Visiting the Butterflies

It was around this time last year that we watched a butterfly emerge from her chrysalis. It was a magical moment which left quite the impression on my little man. This summer his love for all things butterfly and moth continues which lead Justin and I to plan a little day trip to the Niagara Parks Butterfly Conservatory.

We packed up a picnic lunch and hit the road by 8am on Tuesday morning. Our first stop was Niagara Falls. A little walk along the falls, feeling the mist on our faces and enjoying a few stops to take in the view was the perfect way to start our little day trip. We then took a little walk through some of the lovely green spaces along the falls and came across a pond. Reece spent a good deal of time trying to catch some frogs and we just sat back with fingers crossed that he wouldn't end up in the pond. 

We found a shady spot under an old tree and enjoyed a picnic before driving to the butterfly conservatory. The excitement from a certain little man in the back seat was hard to contain.  I think the moment he stepped into the conservatory all his dreams came true, well at least the dreams he has about butterflies.

The experience of the conservatory was amazing for all of us, but for Reece it was so much more. He was in his element watching them, looking at them, holding them and just taking it all in. We walked past the exit at least three times, opting to take yet another walk around the conservatory. 

When he had finally had enough we followed the path to the exit and said good bye to all the butterflies. Reece was beaming, full of so much joy over spending time in the conservatory and getting up close and personal with some many butterflies.

We then took a little walk through the botanical gardens before driving on to Niagara-on-the-Lake where we strolled the charming streets and enjoyed dinner before the long drive home.

A wonderful day all around and one I am sure we will be hearing about a lot.

A Little Day Trip

We took a little day trip yesterday, Niagara Falls and back. There was a little stop at the falls, a picnic, a lovely visit at the Butterfly Conservatory and a stroll and dinner at Niagara-on-the-Lake. It was a long day, but was filled with lots of smiles, laughter and joy.

I will be back tomorrow to share more about our day and photos...oh my, so many photos to go through.

Solar Printing

A little something caught my eye at a local bookstore last week, a Solar Printing Kit. While Reece was busy looking at some puppets, I picked it up and purchased it, hoping the perfect afternoon would present itself for some solar printing.

Sunday was it. The sun was shining, I had spent the morning on the trails with my nature journal and camera and Justin and Reece had been playing at home. After lunch I brought out the kit and the three of us tried it out.

We started by collecting some things from the garden to make our prints. We carefully removed the solar paper from its dark packaging and gently placed everything within the frame. Outside to the sun we went. It only took about three minutes for the dark blue paper to turn white, signaling the print was complete.

We came inside and proceeded with the next step, soaking the print in a little bit of water for one minute and then laying it on a towel to dry.

Ninety minutes later we had the most beautiful prints created with a few nature treasures from the garden, some solar paper and the sun. Amazing!

Lucky for us there are ten more sheets of solar paper...so many prints to be made.

A Message

Do you hear it?

The message gently calling

to you through the breeze.

Are you paying attention?

It has something

to share.

Are  you listening?

It's a whisper,

or maybe

a feeling,

but it has

a message.

Slow down.

Breathe.

Enjoy this moment.

In the blink of an eye,

it will be gone.

Embrace it.

It is yours.

And it will never come again.

{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.

Make and Listen

Making:

~ Justin and I have been working together to create a new toy for Schoolhouse Toys...a little gnome cottage and four little gnomes

~ first Christmas present done...fingerless mitts for my youngest niece, now three more pairs to knit for my nephew and two other nieces

~ food, and lots of it, has been canned over the last week, the pantry shelves are filling up and I couldn't be happier

Listening:

~ right now the air is filled with the sounds of country music, there is a big concert in our area this weekend and we will be enjoying the sounds of live artists all weekend long from the comfort of our backyard

What are you making and listening to?

Joining Dawn

August Sponsors

A lovely welcome to Mothering with Mindfulness August 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.