Summer may be slipping through our fingers, but there's still time to soak up the magic before pumpkin spice takes over. Whether you’re clinging to warm nights or already eyeing your Halloween decor, August is the perfect time to check off some fun, feel-good items from your seasonal bucket list.
Here are 25 fun, simple, and affordable things to do before summer says goodbye:
1. Have a Backyard Movie Night
Transform your backyard (or bedroom) into a cozy cinema! Hang a white sheet or use a portable screen, grab a projector and cue up your favorite nostalgic flick. Add string lights, cozy blankets, and popcorn for an unforgettable summer send-off. Don't forget to pick movies that have a stand-out nostalgic feeling (personal to you of course)
2. Go for a Sunrise Walk
August sunrises hit different. Set your alarm early, grab your iced coffee and experience the calm magic of dawn. It’s a grounding way to start the day, plus you’ll beat the heat. Bonus: bring your favorite playlist and sweater to set the vibe.
3. Host an Ice Cream Social
Invite friends and family over and set up a DIY sundae bar with different flavors, toppings, and cones. Not sure where to start? Check out our [Ultimate Ice Cream Bar Guide] for setup tips and sweet inspiration 🍦
4. Start Planning Halloween Costumes
Spooky girl summer is real. Whether you're DIYing or shopping early, August is the perfect time to get ahead of the costume chaos. Planning now gives you time to brainstorm, thrift, craft, and save. For tons of ideas (from clever to creepy), check out our Halloween Costume and Party Ideas blog post for early inspiration!
5. Try a New Iced Coffee Recipe
Swap the café run for a kitchen experiment. Think cinnamon honey lattes, whipped espresso, or cold brew with coconut milk – innovative, fun and a great way to save money! Not sure where to start? Head to TikTok and search for the hashtag #CoffeeTok to explore viral recipes and barista hacks. You can also browse Pinterest by typing "DIY iced coffee recipes" to spark even more delicious ideas.
6. Revisit a Childhood Favorite
Time to reconnect with your inner childhood memories. Watch a nostalgic summer movie or reread a favorite 90s book. Make it an event: wear an oversized summer camp tee or PJs…whip up your favorite childhood snacks (shout out grilled cheese sandwiches, capri suns and Dunkaroos), and dive into the warm fuzzies. One of our faves? Camp Cucamonga—a made for TV early 90s gem starring a pre-Friends Jennifer Aniston, Candace Cameron, Jaleel White, and even a young Breckin Meyer. Bonus points for a themed snack night or if you share the experience with someone who loved it too!
7. Do a Phone-Free Picnic
Pack up your favorite snacks, grab a cozy blanket and head to the nearest park or quiet outdoor spot. The goal? To just totally unplug from it all. No screens, no scrolling…just amazing real-world vibes. Pack a few little (easy) snacks, a book or even journal – simply enjoy the breeze, birdsong or even people-watching. It’s low-effort peace that will reset your brain better than any app.
8. Have a Mini Bonfire Night
Turn your evening into an unforgettable vibe with a mini bonfire—or even a tabletop fire pit if you're short on space. Invite a few friends, pass around the marshmallows, and play your go-to summer playlist or spooky campfire stories. Light up the night with twinkly string lights and keep cozy with oversized hoodies or throws. Pro tip: prep your s’mores ingredients ahead of time for extra Instagrammable setups. Don't forget the bug spray!
9. Take a Day Trip
Who says you need a full vacation to escape? Pick a spot on the map within an hour or two (anything within reason for you). Pack snacks, make a playlist and get ready to go exploring. Whether it’s a cute town, a hidden beach, quirky roadside diner or a known/unknown haunted building – reset your vibe! Any of these are also perfect of sharing onTikTok and Instagram if you are looking for content ideas!
10. Clean Out Your Closet
Pre-fall is prime time to declutter literally anything. Clear out the clothes you haven’t touched all season, storage bins that have no meaning, sealed make-up that will never be used… You know what I'm saying! If you could use a few extra bucks in your bank account, why not try selling your unwanted items on Poshmark.
🛍️ Poshmark has an item category for every reason or season—not just clothes! If you are located in Canada, feel free to use my signup code RACKOFMAAM for $15 off your first purchase of $15 or more!
Want to give back? Take an extra step: List a few pieces on Poshmark and donate the remainder to your local shelter.
11. Visit a Farmer’s Market
Support your local growers and soak up small-town charm. Pick up fresh berries, peaches, sunflowers or a even a flaky homemade pastry *drool* It’s a wholesome (and Instagrammable) way to start your day and shout out your local favs!
12. Plan a "Fall Vibes" Pinterest Board
It’s okay, we’re all doing it 🍂 August is peak “mentally in October” energy, so lean in and start curating your dream autumn aesthetic. Cozy sweaters, foggy mornings, spooky corners, cinnamon-scented everything. Start saving outfit ideas to thrift later or pin that moody bookshelf setup you swear you’ll recreate this year. Fall starts on Pinterest, obviously.
13. Read a Thriller Outside
A little breeze, a shady spot, and a creepy page-turner? Yes please. There’s something unmatched about reading something eerie while the world around you is still warm and calm..and a little dark 🌒
Feeling nostalgic? Build a blanket fort, grab an electric lantern and read like it’s a 90s sleepover. For spooky reads, try Home Before Dark, The Last Time I Lied, or a throwback Lois Duncan classic like I Know What You Did Last Summer.
14. Make a Summer Scrapbook
Don’t let your favorite moments get buried in your camera roll. Print out those beach pics, silly selfies, or iced coffee glamour shots and turn them into something tangible. Whether you go full arts n crafts with stickers and washi tape or just slip them into a cute photo album, it’s a sweet way to close out the season. Trust me, you’ll be glad you did when winter hits and you’re desperate for a little summer sun serotonin. Haha 😁
15. Try a New Workout
I gotta be honest with you: this is not my jam. Like… I support you, but from the sidelines ✌🏽 😂 That said, if moving your body helps your brain (or just keeps you from throwing something or having a well-deserved meltdown), try something new before the weather turns. Outdoor yoga, dance class, roller skating, walking in circles while complaining… all valid.
16. Paint Your Nails Something Neon
Neon nails just hit different in August. Lime green, traffic cone orange, neon pink – whatever screams “summer forever" …like you just slipped on that neon prosthetic from Dexter. That’s the vibe, babe 💚💅
17. Go Thrift Shopping
Back-to-school vibes (without the school part)? Yes please. Everyone’s clearing stuff out at this point, so the weird seasonal racks are usually overflowing. Go for the $3 dresses, grab pieces for your DIY Halloween costume, or just try stuff on for the fun of it. You might not find what you came for, but you’ll definitely leave with something. Probably like a haunted figurine that randomly ended up in your cart. 👻
18. Have a Sleepover
Okay, so maybe you’re not 14 anymore… but hear me out. Snacks, dumb movies, late-night gossip, and no real responsibilities? Heck yeah, that still slaps. Invite a bestie over (or let’s be real, your cat — because they are our besties 😹), wear ridiculous pajamas and bring back that giddy childhood sleepover energy. You don’t have to prank call anyone… unless you want to. 😅
19. Watch a Summer Sunset with Someone You Love
Cheesy? Maybe. Worth it? Absolutely. Grab a blanket, sit on the curb like a little weirdo and just watch the sky do its thing. Doesn’t matter if it’s your partner, your cat, or a Slurpee (as long as it makes you happy). Spend a minute being dramatic about it – and don't forget to snap a quick shot for your Summer Scrapbook 🌅
20. Make a Summer Playlist
Don’t just throw in your regular faves. This playlist is about this summer. What song gave you goosebumps in the car? Which one made you feel like you were in a coming-of-age movie while doing absolutely nothing? Add it! Whether it’s a guilty pleasure banger or something you cried your eyes out into your dirty-soda.. if it hit different this summer, honey it belongs here 🫶🏽💿🎶
21. Test Out Fall Makeup Looks
It’s still 400 degrees outside and your face is melting off – but whatever. Now’s the perfect time to try out the 2025 fall color trends. Burnt orange blended shadow? Berry lips? Cobalt or forest green liner? Run it through the perpetual garden. If you end up looking like a hot traumatized haunted art student, congrats. Who said that isn’t what we were aiming for? MYOB 😮💨
22. Start Prepping Your Home for Fall
Look, if there’s even one leaf on the ground, it’s legally time for a throw blanket, correct? So, light a candle that smells like a haunted cider mill, swap out your summer decor for something subtly spooky (yet cozy) and pretend you live inside an old worn paperback. Want to really set the mood? Throw on something like this "Just an Autumn Soul Waiting On My Season” cozy sweatshirt – boom 💥 suddenly the crisp breeze is here and everything tastes more like cinnamon 🤎
23. Have a Margarita Monday
Is it Tuesday? Is it Friday? Doesn’t matter. It’s still August and all the rules are fake. Make a drink, sit on the porch, blast some 90s mmm-bops, and catch that season-closer vibe like it’s your job. If tequila isn’t your thing, try a refreshing mocktail. Add a salt, sugar, or candy rim for ✨vibes✨, a little edible glitter, and live your best off-duty hot girl life.
24. Try a Silly TikTok Trend
You know that one video that made you snort-laugh at 2am and woke up the hubby? That’s the one! Do it. Jump on the trend. August is a free pass to be a little unhinged (and hilarious) before fall hits and we all pretend to have our lives together. Whether it’s lip syncing in your car, a GRWM for a grocery run for one item, or giving a fake Ted Talk about your emotional support Labubus (we don’t judge, queen 👸🏼)- record it. Post it. Regret nothing (hopefully) 😬
25. Do Nothing (Intentionally)
That’s right. Absolutely nothing. No productivity. No goals. Just you, the couch and maybe a snack that requires zero effort (hellooo hot Cheetos and Oreo platter 😮💨). Let your brain go full blank-screen mode. Scroll your phone until your thumbs hurt… but only happy good stuff. Funny memes. Cozy Pinterest boards. Maybe a baby goat in pajamas. All hail the seasonal resistance. Honestly, you have earned it.
Summer might be slipping away, but that doesn’t mean you have to rush into pumpkin spice panic mode. Whether you do 5 things on this list or just one (I vote hot Cheeto platter above all), it still counts. Save this post for when you need a soft little reminder to slow down, be a little silly and just enjoy the weird limbo that is late August. Fall will get here soon enough… until then, let summer have her final moment 🌅🧡