How to make the most of the last days of summer

In our house, summer traditions are well established: a trip to Canada’s Wonderland. Strawberry picking and subsequently, making homemade jam. A beach day in Grand Bend, Ont. A few days off visiting the grandparents. A night at Great Wolf Lodge. A cottage weekend in Kincardine, Ont. with good friends. Blue Jays games. A day at the Toronto Zoo. Lots of barbecues with friends. Lots of soccer games. Really, those are just a few of the many, many summer markers ticking off the weeks before September hits.

And like everyone it seems, I’m lamenting how suddenly we reached the second last week in August. But…but, didn’t we just start summer? We still have so much to do! We didn’t even: insert-summer-bucket-list item here.

And even though I happily welcome the fall season, I’m not quite ready to usher our lazy summer days out the door quite yet. With two weeks left (before school starts), I’ve got a mental list of things to cram in before September hits.

And with that in mind, I asked around on social media — how do you plan to make the most of what’s left of summer? Is it embarking on your own end-of-summer traditions? Or trying a few new things out while the sun still takes its time at night to set? Here’s what you told me:

Setting up a tent in our yard and spending the night in there with the kids. Sleeping under the stars in the yard is somehow much more fun than camping elsewhere! --Alison Auline-Turley, via Facebook

I  just checked three items off of on my bucket list last week: zip lining, swimming with dolphins and getting kissed by a sea lion.—Leah Lambeau Belanger, via Facebook

A week of cottage life. —Melissa Spaetgens, via Facebook

High ropes course with my husband who is afraid of heights, canoeing with our dog for the first time and hiking at Algonquin! School is coming too quick!—Amy Savage, via Facebook

Go to the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) with the family!--@loucheryl, via Twitter

As a family we'll work in community gardens, attend farmer markets and watch the sunset together.-- @CrystaIDHopkins, via Twitter

My sister--who was put up for adoption--and I just met in May. We’re going to introduce our families!--@hood_jennifer, via Twitter

I am really trying to stay present and notice the amazing abundance of life all around me at all times. I’ve been meditating to start my day for about three weeks now and I find it really opens me up to being a lot more present to the wonder of day-to-day miraculous moments that are so easy to miss in the rush of trying to get everything done.—Caroline Nolan, via Facebook

Inspired by our recent trip to the Maritimes and all the fresh bread and homemade jam we ate, I’ll be teaching my girls--and myself--how to make homemade jam with all the fresh berries that are available right now.—Miriam Mesbah, via Facebook

My daughter and I hope to head to the CNE/EX, our yearly ritual to mark the unofficial end of summer, something we’ve done since my children were little.”—Pam McCloskey, via Facebook
Tell us in the comment section below: How do you plan to spend your last few weeks of August?