June Bucket List
Happy June everyone! I don’t know about you, but I love this time of year! There’s so many things to do now that the weather is warmer like stringing up backyard lights, getting into garden season, and buying ripe summer fruits and vegetables. Although I love this time of year, I do like to be careful with how much time is spent in the sun, and finding ways to stay cool with homemade lemonades and popsicles. Late June is also the official start of summer which means a solstice celebration. Let’s get into this June bucket list which has tons of different ways to enjoy it!
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June Bucket List
- Decorate your backyard or porch for those upcoming warm summer nights. Try stringing up these pretty outdoor lights. Or get an umbrella that has solar powered lights in the inside.
- Plant an edible flower garden! If you’ve ever wondered where to buy edible, food safe florals, this is a great way to do it! You’ll know where the flowers came from, know that they’re aren’t being sprayed with chemicals, and you can grow the exact flowers you want to decorate with. Adding edible flowers onto your desserts is one way to make them rustic and pretty. Last summer we planted chamomile, lavender, calendula, sunflower, and nasturtium.
- Head to your local farmers market. I love this time of year because the farmers markets are all starting to open up again. Locate businesses put out all of their items and we get to browse and enjoy a summer morning looking at everything. It’s been my goal to shop local and small for the past few years, and shopping at a farmers market is a great way to give your local businesses your support!
- Make a fresh fruit tart! Fruit tarts are the perfect summer dessert (in my opinion). A rich buttery crust, filled with a mixture of pastry cream and whipped cream, then topped with fresh fruits. It’s the best combination ever and they look so pretty! My recipe walks you through step-by-step on how to make a fruit tart!
- Attend a botanic garden or local nature preserve event. The nature centers and gardens around my area will often have summer activities to do. Some of them are paid and some are free, usually they require a sign up! We’ve attended free concerts, nature walks, forest bathing, and bird walks. It’s a great way to see where you live from a different perspective.
- Today is national donut day! I have to admit that I love a good donut (I mean who doesn’t love a bite of fried dough and a delicious topping). Go and treat yourself to a donut, maybe even try a new flavor?! Sometimes I’m craving a donut but I don’t really love frying in the house, so I created this baked vanilla donut recipe.
- Get new serveware for hosting your outdoor parties! If you like hosting BBQ’s and outside gatherings, add a cute pitcher or a serving tray to your collection. It really makes the table look elevated without too much effort.
- Add a few things to your backyard to help get rid of annoying mosquitos. Try setting up tiki torches, getting citronella candles, spraying down the backyard before an outdoor party or event, or even get plants that are supposed to keep them away. Try planting lavender, lemongrass, citronella grass, basil, rosemary, or catnip in the ground or in big planters around your sitting area.
- Make homemade popsicles using this popsicle mold. Okay, technically you can make these year round but there’s something so nice about eating an ice cold popsicle on a hot summer day. The current way that I make popsicles is to use about 2 1/3 cups fruit, 1 cup coconut water (substitute fruit juice or 3/4 cup plain yogurt for creaminess), 3 tablespoons honey, and 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice. Add everything into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into the popsicle molds and let them freeze for 8 hours or overnight. If you have any trouble getting them out of the molds, run them quickly under warm water. It’s great to make and eat homemade popsicles because you can customize them however you want.
- Enjoy watching the lightning bugs (or fireflies). Here in Chicago we called them lightning bugs, and every June we start to see their little twinkles when it starts getting dark out. When we were kids we would catch them and then open our hands and watch them crawl to the top of our fingers before flying away. These delicate nostalgic moments are what makes the summer so beautiful for me. If you really enjoy lightning bugs, try decorating lightning bugs in a mason jar sugar cookies.
- Meet a friend to sit outside at a cafe. The warm days are perfect for sitting outside at a cafe. Meet a friend to catch up and enjoy this moment.
- Attend a fair, craft market, or antique market! I have to admit that I had never been to an antique market before and it was very interesting to attend one. Although I didn’t make a purchase, it was lots of fun to browse around and get a snack. I know people who love attending craft fairs as well because you never know what little gem you’ll find.
- Try a new outdoor activity like kayaking, paddle boarding, or catch and release fishing. This June we are going kayaking! A enjoys fishing from the shoreline, but we wanted to try something a little different. I’ve never been one for water sports but my own bucket lists are inspiring me to try something new each month!
- It’s cherry season! Try making my homemade small batch sour cherry jam. We can usually find sour cherries at our local farmers markets around late May and early June. If you’re a fan of sour things, you have to try sour cherries. There are really sour and while not maybe the best for snacking, they make great desserts and jams.
- Happy father’s day! On father’s day my family likes to get together and have a good meal. With the warm weather, we usually sit outside and catch up on everyone’s busy lives. Although we should celebrate our loved ones year round, it’s a great reason to bring everyone together. This goes for any father figures in our lives!
- Head to the beach or pool! We’re very thankful to be living near a lake and get to chill on the beach all summer long! Relax at your pool or beach and maybe try something new! Bring a book, go with a friend, or just sit and soak up that sunshine.
- If you’re not in the mood to turn on the oven, try making my easy Oreo truffles! The days are hotter, the kitchen is hot, the oven is too hot – I get it. That’s why I’ve been working on more “no bake” recipes for when you want a sweet treat but don’t want to heat up the house.
- Plan a picnic with your significant other or friends. Get a cute picnic basket, picnic blanket, pack it with easy to eat food like sandwiches, some fruits and vegetables, and a sweet ☺️ Find a cute spot like at a beach, park, or scenic area and enjoy a day of good weather, company, and food. There’s something relaxing about eating outside and watching the world go by with your loved one.
- Try brunch at a new restaurant! Get dressed up to try a new spot or find something causal. Meeting friends for brunch is such a great summer vibe 🙂
- Celebrate the summer solstice. This is the official first day of summer which means today is the longest day. Celebrating the solstice can look different for everyone. I like to go on a long walk to connect with nature and reflect on the goals that I made back at the beginning of the year.
- If you’re interested in a midwest road trip itinerary around Michigan, check out Midwest travel posts! So far we’ve visited Holland, Traverse City, and Saugatuck and there’s a post for each one. The state of Michigan seems like a great kept secret. If you love exploring, nature, good food, kind people, and outdoor activities, you should check it out! I plan to expand this category with more travel as time goes on 🙂
- Try making homemade ice cream. Invest in an ice cream machine and get to making all sorts of ice cream! I have a huge list of ice cream flavors that I want to try. What I like about this machine is that I can make smaller amounts, which is perfect to store in the freezer when I just have a little craving.
- Stay cool by using cooling herbs in your drinks. Some cooling herbs are hibiscus, lavender, lemon balm, mint, basil, and lemon verbena. These are cooling herbs that will keep you feeling refreshed as the weather start to get hot. Try making a lavender lemonade, or hibiscus iced tea! Delicious!
- Try adding flower embroidery onto a pair of jeans! I love the idea of adding flowers onto the pocket of a pair of jean shorts. It’s a fun activity and it makes your jeans unique and cute! I used this sunflower embroidery kit from Etsy! It came with all the threads that you need, a dissolvable pattern, and instructions. I’m new to embroidery but after a few practice tries on material and thread I have around the house, I got the stitches down.
- Pick fruit at a U-pick farm! This summer were going to pick blueberries at a family run farm. It’s fun to get outside, get a little dirty, and come home with tasty – right off the vine fruit! This fruit tastes the absolute best this way. I’m going to pick enough blueberries in order to make my blueberry crumble cookie bars, YUM!
- In true midwest fashion, spend summer on the lake! Rent a boat, brings snack and drinks and enjoy a beautiful day of sunshine and sailing.
- Get yourself some cute press on nails or get your nails done at a salon. I ordered these juicy 3D fruit press on nails because I’ve been seeing this trend all over social media! They’re perfect for summer!!
- Host a BBQ for friends or family! It’s BBQ season and that means throwing a get together just because! I recommend making my fruit tart recipe or key lime pie recipe for a fresh and bright flavored dessert!
- Get a hummingbird feeder and watch the hummingbirds right in your backyard. We’ve had a feeder for a few years now, and sometimes when I sit in the yard to read or work, I look up and see hummingbirds. They’re really quite interesting to watch and are so cute and tiny.
- Read in the backyard and enjoy the slow moment. For those of us who love this time of year, it sure does fly by. Remember to make time to slow down and look at the world around you. Whether it’s to read, go for a walk, chill by a beach, or to simply stop and notice the things around you, I hope something sparks wonder within you. See you in the next month!
