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How To Have The Best Summer Ever

Summer is my absolute favourite season of all. If I could turn all four seasons into one, I would. Well, I'd leave a month for fall, because I love the colours of the trees, the crispness in the air, and the fall clothes, and I'd take two weeks of winter in December, for the holidays, but after that?

Bring. On. Summer.

You're probably wondering what a summer girl like me is doing living in a city that has like, seven months of winter (okay, slight exaggeration, but you get my point) and minus 30 degrees temperatures for months on end and I guess the reason I haven't left yet is because my entire family lives here. I would hate to be far apart from them.

Anyway! School's out, backpacks have been unpacked, lunch boxes have been disinfected, and we're thinking of fun and creative ways to give the kids a summer they'll remember forever.

Here's how we're making this the best summer ever:

Sleeping In: I know, this is pretty impossible with most children, but hopefully, as the days go by, my children will start sleeping in, even if it's only a few minutes more a day. Once they get used to not having to wake up super early, they'll start enjoying sleeping in, hopefully. (Sleeping in in my house, by the way? 7:00 a.m. Oh, the joys!)

Relaxing: We're now on our own summer schedule. We're relaxing, having fun at home, playing in the backyard, organizing our rooms, and just slowing it down a little.

Getting Creative: Just because my children are out of school doesn't mean we won't be sitting around the kitchen table doing some kind of work. Even if it's not homework, I try to keep my kids busy with fun, creative, and educational activities so they're ready for school once September rolls around.

Kiwi Crate was nice enough to send my boys two Wild Safari crates and as soon as they received them, they got right to work! This awesome kit kept my children busy for over an hour. Kiwi Crate is a monthly subscription service, targeted at kids between three and seven years old. A different box is delivered monthly, designed around a certain theme like Dinosaurs, Garden, Superheroes, or Space. Kiwi Crate is for perfect for kids who love the arts and science, and imaginative play.

Kiwi Crate has a summer discovery series with fun outdoor themes like "nature explorers", "world of water", and "fun with flight", sure to keep little ones busy for hours on end!





Get Out There: I love slowing things down in the summertime, but I'm not one to stay home all day long. My boys start getting stir crazy, too, so we try to go somewhere every day: a trip to the library, visits to the park to play tennis, or downtown to take in the sights. We also love going for walks in our neighbourhood.

Visiting Museums: We've been members at all the museums in Ottawa for six years now, and we take full advantage of this! We're so lucky to live in a city that has so many great museums. My children especially love the Museum of Nature, which is so special to me because it was always my favourite museum as a child, too.

Road Trip: We love to include a road trip in our summer plans every year. From Niagara Falls, to Great Wolf Lodge and Maine, my boys love road trips in the summertime. We have special traditions, and spending time together in the vehicle is a great way to re-connect, too. We just got back from a wonderful vacation to Toronto, where we treated to a lovely two-floor suite at the Marriott Bloor Yorkville. We even had close friends over for dinner, and the kids had a blast. We took the boys to Legoland, too. Totally worth it, if your children love Lego, but it is a bit pricey to get in.



Family Vacation: I love getting away in the summer. Whether you're going to the family cottage, to Europe, or down south to enjoy the beautiful beaches, summer is really all about vacations. We're heading to our favourite destination this week—south Florida, where the ocean is warm and inviting. I can't wait!

Playdates and BBQ's: Who doesn't love a great backyard BBQ party with friends in the summertime? It's one of my favourite things to do! A cold drink, good friends, and a dip in the pool with some great music playing in the background and I'm in heaven.

Enjoying The Small Things: I am one of those moms who actually loves going to the park. I still love pushing my boys on the swings, and I still get down and dirty in the sand. Going to the park, taking a walk around the block, cheering on my boys at the soccer field, swimming from morning till night, and saying yes to ice cream whenever my boys ask for it (within reason!) are ways we're enjoying the small things this summer.


How are you planning on having the best summer ever? Whatever you do, I hope you're having fun. Summer is way too short to not make the most out of it!

Oh, and of course, Sangria is my summer drink of choice.

Cheers!

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