Becca's ABC Guide: Summer Edition
Lists are fun. Lists are adventurous. Lists are helpful. Lists can be many different things.
I wanted to give you a list. But not just any old list. I wanted to share the ultimate summer list. The ultimate summer list, in alphabetical order. Here's the best activities to do during the summer of 2015, from a teen girl's perspective. Here's my A-Z list: Summer Edition:
A: have an Adventure
There's nothing more fun than having a summer adventure. Maybe it's to try out that new Chinese restaurant, or to go to your first live concert. Or maybe it's to go on a road trip with friends. Any size adventure is definitely a good idea during the summer. No late night homework assignments, no dress codes, and no early school schedules. It's the perfect time to have an adventure, either alone or with company. So go TRY IT!
B: Build
Sandcastles. Blanket Forts. Friendships. All of these things are wonderful things to build this summer. You might be an adventurous beach person, so sandcastles and sand moats are perfect for you. Or maybe you'd rather stay indoors during these hot months. So I would suggest making a fort inside and reading your favorite books, or even build a compilation of your favorite movies to watch throughout the summer. And there's always time to visit the pier or the local coffee shop and make some new friends this summer. What are you willing to build?
C: Cook something!
When your schedule isn't so packed with school clubs and research papers due, you have much more time for more relaxing activities that don't bore your mind to death. I would definitely suggest cooking as one of them! Try out one of your grandma's old recipes for dinner one night, or even make your family a dessert. It's fun to experiment with new foods, instead of eating the same meatloaf or frozen pizza on Saturday night. And if you've never cooked before, the summer is the best time to start!
D: try out that Diving board
All this to say is: go to the pool! Or if you're not into the pool or you don't have access to one, dive into the summer with a smile on your face! Don't go around sulking that your summer is going to be a bust, but instead, make the most of it! And seriously, make sure you visit the diving board at your next pool visit. It'll be worth it.
E: Enjoy
Whatever you happen to do this summer, make sure it's something you enjoy! Don't spend your whole vacation time cooped up inside when you're dream is to go out and see the world. Of course, there is nothing wrong with staying cooped up inside all summer. But do what you wanna do! It's your summer, so make the most of it! You'll definitely regret not doing that later.
F: Film
Ever thought of making a movie? Or even a memory? One fun activity to try this summer is making a film (video)! It could be a nerdy movie with all of your friends, or even just a mashup video of your best experiences at summer camp. Pull out that video camera and see what you capture! Something like that will be priceless later, so don't neglect the opportunity.
G: Grin!
This summer activity seems to be pretty self-explanatory. It doesn't matter if you're in front of the camera or alone at the beach. Make sure you put a huge smile on that beautiful face of yours! Sometimes we forget to grin throughout the day. But it's amazing what a difference it will make to your attitude, and other's perception of you. Whether we like it or not, people do judge books by their covers. So, why not make your book cover a happy one? You're doing yourself a favor.
H: Hats!
This is more of a summer accessory to try instead of activity... But I would recommend it! Hats keep your face covered from the hot, summer sun, and you look pretty shnazzy in them. If you haven't tried it already, experiment with a new hat look this summer!
I: Imagine
Use your imagination. It's as simple as that. One of my favorite things to do on my down time, is to imagine out the perfect day, or imagine my perfect, ideal wedding, or what my future kids will look/be like. It keeps those imagination juices going, and it's super fun. I would definitely recommended trying it this summer! It's your imagination, so you can make it as awesome or quirky or strange as you'd like. Nobody's going to tell you otherwise.
J: tell Jokes!
Tell jokes and pull pranks this summer. They're super fun and wild and can bring out the little kid in anybody. Just don't get yourself in trouble or harm anybody in the process! Remember, we are family-friendly around here. ;)
K: spend time with your Kin
In case you're from the north and you've never heard of it before, kin means family. (I'm Southern, okay? Leave me alone.) So your summer job this year should definitely be to hang out with your kin/family! Though summer to you might be enjoying time with friends when you're not in the classroom or cafeteria, your family wants to hang out with you too! Don't leave them to fend for themselves in this heat.
L: summer Love
Summer love is probably one of the most popular activities during the summertime. Kids fall in love, or adults get married, or any other form of love can happen here. You may be into all that romantic mush, and you may not be. If you are, good for you! Find yourself a date and have the time of your life. If you're not so into it, I would suggest to love your friends! You probably have some of the most wonderful friends out there, so don't make them feel like they're not! Love on them, and hang out with them. Even if you're a guy, you can still love on your buds without making it awkward. I know you know how to do that. And also, see if there's a cute girl to invite to the movies. ;)
M: visit the Movie theater
Speaking of movies in the earlier letter, why not go?! When the blazin' heat is just too blazin' for your taste, check out the newest showings at the movie theater. Get your hands all greasy in that buttery popcorn and enjoy the overpriced candy bars. Romantic or comedy, thriller or sci-fi, I don't care what movie you see. But I highly recommend taking a visit sometime in the next couple of months! (If you're not a movie theater person, grab a DVD + your own television and make a movie theater atmosphere in your living room! Make a summer memory that way.)
N: watch the Night sky
When we're too busy with our late night chemistry homework, or we're getting home late from our shift off work, we normally don't take time to enjoy the beautiful night sky we have. The stars are just too beautiful to go unnoticed! I recommend you to take time out of your summer and gaze on the night sky. God made it so beautiful, so we shouldn't take it for granted. Best ways to enjoy the night sky is through outdoor camping (yes, in tents. yes, outside in the heat. it's a memory maker!) or through stargazing. I've never tried stargazing myself, but I would love to someday. And of course, outside bonfires are super fun to enjoy some of the best gifts God has given you: family + friends, and the sky.
O: Organize your bedroom/bathroom/house/etc
Without juggling work schedules, school schedules, and club/extra-curricular schedules, you have a lot more time in the summer for "me time" things. What I highly recommend doing this summer is organizing a section of your house or bedroom or another area of your life. Your bedroom might get overly crammed and chaotic during the school year, so taking some time during the summer to reorganize your bookshelf or your nail polishes (Don't judge. Us girls need to do that occasionally.) is a perfect thing to do. That way, when you're rushing to get to that beach bonfire or that summer internship meeting, you know where everything is right at your fingertips! (Plus, you'll thank yourself later when it comes time to start school again!)
P: plan a Picnic
This is a very relaxing and enjoyable activity to share with family and/or friends. Whether it's at the park, the beach, or even your backyard, go outside and enjoy a meal with friends. Play some Frisbee or throw a football with some buds, and just hang out together. Plus, if you're out of town far enough, end the evening with some fireworks or even some sparklers and that'll put everyone in the perfect mood to finish off the night. Don't forget the watermelon and hamburgers! (And bug spray!)
Q: take a Quiz
When you think of taking a quiz, you probably often think of an automated one that you would find on the computer. While those types of quizzes are very enjoyable, I'm thinking of something a little different for this summer. Why not quiz your best friends? Bring all of your closest friends and/or family together, and come up with a list of questions. Favorite movie? Favorite ice cream flavor? Celebrity crush? Favorite clothing store to shop at? The possibilities are endless when it comes to the questions. But make sure that everyone knows all the questions, and quiz each other. Have your friends/family guess your answers to these questions, and you take your turn answering the same questions in regards to the others. It's a fun activity to play, to see how well you truly know each other. And if you got most of them wrong, you should probably spend more time answering nonsense questions about each other! It's a lot of fun and something you should try out this summer!
R: ride the Roller Coasters
In my personal opinion, there's probably something wrong with you if you don't put 'riding a roller coaster' on your list of to-dos this summer. Visiting a carnival or fair, or visiting a theme park and trying out all the best roller coasters is one of my absolute favorite things to do during the summer. It should be on your priority list also! But if it's not, that's totally okay. The waterpark or the spinning teacups might me more of your cup 'o tea. ;) But visiting a theme park is something very important to do this summer!
S: SING
This is a priority. I don't care if you're a good singer or not, singing is something you MUST try this summer. Karaoke parties with your squad and watching all the Disney movies in sing-along mode are perfect examples of ways to sing this summer. In fact, I think I might try some of those myself! Singing in front of people is one of the best ways to build your confidence level, and when you sing with your besties, a little laugh or two is bound to happen. That's okay! True friends laugh at each other, and with each other. And I can promise you, karaoke + sing-alongs are hilarious.
Another fun thing to do is start a band! Grab all of your best musical friends, and start a band together! Sing all the best Taylor Swift + Coldplay songs, or even write a few of your own! Perform for your friends, or even an
audience of another kind. This is a great summer activity, and if you love your music, it's a great way to stay involved in it.
T: Travel
Traveling happens to be one of my favorite things in the world. Visiting new places and learning new things is fascinating to me. I think you should try it too! Grab some of your best buds and go on a road trip together! It could be a day trip to see a cool concert, or even a week long vacation with your family in another state. Either way, I'm sure you're bound to enjoy it! And bring me back a souvenir, will ya?
U: grow out a Unibrow!
Tryin' out a new look this summer? Might I suggest a unibrow? hahaha I'm totally kidding. Getting a unibrow would probably be one of the worst summer ideas ever. But seriously, a look I really do highly recommend this summer is an updo. I don't care if it's a simple ponytail, or the fanciest braided bun you've ever created. But in this heat, you're gonna wanna pull up those beautiful locks of yours and keep it off your neck! Pull it up in a hat for a baseball game, or add a sparkled pin to that bun for your cousin's wedding. Updos are the way to go this summer, my friends. Trust me on this. You'll thank me later.
V: perform a play with a Villain
Creativity is always at its peak during the summer. You have more time to fill your mind with amazing ideas and activities and adventures when you're not sitting in front of your laptop, trying to complete world history homework. Something fun to try is to write a play! Grab your family and/or your friends together and write a play this summer. It could be about forbidden love, or fairies, or even a bunch of talking stuffed animals. (Yes, I know I copied the ideas of Romeo + Juliet, Tinker Bell, + Winnie the Pooh. They're amazing, okay?!) Just make sure it's an adventurous story about a protagonist + it's villain, and make it pretty interesting. Then you've got it covered! And once you're done writing the play, perform it in front of an audience. People love to see what you can create, and they'll most likely be impressed that you wrote a play. ;)
W: learn to Waltz
Okay, you really don't have to learn to waltz (Though you totally could/should! It's super fun!). I'm saying you should dance! Ballroom, tap, hip-hop, or ballet, learning to dance or practicing your dance moves is a perfect summer activity. It's a great way to stay active and it's really fun. You can dance by yourself in your room with your favorite tunes, or you could grab your best friends and have a dance off in the living room. Either way is fine with me, but try it nonetheless! I dare you.
X: be eXtreme
The best way to go through the summer, is by doing everything to the extreme. It's like putting all your soul into an activity. If you're not 100% into the activity, you're probably not going to enjoy it too much. So in everything you do, go to the extreme with it!
Another way to go extreme, is by making new rules or amplifying the coolness of every activity you participate in. Instead of normal hide-n-seek, play sardines. It's the same rules as hide-n-seek, but one person hides and everyone searches for that one person, instead of one person searching for the rest of the group. Or, play an extreme version of dodge ball or football or ping pong. Every heard of Dude Perfect? They take a regular game of ping pong, but amplify the awesomeness of it. Check it out:
Y: Yellow
Sunflowers. Sunshine. Bananas. Lemonade. Baby Chicks. All of these things are yellow. And all of these things are probably things you will see during the summertime. Yellow is probably the official color of summer, so enjoy it! Wear your favorite yellow shirt or drink some cool lemonade on a hot summer day. Relax and bring out the yellow in your summer days. Be happy, and sunshiney, and yellow!
Z: check out the ZOO
This is probably the best summer activity on this list. I can't even begin to tell you how much I enjoy the zoo. The lions, the tigers, the bears, oh my! Plus the zebras and the monkeys and the elephants. I could say that almost every animal at the zoo is the best one there, and my favorite. So while you're out and about this summer, visit your local zoo! Go to the petting zoo and check out the goats, or play games with the monkeys through the glass. (It's a lot of fun, lemme tell ya!) Hang out at the zoo, and love on those animals. And while you're at it, take lots and lots of pictures. Not just pictures of the animals, but pictures of you and your friends with those animals. They're great for the scrapbook. And your heart.
So, there you have it! My A-Z guide to the best summer. Keep cool this summer and don't forget to apply sunscreen! Peace out.
Always,
Becca ~xoxo~
I wanted to give you a list. But not just any old list. I wanted to share the ultimate summer list. The ultimate summer list, in alphabetical order. Here's the best activities to do during the summer of 2015, from a teen girl's perspective. Here's my A-Z list: Summer Edition:
A: have an Adventure
There's nothing more fun than having a summer adventure. Maybe it's to try out that new Chinese restaurant, or to go to your first live concert. Or maybe it's to go on a road trip with friends. Any size adventure is definitely a good idea during the summer. No late night homework assignments, no dress codes, and no early school schedules. It's the perfect time to have an adventure, either alone or with company. So go TRY IT!
B: Build
Sandcastles. Blanket Forts. Friendships. All of these things are wonderful things to build this summer. You might be an adventurous beach person, so sandcastles and sand moats are perfect for you. Or maybe you'd rather stay indoors during these hot months. So I would suggest making a fort inside and reading your favorite books, or even build a compilation of your favorite movies to watch throughout the summer. And there's always time to visit the pier or the local coffee shop and make some new friends this summer. What are you willing to build?
C: Cook something!When your schedule isn't so packed with school clubs and research papers due, you have much more time for more relaxing activities that don't bore your mind to death. I would definitely suggest cooking as one of them! Try out one of your grandma's old recipes for dinner one night, or even make your family a dessert. It's fun to experiment with new foods, instead of eating the same meatloaf or frozen pizza on Saturday night. And if you've never cooked before, the summer is the best time to start!
D: try out that Diving board
All this to say is: go to the pool! Or if you're not into the pool or you don't have access to one, dive into the summer with a smile on your face! Don't go around sulking that your summer is going to be a bust, but instead, make the most of it! And seriously, make sure you visit the diving board at your next pool visit. It'll be worth it.
E: Enjoy
Whatever you happen to do this summer, make sure it's something you enjoy! Don't spend your whole vacation time cooped up inside when you're dream is to go out and see the world. Of course, there is nothing wrong with staying cooped up inside all summer. But do what you wanna do! It's your summer, so make the most of it! You'll definitely regret not doing that later.
F: Film
Ever thought of making a movie? Or even a memory? One fun activity to try this summer is making a film (video)! It could be a nerdy movie with all of your friends, or even just a mashup video of your best experiences at summer camp. Pull out that video camera and see what you capture! Something like that will be priceless later, so don't neglect the opportunity.
G: Grin!This summer activity seems to be pretty self-explanatory. It doesn't matter if you're in front of the camera or alone at the beach. Make sure you put a huge smile on that beautiful face of yours! Sometimes we forget to grin throughout the day. But it's amazing what a difference it will make to your attitude, and other's perception of you. Whether we like it or not, people do judge books by their covers. So, why not make your book cover a happy one? You're doing yourself a favor.
H: Hats!
This is more of a summer accessory to try instead of activity... But I would recommend it! Hats keep your face covered from the hot, summer sun, and you look pretty shnazzy in them. If you haven't tried it already, experiment with a new hat look this summer!
I: Imagine
Use your imagination. It's as simple as that. One of my favorite things to do on my down time, is to imagine out the perfect day, or imagine my perfect, ideal wedding, or what my future kids will look/be like. It keeps those imagination juices going, and it's super fun. I would definitely recommended trying it this summer! It's your imagination, so you can make it as awesome or quirky or strange as you'd like. Nobody's going to tell you otherwise.
J: tell Jokes!
Tell jokes and pull pranks this summer. They're super fun and wild and can bring out the little kid in anybody. Just don't get yourself in trouble or harm anybody in the process! Remember, we are family-friendly around here. ;)
K: spend time with your KinIn case you're from the north and you've never heard of it before, kin means family. (I'm Southern, okay? Leave me alone.) So your summer job this year should definitely be to hang out with your kin/family! Though summer to you might be enjoying time with friends when you're not in the classroom or cafeteria, your family wants to hang out with you too! Don't leave them to fend for themselves in this heat.
L: summer Love
Summer love is probably one of the most popular activities during the summertime. Kids fall in love, or adults get married, or any other form of love can happen here. You may be into all that romantic mush, and you may not be. If you are, good for you! Find yourself a date and have the time of your life. If you're not so into it, I would suggest to love your friends! You probably have some of the most wonderful friends out there, so don't make them feel like they're not! Love on them, and hang out with them. Even if you're a guy, you can still love on your buds without making it awkward. I know you know how to do that. And also, see if there's a cute girl to invite to the movies. ;)
M: visit the Movie theater
Speaking of movies in the earlier letter, why not go?! When the blazin' heat is just too blazin' for your taste, check out the newest showings at the movie theater. Get your hands all greasy in that buttery popcorn and enjoy the overpriced candy bars. Romantic or comedy, thriller or sci-fi, I don't care what movie you see. But I highly recommend taking a visit sometime in the next couple of months! (If you're not a movie theater person, grab a DVD + your own television and make a movie theater atmosphere in your living room! Make a summer memory that way.)
N: watch the Night sky
When we're too busy with our late night chemistry homework, or we're getting home late from our shift off work, we normally don't take time to enjoy the beautiful night sky we have. The stars are just too beautiful to go unnoticed! I recommend you to take time out of your summer and gaze on the night sky. God made it so beautiful, so we shouldn't take it for granted. Best ways to enjoy the night sky is through outdoor camping (yes, in tents. yes, outside in the heat. it's a memory maker!) or through stargazing. I've never tried stargazing myself, but I would love to someday. And of course, outside bonfires are super fun to enjoy some of the best gifts God has given you: family + friends, and the sky.
O: Organize your bedroom/bathroom/house/etc
Without juggling work schedules, school schedules, and club/extra-curricular schedules, you have a lot more time in the summer for "me time" things. What I highly recommend doing this summer is organizing a section of your house or bedroom or another area of your life. Your bedroom might get overly crammed and chaotic during the school year, so taking some time during the summer to reorganize your bookshelf or your nail polishes (Don't judge. Us girls need to do that occasionally.) is a perfect thing to do. That way, when you're rushing to get to that beach bonfire or that summer internship meeting, you know where everything is right at your fingertips! (Plus, you'll thank yourself later when it comes time to start school again!)
P: plan a Picnic
This is a very relaxing and enjoyable activity to share with family and/or friends. Whether it's at the park, the beach, or even your backyard, go outside and enjoy a meal with friends. Play some Frisbee or throw a football with some buds, and just hang out together. Plus, if you're out of town far enough, end the evening with some fireworks or even some sparklers and that'll put everyone in the perfect mood to finish off the night. Don't forget the watermelon and hamburgers! (And bug spray!)
Q: take a Quiz
When you think of taking a quiz, you probably often think of an automated one that you would find on the computer. While those types of quizzes are very enjoyable, I'm thinking of something a little different for this summer. Why not quiz your best friends? Bring all of your closest friends and/or family together, and come up with a list of questions. Favorite movie? Favorite ice cream flavor? Celebrity crush? Favorite clothing store to shop at? The possibilities are endless when it comes to the questions. But make sure that everyone knows all the questions, and quiz each other. Have your friends/family guess your answers to these questions, and you take your turn answering the same questions in regards to the others. It's a fun activity to play, to see how well you truly know each other. And if you got most of them wrong, you should probably spend more time answering nonsense questions about each other! It's a lot of fun and something you should try out this summer!
R: ride the Roller Coasters
In my personal opinion, there's probably something wrong with you if you don't put 'riding a roller coaster' on your list of to-dos this summer. Visiting a carnival or fair, or visiting a theme park and trying out all the best roller coasters is one of my absolute favorite things to do during the summer. It should be on your priority list also! But if it's not, that's totally okay. The waterpark or the spinning teacups might me more of your cup 'o tea. ;) But visiting a theme park is something very important to do this summer!
S: SING
This is a priority. I don't care if you're a good singer or not, singing is something you MUST try this summer. Karaoke parties with your squad and watching all the Disney movies in sing-along mode are perfect examples of ways to sing this summer. In fact, I think I might try some of those myself! Singing in front of people is one of the best ways to build your confidence level, and when you sing with your besties, a little laugh or two is bound to happen. That's okay! True friends laugh at each other, and with each other. And I can promise you, karaoke + sing-alongs are hilarious.Another fun thing to do is start a band! Grab all of your best musical friends, and start a band together! Sing all the best Taylor Swift + Coldplay songs, or even write a few of your own! Perform for your friends, or even an
audience of another kind. This is a great summer activity, and if you love your music, it's a great way to stay involved in it.
T: Travel
Traveling happens to be one of my favorite things in the world. Visiting new places and learning new things is fascinating to me. I think you should try it too! Grab some of your best buds and go on a road trip together! It could be a day trip to see a cool concert, or even a week long vacation with your family in another state. Either way, I'm sure you're bound to enjoy it! And bring me back a souvenir, will ya?
U: grow out a Unibrow!
Tryin' out a new look this summer? Might I suggest a unibrow? hahaha I'm totally kidding. Getting a unibrow would probably be one of the worst summer ideas ever. But seriously, a look I really do highly recommend this summer is an updo. I don't care if it's a simple ponytail, or the fanciest braided bun you've ever created. But in this heat, you're gonna wanna pull up those beautiful locks of yours and keep it off your neck! Pull it up in a hat for a baseball game, or add a sparkled pin to that bun for your cousin's wedding. Updos are the way to go this summer, my friends. Trust me on this. You'll thank me later.
V: perform a play with a Villain
Creativity is always at its peak during the summer. You have more time to fill your mind with amazing ideas and activities and adventures when you're not sitting in front of your laptop, trying to complete world history homework. Something fun to try is to write a play! Grab your family and/or your friends together and write a play this summer. It could be about forbidden love, or fairies, or even a bunch of talking stuffed animals. (Yes, I know I copied the ideas of Romeo + Juliet, Tinker Bell, + Winnie the Pooh. They're amazing, okay?!) Just make sure it's an adventurous story about a protagonist + it's villain, and make it pretty interesting. Then you've got it covered! And once you're done writing the play, perform it in front of an audience. People love to see what you can create, and they'll most likely be impressed that you wrote a play. ;)
W: learn to WaltzOkay, you really don't have to learn to waltz (Though you totally could/should! It's super fun!). I'm saying you should dance! Ballroom, tap, hip-hop, or ballet, learning to dance or practicing your dance moves is a perfect summer activity. It's a great way to stay active and it's really fun. You can dance by yourself in your room with your favorite tunes, or you could grab your best friends and have a dance off in the living room. Either way is fine with me, but try it nonetheless! I dare you.
X: be eXtreme
The best way to go through the summer, is by doing everything to the extreme. It's like putting all your soul into an activity. If you're not 100% into the activity, you're probably not going to enjoy it too much. So in everything you do, go to the extreme with it!
Another way to go extreme, is by making new rules or amplifying the coolness of every activity you participate in. Instead of normal hide-n-seek, play sardines. It's the same rules as hide-n-seek, but one person hides and everyone searches for that one person, instead of one person searching for the rest of the group. Or, play an extreme version of dodge ball or football or ping pong. Every heard of Dude Perfect? They take a regular game of ping pong, but amplify the awesomeness of it. Check it out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nRZhGP5apQ
Okay, they're not playing a normal game of ping pong. But they are using ping pong balls! And they're doing some pretty extreme tricks with those ping pong balls, so I say it counts. ;) If you try anything like this yourself, make sure you videotape it and send it to me! I would love to see how you went to the extreme this summer!Y: Yellow
Sunflowers. Sunshine. Bananas. Lemonade. Baby Chicks. All of these things are yellow. And all of these things are probably things you will see during the summertime. Yellow is probably the official color of summer, so enjoy it! Wear your favorite yellow shirt or drink some cool lemonade on a hot summer day. Relax and bring out the yellow in your summer days. Be happy, and sunshiney, and yellow!
Z: check out the ZOO
This is probably the best summer activity on this list. I can't even begin to tell you how much I enjoy the zoo. The lions, the tigers, the bears, oh my! Plus the zebras and the monkeys and the elephants. I could say that almost every animal at the zoo is the best one there, and my favorite. So while you're out and about this summer, visit your local zoo! Go to the petting zoo and check out the goats, or play games with the monkeys through the glass. (It's a lot of fun, lemme tell ya!) Hang out at the zoo, and love on those animals. And while you're at it, take lots and lots of pictures. Not just pictures of the animals, but pictures of you and your friends with those animals. They're great for the scrapbook. And your heart.So, there you have it! My A-Z guide to the best summer. Keep cool this summer and don't forget to apply sunscreen! Peace out.
Always,
Becca ~xoxo~
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