Slow Summer

It's June and that means it's time to make our summer bucket list!

Nope...not gonna happen here. I'm much more likely to make a list of things we're not going to do than make a list of things we need to do.

Don't misunderstand me....there are plenty of things I'd like to do with my kids this summer. Things like swimming at the local beach, eating s'mores around the camp fire, playing with friends, eat popsicles and more. But when I create lists of things I'd like to do, it ends up becoming a "to-do" list, and I look at it something I must complete and cross off the list. Instead, I'd much prefer that we have very little on our calendar so we have the time and space for things to happen organically and spontaneously.

So instead of creating a summer bucket list, I have one goal - to slow down and savor each day.

I'd love to wake up each day and be able to ask..."What should we do today?"

In order to make this happen, I need to guard our calendar like a hawk. We already have some big things on the calendar and it's enough. One big thing each month is enough.

We need to leave room for the little things. 

I'm writing this post mostly for myself - to remind myself to be intentional about slowing down - but also for you. I see summer bucket-lists swirling around blogs and pinterest, and it's easy to get sucked into the trend.

There is nothing wrong with bucket lists. But it's not something you need to do to have a happy, fun-filled summer. It's ok to say no to making lists and to say yes to slowing down.

This is what minimalism or living simply is to me - removing things from your life that are actually distractions. To me, a summer bucket list is a distraction.





Maybe I view summer a bit differently than most people. You see, my family doesn't live for the summer and try to cram everything in to 2-3 months. We try to embrace each season, month and week for what it is. (This is one of the HUGE benefits of homeschooling!)

This past week we had family here and took a 2 day trip to central Oregon (one of our favorite places). As I was out walking I realized how blessed I am to be in this place in life. We've intentionally created a life that allows us to go on many little (and some big) adventures throughout the year. We're not enduring this time that our kids are in school and waiting for our later years....we are making it happen now so we can enjoy our time as a family.

It means saying no to all the things our culture tells us we should do. But it means saying yes to a beautiful, adventurous life. And this, my friends, is why I am passionate about simplifying.