My Low-key Summer Checklist
Summer! There’s something very nostalgic about summertime for me. Maybe it’s remembering the feeling of being out of school and each day seemingly endless and full of possibilities.
Possibilities like the beach, the pool, picnics, playing outside, sleepovers with friends, and if you were a nerd like me, long, lazy days of reading alone in your room.
I saw this post from Cup of Jo about having a low-key summer checklist and I loved that idea so here I am making my own list! I have to warn you though, my list is so low-key that I was almost too embarrassed to share it. But hey, it’s called a “low-key” list for a reason, and as mentioned in the article, summer is all about taking your foot off the gas and slowing down to enjoy the long days ahead, so that’s exactly what I plan to do.
Here’s my (very) low-key summer checklist…
1. Walk and walk and walk.
This was the first thing I thought of when I asked myself what low-key activity I’d like to do this summer. I’ve already written about how much I love walking, and after listening to a podcast episode on walking as a spiritual practice, I’m ready to walk and walk and walk!
(I realize no one will get this reference and that’s fine, but when I think about walking, I think about the episode of As Time Goes By when Jean and Lionel finally make it to Paris for a getaway, and all Jean wants to do is “walk and walk and walk” but it starts raining as soon as they get there. She keeps saying, “We were going to walk and walk and walk.” Lionel: “Were we?” Jean: “Yes, we planned it on the plane yesterday: walk and walk and walk.” She keeps lamenting the rain and her ruined walking plans, repeating her refrain “walk and walk and walk” over and over, and a few minutes later after noticing Lionel’s lack of lament and interest, she says, “You’ve just gone off the idea of a walk!” Lionel: “No I don’t mind the idea of a walk. It’s the other two that bother me: the walk and walk.” Haha. There are walkers and then there are walk and walk and walkers!)
2. Read and read and read.
I don’t know about you, but going to the library to check out books every other week or so was one of the highlights of my childhood. And mixed in with all the summer fun, one of my favorite things to do one those rainy summer afternoons was to lay on my bed and read an entire book in one sitting. (Ah the days of no responsibilities!)
So this summer, I plan to allot more time to reading books I really want to read and to not feel guilty for reading when “I really should be doing something else.”
By the way, here’s my summer reading list. What are you reading this summer?
3. Make my favorite summer salad, my favorite summer dessert, and make lots of “snack plate” style dinners.
I’m a firm believer that summer food is some of the best food (yep, right up there with holiday food!) and if you don’t have to turn on your oven - even better! Salads and snack plates for the win!
And strawberries are my favorite fruit, so when I find a low-effort recipe I can whip together with no planning and only a tiny bit of prep - that’s my kind of summer dessert.
4. Try coloring.
I listened to this podcast episode on coloring as a spiritual discipline and now I can’t stop thinking about it. Summer seems like the perfect time to try it out, and I’ve already selected the coloring book I want to try.
I really wanted one with Scripture in it, but almost every single one I found was just pages and pages of flowers, nothing else. Maybe it’s my inner child talking but I really want to color actual pictures, not just flowers or doodles, so I was delighted when I came across this coloring book based on the book of Proverbs. I can’t wait to start coloring!
“The point is not to color a picture. The point’s to be present before God and see what happens.” - quote by Nathan Foster from the podcast episode
5. Try a shrub.
I saw this last summer and never got around to trying it! Shrubs are drinking vinegars and sound so delicious on a hot summer night. They’re also supposedly easy to make and I love the idea of playing around with different flavors and fruits!
6. Spend a lazy afternoon browsing cookbooks.
I have several beautiful cookbooks with lots of bright photos and tantalizing recipes, but I rarely have time to just sit and flip through them. I’d love to spend some time leisurely exploring new recipes or getting fresh inspiration for cooking and experimenting in the kitchen.
7. Have one slow morning a week.
As summer was approaching, I realized that I’d gotten into the habit of jumping out of bed and hitting the ground running every single day, even on the weekends.
So during the summer, I’m going to try to have one day a week where I start my day more slowly and leave a little time for lying in bed to think, pray, or read instead of jumping up as soon as I wake, and then to move more slowly through my morning routine.
I’ve already tried this twice and I was really surprised at how good I felt going into the rest of the day. I guess “taking your foot off the gas” really does lower stress and bring some clarity, focus, and for me, a lot more joy to the rest of my day. Who knew?!
8. Have at least one day dedicated to spiritual renewal.
I listened to a podcast episode about slowing down (are you noticing a theme here?) and having regular retreats with God. I can’t commit to flying solo to a beach hut in the Caribbean or a fishing shack in Nova Scotia to spend time alone with God, but I can commit to planning one day where I spend time in silence and solitude with Him in my own home.
I am very curious about getting away and spending several days in silence and solitude though. Maybe next summer!
9. Make an ice cream cake.
Ok I realize I have several things on my list dedicated to food, but what can I say…? I love cooking and I love eating!
I’ve definitely had ice cream cake before, but I’ve never actually made one before. To be honest, I’m not the hugest ice cream fan, but there are like two weeks every summer where I crave ice cream, and I’m intrigued by the idea of making an ice cream cake at home, so this is the summer to finally give it a go.
I haven’t decided on a recipe yet, but I keep coming back to this one because banana pudding is another nostalgic memory from my childhood. Nostalgia all the way!
10. Tap into my creativity.
This one may seem vague, but after reading several books on calling and creativity this spring, I’m really wanting more creative expression in my life now, so this summer will be one for playing and experimenting and reconnecting with the creative side of me I somehow left behind over the past decade or so.
I have some ideas (see #4 and #6 above) but more definite ideas are still forming in my mind.
I’m hoping that as I slow down this summer and do more things I enjoy doing, maybe my creativity will slip back into my everyday life without too much coaxing from me. We’ll see.
PS - While digging through a box looking for childhood books for my summer reading list, I found an old notebook with a summer “schedule” I’d written for myself. I’m not sure, but I’m guessing from my the spelling and penmanship I was around six years old when I made it. (#nerdalert)
It was only one page (I guess six-year-old me abandoned the idea of scheduling my summer days pretty quickly) and I was very precise about the times (“wake up at 6:56am”), but there wasn’t much written down, (summers are pretty free when you’re six, I guess) but I did make sure to write down what time my favorite morning shows and afternoon shows came on hahaha! (I could not miss Mr. Rogers or Under the Umbrella Tree! IYKYK.)
I also made sure to include my childhood BFF’s birthday party in my plans, too. So glad I could squeeze her in between my shows and all that free time! Talk about a low-key summer!
What’s on your summer checklist? Do you have big plans or are you keeping it low-key like me?
This is not a sponsored post and I’m not affiliated with anyone or anything in it.
(Photo by Yannes Kiefer on Unsplash)
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Hi! I'm Abigail, your real-talk Christian life coach and faith mentor. I believe we're on this earth for a reason, and I LOVE helping people realize and live that truth so that they can reach their God-given potential in all areas of life.
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