Anyone who knows me knows I love two things. If you guessed Starbucks & Target, you are correct, but not the two I’m talking about today. They are lists and traditions. I found a fun way to put the two together & have a ton of fun with my kids in the process. It’s our Summer Bucket List! I started doing this in 2013 with the goal in mind of making sure my then 7 year old’s Summer wasn’t completely lame even though we had a newborn in the house. I have to say, it totally worked! It was a great incentive to get out of the house and have some fun.
I originally just made the list in the “notes” section of my iPhone and we kept track of which activities we had finished. This worked, but I was missing the act of actually crossing things off the list. There’s just something so satisfying about drawing that black line. Anyone who has ever been my second shooter at a wedding is also well aware of this, as I request that they cross things off the family formal list not just check them off. Luckily my lovely second shooters understand my quirks and still seem to like me at the end of the day. 😉
Back to the point though, in 2015 we came up with a new & improved way of doing our bucket list. I typed up all 50 of our activities & printed it on standard letter sized paper. Then I just purchased an 8.5 x 11″ document frame & slipped it right in. You can get these anywhere, I’ve gotten them in the past from Dollar Tree, the one pictured is from Target. Once it’s in the frame we use a dry-erase marker to cross each item off the list as we finish it.
We only have few rules for our Summer Bucket List:
1) we all take turns choosing the activity we want to do for the day (some of the bigger activities like a day at the zoo are pre-scheduled)
2) Photo or it didn’t happen. First because I’m a super-sentimental photographer Mom, so it’s a given. Second because otherwise my 11 year old may have the whole bucket list done before my 2 and 4 year old get in the pool for the first time. This way we are intentionally doing things together.
3) NO MOMMY GUILT. The last thing I want this list to feel like is a chore, or a reminder of all of the things you haven’t yet done with the kiddos this Summer. We have never, ever gotten everything on this list done in a Summer, and that’s OK! My kids don’t expect us to get everything done. What this list does is remind us to have a daily adventure whether it’s something small like heading outside to blow bubbles, or something bigger like a day-trip to the zoo. We are more mindful of spending time together when we wake up and say, “What should we cross off of our Bucket List today?
4) Mama crosses each thing off the list… I think we’ve already established why this is. haha!
I decided to make a spin-off of this list for all of my lovely readers to download as well, Summer Date Bucket List. 50 date ideas ranging from nostalgic ones like – “take a spin on a merry-go-round” to adventurous ones like “go rock climbing”. Remember, getting there is half the fun with these date ideas. Drive around together, go somewhere you’ve never been, scope out a lemonade stand to grab a quick drink on a hot Saturday. Have fun with it! These are date night (or day) ideas for couples who don’t take themselves too seriously, and I totally think Candid Contrast couples fit the bill!
So please, download below & share your adventure with us on Instagram! Use the hashtag #ccpbucketlist whether you are working off of the date night list or the family fun list. I can’t wait to see you all out there having fun + making memories.
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