So… here I go completely bailing on our 25 Days of Summer Fun Series. (At least for now.)

Seriously, after day two.

I looked at my husband tonight (as it was pouring down rain and way too cold outside), and said, “you know, it’s kinda hard to do this 25 Days of Frugal Summer Fun series when it’s cold out, and I’m not sure it’s going to be helpful to anyone reading because they’re not right in the middle of summer either.” His response?

Duh.

Yup, he’s right.

In case you haven’t figured this out yet (~ahem~), I’m just a mom. I don’t have any degrees in marketing, advertising, or even journalism . . . in fact, I’m in sheer amazement each day that so many folks take time to read what’s here on PPP.  (It’s all I can do just to keep this technologically-challenged brain on top of things most days!)

I do however know a thing or two about coupons, and I’m not a bad cook.  Sometimes though I get so excited about an idea before thinking it through rationally. And somewhere as I was planning out May I figured I’d better get a head start on summertime . . . because isn’t that what all the best stores do? They sell Christmas candy during Halloween and market Easter bunnies when it’s still Valentine’s?

This plain-ole’-momma should have thought that one through a little better, and since I figure we’re only two days in you’ll understand me stopping early. That way I can have some frugal summer fun with my own kids once they finish up their school year, and share what we do each day along the way.

So, go ahead and get your summer bucket list ready and let me know your big plans, and we’ll do them all together in June. Thanks for understanding.

{By the way, what keeps getting me even more excited about these new series is the fun graphics my friend Cheryl of Beyer by Design has designed for them. We’ve got some exciting plans in the works for the next few months, so keep watching to see more udpates!}

It’s the first day in our 25 Days of Frugal Summer Fun series, and I’m so excited to share one of my favorite ways to start out the summer! While there are all kind of ideas that our family loves to do in the summertime, tonight’s idea is a great way to begin the summer with a plan of attack. My kids have so many ideas swirling about in their heads with summer break just three weeks away {yikes!}, so it’s time to get started planning!

I thought I’d start by sharing how we created a summer bucket list last summer, which is still sitting on our front porch just waiting to be re-used this summer. Here’s how we started last year . . .

Reposted from May 2o12 

Last night, after my girls were in bed, I asked my son what he would like put in our family’s “bucket list” for the summer. I gave him a few ideas as a starting point, and let him go wild coming up with ideas for fun summer treats to add to the list.

My (little?) boy is twelve this summer, and as he rattled off things to do, I had to inwardly grin. Do you know what that big ole’ boy wants to do this summer? (Please don’t laugh. . . although I did just a bit!) He wants to play cowboys and indians and go on an “adventure”; to create an art project and play capture the flag; to make a cake all by himself,  catch a few fireflies, and, of course, build a fort outside to hide out in.

Do you know what snuck up on me as we made our list together? That boy of mine is growing up (I just hate this growing up business some days!) I doubt I’ll have many more summers when playing cowboys and indians, drawing a sidewalk chalk city, or making freshly squeezed homemade lemonade will be on his to-do list for the summer.

So our bucket list is going to stay real close at hand this summer, and we’ll be working to to clip every one off the list. And do you know what else? I’m not going to be sad about things changing one tiny bit. (Do you hear that?) Because while I know in my heart that these cowboy days are very closely nearing an end, that boy is pretty fun to hang out with as he’s growing up.  Instead of being sad as about this growing up stuff (really!), I’m just going to enjoy every single moment we’re in right now, and look right on forward to getting to know the person that he’s becoming.

(Thank goodness though that I have two little girls coming up behind him though . . . I think we may still have a few more years of princesses left!)

By the way, our all-time favorite book to read for boys has been The Brave Cowboyby Joan Walsh Anglund. I think this one’s a must-have-book for every little boy (toddler-kindergarten aged), and even now we still pull it out every once in awhile just to look through the sweet pictures and spend a little time imagining just like that cowboy did.

Thanks for the clever bucket list idea, Delia Creates. . . I loved it! See more great Summer Bucket List ideas HERE, HERE & HERE. I’d love for you to join me over on Pinterest to see more crafty ideas, and please leave a comment with any other summer craft ideas you have!