Every year, when I was in grade school, just as the school year ended, Mother would sit me down at the kitchen table with a yellow legal pad and a pen. “I want you to write down everything you want to do this summer,” she’d say. “Even vacations?” I’d reply. “Everything,” mother said. So, I’d get to work on what I would now call my “Summer Bucket List.” I’d stick the list on the refrigerator door with a big magnet and draw little square boxes next to each item so I could check them off as we finished my summer dreams.
I always included trips to the library to check out books on my list. I still love the smell of the library in the summer. The other must-haves included trips to the beach, usually Galveston, the Red River, New Mexico mountains, and a long weekend trip closer to home in Salado, Texas. Mother loved the sound of the sea, the feel of the sand between her toes, gathering shells, and long early-morning walks on the beach. Daddy loved the cool, crisp mountain air, jeep rides, and watching the wildlife. The list goes on – museums, the pool, Six Flags with California cousins, sleepovers with bestie, watching fireworks, making S’mores, catching fireflies, going on a picnic, sleeping late, going to the movies, eating cold watermelon, making homemade ice cream, and bake cookies. And, of course, my birthday is in August, so my bucket list always included picking out my cake!
I’ve created a free downloadable printable for you to carry on this tradition in your home. Your “Summer Bucket List” may look different than my 10-year-old’s eyes, but our goals are the same – celebrate every day of the summer months. As author Jenny Han said, “Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August.”
Click to download and print
Hospitality is in my DNA. I founded Home with a Twist, a daughter’s twist on her mother’s traditions, in memory of my mother to celebrate her life and the gifts she shared with me. Mother loved to celebrate life’s occasions – big and small.
