Click image to download this week's The Week Ahead.

• Monday (5/28/2012): Happy Memorial Day!
  Visit a cemetery.  See a parade.  Cookout with your friends and family.  Enjoy the cool water on a hot day.  ListPlanIt‘s Holidays & Occasions has holiday planning pages galore available to members.
• Tuesday (5/29/2012): A Look at the Summer Ahead
  In order to make things as simple as possible, it is important to have a realistic idea of your goals for the summertime and set a timeline for which to accomplish them.  Print calendars for June, July, and August.  Members to ListPlanIt will find calendars and planners in Time Management.
• Wednesday (5/30/2012): Plan your Summertime Routine
  Whether your children are out of school yet or not, it is time to consider your summertime routine.  If you work in or outside the home, your routine may look a lot like the school year’s.  ListPlanIt‘s Family Matters section has pages to plan your daytime, evening, and weekend routines.
• Thursday (5/31/2012): Menu Spotlight:  Potato Salad
  Potato salad is a staple to summer barbeques and picnics.  My favorite potato salad does not have any vinegar or mustard in it.  Check out the recipe I use at AllRecipes.com.
• Friday (6/1/2012): Beginning of Summer Party
  It’s time to celebrate!  The school year is over (or almost), and summer is just beginning.  Both are pretty good reasons to host a party.  Find party and menu planning pages in ListPlanIt’s Holidays & Occasions.
• Saturday (6/2/2012):  Planning Retreat
  Make an appointment for a quiet hour alone to prepare for the upcoming week: holidays, events, meals, budget, etc.  What is a Planning Retreat?  Find out here.
• Sunday (6/3/2012): Like a Duck to Water
  When the weather heats up, there is nothing that feels as good as a cool beach or pool.  Gather your suits, towels, and sunscreen and head to the water today.

Visit ListPlanIt‘s Facebook page and tell us about your Week Ahead.

Not only does the 100 Days of Summertime 2012 eBook give a daily dose of inspiration and offer a summertime strategy for making the most of your summer, but it also includes links to 31 lists from ListPlanIt.com.  The lists are all printable and downloadable, and most can be typed into and saved with your own information for future summers.

You can get the eBook for FREE when you purchase any membership to ListPlanIt.com (see here for more information).  You still have multiple ways to enter to win one of ten PDF copies at 100DaysofSummertime.com.  Or you can just purchase the eBook with its 100 pages of reminders, tasks, or activities for the summertime and its 31 lists from ListPlanIt for just $5.  As Sincerely Stacie said, that is less than the cost of  breakfast at Panera’s!

Here is the list of links to ListPlanIt‘s lists in the 100 Days of Summertime 2012 eBook.

• Cookout Planner
• May, June, July, August, September Calendars
• Daily Routine
• End of School Timeline
• Holiday Party Planner
• Weekly Responsibility List
• Summer Camp Checklist
• Rainy Day Activities
• Travel Budget Worksheet
• Itinerary Overview
• Camping List
• Packing List B
• Emergency Evacuation Inventory
• Summertime To Do List (exclusive to this eBook, not found on ListPlanIt.com)
• My 21 Meals
• Shopping Locally
• Preparing for Overnight Guests
• Hometown Tourist
• Roadtrip Itinerary
• Vacation Journal
• School Supply Shopping List
• Clothing Inventory
• School Lunch Planner
• Morning Routine
• Afterschool Routine
• Evening Routine
• Daytime Routine
• Fall Project List

We’d love to hear from you!  Be sure to join our community at the 100 Days of Summertime Facebook page.  We’ll be sharing tips and tricks as we move throughout the summertime.

We are just a few days away from the unofficial start of summertime. . .Memorial Day! Summer is one of my favorite times of the year. Everything is green, the weather begs you to be outdoors, and activities abound. How do you take advantage of all that summer has to offer? It takes plenty of planning and preparation throughout the summertime to cover some of the essential experiences. You don’t want to end the summer with regrets that you didn’t suck the life out of the season. You don’t want to look back on the summer thinking that you missed another opportunity to have ultimate fun with your children while you still have them.

If you still haven’t bought the 100 Days of Summertime 2012 eBook and you are wondering what it is all about, I’ve prepared a video that shows the book in more detail. The good news is that you have multiple ways to enter to win one of ten PDF copies at 100DaysofSummertime.com.

Here are some highlights from the 100 Days of Summertime 2012 eBook.

• Day 1:  Instruction on how to create your Summer Central binder
• Day 4:  Setting up your family’s summertime routine.  
• Day 7:  Planning an end-of-school/beginning-of-summer Party
• Day 10:  Creating a Summer Camp experience at home
• Day 13:  Rainy day fun
• Day 17:  Making Father’s Day extra-special with something handmade
• Day 25:  Longest day of the summer
• Day 31:  Packing for summer travel
• Day 34:  Preparing your summer holiday menu
• Day 37:  Be prepared for summer emergencies
• Day 40:  Creating your summer to do list (exclusive list from ListPlanIt.com)
• Day 46:  Enjoying pick your own seasonal produce
• Day 51:  Be a tourist in your own hometown
• Day 56:  Enjoying America’s summer pastime. . .Baseball!
• Day 62:  Opening day of the Olympics
• Day 67:  Making your school supply list
• Day 73:  What’s for school lunch?
• Day 76:  Preparing for a yard sale
• Day 80:  Recording the memories of summertime
• Day 86:  Putting the final touches on summer
• Day 93:  Planning for Labor Day fun
• Day 97:  Creating your September to do list
• Day 100:  Enjoying Labor Day

And everything in between.  There’s so much good stuff in the 100 Days of Summertime 2012 eBook!  For $5, how can you afford not to buy it?

Click image to download this week's The Week Ahead.

• Monday (5/21/2012): Plan your Memorial Day Activities
  What are your plans for Memorial Day (weekend)?  Will you be camping  Hosting a cookout?  Heading to the lake or beach?  Today is the day to firm up your plans.  ListPlanIt‘s Holidays & Occasions has holiday planning pages galore available to members.
• Tuesday (5/22/2012): Invite Family and Friends
  If your plans involve friends or family, be sure to invite them before they make other plans.
• Wednesday (5/23/2012): Plan your Menu and Shopping List
  Plan for campfire food, food for the grill, or picnic food.  Food eaten/prepared outdoors is the best!   ListPlanIt‘s Meal Planning section has all the menu planners and grocery lists members could need.
• Thursday (5/24/2012): Inventory Supplies
  If you are grilling, you’ll need charcoal or an extra supply of propane.  You may need cups, plates, napkins, and silverware.  Think of all the things you’ll need for Memorial Day fun.
• Friday (5/25/2012): Purchase Supplies
  Get to the store and purchase your ingredients and supplies before they run out of what you need.
• Saturday (5/26/2012):  Planning Retreat
  Make an appointment for a quiet hour alone to prepare for the upcoming week: holidays, events, meals, budget, etc.  What is a Planning Retreat?  Find out here.
• Sunday (5/27/2012): Prepare for the First Summer Holiday
  Prepare your home or gathering location.  If possible, make deviled eggs, potato salad, pies, and anything else that can be prepared ahead

Visit ListPlanIt‘s Facebook page and tell us about your Week Ahead.

• Host a Bike-To-Work or Bike-To-School Day
  • The more people involved the better!
• Research bike friendly paths in your town and visit them
• Have a Bike Parade
  • Give prizes for the most creatively decorated bikes
• Hold a Bike-Wash and let people shine up their bikes
• Decorate bike helmets with stickers
• Set up a bicycle obstacle course
• Use chalk and make a path for bikes to follow in an empty school parking lot on the weekend
• Make an I LIKE MY BIKE CAKE, such as this one from Family Fun Magazine

What fun ways does your family do on bikes?

Available in PDF format.

A Daily Dose of Inspiration & Motivation for a Summer filled with Family, Food, and Fun! An off shoot of the popular blog series, 100 Days to Christmas, this eBook is a journey that begins around Memorial Day, and leads you step-by-step through the best parts of summertime.  Included are links to 31 lists from ListPlanIt.com for end-of-school planning, summer camp, family vacations, party planning/entertaining, back to school and more!

For an excerpt of the first 7 pages, including the table of contents, instructions for using this eBook, and Day #1,

Download now for just $5!

Pay through Paypal with either your Paypal account OR by Credit Card (find out how)

OR

Get the entire eBook FREE when you purchase any Membership to ListPlanIt.com (find out how here)

Make this your best summer yet!

Here is a sample page:

Join our community for updates and the latest discussions at our 100 Days of Summertime Facebook page!

Testimonials:

“I just downloaded the book and took a quick skim and it looks fantastic!!! I can’t tell you how excited I am to use it this summer. I honestly read every single page of the 100 days to christmas and always had so much fun seeing what was in store next. It really did keep me more organized and I DEFINITELY need that this summer.” – Jen of  A Daily Dose of Davis

“Your work is fantastic and I’m really impressed and thrilled to have such a a comprehensive summer resource for this year.  I’ve been trying, unsuccessfully, for the past few summers to create such a binder and now you have done it for me and everyone else who tries your amazing book. ” – Annie

Click image to download this week's The Week Ahead.

• Monday (5/14/2012): Field Trip
  Whether or not this is your last week of school, often enough the last weeks are filled with all types of end of the year activities.  Keeping them on your calendar, arranging for days off, and making a plan can really help you through these final weeks.
• Tuesday (5/15/2012): Field Day
  Are you camera batteries charged and ready to go?  Don’t forget plenty of water and sunscreen.

  Do you love summer?  Do you want to find out how you can make the most of your summer?  Now available:  100 Days of Summertime 2012 eBook, daily inspiration for a summer filled with family, food, and fun!

• Wednesday (5/16/2012): End of the Year Party
  Got cupcakes?  Got dip?  Buy your ingredients and try to make it the night before.
• Thursday (5/17/2012): Menu Spotlight:  Individual 7-Layer Dips
  This is a brilliant idea for an upcoming graduation party of even for a Memorial Day cookout.  Simply make your 7-layer Mexican dip, but in individual cups.  Here some inspiration for you.
• Friday (5/18/2012): Last Day of School
  Celebrate your graduate with a special dinner or a fun activity.
• Saturday (5/19/2012):  Planning Retreat
  Make an appointment for a quiet hour alone to prepare for the upcoming week: holidays, events, meals, budget, etc.  What is a Planning Retreat?  Find out here.
• Sunday (5/20/2012): Graduation Day
  Many of you will be attending graduation ceremonies this day and many more will be attending future Sunday ceremonies.  Enjoy the day.

Visit ListPlanIt‘s Facebook page and tell us about your Week Ahead.

• A dinner she doesn’t have to cook or clean up (Take Out or Eating Out)
• A hint of a thoughtful gift on a random day when she’s not expecting it (not because you’ve forgotten and are trying to stall)
• The realization that when she mentioned how much she loved Ingrid Michaelson, you were paying attention (you bought a CD or tickets for her concert)
• A gift of Time (alone to do something she never gets time to do like read or paint her toenails)
• A trip to the spa for a little pampering
• Kisses and Hugs from the loved ones in her life!

What would you really like this Mother’s Day?

Today is National Teachers’ Day and this is, for many schools, Teacher Appreciation Week. Show the teachers and office staff of your child’s school how much you appreciate them and give them a tool that will keep on giving throughout the summer and into the new school year. . .
a Print Membership to ListPlanIt.com!

Purchase a 4-pack of gift certificates for just $50! (an $80 value)

• Food
  There are foods that are ingrained in the fabric of the season. For summer, that means they are usually both fresh and flavorful. It just wouldn’t be summertime without some of the following foods.
  • fruits: strawberries, watermelon, blueberries, raspberries, peaches
  • seafood: lobster, shrimp, fish
  • salads: potato, pasta, leaf
  • ice Cream: homemade, local creamery
• Fun & Games
  When the days are sunny and warm, a yard and/or neighborhood are the best playgrounds.  Friends gather to play games and use their imagination.
  • obstacle course
  • sprinkler or pool
  • putt-putt golf
  • scavenger hunt
  • fly a kite
• Field Trips
  It’s good to travel away from home, even just a short way, and discover the world around.  There are likely so many things within just a few miles that you have yet to do.
  • historic sites
  • farms
  • museums
  • state parks

Click on image for a downloadable version.

• Sports
  Whether you are an avid sports fan, or quite the opposite, this summer has a sport for everyone to follow and enjoy.  Be an active participant, or participate in the stands.  Cheer for your home team.
  • fishing
  • baseball
  • tour de france
  • olympics
• Arts & Crafts
  Stock your arts/crafts bin and offer some guidance on crafts projects.  Kids are learning when they are creating and imagining.
  • make a mosaic
  • tie-dye a summer shirt
  • sidewalk chalk art exhibit
  • make clay sculptures
• Learning
  Children lose a good-sized portion of what they learn during the school year in the summertime.  Do what you can to get your kids thinking and using their brains.  Make learning a part of their everyday routine.
  • summer reading. . .make frequent visits to the library or start a book club
  • take a closer look at another culture
  • gather items from the backyard under a microscope
  • create a lapbook over the summer
• Hobbies
  It is hard to find time to cultivate a hobby during the school year.  Give the members in your family the opportunities they need to pursue and improve their skills in the things they enjoy the most.
  • bird-watching
  • rock-collecting
  • rug-hooking
  • gardening
  • letterboxing or geocaching

What’s on your family’s summer to do list? What activities are specific to your region? Tell us in the comments below.