40 Things You Must Do Before Summer Ends
2. Live in This Shirt
This Fourth of July, you'll have your blue (see No. 5) and your red (see No. 22), but before completing the patriotic look with your old standby white tee (you know, the one that's morphing into a dingy yellowish gray), allow us to suggest this unbelievably soft V-neck. Not only does it flatter every body type, it's also made in the U.S.A. ($29; larelaxed.com)
3. Kick Off Your Shoes
Get your pedi ready: A 2015 report in the Journal of Inflammation Research suggests that skin-to-earth contact might reduce inflammation throughout the body via increased exposure to antioxidants.
4. Borrow a Dog
Canine-commitment-phobes, rejoice: Even if you don't have the time (or the energy) to own a pet, you can still hang with a hound thanks to Rover.com, the largest network of dog-sitters nationwide. Sign up to pet-sit in your area for as long (or as short) as you'd like.
5. Give Old Denim New Life (Rainy Day-Approved!)
A crib sheet to cutoffs:
Choose the right pair: Don't cut skinny jeans—they're not going to stretch enough for a comfortable fit. Boyfriend jeans are better because they're a little baggy. Start long to keep from going too short on your first cut; extra length allows for cuffing. Cut from the outside in, keeping the back a smidge longer than the front for a more natural fit. Check your work: After cutting one leg, try on the jeans to assess length. Tweak if necessary. Cut other leg: Fold legs together and do the same cut to the other leg. Add a slit: When you're satisfied with your handiwork, cut a small slit along the outside seams, so your legs won't feel squished.
6. Go Beyond the Grand Canyon
Photo: andrearoad/iStock
"Most people don't know there are 410 National Park sites, including historical memorials and monuments. So, in addition to beautiful mountains, you can revisit almost every major chapter in our past, including the Underground Railroad and the women's rights convention in Seneca Falls, New York." —Betty Reid Soskin, 94, the country's oldest park ranger, who works at the Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park
7. Sit by the Fire
Pinterest star Angela Burgin Logan explains how to light up an evening outdoors:
Illustration: Kate Francis, Brown Bird Design
8. Rock a Birkenstock
Photo: Marko Metzinger/Studio D
The crunchy slip-on has gone couture, but O editor Molly Simms still has love for the original.
I first saw you in a store called Aquarius among beaded anklets and tie-dyed palazzo pants. You were lumpen and brown, like desiccated dog poop. But oh, did I wear you, you foot-cradling miracles. We trudged around creeks, high school keggers, and music festivals. Now every lithe fashionista is pairing you with a trendy handbag. But I still can't resist your heady blend of orthopedic comfort and dowdy charm. You may have been nipped, tucked, and microdermabraded, but I'd recognize you anywhere.
This Fourth of July, you'll have your blue (see No. 5) and your red (see No. 22), but before completing the patriotic look with your old standby white tee (you know, the one that's morphing into a dingy yellowish gray), allow us to suggest this unbelievably soft V-neck. Not only does it flatter every body type, it's also made in the U.S.A. ($29; larelaxed.com)
3. Kick Off Your Shoes
Get your pedi ready: A 2015 report in the Journal of Inflammation Research suggests that skin-to-earth contact might reduce inflammation throughout the body via increased exposure to antioxidants.
4. Borrow a Dog
Canine-commitment-phobes, rejoice: Even if you don't have the time (or the energy) to own a pet, you can still hang with a hound thanks to Rover.com, the largest network of dog-sitters nationwide. Sign up to pet-sit in your area for as long (or as short) as you'd like.
5. Give Old Denim New Life (Rainy Day-Approved!)
A crib sheet to cutoffs:
Choose the right pair: Don't cut skinny jeans—they're not going to stretch enough for a comfortable fit. Boyfriend jeans are better because they're a little baggy. Start long to keep from going too short on your first cut; extra length allows for cuffing. Cut from the outside in, keeping the back a smidge longer than the front for a more natural fit. Check your work: After cutting one leg, try on the jeans to assess length. Tweak if necessary. Cut other leg: Fold legs together and do the same cut to the other leg. Add a slit: When you're satisfied with your handiwork, cut a small slit along the outside seams, so your legs won't feel squished.
6. Go Beyond the Grand Canyon
Photo: andrearoad/iStock
"Most people don't know there are 410 National Park sites, including historical memorials and monuments. So, in addition to beautiful mountains, you can revisit almost every major chapter in our past, including the Underground Railroad and the women's rights convention in Seneca Falls, New York." —Betty Reid Soskin, 94, the country's oldest park ranger, who works at the Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park
7. Sit by the Fire
Pinterest star Angela Burgin Logan explains how to light up an evening outdoors:
Illustration: Kate Francis, Brown Bird Design- Gather supplies from your local hardware store: You'll need a slate plate, ten to 13 rocks, gravel, and a small Sterno.
- Place the rocks around the outer rim of the slate plate and fill the middle with the gravel, leaving a hole for the Sterno.
- Light the Sterno, and voilà! S'mores, s'merrier.
8. Rock a Birkenstock
Photo: Marko Metzinger/Studio D
The crunchy slip-on has gone couture, but O editor Molly Simms still has love for the original.
I first saw you in a store called Aquarius among beaded anklets and tie-dyed palazzo pants. You were lumpen and brown, like desiccated dog poop. But oh, did I wear you, you foot-cradling miracles. We trudged around creeks, high school keggers, and music festivals. Now every lithe fashionista is pairing you with a trendy handbag. But I still can't resist your heady blend of orthopedic comfort and dowdy charm. You may have been nipped, tucked, and microdermabraded, but I'd recognize you anywhere.
9. Rewind
Want to travel back in time? Dig up a photo that captures a treasured summer memory and make the trek to the exact spot where it was taken. When you get there, snap a new photo of you holding the old picture. You can memorialize the moment by submitting your image to DearPhotograph.com, an online album dedicated to precisely this kind of reminiscing.
10. Become a Blobber
Illustration: Kate Francis, Brown Bird Design
Do you like being airborne? Do you like large bodies of water? Do you like being airborne, then landing in large bodies of water? If so, you need to spend some quality time with a WaterBlob, one of those massive striped, inflated rectangles you often see tethered lakeside. How it works: You sit at the end extending farthest into the water while your friend jumps on the end closest to the shore, catapulting you skyward. If you haven't blobbed, you haven't lived. (thewaterblob.com)
11. Drive a Convertible... and feel the exhilarating rush when you step on the gas. But don't just put the top down during daytime—a night drive can make you feel even closer to nature. (Test-drive one for free at a dealership, or splurge at the car rental counter on your vacation.)
12. ...or a Whole House on Wheels
RVs are hot again, which means you can see America without leaving your living room (sort of). "You get all the comforts of home," says Linda Brown, president of RVing Women, a network of female road warriors. "You can shop locally, cook your own food, bring along your dogs, or even just stay in and watch movies." Get her advice for taking the wheel.
13. Make the Most of Your Weekends
You get only 13 (yes, 13!) from June through August, so don't waste a single one. Here are a few ideas.
14. Take Yourself Out to a Ball Game
A minor league game, that is. The crowds are smaller, which means no fighting to park and no 30-minute wait for a $7 hot dog. And you might just catch some major league action—Alex Rodriguez, David Ortiz, and many more of the MLB's biggest names have done time in the minors while rehabbing an injury. Bonus: You can score seats behind home plate for as little as $10. Batter up!
Want to travel back in time? Dig up a photo that captures a treasured summer memory and make the trek to the exact spot where it was taken. When you get there, snap a new photo of you holding the old picture. You can memorialize the moment by submitting your image to DearPhotograph.com, an online album dedicated to precisely this kind of reminiscing.
10. Become a Blobber
Illustration: Kate Francis, Brown Bird Design
Do you like being airborne? Do you like large bodies of water? Do you like being airborne, then landing in large bodies of water? If so, you need to spend some quality time with a WaterBlob, one of those massive striped, inflated rectangles you often see tethered lakeside. How it works: You sit at the end extending farthest into the water while your friend jumps on the end closest to the shore, catapulting you skyward. If you haven't blobbed, you haven't lived. (thewaterblob.com)
11. Drive a Convertible... and feel the exhilarating rush when you step on the gas. But don't just put the top down during daytime—a night drive can make you feel even closer to nature. (Test-drive one for free at a dealership, or splurge at the car rental counter on your vacation.)
12. ...or a Whole House on Wheels
RVs are hot again, which means you can see America without leaving your living room (sort of). "You get all the comforts of home," says Linda Brown, president of RVing Women, a network of female road warriors. "You can shop locally, cook your own food, bring along your dogs, or even just stay in and watch movies." Get her advice for taking the wheel.
13. Make the Most of Your Weekends
You get only 13 (yes, 13!) from June through August, so don't waste a single one. Here are a few ideas.
14. Take Yourself Out to a Ball Game
A minor league game, that is. The crowds are smaller, which means no fighting to park and no 30-minute wait for a $7 hot dog. And you might just catch some major league action—Alex Rodriguez, David Ortiz, and many more of the MLB's biggest names have done time in the minors while rehabbing an injury. Bonus: You can score seats behind home plate for as little as $10. Batter up!
22. Trick Out Your Wine
For a twist on classic sangria, award-winning chef José Andrés, owner of Jaleo" (famous for its version of the Spanish drink), suggests cooking up an intensely rich syrup of fruit juices and spices that you can use with red or sparkling white wine. By extracting the flavors of the aromatic ingredients—spicy cinnamon and cloves—at a high temp, the drink will taste more complex and layered than if you soaked fruit in wine. Added perk: The syrup will keep for up to three months in your fridge. For the recipe go to oprah.com/sangria.
23. Be Happy as a Clam
Reinvent a beachfront clambake with this hot-and-sour, sweet-and-spicy one-pot dinner by Michael Chernow, owner of Seamore's in New York City.
24. Hit the Deck (Rainy Day-Approved!)
Slash: Romance Without Boundaries is officially dethroning Cards Against Humanity as the game of summer. Slash provides irresistible fodder for fan fiction devotees: Players are asked to select the ideal partner for a variety of characters, both fictional (Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games, Bella from Twilight) and real-life (Queen Elizabeth, Michelle Obama), then convince each round's matchmaker that they've created the happiest couple—because true love is in the cards. (gamesbyplaydate.com/slash)
25. Get Crabby
Illustration: Kate Francis, Brown Bird Design
Before you roll up your sleeves and make a mess of a barrel of crabs, we want to let you in on a little secret: It's not ideal to just whack them with a mallet (even if your favorite crab shack gives you one). Better to show a little care, says chef David Lentz, owner of the Los Angeles–based seafood mecca the Hungry Cat: "Mallets pulverize the meat, and you'll probably end up with a big hunk of shell mixed in with the good stuff. The only thing you really need is a table knife. To clean a crab properly, flip it over, peel back the 'apron,' and dislodge the top shell. Remove the innards and lungs. Crack the crab in half. Then you can either quarter the crab and go to work, or remove the legs first. Use the knife handle to crack open the legs and the sharp end to scrape out every last bit of juicy meat."
For a twist on classic sangria, award-winning chef José Andrés, owner of Jaleo" (famous for its version of the Spanish drink), suggests cooking up an intensely rich syrup of fruit juices and spices that you can use with red or sparkling white wine. By extracting the flavors of the aromatic ingredients—spicy cinnamon and cloves—at a high temp, the drink will taste more complex and layered than if you soaked fruit in wine. Added perk: The syrup will keep for up to three months in your fridge. For the recipe go to oprah.com/sangria.
23. Be Happy as a Clam
Reinvent a beachfront clambake with this hot-and-sour, sweet-and-spicy one-pot dinner by Michael Chernow, owner of Seamore's in New York City.
24. Hit the Deck (Rainy Day-Approved!)
Slash: Romance Without Boundaries is officially dethroning Cards Against Humanity as the game of summer. Slash provides irresistible fodder for fan fiction devotees: Players are asked to select the ideal partner for a variety of characters, both fictional (Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games, Bella from Twilight) and real-life (Queen Elizabeth, Michelle Obama), then convince each round's matchmaker that they've created the happiest couple—because true love is in the cards. (gamesbyplaydate.com/slash)
25. Get Crabby
Illustration: Kate Francis, Brown Bird Design Before you roll up your sleeves and make a mess of a barrel of crabs, we want to let you in on a little secret: It's not ideal to just whack them with a mallet (even if your favorite crab shack gives you one). Better to show a little care, says chef David Lentz, owner of the Los Angeles–based seafood mecca the Hungry Cat: "Mallets pulverize the meat, and you'll probably end up with a big hunk of shell mixed in with the good stuff. The only thing you really need is a table knife. To clean a crab properly, flip it over, peel back the 'apron,' and dislodge the top shell. Remove the innards and lungs. Crack the crab in half. Then you can either quarter the crab and go to work, or remove the legs first. Use the knife handle to crack open the legs and the sharp end to scrape out every last bit of juicy meat."
26. Nice Ice, Baby
To add subtly fragrant notes to a cool glass of water or a champagne flute, freeze edible blooms—including violets, nasturtiums, calendulas, and roses—in an ice cube tray (preferably silicone, to avoid fractured florals). For the freshest flowers, go to your local farmers' market or your grocery store's produce section and avoid anything that's been sprayed with pesticides. Prefer a flora-free cocktail? A tray of chilly petals can beautify any ice bucket. Cheers!
27. Find a Perfect-for-You Getaway
Are you more of a thinker or a doer? Do you want to be active, or bliss out? Are you dreaming about going off the grid? Here's the perfect vacation for your personality.
28. Create Your Own Outdoor Movie Night
Illustration: Kate Francis, Brown Bird Design
Until drive-ins stage a comeback, make do with a simple DIY theater.
29. Stargaze
Linger a little longer on a clear, warm night and look up. Jacqueline Faherty, astronomer at the Carnegie Institution for Science, says the three easiest constellations to spot are Lyra, Aquila, and Cygnus. For mid-latitude observers, which means anyone in the contiguous U.S., they'll be straight overhead.
30. Summer School Is In
You'll probably never need to know how to shoot an arrow or master the fine art of comic book drawing or perfect the fundamentals of Thai massage (all of which you can learn at the adults-only Camp Grounded), but when was the last time you indulged in something for the simple pleasure of doing and learning and making mistakes and trying again? Forget résumé building and personal growth—there's something magical about creating without an ulterior motive. Can't skip town? A class at your local Y can be equally rewarding.
31. Take a Free Ride
Mark your calendar and get a little something for nothing!
32. Cue Your Queue
Here are three celebrated series you can start (and finish) this summer.
To add subtly fragrant notes to a cool glass of water or a champagne flute, freeze edible blooms—including violets, nasturtiums, calendulas, and roses—in an ice cube tray (preferably silicone, to avoid fractured florals). For the freshest flowers, go to your local farmers' market or your grocery store's produce section and avoid anything that's been sprayed with pesticides. Prefer a flora-free cocktail? A tray of chilly petals can beautify any ice bucket. Cheers!
27. Find a Perfect-for-You Getaway
Are you more of a thinker or a doer? Do you want to be active, or bliss out? Are you dreaming about going off the grid? Here's the perfect vacation for your personality.
28. Create Your Own Outdoor Movie Night
Illustration: Kate Francis, Brown Bird Design
Until drive-ins stage a comeback, make do with a simple DIY theater.
- Pick a projector with at least 2,000 lumens to match the brilliance of an LCD screen, says Dan Nuxoll of New York's Rooftop Films, which runs an outdoor movie series.
- Choose a neutral backdrop and skip surround sound. Dark colors and textures can distort your image, while speakers placed by the screen will enhance listening quality.
- Provide proper seating. Floor pillows look charming, but your back will ache after the first hour. Home style expert Emily Henderson suggests beach chairs. Add some throws, and you're good to go.
29. Stargaze
Linger a little longer on a clear, warm night and look up. Jacqueline Faherty, astronomer at the Carnegie Institution for Science, says the three easiest constellations to spot are Lyra, Aquila, and Cygnus. For mid-latitude observers, which means anyone in the contiguous U.S., they'll be straight overhead.
30. Summer School Is In
You'll probably never need to know how to shoot an arrow or master the fine art of comic book drawing or perfect the fundamentals of Thai massage (all of which you can learn at the adults-only Camp Grounded), but when was the last time you indulged in something for the simple pleasure of doing and learning and making mistakes and trying again? Forget résumé building and personal growth—there's something magical about creating without an ulterior motive. Can't skip town? A class at your local Y can be equally rewarding.
31. Take a Free Ride
Mark your calendar and get a little something for nothing!
32. Cue Your Queue
Here are three celebrated series you can start (and finish) this summer.
