I always look forward to summer. But at our house, it seems to go by way too quickly! If I don’t plan for and then create the summer I’m dreaming of, it just doesn’t happen! Then, I’m disappointed.

Unfortunately, we aren’t always able to go away on summer vacations to ensure we have a memorable summer or time together as a family. For the most part these days, we have to enjoy life at home. In order to really feel like we had a break from the routine, we have to make some adjustments to our thinking, our daily schedule and habits. We need a plan to enjoy summer!

Here are six tips to help you enjoy your summer at home!

1. Shut down the computer!

I cannot stress this enough. Being online too much will ROB YOU of a beautiful summer. Yes, I know we find inspiration and connections online. I know we have email to keep up with, bills to pay and things to Google. I earn my living online and I need to be there in order to run my business. But, I’m just telling you (and myself) straight out, if we shut down the computer, our summer is going to be so much better and more memorable in every possible way. So, just do it. Shut your computer down often this summer. I dare you. I dare myself.

2. Don’t waste time feeling depressed over what you can’t do this summer.

Yes, life hands us lemons quite often. Many of us live on a small budget these days. We can’t all afford all of the things we’d like to have or do in order to make life more fun. We can’t all take fancy vacations abroad or rent beach houses for the summer.

Instead of focusing on what we “can’t do,” let’s focus on what we CAN do!  Let yourself and your family find delight in small pleasures that ARE accessible to you this summer. Make a list of little things that could bring beauty and happiness to your summer. Experience as many of them as you possibly can!

3. Create your dreams.

What kind of escape do you dream of this summer? Just because you might not be heading off on a romantic summer cruise or a family getaway to a quaint seaside town doesn’t mean you can’t have sweet escapes in your own neighborhood.

Life is too short to miss out on what you want out of it. You can create beautiful escapes on a shoestring budget with a little planning, creativity and imagination.

Why not plan ahead for a Saturday morning getaway with your husband to a charming cafe a few miles away? It might not be Carmel or Paris, but you can pretend it is! Plan a fun picnic and enjoy a day by a river (or a neighborhood fountain) with your kids, or set up a bed & breakfast getaway in your own home some weekend in July! We can plan for and create a memorable summer even if we are having vacation at home! Let’s get creative and see what we can come up with!

4. Let go of the guilt.

Why oh why do we feel such guilt over setting aside time to enjoy a simple, unhurried, no pressured life? Why is it so hard to “get away from it all” when we stay home? Can the housekeeping not wait until we blow bubbles outside with the kids? Will our world fall apart if we took a week off of the internet to play and soak up the summer sun in our backyard?  Creating a slow paced beautiful life is not frivolous or wasted time at home. It is a way to refresh and renew our spirits and energy!

5. Strive for imperfection!

Allow yourself to aim for imperfection on purpose this summer. What things do you do that you could do less of? What tasks or expectations could you cross of entirely this summer? What could you spend less time on and do “less well” in order to have more time for play? Being intentional about what we do and don’t spend our time on might make the difference between a summer we savor and a summer that rushes past us!

6. Slow things down and embrace a simple life.

The world seems to spin faster every day, and it doesn’t necessarily stop for us because it is summer. News flash, the world will keep spinning even if we don’t keep chasing it. Let’s step away from the race as often as we can and live in the moment this summer. Only YOU can decide your pace. Wouldn’t it be far better to choose just a few simple pleasures this summer and embrace them fully than to try to be wonder woman in everything and not enjoy anything at all? Enough said.

Let’s remember what it felt like to be a child on the first day of summer and get excited about enjoying carefree moments!

Melissa
The Inspired Room

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