good-buys for the summer!

Tomorrow I have my last final and then school is over! As much as I've been looking forward to the summer, it's crazy how fast it came! But before I can even begin to relax and bask in the summer sun, I'm off to camp on Friday morning! I couldn't be more excited to be going back to my favorite place in the world for the summer, and I'm anxiously awaiting Sunday, when I get to meet my campers (this is the first time I'm a counselor)!

Even though it is summer, the most relaxed and free time of the year, it's still important to set goals, be smart, and make good choices. Some of my goals of the summer are to be very active (which shouldn't be too hard to do when I'm given a full schedule of activities to do with my bunk everyday), and try to eat as healthy as I can in camp. I'll eat fruits and vegetables as often as I am given the opportunity to, and I'll drink lots and lots of water to stay hydrated in the hot sun. I also just hope to have an overall amazing summer and be able to give the great experience I had as a camper to all my campers!

Some things I hope everyone keeps in mind, and some things it's not too late to invest in to motivate a healthy summer!

• Be active! For everyone around my age that is still in school and has a lot of free time in the next few months, make a plan to go for runs, swim, or play sports as often as you can! Take advantage of the warm weather and run on the beach, or grab some friends and go for a swim! 
• One of the best buys I've gotten all year was my iPhone arm band so that I can bring my music with me when I run, and I suggest everyone should get one for their phone or iPod!
• Drink water! Along with the average amount of water you should be drinking daily, in the summer it's important to drink even more because of the heat. Plus, when you work out and move around so much, add another cup or two to your daily ration! 
• One of my notorious summer necessities is a water bottle big enough to hold 8 cup, the recommended daily amount of water. That way, in addition to the cups of water I drink at meals, I'm assured that I'm hydrated enough each day.
• Relax! Take this time to de-stress and do things that you don't get to do during the year. Sleep a little more and you'll be well-rested for everything you have planned for each day.
• Eat well! Especially if you're home and have access to the kitchen all day (or if you're more inclined to go out to eat more often), it's important to keep your will power and resist from eating nonstop for the summer. Try out new recipes - I may know a girl who has a whole blog of healthy recipes...:) - and fuel up your body for a great summer! It'll make you feel good and ready to get into the bathing suit and go to the beach!
• Stock up on all the summer fruits and vegetables, and if you get tired of eating raw fruits and veggies, try grilling them! My family has recently gotten into grilling zucchini, pineapple, and sweet peppers and even just with a little oil and seasoning, it's a great snack or side dish for dinner! 

So, I'll be back in August - I will miss all of you readers for the new few months. I hope everyone has a great summer, and I will post back when I'm home again! I don't know exactly when that will be, so feel free to subscribe your emails on the right of this post so that you'll get an update when I start back up again!