A Very Low-Key Summer Checklist
What’s on your summer checklist? I’m excited to read in bed with the fan on. And here are 10 more low-key things I’m hoping to do (and I’d love to hear yours)…
1. Lean into drinks o’clock. When visiting our relatives in England, we always gather for ‘drinks o’clock’ at 6 p.m. with friends, neighbors, and anyone else walking by my aunt’s house. Back in Brooklyn, my kids and I sometimes head to our stoop at that time, as a way to shrug off the workday and kick off a chill summer evening. If we get to choose, we like Sprite and lingonberry, but even a nice glass of ice water does the trick.
2. Lie on the sofa and read magazines. Especially New Yorker short stories, which are funny, moving, and spoooooky.
3. Play cards outside. Our beloved CoJ contributor Alex Ronan has played the card game Spite & Malice with her girlfriend infinity times, she told me. “I cannot express how many rounds we’ve done on trips, at bars, or on Sunday mornings with coffee, but I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of it. The cadence of every game feels different. It’s the perfect two-player game.” Tonight Freddie and I are actually meeting Alex and Grace to learn the game — we’ll report back. [Ed. note: The game took a minute to comprehend, but it’s really exciting. And they are hilariously competitive!]
4. Take photos of your friends with their kids, especially when you notice a sweet moment. Above is my friend Claire with her daughter at Toby’s recent baseball game. Moms in the pictures, always and forever 🙂
5. Watch a ’90s movie. We always watch ’90s movies on trips. They’re fun and familiar, so you can turn your brain off a little and chat during the movie. A few to get you started: The Talented Mr. Ripley, Clueless, Fargo, Boyz n the Hood, The Firm, The Fugitive and Goodfellas. When Harry Met Sally came out in 1989, so maybe that counts, too.
6. Eat potato chips from a mug. This is my brother’s brilliant idea, so people around you won’t steal any. Otherwise sneaky hands come swooping in from all directions.
7. Write an acrostic poem for a friend. This might sound random, but hear me out. My friend Liz once wrote acrostics for us when we went over for dinner, and I have never forgotten how beautiful it felt. Such a simple and personal gesture. I wrote one in Freddie’s birthday card this year, and it was fun to include inside jokes and nicknames. Bonus: They’re supposed to be quick and imperfect, that’s part of the charm 🙂
8. See some art in real life, if you feel so moved. You could go the professional route, like Amy Sherald at the Whitney (coming to D.C. in September) or the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. Or ask a child you know to show you their artwork and ask lots of questions.
9. Treat yourself to some soft serve, like vanilla-chocolate twist. Or ice cream. Or popsicles.
10. Stay inside and don’t feel bad about it. As an anxious person who can’t always turn her brain off, I love this one. My friend Sharon encourages everyone to take “catch-up days,” where you all need a break, so you stay inside and do nothing. Maybe eat a bowl of cereal? Take a cold shower and see how many seconds you last? Just don’t do anything productive because that’s against the rules.
What’s on your list for summer? I’d love to hear. And here’s the best parenting advice I ever got.
P.S. Low-key summer checklists from 2019, 2022, and 2023. They all hold up!
