What Ana Does

Every summer for the past five or so years we've spent time in the Berkshires at the summer camp my sister and her husband run. ( Click here to see it. ) And every year I'm reminded of how much I love this place. Western Massachusetts is just so lovely, with winding roads and hidden-away places. It's worth a visit if you've never been. This year, after we dropped Leah off for her week as a camper, Alice and I toured Saratoga Springs and thereabouts. This is a special week for us because it's just all about what Alice (at age 8) and I like to do. We toured the Museum of Dance and Hall of Fame , ate at some great little places, found a little beach and even enjoyed an indoor climbing wall during the two rainy afternoons. We saw a movie ( The Emoji Movie , don't rush to see it) and treated ourselves to a sugary snack, which we never do. Alice is almost old enough to attend my sister's camp, so these summer weeks with just the two of us will come to an ...

Last, but not least, in this three-part Totes series is the jam-packed, summer-ready Mom Purse. I'm a big fan of having a few purses at the ready: a tiny one for just my wallet and phone, a medium sized bag for adult day trips when I don't have to pack like a Mom and a big Mom tote. And I like to switch based on the need for the day, when I can. Items very in each of the bags, but the Mom Tote is what I tend to use the most. It's slightly over-sized for a purse and I can jam whatever I need into it -- or out of it. Here's the rundown of what's usually inside: The Summer MOM TOTE Wallet, keys and iPhone, obviously Sunscreen Sunglasses for me and child-sized Notebook for to-do and grocery lists A little bag of Advil, lotion, lip balm and Altoids Tissues Felt pens in assorted colors, also a Sharpie and pen/pencils Hand sanitizer  iPads - mine and/or the kids' Book or Kindle or magazine S'Well Water Bottles, because they're friggin...

We took a family weekend trip to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin and it was awesome. It's got a great little downtown; we ate, saw a movie and did some shopping. But the weekend highlight was renting a speed boat for three hours and cruising the lake. Oh Captain My Captain!  The Girls On the Lake Swimming! We had such a fun time on the boat we started to imagine what it would be like to own a boat and a lake house and spending every summer weekend out on the lake. Glorious daydream. Anyway, do you have a boat and lake house you're done with? I think we need one. Related Posts All Summer posts

This week, I'm a yoga teacher. Which is bananas because I've never taught yoga, nor am I certified to do so. But my sister is coaching soccer at a nearby summer camp and needed to occupy the kids for a few hours this week. And I've been taking yoga for 20+ years , soooo I'm "mostly" qualified. The cool thing is, teaching yoga has been on my goals list for years. But getting certified is pricey and a huge time commitment. And never being in front of a class before, it's hard to know if it's worth the effort. This was a good experience to help me decide if this is something to look into as my next possible career. But this week just reminds me of my current mantra: That's just who I am this week, folks. A summer camp yoga teacher. Who know, next week, I could be an art dealer! Related posts: My deep thoughts about yoga More on Staying Home

To continue the Tote project for the summer, let's tackle the Park and Tennis Totes. This summer, Leah is taking a Sunday tennis class at a nearby park. This gives Alice and I the perfect excuse to play outside for an hour. Here's the lowdown on the tote ... The Park Tote Park Tote This is the bag that will have a hundred things to do outside, so we don't get bored waiting for Leah and fall back at staring at our iPads. Sunscreen Hats Rain gear - jackets and umbrellas Picnic blanket Books Coloring books/paper Deck of cards  The kite I got on sale at Target two years ago And I'll toss in snacks like clementines and granola bars, and icy water bottles. Tennis Tote All this bag includes is our ... tennis rackets, one for everyone in the family new containers of balls larger practice balls water bottles and sunscreen so we can head to a park at a moments notice and practice Leah's new-found tennis skills. We'd likely bring along the P...

Yeah, I totally got this ... Sourced from Pinterest ... now on the blackboard near the garage door.