Our third guest blogger for today is the inspiring
Gina from Not So Random Stuff
Gina has a wonderful way of reminding her readers that things don't have to be so complicated.
She's always sharing creative ways to make life feel fresh & new.
And I love the simple things she does to spruce up her home without spending much money.
Gina inspires me to enjoy my family, my home, and my life everyday.
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Summer is here and with that comes the thought of sand in your toes, an icy drink and the scent of Coppertone on your skin. It's easy to savor the pleasures of summer if you're on a tropical vacation somewhere, but what if you aren't?I know I won't be somewhere tropical this summer. I'll be home with three kids who will most likely be bored. Totally bored and looking for an adventure. It makes we wonder how I can best pack of all summer's pleasures in the midst of daily life.
We've learned a few things over the last few years that have helped us to enjoy summer's fleeting days as a family. One thing I've realized about life is that you get out of it what you put into it. If I put effort into making the summer of my dreams then I'll probably be rewarded with that, or at least with something pretty darn close.
My perspective on how I look at summer determines a whole lot, even if I'm not on a tropical island and am at home hot and sweaty with three kiddos. So we make plans for the summer. We sit down and make our summer list full of all the things we want to do this summer. This year our list includes lots of swimming, a few too many s'mores, some camping trips, and a bit of hiking adventures too.
But we don't always stick to the plan. Some days your kids might find a giant frog in the garden and name him Fatty and want to spend the entire day playing with him. The frog might not like that, but as a mom I've learned to roll with it and adjust our plans when the kids get a whim to do something else, like take a frog named Fatty everywhere we go.
We slow down. Summer should be about rest anyway, right? It seems that the less we have on our agenda the more peaceful we feel. It makes sense, doesn't it? But too often I've packed a ton of adventure into our summer days and ended up with grumpy, exhausted kids who have grumpy and exhausted parents. One big adventure a week is just about right for us, and this is pretty easy where we live because there are lots of mountains, rivers, trails and other excitement to be found. Some weeks we take advantage of the things available in our community, like free movie days at the theater or story time at the library. Those events are closer to home and just as fun as a day long trip somewhere farther away. And I've realized that when we slow down more spontaneous fun happens, even in our own backyard.
And then I observe through the lens of my camera. You want lots of great summer pictures anyway right? How about slowing down through the lens of your camera? Sometimes life is just too fast and it's easy to miss those precious moments and memories that are happening right in front of us. When I'm looking through the lens of my camera it seems I have a different perspective, one that is more purposeful and thoughtful of what I'm doing and what my family is doing. It's all about that perspective.
A happy summer is easy to find, and a joy to remember later. This summer I'll be searching for lots of happy memories.
Thanks Heather for hosting this fun week and getting us all started right this summer! - Gina
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In the midst of all the summer cookouts and activities it's easy to forget that an amazing
summer can be found in the simple things. I'm so glad that Gina's here to help remind us of that!
Be sure to stop by Gina's inspiring blog and leave her a little love.
And speaking of inspiring,
the super creative Candace of Sparkle Power,
wants to help one lucky reader add a little summer color to their home
by giving away a poster from her super cute Etsy shop.
International entries welcome!!!
These two are favorites of mine.
She has lots to choose from
so be sure to stop by her shop and check them out!
Leave a comment letting us know one simple activity that's on your summer to-do list
and your entered to win.
If you want to become a follower,
blog, tweet, dance around, or facebook about it then you'll get more chances.
Be sure to leave a comment for each antic.
