Design your summer

School's out, sun's shining!  We all look forward to the summer holidays.  It's a time for sun, sea and sand!  In New Zealand, summer falls between December and February with daytime temperatures between 20-25'C.  Schools close just before Christmas and only reopen in early February.  There's a general feeling of laid back happiness throughout the period.

 But if we don't think about what we want to do in the summer and plan in advance, it can just pass by and leave a feeling of unfulfilment in the autumn.

 In the Happier podcast by Gretchen Rubin, she invites us to 'Design Your Summer'.  The idea is that by being intentional with our time we can choose how to spend our summer.  Planning activities and thinking of goals can take a bit of effort but the reward is a heightened sense of anticipation and excitement.   Let's face it, even relaxing can require some forethought.

 Here's what I have on my list so far!

 - a trip to the Coromandel which will hopefully include another visit to Hot Water Beach
- exploring more of Auckland's beautiful beaches
- al fresco meals in our garden (we've been working hard on our lawn since March!)
- visit a weekend farmers market
- eat lunch outside as much as possible
- read one book a week
- have lots of naps
- watch a tennis match at the Australian Open in Melbourne
Muriwai Beach
Photo Credit: Krishan Mistry

How will you Design Your Summer?    Please leave us a comment below and let us know!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sunday scones

Image
Teatime treats on a Sunday?  Scones are perfect.  Here is a delicious recipe that I got from my cousin Jenny, a legend in the kitchen.  Check out her scrumptious scones  on Instagram. Jenny's Scones Ingredients: 225g plain flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 4 teaspoons baking powder 2 tablespoons caster sugar 55g butter 3/4 cup milk, water and 1 beaten egg mix Method: 1.  Preheat oven to 200'C (180'C for a fan-oven) 2.  Sift the flour, salt and baking powder into a bowl and add the sugar. 3.  Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. 4.  Add the milk mix and knead lightly into a soft dough. 5.  Toss with floured hands until smooth, then roll out about 2cm thick & cut into rounds. 6.  Bake for 10-15 mins.  Serve with strawberry jam and cream Sunday scones
Read more

I am not my hair

Image
This week I stumbled across 'Oprah's SuperSoul Conversations' podcast.  Oprah Winfrey was an acclaimed talk show host.  The Oprah Winfrey Show  aired for 25 seasons from 1986 to 2011.  She founded the Oprah Winfrey Network  in 2011 on which her daytime series SuperSoul Sunday  is shown.  The show includes weekly conversations with top thinkers and inspiring speakers. This month Oprah has released a personal selection of these interviews on her podcast Oprah's SuperSoul Conversations.   I've said before how much I love podcasts, and even Oprah's giving it a go, so there must be something to them!   I listened to India.Arie (parts 1 and 2).  I wouldn't say that I was a huge fan of India.Arie but I do like her songs  Video and I am not my hair .  Her lyrics are about worthiness and self-empowerment and she always comes across as a strong, not to be messed with woman.  So it was interesting to hear her talk openly about her struggles.  Her disappointment aft
Read more

Top 3 Things to do in Rarotonga, Cook Islands

Image
We recently spent 5 glorious days in Rarotonga, it was truly paradise.  On arrival at the airport we received beautiful eis of fragrant magnolias.   Me with my Ei Here are my top 3 island musts. 1.  Attend an Island Night show We went to the show at the Crown Beach Hotel in Arorangi which featured the Akirata Dance Troupe.  Cook Islanders are known for their singing and dancing and the hour long show does not disappoint. 2.  Try a Raro Buggy Tour There are several ways to explore the island.  Cars and scooters are reasonable to hire, and there is also a bus service which runs either clockwise or anti-clockwise around the island.  But this tour was the best!  Hop into a buggy for an experience like no other! 3. Muri Night Markets The Muri Night Markets are open from 5-8pm every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday.  The Cook Islands are beautiful islands, but being islands most things need to be imported.  While food can be brought in from New Zealand, gro
Read more