Making summer memories with the family
Who doesn’t love summer?! It’s many people’s favorite time of year – and boy, do these warm days fly by.
So, get ready to maximize all things family fun this summer. We called in Donna Bozzo, our Parenting Expert and Author, to give us her what she is calling her Summer Bucket List for all things fam fab and fun.
Bucket List
First, start off summer right by making a bucket list of all the fun things the fam wants to do. Everyone jots their suggestions down on slips of paper, and in the bucket it goes. Pull activities out one by one on free days, and that’s your agenda for the day. Make the reveal even more fun with bubbles, a spray of silly string or maybe everyone puts on their announcer mustache or summertime sun glasses for the big reveal.
Home Chef
Streamline those summer days ….
Did you know that over 80 percent of us don’t know what dinner will be by 4 p.m. that day? We all need help getting a home-cooked meal on the table, especially when our summer days are jam-packed. I rely on Home Chef meal kits to pull together an easy, delicious meal with chef-created recipes in under an hour.
If you’re a planner, you’ll be able to order your meals the week ahead through an online subscription, and Home Chef delivers to your door — no shopping required! If you’re running short on time and haven’t planned ahead, your local Kroger now offers six recipes every week so you can pop into the store, grab a box, and have dinner on the table in about 30 minutes. I love the flexibility of Home Chef, and my kids love how easy it is to help mom or dad in the kitchen.
A few of our favorite Home Chef meals include these Acapulco Steak Tacos, BBQ Ranch Pork Chops and the Blackened Chicken and the Chicken Dijonnaise. My husband and I love the risotto meals, too!
Everything is pre-portioned in exactly the amount you need, so you won’t have to feel bad about wasting food. A recipe card with a photo helps you through the preparation step-by-step so that anyone can do it! The end result looks like the picture and taste fantastic!
Hands Free
Suit up for summer. Fun and run in the summer is much easier for mom with the right accessories. I love the Oliver Thomas bags – especially the Not Yo Granny pack – they are machine washable and have a patented secret stash hidden compartments for hiding your valuables.
Movie Fun
It’s not summer for me until we have the neighborhood kids over for a backyard movie night –easy to do with portable projectors. Fire up the fog machine for a horror feature or maybe it’s bubbles for that family comedy. Homemade popcorn is a must.
Treasure Hunt
Send the kids on a treasure hunt – you hide a chest of loot somewhere for them to eventually find. Give them a treasure map to follow or leave clues – as messages in bottles for them to find and figure out. Super fun at night with by flashlight.
Instant Memories
Capture those summer memories and chronicle your great summer. Instant cameras and printers make this a cinch.
About Donna Bozzo:
Donna Bozzo is a Family Lifestyle Expert who weighs in on television shows across the country showing families how to fold more fun into their days. She’s author of two books, Fidget Busters and What The Fun?! She’s written for Parents Magazine, Family Circle and Scholastic Magazine.