My Summer Bucket List

I don't want summer to come and go without really feeling like summer!  I know that sounds funny but remember as a kid how awesome summer was - we were outside all day, in the pool, at the beach, we would eat dinner really fast and head right back outside, night swimming, matinee movies on rainy days, riding our bikes everywhere and just an overall feeling of freedom.  Everything felt like a treat even a trip to get ice cream in the middle of the day.

When my kids were little I still loved that special feeling of summer.  We would head to the beach at least 3 times a week!  I would pack up the car with all the beach toys, boggie boards, towels, beach chairs and cooler full of snacks and lunch.  We would meet other moms and kids down there and spend the day. Maybe stopping for ice cream on the way home and I loved coming home to a hot shower and that total exhaustion feeling.  The lazy days of summer.  In between beach days or weeks of summer camp I planned field trips.  We went to the Queen Mary, water park, the Hollywood Bowl for art day, the science center or some other museum - my kids still talk about that and just the other day they all mentioned they wanted to do some "field trips" this summer.  Everything felt special.  But now they are older and they still love heading to the beach but more on their own and not with mom.  I got a little sad about it but I still love the freeing feel of summer - no early morning lunches to be made, no early morning chaos to get everybody out the door AND the good news is I still have hours during the day when they are off and I can get my work done.

BUT I want to make sure I plan things so that I still have that "special" summertime feeling.

Someone posted their child's summer bucket list on Facebook last week and it got me thinking that I needed a summer bucket list for me so summer doesn't pass me by. There are so many fun things going on in the summer and I live in a city rich with summer time events. I have decided to take advantage of them - some with my kids, some with my husband, some with both and some just with me!  I am exicted to see what Los Angeles and my own small town has to offer this summer!!

So here are some of the things I've put on my Summer Time Bucket list!! I am pretty sure that some of these may roll into a "fall" bucket list but for right now I am focusing on summer!

Hollywood Bowl concert
El Segundo Art Walk
ESMOA
Grammy Museum & LA Live
Hike to the Hollywood sign
Day Trip to Catalina
Getty Museum
Evening walk through Venice Canals
Attend concert at Disney Concert Hall
Visit Huntington Gardens & Gramble House
LA Galaxy Game
Griffith Observatory
Chinatown
Grand Central Market for game night
Try a new restaurant a couple times a month
Dinner down at the beach
Take an afternoon once a week and read!
Each week try a new fitness class, hike or different workout class

July 1st is fast approaching - time to get busy!!!  Who's with me on making this summer the BEST? I would love to hear any other ideas!!