Anthony’s Summer Time Songs (And The Living’s Easy)
1. Santeria by Sublime: When you hear the song “Santeria”, you think of the typical summer time day on the beach in the 90 degree weather. We could have picked literally any song by the ska punk legends, but “Santeria” takes the cake for the most popular Sublime song, and that’s why it made this list. Some other great songs by Sublime that could’ve made this list but deserve an honorable mention are “Badfish”, “Doin Time”, and “What I Got”.
2. Amber by 311: One of my personal favorites to listen to when trying to relax. “Amber” is by the underrated rock band 311, and are known for making good summertime songs to vibe to. It is often known for being a “stoner favorite” but there is no need to be under the influence to have a good time and sing this song around a fire with friends. Other 311 songs that are great summertime songs but couldn’t be added were “Flowing”, “Good Feeling”, and “All Mixed Up”.
3. Island in the Sun by Weezer: “Island in the Sun” is a great song to take anyone away to their own paradise at anytime. The song describes what the person would do on that island, and lyrics like “And it makes me feel so fine I can’t control my brain”. It will make anyone let go of any problems and take them away for a little while while they let themselves relax and be worry free, like most people are during the summer.
4. Sell Out (Skacoustic) by Reel Big Fish: “Sell Out” is a song that the average person wouldn’t know. It is by the ska band Reel Big Fish and has different version, but we chose the acoustic version of this song. Plainly because every fire needs that person with an acoustic guitar to play some good tunes. And if you don’t have that person, you could just play this track and you will have a great time.
5. Creep by Radiohead: “Creep” is by far Radiohead’s most famous song, and it is a cult classic. It’s instantly recognizable lyrics are great like the other songs for a karaoke session around the fire. Though Radiohead has many great tunes for the summer, “Creep” takes the cake for this list.
Gingerbread House Chaos: My Holiday Traditions
Christmas is my favorite time of the year. I love everything about the holidays. For me, the holidays mean a time to be together with my family. Over the years, my family has had many fun and entertaining traditions. From the annual Christmas Eve White Elephant to the bacon egg and cheese bagels on Christmas morning, I have a lot to look forward to come Christmas time. However, as of recently, one of these traditions has been especially enjoyable for me. This tradition, which is a relatively new one for my family, is gingerbread house making.
This year, I have had the privilege of making gingerbread house’s on two separate occasions; with my family and my girlfriend’s. On both occasions, the creation of the gingerbread houses became very competitive. Everyone involved wants to make the best house, which makes it all the more enjoyable. For the last two years, my girlfriend and I had our own competition to see whos house was the best. Unfortunately, I have not won either year, as people on Instagram have voted her the winner for two consecutive years. Despite back to back defeats, I believe that I am getting better. If I keep improving, I guarantee that I will win sooner or later.
From the breaking of the houses themselves to running out of icing, making these houses always comes with some sort of drama and chaos. Every time I have ever made a house, something has gone wrong in some way. In my opinion, this is what makes this so fun, as it also allows you to bond with your family members by competing and helping each other with the houses. Overall, gingerbread houses is one of my favorite Christmas traditions and is one that I suggest to anyone trying to get in the Christmas spirit.