Are you so excited for summer! Our summer officially started last Thursday, because that was the kids’ first day off from school. We started the summer with a fun day out of the house. Surprisingly, we got all our errands (fun and otherwise) done way before lunch so we still had over half the day left we came back home.
Honestly, we are such homebodies that I intentionally plan outings so that we don’t stay stuck in our little house bubble all day. These fun summers with our kids feel fleeting. With a rising 7th, 6th, and 2nd grader, I want to make the most of these precious times!

Today, I want to share a few of the activities on our summer bucket list. It’s actually been a few years since we’ve written down a bucket list. Generally, I just remember the things we want to do and then plan them on the calendar so we don’t forget.
Visit the library a ton
You can see above that we have summer reading calendars! They are so cute, and you can find them on Janssen’s blog. You should be able to click the option at the top of her homepage to access the reading calendar. Friday is kind of officially/unofficially our library day. It’s so quiet there in the morning, so we have plenty of time to roam the stacks and pick out our books.
Go to the beach
Already done! We spent the first weekend of the month at the beach, and it was glorious. Of course, we’ll be back for 4th of July. Southport does an amazing parade/festival. They are literally the official home of the NC 4th of July parade. We’ll probably just be on the beach the whole time in at Oak Island and watch the Southport fireworks on the sand.
Spend a day in New Bern
We love New Bern! Everytime we drive through on the way to the coast, I think we just need to pull off the highway and stay a while. It’s so, so pretty and there’s so much to do. It’s literally been 4 or 5 years since we’ve visited, so it’s high time to get down there. I will make sure to document our day and share our recommendations.
Make homemade ice cream
Is there anything better than homemade ice cream? We’ve already made a batch of chocolate. We need some vanilla, salted caramel … you name it, I want to make it! It’s the perfect way to end a Saturday afternoon.
Go to a water park
We have literally never taken our kids to a water park. They have been to water parks with camp, etc., but we’ve never gone as a family. There’s a close one that’s really good, and I need to get it on the calendar!
Visit Durham’s Museum of Life and Science
This is another thing that most of us have done but we haven’t gone as an entire family. I love this museum. Y’all, I could spend all day there. Since we’re members of the NC Aquarium society, we get our tickets half off. We need to take advantage of it and head over to Durham!
That’s about it for now. If we add anything else to our bucket list, I’ll make sure to update this post.
Happy Friday!