sunflower houses and more

:: a while back, we were lucky to have won a book, sunflower houses by sharon lovejoy. there is so much inspiring projects and stories shared throughout the book, it was hard to chose which one we would start with. remembering our trip last autumn through a sunflower maze, i knew a sunflower house would be wonderful. i reacall a mention of 8x8 but ours may be smaller as i am still trying to figure out where we could plant it, until then we are tending to the seedlings and have some morning glory seeds ready to sow in the soil, which will fill in the canopy.

jar of sunshine

surprise bulbs

:: the elves gifted us with some magical bulbs. "they are like surprise bulbs" because we don't know what type of flower they will grow into. she admired the bulbs and wondered what they would become.

autumn nature table

:: our autumn nature table. i always try and keep a tidy scene, but our autumn table always has a tends to accumulate lots of found treasures as the season swings in. And all those pine cones. We are going to decorate them and gift them for the holidays.



:: a closer look at our treasures from nature. the canning jar holds random things we have found over the years. my little one's favorite is a stem from a pumpkin.

:: we were lucky to pick a few tomatoes. the autumn colors seem so fitting.

picking

:: we were off picking some berries at the berry farm. we appreciate each and every sweet berry and make plans for our pickings. blueberry soup, anyone? small signs that fall is coming.


:: out in the yard, the geologist has been collecting rocks. she has her process of digging, raking, washing the rocks and sorting them. the found piece of ceramic has been with us on our travels in a special little container, she reveals that the ceramic could be from a plate or a bowl or a mug.


:: after a few days, we have a handful of cherry tomatoes for our dinner. i love these 'sungold' ones.


:: golden touches in the garden

planting sunflowers

:: planting some sunny sunflowers. this was a seed packet i picked up, with lots of variety. they are easy to grow, usually sprouting up in a few days. we wait in anticipation of what color and size sunflower will come up.

canning for winter

:: i left a few jars out in the kitchen the other day. upon my return, my little one had been canning some vegetables for winter. celebrating the seasons and incorporating seasonal activities has become an important part of our lives. with each passing year, we discover more experiences that facilitate our sense of wonder and bring us closer into nature. while i have never canned, i know my little one and my family is in need of building these stronger connections. knowing this, we are on our journey towards a slower pace, simplifying our lives and live our lives with more meaning, more intention.


:: aside from a few mouthwatering 'Sungold' cherry tomatoes, this is our first tomato of the season. A 'Orange Strawberry Oxheart'. Not really knowing the faith of our tomato plants this year, we savored every bite.

:: found on one of our recent nature walks.

:: dried mud from the other day.

:: wishbone plant to attract hummingbirds.

rhythm returns

my little guy's first tooth finally came. napping times are just starting to be on a schedule and we are starting to get some sort of rhythm going. baking muffins. painting. nature walks. ballet and gymnastics are coming to an end. (phew!) it was a huge commitment for us. and summer just flew by.













:: a shipping box provided a quiet morning of painting. i found myself enjoying my little one's puzzle for a short time until she came to see what i was up to. some beans were picked from the garden. treasures found at a state park were sorted. my daughter was so delighted to find the peach pit on the beach. the smooth beach pebbles were brought in to be explored in our sensory box. the sand was smuggled over to the play kitchen. the funnel always provides lots of fun for my little one.

princess peas

:: "princess peas" or "fairy peas." Just a little incentive to get my little one to eat some snap peas from our small container garden. Usually she opens the pods to eat the sweet peas, but our beans seem to have very small peas. I think they need a wee bit longer time on the vine.

bugs & beans

:: looking for insects



:: a handful of green beans to munch on. I purchased a stringless variety, by accident, which only grows 12 inches tall. I think it is more fun for kids if there is a jungle.

summer solstice

Strawberries ripening in the warm summer sun, one at a time. Bringing a little sweetness to every day. Each morning, we are early to get to the berries before the birds.

Summer solstice is the midsummer mark of the Earth's fruitful season, a celebration when the sun is highest in the sky.

A happy Father's Day to my McGiver.

beans a sprouting

Beans are super quick to sprout & produce abundant bounty. What a great way to get children involved. My little one loved collecting & eating cherry tomatoes so much that I am hoping the beans are as successful.