I was listening to a podcast the other day and the topic was outdoors! And what type of outdoor person you are.... Are you an adventurer? If you had a choice, would you spend all your waking hours outside? Are outdoor sports or camping your idea of a good time? Or are you like most of my (extended ) family and prefer the AC, indoor activities and not too much sunshine.
Summer is my jam.... I love the patio season: the warmth, the sunshine, the good moods, the grilling, the flip flops, the fashion and the flowers! But here's the deal. I like easy summer fun! Anything that requires loads of pre-planning or work to 'get there' is not my idea of fun. I'm okay with sticky and sweaty but not mosquitos and outhouses. Fresh air is awesome, so is a good walk but you won't see me going on a daytime backpacking trip anytime soon. Give me a spritzer, some good music and a little sunshine and I'm a happy camper--- who has seriously never actually been camping (ha!)... except for that time we did it in our back yard.
Anyways, here are a few things we do to make the most of gorgeous weather.
1- Parks are awesome and we try to vary it quite a bit with different venues. However, as my kids are getting older, dare I say they are outgrowing parks. It's nice to vary it a bit by maybe bringing a different thing sometimes-- maybe a ball, a frisbee or some bubbles to add something new to the experience.
2- Sunscreen, baseball caps and water bottles to keep hydrated and cool through it all.
3- Keep updated on different festivals and things to do in your area. We've discovered so many different things in and around our area like rib festivals and bunkerfest. There's a berry picking farm in our area that we love to go to!
4- For those bugs, area sprays are awesome in addition to mosquito repellant.
5- When entertaining, keep it simple. No need to make multiple course meals and complicated cocktails. Do what you can before and then enjoy your company when they get here... ( I don't always follow this advice)
6- Relax with the rules: my kids eat a bit more sugar and go to sleep just a bit later in the summer time!! Also, we take time as adults in the house. At one time, I was entertaining almost everyday pool side... We've stopped that big time now.
7- Mix it up... some weekends are busier than others but it's nice to get some time at home with a whole lotta nothing to just chill (or catch up on laundry or projects in my case). We also mix up those play-dates with different friends and to different places. Also, make some time for the adults only.
8- D always love to walk on the "shady side of the street". Ha! Makes a huge difference in the sweltering heat.
9- Make it fun, educational and observational for you and your kids. We look at different flowers and plants and discuss our favourites! If we go on a roadtrip, we all like to learn about the place we're heading to. Sidenote, D and I check the architecture out and cool houses that we like.
10- Push yourself outside your comfort zone! For the sake of the family, ha! Yeah I've never been camping before but when we camped in our backyard-- I'm like maybe one of these good days with the right company I could do this camping thing. Also, I don't really like a big mess but I turn a blind eye to the chalk paint, the outdoor slime and the mud pies...
Are you an indoor or outdoor person? What outdoor tips do you have to share with me?
Linking up for:
Happy Friday1
I love being outside and don't mind camping, but I hate messes! Stay away from that mud puddle! Don't touch me with your sticky popsicle hands! We are never making slime!
ReplyDeleteI say that I like to be outside but I get hot and icky pretty quickly! I do want my kids to spend more time outside and I want to encourage them by doing it myself too!
ReplyDeleteI'm all about being active outside...hiking, going to the beach, etc...BUT..I don't wanna sleep out there! I definitely want all the comforts of home. Keith and I went hunting together when were dating..4 days with no running water..um..no.
ReplyDeleteTaking all these tips as we want to spend as much time outside with Baby this summer!
ReplyDeleteI think I'm pretty much an outdoor person like you. I like it, we hike quite a bit, spend lots of time outside and swimming in the lake, have camped (ONCE AND ONLY ONCE) in our yard but I will never be that backpacking adventurer who wants to hike for more than an hour or two at a time.
ReplyDelete