This summer we are at home! We are enjoying our garden sanctuaries, and learning to treasure the little things – endless sunshine, butterflies, chickens, and the sounds of summer. We have spent nights camping in our own backyard, caught fireflies and minnows, and spent lazy afternoons napping in our hammock.
It hasn’t been easy keeping three kids at home the last couple of months through COVID, so this year we have tried to find wonder in our own home. So far this summer we have released 41 monarch butterflies. The tiny little lantern habitat we used before wasn’t cutting it this year because we’ve found so many eggs on the back of the milkweed leaves, so we had to invest in a bigger habitat. It’s a little time-consuming hunting for eggs and caring for hungry little caterpillars, but it gives my family so much joy to release these beautiful butterflies out into the world. (If you missed my butterfly post a couple of weeks back be sure to read it. https://www.annasflowers.ca/building-a-butterfly-habitat/ There is also a post on how to care for the milkweed plants we sell at Anna’s Flowers.) Every week we have been collecting butterfly eggs and it has been a great education for my three girls.
“Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.” -Dr. Seus
We have also spent many nights this summer camping in our own backyard. We have been trying to make our own backyard a paradise since our homes are still the best place to be. We have been using the No Bite me bug cream from Anna’s all summer and it has provided great relief from mosquitoes as we spend the nights outdoors catching fireflies. Have you tried it?! You’ll enjoy the smell and the great outdoors like never before!
Also if you haven’t smelled the Down to Earth fire starter wax melts, you are missing out! The maple bacon smells absolutely amazing and is my personal favourite for bonfires on starlit nights.
You really don’t need a big plan to connect with nature and enjoy days filled with sunshine – go for a walk or a bike ride; work in your garden and enjoy this beautiful warm sunny month!
I’m sure you’ve noticed a few of my chickens in previous posts! Our two younger hens keep wanting to hatch their eggs. We have purchased some fertilized eggs from a chicken farm for them to hatch and we are so excited because we have 12 baby chicks due this Sunday.🤞
Your own backyard is the new happening place to be in Essex County this season! You can make wonder anywhere you imagine it – life needs more starlit nights and bonfires.
This summer I’m letting my girls get dirty! With twigs in their hair and dirt between their toes, our children are finding new joy and freedom at home!
What are your plans for this summer?
