Its +5. The sun is shining, snow is melting… Summer 2011 is almost here! But are you really ready? Here a list of my top 5 things to do before summer hits.
5. GET THAT BEACH BODY READY
Exercise! Its never too late to tone the abs for the scorching hot weekends spent at Grand Beach. Winnipeg has some great places work out at such as Shapes, the Y, Wellness – even Superstore on St James has one built-in so you can do your groceries after a nice long workout. Students at Red River, U of W, or U of M also get great deals on their resident gyms. As far as I know, Red River Notre Dame campus still provides their gym free. If all else fails, there’s always push ups and sit ups at home :) P90X for the WIN!
4. SPRING CLEANING (CAR EDITION)
For those of us who don’t drive seasonal winter beaters, its time to reprise your vehicle and get it ready for summer. Winter sand is horrible for your vehicle. Give it a good wash, and make sure to get a good spray under your car. Remove the old winter floor mats, and do a full vacuum of the interior (make sure to get the french fries under the seat) Too much work? Then there’s always various car wash shops around the city like the Chamois who can do a FULL cleaning of your vehicle for around $20 – but don’t expect to get the owners touch that only a personal cleaning has.
3. SPRING CLEANING (HOME EDITION)
Be prepared to get out those rakes and rake all the sand that has been dumped on your lawn last winter. The city will also start street cleaning shortly so you can simply rake your sand onto the streets for the city to pick up. You should also removed all those dead flowers in your mini garden and plant some new ones for the summer. If you put away your basketball hoop for the winter, then I’d say its a safe time to get it back up. Have you ever driven around a neighbourhood and counted how many basketball hoops are on driveways? You’ll be surprised with the amount you find.
2. PLAN A SUMMER VACATION
Summer is time to relax and have fun!! So take a break from your 9 hour routine and plan a nice vacation for you and your loved ones. Various online websites such as expedia.ca or aircanadavacations.com can help you plan the perfect vacation. These websites (especially at Air Canada) have a lot of last minute ticket sales that can really save you a lot of money. So if you have a flexible vacation schedule, then be sure to check them out. Summer only comes once a year! Lets take advantage of it.
1. PROJECT: HOME RENOVATIONS
Summer is normally the only time you can do some do-it-yourself home renovations. So take advantage of the great weather we will be getting this Summer and plan some home renovations. Some ideas are painting the house, building a deck, upgrading your fence, replacing roof shingles, and various other do-it-yourself projects that can turn out to be a lot of fun. There’s no better way to bond then to be on the roof with your loved ones replacing shingles on a steaming hot day. Home Depot and Rona are your friends. Both have various sessions throughout the day that offer on-hand training on various renovation projects.
BONUS: FIND A BABYSITTER
Here’s a bonus entry for all the mothers and fathers out there… School’s out in a couple months! Do you have a place for the kids yet? Don’t make the assumption that your last year sitter will be available this year. Day cares are often overbooked with a long waiting list. Early bird gets the worm!
Did I miss anything? What else do we have to do to prepare for the wonderful summer Winnipeg has to offer?
