So summer arrived a few weeks ago, but with one thing and another I didn't get around to posting this. Here are a few things I'd like to do over the summer...

1. Tucking in
I want to eat in a restaurant every day for seven days, be it for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner. This is something I tried to do during the week of my birthday last year. I failed, partly due to lack of planning, and partly due to eating waaaaay too much on day one!

2. Getting crafty
Make use of the bag of fabric scraps I've been collecting. I have a plan, I now just need to execute it.

3. Going Coastal
Spend a day at the beach, I'm talking 9 to 5 - fish n chips followed by ice cream, a morning stroll on the promenade, and an afternoon reading on the beach, interspersed with a little paddling in the surf.

4. Rocking it
I found @stonesofjoy1 via Ann, who's recently joined Instagram - Welcome Ann! - they paint stones with pretty things and write inspirational messages for people to find, and I want to paint my own stone to be found. Maybe I'll leave one on the beach...?

5. Day tripping
Take a trip to Snape Maltings and Marlsford Mill. Snape Maltings have art exhibitons that are always worth a look and Marlsford Mill offers a collection of furniture, antiques and curios that I always enjoy perusing, I don't buy something every time I go...

6. Finishing off
The bedroom redecoration needs to be finished, the time it's taking has gone beyond ridiculous.

7. Visibly mending
I have some jeans, a parasol, a picnic blanket, and a large bag that all need attention. I want to put my hours of scrolling through the #visiblemending hashtag on Instagram to good use.

8. Baking goodies
Make a giant Jaffa cake, and Bourbon biscuit brownies

What's the summeriest thing you can think of doing?

Here's how, I hope, I'll be spending my summer...

1. Eating
I want to eat in a restaurant every day for seven days, be it for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner.

2. Camping
I have a day ticket for Latitude again this year, and I'll be camping at a local campsite on the Friday and Saturday night.

3. Going Coastal
Spend a day at the beach, I'm talking 9 to 5 - ice cream, fish n chips, a morning stroll on the promenade, and an afternoon nap on the beach.

4. Hosting
Afternoon tea for friends. I have the enthusiasm and a cake stand, what more do I need?

5. Reading
I want to read 12 books, hopefully more over the summer months.

6. Decorating
The bedroom has been at the planning stage for about two years now...

7. Exploring
I want to give Geocaching a go, there are a few sites locally that I'm going to seek out first.

8. Attending
Visit the local Flower Show, the one I've said I'm going to visit each and every year since we moved here seven years ago.

9. Concocting
Make lemonade from scratch.

10. Utilising
Get a book from the Library, I joined last year and have yet to take out a book.

What are your plans for the summer months? Is there something you look forward to doing every year?

As with every season, I had a list of things I wanted to do this summer. I kinda gave up on summer activities weeks ago, because let's face it, the summer weather abandoned us and it already feels like the middle of autumn. In October last year I was still going coatless, sockless, and baring my legs!!

Although it feels like the weather was a let down, looking back I can see we did have quite a few hot sunny days.

1. Visit three different beaches in Suffolk - Felixstowe, Aldeburgh, Southwold, dip my toes into the water, and try a new ice cream flavour in each place.

Southwold, late June, after a beach clean up, with a delicious Sour Cherry ice cream from Harris & James.

Aldeburgh, July, with my Dad. We visited the Suffolk Craft Society Summer Exhibition. Promptly followed by a creamy almond crunch ice cream on the beach, and a spontaneous game of 'throw small stones at a bigger stone and see who can hit it the most'. Which ended in me throwing handfuls of stones in the hope of getting just one to hit the big stone, just as with every game of this we played when I was a child.

Felixstowe just after the school holidays finished, accompanied by Mother. I tried Blue Bubblegum ice cream, and it was pretty good, even though it turned my tongue and lips blue. The sea was cold enough to turn my feet blue, and it would have if I'd stayed in the water for longer than it took me to snap photographic evidence of my paddle.

Southwold, mid September, another beach clean up, accompanied by my Mum and her husband. Ice cream (or rather gelato if I'm to be precise) of choice was Stracciatella (milk based cream with dark chocolate shards throughout), from Harris and James again. Sea was chilly. And it rained, a lot. Not that it spoiled our enjoyment, and I also expanded my small sea glass collection from one tiny piece to five tiny pieces.

I could go on and list all of the things I failed to do - visit a maize maze, make lemonade from scratch - or the things I started to do but didn't finish, I could tell you I did some decorating but not nearly as much as I'd hoped, but to be honest, it seems a bit boring. And if I'm bored of writing these posts, surely you must be bored of reading them. Or perhaps it's just the mood I happen to be in today?

I love having a list and thinking about all the things I could do at the start of each season, it helps me muster up enthusiasm for the the months ahead and it does spur me on to do some things, but I feel deflated when I fail to tick things off. Writing about the things I didn't do seems pointless.

So maybe I should go ahead a write the list but not worry so much about what's achieved and what isn't?

Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans, isn't that what they say?

Spring seemed to last for ages, so I'm so glad summer has arrived. With luck the weather will continue to be kind, it'll scorch our lawns, send us to the coast in droves, and see the sales of icecream (and sun cream) go through the roof.

Here's how I'll be spending my summer...

1. Visit three different beaches in Suffolk - Felixstowe, Aldeburgh, Southwold
Dip my toes into the water, and try a new ice cream flavour in each place. I plan to go before the schools break up so I can avoid hoards of people. Unsociable? Me?

2. Get organised and start felting for Christmas (yes, I totally just used the C word)
Even if I only tick one item off my list it'll be a start. I always have so many things on my to-do list, things often get put off because 'I have loads of time', and then time flies...

3. Go on a picnic
Complete with blanket and wicker basket.

4. Visit a maize maze
Kezzie the Southwold maize maze opens on July 17th.

5. Go Geocaching

6. Visit the Suffolk Punch Trust

7. Make lemonade from scratch

8. Join my local library
After losing a book whilst at college I was too scared to darken the doors again, I think sufficient time has passed...

9. Decorate until my arms fall off
I say this so often...

10. Read 14 books - preferably whilst lounging in my hammock in the sunshine
My freelance friend and I have decided to make July 7th #NationalFreelancersDayOff and we intend to sit in hammocks and do nothing but read. Since the beginning of April I've purchased 28 books, mostly from charity shops, and been given four others, so I need to do some serious catching up!

What do you have planned for the summer months?

With spring behind us I'm hoping for less rain, more sun, and some warm weathered adventures.

Here's my list of ten things to do in summer '16.

1. Visit three different beaches in Suffolk - Felixstowe, Aldeburgh, Southwold

2. Try three new ice cream flavours

3. Go on a picnic

4. Visit a maize maze - Kezzie the Southwold maze opens on July 16th :)

5. Take a trip to Snape Maltings and Marlsford Mill.

6. Forage for and make elderflower cordial / gin (failing that, elderberry gin)

7. Go to an outdoor movie

8. Pick strawberries / raspberries and eat sun warmed berries whilst still in the field

9. Decorate until my arms fall off

10. Read 5 books - preferably whilst lounging in my hammock in the sunshine.

What do you have planned for the summer months?