lake lopez, easter weekend

The entire weekend.

 So. Much. Fun.

exploring

scootering

cup o noodles (when we arrived too late the first night!)



campfires



anti-smoke goggles



 


proof that I was there

easter egg hunts



success!



We can't wait to do it again.

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the DIY balance :: imagination is better than toys

image via flickr

The weather this weekend was insanely beautiful and perfect. Too perfect to not spend some time at the beach... But I was a bad blogger mother and forgot to bring a camera.

We had just enough family time and beach time before we headed to 'the blue house', as the slo house is commonly referred to by the kids. John had to do some prep work to get ready for the new gas fireplace. I had to apply another coat of polyurethane to the french doors.

Now, I have to tell you that I often feel guilty when we *force* the kids to spend time at 'the blue house.' I know that it can be boring there, since there are no toys, no TV, no Wii, no nothing. The kids always bring scooters, and I encourage them to bring a few toys, but really...it's not an ideal situation.

What surprises me --and impresses me-- is the amount of creativity that 7 and 4 have when we're over there.

This is them playing 'Native Americans.' (Their words, not mine.) They were pretending to build a fire, and then they were cooking things on the fire.

I guess I need to remember that it's *okay* to put kids in a situation where they have nothing but their imaginations. They will rise to the challenge.

We were at 'the blue house' for about 3 hours, and do you know that the kids never, ever complained or commented that they wanted to leave? They kept themselves completely entertained with nothing but a couple of scooters and loads of imagination.

Maintaining the DIY balance is tough. It's tough, but it's doable.

This post has been shared with the Wednesday Good Life Linky Party at A Beach Cottage. It's full of inspiration, so head on over!

the DIY balance :: riding without training wheels

I began writing posts on finding the DIY balance because I felt like we were spending too much time on the renovations and not enough time doing family-things. ha! Now, between renovation projects and Little League, it has become a weekend challenge to squish in a little time for other things.

This weekend, the little one and I spent some time on the hard sand, learning to ride a bike without training wheels. Two 15-minute sessions, and she almost has it. I can't wait, because frankly, I'm pooped. Running back and forth across the sand, while stooping over, providing gentle support... yeah, I'm pooped. But we're almost there. I couldn't be more proud of her.

On another note, although I mentioned that we are now proud owners of an Airstream trailer, I have yet to post photos of the beauty. Why? Because I haven't been able to get good photos of her.

The previous owners cleared most of their belongings out, but they left a few things behind: spices, a few plates, glasses,... They also left behind pillows and bedding. Thanks, but no thanks. I'll keep the salt & pepper, but the bedding is gone.

I hope to get some good shots of the Airstream when we take it camping for the first time, Easter weekend. For now, the above image will have to do.

By the way, I would welcome any and all tips you have for trailer-camping! Please share...

This post has been shared with The Good Life Wednesday linky party at A Beach Cottage.

the DIY balance :: home depot kids club

By far, the highlight of the weekend was the Home Depot Kid's Club. For those of you with kids, you have got to look into this. Especially if you want your kids to grow up with that DIY spirit.




what is up with that girl's smile?!


On the first Saturday of every month, Home Depot offers a FREE woodworking class for children. The kids are given their own orange Home Depot aprons, and they earn a badge each time they complete a project.

This month's project was a planter box.

John couldn't make it, so I took the kids to build their projects. On the ride over to Home Depot, 7 mentioned that he really wanted to build these projects with Daddy. So as much as I want to be a part of these workshops, I think it's a great opportunity for John and the kids. I will tear myself away, and find something to do with an hour of free time.  Ha!

For more information on the Home Depot Kids Workshops, click here. I believe it is available at every Home Depot location, but I'm not 100% positive.


I am linking this post to the Good Life Wednesdays Linky Party at A Beach Cottage. Be sure to check out the goodness over there!

the DIY balance :: little league, crafts & walks on the beach

We had a fairly quiet weekend, and it was just what the doctor ordered. The only thing *scheduled* was a Little League baseball game -- the first of the season.

Saturday's weather was cold and rainy, so we stayed indoors.

perler beads

 

my project

On Sunday, the skies were blue and the sun was shining. We took advantage and took a nice walk to the beach. We have had so much rain lately, it was interesting to see how much the beach landscape had changed.

**We did manage to squeeze in a brief visit to Lumber Liquidators, because we need to decide on our flooring fairly soon.**

What did you do for fun this weekend?

This post has been shared with the Good Life blog party at A Beach Cottage. It's one of my newest reads, and it's quickly turning into one of my favorite blogs around. Go check it out!

not for a lack of trying

Last Saturday, I wrote about my 'dilemna' with finding the DIY balance. In the post, I committed to doing a weekly (Saturday) post on our progess in finding that balance.

Well.

First weekend in... and a total bust.

But it was not for a lack of trying.

The weather has been cold and wet. And cold.
The wii has been a big part of this weekend.

But I'm not feeling too bad, because we're taking the kids to Disneyland for a couple of days. Yay!

I'll be back with regular posting on Wednesday.

finding the DIY balance

When we first moved to the central coast {8 months ago} we found ourselves in an unusual situation: There wasn't a DIY project in sight.

You see, we barely knew a soul, it was mid-summer (hence, no school-related activities), and we had moved into a rental house. After spending the last 12+ years working on our house, John and I were now in a situation where there was nothing to be 'done'.

***Sidenote: One of the reasons we moved away from the Bay Area, was because we wanted to "slow down" and enjoy life.

When the weather was good, we 'survived' the DIY famine. It was rough, but we dragged ourselves to the beach and toughed it out. (wink, wink) However, when the weather was cold and foggy, we were like lost children. We didn't know what to do with ourselves.


I think that certain personality types are happiest when they are working on a project, and both John and I easily fit into this category.



Fast forward to now. DIY-wise, we're back to our old tricks, and we have a house full of projects. But with these good habits, come bad habits. Our priorities seem to have reverted back to house projects, as opposed to family-oriented activities.

I'm of the belief that 'house projects' and 'quality of lifestyle' can coexist. But. If you're prone to favoring one over the other (as we are with house renovations), you need to put extra effort into the other one. Make sense?

In an effort to keep myself accountable to "slow down and enjoy life", I'm going to try to add a weekend post that focuses on what we did as a family. Admittedly, these posts are more for me, than for anyone else.

Ready for the first go at it? Here goes...


father and son


The highlight of the weekend was our walk on the Bob Jones Trail. We walked to Woodstone and had breakfast. Someone earned herself a cinnamon roll.





What did you do for fun this weekend?