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Things To Do This Summer

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So the theme for this week is Summer Bucket List, or as I would like to put it… things to do this summer.  It’s summer, with COVID still looming over us, meaning most will stick closer to home.  I know I have things I want to do.  Perhaps my goals will inspire you.  🙂  

Stay tuned for the link-up below!

Things to do this summer

Watch FireFlies

Sit in your backyard or go to your local park, starting when it’s just getting dark.  Watch, and before you know it fireflies will appear.  Enjoy their lights coming and going, and then take a moment and look at the stars.  Perhaps you’ll have a fun moon and you can then practice your photography skills.   Take your time and listen to the noises of critters skittering through the bush, or flying through the sky.  Just stop and breathe in the night air, it’s different than day air. A late night won’t hurt your littles, and they’ll gain so much more. 

Sit Around A Fire

It might not be the same as camping, but a fire is a fire and will generate conversation.  Have a pokey stick because you can!  And roast hotdogs, marshmallows, and chocolate in cones.  Make melted sandwiches and roast apples as you make S’mores. Laugh and talk and smell like smoke.  Just make sure you are aware of any fire bans and keep a bucket of water close by.  It’s a good thing that.

sitting around backyard fire

Hit up the zoo

I read today that the Toronto Zoo is opening up again.  They’ll have a reservation system and a path marked out for how to walk through the zoo.  But it’s open again.  It always makes for a great trip.   And perhaps Ripley’s, the Science Center, and more will open up soon too.

Markets

Hitting up the various farmers market’s tends to be lovely way to spend a couple hours on a Saturday morning.  We’ve spent many good afternoons at the St. Jacob’s market and Trail’s End. 

Camping/Vacation

As we sat around the fire last night, hubby mentioned he hoped to go camping at the end of August this summer. We normally hit Grundy Lake or Six Mile Lake campgrounds.  The lads do a lot of fishing and kayaking, I like to swim, read, bake campfire bread, and go hiking.   I occasionally join them.  We aren’t sure if we’ll make camping this year or not due to covid-19 and some people not helping things stay open. But it’s a goal!  🙂   Trying to figure out how the lad’s highschool class will work out into it as well.  He’ll be taking comm-tech and if its online, it’s just a matter of driving into a wifi area a couple times a week for him to do his school.  So we’d be able to go anytime.   Still trying to sort that all out.

Tents Set up Camping

Local hikes/bike rides/swimming

We are fortunate where we live there is a beach about 1/2 hour away, there is easy access to bike and hiking trails, and local green spaces to hang out in.   I hope to every other week take the lad out for supper and do a meal in the park and a walk together.   Gets him out of the park and gives us a chance to chat together.  Barring that… more backyard fires as long as we get a bit more rain.  (no fire bans yet, but maybe coming!)

July

So what things do you want to do this summer?  What is on your summer bucket list?

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Recipe: Gooseberry Jelly

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Guess what I made today!  GOOSEBERRY JELLY!!!

I’ve made gooseberry jam off and on for years…it’s GREAT in a stir fry or stuffed into chicken or with lamb.  But now I have a lad (and a hubby) who aren’t keen on seeds (ergo their dislike of raspberries). 

The boys LOVE it, so I thought I’d share it with you.  Rather easy to make overall.

gooseberry jelly

First off gather up a whack of gooseberries.  Rinse them off and plop them in a pot with 1/4 cup water for each cup of berries.  Don’t worry on it if you are over a bit in the water department.

Take your potato masher and mash them up a fair bit.  If you don’t crush all of them it’s okay, seriously.  You’ll pop that juice out of them them later on.

Let it boil well for about 10 minutes.  Then strain it off.

IF you are like me and haven’t been able to find jelly or cheese cloth you’ll need to improvise.  I use our strainer (normally used for pasta, tip it on an angle over a deep bowl and then let the juice drain.  Then I take a clean nylon stocking and put the pulp from the gooseberries into it and then have the fun of squeezing more juice out of it.   

In the end, starting with about 13 cups of berries I ended up with 6 cups of juice.  To that you add 6 cups of sugar slowly heating it will the sugar melts into the juice.  Once it is all melted, bring it to a full rolling boil for 10 minutes.  Stir all the time, skim off the icky bits (like stems that made their way into the liquid, excess seeds and stuff).

NOW.. HERE is where you have to make a choice…trust they have enough pectin in it to solidify OR add a package of pectin.  Recipes for making gooseberry jelly go both ways.  Since pectin doesn’t keep beyond a year and I have two packages left (and planning to use one in September to make crabapple jelly) I chose to use a packet of liquid pectin as waste not want not. 

Add the pectin and 1 tsp of lemon juice, boil another couple minutes.  Then take it off the heat, pour into clean washed jars.  Put the lids/rings on them and put in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.  Doing the hot water bath gives you a shelf stable jelly.

You could also turn it into freezer jelly by putting it into freezer jars, or fridge jelly meaning you need to use it up within six months.

gooseberry jellly

Got a recipe?  Share it here eh?

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Art Series: Incredible Art Department

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Today for my art series I wanted to tell you about a neat art Website that I discovered.  It is called the Incredible Art Department. 


I honestly was pointed it’s way by someone and can’t remember who so if it was YOU.. let me know and I’ll extend kudos to you.

This is a rather neat site that is just plum full of art lessons and ideas. 

 The Incredible Art Department started at as a showcase for students in Indiana.

It has grown from those humble beginnings to a site full of art lessons and images.  A diverse range of ideas for teachers, educators, artists, parents and students.

Just a fascinating website. 

Check out this partial list of middle school materials

This is just a sample of the list and I find myself wanting to dig in, but I can’t until we finish our current art project.  🙂     The lad is doing his thing and I’m doing mine, and by the end of it, we’ll understand the mountains of Canada better eh?  🙂

So let’s see… 

They have material for students from elementary up through highschool.  Projects that adults might want to take on, projects for individuals as well as classrooms.  Projects that involve more than pencil, paper or paint.  Imagine using clothing as a vehicle to communicate an art project.    Making Faberge eggs or using a chess board to create art.   

So many interesting projects just waiting for you to take on.

Give it a boo won’t you?

http://www.incredibleart.org/

 

IAD
began as a showcase for elementary art students in Indiana and now
includes a diverse range of subjects and topics of interest to art
educators, general area teachers, students, parents, artists, and
homeschoolers the world over. – See more at:
http://www.incredibleart.org/#sthash.7cOv3rLJ.dpuf
IAD
began as a showcase for elementary art students in Indiana and now
includes a diverse range of subjects and topics of interest to art
educators, general area teachers, students, parents, artists, and
homeschoolers the world over.
On this site you can find free art lessons, news, art resources, art careers, schools, and help for new art teachers.

– See more at: http://www.incredibleart.org/#sthash.7cOv3rLJ.dpuf

IAD
began as a showcase for elementary art students in Indiana and now
includes a diverse range of subjects and topics of interest to art
educators, general area teachers, students, parents, artists, and
homeschoolers the world over.
On this site you can find free art lessons, news, art resources, art careers, schools, and help for new art teachers.

– See more at: http://www.incredibleart.org/#sthash.7cOv3rLJ.dpuf

things to add to website in time

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Some interesting sites I need to look at more and then will probably add to my homeschool website.

Universe Today. Yes, I know.. I shouldn’t be surprised that they have space/astronomy blogs…but I was surprised.   Pleased too.  🙂   I got to this blog because someone sent me a link to earth layer’s for kids.  Rather neat eh?  🙂

Pollinator Partnership.  works to protect the health of managed and native pollinating animals vital to our North American ecosystems and agriculture.   it’s an interesting site.  Well worth looking around.

Untamed Science.   An intriguing science site.  Looking forward to checking it out more.   This lesson plan caught my eye.  Plants and Fruits lesson. 

Danielle has her own site at A to Z Teacher’s.  Danielle creates original learning materials for A to Z Teacher Stuff
using of her own illustrations and designs. She also owns CrayonboxLearning.com.   Most of her stuff is for the younger set (up to about age 6 or so), but some of it is adaptable.   nice lady to deal with.