The long, lazy days of summer are coming up quick! And while it seems like the possibilities are endless, it's all too easy to let the days slip away from us. I was always disappointed when I realized I didn't take advantage of my breaks from school to do fun and creative things, but instead just let my days get away from me.

I'm counting down the days until our family vacation in July, but I don't want that to be the only fun thing that happens this summer! I've put together a little checklist of all the things I want to do in the coming months to be more intentional about taking advantage of the sunshine.

1. Make a Eugenia Kim inspired floppy hat. I'm sure you've seen these hats everywhere, but the price tag is a little out of reach for me at the moment, so I'm planning to make my own. Keep your eyes open for a DIY post coming up in the next month or so!
2. Work on my beach body. The real secret to getting a beach body is getting your body on the beach! That being said, I am trying to up my fitness game this summer to tone up and get stronger. Check out some of my fitness faves.
3. Host a weekend brunch! Let's just face it, brunch is the best meal of the day. (Or at least the weekend.) But it can be hard to get a table if your city is as brunch-obsessed as mine is–something my girls and I learned when we trekked across town to three (!!!) different brunch places before finding one with less than an hour wait. Hosting brunch at your place means bottomless mimosas–without the $17 price tag. There are a few good ways to go about this–invite everyone to bring their favorite brunch food, plan a menu and assign each dish to one of your group, or just have everyone bring ingredients and make your meal together.
4. Go on a movie date at the drive in. If your city doesn't have a drive in movie theater, you can set up a projector on the side of your house or apartment building. Set up some blankets, invite over some friends, and don't forget the popcorn!
5. Break out the bold lips–and nails. I love trying new lip and nail colors in the summer. Bold brights are so fun, and keep me from taking myself too seriously. If you're hesitant about bright nails, or can't take advantage of them because of your work environment, just paint your toes! Nobody will know they're fuchsia when you're wearing flats, but when you switch to sandals on the weekend, you'll have the perfect summer pedicure.
6. Cheer on the USA in the Olympic Games. I absolutely love the Olympics. (I actually did a couple of projects during school about the Olympics–including this poster and this branding project!) The Summer Olympics are full of exciting sports to watch, and it's always fun to sport the red, white, and blue. I'm obviously a fan of the obvious events like gymnastics, swimming, and track and field, but I also love watching all the more obscure sports too, like archery and rowing. Olympians are some of the most incredible people; their stories are always so inspiring.
7. Buy a one piece swimsuit. One pieces are so in right now, and there are some seriously cute ones out there. I've had my eye on a few different ones–if you have any recommendations, leave them in the comments!
8. Update your home decor! New accent pieces are the best way to brighten up your space for the new season. Try adding new throw pillows, coffee table decorations, or switch out some of the art on your gallery wall.
9. Go to the beach. My family and I already have a trip planned in July to the Cayman Islands, and I'm incredibly excited about it. I've never left the United States, so I can't wait to really travel and spend a week on the beach!
10. Read 10 new books. Summer reading is one of my favorite things. I am so thankful for my Kindle, because it means I can easily bring a dozen or more books to the beach with me without having to pack a separate bag for them all!

What are some of your summer bucket list items this year?