Let's Make a Summer Bucket List

Summer Life Edit Challenge Week One

Welcome to The Summer Life Edit Challenge, an 8-week series from The Life Edit! Each week, I’ll share a simple prompt or quick win designed to help you live with more clarity, ease, and spaciousness this season. Let's dive into our first challenge...

Challenge One: Craft Your Summer Bucket List ☀️

Last year around this time, I found my daughter, Emilie, quietly drawing and asked what she was working on. "Oh, just my summer bucket list," she replied. Her fully illustrated list included making ice cream, taking a sunrise hike, finding seashells on the beach, baking a beach cake (that’s a cake decorated to look like a beach), and making a new friend. I was delighted—not just by her list of simple pleasures, but by the whole premise of intentionally mapping out the specific things she cared about doing over the summer.

It got me thinking: why don't I make my own summer bucket list? Summer typically whizzes by without much fanfare in our family. Jordan and I both work year-round, and San Francisco is historically gray and foggy through the summer months. Despite all that, I found it surprisingly easy to come up with a list of simple ways to celebrate the season. I hope you'll join me - happy list making (for whatever season you're headed into as you read this).

Step One: Brainstorm

Get out some paper and your favorite pen, and let your imagination run wild. Ask yourself: how can I best maximize and enjoy the summer season? Don't edit or censor yourself—just write, write, write, until you run out of ideas.

Key Prompts:

• What experiences would make this summer feel complete?

• Which activities energize you versus drain you?

• How can you build in rest alongside adventure?

Step Two: Refine

Once you have a long list of ideas, narrow it down to the best and brightest in the bunch. Remember - a good bucket list isn't about cramming in more—it's about choosing what matters."

If you're stuck, ask yourself: what would I truly regret not doing this summer? What am I longing for more of? Who would I like to spend quality time with this season?

Since I’ll be spending a good chunk of the summer abroad, I narrowed my list of about 25 ideas down to a handful of simple pleasures that felt both exciting and realistic:

• Family Berry Picking Date

• Soft Serve Outing at Meadowlark Dairy

• Weekend at Stinson Beach

• Host a Patio Party with Friends

• Make Homemade Ice Cream

Step Three: Plan and Schedule

The final step: plan and schedule each activity to ensure it actually happens. It took me about fifteen minutes to book a berry picking date, find a seasonal ice cream recipe, and schedule dates for soft serve, Stinson Beach, and a casual patio party.

Set aside a small block of time to do any necessary research, coordinate with friends and family, and firm up your summer bucket list activities on your calendar. Remember: it’s usually the things that get scheduled that are the things that get done.

Practical Tips:

• Limit your list to 5-10 items max

• Include a mix of free, low-cost, and splurge experiences

• Don’t skip "rest" activities (napping in a hammock counts!)

• Share the list with family/friends for accountability and collaboration

• Schedule 2-3 items immediately rather than waiting for "someday"

💬 READER PROMPT: Share in the comments one small thing you'd like to do to prioritize this summer. I bet we can all inspire each other with fresh ideas.

P.S. My new book LifeStyled is packed with practical tools and inspiration to help you streamline your space, schedule, and mindset all year long.

The Simple "One Thing" Rule I Live By

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Making: Peach Buttermilk Ice Cream!! Recipe here.

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