The summer after I finished my freshman year, I hit a massive wall of mid-vacay boredom. It felt like everyone on my feed was slaying a cool internship or launching an Etsy biz, while my biggest achievement was rewatching every old episode of Outer Banks. I *wanted* to use my newfound free time to do something worthwhile, but I just didn’t know how to get started.

Once I realized productivity didn’t have to mean a rigid 9-to-5 grind, I started thinking smaller—and my girlboss summer suddenly felt a whole lot more attainable.

Trying to channel those “get stuff done” vibes without ruining your chill summer energy? It’s totally possible.

Have A Barista Moment

You know that one sugary treat with whipped cream and sprinkles that you spend $8 on at the coffee shop? Spend a few days mastering it at home instead. Perfect that layered iced matcha latte with homemade vanilla sweet cream cold foam. Buy a cheap handheld milk frother, experiment with the milk-to-matcha ratio and practice pouring the foam so it floats perfectly on top (if you’re super creative, you could even try your hand at latte art!).

Each attempt only takes about 10 minutes, gives you an instant hit of creative satisfaction and saves your allowance money. Plus, you can surprise your family by serving them a barista-level drink entirely from scratch! 

The “First Day Back” Fit Formula

Forget trying to reorganize your entire closet in one afternoon. Instead, challenge yourself to create five complete outfits before school starts. Plan a handful of go-to ensembles: a presentation day fit, a rainy-day outfit, your “running late but still cute” combo, a comfy sweats look for those bleh days and ofc, your first-day-back OOTD.

Snap mirror pics of each one and save them in a folder on your phone called “Emergency Outfit Inspo.” That way, you won’t be struggling to find an outfit in September.

GNO: Bookworm Edition

Forcing yourself through a dense, 500-page classic probably isn’t the summer vibe. Instead, turn reading into a fun afternoon with your besties that requires ~zero~ academic pressure. Text two friends: “Hey! Doing a low-key book swap at the park on Thursday at 2:00 p.m. Bring one fiction book or thriller you’ve already read and a blanket. I’m bringing iced tea!”

When you meet up, wrap your books in brown paper and write a three-word teaser on the front—something like “Small town secrets” or “Fake dating chaos.” Pick one without looking and spend the next hour reading together.

Build Your Main Character Soundtrack

Your Spotify is probably full of playlists you haven’t opened in ages. Instead of letting them collect digital dust, build three brand-new playlists for hyper-specific moments. Think: “Window seat after a concert,” “Walking into first period after a summer glow-up” or “Late-night kitchen dance party while baking brownies.”

Keeping each playlist to around fifteen songs forces you to choose only the tracks that perfectly capture the vibe. By the time September rolls around, you’ll have the soundtrack ready for every kind of moment. (Not sure where to start? Check out some of our fave GL-approved playlists. Thank us later.)

Bonus challenge: Design a custom cover image for each playlist using Canva–the perf time to use all those cute photo dumps!

Need more inspo to make your summer feel like a coming-of-age movie? Check out these posts:
☀️ How To Slay Solo Summer
☀️ Your Booked & Busy Summer Wardrobe Just Dropped
☀️ QUIZ! What’s Your Perfect Summer Gig?

Images: @lifewith.mey, @minasundwall, @gracedwithbooks, @petite.charlene, @tokyotolagirl, @nicole_jordy