I started making a summer bucket list
for myself, and then I figured I’d share! You all know that I love making lists, and sometimes I act like a tour guide for my own life (which is a very enneagram type 7 trait.)
I’ve included a lot of cheap and free fun things to do.
We’re on a budget, and I know we’re not the only ones! When I take some time to plan and get creative, I always realize how many ways there are to a great time without spending a lot of money. There’s so much to be said for shaking up your routine and for mindfully enjoying small pleasures.
This list may make it look like I’m a woman of leisure, and nothing could be further from the truth. I work hard as a full-time freelance book editor, and as an almost-full-time author besides! I’ll be writing one book and promoting another. But if you can’t have some fun, what’s the point of it all?
Here are the things I want to check off this summer. See if any of them sound good to you!
1. Make a summer playlist that makes me happy whenever I listen to it.
And years later, when I hear those songs again, they’ll make me smile all over again.
2. Make pretty, delicious non-alcoholic drinks.
I was never a heavy drinker, and I don’t drink at all anymore because it gives me headaches. The summer will be a great time to make lavender lemonade, Arnold Palmers, virgin piña coladas, horchata, and more.
3. Go outside during a thunderstorm and get soaking wet.
What can I say? I love them!
4. Read lots of books outside.
I want to do a lot of reading this summer, and I can soak in a great story—or knowledge, if I’m reading nonfiction—while enjoying nature. This is a perfect way to unplug.
5. Blow soap bubbles.
Yes, I’m an adult, but I love them. I’m going to keep a bottle in my backpack…with an extra little bottle in case a child (or not a child) would like to do it, too.
6. Go canoeing.
This has been on my list of 100 life goals forever. I literally cannot swim, mainly because I almost drowned in a neighbor’s pool as a small child and grew up terrified of water. Nonetheless, as a teenager, I went on white water inner tubing with a church youth group. I was too embarrassed to tell anyone that I couldn’t swim. We didn’t wear life jackets. (What can I say…it was a different era.) I wound up losing hold of my inner tube in the rapids, and I managed to thrash my way to a nearby rock.
I’ll wear a life jacket for canoeing, and we’ll be in calmer waters!
7. See fireworks.
This might be around the 4th of July, or it might be on Navy Pier in Chicago. Or maybe both!
8. Go to a farmers market.
I expect to do this several times, actually.
9. Go to a summer festival.
…or maybe more than one! In Chicago, we have the Air and Water Show, and I’ve already asked my nephew if we can come hang out on his building’s rooftop for that.
10. Take photos of a sunrise.
A few times, several years ago, Mr. Donovan and I would get up early and go to a picturesque vantage point to do this. I love the pictures…and the memories.
11. Explore 10 new trails.
This is a big one! But it’s not as big as it sounds. These aren’t going to be ambitious hikes. Even a short trail at a nature center we’ve never been to before makes for such a good day.
12. Visit with family.
We’re lucky enough to have some family in town, my parents and sister are in visiting distance, and hopefully, my BIL, SIL, and their daughter will be coming to the Midwest!
13. Celebrate the birthdays and special days.
These include Mr. Donovan’s birthday and our anniversary.
14. Take a day trip.
I love going somewhere I’ve never been before…even if it’s close to home. Our dogs love getting on the road, too!
15. Go to a free concert, film, or lecture.
Between libraries and local colleges, there are a lot of options.
16. Make dinner on the grill and eat outside.
We have a back patio and a charcoal grill, but you could also do this at a park.
17. Write out a poem in colored chalk on one of the sidewalks in our neighborhood.
Or part of a poem! Not my poem…maybe part of a Walt Whitman poem, or part of Tennyson’s “Ulysses.” It’s okay if I get caught, honestly, but I’d rather that nobody knew who did it.
18. Walk through a rose garden.
A public one, I mean. There are a few around here.
19. Go to the Chicago Botanic Garden.
They have a few days with free admission, and I’ve already snagged free tickets for June!
20. Go to several Chicago Cubs baseball games.
We’ve already been to two, and thanks to my brother, who has tickets he won’t be able to use, we’re going again at the end of the month! I’m actually a huge fan and I watch most of the games on TV. In my book Her Knight at the Museum, I couldn’t resist a scene where my medieval knight character experiences Wrigley Field.
21. Learn how to do braids and updos.
For whatever reason, I never learned how to do this. My hair is pretty long right now, and it would be amazing to be able to put it up in one of those crown braids, or even a simple, classy chignon. I honestly have no skills. But I do have access to YouTube tutorials, and that’s all I really need!
22. Learn how to give myself good manicures and pedicures.
Yeah, I never learned how to do this, either!
23. Do some sketching in a sketchbook.
Just for fun. I used to love drawing and I miss it.
23. Hit golf balls at a driving range.
Speaking of things I don’t know how to do…I’ve barely ever tried to golf, and I am not naturally athletically gifted. I’m going to be swinging at the air or clubbing the poor, defenseless grass much of the time, and I know it. However, Mr. Donovan can give me pointers! I think it’ll be fun to try, and a bucket of balls at the nearby park district golf course is a cheap date.
24. Go to an archery range.
The same caveats apply as above, except that Mr. Donovan hasn’t done this, either. It’s another thing that’s been on my life goals list forever!
25. Finish a good draft of my novel!
This is one target I do need to hit! My sequel to Her Knight at the Museum is due November 1, and I want to have a full draft by September 1. I’m really enjoying writing this book so far!
Do you have any suggestions for a summer bucket list?
Or any plans for the coming summer—work-wise, vacation-wise, or otherwise? I’d love to hear all about it! Thanks so much for reading, and have a great week!
I put on the Beach Boys channel on Sirius. It puts me in a summer mindset right away.
Ahh, yeah. Immediate summer vibes!
So inspirational! Thank you 🙂
Thanks for reading, Christine! Have a great week!
Love your list of things to do this summer! Although I haven’t been to one in years, going to a county fair and eating sticky cotton candy is on mine.
Hi Kay! Ohh, a county fair is such a good idea. I might add that to the list!
Thanks for a very fun list! #21 is tough for a bald guy, but I guess I could practice on Rosemary (right–like she’d let me anywhere near her hair!) Lots of the others are do-able, though, and so I will plan to do-able them! 🙂 Particularly appreciate the non-alcoholic drinks exploration suggestion, now that my cardiologist has forbidden me to ingest alcohol. Hooray for mocktails! 🙂
Rich, hahaha! Honestly, I don’t miss drinking at all…it was just giving me headaches and making me sluggish. Virtually clinking my cocktail with you! 🍹🍹
Oh! This is a great list! We have much in common – I am a country girl, who lives on a very small island in the south Salish sea, or the Puget Sound, in Washington State, however you want to say it. But the Salish sea sounds so much more romantic, doesn’t it? 🙂 Not only can I walk to the beach – mind you, it’s not a warm beach – but I am surrounded by state parks. I love my giant trees and having the chance to see the migrating gray whales and orcas when they pass through. I love gardening, photography, drawing and painting (I just got a new book on drawing nature – The Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling) and my guitar and ukulele. I also love home crafting anything and everything! I am very novice to it all, but it brings joy, so that’s all that matters. Have a lovely day!
The Salish Sea does sound romantic! You are so lucky to be able to walk down to the beach and enjoy nature. That drawing book sounds really good! How cool that you play guitar and ukulele. Your post really brightened my morning. I love your attitude! Have a lovely day yourself!
I would suggest only going out during rain/downpour and not during a thunderstorm, which is very dangerous. 😉
Hmm, I guess you’re right! 😂
This is a great list! I’m in my “living slow; life is in the little moments” era lol so I really appreciate it. I would add:
Star gaze (somewhere outside of the city) where the light pollution doesn’t get in the way
Take my kids to see the Hoover Dam
Read
W R I T E as much as possible
Take my senior dog for walks in the wagon (his hips are giving out)
Make sun tea
Make more moon water
Snuggle up in my recliner and listen to a thunderstorm (monsoon season starts in about a month)
Drive north into Utah and hike Zion
Finally learn how to work with stained glass
And fill my house with hingetoppers, which I only just recently discovered and am absolutely tickled about–my first one is a miniature gumball machine, and my second is one that I made from one of the 100+ tiny ducks we pranked the Lt Col whose office is across the hall from mine because she’s leaving next month lol (I think my third will be a teacup and saucer!)
Okay, now that I rambled on that last one… I better get back to writing <3 lol
Your summer bucket list is both inspiring and achievable! I love how you’ve combined creativity, relaxation, and a touch of adventure, all while being budget-conscious. Thank you for sharing these ideas—I’m definitely adding a few to my own list. Here’s to a summer filled with simple joys and unforgettable moments!
Thank you so much for sharing your creative and inspiring summer plans! It’s truly refreshing to see how you make the most of life’s simple joys while balancing your busy work life. Your list is a wonderful reminder of the beauty in small, meaningful moments. I’m sure these activities will bring you lots of happiness and great memories!
This list is such a treasure trove of joy and inspiration! Thank you for sharing your creative and heartwarming ideas—it’s a reminder of how much beauty and fulfillment can be found in the simplest pleasures. Your thoughtful approach to embracing life, even on a budget, is so refreshing. I’m especially inspired by how you combine fun, mindfulness, and personal growth.