My Summer in September Bucket List

It’s the first week of September. Kids are back in school. Store shelves are filled with Halloween decor and mums are beginning to bloom.But it’s still in the 80’s, the calendar says it’s summer until September 22, and “gosh darn it! I’m not ready to let go of the season!”  So how can we shake this feeling of fall that’s all around us? By making a Summer in September Bucket List! Here’s my list of things to do in September that will extend the feeling of summer for a few more precious weeks.

1. If you’re lucky enough to live near the beach, this is a great time of year to grab a beach chair and a summer novel and head out for a day in the sand.Temperatures are still in the 80s, but with the kids in school and the season winding down, beach crowds are at low point.
2. Head to a nearby state or national park and spend the day walking along a hiking trail. Pack a sandwich and a bottle of water in a backpack and have lunch on the trail.
3. Don’t put the grill away just yet. Serve dinner alfresco on the patio. Even if you’re too busy to cook there’s no reason you can’t carry your take out to the backyard and enjoy the sunset over dinner.
4. Get out and make a final visit to all of the garden centers in your area. Enjoy the flowers while stocking up on shrubs and perennials which are past their bloom time but which are all on clearance at this time of year. Take your purchases home and spend the day planting in the garden. you be glad you did next spring and summer when your bargains begin to bloom.
5. Become a tourist in your own town. Make a trip to the art museum or the local botanical garden. Wake the kids on Saturday morning and head out for a day at the zoo. Tourist attractions are less busy this time of year but most are still open for business.
6. Work on a summer project that you never got done during the summer.
7. Hang up some birdfeeders and bird houses in preparation for the coming cold season.
8. Take a weekend mini-vacation.
9. Do you morning exercises outdoors. Practice yoga during the sunrise. Take a jog around your neighborhood instead of on the treadmill.
10. Turn on the lawn sprinkler or get out the “slip and slide” and greet the kids when they get off the school bus with an hour of wet summer fun.
11. Play a game of croquet, badminton or other outdoor games after dinner.
12. Save the pot roast and roast turkey for later in the season. Fill with grocery cart with summer foods like watermelon, potato salad, baked beans, and meats you can cook on the grill.
13. Light a campfire and makes more S’mores.
14. Set up a tent in the backyard and camp with the kids on a Friday night.
15. Hang a white sheets in your backyard and set up an outdoor movie theater.
16. Go to a baseball game. Baseball season is still going strong and  baseball tickets tend to be cheaper than other sporting events.
17. Buy some peaches of the local farm market and make peach pies for the freezer.
18. Make a batch of fresh salsa with all of the garden tomatoes that are abundant right now.
19. Set up a playlist of summertime songs and play it while you are cleaning the house.
20. Sit down and write your own “Summer in September” bucket list!