SUMMER - Fun ideas from the thick of it!

Sunburns, berries, family outings, children's laughter, swimming. In these warm days of summer I take a bit bloggy break to spend time soaking up the sun with my children. (But don't worry, I will be back in September to start planning Christmas!)

For today I have gathered a hodge podge of my previous summer posts; my mom tip for sunburns, light summer food, outing ideas, and summer fun:

(Click links above photos to view.)

 Beach Decorating

My mom tip for sunburns: Here

Visit a ghost town!

Go for a bike ride

Find some petroglyphs near you

Go berry picking

(Fall raspberries will be ready soon!)

A light summer mushroom recipe

Watermelon Fruit Salad

 Frozen Grapes are better than ice cream!

How to use mustard flowers

::The Holiday Challenge::
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Vacation Idea #46 ~ Mt. Rainier National Park

Mt. Rainier National Park is truly a get away that everyone should visit! 

Heart stopping beauty can be everywhere, 

from the grandeur of the snow capped mountains down to the smallest of flowers. 

And because there are so many activities to be found here, everything from a small day trip to a extended stay is rewarding. 

These photos are from our three day camp out the first weekend of August. 

Lovely bridge.

Under the bridge, 180 feet down, rushing water that had carved something of a canyon.

Hiking trail to snow lake.

 A beautiful natural lake.

Amazing flowers could be found everywhere.  

New growth on a pine tree.

The scale was amazing!

I was enchanted with these trees in the middle of the green meadow.

Snow down to the lake.

A bridge near snow lake.

View of the lake from the middle of that bridge.

Truly astonishing.

Swimming at blue hole.

"... the most luxuriant and most extravagantly beautiful of all the alpine gardens I ever beheld in all my mountain-top wanderings." -John Muir

The buildings in Mt. Rainier are themselves a treasure.

  This bridge was on the way to the forest of the patriarchs. It had a sign recommending one person cross at a time.

A view from our picnic lunch.

These were only a handful of the sites we saw. There are so many trails, an abundance of waterfalls, wonderful visitors centers, a trail that goes all the way around the mountain, horseback riding, camping, biking, and so many things to see and do that even their website recommends not trying to visit everything in one trip. We had a lovely time there, and I am already planning my next trip, to include visiting the dinner train that can be had just outside of the park!

To see more of our wanderings visit the Vacation Ideas near the top of this page.

I have added this post to:

Beyond The Garden Gate

::The Holiday Challenge::
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Gift Wrapping Ideas

Generally we think about wrapping gifts at Christmas, but there are so many occasions throughout the year to celebrate. So today I am joining Natasha's wonderful new 'Pinning and Singing' Pinterest party and bringing beautiful gifts!

Source: prettypetals.typepad.com (here) via Jessa on Pinterest

- lots of wonderful photos of these gifts can be found at Pretty Petals.

Source: ohhellofriendblog.com via Jessa on Pinterest

- these are just too cute, such a great idea!

Source: justcraftyenough.com via Jessa on Pinterest

- in JustCraftyEnoughs post she shares how to make ornaments for gifts.

Source: welovelaughkiss.wordpress.com via Jessa on Pinterest

- these can be used as a liner or as the envelope, a detailed tutorial can be found at the blog link.

Source: lovefeasttable.com via Jessa on Pinterest

- gift wrap organization can be found here, and who doesn't need this?

Source: marieclaireidees.com via Jessa on Pinterest

- this site is in a different language, but it translates well and has tons of lovely photos.

All of these lovely photos I found on pinterest, I encourage you to visit the original sites (links are under the photos) as there are a wealth of wonderful photos, tips, and ideas to be found there.

Click to visit the party!

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August's Shopping Bag

August's Shopping Bag

(seasonal shopping ideas)

Back to school supplies: Most areas of the us are back in school anywhere from early August to early September so now is the time to stock up on office supplies. As well as school clothing and supplies. Many stores have great sales just to get you in the door and as soon as school starts in your area, stores begin to hold sales to clear out the excess inventory that has not sold.

Summer Clothing: These are deeply discounted in August and September. So I like to pick up a few things for next summer.

Summer Supplies: BBQ's, patio sets, gardening supplies, roses, camping gear, mowers, trimmers, etc. usually go on sale in late August through September as stores make room for fall and winter items.

Firewood: when it is hot outside it is hard to think of winter, but I like to start looking now and have a good idea by the end of August. In my area it starts to turn a bit cooler around September 22 which is the first day of fall.

Fall/Winter Supplies: At the very beginning (and end) of a season stores will advertise sales, I try to look for sales on heaters, fireplace kits, fall clothing, supplies to winterize my car, and anything else I think we might need.

Seasonal fruit: Blackberries, cucumbers, corn, currants, tomatoes, blueberries, summer squash, peppers are in season. As well as Apricots, peas, peaches, cantaloupes, figs, nectarines, plums and beats which have a June-July-August window.

What do you like to buy in August?

Know of any good deals this time of year? Or just anything to make the season fun?

(Leave your suggestions in the comments below)

Note: every month I feature a few ideas of things to buy for the month. Such as fruit that is in season, helpful things for holidays, and deals to look for. These are meant to be helpful suggestions only. Every budget is different and buying something that is not within your budget only adds to stress, no matter what it is. These suggestions are help save time and money, while adding to enjoyment of the season.

::The Holiday Challenge::
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August's Flowers

Sunflowers, Irises, and Chrysanthemums, make a beautiful bouquet of seasonal flowers.

I found this lively bouquet at Trader Joes for under $4.

And the flowers are so beautiful! 

Close shots show just how lovely they are:

I have added this to Fresh Cut Fridays

~ Visit to see amazingly beautiful posts~

::The Holiday Challenge::
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A Beach Tablescape Full of Fun

With a starfish craft, easy sand dollar cookies and tea lights in clam shells, this beachy tablescape is full of fun ideas for summer.

In a quiet spot in our yard I set up this summer tablescape

Almost set.

For napkin rings I knotted twine. 

White polka dot edged plates.

And a green bamboo place mat that reminded me of the beach, over a sand colored table cloth.

A sail boat centerpiece.

Lots of cute details.

On a side table, a beach photo frame.

And some wine coolers. I am not one to drink... ever... but with coconut and pineapple these added 'taste of the beach' to the meal.

The starfish were made from salt dough (you can find my recipe here) a couple of days ahead of time. I rolled the dough to about 2", used a regular star-shaped cookie cutter, and then flattened it out some to make a starfish.

Using store bought snicker-doodle cookies I made some sand dollar cookies.

To make them I dipped slivered almonds in a medium mixture of powdered sugar and water and placed the almonds in a star shape in the centers.

And laid them on a bed of 'sand', a cinnamon and sugar mix.

Tea lights in clam shells, they were a perfect addition to our meal. (Tip: to make the tea lights last longer, do not take them out of the little metal holders, these went out quite quickly without them.) 

I hope your summer is going as 'beachy' as ours. 

Happy Summer!

I am adding this post to Tablescape Thursdays @ Between Naps On The Porch. Please visit to see amazingly creative tablescapes.

::The Holiday Challenge::
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