Tag Archives: summer

Summer Tip–Stick to a Schedule (within Reason)

For a busy single parent, summer time can be chaotic. With the kids out of school and vacations and events, there is often much more to do than we can reasonably manage. Although summer time may be known for its freewheeling reputation, for a single parent, having a schedule and sticking to a plan for the days of the summer can be the best approach. Of course, we need flexibility—and we need down time and unscheduled leisure too, but as a single parent, we also need enough structure to make sure that the kids are cared for and entertained, work … Continue reading →

Tips for Scrapbooking Summer Camp Experiences

It seems only fitting with my two teen children off at summer camp for a week long sleepover adventure, that I would take on this topic. There will probably be more to say when they return home as well as layouts to share, and then the younger kids go next month so I am sure they will do things differently. Summer camp is often a great memory of your childhood so it should definitely be scrapbooked. Here are some ideas for doing so. Send a camera with them. It doesn’t have to be a fancy expensive camera, a disposable is … Continue reading →

Easy Porch Updates

A porch is just a must have for the summer. The porch can be a quiet place to escape and listen to the sounds of summer, a cool place to relax when the temperature indoor is soaring, and a place of conversation as the neighbors stop by to chat or while you entertain. The porch can even be romantic when you enjoy a candlelit dinner for two. Today, my husband is cleaning out the back porch from the dust and clutter it accumulated over the winter. A good power washing will do wonders, as will rubbing the outdoor furniture with … Continue reading →

Dry Drowning and Water Safety

Summer is a fun time for babies and their parents, but there are lots of dangers, too. You may have heard the tragic story of a young boy who drowned hours after he left his first experience at a pool. The story was featured today on NBC’s Today show. Although this boy was 10, the danger of dry drowning most often occurs in younger children, very often in the bathtub. What is it and how can you protect your little ones? I have to admit that when I heard about dry drowning, I had a fear response. Here is another … Continue reading →

When Do You Turn on Your Air Conditioning?

As I sit here battling a nasty respiratory infection, I am strangely thinking about air conditioning. Tomorrow, the weather person promises, will be 84 degrees and very humid. This is a little strange, since it was only a few weeks ago when the temperature outside was 40 degrees and the heat was turned on. My husband is busy taking care of the kids and dinner, and wondering when he should install our window units, which windows to install them in and where to start first. We may put in central air some day, which should make the whole process a … Continue reading →

American Flag Etiquette

Now is a great time to get those flags displayed for your home if you don’t already have one. But, do you know all of the rules, regulations and general etiquette when it comes to flying or displaying a flag? There are many, but here is what you really should know, according to the U.S. history website. On Memorial Day, flags should be flown at half mast until noon. In the morning, the flag should be raised all of the way to the top and then slowly lowered to half mast. Technically, this may be difficult if your flag is … Continue reading →

Is There Any Way to Delay the Coming of Summer?

Summer time and single parenting can be challenging (to say the very least)! With school out, we single parents have to coordinate child care, summer camps, visits with family and other parents and all sorts of other summer-only details. It is no surprise that we might be clinging to May and hoping against hope to delay the advent of summer just a little while. As my children have gotten older, summer has become less of a stressful three-month period than it used to be. I hope this will provide a little encouragement to those of you who are still wrestling … Continue reading →

Hot Days (and Hot Dogs) Ahead

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The temperature yesterday was in the 70s in the Portland, Oregon area. By tomorrow, forecasts are calling for temperatures in the 90s! It looks to me like summer is coming… and coming fast. Dealing with the heat is somewhat easier for people than for pets. After all, we have thumbs for turning on the air conditioning… or the option of escaping to a cool, dark movie theater when the sun is too much. Some dogs do love the sun and heat, though. My brother’s American Staffordshire Terrier Lily Biscuits just loves sunshine. She’ll sprawl out on the warm concrete sidewalk … Continue reading →

Dahlias

Dahlias have a special place in my heart as a flower because of the association I have with them when I was first dating my husband. He proudly showed me to the back of his property, a tiny yard that was literally a two-foot wide strip of dirt on the opposite end of the driveway the home shared with two other homes. Growing in that little spot of dirt was a single Dahlia. Even without my association, you can see that there is something nostalgic and romantic about Dahlias. They are colorful; they are flamboyant; they are heirlooms. From the … Continue reading →

Options for Summer Fun

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My children have ten days left of school. Sometimes by this time of year, I am tired of the routine of mornings, homework, and packing lunches and am ready for school to be over. This year isn’t one of those years. Summer has really snuck up on me. I’ve got to get some stuff planned for the boys. They are all much too old to be interested in the sand box and bubbles. I do want them to have a lot of down time this summer, unscheduled fun – those days where they can just play and be creative. But … Continue reading →