Grabbed a screenshot of my “skeleton” summer list but it still needs to be updated with this year’s stuff. So, here it goes..
Master List of Summer Ideas: Old and New
- Beach bumming: all summer long. We do not live far from the beach.
- Camping (maybe)
- Hiking
- Playgrounds
- Summer solstice celebration at the house
- July 4th celebration
- Picnics in a park
- Fruit and flower picking: strawberries, peaches, sunflowers, etc
- Amusement parks: Keansburg, Jenkinsons Boardwalk in Point Pleasant, Asbury Park Boardwalk
- Travel (we usually take 1-2 trips)
- Museums (the MET and the Natural History Museum in NYC, Newark Museum of Art, Liberty Science Center)
- Parks (i.e Cattus Island in Toms River)
- Bumming around the house and playground in the yard (for laid-back days)
June
I am officially off work starting the week of June 19th! That means that June has two full weeks to be doing things from our master list. Of course, many factors can interfere with plans but some anticipated happenings are: Summer Solstice and my friend’s 50th birthday. From what I remember, June also may have blueberry picking in NJ but I’m not positive. And, of course, the beach.
Above are some throwback images from June of 2021 (left) and June of 2022 (right).
July
This year we have a Portugal and Spain (Andalucia) road trip for 2.5 weeks. T is flying into Portugal with us, staying for 8 days then flying back to the US for work. I will stay in Spain a bit longer with the kiddos. We will do Algarve, Portugal then drive over the border reaching Sevilla, Spain. T will then fly out of Sevilla but the kids and I will continue towards Cordoba and Granada. Anticipated July highlights: July 4th celebrations (barbecue and fireworks) and this family trip. I also always remember and celebrate the life of our cat Apollo on July 2 – he was put to sleep three years ago on this day.
We will have one week in July to do activities from the list above.
Above is a mumbo jumbo of pictures from July of 2022: Iceland, Maine, local stuff, and laid-back days.
August
The first week of August I am going to see my friend in Poland – alone. While I’m gone for 10 days the kids are in camp (T has to work). When I come back, we have two weeks in August to do stuff from the wish list above then I have to report to work on August 28th!
August can be tremendously hot and muggy in NJ unless you are by the ocean so we will probably be beach bumming a lot. Also, the harvest comes in on NJ farms so we wil probably visit farms and do a “pick-your-own” fruit and flowers. August anticipated highlights: a trip to Poland, beach and farms.
August 2022: beach, farms, me and my friend in Poland, and L doing my makeup lol She said she wants to be the next Pat McGrath.
It may sounds like a lot of plans but I also need to remember that summer can be a long season broken into its own “micro-seasons.” Each micro-season carries its own energy and happenings. I also like stay-at-home days either during thunderstorms or very, very muggy and hot weather. I like to travel but I also find comfort in staying at home. My summer motto is “rest but also explore.”
Mom of Children 