer!  If that’s not enough, check out my “Drinks” Pinterest Board with 1,600+ more ideas!

Fairs + Festivals

Fairs & festivals are so much fun this time of the year!  This site has a good directory of all the fairs & festivals going on!  Also, Facebook & the local newspapers always have the latest on what’s going on in your area!

With the 4th of July coming up, there’s also going to be fireworks!  Doing a quick Google search of “Fireworks near me” yielded tons of results for fireworks displays!

Pools + Beaches

With the weather warming up, it’s time to hit the beach or the pool!

Here are 50+ of the coolest pool floats ever!

Yard Sales

Yard & garage sales are in full swing right now!  I’ve gotten the best deals this year by shopping yard sales.  Neighborhood Facebook groups always have good listings for yard sales.  Craigslist is also a good resource to finding sales.  My personal favorite is just following yard sale signs when I’m out & about!  You never know what you’ll find at a yard sale!


What are some of your favorite summer activities?  I’ve included some of my best ones in my Epic Summer Bucket List printable below!  Just click on the image & print it out!


Here’s to a fantastic summer!

When I was at a yard sale a couple weeks ago, I scored an incredible deal on a huge box of silk flowers.

I need some summer wreaths for my front doors & thought these flowers would be perfect for the project.  I bought 2 wire wreath forms & got started…

Summer will be here soon & you know what that means:  summer potlucks.

Potlucks are always the best because you never know what someone is going to bring.  For the longest time, my husband & I were the ‘chip people’.  The ones who picked up a few bags of chips on our way to the party.  Chips are an easy fix, but now that I have more time on my hands, I can actually make something spectacular for all of the big events of the summer! 

I’ve gathered quite a few ideas for possible potluck sides.  They all look absolutely delicious & I wouldn’t turn any of them down at a potluck!

Without further ado, here’s a huge list of recipes that will be perfect for summer potlucks:

KFC Coleslaw
12 Easy Patriotic Snacks
Really Good Pasta Salad
Broccoli Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
The Best Pasta Salad
Creamy Macaroni and Cheese Casserole
Loaded Baked Potato Salad
Pina Colada Fluff
12 Barbecue Ideas That Will Get You Excited For Summer
Secret Fruit Salad
Easy Pasta Salad Recipes
Slow Cooker Little Smokies
Raspberry Jell-O Cheesecake Bars
Slow Cooker Honey Buffalo Meatballs
Ranch Veggie Bars
Twix Apple Fluff Salad
Poolside Dip
Red, White and Blue Vodka Slush
Strawberry Cheesecake Salad
Fruit Salad With Honey Orange Glaze

I’ll be adding more ideas to my Potluck Food Pinterest Board as the summer goes on, so be sure to follow along over there!

Anyone else in total disbelief that it’s the last day of August?!

How did this happen?

Wasn’t it just yesterday that we were firing up the grill for the first time? Now the local apple orchard is open & I’m all apple cider forever & summer forever at the same time!

Honestly, where does the time go?

Anyway…if you’re like me & not 100% ready to give up on summer just yet, here are 4 last minute activities you can do to soak up the last little bit of summer.

1.  Impromptu BBQ

You know those cookouts that are planned weeks in advance & you have a designated dish that you bring & everything is planned to the max?  Well, this isn’t one of those.  Because you’re tying to savor the last warm nights of summer, this is one of those cookouts where you text some people to come over that night or the next & tell them to bring whatever.  Where it’s not about the food, but about sitting out on the deck in the warmth as long as you can.

2.  Picnic

We’re incredibly lucky to live near some great picnic areas, but having a picnic outside in the yard is always fun too. Something about gathering up some ingredients & eating them outside is a winner for me.

3.  Farmer’s Market/Roadside Stands

Because #omgsobusy, I was unable to make it to any local farmer’s markets this season.  But!  I stopped at a roadside produce stand yesterday!  Roadside stands & farmer’s markets are what summer is all about.  You get a glimpse of what local people are growing in their gardens & it always inspires me to grow my own garden!  The watermelon featured in the pictures was from a roadside stand & it’s absolutely delicious!

4.  Yard Sales

I had to put this one on here because we just had our annual family sale last weekend.  Whether you’re going to or putting one on, yard sales are always a good time.  You never know what you’ll find (usually on the cheap!) & having a yard sale is a chance to get rid of your unwanted stuff & make money at the same time.

What are your favorite last minute things to do to enjoy the end of summer?

I know summer isn't quite here yet, but it might as well be! The weather is fantastic, watermelon are in season and it just feels like summer! Here are some things I want to do this summer...

1. S'mores
My obsession with s'mores is running deep. I can't wait to get my hands on that toasted goodness!

2. Bonfire
We have a huge pile of junk from our home remodel that is going to be fired up pretty soon. I can't wait for it to be gone.

3. Yard Sales
I never thought I would be one of those people who actively pursues yard sales, but I'm all about them now! As long as they don't interfere with my ReStore visits...

4. Amusement Park
There's this awesome amusement park somewhat close to our house and I can't wait to visit it!

5. Beach
There are so many lakes close to our house and I can't wait to visit them and the beach!

I'm sure there are a million other things I want to do this summer, but these are my top 5 right now.