I have 5 decisions for you to make now that will make your summertime a breeze. That’s right–make them this week!
Summer is upon us. *pause for a moment of silence* I kept looking at my calendar like it was lying to me. Surely it was not happening again. We just got into the rhythm of school, and now it is over. That is why they cram May with five million activities; it tricks you into thinking you are happy that summer is here. (Maybe you are happy that summer is here! Maybe nonstop sweating is your jam. Maybe constant unending unstructured hours at home with your children fill you with glee. Congrats! I am a freelance mama who gets sunburned through the window, so summer is my mental and physical kryptonite.)
No matter your feelings on this upcoming summer, I have five things that you can decide right now that will make every day easier. Firm commitments to get you through the fluctuating days. Have all these decisions made and prepped for, and it will curb the sweat-soaked decision fatigue that leads to frustration.
5 Decisions to make summertime a breeze
- Comfy sandals. If Old Navy $5 flip flops are your go-to footwear every summer, you need a sandal glow up. Find a pair of good sandals–with whatever kind of support that you need to make them perfect for wearing to church or taking kids to the playground. Find a pair that make you feel put together but don’t make you hate your feet. Do this early in the summer and then you don’t have to think about it again.
- Treat drink. Every day when the 3pm slump hits, have a fun drink on deck. My go-to right now is a coconut sparkling water, lime and a good dollop of coconut milk. Other ideas: lemonade with a couple of mashed strawberries, iced coffee with some mint simple syrup. Maybe it is just a Diet Dr. Pepper–no judgement here. Pick a fun treat drink to have every day when you are at home and the peak heat has wiped you. Make sure it is always stocked.
- Screentime is a thing. Make a plan for it now, before your kids ask. Before you are tired. Then make it a plan and get everyone in the family on the same page, so it isn’t a fight every minute of the day. Maybe big kids get screentime in the afternoon while younger kids sleep. Maybe you get to start the day and end the day with one show each (and make the plan include who gets to pick what show and when!) Maybe you are keeping it to movie family nights on Friday; build up that excitement all week long! Whatever you decide, just set it now and then stick to the plan.
- Bathing Suit. Pick a bathing suit. Read my guide HERE. Go shopping and pick a bathing suit now. Make it one you like and buy it in two colors. Remember that you are worthy of a summer spent in the pool or at the beach regardless of your body type or how much baby weight you feel like you haven’t lost. Buy one. And then stop looking. Stop obsessing. Go out and live your best summer life.
- Summer Dinner. There will be nights in which your summer plans will take longer than you think. You have too much fun at the pool and stay late. You get stuck in traffic coming home from a day at the museum. You arrive home with a car full of hot and tired children who just need their bellies filled up so that they can go to bed. Have a default summer dinner that takes 10 minutes and doesn’t heat up your house. And then make sure your kitchen is stocked with the things to make that dinner at all times. It can be as simple as hot dogs cooked over the gas stove and individual bags of chips. I like to cook a batch of hamburger patties every weekend so we are never more than a quick microwave from a hamburger dinner. Maybe it is a family favorite pasta with a sauce you keep in your pantry. When you always have this dinner up your sleeve, it saves you from that panicked feeling when everything is spiraling and plans go awry.
Summer is hard. It is all the struggles of motherhood plus sweat, sand and tired babies. But it is also where the magic happens. Get these five questions answered and it will set you up for success for this summer and beyond!
