Summer Dares

Yes, it’s uncomfortable and you think you sound cheesy but trust us: A little sexting goes a long way to spice up your love life. Leading up to your next dinner date, say “I can’t stop thinking about you and how I can’t wait for you to _____” Then, while you’re at the table, sneak away to the bathroom and send him this, “Tell me what you’re going to do to me when you get me naked…” The next day, give him something to remember with “I loved the way you looked in that t-shirt last night…but all I could think about was how I wanted to take it off…” or “I can’t stop thinking about the way you ____…”

Write down your vision for an ideal summer—and get specific. “A journal gives you a place to dream and plan, so it’s not just some ambiguous idea in your head,” says Atlanta-based life coach Valorie Burton, author of Successful Women Think Differently. “When you’re creating a journal, you’re creating anticipation and building positive emotion, which helps us deal with adversity and stress and generally makes us happier. You’re giving yourself something to look forward to throughout the summer, then next year, you can read through the journal to reminisce and savor your great experiences.”

You told Uncle So-and-So last year that you would come see his vegetable garden. And remember that roller skating trip that you promised your niece and nephew months ago? Or the pineapple upside down cake that you baked for your honey and he’s been begging you to make it again? Whatever it is, someone’s waiting for you to keep your word. There’s no better time than now.

Whether it’s an outdoor movie night (all you need is a sheet and a projector), game night or an ice cream social in your living room, summer is the time to invite friends over. “Too many people don’t entertain because they’re waiting until they have the perfect apartment or the greatest house,” says Burton. “But it’s not about the place, it’s about the people. Your guests will have a good time no matter what!”

We’ve all seen the “sick and shut in” names on the church bulletin and felt a twinge of guilt about not making the time to visit someone on the list. Well, there’s no time like summer to bring sunshine to the day of a sick or elderly person.

Learn a favorite passage from a Shakespeare play or a Toni Morrison novel or a quote from your favorite historian. Memorization is good for the brain-and haven’t you always wanted to be one of those people who can say “It’s like Ida B. Wells once wrote…”

Ask a friend, “What’s on your summer must-do list?” to get ideas for great things to see, do and experience before season’s end.