10 ways to beat summer boredom // guest post

Well, it's been a little while, hasn't it? I didn't mean to drop off the face of the earth, but life has been beyond crazy and I haven't had much time for blogging. Luckily, the sweet and talented Grace Anne  has volunteered to guest post for me today! Make sure you check out her blog and leave her lots of notes down below!
Without further ado... 

Isn't summer so much fun? Lots of warm, lazy days without the pressure of school. But sometimes, those lazy days become a bit monotonous. You can't come up with anything to do, and so you stumble through the summer, bored with everything. Sound familiar? Here are ten ideas to combat that summer boredom!

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1. Have a shopping day

Grab a sister or a friend and make a day of it! Go to the mall, a local shopping center, or some cute shops downtown. Sometimes you can find some really good sales during the summertime! And while you’re out you can always grab some lunch of coffee.

2. Go on a day trip

Find a location within a couple of hours’ distance, grab some friends, and hit the road. It’s like going on a mini vacation, without the time commitment or cost!

3. Make an ice cream bar

Let’s be real- it’s not summertime without ice cream. Grab some different flavors of ice cream and go absolutely CRAZY with toppings! You can set out little bowls of candies like M&M’s or gummi bears, have some crushed cookies, cherries, chocolate or caramel sauce, SPRINKLES- just go to town!!

4. Plan a sleepover

You can’t go through the summer without having at least ONE sleepover. Staying up late with friends, watching movies, and laughing deliriously over things that wouldn’t even be funny if it weren’t three a.m.- you’ve got to do it at least once.

5. Have a pool day!

The weather’s warm, the sun is shining- why not get out there and enjoy it? Spending the day at the pool is so much fun in the summer. You can cool off, have fun, get a tan, bring snacks-what else do you need?

6. Play games outside in the pitch black summer night

You may want to have some bugspray on hand thanks to those pesky little mosquitos, but what’s more fun than playing some big group games in the dark? A personal favorite of mine is murder at midnight- it never disappoints!

7. Have a readathon

In the summertime, I like to grab a pile of books that I’ve wanted to read throughout the school year but never had time for, and spend the whole day reading! It’s a great way to spend a day, especially if summer thunderstorms are keeping you inside.

8. Go on a photo scavenger hunt

This is especially fun to do with a group of friends. Make a list of obscure things to be photographed, such as a blue bowl or a statue of a cat, split into two teams, and see who can find and photograph all of the objects first!

9. Have a water balloon fight

Let me rephrase that- a water balloon war. I don’t know about you, but I absolutely love having a giant water balloon fight. It never hurts to throw in some water guns, too. ; )

10. Enjoy it
Honestly? Summer is meant to be enjoyed. Don't stress out over having the "perfect summer" full of "perfect" days. Because let's face it- life isn't perfect. Don't try to cram everything in and just stress yourself out in the process. Relax, and just enjoy your summer.

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And what’s summer without a yummy frozen recipe? My mom and I make these frozen peanut butter cups every summer, and they’re definitely one of my favorite treats. I love making a big batch and keeping a stockpile of them in the freezer for those hot afternoons when you just want to cool off!

Ingredients:

-3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
-3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
- 3 1/2 cups (8 ounces) Cool Whip topping, thawed
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
-1 package (4 serving size) Jell-o vanilla flavored pudding mix
- chocolate syrup

Instructions:

Line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper baking cups. Combine crumbs and butter; mix well. Press about 1 tablespoon of the crumb mixture into each cup. Top each with about 1 tablespoon of the whipped topping. Gradually add milk to peanut butter in bowl, blending until smooth. Add pudding mix. With electric mixer at low speed, beat until blended for 1-2 minutes. Fold in the remaining whipped topping. Spoon into crumb-lined cups. Drizzle chocolate syrup on top. Freeze for about four hours.

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And, there you have it! I hope that you all enjoy the recipe, and that some of these tips have given you some summer inspiration. Thank you so much for having me, Olivia!!