From sipping cocktails on the porch to creative planting, Pinterest has you covered

Summer. I’ve lived in different areas of the country, and that word has meant different things to me in each spot.

In Colorado, it meant hikes, bikes and escaping the (yes, dry) heat of the lower areas by retreating into the snappy mountain air. In Southern California, I spent as much time lounging on the beach as possible. Minnesota summers are all about hitting the lake. In my five years in Shreveport, I’ve found that summer for me is relaxing on the porch. I never knew how wonderful just resting in a rocking chair with music playing, a fan blowing the thick air around, and even playing dominoes could trump all the “activities” of the other areas of the country. This is home, and porch time is our routine. One thing that porch time shares with all the other areas I mentioned is that during or after said activities you must enjoy a cold beverage.

For me, that usually means a cold, delicious beer. Beer just tastes better on the porch. Sometimes, though, you just have to pass on a beer and enjoy a nice, fruity alcoholic punch. I generously tested a couple out for you – both of which can also be kept non-alcoholic if preferred. I also tried out a very cool painting project that will bring a little glow to your gardening. Sneaky Beach Cocktail This is so delicious – light, fruity and could be made to enjoy minus the alcohol very easily. Mix water, Country Time pink lemonade powder mix, watermelon vodka, triple sec, Malibu rum and sliced fresh strawberries, sit back and enjoy. You can adjust the mix to your taste, so start conservatively with the ingredients. I hardly put any water in my mixture. The Sneaky Beach Cocktail name could come from two things: One, the picture on the pin has the drink stored in a “Simply Lemonade” brand bottle (which, honestly, you could use for the recipe, too), which disguises its adult contents, or two, it’s so delicious that the alcohol “sneaks” up on you fast, so beware. Cherry Lime-o-rita This concoction tastes just like a cherry limeade from Sonic with a kick. So refreshing, and the carbonation from the soft drink just makes it ... yummy. Mix 12 ounces of cherry 7UP or similar, 12 ounces tequila, 12 ounces beer. (I used Corona.) and 12 ounces of frozen limeade concentrate. I was skeptical because of the whole beer with tequila thing, but strangely, the two were pretty compatible. It makes a nice-sized pitcher to share with your porch friends. No mint juleps here, but definitely southern summertime delicious. Glow-in-the-Dark Pots My husband and I have been debating about getting some solar lights to line our driveway, but he thinks they won’t last very long and are kind of expensive. There’s a pin on Pinterest that describes “51 Outdoor Hacks” that are designed to give you a magnificent yard without the magnificent price tag. One of the hacks shows a picture with plants in a glowing pot at night – the unique look done by painting with glow-in-the-dark paint. Who knew there was such a thing?

I came up with the idea to paint several pots and line the driveway with them as an alternative to the solar lights. I found a can of glowing spray paint at one of the big home centers here for $9.99 and started small; I used a little clay pot as my tester.

When you spray the item, it’s hard tell you’re getting it covered, but after allowing it to dry and absorb some light, Boom, glowing pot! My very skeptical husband was surprised, and so was I. My worry was it would be a weird neon green, kind of similar to that chubby ghost Slimer in “Ghostbusters” who was always eating hot dogs. (I’m pretty sure I just dated myself with that reference.) The result was actually a soft glow, which looked even better after applying a second coat. I put “for now” next to the win because there is the concern that after only about a half an hour past dark the paint will have used up the light it absorbs during the day, but so far, we have been able to enjoy the gleaming pots well after sunset. We positioned them just right; we have a perfect view of my little craft project from the porch as we sip our summer coolers and listen to the cicadas hum in the trees. Big win indeed.