"What's your favorite part about summer?"
"The part where it ends."
Summer is a time for bikinis, beaches, and breezy nights. It's the season of rest and relaxation. The kids get a break from school. Moms and dads fire up the grill for a neighborhood barbecue. Everyone embarks on road trips and vacations to get away from the reality of work and school. Some evOren claim summer feels like a slice of paradise. I, on the other hand, claim summer feels like a slice of scorching misery.
Let's not focus on the negative things about the season of sunburns. Instead, I'd like to divert your attention towards the activities we look forward to when this summer ends.
1. Feeling comfortable in temperatures that do not exceed 75 degrees.
When autumn arrives at our doorsteps, we say "adios" to sticky humidity, uncomfortable sweating, and vulnerability to the harsh sun rays. We greet the ice-kissed fall and winter seasons with open arms.
2. Baking yummy treats without turning the house into a sauna.
Everyone appreciates sweet homemade treats. Some people even use baking as a therapeutic outlet for stress. But, no one appreciates a 300-degree oven during triple digit weather. So, when sizzling temperatures disappear the cookies, brownies, and cakes will begin to appear.
3. Taking back that one hour of sleep.
Daylight savings time officially ends for this year on November 6. Although many may miss longer hours with sun, we will love sleeping for one extra hour every night.
4. Neglecting the duty to shave.
When temperatures drop, wardrobes change from Daisy Dukes to cozy sweatpants and trendy tank tops to turtlenecks. Let's face it. When no one sees legs and underarms on a daily basis, we stray away from the routine of shaving. Not only does it save time and water, but also conserves money you may spend on razors and shaving cream.
5. Turning on those Friday night lights.
You don't need to deeply appreciate football, or even understand the sport, to attend a game. Surrounding yourself in the stands, following the cheers of the spirit squad, and listening to the band in the brisk autumn breeze is second to none. Plus, everyone loves a hearty tailgate meal and chatting with old friends.
6. Ordering a "limited time only" pumpkin spice lattes.
Pumpkin Spice Latte- the seasonal sensation to rock palettes around the nation. Thousands of Americans crave the warm spiced drink, but sadly it is only available for a limited time. Grab one before spring season rolls in.
7. Watching scary movies in full Halloween spirit.
Whether you're watching with your boo or with a group of friends, Halloween creates the perfect atmosphere for classic thriller movies. So throw that popcorn in the microwave and get ready for intense guest appearances from your favorite serial killers and antagonists.
8. Trying to find the Pinterest perfect Halloween Costume.
The average American may attend at least one costume party each year. Luckily, in this day and age, Pinterest easily guides us through the punny, or body flattering costumes. What's the best part of Pinterest inspired costumes? About 99 percent of them are Do-It-Yourself and never break your bank.
9. Walking through haunted houses.
Whether you walk through mazes at an amusement park or glide through a local haunted house, make sure to bring a friend or two to accompany you! There's only a short period of time every year where we can pay people to scare us. Just like the summer heat, the chills and thrills of Halloween won't last forever.
10. Choosing the right pumpkin to carve.
Pumpkin carving generates fun for the whole family. Plus, at what other time of the year will you be able to gut a pumpkin, carve faces out of it, and use it as house decor?
11. Trading candy after trick-or-treating.
Candy is one of the many aspects we all love about All Hallows' Eve. But, there is always that one candy we just do not want to eat. So, grab your trick-or-treat bags, dump our your winnings, and make a fair trade. Keep an eye out for those suspicious candies!
12. Walking through a pile of crunchy, brown leaves on the pavement.
Leaf-strewn pavements paint the most picturesque image of autumn in our minds. The crunching sound of the leaves beneath our feet bring back a sense of nostalgia. A sense of nostalgia that will only be achieved once this summer heat goes away and the leaves start to change their colors.
13. Spending Thanksgiving break in a food coma.
I could not have said it better myself, Lorelai Gilmore. Turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, stuffing, macaroni and cheese, pie, and we cannot forget the copious amounts of leftovers. So take your pick of a Netflix show and put on your favorite pajamas because it's a doctor's orders to rest when suffering from a food coma.
14. Decorating the Christmas tree.
Perhaps, we may not be as excited as Buddy the Elf when placing the lights on the tree. But, finding the perfect ornament to twinkling lights ratio only occurs once a year. On second thought, maybe we will get as excited as Buddy the Elf.
15. Seeing extravagant Christmas lights.
Over the past decade, Christmas lights evolved from simply lining the roofs of our homes to fully illuminating whole blocks of neighborhoods. You can visit these limited time light festivals such as Thoroughbred or Mission Inn in Southern California. Remember, this is only for a limited time so be sure to take a long stroll with your Christmas cutie through the dazzling Christmastime decorations.
16. Watching reruns of classic Christmas movies.
Only once a year, television stations air reruns of classic holiday specials. Grab your egg nog and cookies. Find the most comfortable position on the couch and get ready to fully envelope yourself in true Christmas spirit.
17. Refusing to get expensive pedicures.
Summer calls for cute sandals and slippers with exposed toenails. Exposed toenails calls for pedicures. When summer ends, we bring back our closed toed boots and sneakers and hide those bare toenails. When summer ends, our nail manicurists tips drop a little and our wallets seem a little thicker.
18. Visiting the snowy mountains.
If you're like me then you probably do not reside in snow-filled neighborhoods during the winter. But, driving up windy roads and suffering from slight motion sickness to step through crunchy snow is totally worth it. Although skiing and snowboarding may not fit everyone's agenda, we all have time for a casual snowball fight or creating snow angels.
19. Sitting by the fireplace to reminisce.
Fireplaces give off the perfect cozy Christmastime vibes for any home. If you do not own a fireplace yourself, do not fear. WPIX holds an annual Yule Log on the television which plays Christmas tunes and displays an animated fire for you and your loved ones to enjoy on Christmas Day.
20. Hitting up all the holiday sales.
There's buy one, get one free, summer clearance, holiday doorbusters, and (the mother of all sales) BLACK FRIDAY. No matter what budget you may be on, there is a sale for all of your holiday shopping needs. Don't forget to spoil yourself too!
21. Finally seeing family and friends after a long time.
Holidays create the perfect environment for catching up with friends or seeing your crazy siblings. Be cautious of those talkative aunts and uncles you see on rare occasions because they may talk your ear off. Also, give extra kisses to your grandmamas and grandpapas because they never forget to slip you a Christmas gift.
22. Singing along to Christmas music on the radio.
Jingle Bells, Silver Bells, Carol of the Bells: No matter what kind of holiday bells ring for you this Christmas, be sure to sing along. Even though radio stations start the holiday tunes much too early and way too late, just keep singing. It's the only time these songs will be socially acceptable to perform in public.
23. Trading in bikini tops for knitted sweaters.
Bathing suits cause so much unnecessary pressure for our bodies to look a certain way. Thankfully, the season of bikini stress does not last forever. As soon as autumn and winter roll along, we can feel comfortable in think sweaters and pants without anyone staring at our bare stomachs or chests.
24. Not overheating while wearing black clothing.
The number of black clothing trends seems to increase with every passing day. We all have a handful (or five handfuls) of black ensembles in our closets. But, no one likes wearing those cute black pants that make our behinds look amazing in triple digit weather. So, as soon as summer says "sayōnara" to us, we say "kon'nichiwa" to our body enhancing black outfits.
25. Partying it up before the New Year.
Everyone gets together for the highly anticipated stroke of midnight to ring in the new year. New Year's Eve parties allow us to eat more food (like we haven't already eaten enough food at Thanksgiving and Christmas), drink that bubbly (or apple cider, for the 21 and under gang) and kiss our special girl or guy.
Wednesday, September 21, 2016 marks the last official day of summer. So mark your calendars, get those turtlenecks ready, and prepare yourself for the most wonderful time of the year.
