Summer is upon us and we are slowly falling in step with the sweet rhythms of this new season. Our summer days are kept pretty open, leaving space to soak in as much pool time as possible before my oldest starts Kindergarten this fall. However I've learned that even without set activities on our calendar, our family thrives with a predictable structure for our days. It helps set expectations and purpose for how we spend our time and how our family "team" works together. When I give even just a few minutes each morning to establish a plan, the day goes smoother for everyone. With that in mind, here are some of the rhythms our family is looking forward to this month:
A BOOK TO READ
We wrapped up Price Caspian this last week and I'll be honest...we kinda lost attention there at the end. We LOVED The Magician's Nephew and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - the stories were especially captivating to my son (almost 6) - but I think we will table this series and come back to it later.
This month we are planning to read Charlotte's Web and then watch the movie once we finish the book. I really value when we can find audiobooks so we can bop back and forth between mama reading and all of us listening together. There is a version of Charlotte's Web for the Yoto player (which both my kids have and LOVE) so I'm excited to add that to our collection this month. One of our favorite ways to spend the morning is to pack up some art supplies and spend some time outside painting and listening to a book together. It's pure summertime magic.
MUSIC FOR THE MOMENT
We spend a lot of time at the lake in the summers and I am always on the hunt for the perfect dock playlist. And let me tell you, I think I found it. While I didn't curate this playlist myself, it gives that perfect classic rock lake day vibe. Check it out here. Get yourself a dock bevie and crank up the tunes.
FOOD TO SAVOR
We eat close to zero seafood and I am determined to figure out how to make fish this summer. I'm going to start with grilled salmon because that feels like the right thing to do. While I am terrible at following recipes, I am going to use something like this as my general guideline.
TO TEND THE HOME
One goal I have for June is to go through my summer clothes and purge things that are too small, too worn, and do not spark joy. I really struggle to pull together outfits, mainly because I don't purchase clothes with a whole lot of vision. So this month, I am creating a Pinterest board with summer outfit inspiration and then evaluating the gaps and inconsistencies in my summer wardrobe. Wish me luck!
MEMORIES TO MAKE
This month we've got a 6th birthday to celebrate, a first dance recital and Father's Day. Our kiddos are also begging for a backyard camping night...so we might try to make that happen as well.
I am also really looking forward to the Art Show I am participating in at Golden and Pine this Friday night. It is taking place the same time as the Prairie Village Art Fair and includes a really talented group of local creatives. If you are in KC, come say hi - I will have a large assortment of my work with me and I'd love to share it with you!
Cheers to the memories made and the love shared within the walls of your home -
Katie