School's Out for Summer...Now What?

Whoo Hoo!

The day I've been waiting for all year (well, sort of). This has been a hectic year to say the least. If anyone tries to claim that a woman can't multitask, they're wrong! Ask any mom :) School is officially over. Summer is now here and I'm am so excited. Excited not to be a slave to other people's schedules - only my own!

Now lies the question, "what to do?" In my opinion, simple things are best. School is filled with schedules and deadlines that Summer should be enjoyed with very little planned and more spontaneous fun. Meet up with friends at your neighborhood pool, try out a new park, have a pizza & movie night (and maybe even let the kids stay up late)!? Why not, they don't have school the next day!

If you're one of those lucky ones that has a vacation home or gets to travel, that's amazing! Have your kids get a journal or a small photo album to capture your vacation moments in one fell swoop. Plus they're great for planes or cars - doodling is for all ages :) If your a homebody family there is nothing wrong with that either. There is so much your own town has to offer - explore the outdoors, your local botanical garden, or a outdoor petting zoo. Your kids will love you just the same as if you jet-setted off to a far away land. They're small, they don't know the difference! I love just exploring with my kids and seeing the world through their eyes. You never know what they might discover.

Here are a few local ideas I had in mind for summer...consider it our Summer Bucket List:

• Clark's Eliok Farm - I've been wanting to take my kids here for years. This is the year!
• Reston Zoo - a popular destination among my friends, but I've actually never been.
• The National Zoo - always a good summer go-to. Who doesn't love the Zoo?
• Clemyjontri Park - a HUGE open playground for all ages.
• Glen Echo Park - a great adventure park with a beautiful carousel.
• Downtown Annapolis - to see the boats, of course!

Although I've been to a few of the places above, they are loved by my kids and we can usually only take advantage of them during the summer when we have no schedules!!

On a side note, I have felt very lucky to have been able to reach out to you each day since starting my blog. I'm going to slow down over the summer and re-post some favorites over the past few months. Kind of like how television shows go on summer hiatus and show reruns for a bit! Nothing wrong with taking a little time for yourself every once in a while. You'll see some new posts here and there, but not daily. This is summer vaca after all!