10 Simple Summer Traditions Your Family Will Treasure

PLUS: 3 surprising ways to use ice cube trays, great TV shows from way back when, and more. PLUS: 3 surprising ways to use ice cube trays, great TV shows from way back when, and more. July 22, 2022 [View Online]( Good morning! While I cherish our family traditions related to the winter holidays, I love summer too much to relegate all family time to the coldest, darkest time of year. You can establish meaningful summer traditions too, and Today’s Good Thing has 10 simple ideas to help you get started. And for our new Weekend Cleaning Challenge, we’ll be addressing a common source of heat-induced stink—outdoor trash cans. Luckily for us, it doesn't take much time or effort to restore them to a blessedly odor-free state. Jillee TODAY'S GOOD THING 10 Simple Summer Traditions Your Family Will Treasure [Photos of Jillee at a campfire, the library, in her backyard, and at the OGT Studio.]( With traditions like these, it’s easy to create memories with your family that will last a lifetime. With most of our kids now living out on their own, I treasure the time we get to spend together as a family now more than ever. When we get together in the summer, we often indulge in our favorite summer traditions. Between my own affinity for summer and Britta and Kell’s summer birthdays, we’ve always had reasons to spend time together as a family during the summer. And I’m grateful for that, because it gave us the opportunity to establish many of the summer traditions we cherish today. Summer traditions don’t have to be about going on elaborate vacations or planning huge reunions—in fact, the 10 simple ideas I want to share today are all either free or inexpensive things to do together. Using these ideas to establish new summer traditions is sure to create lasting memories for you and your family. And the quality time you'll spend together will give everyone a chance to reflect on what's most important in life—each other! Check out the list below. Also, if your family has a summer tradition that isn’t mentioned in the list, I'd love to hear about it! Reply to this email and tell me what you love to do together in the summer. [10 Simple Summer Traditions Your Family Will Treasure ➜]( Related • [Natural Remedies For Summertime Bumps & Bruises]( • [9 Amazing Ways To Enjoy My Favorite Summertime Treat]( ⚡️QUICK TIPS⚡️ • From corn casserole to corn pancakes, these 4 uses for Jiffy cornbread mix are easy, affordable, and delicious to boot. [Read more ➜]( • What do you get when you combine moisturizing bar soap with a body scrub? These DIY sugar scrub bars. [Read more ➜]( • With a simple blend of pest-deterring essential oils, you can help make your dog less enticing to fleas and ticks. [Read more ➜]( WEEKEND CLEANING CHALLENGE Clean And Deodorize Your Outdoor Trash Can [Left: Jillee standing by her outdoor trash can. Top right: A ]( Whether or not it currently stinks to high heaven, your outdoor trash can could probably use a good cleaning. At some point, we all experience the misfortune of realizing there's an unholy odor emanating from our outdoor garbage cans. Whether or not you're currently experiencing that misfortune, it's still a good idea to clean your outdoor garbage cans once or twice a year, so that's what we'll be doing this weekend. Here's how to do it: Pull your trash can to your driveway or lawn, then squirt some dish soap into the bottom of the can. Use a hose and a sprayer attachment set to its most powerful setting to spray out the bottom of your trash can. Dump the soapy water out, then rinse the can well and let it dry for a few minutes. Smell the inside—it may not smell like roses, but it should no longer actively stink. If your trash can looks pretty clean and smells okay, let it dry and consider this challenge complete! If it does still stink, set your trash can upright, pour a couple of cups of vinegar into it, then scrub the bottom of the can with a long-handled broom or brush. Let the vinegar sit for an hour or two, then rinse your trash can thoroughly and let it dry completely. [See the full tutorial ➜]( UNUSUAL USES 3 Alternative Uses For Ice Cube Trays [Photos of uses for ice cube trays.]( An ice cube tray can do a lot more than its name suggests, including these useful things. 1. Freeze Unused Ingredients. Bought an ingredient for a recipe and only used a small amount? Use an ice cube tray to freeze the leftovers. You'll be cutting down on food waste and saving money at the same time! You can do this with buttermilk, whipping cream, coconut milk, chipotle in adobo, and more. 2. Make Aloe Vera Cubes. Frozen aloe vera cubes are wonderfully soothing on sunburns and overheated skin alike. Just squeeze some aloe vera gel into the cavities of an ice cube tray, freeze, then transfer the cubes to a ziplock freezer bag. You'll be glad you did the next time you’re out in the sun for a while. 3. Organize Small Items. If you have a spare ice cube tray on hand, you can use it as an organizer for small items like earrings, office supplies, loose change, hardware, medications (as long as the tray will be out of reach of children and pets), and other items. REMEMBER WHEN More Of My Favorite ‘60s and ‘70s TV Shows [Screenshots from various TV shows from the 1970s.]( It’s time for another batch of TV shows that I loved to watch “back in the day.” I shared the fourth installment in this ongoing series on [June 10](, and I’ve got a few more memorable shows to share with you today: • [Love, American Style]( (1969-74). Each episode featured 2-3 different humorous "love stories." I mainly watched this show when they aired reruns of it in the latter half of the '70s, as I was too young to really “get it” when it originally aired. I loved both this show’s many famous guest stars and its catchy theme song! • [The Courtship of Eddie’s Father]( (1969-72). Tom's love for his son made this one of the most heartwarming shows on television, and Bill Bixby was perfect as Tom. I'm sure many parent/child relationships benefited from this show’s example. I always loved the scenes where Tom would answer Eddie’s questions about life. • [Nanny and the Professor]( (1970-71). I’ve mentioned this show to friends, but no one seems to remember it! Juliet Mills played a kindhearted, magical nanny looking after three children and their widowed father. I loved Waldo, the family’s big shaggy sheepdog, and their rooster Sebastian—it was a charming, delightful show! • [The Odd Couple]( (1970-75). Tony Randall and Jack Klugman had amazing comedic chemistry as TV's original mismatched pair. I especially loved the episode where Oscar tells the pigeons about how he met Felix doing jury duty, and how a couple hours trapped in an elevator with Felix led the accused to give a full confession. • [The Mary Tyler Moore Show]( (1970-77). I remember watching the premiere during primetime when I was 8 years old. Mary Tyler Moore was so endearing as Mary Richards, striking out on her own as a TV news producer in Minneapolis. I have no doubt this show influenced my own decision to pursue a career in TV news! A FEW MORE THINGS... ♌️ Leo Season: Today the sun enters the house of the fire sign [Leo](, where it will remain until August 22. The Greeks associated [this constellation]( with the myth of the Nemean Lion, slain by the hero Hercules during the course of his twelve labors. Leo season is considered to be a time of magnified creativity, desire, and confidence, so be sure to make the most of it! 🧠Brain Health For All: Today is World Brain Day, an initiative by the World Federation of Neurology to raise awareness of brain disorders and advocate for action to improve brain health around the world. Brain disorders are the leading cause of disability and the second leading cause of death in the world today. [Find out more at the World Federation of Neurology](. 🤔 Wordle: [Solve today's 5-letter word](. What did you think of today's email? [Not good]( | [Just okay]( | [Loved it!]( 🏠[Visit the By Jillee Shop]( 🤗 [Join OGT Free]( Let's connect! [facebook]( [instagram]( [pinterest]( [youtube]( If you have thoughts, comments, questions or a tip or trick you'd like to share, I'd love to hear from you! My inbox is always open, so just hit "reply" and let me know what's on your mind. See you tomorrow! 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