Leap Day Wish List

What would you do with one extra day?

Would you travel somewhere on your bucket list? Or use the spare time to complete a project or finish a book you’ve been working on? Or maybe you’d spend it with family or friends, creating new memories?

Well…we have great news for you: you do get an extra day this year! Yep—2020 is a leap year, meaning there are actually 366 days this year with the addition of February 29, which only comes once every four years. And while we know the real reason for leap day is to get the calendar back in sync with the solar year, we also think it’s a great excuse to set some “wish list” ideas and make the most of the extra time.

Leap List Ideas

To spark some thoughts, we polled Martin’s employees on what they would do with one extra day. *Note: Ignore the fact that “real life” leap day occurs in February…In our “hypothetical” scenario, you get to set your own ideal parameters for your bonus day.

So without further ado, here is our Leap Day Wishlist (or “Leap List”):

Spend Time Outdoors

This was the number one answer by our survey participants, indicating that most of us are ready for winter to be over. Who else is ready for a relaxing spring picnic or summer barbecue?

40 percent of people chose this as their preferred leap day activity. Of these 33 people, thirteen would spend their outdoor time with their significant other, eleven with their children, and five with their close friends, followed by extended family and parents.

Some of the more detailed suggestions were: going to the park, going hiking, having a picnic, and camping with family. Take a look at a few of the specific responses below:

“With an extra day I’d fill my basket with fruit, drinks and sandwiches (Martin’s Potato Bread of course) and ride out to a park with my wife and daughters and watch them play and thank GOD for the extra time!”

“I would pick super warm February weather (like sunny and 70) and pack a picnic for my husband and I. We’d hike somewhere with an overlook and then enjoy our picnic and the view.”

“I would go camping with my entire family. Boating, swimming, campfire with songs and grilling with Martin’s Long and Sandwich Potato Rolls.”

Travel Somewhere New

The second most popular suggestion was traveling (15 percent of respondents). And honestly, some change of scenery amidst the current winter dreariness sounds like a wonderful idea! If you’re in the same boat, check out our All-American Road Trip Recap for a list of some great cities to visit, or find some “Staycation” inspiration on our blog.

Here are some more travel ideas from Martin’s employees:

“If I had the blessed opportunity to decide what I would like to do with one extra day this year, I would take my family back to the beautiful gulf shore beach of Keewaydin Island. We would fish off the boat, wade in the beautiful water, and walk on the beach picking a multitude of conch shells and sand dollars.”

Here’s a thought: “Spend the day traveling about and stop in to eat somewhere, maybe in the middle of nowhere. You order a sandwich or sub and when you receive it, you notice that it’s on a Martin’s Roll. It makes you feel at home and familiar with the people around you.”

“Maybe take a day trip somewhere (Gettysburg, Baltimore, Lancaster)”

“I would go on some sort of adventure. My husband and I would probably travel to some place we’ve never been (or a repeat place we both love) and do sightseeing, eat lots of great food, take in the atmosphere, and do a few touristy things or ‘must-try’ activities.”

Quality Time with Family

We also polled our employees about who they would most like to spend their extra day with. The top responses were: significant other, kids, friends, extended family, and parents (34%, 29%, 12%, 11%, and 5%, respectively).

Regardless of which activity people chose to do with their extra day, it’s clear that quality time with loved ones is the real priority.

Take a look at some of the responses:

“I’d like to have some friends over to eat some delicious food (including Martin’s rolls, of course!), play games, and hang out. Spending time with loved ones is my favorite way to use any extra time that I have.”

“If I had just 1 extra day, I would spend it showing affection to the son I lost. I would spend all of the time I had on that extra day showing him how much he is missed.”

“I’m going to spend my extra day traveling to see friends I have not seen in months or years!”

“I never get to spend time playing video games with my kids. They absolutely love them and I was the same way as a kid. We are probably going to do a pizza and games evening for sure.”

Cooking, Grilling, and Eating Food

Our third survey question was about what type of food people would most like to eat on their extra day. Whether as part of their chosen activity (such as cooking or picnicking) or just their favorite “cheat day” meal, the overwhelming selection was a cheeseburger on a Martin’s Sandwich Potato Roll.

Here are the full results:

If all of these dining options sound amazing to you, you may enjoy trying some of these recipes:

• Classic Cheeseburger
• Swirl Bread French Toast
• Fried Chicken Sandwich
• Meatball Sub
• Club Sandwich
• Pulled Pork Sliders
• Grilled PB&J
• Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Some additional ideas from employees were: a cheesesteak on a Martin’s Hoagie Roll, grilled cheese on Martin’s Butter Bread, Italian sausage hoagies, brisket on Martin’s Sandwich Potato Rolls, and an egg salad sandwich on Butter Bread.

A few people even decided to make cooking a primary feature of their day:

“If I had an extra day I would spend the morning baking and cooking and then invite friends over for the afternoon to play board games and eat the food I had prepared that morning.”

“I would enjoy it with family and spend time cooking some nice food while listening to good music. It would also be an extra day to spend in the fitness center to burn some calories.”

“I would have a cookout with family and friends”

Other Activities

The possibilities on this “bonus day” are endless! Here are some other ideas that participants envisioned doing on leap day:

• Go shopping
• Play games
• Watch a movie
• Read a book
• Volunteer in the community
• Do housework or home improvement
• Exercise
• Start on spring cleaning
• Watch a sports game
• Have a party

One respondent planned this detailed schedule for their extra day:

“First, I would grab a nice cup of coffee and sit in the sun at a park, if possible. Then, I would grab lunch with my significant other. After that, we would go to the movies. At night I would just relax by the fireplace…”

Another person vowed to work toward their fitness goal:

“I would absolutely spend the day doing additional Ironman Training (Swim, Bike, Run).”

And another had this humble yet admirable resolution:

“I would love my family and the Lord.”

Yet another came up with this great idea:

“I would go out into the community and help the less fortunate and elderly doing spring cleaning.”

So…what are your Leap Day goals? Will you plan an extravagant outing or visit a loved one? Maybe you’ll use it to “leap” toward larger aspirations or career goals? However you choose to spend your extra day, we hope you remember to treat each and every day as a precious blessing, not just on February 29.

P.S. Let us know in the comments section below or on our social media pages what you plan to do this Leap Day!