14 To-Dos to Make the Most of Summer
Having an agenda can be a very good thing — like when it involves hammocks, outdoor games and farm-fresh fruit
Laura Gaskill
June 23, 2016
Houzz Contributor. I cover decorating ideas, Houzz tours & the monthly home maintenance checklist. My favorite pieces to write center around the emotional aspects of home and savoring life's simple pleasures. Decluttering course + discount for Houzzers: https://www.lauragaskill.com/welcome-houzzers
Houzz Contributor. I cover decorating ideas, Houzz tours & the monthly home maintenance... More
Making a summer want-to-do list is a great way to be sure you make time for everything you want to do before the season slips by. You can probably think of plenty of items to add to your list that involve outings, like spending the day at the beach, going to a baseball game, jumping in a lake or eating a lobster roll at your favorite clam shack — but what about fun things you can do without leaving home? Consider adding these 14 ideas to your list.
1. Photograph your house. Years from now, whether you still live in your home or have moved on to another place, it can be rewarding to have a few mementos of your home life as it is today. Take a few shots of the exterior from across the street and each room inside, plus any special details, like your children's height marks on a door frame or the view from your favorite window.
See how to take better photos of your house
See how to take better photos of your house
2. Set the stage for a staycation. A few days off at home in summer can be even sweeter if you've taken the time to stock your home and patio with summer essentials. Clean up those deck chairs and treat yourself to a few fluffy new towels or pillows, a stack of books and your favorite icy drinks.
Find your summer patio style
Find your summer patio style
3. String up a hammock. Just looking at a hammock swaying gently in the breeze is relaxing — actually lounging in one is even better! If you don't have trees or a pergola to hang yours from, look for a hammock that comes with its own freestanding frame.
4. Try a fresh take on the guest book. Take a snapshot of every person who visits your home this summer, and tack all of the photos up on your fridge or on a special bulletin board. The growing jumble of photos will be like an ever-changing art display — and by the end of the summer, you'll have enough to fill an album.
5. Add a summery outdoor feature. An outdoor shower, pizza oven, fire pit, movie screen ... any or all of these can transform your outdoor space. And the beauty is, most of these projects can be completed on a variety of budgets.
6. Transform your garage or shed into usable space. Why let that garage or shed just sit there, when it could be reimagined as an art studio, a workshop or a Ping-Pong room? Let your plans for the space motivate you to get it cleared out and refreshed, so you can begin enjoying it before the summer is over.
7. Try a nonlawn game. No lawn? Set up a game of bocce or pétanque on a gravel court or driveway.
8. Decorate with flea market finds. Freshen up your home on a budget by hunting at summer flea markets and yard sales for bargain finds. Spruce up your finds with a lick of paint or new knobs.
Get ideas for creating your own vintage style
Get ideas for creating your own vintage style
9. Try an upcycling project. Look at your cast-offs with an eye to repurposing, and you may be able to create something entirely new without spending a dime. In the space shown here, an old boogie board tops a table, and camp blankets cover pillows and chairs. Start with materials you already have and search for project ideas that appeal to you.
Step-by-step DIY projects for indoors and out
Step-by-step DIY projects for indoors and out
10. Preserve the harvest. The next time you come into a bounty of peak-of-season perfect produce — whether it's from your own garden or a farm stand — get enough to put some by for later. Canning is a popular choice for preserving fruits, but if boiling jars isn't your idea of fun on a hot summer day, consider freezing your haul instead. Just spread out berries or sliced peaches on a baking sheet and freeze them so they don't stick together, then dump them into labeled freezer bags.
11. Camp out in the backyard. Setting up the tent, roasting s'mores over the fire pit and telling stories in the dark is just as fun for little ones whether you are deep in the mountains or in your own backyard. In fact, even if you don't want to sleep outside, tents and tepees make great temporary summer playhouses for kids.
Simple to Stunning Tepees and Tents
Simple to Stunning Tepees and Tents
12. Finally print all of those pictures and put up a gallery wall. Ah, the digital age. If you are anything like me, most of your photos exist only on your computer's hard drive. Commit to making a change this summer by selecting your favorites to print. Fill an entire wall with frames for a fun, eclectic look.
See gallery wall ideas for every personality
See gallery wall ideas for every personality
13. Take on a major remodeling project. If you have been planning a kitchen remodeling project, summer can be a great time to dive in. After all, when else would setting up a temporary outdoor kitchen actually seem fun?
14. Simplify ... and then simply relax. Streamline your belongings and cut clutter out of your life to make more room for what you really want to do.
Take the first step in decluttering
Tell us: What is on your summer want-to-do list?
Take the first step in decluttering
Tell us: What is on your summer want-to-do list?
Landscape Management Group was founded in 2011 by owner Mike Farrell. Our team is committed to excellence in... Read More
Related Products
Related Stories
Organizing
How to Create a Joyful, Clutter-Free Home Office
Follow these steps to get rid of the paper piles and make room for beauty and better organization
Full Story
Remodeling Guides
15 Ways to Create Separation in an Open Floor Plan
By tidgboutique
Use these pro tips to minimize noise, delineate space and establish personal boundaries in an open layout
Full Story
White
Design Pros Share 10 Favorite Creamy White Paints
By Becky Harris
These off-white color choices include versatile tones, warming hues and pleasingly soft shades
Full Story
Entryways
4 Designer Tips for a Fashionable Entry
By tidgboutique
A pro shows how adding color, statement pieces and more to a foyer can set the right tone for the rest of the home
Full Story
Most Popular
7 Major Decorating Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
By tidgboutique
Gain confidence to start your interior design project with this advice from a professional designer
Full Story
Living Rooms
4 Must-Have Features for a Small Living Room
By tidgboutique
A designer shares important ways to live large in a tight space and make it look stylish
Full Story
Most Popular
7 Common Decorating Mistakes to Avoid
Pros share solutions to design problems they often find in people’s living spaces
Full Story
Most Popular
How to Decorate a Living Room
By tidgboutique
A designer offers tips for creating a comfortable space that reflects your style
Full Story
Budget Decorating
Where to Splurge and Where to Save When Decorating
By tidgboutique
See where it makes sense to invest in durable essentials and focal pieces, and where to economize on other things
Full Story
Lighting
Pro Tips for Lighting 10 Rooms and Outdoor Areas
Get professional advice for lighting your kitchen, bathroom, living room, office, patio and more
Full Story
I do appreciate the ideas and love nothing more in the summer than laying my hammock with a cat and a book, spending the night in the backyard in a tent is out of the question! I can just imagine it now; me and the bats, scorpions, tarantulas, and whatever snake decides to slither up in the night!
Not really Houzz connected, but a summer cherished by my siblings and me is the summer when we had no television (it broke and we couldn't afford to fix it). It became a summer of books: going to the library to check out our own (and entering the competition to see if we could read the most books that summer) and afternoons of my mother reading aloud to us in the coolest bedroom of the house.
I don't think we ever had a more peaceful summer, when we all felt simply good together, than the summer without TV. Maybe an unplugged summer would be a good way to 'find time' for all those projects that we plan to do in summer, but somehow don't get around to.
Fantastic Article! Great ideas! Our clients love the variety colors and very easy care of Handpainted Canvas Floor Cloths, perfect for outdoor seating, an Arizona Room, or any room in your home! Each one is designed and created using paints, chalk, metallic treatment, crayon, pen, pencil, marker, and other media.
With several coats of poly-varnish, these floor cloths will last for many years. They are vacuum safe, non-allergenic, durable, and will soften over the years. Commissions are welcome in sizes, all the way up to 9' x 12'.
www.Etsy.com/Shop/BernsenFloorCloths or
contact Marianne Bernsen by email at MarianneBernsen@gmail.com