Early sunshine greetings that last till late at night. The warm air against my skin. Smells of freshly cut grass. The colour green bursting forth from every corner. Beautiful blue skies. Yummy frozen treats. Painted toenails. Flowers in full bloom. The sound of birds chirping. And random mixes of thunderstorms. My favourite!

I love summer. I do. It’s just that sometimes, well, it gets a little pushy.

“Go Here!”

“Do This!”

“Clock is ticking!”

“This weather won’t last forever!”

“Not many weekends left!”

“Have you been to the mountains yet?!”

“How many times have you gone to the pool?!”

“Been to playground yet today?!”

“Go to the Lake! Go to the Lake! Go to the Lake!!!!!”

There’s just so much pressure to have this out of your mind amazing two to three months of a novel filled bucket list of ‘absolute must’ check-offs. And I’m left with the feeling of failure sometimes. Like summer expected me to run my legs off, and it’s giving me these dirty looks every time I stop to sip a cup of water.

It’s all in my head though and I’m giving it a much-needed shake.

Spur of the moment runaways will be indulged. Backyard reclining will be encouraged. There will be lots of grass laying and sky watching.

Introducing the rest of this season’s theme:

The summer laze.

It will be filled with no more scheduling (except that which already is). Spur of the moment runaways will be indulged. Backyard reclining will be encouraged. There will be lots of grass laying and sky watching. There will be a day or few of no cooking, just snacks and microwave delicacies. There will be cheap plastic kiddie pools, delightful squealing, and minimal Wi-Fi. The camera will be left often, and my eyes will soak it in with slowness. There will be some walking, but mostly stopping, grabbing that large glass of cool water and drinking it all in.

How will you be spending the “summer laze”?