1) Plant something!
Even if your thumb is more brown than green, nothing feels like summer like growing something in your own backyard! Now I am not suggesting you go out and plant your own Garden of Versailles or even attempt the Midwest version of it like the one our very own Imperfect Women Gardening Expert grows. It’s okay to keep it simple and just plant some tomatoes and basil in a patio pot.
Tomatoes and basil love each other and for some reason unknown to me they like hanging out together in the garden. Man oh man, nothing tastes as good as a homegrown tomato! You can even throw together a nice simple pasta salad and invite your girlfriends over to celebrate the harvest. If tomatoes aren’t your thing, plant a nice pot of flowers. Choose three different types of flowers. Groups of three work well together in the garden! When picking out the flowers keep in mind what type of light your pot will be getting. It’s as simple as planting flowers that like sun in a sunny spot, or shade loving flowers in the shade! Add a little water and before you know it you’ll have a bouquet that will last all summer long.
2) Find a “Signature Summer” Drink
Signature drinks are all the rage at weddings, so I say find your signature drink for the summer. Think about relaxing on the patio on a long long hot summer day with a tall cool glass of pure refreshment! If you’ve never had homemade lemonade, it tastes better than you can imagine, and it’s very little work. Add some pureed strawberries and you have heaven in a glass.
- 1 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice ( 6 or 7 lemons) Try Meyer lemons if they are available.
- 7 cups water
- 1 cup pureed strawberries – (about 2 cups whole strawberries)
- Bring the sugar and 1 cup water to a boil until sugar has dissolved.
- Pour this simple syrup into a large pitcher and add the lemon juice and water.
- Puree the strawberries in a blender, using a bit of the lemonade if necessary to get a nice smooth puree.
- If you have a food mill use that and it will strain out some of the seeds. Mix the strawberries into the rest of the lemonade and serve in a tall glass over ice.
3) Get some fun new summer sandals.
Summer sandals don’t have to be practical when there are so many cute styles of on the market . I say put those comfortable Birkenstocks aside and get some girly girl shoes. Sandals are a sure sign that summer has arrived. So paint up those toenails, and stride into the season in style.
I have this pair of Born sandals I got last year, and they are fabulous, flirty and fun.
Being a little more budget-conscious this year, I picked up these Mossimo® sandals at Target. They are comfortable and look great. I don’t think they will have a long life, but for 20 bucks it’s ok if they only last one season!
4) Organize your closet.
Nothing like the promise of a new season to get rid of the old and make way for the new.
Mark some boxes – ‘keep’, ‘giveaway’, ‘consign’ and ‘throwaway’, and get to work. If you haven’t worn it for a few years, get rid of it! If it doesn’t fit, get rid of it. Be ruthless! Well okay, if it’s not in you to be ruthless in the closet, then just do a good tidy up, and put anything torn or stained in the bin. Don’t forget to keep the consignment option in mind. If you don’t like it any more, maybe someone else will, and you can make a couple of dollars at the same time. Remember to check out the tips from our our good friend Dorothy The Organizer! I love her tip of throwing the search for perfection out the window!
5) Change your underwear.
Alright, get your mind out of the dirty clothes hamper! Hopefully for the sake of those around you (not to mention your own sake), you already change your underwear on a regular basis.
What I am talking about is CHANGING your underwear! Are you really happy with how your bra fits? Is it doing everything that it can for your “girls” or has it lost a bit of its brand new luster? Instead of just heading out and buying the same old bra, try visiting a store that offers bra fittings from an expert. Finding a good bra fitter can be better than finding a good plastic surgeon (not to mention a whole lot cheaper). It can be a real life changer. Don’t ask me how I know.
Please share your ideas in the comments for how YOU get ready for summer!
Mo says
May 6, 2012 at 8:16 pmI’ll definitely be trying #2!
Shawn says
May 6, 2012 at 8:44 pmI have those Born sandals in black!!! My weakness is the shoe department at Marshalls!! LOL
CoCoPuff says
May 6, 2012 at 8:47 pmThe lemonade sounds delicious ~ Meyer lemons are the best.
I love the change your underwear advice : )
snickers says
May 6, 2012 at 8:57 pmPattypie,
After reading your 5 things, I feel summer is here! Yay!! I have #1 down, but that tasty drink I will try for sure.
PattyPie says
May 6, 2012 at 9:18 pmSnickers I am sure your beautiful garden would be far too polite to laugh at my pots of tomatoes! I swear one day I will have a proper garden!
Sage says
May 6, 2012 at 9:58 pmI am seeing myself on the patio with that lemonade. That looks so refreshing and easy to make.
That is so funny that you should write about getting a good fit in a bra. While reminiscing with a friend last night about the ‘good ole days’, I told her about how my mother once a year would go downtown Milwaukee to a women’s lingerie store for her ‘foundation’.She did this for years starting in the 1940’s. According to my mother that was the only way to buy a bra..was to be fitted.
SOR says
May 7, 2012 at 6:16 amI love me some new sandals. I am hooked on Yellowbox flipflops. They have a spongy sole and are very comfortable.
Deborah says
May 7, 2012 at 8:10 amOk, I want it all 🙂 Pie you make it all sound so inviting.
You even managed to make cleaning out the closet refreshing!
Pam@IW says
May 7, 2012 at 2:46 pmWhat a great post! Kept me smiling, especially the underwear suggestion. Living in Southern Cal, we are ready for summer year round. I do usually buy a few things in the spring to wear for summer since it gets so hot here.
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I need to check into the yellowbox flipflops. But then I would have to get my toes done. LOL
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No garden here but I did do some new plants and the are in full bloom right now.
Pam@IW says
May 7, 2012 at 2:46 pmThis is kind of off topic, but does anyone have suggestions on how they cook their asparagus?
Deborah says
May 7, 2012 at 2:52 pmI steam my asparagus for about 7 mims. I like it with butter or mayo or both 😉 Chill it if using in a salad.
Deborah says
May 7, 2012 at 3:02 pm7 to 10 mins.
snickers says
May 7, 2012 at 3:23 pmI roast mine about 10 minutes in the oven, and I wrap bacon around it. I put about 3 speers together and slice my bacon strip in half( it should be thin) and just wrap it. You also can roast it in olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. We like ours a little on the cruchy side. 350 until browned and the litttle guy around here dips his in ranch dressing. You also can steam it and make a white sauce and serve over toast.
Deborah says
May 7, 2012 at 3:48 pmI need to try roasting it. I love it. I have never not enjoyed it.
HB says
May 7, 2012 at 3:50 pmNothing like fresh asparagus smothered in butter & fresh lemon. (For company, I do a quick hollandaise sauce in the blender.) YUM!
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Same for those CA artichokes. When we lived in Monterey…a huge artichoke was 10 cents…I just paid $2 per!
Deborah says
May 7, 2012 at 4:01 pmYmmm artichokes.
When my kids were little this time of year several girlfriends would come over and we’d cook artichokes. Lots of them.
I remember the little kids all singing “they might choke Arti but they don’t choke me” 🙂
Rosemary says
May 7, 2012 at 4:01 pmUsually, I have some tough ends to cut off, and then I steam them with a little salt. I like the natural flavor without any dressing. I always buy fresh. I have never had any frozen asparagus that tasted good, and canned ones are a waste of money. I can eat them hot or cold. They do not last long at my house.
Pam@IW says
May 7, 2012 at 4:09 pmThanks everyone. I usually just cook mine on the grill in foil. I was looking for something different. I know Patty told me how she made hers and I can’t remember.
PattyPie says
May 7, 2012 at 4:09 pmmmmmm I love asparagus!
Wavin’ hello to HB so nice to see you!
Pam@IW says
May 7, 2012 at 4:10 pmHB…what part of Ca did you live in?
Pam@IW says
May 7, 2012 at 4:20 pmOk, I had to look up what a Meyer lemon is. Can you tell I am not that into cooking, LOL>
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Meyer lemons, so named because they were identified in 1908 by Frank N. Meyer, are thought to be a cross between Eurekas or Lisbons and a mandarin orange. They have a sweeter and more floral taste than other lemons and can even have an slightly orange tint. They also have very thin skins, making them difficult to transport and store. Most Meyers are grown in backyards, but rising demand and wide culinary interest means they are increasingly available at markets.
Deborah says
May 7, 2012 at 4:25 pmWouldn’t you know Pie would know about Meyer lemons. LoL
Thanks Pam, I never knew!!!
HB says
May 7, 2012 at 5:31 pmPam, we lived in Monterey in ’64 for 6 mos. Went to the Language School at the Presidio to learn French, & were sent to Germany! Once we hit Germany, we were sent to Oberammergau to learn how to speak GERMAN! Go figure…Uncle Sam didn’t know where to put us…but we didn’t complain!!!!
Ann@IW says
May 7, 2012 at 6:29 pmNever heard of Meyer lemons before, but they sound delicious.
I planted something.
My suggestion for getting ready for summer- make some vacation plans! I get VERY excited when I know I have a reservation at the shore. Yipee!
PattyPie says
May 7, 2012 at 7:09 pmVacation plans! Of course! The best way to get ready for summer!
Pam@IW says
May 7, 2012 at 7:17 pmHB, Nice area…..I am sure much different back in 64.
Anya@IW says
May 8, 2012 at 7:58 pmGreat suggestions and they have put me in the summer mood for sure! Time to buy some sunscreen, clean out the fire pit and start mixing some fun drinks, LOL. Oh and there will be many meals of tomatoes and basil, I can assure you!
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HB, we were in Monterey this weekend. Still a lovely area, especially if you like your California weather with lots of sunshine, but not too hot.
pattypie says
May 9, 2012 at 11:20 amI must admit I first heard about Meyer lemons several years ago while watching Martha Stewart. Like most things Martha talked about in those days…they were very hard to find. Now you can find them in most stores. But a couple of years ago my family bought me a dwarf meyer lemon tree which is a very prolific producer! How’s that for a husband who pays attention. When he and the children were looking at the trees he remembered me talking about meyer lemons! I’m guess he remembered the name because I probably sent him to buy some at the grocery store at some point and he couldn’t find them! LOL
Jennie@IW says
May 9, 2012 at 2:02 pmWe have a lemon tree and some of the lemons seem sort of like Meyer lemons (thin skin, almost orange-y smell when you cut them), but not all of them do. I wonder if it’s some sort of hybrid? I don’t remember what we got when we planted it six years ago!
I wonder if it’s a dwarf too because it’s not growing up very much, just out. It didn’t produce much fruit for the first few years but produces it regularly now; my main problems are figuring out how to prune it properly, and picking the fruit while avoiding the tons of spiders that have set up webs all over it (yuck!). But I do like having a lemon tree, since I use lemon in so many things (and now in the signature drink I have to plan!).
snickers says
May 9, 2012 at 4:32 pmJennie,
You can prune by taking off lower branches and cutting out any dead in your tree. This will help reshape your lemon tree. You also can use a fruit spray in your tree to keep the spiders out. You should do this early in the spring before it bears fruit. I wish I could have one in my yard, but our winters can be brutal.
JennieIW says
May 9, 2012 at 10:16 pmThanks, snickers. What about when there are several different lemons developing on the same branch? I’ve been pinching some off to give the others a better chance to develop but I don’t know if that’s right or not.
snickers says
May 10, 2012 at 7:27 amYes, pinch of some smaller ones, so the bigger lemons can grow and feed from the tree. Enjoy those lemons! 🙂
Jennie@IW says
May 10, 2012 at 2:44 pmThanks, snickers!
Momsby says
May 11, 2012 at 7:01 amOh, I can’t wait for summer, camping, cottage, lazy days on my deck! It’s my favorite time of year:)
I do all of the things you suggested Pie..except change my underwear 😉
I think I’ll give that one a try, having nursed 3 kids..i think I deserve a good bra!
We are fortunate to live on a lake so we do a city family vacation..this year we are considering going to a border state, possibly New York 😉
P.S. I have a excellent Big Person drink I have in my freezer all summer long!