Fun outdoor pillows

It's that time again... the time to be thinking of the outdoors. As I mentioned in my last post, I'm going to finally make a cushion for the couch on my porch and began my search for pillows to go with it. I found some pretty ones on Etsy of course. Outdoor fabric has come a long way and now you can find all sorts of fabric designs for outdoor cushions and pillows. Oh now what to choose? Secretly my favourite are the Tropical outdoor pillows from Anita's Casa.  I love that pink cording! I'm eyeing the Tonga Weave in Grass or the Eaton, Deep Charcoal from Tonic Living for the main cushion. I'll have to see what works.

1 || Navy and Turquoise Outdoor Pillow from Cathy's Custom Pillows
2 || Gray Outdoor Pillow from Cathy's Custom Pillows
3 || Evil Eye Outdoor Cushion from GorgeousGD
4 || Blue Outdoor Pillow from The Pillow Toss
5 || Orange Lumbar Pillow Cover by Anita's Casa
6 || Tropical Outdoor Pillow from Anita's Casa
7 || Banana Leaf Pillow from Tonic Living

Camping with kids + things I learned

This summer is shaping up to be a great one. Typically I get really lazy during the summer months. My house is a mess because I never want to be inside to clean it, I get a lot of reading done and we try to make the most of spending time together. We're getting the exterior of our house redone right now however so being in the backyard isn't the best at the moment (I can't wait for it to be done!) so we're trying to find outdoor fun elsewhere.

Recently we spent four days on our first camping trip with the kids. We went to Valens Conservation Area which is part of the Hamilton Conservation Authority. Since it was our first time with the kids I didn't want to go far and I was only thinking we should go one day but Mark talked me into four days which was a good decision.

In short: the kids loved it. It was fun for them to be outside all the time and neat to see them experience something new. We opted to rent a camper trailer which was the right decision for us. We were all able to sleep comfortably, while still getting the outdoor camping experience. Valens has a great beach for families so we were there most of the time and we were close enough to Mark's family and friends in Hamilton that a few of them came to visit for a day at the beach.

Here's what I learned from this trip:

Make a good list. We downloaded a list of things to bring camping and made sure to go through it one item by one to make sure we covered all of our bases. I did forget a few things though so make sure to cross reference the list with other things you want to bring. For example, I wanted to make pizzas, but forgot a rolling pin!

Prep as much food as possible at home. As I mentioned above, I wanted pizza for dinner one night so I made the dough at home before hand to bring with us. I also pre-made things like tempeh-bacon (it's so good I promise!!!) and cut up all my veggies making it easy to add them to salads and the pizza. Preparing things beforehand will help ease headaches if you don't have the right equipment at your hands on the campsite.

Don't pack too many clothes. If there's anything I've yet to actually learn it's not to pack so many clothes! I didn't know what the weather would be like so I packed tshirts, long sleeves, long pants etc for every day and the reality is that the kids (and you!) will wear less than a quarter of it. Leo wanted to wear the same shorts most days (The shorts with the holes! They're faster Mom!) and as my friend pointed out, if it gets dirty just keep wearing it because everything camping is dirty! Plus it's less laundry to do when you get home.

Bring the linens you're used to. We knew we'd be sleeping in a bed so to keep things simple I just packed up each of our bed linens (including duvets and comforters) to bring with us. Even though it added to our bulk of things to bring we were all so comfortable sleeping because we were using blankets, sheets and pillows we were all used to.

Bring toys for the kids but don't go overboard. A while back we got one of those lay and go bags so we just piled a bunch of stuff in the bag to bring and that was it. The bag came in super handy when we went to the beach because we threw all the towels in the bag making it easier to get to the beach. Kids can make their own fun otherwise and what a great place to make fun than in nature?

Stock up on music. We are a music-loving family and we always have it on in the house so we wanted it with us camping too. The problem is that there's no wifi out in the wilderness (for good reason) so things like Songza aren't available. Make sure you have as much music as possible actually on your phones (if you're bringing them) and bring a long a wireless speaker so you can listen to music during the whole trip.

The one thing I didn't love about camping is the food storage options. The fridge in our camper wasn't working so we stored everything in our coolers which is fine except if you're using ice everything will get waterlogged if you don't keep an eye on it and pack it properly. I would love it better if I could have a better system for keeping food cold without all of the cooler water.

After reading this post you may call me a 'Glamper'. I loved the camper, want a working fridge and we had a mini stove to cook on, but hey it's still outside right? I'm already looking forward to next year.

Modern bird feeders + houses

 

We added a couple bird feeders to the back yard a few weeks ago and it's amazing to see what birds are coming by to eat. I thought it would be fun for just the kids, but we're really into it too. We have some regulars like finches, black birds, cardinals and even a blue jay or two. My goal this summer is to create a little oasis for our bird family so they keep coming back.

When I was looking around for bird feeders this week on Etsy I was happy to see there are a bunch of different styles these days so you can get one or two to match the style of your house. While I was perusing I couldn't help but think of the birds creating their own little communities and having conversations about their homes. They be sipping nectar and snacking on seeds while they gossiped about their neighbours' homes. Actually I guess they'd simply be tweeting...

1|| Modern Minimalist bird house via Twig and Timber

2|| Modern green and white birdhouse via Hubler Furniture 

3|| Yellow modern bird feeder via Joe Papendick

4|| Egg shaped hanging bird feeder in turquoise copper via Joe Papendick

5|| Green modern bird house via Made by Mundahl

6|| Bird snack bar via Penny Vertone

7|| Turquoise porcelain bird house via L and M Studio

8|| Large porcelain basket feeder via L and M Studio

9|| Modern bird feeder via Eclectic Forest

Garden Tour: Jennifer Farr of Kitchen Counter Chronicles

This week our blogger garden tour comes from Jennifer Farr, the Toronto blogger behind Kitchen Counter Chronicles. Typically Jen blogs about her kitchen counter, but today she has us outside in her wonderful city garden. I love all the colour! Read about Jen's garden oasis below.

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Beautiful dill plant and more flowers from the front garden

Tell me a little about your blog, where you live and how long you’ve been blogging.

I believe that life lands on the kitchen counter. Our kitchen counter is the landing spot for so many things. Aside from the many piles of craft projects and paperwork, our kitchen counter is also where we gather with our family and friends, creating memories.

Three and a half years ago I decided to start sharing everything that lands on our kitchen counter with readers on my blog, Kitchen Counter Chronicles. I have been chronicling all of our crafting, baking, gardening and our attempts at greening our lives. We live in Toronto and are trying to raise our daughters (aged 8 and 10) to be eco-conscious individuals. As we teach them how to be more aware of the world, we are learning as well. I am an advocate for free play and the need to get children outdoors exploring, playing and learning. As such, our family spends a lot of time outdoors, discovering our city and beyond.

Pops of yellow in the front garden

What do you love most about your garden? What makes it special to you?

I love our city garden. I truly believe that a garden is for everyone to enjoy, which is why I love how our garden meets the needs of everyone in our household.

Even though we really don't have very much space, somehow we have created pockets for everyone to enjoy. My daughters and I take care of our vegetable patch...the planning, planting and harvesting. A few years ago I built and installed an outdoor chalkboard. What a fun way for kids to get creative outdoors. My husband has his barbecue zone...which is where you will find him most weekends.

I love sneaking out into the garden with a cup of tea and my laptop. I always find being outside so peaceful and inspiring. Even with the hum of the busy city all around, the back yard is the perfect place to write.

Jen relaxing in her oasis!

What have you learned along the way that you can share with others about gardening or setting up a backyard oasis?

I have learned so much about gardening over the years. I am in no way an expert, but I do love sharing what I have learned.

One of the most important lessons I have learned is to have patience. You cannot rush a flower or vegetable plant. A successful garden takes planning and once planted it will need time to develop into your vision. Our flower garden in the front yard is finally looking wild and free, like I had hoped it would. We also have a tiny vegetable patch in our backyard. I have discovered that vegetable gardening takes planning and a lot of trial and error. Sometimes the peppers don't turn yellow or the tomatillos plants produce way too many tomatillos.

Left: Kale in the vegetable garden; Right: Outdoor chalk board for the kids

Do you have any future plans for your garden or do you love it just the way it is?

We are always dreaming about new things to do in our garden. Our next big project will be building a new fence in our front yard. We are really procrastinating on that project...we are having a hard time committing to a design we love. Otherwise, the planning of our garden is a family effort. We try an take into consideration what foods the kids like, what food we would like to try growing and figuring how to grow it. Who knows what crops we will produce next year.

Vegetable Garden

When we first moved in, some seven years ago, our front yard and back yard were all grass...no flower beds. It was like someone handed us a blank canvas and we could turn our yard into a beautiful work of art. At the time, my mother was living with us and she was an incredible gardener. So, my mom and I planned, planted and poured our love into the front and back gardens. My mother passed away five years ago and I am so grateful to see the garden we planted growing into everything we had planned together. Yes, it takes time, energy and effort to grow a garden...but every year we are given a glorious reward.

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Thanks for sharing your garden Jen! You can find out more 

about Jen and follow her kitchen chronicles here:

Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

Next week, I'll feature the garden of Thea Morris from Time with Thea.

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Blogger Garden Tour Series

Heather Benton from New House New Home

Jennifer Farr of Kitchen Counter Chronicles

Thea Morris from Time with Thea

Cynthia Zamaria from Recreational Decorator

and my garden!

One Bedford: Deck Inspiration

As I mentioned in my last post, I was really impressed with the entrance at One Bedford. What I loved most were the straight lines and wood colour of the dividers. I would love that look for our deck and fence. Mark says that the wood is natural, worn over time, but I couldn't tell. What do you think? We're also looking for accent colours for our house and I'm really loving the green-grey around the frame.

The dark rock used in the garden caught my eye as well. We have grasses with white rock on our deck and just last week I was saying to Mark that I wanted to try the dark variety. Super pretty.

bringing the outside in

Happy Friday! Like many people, I love having flowers around the house in the summer but a) I'm too cheap to buy them every week, and b) I like the challenge of finding something around the garden to bring into the house to add a bit of colour. 

Yesterday when I was getting the hose from the side of the house to fill up the kiddie pool, I noticed that our side garden (aka overgrown death trap) was growing out of control. But there was something kind of pretty about it.

I love how fluffy the green bush is right now and thought it would look nice cut tall in a vase for the washroom. I added a few sprigs of the purple -- which I'm pretty sure is a weed (anyone know if this is the case?) -- to add a bit of colour. I love how it turned out. Something so simple, inexpensive and right from the yard.

 I also took a few flowers from our light purple clematis and a few sprigs of the lavender (below the clematis) to make a tiny arrangement for the dining room.

And just for fun, I thought I'd show you our little garden. I'm growing zucchini and peppers and I planted one of the hydro cilantros from my veggie box. I thought it was a goner after all the rain we had this week but it seems to be ok so far. Yum!

What are you growing and snipping these days?