Summer is here! You’ve been asking for it for months. Now you’ve got it. But what are you going to do with it? Are you just going to sit around basking in the sun? Or will you try to do something different and daring this summer?

This season is a great season to start a project or experiment with a new hobby. Here are some amazing and inspiring ideas for you this summer.

Experiment with ice cream creation

A lot of people associate summer with ice cream. Me personally, I’m a big supporter of eating ice cream at literally any point throughout the year, regardless of the season. But it is definitely better in the summer, although it makes me sad that it melts a little bit faster!



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Of course, when people think about getting ice cream, they think about heading down to the shops and buying tubs or cones of it. But here’s a thought: why not try making your own? You can get more bang for your buck in both quality and quantity if you do it right! Contrary to popular belief, you don’t actually need an ice cream machine.

The reason I would call this more of a “seasonal project” than a one-off thing is because of this. Everyone I know who has made their own ice cream will always try it a few more times to try and perfect the technique. And here’s another thing to consider: you can make your own flavours. Some of the really luxurious flavours are usually much more expensive. But if you make your own ice cream, things like honeycomb ice cream become much more affordable!

Homemade ice cream is usually custard based, but it can also be cream or milk based. But if you’re a vegan or go dairy-free for any other reason, you don’t have to miss out. There are plenty of dairy-free methods, too!



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Home renovation

A lot of people I know talk about home renovation. They want to have this or that problem fixed in their home. Or they want to turn a useless room or a damp attic into something fun and useful. But it never gets done. And that’s understandable, of course. Home renovation can take a long time.

But if you’ve got plans in your head, why not start getting them done this season? Fixing up your home may not sound like the most fun thing on this list, but it could definitely be the most important. Having a problem fixed after so many years, or having extra space or luxurious features in your home, will inspire you in the long-term.



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Remember that you don’t have to do everything on your own. You can get contracting companies like Cardinal Homes to come and help you with your project. And if you haven’t been thinking much about renovating your home until now? You should still look into it if you’re thinking about taking on a project this season. Take a look at some home design ideas for inspiration.

Start sewing or knitting

Sewing is probably one of the most underrated pursuits there is. People often see it as something only women over the age of fifty do. That fact may leave a sour aftertaste of agism and sexism, but let’s face it: that’s how most people see it!

The fact is that everyone can reap the benefits of sewing. Not only is it a calming and thought-provoking activity, but you can actually get something incredibly useful out of it. Sure, you’re probably not going to need a new sweater in the summer. But hey, there are two cold seasons following summer, so why not start getting prepared now?



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Sewing is much more accessible that many people may think. Getting the right starting equipment is cheap and there are tutorials all over the Internet to help you get started. Being able to create a new piece of clothing completely of your own design is an ability everyone should be interested in.

Tend to your garden

Summer is obviously the best season in which to tend to your garden. Spring seemed like a good idea at first, but let’s face it: spring can get so rainy!

With the summer sun shining across your garden, it’s naturally going to look better than it did in winter. But that sun may also cause several flaws to stand out.  And even if you don’t have specific flaws with your garden, wouldn’t it be nice to make it “pop” a bit more?



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Gardening brings many benefits outside of the immediate ones to your garden. It makes for much better exercise than many people think. It’s also a great way of relieving stress. It will also help you to get to know your garden a little more. People tend to know their houses quite intimately. Why not get yourself an intimate knowledge of the outside portions of your property?

Think about what you’d like for your garden. Do you want more plants? More space? Less green? More varieties of color? Have a look at Garden Design for some inspiration.

Finish a big book

There are so many of us who want to read more but can barely find the time. Or, at least, that’s what we tell ourselves. It’s actually much easier than many people think to make time for reading. Of course, if we’re reading your average 300-page novel then that’s obviously true. But what about the big novels that are gathering dusts on our shelves?

Maybe you don’t have a monster of a book waiting for you at home. But I think everyone should look into reading a book that crosses the 800-page mark. Reading such long stories helps improve concentration and focus. They will also help you tremendously with your confidence and self-esteem. Having finished such a big book will make finishing the smaller ones much easier!



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But such large books often feel like a massive chore. The best way to go about this is to set up a schedule. Aim to finish the book by the end of the summer. That lets you spread the task across three months. In fact, there are many websites and groups on the Internet that focus on these big summer reading projects.

So what book will it be? Will it be the one big one that most people have on their shelves -  War & Peace? Will it be the 90s hit Infinite Jest, which has a big summer read cult online? Or will you take a trip into the strange literary underworld of Gravity’s Rainbow?