What Ana Does

It's not the summer we were planning but the kids are off of school and the weather is getting warmer. So, it still counts as summer.  Bring on the quarantine summer 2020! 

Weekend warrior was in full effect this Sunday ... We got the ladder and the Sawzall out and took the low hanging branches off this very-overgrown tree near our deck.  Love this Comic Book Filter I even got a branch that was just touching our house. Score! And we piled up the logs for future fireplace fires. Ok Fall, I'm almost ready for you. Related links: More backyard posts

We caved and got the girls a trampoline this summer. I was reluctant because of injury. Dave was reluctant because of the cost.  But the neighbors all seem to have one. And Alice promised she's never be "bored" for the rest of her life. So, we ordered one off Amazon.  It took Dave and his friend just over a day to assemble it. And it seems really sturdy. The netting around the tramp makes it "safer" -- or so I'm told.  And ever since, the girls move from the tramp to the basement (where it's freezing) and come up with all kinds of games and activities.  It's a WIN. 

Let's overthink my lawn for a post, shall we? Leah Mowing Like a Pro While we were in Paris, my Mother moved into my house (temporarily, as it turns out), fired my lawn guy, bought a gas-powered mower and was planning to take care of the landscaping herself. She enjoys it. But circumstances took her to Florida and now I'm left with no lawn guys and long grass. No big deal, really. But it started me thinking about lawns. Then I read this article  that summed up the environmental issues of our lawn obsession. We, as a nation, over-water, over-fertilize and over-mow our lawns. And it's having a negative effect on our environment. While, yes, there are absolute positives for having a lawn and taking care of it, we're often doing way too much . Sure, grass is a plant and pulls a little carbon from the air, and is way better than paving or anything else, BUT it's doesn't need to look perfect all the time. I live in the midwest, so I only need to worry a...

We had been warned that Paris would be positively empty in August, as most residents take the month off from work and go to the beach or into the mountains. But we were unprepared for how empty the city is. There are only a few cars parked outside my window. The roads are a slow trickle of traffic rather than the normal rush. The grocery store had no lines at the checkout. And several businesses, including the fresh market, is shuttered. Of course the tourist attractions were still busy but our visiting friends said that most bistros are filled with Americans or non-French speakers. And given the lack of air conditioning and the heat wave that hit at the end of July here (thankfully after we had left for Illinois), I don't blame them for the exodus. We're unsure when the masses return. With school starting next week, and August ending, I assume within the next seven days. But you never really know.

Time to go! It was a busy few weeks on our summer vacation here in Illinois. We saw lots of friends and family. Ate a proper American cheeseburgers, grilled and made biscuits a few times. And I got the house a bit more sorted. But, now it's time to head back to "home" and Paris.

For a very long time, David has been dreaming about buying a Jeep Wrangler. Just a fun third car to drive to the pool or beach, out for ice cream. Have his girls' hair blowing in the wind and enjoying a summer day out. For reasons only he understands, this dream took on some movement while we've been in Paris. He's been scouring ads for months, understanding pricing, milage, wear-and-tear, etc. and all there is to expect from a used Jeep. Yup, it's our first weekend in the States and he found one that fit in his criteria. It's a 2008 in olive green and it was love at first sight. For a used car, it's looking pretty good. Soft top. Manual transmission and all. My argument was, this is as good as it's going to get, it's in the budget he set aside and it's ready to go. I'm not spending all my Saturdays in the States going from one dealership to another looking at subtly differences in used cars. After long deliberations, it's ours! And ...

I called the open time between when school got out and when we left for the States "Camp Paris 2018" ( see first post here ). I worried about keeping the kids busy and there are still a ton of sights in Paris on my list. So, off we went. And, I will add, we didn't wait in line anywhere. Maybe the first week of July is the best time to visit Paris? Who knows!? It wasn't all good news. The girls staged a mutiny after the first week, refusing to go to another monument or museum. Sigh. So, we spent more days than I care to admit to watching movies, crafting and hanging out around the (very warm) apartment. Such is summer, I guess. Here's a breakdown of the places we DID see ... Parc Zoologique de Paris (also known as Zoo de Vincenne)  Link:  https://www.parczoologiquedeparis.fr/ Price: 50€ for 1 adult, 2 kids Summary: Loved it! Even though it was 40 minutes on the metro from our apartment (on the opposite side of the city), the ride felt quick. Maybe beca...

We've lived in Paris through some of the coldest temperatures ... and now some of the hottest! This weekend it hit 90 and we were all feeling a little melted. We spent the morning at a fountain in a public park, until the crowds (and heat exhaustion) chased us home. And back home, there's a whole mess of strategies behind keeping the apartment cool without air conditioning, which is a rare amenity in these old building. Finding the right combination of fans, keeping out the hot sun with aluminum shutters, turning off lights, not using the oven and finding a cross-breeze is all mixed in. Sometimes we'll just open up the window and hope a pigeon doesn't pay a visit. Bonjour! Frozen grapes, ice lollies and smoothie drinks also help keep us feeling cool. I can't complain, since I was begging for warm weather when the temperature dipped below freezing and I was a walking icicle on treks back from the market. (Though, I didn't have to worry about the yogurt ...

You know when you're away on vacation and, sure, the first few days you're getting completely relaxed as you sit in a lounge chair and stare at a pool ... but after day three the mind wanders to house projects. Or is that just me? We went to Cancun, Mexico at an all-inclusive resort . Pluses: Menus with no prices and no checks to pay at the end of each meal; breakfast buffets; lots of drinks; many pools. Minuses: No beach; bad pedicure. We didn't leave the resort for any excursions or sight-seeing, so all my pictures feature the blue sky, a pool and whatever I was sitting under drinking a frosty beverage. My daily views: But I can't just sit there and NOT make a list, so after day three my mind wandered all over my house, inventorying all the tasks and to-dos I want to get done once the girls go back to school. Let me tell you, it was A LOT. And happy list-making was just about all I accomplished in the seven days we were away. And a super tan. R...

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.

My update is this: I'm home this summer and working with a few clients on a few part-time writing/researching projects, so that's pretty cool. A good start. I'm also selling cabi clothing and that's been fun and challenging, and gives me a community to be a member of, which I like. Here are the other things I'm liking right now ... Mina and Karen On My TV HGTV continues to be my go-to for TV programming. I'm not sure how I'd unwind without the good folks bringing me more home fixer-upper shows than I have time to watch. Recently, I binged the entire first season of Good Bones on demand. The new season also just started, so I've got some new episodes waiting for me to enjoy. I love how capable Mina and Karen are, they're mixed up family and their positivity. And they're brilliant designers and builders. I would immediately buy one of their houses if I lived in Indianapolis. Also, have you seen Home Town ? There's only a few episod...

There's nothing worse than scurrying around the house trying to pull all the necessary items together for a simple trip to the park or pool. So each summer I try to create some pre-packed totes that sit on a hook and are ready for walking out the door. This summer we're going to need a Pool Tote , a Tennis Tote and a Park Tote . Plus, a slightly-more jam-packed Mom Bag . Let's start with the Pool ... My Pool Tote - Minus the Towels Town Pool Tote This tote is the MOST important because we love the town pool. And, because we have a membership, we can wander in and stay however long we want. There's no pre-planning or spending "at least 4 hours to make it worth it." Here's the list of Pool Tote items, in priority: Goggles - two, of course Pool diving toys  Several large pool towels Spray sunscreen and a sunscreen stick for faces  A baseball hat to keep the sun off little faces   Magazine, this week it's Magnolia Journal Water bottle t...

This week was the "gap week" -- the week in-between school ending and day camps starting. And with my "flexible" schedule, they were able to be home with me. (A good and bad thing.) I will say they did a pretty good job keeping themselves occupied so I could work -- with only a few whining episodes to go to Toys R Us or the goofy skatepark. Yes, my expectations were low.  A new slip n' slide was purchased and used. And our membership to the town pool got a lot of use since it was warm and sunny. Joy!   Caption 1: Pin Heads! Caption 2: Alley Champion! Town Pool  Now I'm just waiting for the farmer's market to open up and summer will officially be rolling! Related Posts:  Summer Planning From This Winter Summer Transitions 100 Things To Do This Summer - 2013

Current status: Registering for summer camps, buying village pool passes and looking at possible road trip ideas. My view while pondering all this ... Our first significant snowfall since December. It's been a weird winter.

Here's what I'm currently loving ... The Man From U.N.C.L.E . -- this movie was on my must-see list since it came out: the two main actors are SUPER HOT, it's a Guy Richie movie and they are always quotable (we trade quotes from Snatch almost daily) and what's more fun than the Cold War?! Oh, and I'm a sucker for Hugh Grant. But David thought it looked boring, so we didn't go. Then, David saw it on a plane without me and said it was "boring." So I waited. Finally it's out on HBO and I made time to watch it ... and I thought it was awesome. Sure, it's missing all the intensity of the new Bond/superhero movies, but it's fun and Oh! the eye candy all around. Lots of expensive suits and cool Italian cars. The one thing I would add -- just one shirtless scene. Is that too much to ask? It's S'Well! It Really Is! My S'well bottle - I don't know what witchcraft is at work but the water in this bottle stays cold,...