Let It Be This Simple: A Summer Date Guide
Write these 15 ideas down, they are good ones!
In the land of devices and tech and screens, did you know that when you write something down pen to paper, it goes into your long term memory section of your brain? Physically forming the letters essentially send a signal to your brain saying: this is worth keeping.
Grab a pen because I have some ideas and you are going to want to get on a post-it note or you could even create a Summer is for Lovers BINGO CARD!
So, I recently wrote about ideas to do with your best girlfriends this Summer and another essay about 9 tried and true ways to build community. My husband is my most avid Substack reader. Some evenings he dramatically shushes me because he is reading, as he says, his favorite author and then flips his phone around and it is my Substack (swoon). I am always open to feedback from my readers and he requested that he would like to see a Summer idea list for the lovers. Communication is key in any relationship, ask and you might receive. Here are 15 ideas for time well spent this Summer with your beloved.
And PSA, your beloved can be whomever you choose to love, your partner or a bestie or anyone you want to spend time with, drenched in love in all its forms, a good time will follow. Oh by the way, Happy 🌈 Pride 🌈 Month 🌈 all!
15 DATES TO GO ON THIS SUMMER:
Grab a blanket and go sit at the park or any grassy knoll. Let it be this simple, folks. I promise if you sit long enough, you will be so happy there. And the romance if you get a lite rain, I cannot even. Tell me about it!
Go learn something together. Like a coffee tasting event or a cooking class.
Do not sleep on the free events hosted at the public library. Last year, I went to a wild bird class and it was awesome. I still think about the golden eagle I met about every 11 days.
Go out for ice cream. All about ice cream this Summer. Take your time, savor and saunter, and by all means, get the waffle cone!
A couple’s massage is so fun when you can relax side-by-side. Add the nourishing honey heel massage!
Book club for two? Yes please. Hear me out on this one, never in my wildest did I think Chris and I would talk books. He was not a reader when we first dated. Lo and behold, 16 years later, he reads! And we talk about books and chapters we love and themes we are vibing within. PSA: You don’t even have to read the same book to be in a two person book club. (My love of books goes deep, read about it here. And how do I not have a 2026 TBR list? I will write that soon, stay tuned).
A dear friend of mine and her partner read out loud to one another. I love that.
On roadtrips, you can listen to a book together.
Book an overnight somewhere. This can be fancy or you can go camping. It matters to get away and disrupt the norm.
Speaking of disrupting the norm, why are dates always at night? Set an alarm and go on a sunrise date. When we lived in Maine, one sunrise we went for a walk on the beach (the grandparents were in town visiting). I have the picture from this exact date sitting on my desk with sleepy eyes and the sun rising behind us all tangerine and purpley.
Have a food frenzy date. Don’t worry about reservations, just find a block that has a handful of food options and meander. Grab a taco here or start with ice cream and then split a burger later. Snack your way through dinner.
Okay, how fun is a Farmer’s Market date? Find a local market and go one morning for breakfast. Grab coffee there. Next vendor, a pastry. Sure, I will gladly try soup at 10am. Yes, I would love a homemade dog treat for our Moose-dog. Oh you hand knit that mushroom keychain, I’ll take it. Flower, for me? And you are supporting your community farmers and entreprenuers!
Channel your 90’s Summer and find a community pool, pay the entrance fee, and sit for a couple hours poolside. We have one nearby that is a total hidden gem and even has a concession stand!
Cook a meal from a country you want to visit. Chris and I are itching to go to Italy and I have been begging him these past weeks to make his famous gluten free lasagna a la Ina Garten frequency (cue much cheese and fresh herbs). He puts on Italian music and get Italian red wine, he makes it a whole thing. You can romance anything and make it a thing!
Go see live music together. Large concert venue or at the local park this Summer, you have options. This one is so fun because live music can be trance-like and magic and then after the show, the very next day, you can play the songs and remember about the amazing time you had….the night before!
Rent a canoe or paddleboat! Our local lake now has these swan shaped paddle boats you can rent by the hour. It is on my list!
Last one, I know I already mentioned book club. However, what about a date at a local independent bookstore. Plot twist, you each go find the other one a book and buy it for one another in hopes they love it!
Oh, you liked the BINGO idea? I did, too. Here you go:
Thank you did the ideas. The little things that add up to more connection and fun with each other is on my list for the summer.
Love these. And I think our husbands are also in a two person book club. Ha