Tag Archives | summer

The San Juan Islands … kayaking and camping

San Juan Islands, kayaking

Summertime in Washington State is a time to take advantage of the outdoors and explore what nature has to offer, from the lush green forests, to the rugged mountains, the beautiful surrounding lakes, and the vast Pacific Ocean.

Last summer my brother, Mat and his friend, Ryan headed to the San Juan Islands to do some camping and a lot of kayaking.  Many months of preparation had gone into the trip to insure their safety out in the open water.  A double kayak was their source of transportation and storage for all their supplies and equipment.  Mat had reserved the campgrounds in advance and to access the campsites, they had to paddle their kayak there.  The initial trip was intended to be seven days of kayaking and exploring around one of the main islands, San Juan Island.  But due to the weather, the trip was cut short by two days.  The southern part of the island will have to be explored at another time.

Mat documented the trip using a GoPro high-definition camera.  The videos were edited and condensed into a short twenty-two-minute film accompanied with music.  It is available for viewing at the end of the blog post and on YouTube.  The video started with them packing up early in the morning before heading out to the ferry.  Later in the video, you will see two crabs they caught for dinner.  Jones Island was their favorite place to camp because of the incredible view of the surrounding areas.  The one negative they encountered throughout the two nights they were there was the large population of raccoons.  Their curiousity kept the guys up throughout the first night, and got a little better the second night.   You could fast forward about nineteen minutes into the video if you want to see these raccoons.   All you will see are these glowing mysterious eyes watching your every move.  Mat was able to capture many beautiful sceneries, sunsets, and wildlife during his trip. It was a fun adventure with lots of great memories for Mat and Ryan.

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Poolside Treats and Things

Poolside treats and things

It’s summertime and an afternoon of fun activities outside, swimming in the pool or playing in the sprinkler are great pastimes for the kids to do.  In between activities is a good time to bring out refreshments and sweet treats.  I decided to put together a little refreshment center for them to have and share with friends.  To make it festive and summertime, I decorated the empty picture frame to look like water.  I used tissue paper cut in strips with scallop edges layered together with double sided tape to look like waves. A decorative flag banner {diy herewas added to the top of the picture frame.

A local candy shop, The Confectionery was the source for gummies and chocolate treats.  Not everyone lives nearby, so I included internet sources at the end of the blog post.  Other than treats, bubbles are always fun, and the BEST bubbles that will last a long time before they pop are the ones sold by Gymboree.

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Summer (teen) packing list … destination Cape Cod

Cape Cod, packing list

Cape Cod is the summer destination for many people living on the east coast and millions of visitors from around the world. Recently, Hannah was invited to go on a trip to Cape Cod.  This will be her first long trip away from home without us.  Our little girl is growing up and seeing her stepping out, be more independent, and making decisions is exciting.  For the trip she wanted to pack everything in one suitcase, enough basic clothes for 8-10 days and like most teens, still look cute and fashionable.

When I think of Summer and Cape Cod, the look is preppy, nautical, with mixed prints and patterns.  Looking at Hannah’s selection of clothes, I think she did a great job of pulling together her wardrobe.  I see many options to mix and match the pieces to wear for various occasions and activities, from dressy to everyday casual, to going to the beach, on a boat or out shopping.

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A Little Snapshot of our Summer

summer, gone swimming

We are in the midst of summer and enjoying the warm weather and lots of sunshine. Memories are being made and more than enough pictures have been taken and sent out to be shared.

Here is a little snapshot of our summer so far, staying cool, in, near and around water….

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diy … Flower Rings

Flower ring tutorial

I’m revisiting and remembering Hannah’s 12th birthday as her 18th birthday approaches.  In the last blog post, Hannah’s Garden Birthday Party, I included a picture of Hannah wearing her lime green flower ring.  I have kept it as a keepsake and recently brought it out to have her wear it again. It is still as sweet and fashionable.

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