Guest post by Sarah Manning

When the snow melts and the barbecues are lit, I start making a list of all the wonderful things I’m going to accomplish over the summer. But no matter what I put on my summer bucket list, time always seems to get away from me. (One summer, I decided I would knit a scarf—and I finished it three days before Christmas.) We’re halfway through August, and I haven’t been to the zoo, made my own sushi or done any travelling. However, I am only three books behind in my summer reading list! To prove that I’m not the only one who loses track of summer ambitions (or to find out that maybe I am?) and to get ideas for next year, I asked  Canadian Living editors what’s on their bucket lists for the summer, and whether they’ve followed through yet. Executive editor Doug O’Neill proves that there’s no excuse for not checking everything off your summer list. “I’ve hiked sections of the Bruce Trail,” he says, “had a quick taste of European summer, and spent quality time with the nieces and nephews. I’ve even managed to revisit the lighthouse on the Leslie Street Spit in Toronto, which used to be a summer ritual but one I hadn’t done in several years.” With a pretty substantial number of completed summer tasks, there are still a couple things Doug says he’s missed this summer: camping and kayaking. Like me, some staff here at Canadian Living have unfinished business with the season. Here are some of the things on our to-do lists that you can still add to yours.

• Picnics! Outdoor meals just can’t happen in Canadian winters, so get out and enjoy some good food, some good company, and some good views while you can.

• Do something you’ve been putting off for a while! Our Life & Relationships web editor, Simone Castello, finally got her driver’s licence. “It took me all of July from start to finish, but I did it and it was so worth it!”

• Go to a market. Any kind of market. Andrea Karr, Fashion & Beauty assistant, plans to head to Guelph, Ont., to visit the Aberfoyle Antique Market. Meanwhile, Day Helesic, managing editor, is rediscovering Toronto by heading to The Stop’s Farmers’ Market at Wychwood Barns.

• Get out of town! Whether that means playing the tourist and taking a day trip into a nearby metropolis, or leaving the city to find some serenity at a distant shoreline, a change of scenery is a great way to polish off a fantastic summer.

• Show off your athletic side! For me that means being a part of the same Friday night soccer league I’ve played in for years, but it also means getting outside as a spectator as well. Stephanie Zolis, copy editor here at Canadian Living, has already checked off her annual summer Toronto Blue Jays game. If you’re looking for a game to watch, Canada is in the middle of hosting FIFA’s Under-20 Women’s World Cup or just head out to support a local team.

  Whatever you have on your list for this summer, make sure you get out there and do it. Canadians know summer is fleeting, so let’s make the most of it before the leaves change colour and the snow falls. Photo courtesy STEEX/iStockphoto