This Weekend: See Art, Buy Flowers and Keep the Oven Off
Get ideas for staying cool, getting organized and beautifying your life
Time to flip the calendar to a fresh page and say hello to the dog days of summer: August has arrived. It’s a good weekend to scoop up armfuls of blooms, cool off in an art museum and plan some no-cook dinners. Nine could-dos for your weekend are ahead.
2. Plan Easy, No-Cook Dinners
For those nights when you’re too hot to step foot outside to fire up the grill (let alone turn on the oven), a no-cook dinner could be just the thing. Think meal-worthy salads, wraps, sandwiches and antipasto boards piled high with juicy summer tomatoes and fresh mozzarella. Be sure to set out pitchers of icy drinks, and serve something equally cool and fuss-free for dessert, like chilled watermelon and popsicles.
The Rules of Summer: Kitchen Edition | Find popsicle molds
For those nights when you’re too hot to step foot outside to fire up the grill (let alone turn on the oven), a no-cook dinner could be just the thing. Think meal-worthy salads, wraps, sandwiches and antipasto boards piled high with juicy summer tomatoes and fresh mozzarella. Be sure to set out pitchers of icy drinks, and serve something equally cool and fuss-free for dessert, like chilled watermelon and popsicles.
The Rules of Summer: Kitchen Edition | Find popsicle molds
3. Cool Off in an Art Museum
Long summer days were made for museums: They’re reliably cool inside, and you can fill up your well with inspiration in a way that the latest summer blockbuster can’t quite match. If you’re in the Seattle area, check out the Seattle Art Fair (August 2-5) featuring works from more than 80 galleries. Also this weekend is the American Craft Show (August 3-5) in San Francisco, which hosts more than 250 of the country’s top contemporary home decor and jewelry artists. Not on the West Coast? Pick a local museum or art gallery you’ve been meaning to visit and see whether they have any special events happening this weekend.
Budget tip: Check with your local library before you go, as some offer discounted (or even free) passes to regional museums.
Get Inspired at the 40th Annual American Craft Council Show
Long summer days were made for museums: They’re reliably cool inside, and you can fill up your well with inspiration in a way that the latest summer blockbuster can’t quite match. If you’re in the Seattle area, check out the Seattle Art Fair (August 2-5) featuring works from more than 80 galleries. Also this weekend is the American Craft Show (August 3-5) in San Francisco, which hosts more than 250 of the country’s top contemporary home decor and jewelry artists. Not on the West Coast? Pick a local museum or art gallery you’ve been meaning to visit and see whether they have any special events happening this weekend.
Budget tip: Check with your local library before you go, as some offer discounted (or even free) passes to regional museums.
Get Inspired at the 40th Annual American Craft Council Show
4. Refresh Play Spaces
If the cries of “I’m bored!” are getting to you, it may be time to shake things up. With little ones participating if possible, clean out the play area. Rotate toys so that items the kids haven’t seen in a while are front and center, in easy-access bins and baskets without lids. Round up favorite art materials in a caddy or recycled jars and stack clean paper in a tray. Remove excess items to a storage closet in another room if you can — you can rotate them back in later — or donate toys in good condition to a family shelter.
Tip: When it comes to toys, it’s often the tiny stuff that drives parents the craziest. Choose one medium-size container to hold all the little things that don’t easily fit elsewhere (party favors, tiny plastic figures) and commit to getting rid of anything that doesn’t fit in the space provided.
9 Ways to Create a Playroom Kids Will Love
If the cries of “I’m bored!” are getting to you, it may be time to shake things up. With little ones participating if possible, clean out the play area. Rotate toys so that items the kids haven’t seen in a while are front and center, in easy-access bins and baskets without lids. Round up favorite art materials in a caddy or recycled jars and stack clean paper in a tray. Remove excess items to a storage closet in another room if you can — you can rotate them back in later — or donate toys in good condition to a family shelter.
Tip: When it comes to toys, it’s often the tiny stuff that drives parents the craziest. Choose one medium-size container to hold all the little things that don’t easily fit elsewhere (party favors, tiny plastic figures) and commit to getting rid of anything that doesn’t fit in the space provided.
9 Ways to Create a Playroom Kids Will Love
5. Print and Display Favorite Summer Photos
If your photos have mostly been living on your phone (or in the cloud), take some time this weekend to choose a few dozen favorites and have them printed. Give a few away to family or friends and pick a way to display the rest. For a change of pace, try clipping photos to a wire, sticking them to the wall with washi tape or casually propping frames on a picture rail.
How to Display Lots of Photos Without a Perfect Gallery Wall
If your photos have mostly been living on your phone (or in the cloud), take some time this weekend to choose a few dozen favorites and have them printed. Give a few away to family or friends and pick a way to display the rest. For a change of pace, try clipping photos to a wire, sticking them to the wall with washi tape or casually propping frames on a picture rail.
How to Display Lots of Photos Without a Perfect Gallery Wall
6. Make an Emergency Evacuation Plan
Hurricanes, floods earthquakes — every region has its own natural disasters to contend with. And while it’s not pleasant to think about needing to leave your home suddenly, if it does happen you’ll be glad to have a solid evacuation plan in place. This weekend, check to make sure you have emergency kits assembled for each member of the household, including pets. Along with your kits, keep a list of two or three locations you’ll go to if you need to leave your home (hotel, friend or family member’s home, emergency shelter) and an out-the-door checklist of things to grab and do before evacuating.
5 Essential Elements of a Storm Evacuation Plan
Hurricanes, floods earthquakes — every region has its own natural disasters to contend with. And while it’s not pleasant to think about needing to leave your home suddenly, if it does happen you’ll be glad to have a solid evacuation plan in place. This weekend, check to make sure you have emergency kits assembled for each member of the household, including pets. Along with your kits, keep a list of two or three locations you’ll go to if you need to leave your home (hotel, friend or family member’s home, emergency shelter) and an out-the-door checklist of things to grab and do before evacuating.
5 Essential Elements of a Storm Evacuation Plan
7. Try Seed Saving
If you’re growing heirloom tomatoes or any other heirloom or open-pollinated crop in your garden, saving some of the seeds for next year can help preserve plant diversity and prevent a single pest from wiping out a crop. To save seeds, harvest and fully dry seeds from your heirloom plant before storing them in a cool, dry area (like a north-facing room with low humidity) for next year’s planting.
Connect with people who save and exchange seeds
If you’re growing heirloom tomatoes or any other heirloom or open-pollinated crop in your garden, saving some of the seeds for next year can help preserve plant diversity and prevent a single pest from wiping out a crop. To save seeds, harvest and fully dry seeds from your heirloom plant before storing them in a cool, dry area (like a north-facing room with low humidity) for next year’s planting.
Connect with people who save and exchange seeds
8. Plan Now for a Cooler Yard Next Year
With changes in the light and tree foliage, it can be hard to judge in other seasons just how hot your yard gets in midsummer. Take note this weekend of hot and cool spots in your yard: Could you use another tree, awnings over the windows, a pergola, more umbrellas? Snap a few photos of your yard as a reminder and make notes or start a Houzz ideabook to gather ideas for next year.
While It’s Still Hot Outside, Design a Landscape for Cooling
With changes in the light and tree foliage, it can be hard to judge in other seasons just how hot your yard gets in midsummer. Take note this weekend of hot and cool spots in your yard: Could you use another tree, awnings over the windows, a pergola, more umbrellas? Snap a few photos of your yard as a reminder and make notes or start a Houzz ideabook to gather ideas for next year.
While It’s Still Hot Outside, Design a Landscape for Cooling
9. Make the Most of Vacation Days
Have a vacation or weekend getaway on the horizon? Make a packing list, have the post office hold your mail if needed and confirm dates with the pet sitter or kennel. Once the logistics are taken care of, consider what you really want from your vacation: Do you want time unplugged, more family connection, the chance to finally finish a good book, an adventure? Set an intention for your trip to be present to the beauty of the little moments, while at the same time accepting that some things are bound to not go as planned.
Your turn: What are you looking forward to this weekend? Let us know in the Comments.
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Have a vacation or weekend getaway on the horizon? Make a packing list, have the post office hold your mail if needed and confirm dates with the pet sitter or kennel. Once the logistics are taken care of, consider what you really want from your vacation: Do you want time unplugged, more family connection, the chance to finally finish a good book, an adventure? Set an intention for your trip to be present to the beauty of the little moments, while at the same time accepting that some things are bound to not go as planned.
Your turn: What are you looking forward to this weekend? Let us know in the Comments.
More
Easy Ways to Spruce Up Your Summer Vacation Rental
Turn Off the Video Games and Turn On Your Kid’s Creativity
6 Ways to Cool Off Without Air Conditioning
Dahlias, sunflowers and cosmos, oh my! Summer is peak season for many gorgeous flowers, which also means that farm stands, gardens and markets are bursting with blooms just waiting for you to take home. Scoop up a bouquet at your local market or (if you’re up for an adventure) search for a pick-your-own flower farm within driving distance and come home with an entire carload of summer flowers.
15 Inspiring Summer Gardens in All Their Colorful Glory