Summers aren’t quite the same now as they were in the days of my youth – eating ice cream, lounging lazily by the pool, & having nothing but summer vacations & spending time with friends to think about for months. But, I still think there is something magical about those nostalgic, hot summer evenings, doing as much as you can before the sun goes down.
If you’re looking to add a little more excitement to your summer this year, read on for 50 summer bucket list ideas for adults that can fit into a weekday evening or a free weekend afternoon. Perhaps it will give just a little taste of those blissful summer days from so long ago.
Joseph & me at the farmer’s market a few hours before he proposed
After a season of growth, summer is the perfect season to relax & find joy in the present moment.
Positive affirmations are a great way to reframe your perspective on life & keep your mind focused on what’s most important. Your mindset has the power to give you more confidence & positivity in your daily life, or to bring you down. By repeating affirmations in your mind, you can ease anxieties & help yourself to focus on what’s most important.
These five affirmations are geared towards summer fun & relaxation. Whether you are trying to clear your mind while lounging by the pool, or if you’re attempting to ease anxieties before a big trip, these affirmations will help you enjoy your summer to its fullest. Feel free to share on social media, or save these graphics to make them your new phone background! It’s an easy way to remind yourself to repeat these words when you need them most.
The summer is almost over, which means it’s nearly time for cozy sweaters and pumpkin spice lattes. It also means that the music scene is about to change from carefree beats to more sentimental tunes.
However, there are a few more warm days left. So, until the leaves start to change, I am going to keep listening to my summer vibe playlist, and I thought I would share it with you to enjoy, too. I have to warn you now: not all the songs are upbeat, but they make up the soundtrack of my summer of 2020.
I hope you enjoy it! Please feel free to share your favorite summer vibe songs in the comment below – I would love to add them to my listening queue.
Summer Vibes Playlist
1. Here Comes the Sun by The Beatles
I can’t go more than a few days of summer without listening to this classic goodie. Yes, finally, the summer is here, and the sun is out. It’s time to slow down and just enjoy life a little more.
2. The 1 by Taylor Swift (E)
Aptly named as the first song in her surprise new album, The 1 by Taylor Swift is the perfect introduction to an album with a completely different vibe than the artist’s previous works. It’s a bittersweet, regretful, lost love song that I can’t stop listening to.
3. Sleep on the Floor by The Lumineers
Me and my team at the Fred and Pamela Buffet Cancer Center in Nebraska during 4K for Cancer 2019
Something that characterized this summer for me was travel and adventure. I have always wanted to travel, but have never had the means or the time. This summer, I finally had the chance to explore the world outside of my comfort zone, and it was even better than I had expected. This song by The Lumineers is my favorite song to listen to while traveling. It was introduced to me by one of my teammates on 4K for Cancer in summer of 2019, and I can’t help but have joyful tears come to my eyes when I listen to it and think back to that crazy adventure.
4. Be Kind by Halsey and Marshmello
Halsey has been one of my favorite artists since she started creating music. Her lyrics are always pure poetry. This collaboration with Marshmello is an upbeat song with a deeper meaning that touches on how we tend to hurt the ones who love us best.
5. Don’t Stop Me Now by Queen
It doesn’t matter the time of year or what I have planned for the day – this is always my favorite song to start my day with. It’s the song that always pumps me up and helps me feel ready for my day.
6 Wishing Well by Juice WRLD (E)
Juice WRLD passed away in December of last year due to an accidental overdose. However, his music has still continued to be released since then, and some of the songs, like this one, reveal just how much the young rapper was struggling. It’s an eye-opening song about depression and addiction set to a deceptively cheery beat.
7. Thunder by Imagine Dragons
In addition to “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen, this is the other tune I always turn to for a little motivation. It featured frequently on my summer queue this year as I struggled with unemployment and began to explore my passions more.
8. It’s Hard to be Human by Kina Grannis
This truly was the vibe of 2020, wasn’t it? It’s hard to be human, but luckily, it’s an experience we all can understand and empathize with. We’re all in this together.
9. I’m Alive (Life Sounds Like) by Michael Franti and Spearhead
The proposal 7/14/20 – Photo by Jon Mauler
I got engaged this summer! I can’t say too much about this song – stay tuned to the blog for more sneak peaks and details about Joseph’s and my 2021 wedding. This is just a little taste.
10. Reckless Love/Even If by Mass Anthem
“Even If” by MercyMe will always be the Christian song that touches my heart most. It was the song that changed my life. “Reckless Love” by Cory Asbury was the song I sang throughout my college years with my friends when we worshipped at Campus Crusade for Christ (CRU) club meetings. The combination of the two creates a song that never fails to bring tears to my eyes. During the hard moments this summer, this was the song I listened to for solace and comfort.
11. Colorado by CHAPPY
The highlight of my summer (besides, of course, getting engaged) was the road trip to Colorado with my new fiancé. This song was the soundtrack of our trip.
12. Own Alone by Bahamas
This was a song Joseph introduced me to, and I just can’t help continuing to listen to it. It has such a unique sound and fun beat; it always makes me smile.
13. How Many Times by Marcus Foster
This song is a bit more chill than some of the others on this list. It’s the perfect summer vibe song for a lazy afternoon in the sun.
14. In the Colors by Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals
Joseph and me on the top of Mount Royal in Frisco, Colorado
This was Joseph’s and my summer vibe song. We listened to it quite a few times while spending time together in all the colors of summer.
15. Yellow Lines by Brendan James
Here’s one more of my favorite travel songs because I really did spend much of this summer traveling, specifically road-tripping. Driving along those yellow lines, this was the song I listened to most. This summer, I embarked on many adventures, not just in the places that I went, but in the new, life-changing steps I took in my relationship and career. It was a summer filled with long roads that lead to endless possibilities.
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It seems like the novel coronavirus is not going anywhere soon, so we have all been tasked with finding ways to navigate this “new normal.” For travel enthusiasts, like me, that can be a difficult task considering the amount of risk and restriction associated with travel. Airports are practically a breeding ground for the virus, and every country and state has different mandates about how and when people are allowed to visit.
It is recommended to stay at home as much as possible unless travel is essential, but sometimes, we all need to step outside of our homes for our own mental health. If that’s you, consider using these tips to keep your travels as safe as possible.
1. Do your research
Research your own state’s laws and the laws of the state or country you are planning to travel to. Know what the restrictions are and what is required of you, such as having an extended quarantine when you arrive at your destination or after you return home. If you can limit your travel to within your own state, that’s even safer, and it can be more realistic if you can’t take the time off to quarantine from your job.
2. Wear a mask
Joseph and me on a main street in Leesburg, Virginia, where we were visiting Joseph’s sister, Jo, and her husband, Dan
Whether your state or the place you are visiting requires it, wear a mask. The most recent research shows that this protects not only the people around you, but yourself as well. Make sure the mask you are wearing is approved by the CDC, and please wear it over your mouth and nose. Both your mouth and nose lead to your respiratory system, so there is absolutely no point in leaving your nose exposed.
If you can, avoid international travel or travel to faraway states that requires a plane ride. Airports pose a much larger risk of contracting and spreading the virus than your own vehicle. If you can stay within your own state, even better. But if you want to travel out-of-state, consider the idea of road tripping there. The great part of this is driving to your destination enables you to see more of the scenery and to stop at other places along the way that seem fun or interesting. Make a road trip playlist (or use mine below) to listen to some entertaining tunes along the way.
4. Keep your hands as clean as possible
Wash your hands frequently, and keep a bottle of hand sanitizer in your car for times when you can’t. Keeping your hands clean dramatically reduces your chance to contracting and spreading the virus. And remember, even when you think your hands are clean, do NOT touch your face!
5. Stay away from other people as much as possible
If you are traveling simply to get out of the house, consider alternatives to hotel stays and popular tourist attractions. Hiking, fishing, and other outdoor activities are great alternatives to walking busy streets. Consider packing your own food or getting takeout rather than dining at a restaurant. And while the weather is still warm, camping can be a more affordable and safer alternative to hotel stays.
Traveling to other places is fun, but it only seems worth it when you really get to experience those places. The good news is that the tourist attractions are often not the best way to achieve this – the best way to experience a place is to go where the locals go. So, again, do your research. Make a list of the places you want to visit and things you want to do that are low-risk, such as visiting national parks, scenic points, local eateries that are offering carry-out, and main streets in small towns.
7. Get tested for COVID-19 when you come home
Whether your state recommends it or not, a safe step you can take at the end of your trip is getting tested for COVID-19 as soon as you return and quarantining until you get the results. Waiting to interact with other people until you know you’re safe can help prevent the spreading of the virus to dozens of people. It’s always better to be safe than sorry, so if you are willing to take the risk of traveling, consider making sure that you are the only one who experiences any potential consequences of that choice.
Traveling can be a great way to take care of your mental health and get active in your daily life, but during times like this, it should always be done with caution and forethought. Don’t stop living life, but make sure when you do embark on any adventures, you are doing so safely for yourself and others.
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One of my favorite things about summer is the fresh produce. I love walking into my own backyard and finding inspiration for cooking from the vegetables in my garden. And one of my favorite vegetables is zucchini. It’s so versatile – it’s delicious baked, fried, steamed, or sauteéd, and it can be used a number of ways in dishes, from zoodles to zucchini bread.
Lately, my garden has been giving me zucchini the size of baseball bats, so I decided to use its size to my advantage and make the vegetable the star of my dish. Zucchini boats were the first recipe that came to mind.
Zucchini boats are a favorite of mine because they can be used in any type of cuisine. The zucchini simply acts as the vehicle for whatever you would rather be eating. It’s a low-carb way to make a filling, nutritious, vegetable-packed meal.
Because I had marinara sauce sitting in my cupboard, I decided to go with an Italian spin for tonight’s dinner. Below is the recipe I created, but feel free to experiment with your favorite flavors and the ingredients you have in your cupboard. The oven temperature and cooking times should be relatively stable for just about any filling options.
I hope you enjoy the recipe! Please feel free to leave me a comment about how the recipe turned out for you, or to share your favorite way to make zucchini boats.
Italian Zucchini Boats
Makes: 2 generous servings
Ingredients:
1 zucchini (my zucchini are so big, I used half of one – like I said, they are the size of baseball bats)
1 cup marinara sauce (for a low-FODMAP option, I used Rao’s Homemade Sensitive Marinara sauce – it’s so delicious, you will never miss the onion and garlic)
8oz cooked chicken breast, chopped, or ground chicken (see Notes for how I baked my chicken breast)
2/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking dish with foil and spray with cooking spray.
Cut zucchini in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds, leaving the ends intact to create small “boats” (this is to make sure the filling does not pour out the sides while baking).
In a medium-sized bowl, combine cooked chicken, marinara sauce, and 1/3 cup mozzarella cheese. Fill the zucchini with the mixture.
Bake for 25 minutes, or until a fork inserts easily into the zucchini.
Sprinkle zucchini with remaining 1/3 cup mozzarella cheese. Bake for another two minutes, or until the cheese melts.
Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.
Notes:
The best way I have found to cook moist, delicious chicken breasts is to place them in a baking dish coated in cooking spray and then cover them with parchment paper. Bake the chicken breasts at 400 degrees F for 40 minutes. It’s cooked perfectly every single time. For this recipe, I rubbed my chicken breasts with Italian seasoning before baking.
