summer

Rapberry Picking in Mora, New Mexico

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We went Raspberry picking last weekend and we were surprised how much fun we had. Take a look.

Upon arriving you get a small bucket to collect the raspberries. You fill those and at the end they get weighed and you pay by the pound. We paid $6 per pound. Everybody gets a row assigned to pick their berries. We were shown how to properly pick the raspberries off the stems. Tasting is allowed; we tasted A LOT. picmonkey-collage-2

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After we were done picking we went to the store to pay for our 4 lb we had collected. There was a small shop that served raspberry sundaes. So good!!picmonkey-collageimg_3470img_5348IMG_3478.jpgIMG_3343.jpg

I recommend bringing bug spray and sunscreen.Which we forgot and paid for the next day.

Be sure to check Salman Raspberry Ranch’s website before you go, fields and stores are not always open. They update daily.

Have a lovely day,

Sofija

 

Rapberry Picking in Mora, New Mexico

Good-bye Summer!

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“Aah, summer-that long anticipated stretch of lazy, lingering days, free of responsibility and rife with possibility. It’s a time to hunt for insects, master handstands, practice swimming strokes, conquer trees, explore nooks and crannies, and make new friends.”
Darell Hammond

Well friends, summer is over, at least for us. School starts tomorrow for my two oldest. Need to get myself in high gear preparing the next school year for my three middle kids. I know, I am über prepared as usual…But I feel ready to leave this beautiful summer behind and start a new routine. At least right now, ask me in a week or two, or the week my husband will be on travel. By then I will probably be ready for my middle schooler to walk herself to school, barefoot and backwards, like we used to do, right?!
How about you, is your summer still in full swing, or almost over, or even worse “what summer are you talking about!”? Interesting tidbit of information: my German nephews are just now starting their 6 week summer vacation! Say, what?
Have a lovely day,
Sofija

P.S. I found the quote above in a random place on the internet. I used it because it described so well how our summer went. I sure hope Mr. Hammond is a nice person, worthy of being quoted…

Good-bye Summer!

Our Week in Pictures

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Friends,

it’s been a fun week. We visited with some old and newer friends, went to the pool, and did a lot of nothing. Next week I need to get serious about preparing for the new school year. Boy, this summer went by so fast. But I’m exited about the new school year. We are trying something new this year with our soon to be high-schooler and middle-schooler: K12, an online school. Ever heard of it? Good or bad? For my 3rd grader and 1st grader I will remain the teacher. Not sure if the online school will help me out or drive my independent self crazy.

What are your plans for the weekend? Any fun trips planned?

See you here next week,

Sofija

Our Week in Pictures

Frankfurt Gardens

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Hi there,

most people in Frankfurt live in small apartments.  A lot of people have potted plants on their balcony but if they really want a place of their own to relax they rent a nearby plot from a garden association. These are tiny gardens, much like a typical back yard, but it was fun to see how everyone did their garden differently. It shows how people express themselves in their space.

Here are some pictures I took while walking around Sachsenhausen, the part of Frankfurt where I grew up.

The gnome is holding a flag of the local soccer team.

While most of the gardens I saw where wild and overgrown, my sister’s garden was nicely manicured.

My son and nephew playing in my sister’s garden.

Every garden has a little house where people have little kitchens and even a bed for staying overnight.

I really enjoyed these lush, green gardens, especially because we live in the desert and our yard consists mostly of rocks and shrubs.

Have a lovely weekend,

Sofija

Frankfurt Gardens

Family Pictures

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Hello,

while it is still summer and you are off on adventures it is not too soon to think about family photos for your Christmas cards. This is a good time to get your picture taken because everyone looks sun tanned and relaxed. Above are some ideas I found  for different settings. Very few of us can actually make it to the beach. Reality is, most of us are likely to stay in the city or in our back yards. But as you see, even there you can get fun shots.

Here are some pointers to make a picture look fun and well put together:

  • Pick 2-4 colors for your clothing and stick with those. Patterns are trickier to match, but it can be done (third picture).
  • Pick a fun prop.
  • Not everyone has to look at the camera. It looks more natural if one person is the center of attention.
  • Movement is fun.
  • You can add interest by limiting how much of a person you can see (top picture).

How about you, what are your pointers for family pictures? Do you like planning or do you do it on the fly?

Sofija

Picture sources top to bottom:

preppystateofmind.tumblr.com

bglhonline.com

loveliesinmylife.com

digital-photography-school.com

Family Pictures

What to do with Vacation Mementos

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As I mentioned yesterday I am in serious vacation mode. I’m a sucker for foreign train ticket stubs, park entrance tickets, etc. Really anything they hand to me, I have a hard time letting go of. Maybe some of you are like that, too. In that case  the ideas above might be useful to you. I used to be an avid scrapbook-er, so the first  ones appeal to me. However over time, as I got more and more behind, I switched to going all digital . Now, if I want to remember special visits with my kids and their cousins I use Shutterfly to lay out my book, and get it printed. The last one is a book I made for my nephew after he visited us 5 years ago.

Who knows, when I come back from Germany with a gazillion train tickets I might ask my crafty 11 year old to make me cute book like the one pictured on the very top.

How about you, what do you with your vacation memories? Do you fill a jar with sand to remember a certain beach? Or do you fill shadow boxes with European pub coasters? I’d love to hear.

What to do with Vacation Mementos

Pool Party Fun?

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Last week we went to a pool party, and it was actually fun.

Let me explain. For several years now during any given summer we have at least 2-4 non swimmers. A few years ago we went to a  4th of July pool party. The minute we arrived our then 2 year old Shane walked straight into the water and landed on the bottom of the pool. Thank God my husband was there to jump in. Some other time my then 3 year old Esther went briefly under in a hot tub. Needles to say I associated going to friend’s pools with near death experiences. However I didn’t give up. We kept going swimming. If my husband wasn’t available, I was often blessed with friend’s to help me. Now I have my two oldest helping (age 14 and 11).

This year we have 3 swimmers and 3 non swimmers. This is how we do it. My 6 year old Ella is really close to being able to swim. For her I use a noodle. Yes, a noodle. I tie the noodle around her waist. I would only recommend this for a child that is older, because the noodle can become loose. With our 4 year old, who is not close to swimming,  we use every floating device imaginable. She could probably float across an ocean. We put her in a floating swimsuit and put rings on her arms. We don’t ever have to worry about her. I don’t have to worry about my toddler this year either, since she has no interest in going into the water. Therefore we only have to keep an eye on our 8 year old Shane, who just learned how to swim, and our 6 year old  with the noodle. That makes it more manageable.

There are a lot of ways to do it, but two things are important: go often and have fun. That way they become comfortable being in the water. As they play and splash around they get used to putting their faces in the water, and sooner or later they will swim. And when that happens, go celebrate with some ice cream!!

Pool Party Fun?