1.

This summer was a tad foggy and cold along the coast for my taste and we didn’t get as many beach days as I’d hoped for. But lately it’s been warming up for a promising Indian Summer (we get the best ones here in Santa Barbara) so I have my heart set on a few beach dinner picnics.

2.

S’mores around our fire pit on our new patio we finished in May—more of what we did with our backyard coming soon! Also since our upper terrace would have been a pricey endeavor to get a gas line to, we found this All Modern fire pit that we’ve loved! 

3.

Planning a Saturday morning hike with girlfriends followed by brunch at Merci Montecito. I have a slight addiction to the cinnamon rolls there (hands down the best ever!) but I feel like I need to work for them, just a little, ok maybe a lot.

4.

Making homemade lemonade with Elin, we’re both lovers of a good cold glass. Maybe even trying a few different versions, inspired by Camille Styles. 

5.

While we’ve entertained a ton this summer, I kept it pretty easy and casual, translation I put little effort into the décor. I’d love to host a dinner party and make it a visually fancier affair that what we normally do. While browsing some favorite coffee table books I looked through Jenni Kayne’s Pacific Natural and I was completely inspired to go all out for an End Of Summer evening with friends.

6.

Finish my summer book, yep just one—I recall a pretty ambitious summer reading list I put together. The reality of having a 4-year-old is that any quiet downtime is hard to come by, especially in the summertime. I started Where the Crawdads Sing and barely got through the first 40 pages. Really looking forward to getting our normal routine back (i.e. school for Elin) so I can finish it. Which leads to my next must-do. 

7.

Purchase a hammock and live that hammock life. It’s been high on our list since we moved into our house last year and I’m determined to make the dream happen while it’s still hammock weather. I found a few I’m into but have my eye on this one from Target. We may not have the right place to actually hang it between two trees, so finding a not-so-ugly stand was my first goal. 

8.

Go see a movie on a hot summer night. I know this sounds silly, since it’s the last thing we should do when the weather is perfect. But I love that feeling of being in the sun all day and ducking into a late afternoon movie with popcorn, candy and AC. It takes me back to my childhood when we would make it a date to see the BIG summer blockbuster. But also, I haven’t seen a movie in the theaters since Christmas and I’m antsy to see another one.

9.

My mom spent some time in Ojai this summer and found a gong meditation class that she’s been raving about. I’m tempted to try it out and spend an afternoon exploring Ojai hans solo. 

10.

Take Elin to the Santa Barbara Botanic Gardens, which they have recently renovated and added a few elements to the grounds. Not to mention the cutest activities for kids like creating a tiny fairy village and exploring the new Garden Casitas—nature inspired playhouses. 

What’s on your Summer Bucket List?