By Nicole Hanratty, June 17, 2016
Every year somewhere around April, the countdown to summer begins. Then before you know it, you wake up to August’s back to school sales. Summer fun fades away as fast as ice cream melts down the cone. If you don’t plan accordingly, you’ll miss out on all the outdoor activities and opportunities the summertime brings. Here is a list of suggestions on how to make every summer day count.
5 Tips To Have The Best Summer
No matter your summer entertainment budget, there are tons of ways to enjoy the warm weather.
1. PLAN AHEAD. Make a checklist of your favorite things to do then start working the list. Take the initiative to make plans. Put firm dates on your calendar. Make outings with friends and family happen. Set up beach days, BBQs, pool days, picnics, boating outings, outdoor concerts, water ski trips, lake days, hikes, canoe adventures, a road trip, and movies under the stars.
2. Be equipped. Don’t get caught with your summer equipment down. Dust off your bicycles and pump up the tires. Inflate the basketball. Pull out the Frisbee, soccer ball, boogie boards, skateboards, surfboards, and beach blankets. See what’s broken and replace what needs updating, like bike helmets. Make sure you have a bathing suit that fits. Check that your water safety devices are in working order–check for recalls as well!
3. Action Bag. The best thing about summer is that it presents opportunities at the last minute. With the long days comes extra light, and friends are more apt to text you after work to meet up at the beach for a dinner picnic or hangout. Have your bag packed up and in the trunk of the car all summer long so you can be a “YES” to fun. Include an extra outfit, shoes, sunscreen, towel, sunglasses, hat and your pick of entertainment fun like a deck of cards or a Scrabble board.
4. Shop in bulk. Nobody wants to spend their summer months running errands. It’s hot and waiting in line puts everyone in a bad mood. June is the time to head to your bulk shopping store of choice and load up on everything you will need all summer long. Instead of having to spend your weekends buying sundries, be prepared with a locked and loaded pantry. This won’t rule out the fresh produce runs, but you can add visits to the Farmer’s Market near you to your plan #TheBestSummer checklist as a great summer activity to do with friends.
5. Share your calendar. The best part about summer is being with the people you love. There are tons of apps that make sharing your calendar easy to do. So once you create your plans, share them with the people you want to join you at the beach or at the lake. Again there are tons of these, but one calendar sharing app that works great is Cozi.
Above all, have a safe summer! Here are some great resources for summer safety tips:
American Academy of Pediatrics 2016 Summer Safety Tips
HeathlyChildren.org Summer Safety Tips: Staying Safe Outdoors
WebMd.com Surviving Summer
Summer Music
In honor of Investigation Discovery’s Deadly Sins June 30th premiere of Season 5 hosted by Darren Kavinoky, I’ve compiled the Sinful Summer Playlist with 20 new songs to help you pass the wait with a smile.
NOTE: No actual sinning is encouraged by this playlist. Listen below or click here to see artists on the Sinful Summer Playlist.
Darren Kavinoky asked his Tweeps how they plan to have #TheBestSummer and here are some of #TheBestAnswers!
@DarrenKavinoky Boating!
— M.weatherbee (@mbgld1) June 8, 2016
@DarrenKavinoky Cookout with #family🌹
— Maria Maldonado (@eternalluv0408) June 8, 2016
@DarrenKavinoky ice cream! pic.twitter.com/njvy9Hlk8P
— Tiff M (@TiffsterM) June 7, 2016
@DarrenKavinoky We love family camping, touring and getting back to basics in life. 'Have a chill to restore that Will'
— Engage Business Cons (@EngageCons) June 9, 2016
@DarrenKavinoky road trip
— R. Leyba (@robertleyba76) June 9, 2016
@DarrenKavinoky sitting on my dock at our lake watching the bass and the koi. With a little music and a beer or a glass of wine! Awesome
— Christine Fox (@cfox47) June 9, 2016
@DarrenKavinoky my favorite summer thing is to read on the outdoor swing my dad recently bought me … or kyayke
— Deborah O'Connor (@dimondsnpearls7) June 8, 2016
@DarrenKavinoky #bestsummertime We love camping. Also try to go on a friend's weekend
— Tiffany Lanier (@TiffanyLanier4) June 8, 2016
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Darren is an accomplished TV personality, attorney, interventionist, keynote speaker, and 'misbehavior expert' who appears constantly on countless TV and radio shows.