As the summer draws to a close the cooling temperatures and waining sunlight can leave us feeling down. But it’s not over yet, there’s a chance for you to extend your summer experience and keep the good feelings going through into the fall.
Eat Summer Foods – While most summer foods are actually available all year round, they are undoubtably at their peak right now. So indulge in some tomatoes or strawberries while their still in season. Read more
I know it sounds a little extreme but I’m a big advocate of starting my Christmas shopping in August. Getting all the presents bought by Thanksgiving allows me to relax over the holiday season and avoid the shopping amateurs waiting until the last second and clogging up the mall parking lots in December.
Follow this month-by month guide to have a stress-free holiday season:
August – This is a great time to start planning and thinking about who you need to buy for and what you want to get. Each year I make two lists using Evernote. One list is of everyone I exchange gifts with for Hanukkah and Christmas. I write down ideas for gifts and reference my list from last year to make sure I don’t get the person the same gift twice. The other list is of random ideas, websites and clippings of gift ideas I’ve found throughout the year with no particular person in mind. I have an ongoing “gift ideas” notebook in Evernote of fun gift ideas. Read more
This past week I went on vacation to Miami for my birthday. I had a fantastic time relaxing by the beach and eating lots of delicious food. Even though this wasn’t an especially exotic vacation, it got me thinking about my bucket list and all the amazing places I’d love to visit and things I want to do before I “kick the bucket.” The thing about having a bucket list is that it is personal to you, so you’ll never feel like your list isn’t as good as someone else or the other way around.Thinking about the goals you would like to achieve is a great way to get started planning your future…especially after having another birthday! If you’ve always wanted to trek along the Inca Trail – why not research what time of year is best to go and what you’ll need to bring?
Here are a few things I’ve got on my own bucket list:
(Photo credit: FábioMakesMistakes)
We’ve all been told that working harder is the obvious path to earning more. However a recent survey found that most millionaires believe that the four day work week is a ‘valid idea’. Who wouldn’t want Fridays off? I know I’d love that. But the key to securing your own four day week is not to endlessly pester your boss, but to get more done during those other four days.
Here are five tips to help you get all your work done by Friday.
1. Schedule important tasks earlier in the week
As tempting as it is to ease yourself into the week, getting your critical tasks out of the way early will save you time. This way you’re not cramming everything in at the last minute and you have time to follow up on tasks if need be. Plus once you get through the really tough stuff you’ll feel motivated to get more done. Read more
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I grew up in the suburbs so moving to the city was a bit of a culture shock for me. It’s always a bit of worry when you’re moving to a completely different town or city. You have no idea what to expect.
Grow your own vegetables – My dad has a garden that is his pride and joy in the summer time. He grows tomatoes, kale, basil, peppers, zucchini and lots of other veggies. So going outside to grab an eggplant or a squash was super easy growing up. But now in the city it’s a bit more challenging to grow a garden.
Host a garden party on your fire escape – Okay, so it won’t be your typical garden party with gazebos and fancy hats – but it is possible to bring a relaxed, outdoor vibe to a fire escape or roof deck near you.
Sign up for a farm share – To get that home grown feel in the city, why not join a CSA. Farm shares work with family farms to deliver organic and naturally-grown produce from a small local farm directly to your door. The shares allow you to become a “member” of the farm for a season. It’s great because as the harvest changes you get to discover plenty of new tastes and foods.
Watch an outdoor movie – You can’t get much more suburban the laying in the grass, stargazing and watching a movie with friends. Now you can experience this in the city too. Bryant Park runs a summer film festival every year showing all of your favorite classics.
How do you bring the suburbs into your life?