Inspired by one of my favorite blogs Brocante Home (who was in turn inspired by a feature in Harper’s Bazaar written by Diana Vreeland), Why Don’t You is a week’s worth of ideas for adding a little something special to your life. Simple ideas for lovely days!
Pick and choose what sparks your interest and fits into your schedule. Or use these simple ideas for special days as inspiration for coming up with your own ideas.
WHY DON’T YOU? – SIMPLE IDEAS FOR LOVELY DAYS
Clean off your fridge.
When was the last time you did that? I remove all the flyers and magnets and everything else we have hanging there. Then I give it a good scrub. I use this opportunity to really clean the top of it too! We collect magnets while we travel from each of the places we visit. I’ll put these back on the fridge and then throughout the summer, we can add postcards and photos to create a refrigerator collage of the season.
Get rid of the bugs.
Okay, so I believe that bugs have a right to live too. The thing is, I don’t want them as roommates. Every spring/early summer we have an awful time with ants coming into the house. You can find my suggestions for keeping ants out of the house here.
Another issue that isn’t as big a problem as it was when we had the dog (constantly opening and closing the door to let her out) is houseflies. We’ve tried the fly paper stickers that you put on windows (I do NOT recommend these – they didn’t work very well and were hard to get off) and traditional flypaper (but it’s so ugly!). I recently saw a fantastic suggestion to hang lengths of ribbons in doorways – apparently it works as a deterrent and of course, is a much prettier idea.
How to protect yourself from mosquitoes
Get ready for all that summer sunshine and heat.
Now that we are actually having some summer weather, it’s important to be prepared for the sunshine and the heat. Do you have plenty of sunscreen in the house? Even if you do have some on hand, please check the expiration date on it. There are some great tips for making sure your sunscreen is still safe and effective here. Along with the sunscreen, it’s important for everyone to have sun hats, sunglasses, and water bottles too.
How to keep your skin safe in the sun
5 simple things to do after being out in the sun
How to stay safe in summer heat
Plan a camping trip.
We used to have such a blast camping when my daughter was little. In fact, a few summers, we spent nearly the whole time camping. These days, I have a hard time sleeping on the ground so we tend to rent a cottage instead but I do miss those days.
I highly recommend the camping experience especially with kids. If you’ve never camped before and you live in Ontario, you may not be aware of the Learn to Camp program. By signing up for it, you will be given a guided overnight camping experience for one to two nights.
They will show you how to set up your tent, cook on a camp stove, build a campfire, give you some important safety tips, and help you plan your next camping trip. You have to bring your own food, bedding, personal items, and some kitchen items but tents, camp stoves, and some other items are provided for you. This is great because then you don’t have to invest in camping equipment until you try it out first.
Make the Most of Summer with My Simple but Awesome Camping Tips
The Ultimate List of Summer Camping Trip Essentials
How to Find Free or Cheap Camping Spots
Make some positive changes to your nutrition.
It doesn’t have to be drastic. I firmly believe you can make one or two simple changes at a time. For example, I am not a big water drinker. So, for every glass of something that’s not water, I’m going to drink a glass of water. I want to increase the amount of vegetables I have in a day. So, for every non-vegetable food I eat, I’m going to eat two servings of plant-based foods. See? Easy peasy.
When my eating habits turn to junk and convenience foods though, the number one reason is always that I have failed to meal plan. It’s always those moments when I can’t think of an idea for my snack or my meal that I resort to foods that aren’t the best for me. Meal planning helps avoid that. As you know, I offer weekly meal plans here on my blog but I also wanted to let you know about another great resource.
My friend Randa from The Bewitchin’ Kitchen has launched (it’s still in beta at the moment) a course called The Meal Planning Method. Randa, is an expert in the area of healthier eating and has the most amazing recipes! This is a win-win situation!
By signing you, you get the course, a digital health and fitness planner, access to a secret Facebook group to share recipes and meal plans, and coaching calls with Randa. I’ve worked my way through the whole course and I can tell you, this is one great course.
This is my affiliate link if you’d like to sign up>>>
https://randaderkson.mykajabi.com/a/15093/PXURtV5z
Get your indoor fans ready for the coming hot steamy days of summer.
Do you use fans? We have central air conditioning but I find that we don’t have to turn it on as high if we supplement with some fans for air circulation. Since you don’t want your fans to throw dirt and dust all over the room, they need a good cleaning at least once a year. Use a vacuum or damp cloth to clean the blades of your ceiling fans.
For other fans, make sure they are unplugged first. Then remove the grille covers so you can vacuum the motor housing and fan blades. Use a soft damp cloth and mild dish soap to wash off the blades. Allow it to dry before using again.
Make a summer bucket list.
This doesn’t have to be a stressed-out, oh now I have to get this whole thing done kind of list. Instead, just brainstorm some ideas that you might like to do and use it for those days when you want to have some family fun but can’t think of what to do.
I’ve got a few here to get you started:
Summer Bucket List for Toddlers
50+ Summer Family Fun Activities
Summer Fun Bingo (a different way to approach a bucket list)
50+ Ideas for a Summer Bucket List
More Ideas for a Summer Bucket List
What will you do this week to make your days lovely? Find more Why Don’t You? posts here.
Melissa Coble says
Some very sound ideas there! I need to drink more water too, so I just might try adding that this week.