T-Ball

Another summer with our little informal t-ball group, and the kids are loving it.

They are determined...

swift...

and as usual, pretty goofy.

CSN Stores Giveaway Winner

And the winner is...

Comment number 7, which belongs to Heather at Homemade Mom. Congrats, Heather!

And thanks everyone for playing along!

Tips for Family Camping

Even if you've done a lot of camping in your pre-kid days, there can be a bit of a learning curve to camping as a family. We did our first family camping trip when Millie was 3 and Silas was about 4 months old, and we've gone on quite a few trips since then. Here's what we've learned along the way:

1. Start small. A short drive, and staying just one night is a good introduction. You'll learn a lot about what works for your family, and get a sense for what's involved in camping with little ones.

2. Keep the food simple. I have lots of memories of my parents fixing all kinds of yummy camping foods, including big breakfasts of pancakes and scrambled eggs. But once I was juggling the baby and keeping the toddler out of the fire, we found that quick, easy meals were best. We only camp a few times each year, so while I do bring along some prepped fruits and veggies, we also indulge in some "junkie" convenience food during camping trips.

3. Expect and accept the dirt. The kids are going to be really dirty. You'll all smell like smoke. Just know that you can get a good bath when you get home, and focus on enjoying the time outdoors.

4. Bring along some children's books. Our kids are accustomed to reading a couple of books at night before bed. Reading books before going to sleep helps them to settle down from the day's activity and excitement, and it's also comforting and familiar to them.

5. Include the kids in the work. Children love to help, so find ways to include them in the work around the campsite. A few of the jobs our kids like:  helping set up the tent, unrolling sleeping bags inside the tent, carrying items from the car to the campsite, gathering kindling, and helping to fetch water.

6. Bring a good baby carrier. A soft structured carrier is perfect for bringing the littlest ones along on a hike. While toddlers can walk for some distance, often they'll want to be carried as well. We've used an Ergo for years, and really love it - it's great for heavy toddlers.  On our most recent camping trip I found that my ring sling was just what I needed.

7. Get the kids excited about nature. Point out the birds you see, pull out the field guides, and set an example of being observant and appreciative of all that you see around you. Kids will catch your enthusiasm, and in no time they'll be the ones pointing out the birds to you, and stopping to get a closer look at an interesting bug or plant.

8. Be prepared for the elements. Check the weather before you go, and pack those long sleeves for cool evenings and chilly mornings. We bring along natural insect repellent, since during the summers mosquitoes are a given.

9. Bring some outdoor toys and a child-sized shovel. It doesn't have to be a lot, but a ball or two, and maybe some toy trucks are pretty great for those times when mom and dad are doing the final packing up, or maybe just sitting and relaxing.  We've been amazed at how much our kids like just digging in the dirt.

 10. Read up a bit, and get some ideas from others! Get recommendations from friends on kid-friendly places to camp. And don't forget about the wealth of information online: here are a few tips over at Simple Mom for making family trips a little easier. And another great article on camping with little ones here at  Simple Organic.

We really treasure our family camping trips, as we know we are making memories that will last a lifetime.


This post is linked to:
Top Ten Tuesday
Works for Me Wednesday

In the Garden ~ Late June

Black-eyed Susans

Things in our backyard garden are growing well - especially the weeds. We're having a little mulch issue, as in, we haven't mulched at all. And so all sorts of weeds abound. Especially purslane, which I was just reading indicates good soil fertility. And it's funny because I was going to plant purslane this year, but didn't end up ordering the seeds, so I guess I'm glad to see it in my garden for multiple reasons.

So, besides the weeds, here are just some of the other things we're growing...

We've been enjoying lovely lettuce salads

Again this year, these purple-podded shelling peas.

They make great snacks, just wish we had more!

Basil. I love fresh basil. Wish we had more of this too.

Hello, tomato.

This little cutie is actually a yellow zucchini, not summer squash.

Pumpkins will be taking up half the yard in no time, it seems.

And finally, look how our garden fort is growing! So fun!

This post is linked to:
GrowCookEat

Weekend Links

A few favorites from the past week...

You may remember I mentioned how much fun my kids have had with their butterfly nets. Check out this tutorial on Skip to My Lou for making your own.

Impress Your Kids has a fun "Summer Camp" series. The kids would have a blast making these "solar s'mores".

Really liked this post at Steady Mom that expands on the idea that "The purpose of the task is to strengthen the relationship." So true!

Good thoughts from Making Things Up about closing doors.

Keep some smoothies in the freezer for quick summertime snacks -  smart idea from Life as Mom.

Six Word Fridays: Goal

To make it through the day
Kids fed, house not a wreck

*****

Time with kids, reading and talking
Feed my family some good vegetables
Checking off items on my list
Do something that will nourish me


This post is linked to:
Six Word Fridays

Napping on the Beach

We spent the better part of a day playing on the beach during our recent camping trip. Isaac was in desperate need of a nap, and all I had to do was pop him in my Maya Wrap ring sling and go for a stroll down the beach. He was asleep in no time, and dozed on a blanket under a beach umbrella for well over an hour.

This post is linked to:
You Capture

A Giveaway!

Giveaway is now closed. 

I was contacted recently by CSN stores about a giveaway opportunity for readers of Mulberry Spot. CSN stores has more than 200 online stores, where you can find an incredible array of products -- whether you need school supplies, toys, a bedroom vanity, shoes, cookware, and much more. Really, there is a LOT of stuff available.

For the giveaway, one person will receive a $40 gift certificate to use in any one of CSN's 200 online stores. Pretty good deal!

I browsed their sites a bit, and here are a few things that caught my eye:

I really like these cute cloth napkins:

This would be a fun family game:

Also, I just adore the color of these Le Creuset baking dishes:

But you can choose whatever you'd like!

For the chance to win the $40 gift certificate, just leave a comment (and please include your email address).

You can also gain additional entries, and more chances to win, by doing the following (and leaving a separate comment for each one):

• Become a follower or subscriber of Mulberry Spot (or tell me you already are).

• "Like" Mulberry Spot on Facebook.

•  Blog about this giveaway, and leave a link to your blog post.

• Tweet about this giveaway.

The giveaway will run until 8pm (CST) on Tuesday, June 29. I'll announce the winner on Wednesday. Good luck!

(This giveaway is open to U.S. and Canadian residents only.)

Comments are closed.

Beach Days, Stormy Night

We are just back from a few days of camping and playing at the beach. This was one of our most fun and most memorable camping experiences to date.

The weather was beautiful and the kids played in the sand for hours. But our second night brought severe weather to the area. A tornado watch that ran late into the evening eventually became a severe thunderstorm with the threat of strong winds. The park ranger sounded a siren at 11 pm, which had us pulling sleeping children out of the tent, and running with them in the dark through pouring rain to take shelter in the shower building. Memorable, indeed!

But we are back home, safe and dry and well. And very thankful for one another.

Cool and Creamy

I'm on quite the popsicle kick here. The kids will more readily run out into the backyard on a hot afternoon if I send them out with a cool treat. And when it's homemade and healthy, that's all the better.

I found this recipe for Orange Chia Popsicles, and changed it up ever so slightly. Here's my version:

1/2 cup frozen 100% orange juice concentrate, slightly defrosted

4 tbsp chia seeds

2 oranges, peeled and chopped

1 cup plain yogurt

4 dates

2 tsp vanilla (optional)

Place orange juice in mixing bowl, and mix together with seeds. Let sit 15 minutes. The chia seeds will start to gel, and the mixture will thicken.

Meanwhile, combine remaining ingredients in a blender and blend well. Add chia mixture and blend to combine. Pour into popsicle molds and freeze.

We went ahead and made these popsicles with the yogurt, but I'm sure you could substitute any milk of your choosing.

And if you're looking for a chocolate fix, you have to make these fudgesicles.

So creamy and so good. And if you don't have a high-powered blender, you might consider soaking the cashews overnight before you make them.

Also, while I know there are lots of great popsicle molds out there to purchase, I've been making ours old-school with little paper cups and wooden popsicle sticks. This way I can make a big batch all at one time, and it saves me extra dish washing.  A little tip if you do it that way: put a slice of banana in the bottom of each cup, then stick the popsicle stick into the banana after filling the cups, that way it will stand up.

This post is linked to:
Life as Mom

Six Word Fridays: Appetite

In summer, anything cold and sweet.
Creamy homemade popsicles, best eaten outside.
Fresh strawberries, picked from the garden.
Big salad, with lots of veggies.

Late at night, ice cream please.
When pregnant, more ice cream please.


This post is linked to:
Six Word Fridays

Carrying Isaac

Isaac is so busy these days, talking up a storm and getting into all kinds of mischief. But he still needs mama too, and lately my maya wrap has been my go-to sling. Really, it's my only option with this growing belly of mine. I mostly grab it when we're going out, and it's great that it's quick to put on, and easy to pop him in or back out when he just needs a quick snuggle.

Heads Up

My hat that I'm a little bit obsessive about wearing. I'm really trying to avoid developing any "mask of pregnancy" (melasma) without needing to use too much sunscreen.

And my haircut. Nothing exciting; it's shorter, and that's about it. And it's still usually just in a ponytail or held back by a bandana, but at least there's less of it to deal with!

Some Favorite Homeschool Resources

Because we are pretty relaxed with homeschooling, we basically don't stop and start on certain dates. So even though it's summer, we still have days when we do some planned learning activities. And I've got resources/curriculum on the brain as I think through what we'll need for the coming year. Here are some of our favorite learning resources from the past year. Not necessarily the all-time greatest and best, just what came to mind when I was thinking through what has been most enjoyed and especially helpful.

1) Wooden Pattern Blocks - So many uses for these blocks!
patterns:

sorting:

And we got a fun book that provides more ideas. Here Silas uses the blocks to fill in an animal:

2) Shakespeare Can Be Fun series - A great way to introduce Shakespeare to little ones. I can't beat the description over here at Pioneer Woman. Both Millie and Silas LOVED reading through Romeo and Juliet. I wouldn't have guessed it would appeal to a 4-year-old boy, but then I suppose I'd forgotten about all the sword fighting.

3) Donna Young - This site has a TON of great free printables. All sorts of stuff for getting organized, and resources for every school subject.

4) I Can Read It! books

We had a hard time finding easy readers that would keep Millie motivated. Too often the language felt unnatural or the stories just weren't interesting.  But the I Can Read It! books have stories with real story lines, which kept Millie going in order to find out "what happens next!"

5) First Language Lessons for the Well-Trained Mind - This has been a nice, gentle way to introduce grammar. I love that it's essentially an "open and go" resource. The kids have especially enjoyed the poetry memorization.

6) BBC Dance Mat Typing - Free online typing practice. We just started this with Millie a while back, and she has not only had fun with it, but has actually learned proper typing technique in the process. I'm sure sometime soon we'll invest in a real typing program, but this has been a fun resource for now.

7) PBS Nature - In our area this series airs on Sunday nights on PBS. A captivating look at various aspects of nature. The kids have found it fascinating and look forward to watching it on Sundays. 

8) Usborne Time Traveler - This is such a neat book that covers 4 different historical periods: Medieval Times, the Viking Age, the Roman World, and Ancient Egypt. Millie has been especially interested in history lately, so we've been pulling this out a lot. It's also been a really nice complement to some of our read-alouds. We just finished reading The Door in the Wall, which we were able to understand much better thanks to having just learned about medieval times.

9) First Encyclopedia of the Human Body - Another Usborne book with great pictures, and an excellent, in-depth look at the parts of the human body. Every time we pull this book down, it captures the kids' attention for a considerable amount of time.

10) Magic Tree House audiobooks - We've checked these out from our library, and the kids love them. Lots of excitement and adventure in the stories, while the kids also get exposure and information about other places and cultures, and various historical events.

These are some of our favorites from the past year. If you have any learning resources that you and your children have especially enjoyed, I'd love to hear about them!

Disclosure: the above links to Amazon.com are affiliate links.

This post is linked to:
Top Ten Tuesday

Garlic Scapes

We harvested some garlic scapes over the weekend. Such a nice, mild garlic/onion-y flavor. They remind me of asparagus in that they're best treated simply and not overcooked. About 5 minutes over medium heat is enough. We enjoyed them as an addition to a quick Saturday night veggie-pasta dish.

Another great thing about garlic scapes is that even if your kids don't want to eat them, they'll definitely want to wear them.

In the Garden ~ Early June

 Main garden boxes

 First year for fruit on our mulberry tree

I knew this would happen - I'm wishing we had done more, earlier, in the garden. We could have been harvesting lettuce several weeks ago, but we'll just be having our first home-grown salad this week. Better late than never, I suppose. Other happenings:

Radishes ~ Millie picked a bunch to make some radish snacks. I'm planning to use the next bunch we harvest to try out roasted radishes.

 Strawberries ~ We've been harvesting a bowlful from our little patch each morning, and we enjoy these for a morning snack. It makes my heart happy to see these sweet red treats glittering in the garden.

Potatoes ~ Just beginning to flower.  Unfortunately, I planted most of them in a spot that is proving to be too crowded and shady, thanks to the increased growth of a 3-year-old mulberry tree. Learned my lesson there.

 Lettuce ~ Not as much coming up as I'd like. But we'll have enough for some salad this week. Love getting to grow such pretty varieties.

Garlic scapes ~ I'm excited about these. We first sampled garlic scapes through our CSA a couple of summers ago. I looked for them at some farmer's markets last summer, with no luck. So I'm happy to be growing my own!

Everything else is coming along quite nicely, thanks to some good rain, and also some sunny warm days. I may not be able to blame the weather for any gardening mishaps this year!


This post is linked to:
5 Dollar Dinners
Good Life Eats