How to stay fit in the summer :

Start off this summer right by going for a daily morning run every once in a while.  Put those Nike running shoes on and head out the door.  Running in the heat is great for your muscles because it loosens them up and it helps boost your cardio.

During the day, you’re going to get hungry because remember, you just burned off a bunch of calories from that run.  For lunch, try making your own salads; throw in carrots, celery, olives and my favorite, pickles.  As for snacks, you can be laying out by the pool and could be crunching on some veggies or devouring some sweet fruit like strawberries and blueberries, instead of greasy potato chips or candy, which will just melt in the sun anyways.  My favorite thing to do after a long day in the hot sun is to grab a soft, creamy ice cream cone from Dairy Queen, but try and hold off if you can.  Maybe one every two weeks to treat yourself.

After the sun starts slowly going down, head to a nearby gym, such as a CrossFit place, or even your basement, if you have the right materials.  Grab some weights, like kettlebells, barbells, or dumbbells, and start lifting.  Also, add some more cardio to it. You can try burpees, air squats, push ups, or sit ups and, if you would like, end it with another run.  This way, you are working a variety of components in a short 30-minute or hour-long exercise, and your body will love you for it.

How to plan for a road trip:

Find a place where you would like to travel this summer.  Try out Tennessee, and maybe stumble upon some country music stars and grab some chicken and sweet tea.  You could also head down to the college you plan on attending in the fall or a college that you eventually want to go to when you start applying to them.  Figure out how long it will take to drive there and back and decide how long you would like to stay there.  Now, if you’re driving to a farther away place, like Tennessee, you’ll want to have the essentials for the 7 ½-hour car ride.

Target would be the best option for this because they’ll have everything you need.  I would suggest getting the food first, something salty and something sweet.  I would grab my favorite candy, like some pretzel M&M’s, a Crunch bar, and some sour gummy worms.  Next, I would grab my favorite chips or something to munch on.  I suggest only one bag of your favorite candy or chips and leave it at that.  You do not want all those sugars overriding the healthy choices you make to stay fit.  Don’t forget to have lots of water to hydrate and even grab a couple cans of Coca Cola too; if you’re not a Coke fan, then pick out whatever satisfies your carbonated needs so that you won’t get parched on the ride. Go look at the magazines and books while you’re there; if you’re traveling with a friend, you’ll have time to take off and read.  Oh, that reminds me: don’t forget comfy pillows and blankets if you’ll be car-bound for a while; it’s important to keep your mind going, but also important to get some rest.

Lastly, you’ll want to remember to bring phone chargers and all those other necessities. If your phone dies, you won’t be able to take pictures with captions like, “Road trip bound, here we come,” for Instagram or make a playlist of music to listen to — whatever makes your ears happy!  Don’t forget to have some cash on you, too; you’ll run out of gas quick and the only alternative to that is hitch-hiking.

How to plan for a summer party:

Girls should find that one cute, all-white little party dress and for guys, maybe find those khakis and that baby blue polo shirt.  Whatever it is, take it out of your closet because you can finally wear it!  To have the best summer party, I think it’s better to have the party indoors and outdoors as well.  That way, guests can go in and out as they please.  Maybe they want to stay in the cool air conditioning or enjoy the breezy, warm weather once the sun has gone down.

During the day, have a game of baggo set up, and if you don’t have access to that, set a table up with a deck of cards.  Once it starts to get cooler outside, set up a bonfire with tiki lights surrounding the atmosphere and also have hanging lights on an all-white tent.  Make sure you have those mosquito candles and repellent to ensure no one gets huge, red bites.  Also, keep the beverages chilled so that when people get thirsty, a nice, cold iced tea will fulfill their thirst.  Set up a s’mores bar.  Have all the ingredients close to the fire with marshmallows, graham crackers, and Hershey’s chocolate to make these treats tasty!  Underneath the tent, allow some room for people to get their groove on with a fun playlist of tunes that will make people come outside and dance.

As for the inside, have music playing as well — this could be the same playlist or a different one.  Next, have all the yummy food out.  During the day, have cold food such as fruits, veggies, cheese and crackers, and possibly some macaroni salad.  When the sun starts to go down, get all the hot foods out, such as cheeseburgers, brats, french fries, and even grilled corn on the BBQ. Yum.  Good Luck!