It’s summer! Late afternoon picnics on the beach, campfires, early morning walks, and lots of food from our garden are a few of the things I’m looking forward to the most. This summer, we’re slowing down. We have a couple of fun trips planned (Michigan and Vermont!) but otherwise we’re trying hard to keep our schedule open, and enjoy what summer has to offer in our own yard, neighborhood, and local area.

In years past we’ve booked our summer solid. Every weekend heading in a different direction, no doubt having an awesome time. But then, we were playing catch up all week long on the basics we didn’t get done over the weekend – grocery shopping, basic food prep, laundry. Summer would come to an end and it almost felt like a relief because we didn’t come up for air for 2 months. So this summer, we don’t want to feel relieved it’s over. We’re planning less and being a bit more spontaneous. Random day trip to the lake? We’re free, sign us up! 7pm concert at Prescott Park, we’re all there. I’m not talking about staying home on our deck all summer long, but rather having a balance of time at home and time exploring. It’s pretty fun to be able to say yes to an afternoon plan 2 hours before. In years past we’ve never been able to say yes to these plans!

I am home with Finn part time, so we are also slowing down during the week, too. In the winter we tend to have an activity a day, just to get us out of the house. We had kept up with this trend until just recently. It was a Monday evening and I felt oddly stressed. I realized at dinner that we were booked solid the whole day – 4 separate plans. That was the end of that. We cancelled all of our plans for the rest of the week. It was just what we needed and I instantly felt grounded and happier. There is something to be said for a free morning where you can just see where the day goes.

So my challenge to you? Slow down a bit this summer. Drink your coffee on your porch. Explore your local area. Leave at least a couple weekends unplanned, open for a weekend around home or a spontaneous day trip. Don’t let the things that make you happy and feel in control the rest of the year get overlooked. Prioritize time for yourself, time to be in the kitchen, and time to chill, just as you would the rest of the year. Have fun and appreciate the sweetness of this season!