Camping

Fun Gear and Gadgets for Your Next Camping Trip

People try and make camping so complicated. They think they need to bring their entire bedroom and kitchen in order to have a good time, but to be honest the less hassle the better. A tent or hammock, a sleeping bag, a way to make fire, and a tinfoil dinner is all you need to have a fabulous camping trip with a few friends.

Hiking

Must-Have Gear for Your Bucket List

Getting out and hiking is a wonderful way to stretch your legs and breath in some fresh air. Make sure you use the buddy system and stay on the trail so your adventure into the wilderness will be accident-free.

BBQ

8 Great Gifts for Every Guy

If you do a BBQing party you can have everyone bring an item or two. That way it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg to have great food with fabulous company. Most apartment complexes offer patio grills so it shouldn’t be hard to find somewhere to cook your meat. Also, to keep the event stress free, try sticking with easy BBQing options. Grilling up steaks for an entire party of people probably isn’t worth the effort you’re going to have to put into it.

Campfire/bonfire

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Campfires don’t have to include food, but a bag of marshmallows, some graham crackers, and a few chocolates can go a long way to make a group happy. Encourage your musically include friend to bring along their guitar so you can enjoy a few silly songs by the glow of the fire.

Fishing

Life’s a Beach: Activities To Be Had On the Seven Seas

You don’t have to be an avid fisherman to enjoy a little fishing. Find yourself a pole, hook, and line and take a relaxing trip down to the side of a river. If you catch something, that’s great, fish for dinner! If not, that’s alright too. At least you had an excuse to be outside.

Picnic

50 Things To Plan For When The Weather Is Nice

Picnics are another great pot luck activity. Have some people bring food and others bring games. With everyone pitching in something you’re bound to have a fantastic day at the park.

Birdwatching

All the New Tech of the Great Outdoors

While perhaps not the most thrilling activity, birdwatching can be very fascinating. Bring along a bird book or download an app on your phone to help you know what you’re looking at. Some apps even have the birds calls available so you can draw your new feathery friend in for a closer look.

Biking

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Biking can be whatever you want it to be. If you’re in the mood for some intense mountain trails remember to wear a helmet and stay safe. You could also stay around town and enjoy a leisurely ride around the park to get you outside and breathing in the spring air.

Slacklining

Adrenaline Junkie Loves Doing Flips On Slackline

If the area you live in is filled with trees then it might be time to live out your childhood dream of being a tight rope walker. All you need is a slackline and two trees that are relatively close together. As you’re learning, start with your line close to the ground so your fall isn’t quite so painful.

Climbing

Top Summer Activities for All The Family

Few things provide a greater adrenaline rush than going out and scaling a cliff face. Whether you are just trying out the sport or are an avid climber remember to always use the right equipment correctly so you can stay safe.

It doesn’t really matter what you’re doing as long as you are getting outside and staying safe. Enjoy the nice weather!

The post 10 Spring Activities To Get You And Your Group Out And About appeared first on InstantELLA.

After Christmas, it can feel like just a couple of grey, cold, months that lie ahead with not a lot to do and a lot of cabin fever.

But the good news is there are things you can do to make you feel productive even in the winter time and also help you prepare for spring, and help the winter months pass by a little quicker.

Here are five ways to get through the winter even if all you want is for it to be spring already, and be that much more excited for when it finally comes.

Make sleep a priority

A Good Night’s Rest: Can Music Help You Fall Asleep?

Since it is cold and grey and the sun goes down a lot earlier it may be time for you to also go down earlier and catch up on sleep that you have probably been needing.

The winter is a great time to get more sleep and get in the habit of having an earlier bedtime, which will not only make you feel more rested but also help prevent the chances of you getting sick, which can be an issue in winter.

Organize your home

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The one upside to being stuck in your house all day because it’s freezing outside is that you can use that time to do some organizing.

You can go room to room and write down all the things you’ve been meaning to do and then each day you can mark those items off of your list.

Not only will it be nice to spend time in an organized home, but you can also involve the whole family because they are also stuck inside and can help the house get into tip-top shape before spring.

Clear your driveway

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Clearing your driveway of snow and ice is a great way to be motivated to actually leave your house, but also ensures that you actually will be able to if you ever need to.

It may seem silly considering once you clear the snow only more will come, but making sure to do it on a regular basis will ensure that it stays relatively clear and doesn’t become overwhelming.

If you are not in the mood to do it and want some professional help you can hire snow removal services to come and do it for you, and you can look for some in your area by visiting websites like ifyardbutler.com.

Go outside

4 Super Fun Winter Date Ideas

Although this may be the very last thing you want to do during winter and before spring comes, getting outside will really help your mood and give you something to do.

Even if it’s just for a short walk or if you are feeling more adventurous and go skiing or snowboarding, getting outside will get you moving and active and make time pass a lot quicker.

Have a nice fire

Another simple thing that makes a big difference, in the wintertime, there is nothing like building a nice warm fire and sitting by the fireplace, reading a good book, or watching a good movie.

It will make winter time a lot more bearable and help pass the time before spring finally comes.

The post 5 Ways To Get Through the Winter Even If All You Want Is Spring appeared first on InstantELLA.

Indoor: Hanging or Potted

These are the 15 easiest indoor houseplants (that won’t die on you)

If you’re afraid of what the weather could release on your plants in wide open spaces, take it slow and start with a plant that is perfectly content to remain within the controlled environment of your home or within easy reach on your porch step.

Ornamental

3 Benefits of Bringing Plants into Your Home

• Orchid – these stunning blossoms are surprisingly low maintenance with several varieties and colors to choose from.

• Succulent – likely the hardiest plant you can get, these majestic little guys are especially great indoor companions that won’t shed on your side table.

• Aloe – if you’re looking for something useful but not necessarily edible, aloe plants are a must. You can easily use them to treat burns and rashes or add some moisture to your hair and skin.

• Asparagus Fern – growing these indoors will require some humidity, but keep them well watered and you’ll have a happy, berry-filled fern.

Edible

5 Veggies You Can Grow Indoors!

• Cherry Tomatoes – these are easy to grow if you’ve never done your own tomatoes before. They’re small enough for a hanging basket as well.

• Herbs – a few sprigs of rosemary, sage, mint, and/or oregano will look great on your windowsill and taste great in your cooking

• Peppers – whatever variety you choose, soak the seeds first and keep them moist as they grow. You’ll also want to keep your pepper tray in a warm location.

Outdoor

If half the reason you want a garden is to spend more time with your feet in the dirt and the sun warming your back, there are some beauties you can take on that will fill your garden near to bursting with minimal. An important part of your outdoor garden will be weed control, so be sure to prepare your soil well and give it some extra attention.

Invest in your favorite perennials (flowers that will rebloom each year), but you might want to take on an annual seed or two as well.

Ornamental

The 15 Best Annual Flowers You Need to Plant In Your Yard

• Phlox – these are small but gorgeous and will grow best as cuttings or transplants rather than from seeds. A similar but no less delightful flower is the pansy, which grows as a biennial or annual depending on its care.

• Sunflowers – you’ll want these in a place with plenty of sunlight that’s also sheltered from the wind.

• Cosmos – these delicate-looking annuals are planted by scattering the seeds, just be sure the frosts are over before you do.

• Poppies – these are perfect to start planning when it’s a bit cooler and wetter, which might explain their prominence in the United Kingdom.

Edible

21 Best Crops for Your Edible Garden

• Lettuce and Salad Greens – start with something basic that you can add to any meal, plus it’s easy to harvest.

• Radishes – if you like radishes, these do well when planted early and it’s too cold for other plants and can thrive in less-than-perfect soil.

• Cucumbers – give these plenty of sun, water, and space, and you’ll have so many cucumbers that you’ll be giving them away.

• Raspberries – these are perennial and one of the easiest berries to grow. You won’t have any berries the first year, but every year following you’ll have brambles ready to keep producing.

Before setting your heart on any of these darlings, check to see which types grow well in your area, how much space they’ll end up taking, and if you should make any special preparations for specific plants. Once that’s in place, you’ll take on the title of a gardener with ease.

The post Starter Plants for the Beginning Gardener appeared first on InstantELLA.

Don’t be overwhelmed just yet. If you play your cards right, summer vacations can be a time of fun, learning and rediscovery of your own youth! Here’s how you do it.

Create a Routine

It does not end with planning a drive down to the beach or renting the perfect beach-house getaway. I’d recommend chalking out a schedule, planner or routine of activities even before summer starts. That way you will not only be prepared on day #1 but you would have been able to pre-register and save a spot for all those outdoor summer activities as well, you know what they say about the early bird. Obviously, having a plan would also ensure you’re making the best use of time and opportunities during this vacation.

A quick tip on planning the summer for your kids – include a mix of activities because children get bored easy and love variety. While a large part of summer is about the kids, it’s not all about them. Remember that you need to be relaxed and having fun too. Don’t cram your calendar with activities 24/7. Not only will that burn you out (and may burn out the kids too) but it leaves no room for re-adjustment or tweaking, and that’s no fun! Lol. Take on only as much as you’ll logically be able to handle and save room for downtime.

Having said that here are a couple of activities you and your kids can include in your summer routine.

Interactive Learning

Summer is all about Fun and so is Interactive Learning.  It involves a PC, tablet or other devices, interactive software, immediate answers to queries, virtual rewards and badges/ titles for performance and even online competitions. Sound like a video-game? Yes, because it pretty much is and that is exactly why kids find it so much fun. Except they’re learning along the way too.

American educational technology companies like IXL, through their online tools and website, offer students a chance to practice educational material. Often affiliated and recommended by the Public-School System, they provide students an engaging yet focused environment in which to excel. Sign-ups are free, through the affiliated school and students like my kids can use them throughout the year. Hint: even during summer

Registering your kid(s) at the Local Library’s online Summer Reading Programme is another great example of interactive learning. These programmes include several other exciting activities that go along with reading. My kids, for example read “The giving Tree” and then completed the lesson by planting a sapling in our backyard. They also enjoyed building their original Legos after reading a book on Lego design; and made their own tin can- robots after attending a book reading at the library which focused on robots and machines. Find IT Virginia and similar free online resources provide opportunities for e-reading and learning.

The possibilities are truly endless and I would have killed to have these opportunities growing up, but am happy my kids have them now. Better late than never.

The great outdoors

Physical activity is as important as mental health. My husband and I start our day with a jog around the neighborhood, while the kids do 2 laps each on their bicycles. It doesn’t matter who beats who to the house first, but we all return awake, alive and hungry. Whoever gets home first kills time playing some good old-fashioned basketball outside.

We take it easier on the weekends and substitute the jogs and bike rides for a day of mini-golf, bowling or the park.

And while a trip to the beach is a must, if you’re looking for local activities, Facebook Events  and Groupon Coupons could be a good place to start. Explore local events and workshops , take the kids to the amusement and water parks or the local fare, state-parks and museums, buy putt-putt, laser-tag, roller-skating and arcade game coupons for the family on Groupon at a discounted rate. Save some money, Explore, and thou shall find!

And don’t forget, your own backyard can be an ideal place to spend some time – if you’ve got a pool, make sure you search for a pool service near me to keep it clean and hygienic, but even without a pool, your own outdoor space can be a fantastic place for some truly wonderful adventures. 

Help Around the House

With great fun comes serious responsibility. If you haven’t already, take this time to teach the kids the nuances of laundry, doing the dishes, helping fix a meal and generally cleaning up after themselves.  It will go a long way in teaching them responsibility and preparing them for success as adults. Initially, I used to get a lot of pushback from my kids. It started with the “do we have to?”  but after gentle persuasion it’s slowly shifting to “can I help?”. Why surely, you can!!

Get a Pet

Now’s as good a time as any to get a pet for your kids to play with. My kids brought home 2 hermit crabs – Hermie and Sebastian – from the beach this summer. They had been after us for a while to get them a dog or cat. Since these cute little crabs are low maintenance, we figured it would be a good compromise. The bonus is the kids learn a little responsibility. They have researched how to take care of the hermit crabs and decorated the crab tank on their own with minimum supervision from us adults. Who knows, if the crabs survive a couple years, they might earn their puppy or kitten one day.

Indoor Fun

Ever heard the phrases “What do I do now?” or “I’m bored” from your kid(s), implying that you as the adult, are automatically supposed to come up with a solution to fix the ‘boredom’? Not anymore. This year I invested in arts & crafts, board-games, books, Legos and DIY projects to keep the kids engaged and entertained all summer long.

Some of the more interesting games that both kids and adults can play include, Connect Four, Jenga, UNO, Scrabble, and Monopoly. These never get old. Lego building is another activity that the boys and my husband enjoy and have organized several competitions around them.

We have family game nights where in addition to playing board games we all descend into the basement for a game of Pool or tag team Video Gaming. Other nights we chill over Netflix. Choosing Trilogies and other movie series like Aliens, The Godfather or Star Wars may work well during the summers when you can watch the series back to back and the kids don’t have school the next day.

Execute the Routine

Having created a schedule, it’s important to execute. The easiest way to do this is working as a team. After drafting the schedule, my husband and I discussed it with the kids to get their feedback and buy-in. Once everyone agreed, I had the kids replicate the schedule on a calendar in their room. Now they too share responsibility in keeping track of daily and weekly activities.

While some kids can be stubborn or rebellious, I honestly believe that all kids want structure and do well when given clear directions. Creating and executing a daily routine during the summers help build structure and discipline into the day. The kids have fun, parents can manage their time better and it’s a win-win all around. You know you’ve hit the nail on the mark when reminders and instructions become fewer and smiles and laughter greater!

Remember to have Fun!!

Summer comes along once a year and so it’s important to remember to have fun, irrespective of the activity on the routine. The routine is just a guideline meant to organize the day, not to limit fun. The routine should be flexible. If at some point activities need to be rescheduled, removed or added to the plan, go ahead and make alterations to the routine. As long as everyone is on-board and having fun, you’ll be fine.

It’s been just a few weeks of summer for my kids. Not only have I survived, but I must admit I’m actually looking forward to the weeks ahead. My secret lies in creating a balanced routine that includes having all out fun while learning, growing, being creative and unlocking hidden talents together!

The post Beach More, Worry Less : Smart Tips & Activities To Keep Kids Engaged This Summer appeared first on InstantELLA.