Yay, summer is here!….Oh wait, I have job now.

Finding time to actually enjoy your summer when you’re an adult is so hard! You go to work, you come home, eat dinner, go to bed, and repeat. Forever. Unless you’re a teacher or work a seasonal job, the days can blur together and before you know it, it’s winter again.

Here are some tips to get the most of the warm weather and make your summer feel like summer again!

• Set-up a vacation zone in your backyard, balcony, or whatever space you have.

Complete with lounge chairs, twinkle lights, plants, and all the cocktails you need. Just imagine it: Come home from work, slip on a sundress, make a marg, and pretend you’re on a tropical island somewhere. See some of my favorite patio finds below.

• Take a walk during your break/eat lunch outside.

Use your break wisely! Find a nice spot nearby to just enjoy the sun. I’ve been incorporating this into my daily routine and it makes me so much happier!

• Ice cream. Lots of ice cream.

Got a mini fridge near your office? Always keep it stocked. If you’re feeling nice, bring some to share with your coworkers. Can’t eat during work? Make a pre-dinner pit stop on the way home. I’m telling you, this one is necessary.

• If your work gives you vacation days, use them!

Even if you don’t have anything planned. Just enjoy some time off to do nothing.

• If you don’t get vacation days, call in sick and play hooky a day or two (I won’t tell).

Just make sure you don’t post about any adventures you may have on social media.

• Make a bucket list.

This will really help you narrow down your top goals for the summer. Keep it posted somewhere visible so you can keep track easily. My summer bucket list will be up shortly, keep an eye out for it.

• Find a nice park/lake/field by your home or work.

Before going home, stop somewhere to enjoy the weather before you get too busy with housework and errands.

• Think back to your childhood

Spend a day visiting a water park or an amusement park like the good old days. Maybe even host a water ballon fight or sprinkler party with a group of friends.

• Research and plan day trips that are 1-3 hours away from your hometown.

If you’re from the Chicago area, I recommend: Starved Rock State Park, Geneva, IL, Saugatuck, MI, or Milwaukee, WI to name a few.

• Bike or walk to work

*If you can* I am lucky enough to be able to do this. I can’t say I do it often, but it does make me feel so much better about my day when I do!

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What’s something you plan on doing to get the most out of your summer?