For me, the day after the 4th of July holiday is the official first day of summer. Those other faux markers – the last day of school, summer solstice, first heat wave – are only teasers. It’s now time for the real “work” of summer fun to begin.

I learned this life lesson after college when weeks-long summer vacations were no longer my birthright. It was mid-August, and I found myself lamenting “Where did the summer go?” I was no longer a care-free, summer-luvin’ gal, but a working-stiff who let summer slip by unnoticed. Thus, the Summer of Fun list was born.

Every summer, I make a list of 4 – 5 activities that add up to a summer of fun for me. Even if I do nothing else, if I make time for the things on my list, I’ll be content by the time September rolls around. I will have had a good summer. I keep the Summer of Fun list (really, that’s the title scrawled across the top) tucked in my Daytimer so I have a visual reminder of my scheduling priorities.

For years, the annual list included standard summer fare: visit an amusement park, attend an outdoor concert, go on a beach trip, host a barbecue, buy new sandals. But the list is more varied these days. Theme park: Out. Trip to visit childhood friend: In.

It’s too easy to let summer days slip by … like the sand we mindlessly scoop up and sift through our fingers while sitting on the beach. What are the few things that symbolize summer fun for you? Are those activities on your calendar for July or August? Join me in making a Summer of Fun list!

Have this year be different. When someone eventually asks “How was your summer?”, you’ll be able to answer “Great!” and mean more than just the one or two weeks you were away on vacation.