5 THINGS YOU HAVE TO DO THIS SUMMER (FOR ADULTS)

As an adult, summer may just seem like another passing season. After all, work is still in session and bills still have to be paid. But, there are plenty of ways you can relive the joy you had during your childhood summers as an adult.
 
Here are a few things you have to do this summer to have the best summer ever:

1. MAKE SLUSHEES

Nothing says summer like a cool, refreshing drink on a long summer night. But, if you’re working or busy with the kids, it might be difficult to find time to break out the blender, buy expensive flavorings, and mix them one by one.
 
Instead, you can use a cool Pinterest hack and make your own slushees with your favorite carbonated drinks. Unfortunately, from what I’ve learned, the drink has to be carbonated. If you have kids and you’re worried about giving them too much caffeine, you can always do this with Ginger Ale, Sprite, Sierra Mist, or another caffeine-free drink.
 
You can do this with cans of soda, but I would recommend doing it with bottles. If you aren’t sure how to do this based off of my instructions, you can watch the video I’ve linked below for a visual instruction.
​
You have to start by taking a room-temperature soda and shaking it to help pressure build up within the bottle.
 
Next, place the bottle in your freezer for 3 hours and 15 minutes. If your freezer is super cold, you can take the bottle out earlier.
 
Lastly, take your soda from the freezer, quickly release some pressure and tighten the cap back on, and turn the bottle upside down. You should see the liquid soda turn to a slushee. This can be a fun experiment if you have children, or can just be a great way to unwind after a hard day of work.

2. GO ON A DAY TRIP

​For some people, summer is the slow season. Many teachers (who can afford to) have their summers to themselves. Then there are people like me who work at a small college who just have it a bit easier in the summer and have fewer events and projects to tackle.
 
But, for most, summer is just another time of year. That means that it might be just as difficult to get out of the office to go on a prolonged vacation. But, just because you can’t spend a week in Hawaii doesn’t mean that you can’t unwind on a shorter trip.
 
As long as you don’t work 7 days a week, you can likely find one day in the week to go on a day trip. The trip will get you out of the house and away from work. It gives you the chance to recharge and do something fun.
 
Where you go is up to you and depends entirely on where you can get in a day. For some, this might be a trip into the city, to the beach, or to an attraction nearby. Whatever you do, make it fun or relaxing.
 
As for me and Jonathan, we might be making a trip to the mountains with another one of our friends and her boyfriend. If that doesn’t happen, I really want to make the most of our summer by taking a few day trips here and there.

3. THROW A PARTY

​Jonathan and I have been renting our house for a little over a year, and we’ve yet to have an official housewarming party. I love planning parties. It can be a little stressful, but it is all worth it when you can have a great time with your friends and family.
 
I think it would be so cool to throw a luau party, especially if you have a pool or access to a pool. You could make it really casual with just food and music, or you can do something fun like choreographing a hula dance or making your own leis.
 
And, just because it is summer doesn’t mean you have to limit your party themes. Sometimes, a few of my friends, my husband, and I will get together and play cards or watch a movie. It might not be a traditional party, but it’s a ton of fun and I love spending time with my friends this way!

4. START A NEW HOBBY

​Aside from New Year’s, summertime is a time of new beginnings. During this time, you can learn a new skill or, better yet, start a new hobby.
 
One of the most popular things people start to do in the summer is landscaping and gardening. We have a cute little walkway in front of the house we are renting that is just begging to be spruced up with something colorful.
 
I am hoping to do something to bring some more life to the front of the house with new plants! However, I have no idea if I have a green thumb, so I am also trying to get into the gym more to make walking and working out one of my new hobbies. We will see how it goes!
 
Choose a hobby that you’ve always been interested in and get started!

5. DON'T NEGLECT THE GREAT OUTDOORS

When it is hot and, if you live in North Carolina like I do, HUMID during the summer, it can be tempting to lock yourself away in the air conditioning. There are a ton of things you can do inside like watching a movie, going bowling, or catching up on your reading.
​
But don’t forget to go soak up some sun. You can go to the beach, go hiking, rustle up some s'mores on a camp fire. The options are nearly endless! Just be sure that you arm yourself with plenty of bug spray and sunscreen.

CONCLUSION

So, which of these fun summer activities do you think you'll do this summer? Let me know in the comments below, and keep an eye out for more summer content on the blog!

---

LEGAL: All photos are my own or are from Pixabay.com, a creative commons website that requires no attribution for photo use. Video sharing is copyright friendly as the original creator gets all views and ad revenues from views.