Summer Rhythms
Summer is here! I’m ready to enjoy this season in an intentional and kind way—making memories without losing my sanity over 12 weeks of heavy parenting. Finding a summer rhythm is the key to balancing fun and relaxation. By drawing inspiration from The Lazy Genius, I’ve put together a “summer playbook” filled with priorities, ideas, and flexible plans to help navigate the season with ease. Whether you're looking to live more mindfully or boost your productivity with some easy summer hacks, this guide will help you create a personalized summer routine that feels right for your family. We’ll cover everything from healthy habits and time management tips to planning fun activities, so you can make the most of your summer days.
monthly meal plan
visual rhythms
brain boosts
spontaneous bag
GET INTENTIONAL
First, ask yourself:
What matters?
What am I excited about?
How do I want us to feel?
What do I have to do?
What do I hope to do? (Ask your kids, too!)
Then, map out big dates on a paper calendar. Using small post-it notes, write down some tentative hope-to-do summer bucket list activities. Space them out accordingly (to your energy and budget). I like that these are on post-its so we can move them around.
Plan on intentional down days. Kids absolutely need free play time. We’re a family of extroverts so it’s easy for us to be on the go or hosting play dates most days, but if connection, play, creativity, and strengthening skills matter to me this summer, I have to prioritize it! Our schedule is a reflection of our values.
Here's a sample of our very loose rhythm. I will absolutely shift this as things come up, like 6 weeks of swim ☺️. We don't hold tight to a schedule, but it does help me to map things out and be more intentional. Plus, kids CRAVE predictability! A weekly and daily rhythm helps avoid endless questions/complaining.
I also know mid-week is when I start to get a little antsy/over-stimulated so getting chores done, which then allows me to enjoy a bath + book in the evening, is the perfect reset for me.
Sunday - church, meal prep while Dad gets special time with girls, Dad grill
Monday - morning @ home, speech + library in afternoon
Tuesday - adventure
Wednesday - free play morning, afternoon movie while I house reset/more meal prep
Thurday - open morning, afternoon speech + grocery shop
Friday - adventure
Saturday - : )
MONTHLY MEAL PLAN
I don’t enjoy cooking, but really value health so I make most meals at home. Some friends & I created a collection of 30 minute meals our kids actually enjoy. Each week I pull from this list and it makes planning SO easy!
I’ve also been prepping lunches twice a week, which has helped me actually eat a real lunch and hit my protein goals.
Awesome Non-plastic Snack Tray
Glass Containers for Meal Prep
PaleoValley Grass Fed Beef Sticks & protein powder
My Favorite Clean Protein Powder save 15% with code sunnyseed
I prep fresh fruit and snacks on Sunday. Our general house rule is packaged snacks are only for when we are out of the house.
KEEP VEGETABLES FRESH LONGER IN THE FRIDGE
Wash. A large body of evidence links exposure to pesticides to an elevated rate of chronic diseases and even lower IQ. As soon as we get home from the grocery store, I use hydrogen peroxide to first disinfect the sink and then throw all my produce in for a good cleaning. I add baking soda/vinegar (I don’t measure) and unload the rest of my groceries. Then I rinse the produce and lay them out to dry.
The optimal ratio is 1 TBS of baking soda to 6 cups of water. Soak your produce for at least 12-15 minutes to remove the pesticides thiabendazole and phosmet.
Vinegar is also an excellent affordable cleaning solution. It is known to be 99.9% effective against bacteria, kills 90% of mold, and can remove most parasites, fungus, and larva. When soaking your produce with vinegar, use 4 parts water to 1 part vinegar. (Side note: Vinegar is made from crops sprayed with herbicides like glyphosate, so opt for organic vinegar when possible.)
Tip: I don’t wash mushrooms until I’m ready to cook them - they get too slimy.
2. Dry. I usually let my produce sit out a couple of hours on the counter to dry really well. This is a very important step to keep vegetables fresh longer in the fridge.
3. Cut. When I’m ready to prep snacks, (usually a few days after I grocery shop, simply because of timing) I cut the vegetables, and some fruit. When my kids help they like to use this crinkle cutter, strawberry cutter, and grape cutter.
4. Store It. I have been using silicone bags, these plastic free trays, or wide-mouth mason jars and these plastic lids to keep my vegetables fresh longer in the fridge. Everything stores in the fridge.
Tip: I keep some water in the mason jar when I store celery and carrots. I just feel like it helps the celery keep its moisture better.
If you find that greens or berries aren’t getting completely dry or if you see condensation forming on the inside of your jar, you can fold up a paper towel and put it at the top of your container. Then, put the lid on and store the container lid side down so the paper towel is at the bottom to absorb the moisture.
VISUAL RHYTHMS
This summer we introduced a visual routine/checklist with the opportunity to earn a small allowance to encourage more independence and learning around money. Visual routines can be amazing for all ages, but I personally wouldn’t begin the allowance component until age 6+. The focus in our family is still on helping each other, “filling a bucket,” and intrinsic motivation. We often say “many hands make lite work” and all tidy up together.
We are mindful that an allowance system can sometimes foster extrinsic motivation, but have found it to be a really great visual tool and has inspired a lot of great conversations about giving and saving.
Free templates you can edit on Canva
Spend Save Give allowance jars
The Opposite of Spoiled Kids: Raising Kids Who Are Grounded, Generous, and Smart about Money
BREAKFAST BRAIN BOOST
One way we are preventing the summer slide is by sneaking in a little review over breakfast in the morning.
The night before, I lay out a shorty activity/worksheet for each kiddo to do over breakfast. This is something they can do mostly independently while I’m cooking breakfast or packing lunches. It takes me less than a minute to prep, and it takes them about 5-10 minutes in the morning. Easy!
SPONTANEOUS BAG
Being prepared helps me say YES to last minute, unplanned fun with friends. These often turn into the best memories.
I throw this bag in our car every time we leave the house:
• change of clothes
• bathing suits and towels
Sunscreen blog + recommendations
nontoxic bug spray (save with code sunnyseedco10)
LMNT hydration (watermelon flavor is our favorite)
portable fan (stroller) or portable fan (handheld)
travel towels (slightly smaller, nontoxic OEKO-STANDARD 100 certified)
Here’s to a great summer!
