Recipe For Fun: Backyard Beach!

There's something magical about summer. We want to soak up the sun, relax and sometimes get wet.

The actual beach

The problem is that many of us, myself included, often suffer from a deplorable level of laziness. Which brings me to a recent, warm and sunny weekend afternoon, during which we wanted to be outside but couldn't pick between the beach, the park, the dog park, or the lake. Since all of those options required more effort than any of us cared to give, I came up with an alternative:  the backyard "beach."

Friday Fun: The Joys of Spring

Happy Friday!
Up here in my neck of the woods, it's been a gorgeous first week of spring - although it's been so warm that a couple of days have felt more like summer! It's usually so cold here in the winter that when the temperature gets above 60, you see a lot of people out in shorts.

So, I thought it would be appropriate to kick off another weekend with some pics of all the fun we had with Anna for our first spring weekend! I hope the weather is beautiful where you are too.

First dipping of toes into the frigid ocean! BRRR!!

Photos of the Week: Spring is Here!

Although I normally dread Mondays, today, I can deal. And I owe the extra spring in my step this Monday to the fabulous taste of Spring that we're getting up here. We may have one day to go to be official, but you really can't tell. And as cold as our winters are, yesterday's 70 or so degrees felt sort of like Summer.

This weekend provided the opportunity for a lot of seasonal firsts:  first ice cream, first beach trip (with the dog), first tiny flowers blooming, first time on the tree swing, and first backyard fire with s'mores.

You can't beat that!

So here are two photos that represent our happy first weekend of Spring - it's almost here, and Summer will be here before we know it!

First baby flowers in our yard!

Welcome back, beach!

Have a great week! Happy Spring!

Friday Fun: BFFs!

There's nothing like seeing your child develop his or her first close friendships. I love watching Anna interact with her little friends - unless she's not sharing, of course, and then it's not so fun!  

Thankfully those times aren't as plentiful as the ones where she and a friend are engaged in their own little world, cooking things in their kitchen, feeding their baby dolls, etc. There's no complexity, no drama (unless it's over a toy), no adult hang-ups. It's just pure joy.

I Love Holidays!

Hi everyone!  A series of circumstances conspired to keep me away from my computer for a couple of days, but I've missed writing and am glad to be back blogging. Don't you hate it when work gets in the way of your fun?!

Happy 4th!

Everyone has favorite traditions associated with holidays, and the 4^th of July is no exception.  Many of us go to see fireworks.  Some of us go to the beach.  Some of us go to local parades and festivals.  When I was very young, one of my favorite parts of this holiday was our neighborhood 4^th of July picnic. 

I remember one year especially well. I must’ve been eight or nine.  This particular year, there was a holiday gathering at the end of my street, near the “dirt pile,” as we called it, where my brother, my friends and I loved climbing and pretending we were imaginary detectives.