Labor Day weekend is a great time to enjoy the great outdoors while the weather is still warm. Taking a hike, camping and kayaking are great ways to get some fresh air with together with family and friends safely during #pandemic times, MyDomaine says. If you’re the more indoorsy type, you might check out a new museum or have a staycation at a nearby hotel, the story says — but be prepared to wear a face mask and show proof of vaccination to enter indoor settings such as restaurants and concert venues.
Tag: summer fun
Summer’s Last Hurrah: The Labor Day Cookout
The best way to celebrate Labor Day is to have a cookout with family, friends and fun activities. Foodies can wow guests with grill-friendly takes on the freshest fruits and vegetables in season now such as summer squash, tomatoes, corn, melons and peaches — or keep things traditional with hot dogs and hamburgers. Whatever you choose, most people want to get one last hurrah in before the (observed) end of summer, and have and extra day to do so before they return to work.
Celebrating the Fourth of July Outdoors
The #pandemic is subsiding in most parts of the country, mostly thanks to a vigorous push to get people vaccinated against COVID-19 as quickly as possible. But you may still wish celebrate Independence Day outdoors this weekend.
The pandemic pushed people to take more of their activities outdoors over the last 18 months since the virus is difficult to transmit in open, well-ventilated areas. And there’s no reason to stop enjoying the outdoors — and the summer sun — now!
You may opt to get together with friends and family over a cookout or at the pool to observe the nation’s 244th birthday over the long weekend. Any or all of these options will now be relatively safe if you continue to take common-sense precautions.
The World Health Organization advises that even fully vaccinated people wear masks and practice other preventive measures such as hand-washing and social distancing to discourage the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant.
Most people will be eager to see a parade and fireworks display since so many were canceled in 2020. Leave the pyrotechnics to the professionals, however — with record temperatures throughout the western half of the country, the risk of fire is substantial.
What’s more, pets and veterans alike may be traumatized by fireworks, says American Humane. The boom and bombast of ceremonial fireworks isn’t much different from live ammunition when you suffer from #PTSD.
Veterans’ groups will participate in Independence Day events throughout the country, however, appearing at parades and festivals. Many will feature fundraising for veterans’ causes, and all offer locals the opportunity to #thankaveteran personally.
If you have time, visit one of the country’s many state and national parks. More people have embraced hiking and camping during the pandemic, and there is probably no better or healthier way to see “America the Beautiful” up close.
Whatever you choose to do over the long weekend, try to get outside and celebrate the nation’s birthday safely. The pandemic is not yet over, but the good weather will end before you know it.
Six More Weeks of Summer
With the Labor Day weekend behind us, most people (and especially people with kids) are mourning “the end” of summer. Whether or not you or your kids have to be in school, however, there’s still plenty of summer left to enjoy.
At the time of this writing, there are still nearly three weeks until the fall equinox — the official end, astronomically speaking, of the season. But many places in the U.S. won’t see real fall weather for several weeks beyond Sept. 23.
If there was a Groundhog Day in the summer, in other words, Punxsutawney Phil would likely give us six more weeks to enjoy. So there’s no reason to stop having cookouts, taking road trips and otherwise savor the season.
Take in a baseball game, BroBible suggests. Go for swim. Attend a music festival or see a summer blockbuster. Throw a Frisbee. The weather is fantastic (in many places, better than in August), so don’t let the calendar tell you when the summer fun needs to end.
Most of the activities you’ve enjoyed since June are still going strong, HuffPost says, so maintain your summer mindset into October. “Continue to have fun, to eat fresh produce from the farmer’s market, to read trashy novels, to spend time outdoors, to go for walks after dinner and long bike rides on weekends.”
There’s still time for decluttering, of course. As you squeeze in those last few summer outings and events, be conscious of what you will and won’t need as it starts to feel more like sweater weather.
For example, you’ve probably worn those white jeans/shorts/linens for the last time, so you can now safely donate them to ClothingDonations.org. The same goes for outdoor equipment you won’t be using much longer, such as camping gear and pool toys.
By the same token, you can also stock up on sweaters, blankets and household items best suited to fall festivities at the thrift stores supplied by ClothingDonations.org. The resale of #donated goods helps fund veterans programs throughout the country year-round.
Now’s the time to squeeze the last bits of outdoor merriment out of summer. As Yogi Berra once said, “It ain’t over ’til it’s over.” And summer ain’t over just because the kids are back in school!
Stay Organized All Summer Long
Everyone wants to make the most of their summer leisure time, but the added burden of managing all of that extra summertime stuff can be overwhelming. Let’s say you love going to the beach, for example. Do you really need two coolers, several inflatables and a ladder golf set to have fun?
That junk takes up space in your car and home, and you’ll have to find an out-of-the-way place to put it when summer is over. That’s why you should keep your summer stuff organized and at the ready for when you need it, while also storing only the essentials in the off season.
By this point in the season, you should have already disposed of any summer clothing you haven’t worn this year and/or didn’t wear last year by bagging it up and #donating it to ClothingDonations.org. That stuff has #cluttered your closets for months, tempting you with thoughts of summer fun — and guess what? It hasn’t delivered.
When it comes to a summer outing, try to keep the things you have to bring (and later find a place for) at a minimum. If you’re headed to the beach, pack a bag of the essentials — sunblock, towels, (deflated) inflatables and sunglasses — and keep it at the ready so the day doesn’t become all loading the car and no fun.
To keep from gathering too much stuff, the Krazy Coupon Lady says, borrow instead of buying. Public libraries are a great source of books, movies and even power tools, and when you’re done using them, you can simply return them. Another suggestion? Read digital books and magazines to keep from having to shelve your summer reading long-term. And always borrow or rent a kayak, canoe or personal watercraft unless you know you’ll use it every week.
To keep summer-only stuff from creating #clutter throughout the home, establish “drop zones,” Simplify 101 says. “A hook or shelf by the main entrance/exit of your home makes a terrific drop zone. As an added bonus, this area can also serve as a launch pad when you’re ready to head out on your next summer outing.”
Summer is all about relaxation. To maximize your R&R, make it simple for yourself, your family and friends to get out and enjoy the weather without making packing, organization and storage a burdensome chore before and long after the outing. You’ll never miss that extra stuff.