Summer bucket lists are usually full of ideas for the kids.

Water parks. Crafts. Day trips. Popsicles. Activities.

And listen… I’m all for making summer fun.

But while I was thinking about summer plans recently, I realized something:

I had spent way more time thinking about what everyone else wanted from summer than what I wanted from summer.

Because moms deserve a summer too.

Not a perfect one. Not a packed one.

Just a summer that feels good.

So this year, I’m keeping a realistic summer bucket list for myself.

Not another overwhelming to-do list.

Just a few things I want to make sure happen while summer is here.

My Realistic Mom Summer Bucket List

☀️ Get together with girlfriends once a month
Because friendships matter… and somehow they’re one of the first things that slide when life gets busy.

💅 Do my summer nails
It sounds small, but little things that make me feel put together matter to me.

📚 Finish a book
Maybe that’s one book all summer. Maybe it’s more. No pressure.

❤️ Go on a date night
Actually get the babysitter. Leave the house. Eat food that no one cut into tiny pieces.

🌻 Go to a farmer’s market
Because this just feels like summer to me.

🏊 Enjoy the pool without multitasking the entire time
Not organizing bags, counting snacks, or mentally planning dinner.

Just… be there.

And honestly? That’s enough.

Because I don’t want to spend summer trying to optimize every moment.

I want to enjoy some of it too.

But let’s be honest…

Finding time for yourself in the summer isn’t always easy when the kids are home.

So here’s something I’m doing that might help you too.

Create a “Mom Needs 15 Minutes” List

Instead of constantly coming up with ideas on the fly when somebody says, “I’m bored…”

Make a master list once.

Walk around your house and take inventory of things your kids already have.

Things like:

• LEGOs
• coloring books
• craft supplies
• board games
• books
• sidewalk chalk
• sports equipment
• backyard toys
• puzzles
• outdoor games

Then keep that list somewhere easy to grab.

Bonus idea?

Use ChatGPT to help you.

Tell it your kids’ ages and list what you already own.

Try something like:

“My kids are 5 and 7. We already have LEGOs, sidewalk chalk, Nerf guns, craft supplies, puzzles, sports equipment, and backyard toys. Give me 25 easy activities they can mostly do independently this summer.”

It takes what you already have and helps you create a personalized boredom-buster list without adding more work for you.

Or you can steal mine.

Because sometimes self-care looks less like a spa day… and more like drinking your coffee while your kids rediscover toys that have been sitting in the closet all year.

This summer, I’m trying really hard to remember:

I don’t have to do everything.

But I do want to make space for a few things that matter to me too.

Because moms deserve a summer too.