Crafting for Our Feathered Friends

Backyard birding has been an obsession around here. Not a day goes by that we don't stop to watch the flurry of activity in our yard. We have witnessed chipping sparrows leaving their nest, watched a mama and papa house wren feeding their babies, observed the eastern phoebe fly back and forth from the nest and now another set of house wrens are building a nest in the eaves of the house. It is thrilling to watch and has us reaching for the binoculars regularly throughout the day.

With so much activity in the backyard another feeder is always welcome. Reece and I sat down last week to build this fun and easy feeder. It was a great way to pass some time on a hot and humid afternoon and it looks wonderful hanging in our yard. And yes, the birds do love it!

{This Moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see. Inspired by Soulemama.

Around the Garden

Oh there is just so much happening in the garden these days! Every morning brings something new...a zucchini flower one day, a cucumber flower the next day, snow pea flowers just starting to make a showing and so it goes. Raspberries are ripening, bowls of strawberries are eaten daily, baskets of greens are being brought into the house for smoothies, juices and salads and herbs are being added to our meals for a little extra zing. So much goodness and we are enjoying every little bit of it.

How are things around your garden this week?

Exploring a New Trail

Nature is a part of every single day in our home. You might find us in the garden, playing in the yard, walking in the forest across the road or packing up for a longer hike and picnic. On Monday we packed up some snacks and hit a new to us trail not far from where we live. As we drove along the road to the trail, the road ended and turned into a dirt trail. The trail looked like it was for ATVs more than cars, but we took a chance and followed it, very, very slowly.

Low and behold it took us to the trail head, and we were not the least bit surprised to be the only ones there. Something tells me this trail doesn't get used very often. We grabbed the pack, the bug spray, the butterfly nets and habitat and the binoculars and away we went.

The trail was well maintained and had some amazing views. It was a mix of forest and meadow, which made a certain little man happy. He managed to catch a few butterflies and a toad making this hiking trail one we must return to soon.

If you are like us and spend a lot of time outside, bugs, particularly the ones that bite, can make you run back inside as fast as you can. Last week I mentioned I had been making some bug spray and many of you expressed interest in the recipe. We have used this spray for three years now with great success. On Monday we arrived home completely bite free. It is safe, easy to use and smells good.

Natural Bug Spray
7oz witch hazel (alcohol free)
1 tsp rose geranium essential oil
1 tsp lemongrass essential oil
1 tsp lemon eucalyptus essential oil
1 tsp citronella essential oil

Mix well and pour into a spray bottle. We find it needs to be applied regularly to keep the bugs away, about every 60 to 90 minutes.

Hope this makes your time outside a little more enjoyable.

A Few Fun Days

Last week Reece and I packed up the car with camping gear, food and games and headed four hours away to The Upper Canada Bird Sanctuary for a few days of camping. It was our first time visiting this lovely spot and we had a wonderful time.

Rain joined us for most of the drive, but I asked the universe very nicely to stop raining as we arrived to we could set up camp. The universe listened and we got the tent and sleeping bags set up before the thunder storm started. We waited it out, had dinner and then hit the trails for a a little hike.

The trails were amazing. Tracks everywhere, thanks to the wet ground and animal sightings galore. We spotted a rabbit, a raccoon, a deer, two blue herons and a beaver dam. Later we also spotted a mama dear and her fawn. We heard many bird calls unfamiliar to us and the bog provided a chorus of bull frogs that we just couldn't get enough of. There was lots to talk about back at the tent as we cuddled up to fall asleep with the sounds of nature serenading us.

One of the reasons we traveled this way was to meet up with Jennifer and her two little men. Jennifer and I started following each others blogs quite some time ago, and have become fast friends. Last summer when she did a post about her visit to Upper Canada Village we both thought how lovely it would be to meet there for a little in person visit. And so we did. We had a great day touring around Upper Canada Village, imagining life in an 1860's community and watching our boys get to know each other and eventually play. I will admit that my favourite spot was the wool mill...I mean I could have spent all day there. I included a few pictures for all my wool loving friends out there.

Meeting up with Jennifer was just as I had imagined, it felt like we had been friends for a long time. I enjoyed my day getting to know her a little better and sharing some of our lives with each other. I do hope we will find time to do it again soon.

After saying good bye, Reece and I headed back to the campsite and enjoyed a quiet evening. We headed home the next day, but not before making a little stop just outside of Ottawa to catch up with another blog friend. I could have spent the entire afternoon chatting with Carrie, so much to say and so little time. It was lovely to meet her in person and to meet her new little man, who slept during our entire visit. Carrie and I have already talked about meeting up again, fingers are crossed it works out.

So, a fun few days filled with nature connection, meeting blog friends in real life and spending time with my little man. I came home feeling full and so very happy.

Our Weekend

This weekend has been:

~ slow mornings by the fire, with a cup of tea and knitting in hand, while everyone else slept in

~ a family trip to the market, then lunch by the water at the Silver Bean Cafe

~ an afternoon in the garden weeding while the little man ran around chasing butterflies

~ dinner on the back deck while watching one of the baby wrens leave the nest

~ a quiet evening

~ Sunday found us catching up with my parents and hearing all about their wonderful trip to Vancouver and Victoria

~ some afternoon fun at the lake

~ another dinner on the back deck, then a bonfire complete with s'mores and a few sparklers

It was a fun, family weekend filled with laughter, love and living in the moment...it was perfection. And we still have one more day!

Today we celebrate our great country. It is a beautiful place to live and I am so happy to call this country home.

Happy Canada Day to all my fellow Canadians!!!

July Sponsors

A lovely welcome to Mothering with Mindfulness July sponsors.
 I am so happy to be sharing this space with them.

Wean Green

~ modern glass storage for the entire family ~

Little Woodlanders

~ handmade wooden toys ~

Armadillo Dreams

~ high quality handmade wooden toys ~

Mindful Mothering Mondays
~ sharing our mothering journeys ~

Olive and Owl

~ an urban homesteading, baby wearing, make it from scratch,

kind of hippie, a whole lot of green kind of blog ~

I am grateful for their support.

Please take some time over the next few days to visit their sites

and find out just how wonderful they are.

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If you are interested in sponsorship with Mothering with Mindfulness 

please contact me for more information.